Sun Princess

Sun Princess docked at the Kings Wharf, Suva, Fiji Islands
Career
Name:	Sun Princess
Owner:	Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator:	Princess Cruise Line
Port of registry:	Bermuda (2004-present)  United Kingdom (2000-2004)  Liberia (1995-2000)
Builder:	Fincantieri, Italy
Cost:	US$300 million
Yard number:	Monfalcone 5909
Completed:	26 June 1995
Maiden voyage:	2 December 1995
Identification:	Call sign: ZCBU6 IMO number: 9000259 MMSI no.: 310438000
Status:	Operational
Notes:	[1][2]
General characteristics
Class & type:	Sun class
Type:	Cruise ship
Tonnage:	77,499 GT 44,193 NT 8,293 DWT
Length:	261.31 m (857.3 ft)
Beam:	32.25 m (105.8 ft)
Draught:	8.10 m (26.6 ft)
Decks:	14 (10 passenger)
Deck clearance:	32.08 m (105.2 ft)
Installed power:	Diesel-electric 28,000 kW
Propulsion:	Two propellers
Speed:	22.40 knots (41.48 km/h; 25.78 mph)
Capacity:	1,990 passengers
Crew:	900
Notes:	[1][2]

Sun Princess is a Sun class cruise ship built in 1995 and operated by Princess Cruises line. At the time of her construction, she was one of the largest cruise ships in the world. She is the lead ship of her class that includes sister ships Dawn Princess, Sea Princess and the P&O ship, Oceana.^[1]

Sun Princess was the ship on which the television show The Love Boat: The Next Wave starring Robert Urich was filmed. She made the news in October, 2007 as the largest ship to ever cross beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge while entering the harbor for the first time, with a vertical clearance of approximately 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) to spare at low tide.^[3]

Ports of call

Since November 2007, Sun Princess has been seasonally based at Sydney, Australia. Cruises offered from that time circumnavigations Australia, circumnavigations New Zealand, and visits to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. In 2012 she will offered her first World Cruise.

In April 2008,Sun Princess was based in Australia operating out of Sydney during the winter months, and from Melbourne during the summer months. For the 2008/2009 season the cruise program includes Australian circumnavigations, Fremantle - Malacca Straits return, Melbourne - New Zealand / South Pacific. She will also be sailing from Sydney as for Melbourne plus Whitsundays return, a Japan return itinerary, and an epic 75 night Grand Pacific trip. During summer whilst Sun Princess is operating out of Melbourne, she will be joined by Dawn Princess operating out of Sydney. Dawn Princess will also be permanently based in Australia from this time which is a change from Princess' original plans.

Beginning summer 2013, Sun Princess will sail round-trip cruises from Tokyo, Japan marking the first of Princess Cruises deployments from there. In 2014, she will expand the Japan cruise program when it sails from Otaru, Hokkaido and Kobe. She will be joined by Diamond Princess which will replace her on Tokyo cruises at that time.

Accidents and incidents

In October 2013, a 73 year old man disappeared from the Sun Princess which was sailing from Western Australia to Darwin. The man was reported missing by his wife.

A search was conducted approximately 40 nautical miles north of Cape Londonderry.

NT News reports that the cruise ship was joined by patrol ship HMAS Maryborough, and three aircraft were involved in an aerial search. Although the weather was good, the missing passenger was not rescued or his body located.^{[citation needed]}

The Sun Princess cruise ship was sailing on a 16-day cruise from Fremantle to Sydney.^[4]

Gallery

Sun Princess in Port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

References

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

• Princess Cruises website
• CruiseCritic.com review
• View Sun Princess cruises in Google Maps and Google Earth
• Media related to Sun Princess at Wikimedia Commons