Is the Pacific Princess being scrapped?

[beg3yrs]

The Regal Princess, Sky Princess, Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Quest are all currently at anchor in Cyprus. Anyone who thinks the Pacific Princess is going to be scrapped because she's heading there has got to consider those other four ships are heading for the scrap heap as well. Highly doubtful IMHO.

 

BTW, Pacific Princess is almost there, should be there in a half day or so.

[Cruise Wonderland]

Island Princess also departed from Singapore / Malaysia a few days ago, and is heading to Cyprus as well.

 

Some more Princess ships in Southeast Asia will follow soon. After completing crew repatriation, they do not have to stay in Asia anymore.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Given that most of the senior officers and staff are for the EU/UK and Cyprus having strong air connections throughout both it makes crew rotation much easier if they have multiple ships there rather than elsewhere in the world.  Even while out of service there is still a marine crew onboard with enough kitchen/hotel staff to ensure their needs are met and to perform basic upkeep of the vessels.  Just something to consider.

[Porky55]

Probably joining these other  ships currently off Limassol/Moni: 

Sky Princess, Regal Princess, Seabourn Encore, Seabourn Quest and Maasdam.  Makes sense for transferring Bridge crew and Engineers for changeovers since many are from Italy and Europe

Edited September 1, 2020 by Porky55

[Grego]

On 8/30/2020 at 11:36 PM, Thrak said:

 

We too are pleased with this aspect of Princess cruises. We don't need rock climbing walls, water slides, roller coasters, etc. We like cruising on Princess because it's relaxing. Don't misunderstand... I am also pleased that other lines have these things as they attract the "less than relaxing" group of cruisers who will happily enjoy those features. It's an all around win. Folks who would be horribly bored on Princess cruises have a wonderful time on the ships with the "amusement park" features and the huge shopping malls through the middle of the ship. Those of us who have zero interest in those things like Princess. Heck, if Princess had those things my very first cruise would have been my last cruise. People are different. Despite what many seem to think these days (at least it seems that way here in the USA) that can be a very good thing.

Exactly!

[Grego]

On 8/31/2020 at 1:26 AM, caribill said:

 

That did not stop Princess for getting rid of the two ships similar in size to the current Pacific Princess.

 

The Pacific Princess makes a profit for Princess, but not as much as the newer (and larger ships) and is certainly not as fuel efficient which is a big deal to a politically correct world.

 

The current president of Princess Cruises says she wants the ship to stay in the fleet as long as it is practical.

 

No definition given as what is practical. Only a 100% guess what the next president of Princess Cruises might think.

 

The "R" class ship, while not a huge profit generator, does fill a market role.  

We loved being on the Tahitian Princess for Alaska where we were able to go into ports like Valdez, Kodiak, Sitka that bigger ships couldn't at the time.  Same was true on the Pacific Princess getting into some of the smaller ports in the Caribbean.

Hopefully, both the Pacific Princess and Jan Swartz will be around for a long time.

[caribill]

4 hours ago, Grego said:

The "R" class ship, while not a huge profit generator, does fill a market role.  

We loved being on the Tahitian Princess for Alaska where we were able to go into ports like Valdez, Kodiak, Sitka that bigger ships couldn't at the time.  Same was true on the Pacific Princess getting into some of the smaller ports in the Caribbean.

Hopefully, both the Pacific Princess and Jan Swartz will be around for a long time.

 

Although a larger ship than the Pacific Princess, HAL's Maasdam, the smallest in HAL's fleet,  had the same type of marketing role doing unique journeys of longer length to many ports that the other HAL ships never went to.

 

HAL had no problem selling these unique voyages, but it was one of the first ships to be scrapped after the pandemic caused the industry to stand down.

 

The HAL boards have many posts by disappointed cruisers whose future voyages were cancelled with no equivalent journeys available in the known future on other HAL ships.

[Grego]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

Although a larger ship than the Pacific Princess, HAL's Maasdam, the smallest in HAL's fleet,  had the same type of marketing role doing unique journeys of longer length to many ports that the other HAL ships never went to.

 

HAL had no problem selling these unique voyages, but it was one of the first ships to be scrapped after the pandemic caused the industry to stand down.

 

The HAL boards have many posts by disappointed cruisers whose future voyages were cancelled with no equivalent journeys available in the known future on other HAL ships.

It's a shame that it has come even more emphatically to chasing and protecting the dollars to keep the industry afloat.  Sorry for the pun. 

[aimee0715]

We usually sail Princess but we have cruised on Azamara Journey twice now.  Love that ship!  I am hoping that we will get to sail on Pacific Princess one day.   

[richstowe]

NO change it's going to be scrapped but a reasonable chance it will be sold to Oceania or Azamara . These two brands have been competing to scoop up the remaining R class ships . I believe this is one of two that are not owned by these near-luxury cruise lines.

I agree with those that believe it doesn't fit with the other Princess ships . 

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, richstowe said:

NO change it's going to be scrapped but a reasonable chance it will be sold to Oceania or Azamara . These two brands have been competing to scoop up the remaining R class ships .

 

Oceania has two 1200 passenger ships on order. I doubt they will want to acquire this particular ship.

[Cruise Wonderland]

4 hours ago, richstowe said:

NO change it's going to be scrapped but a reasonable chance it will be sold to Oceania or Azamara . These two brands have been competing to scoop up the remaining R class ships . I believe this is one of two that are not owned by these near-luxury cruise lines.

I agree with those that believe it doesn't fit with the other Princess ships . 

It is the only one.

 

Among the eight R Class vessels,

Oceania has 4 (Insignia / Regatta / Nautica / Sirena)

Azamara has 3 (Journey / Quest / Pursuit)

Princess has 1 (Pacific)

[npcl]

1 hour ago, Cruise Wonderland said:

It is the only one.

 

Among the eight R Class vessels,

Oceania has 4 (Insignia / Regatta / Nautica / Sirena)

Azamara has 3 (Journey / Quest / Pursuit)

Princess has 1 (Pacific)

At one time Princess owned 3 of the 8 R class vessels,

 

R8 Royal Princess now Azamara Pursuit

R4  Tahitian Princess renamed to Ocean Princess  now Oceania Sirena

R3  Pacific Princess

 

Considering that it was built in 1999  it is getting rather on in age (21 years).

 

Looking at past Princess Ships ages at time of removal from Princess Fleet (or planned removal for some pending transactions)

 

Golden  at 19 years

Star at 19 years

Dawn Princess at 20 Years

Ocean Princess at 14 years

 

 

The Oldest ships in the Princess Fleet are

 

Sun    built 1995

Sea   built 1998

Grand built 1998

Pacific built 1999

Coral built 2002

Island built 2003

Diamond built 2004

Sapphire built 2004

Caribbean built 2004

 

The Pacific may well survive the shutdown, but its years are numbered. Maybe 4-5 at most.

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by npcl

[richstowe]

4 hours ago, richstowe said:

NO change it's going to be scrapped

Geeze , my proofreading skills are deteriorating . I meant no chance .

53 minutes ago, Cruise Wonderland said:

It is the only one.

My research skills are also deteriorating . 😞

My point was Princess may very well eliminate this ship from their fleet but it won't be scrapped . It will be sold as these R class ships seem to be valued . Personally I always thought that Spirit-class are a better choice to be retrofitted into luxury class ships .