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Sitmar Fairsky


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Assuming you mean FAIRSKY (IV), built in 1984, she became SKY PRINCESS when P&O bought Sitmar and merged them with Princess in 1989. She moved to P&O Cruises Australia in 2001 and is now their PACIFIC SKY.

 

I have heard strong rumors that the ship is for sale and that Carnival/P&O Princess are actively seeking a buyer.

 

I sailed on her in 1998 as SKY PRINCESS and she remains a favorite of mine.

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Nice ship, problem is, she is one of the last remaining steam ships (passenger) sailing today. In fact, many were puzzled by this option to engine here with steam in the '80's...doubt she will be sold to any significant cruise venture...steam just doesn't work anymore, and after the Norway explosion, and the extensive upkeep costs of this system it's highly unlikely the cruise community (passengers) would support her. Sad to say even though she is a beautiful ship.

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In fact, many were puzzled by this option to engine here with steam in the '80's...
There was actually a method to this madness - namely, that Boris Vlasov did not like motorships and so he simply insisted on having her built as a steamer.

 

The next generation of Sitmar ships, which became STAR PRINCESS (I), CROWN PRINCESS (I), and REGAL PRINCESS were supposed to be steam-powered as well - and they would have been had Cunard not had QE2 re-engined with a diesel-electric plant in 1986. Diesel-electric propulsion avoided many of the things that Vlasov hated about motorships, and QE2 post-conversion was the first large passenger ship to have a diesel-electric plant. Vlasov was so impressed that he ordered a plant almost identical to QE2's for SITMAR FAIRMAJESTY/STAR PRINCESS (I), and the rest was history... FAIRSKY was the last large passenger steamer ever built.

 

doubt she will be sold to any significant cruise venture...
My guess is that, if she is really seriously for sale, Pullmantur are going to a very close look at her. OCEANIC has had some mechanical troubles lately and PACIFIC SKY would fit in fairly well as a replacement.

 

after the Norway explosion, and the extensive upkeep costs of this system it's highly unlikely the cruise community (passengers) would support her.
Many have said that the NORWAY explosion was the final nail in the coffin of many steamships, but that's simply not true - NORWAY's explosion was simply a boiler exploding, and all ships have boilers! The RADIANCE-class and MILLENNIUM-class ships even have auxilliary steam turbines in addition to their gas turbines. The problem with steam is, pure and simple, that steam turbines use a lot more fuel than diesels or gas turbines. If fuel costs were not an obstacle, no doubt steam turbine propulsion would not be anywhere near the brink of extinction where it is now.
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  • 1 month later...

I was on that WONDERFUL ship 5 times. As the Sitmar Fairsky and then as the sky Princess. I remember the service, the food and the wonderful Italian staff. We had a fabulous waiter one year...His name Mauritio. I heard that he eventually opened his own restaurant in Italy! Oh what fond memories! We still cruise...regularly, however I think it was different then.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 6 months later...

Sailed three times on Sky Princess, including her last voyage as a Princess ship, San Francisco to Sydney, 9-00.

 

Her turbines and her gear box continue to cause many problems, and I suspect her days as Pacific Sky for P&O Australia are numbered.

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  • 4 months later...

...some Daily Logs and and a menu or two from the Christmas and New Years cruise on the Fairsky in 1985 - 1986. I also have a copy of the invitation letter that Santa sent to the kids on board inviting them to his Chirstmas Party. (Can you hear "Memories" playing in the background as I type?) The Captain ws Rodolfo Potenzoni and the Cruise Director was Tony Noice. Anyone on either of those cruises? I still have lots of photos, too if anyone is intrested!

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I just realized that it was never mentioned on this thread that PACIFIC SKY has indeed been sold by Carnival. As I predicted, she has been bought by Pullmantur Cruises in Spain.

 

She will finish her P&O service in April and will then become Pullmantur's SKY WONDER. She will enter service with Pullmantur following a refit.

 

For more information on SKY WONDER, see here (in Spanish only).

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  • 4 weeks later...

LindaandJeff

 

I remember Captain Potenzoni very well.

The first time we sailed with him was in September 1980 on the Fairwind.

It was a 14 day Caribbean/Panama Canal cruise. We were on a bridge tour, shortly before noon, when I asked Captain Potenzoni where the ship's whistle was. I told him that it was my birthday, which was true, and I always wanted to blow the whistle. He walked me over to a glass covered button, opened the cover and said that he would let me do so at 12 noon, which was a few minutes away. At 12 noon sharp, I blew the whistle, and my name was entered into the ship's log.

Somehow the word got around, and ladies old and young wanted to know how I accomplished that.

We became good friends with Captain Potenzoni, and sailed with him many times. He always invited us to his VIP cocktail parties in his quarters, and danced with me in the lounge at night. He dined with his officers when he ate in the dining room, and didn't entertain passsengers at the Captain's table.

Captain Potenzoni had never married, he said shipboard life was not conducive to marriage (how true).

Our last cruise with him was in February of 1989, and he mentioned that he was planning to retire and move to Genua, Italy, his home town.

What a charming and delightful man! We have many photos with him, and also met many interesting celebrities at his various parties.

It was good to reminisce a bit.

Ginnie

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  • 1 year later...

Hello,

I was a musician on the Fairwind in 1980 perhaps 1981. I am trying to find a friend that was traveling with her Grandmother by the name of Carole Cochran. Can anyone help? Is there a directory of passengers with info that exists.

Thank you

Rusty Crutcher

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hi, a few people have mentioned sailing with Captain Potenzoni, my mum sailed with him in 1960 and we are looking for some photos of him (from any year) and any of the crew from around that time. Can anyone help us out here? It would be much appriciated.

 

Many Thanks

 

Dave

davemunro@gmail.com

I will ask my sister, she has all of our photos. We sailed with him and I know we have photos somewhere!

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She also had some maintenance problems with the hule after moving to Australia that threatened to sink her.

 

We sailed her three times, both as Farisky and Sky Princess. It was a favorite of ours. We made our first Alaska cruise, Panama Canal cruise, and Hawaii/Tahiti cruise on her.

 

BTW, it on her as Sky Princess that we first met Alan and Alana where they were performing nightly in the Horizon Lounge. Last time we saw them was on the Royal Princess, now also gone from Princess.

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I was 16 when I traveled on Fairsky (my second cruise). The first was on the Fairwind at age 10. What a way to start cruising. This was 1980 and 1985. Cruising was different then. Cruise ships weren't small cities, and actually looked and sounded like ships. Ahhh. . . to see all the wood again and the shiny brass. Oh and the Italians!!!!

 

I miss the days when you could hug and kiss your waiter/room steward/maitre' d. My last cruise on Celebrity all we got was hand sanitizer thrown at us at every turn, and at the Captain's party and the return passenger party we were told the captain and crew were not shaking hands to avoid passing germs. :confused:

 

Oh how things change.......

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We sailed on the Fairsky in 1986. This was our 3rd cruise and our first 10 day and our our first trip to LA. The Captain was Cesare Ditel and the Cruise Director was Janet Edwards. We ran into Janet many more times on different ships over the next few years. Our first cruise was on the Sun Viking so Fairsky was a mega liner to us. Great memories. :)

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I was 16 when I traveled on Fairsky (my second cruise). The first was on the Fairwind at age 10. What a way to start cruising. This was 1980 and 1985. Cruising was different then. Cruise ships weren't small cities, and actually looked and sounded like ships. Ahhh. . . to see all the wood again and the shiny brass. Oh and the Italians!!!!

 

I miss the days when you could hug and kiss your waiter/room steward/maitre' d. My last cruise on Celebrity all we got was hand sanitizer thrown at us at every turn, and at the Captain's party and the return passenger party we were told the captain and crew were not shaking hands to avoid passing germs. :confused:

 

Oh how things change.......

 

I agree with you completely. My family started cruising Sitmar in the seventies and had many wonderful voyages. The most memorable was the "fire cruise" on the Fairwind - Thanksgiving 1978. We haven't sailed Crystal yet, but nothing compares with the service and attention on those smaller ships. There was a special feeling in the dining room every night - the special orders and tableside cooking that were a standard part of yur dining experience. Everyting now is a mass production. You can't beat the Italian service we experienced. Princess does a good job while trying to keep things affordable. I guess you get what you pay for! I am glad that we had a chance to experience crusing in those days.:)

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  • 2 weeks later...

DW & I sailed on the FairSky during her maiden season (1984). Fourteen days round trip out of SF to Alaska. The captain was very young, and from what we could ascertain, was promoted to the front office shortly thereafter. Any one remember his name?

 

Host Doug - we have many pictures taken by the on board photographers during the period 1981 - 1989. I'll dig them out and try to scan them. Also, we sailed on a Xmas -New Years sailing from Auckland to Sydney (1988 - 1989) when Princess first took over Sitmar. Chaos reigned!!

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  • 4 weeks later...

She was the last ship to sail into a US port that had a huge functioning fireplace, however, due to Coast Guard regulations, it was never fired up. Just loved to stand in front of the fire place and imagine what it must have been like years before to see the fireplace in its roaring glory.

 

This was a wonderful and intimate ship. Although she was a bit old by today's newer and flashier ships, the crew passionately give the best service I have ever experienced.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Host Doug - we have many pictures taken by the on board photographers during the period 1981 - 1989. I'll dig them out and try to scan them. Also, we sailed on a Xmas -New Years sailing from Auckland to Sydney (1988 - 1989) when Princess first took over Sitmar. Chaos reigned!!

 

Hi Leonid! My boyfriend was actually on that sailing, the New Years one. He would absolutely love to see your photos- if you do scan and post them, it would be very much appreciated.

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