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Azamara Pursuit

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For the 1984-built "Royal Princess", see MV Artania.
MV Adonia leaving Havana in July 2016
History
Name
  • R Eight (2001–2003)
  • Minerva II (2003–2007)
  • Royal Princess (2007–2011)
  • Adonia (2011-present)
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
RouteMiami-Dominican Republic and Cuba
Builder
CostGB£150 million[2]
Yard numberZ31[1]
Christened2001
Completed2001
Acquired1 February 2001[1]
In service2001
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics (as Adonia)
Class and typeR-class cruise ship
Tonnage
Displacement15,100t
Length180.45 m (592 ft)[2]
Beam25.46 m (83 ft 6 in)[1]
DraughtMax. Draft 5.95 m (19 ft 6 in)[2]
Decks12 (9 passenger accessible)
Installed power
PropulsionTwo propellers[2]
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[1]
Capacity777 passengers (max. capacity)
Crew380 crew

MV Adonia (previously R Eight, Minerva II and Royal Princess) is a cruise ship which is the sole vessel of the Fathom fleet. The ship was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at their shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. Adonia is a twin sister ship of the Pacific Princess (which is the smallest ship of Princess Cruises), the four sisters operated by Oceania Cruises and the two ships in operated by Azamara Cruises.

Service history

Originally built as the last of eight 'R' class ships for Renaissance Cruises, Adonia was first known as R Eight, and entered service in 2001.[3] After Renaissance ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy in late 2001, the vessel was seized by creditors and laid up in Marseille, France.

In 2003, the vessel re-entered operation, this time as the sole cruise ship in Swan Hellenic's fleet. The vessel was named Minerva II, after both the Roman goddess and the company's previous vessel, Minerva.

On 7 April 2007, Minerva II completed her final voyage with Swan Hellenic and was transferred by the parent company, Carnival Corporation & plc, to Princess Cruises. She was renamed Royal Princess and entered into service for Princess in 2007.[3] The first voyage as a Princess Cruises liner was on 19 April 2007.

On 18 June 2009, fire broke out in her engine room. Royal Princess was on a 12-day Holy Land voyage and just left Port Said, Egypt. A little while later a serious fire broke out in her engine room, disabling the ship. She waited to dock in Port Said for an assessment of the damage.[4]

Royal Princess was to transfer to the P&O Cruises fleet.[3] The ship entered service with the company on 21 May 2011,[citation needed] and was renamed Adonia.[3]

On 18 March 2013, two of the ship's passengers were shot in Bridgetown, Barbados, on her 2013 world cruise. P&O Cruises confirmed two of its passengers from the Adonia, which left Southampton on 8 January, believed to be a man in his 70s and a woman in her 50s, were taken to hospital after the incident. The ship's staff and medical team also provided support.[5]

After completing a major refit in 2016,[6] Adonia has been reassigned within the Carnival Corporation, and became the first ship for a new brand called "fathom", focusing on the growing number of people who want to work alongside local communities as part of their travel experience in areas such as education, the environment and economic development.[7] She will be sailing out of Miami to the Dominican Republic and Cuba on an alternating weekly basis. While in the Dominican Republic and Cuba, passengers will be working on programs that make a positive social impact on the communities they visit.[3][8]

On 2 May 2016, Adonia docked in the port of Havana, the first port of her Cuban itinerary for Fathom. It marked the first time in over 50 years that a U.S. cruise line has sailed from the U.S. to Cuba.[9] It is also the first time in decades that Cuban-born individuals have been able to travel by sea to or from Cuba.[10] An outbreak of gastro-intestinal illnesses occurred on the initial voyage striking 14 passengers.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Asklander, Micke. "M/S R Eight (2001)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d Ward, Douglas (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 398–399. ISBN 981-246-739-4.
  3. ^ a b c d e Sampson, Hannah (June 4, 2015). "Carnival launches fathom, a new "social impact travel" brand". Miami Herald. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  4. ^ cruiseind.wordpress.com: CruiseInd, retrieved 19 June 2009
  5. ^ Staff writers (18 March 2013). "Adonia cruise ship Britons 'shot' in Bridgetown, Barbados". BBC News. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  6. ^ Burke, Tom. "More problems for fathom – first sailing cancelled". Tom's Cruise Blog. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  7. ^ Golden, Fran. "Will Carnival's volunteerism cruise line Fathom do good?". USA Today. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Culture and Comfort Aboard Fathom's Adonia Cruise Ship". Travel Addicts. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  9. ^ Marcus, Lilit. "Fathom's Adonia Makes History as First U.S. Cruise Ship Back in Cuba". Conde Nast Traveler. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  10. ^ Clary, Mike and Arlene Satchell. (May 1, 2016). Cruise to Cuba: Travelers to 'make history' in Havana . Sun Sentinel. Accessed on May 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Whitefield, Mimi. "Cases of gastro-intestinal illnesses reported aboard Fathom Adonia". Miami Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
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