Sapphire Princess is a cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises that entered service in 2004 as the twin sister ship of Diamond Princess. She is one of the world's largest cruise ships, with a capacity of 2,670 passengers and is the sixth Gem Class ship built by Princess Cruises. Sapphire Princess was christened on June 10, 2004 in Seattle--the first cruise ship ever to be christened in that port.
Currently, Sapphire Princess is sailing Asian cruises from Shanghai year-round until the arrival of the Majestic Princess in 2017. After the arrival, it will resume sailing from China in the summer months, then from November through February, sailing roundtrip Asia cruises out of Singapore.
Video Sapphire Princess
Design
Sapphire Princess is technically a sister ship to Grand Princess, but has several differences. The most notable of these is that the Skywalkers Nightclub suspended across her stern was moved to the back of the funnel, which opens up the terrace pool area. Sapphire takes personal choice dining another step further by splitting the two anytime dining rooms of its older sisters into four, each of which has its own theme and specialty dish. Another dramatic alteration is the repositioning of the Internet Café to the Promenade Deck adjacent to Sabatini's. This moves the Wheelhouse Bar farther to the front of the ship, in place of the Crown Grill. She is otherwise nearly identical to her older sisters.
Maps Sapphire Princess
Construction
Sapphire Princess was built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the second Princess Cruises ship to be built in a Japanese shipyard. Her only sister ship, with whom she swapped names, Diamond Princess during construction.
The name swap occurred because a major fire swept through the original Diamond Princess (Presently sailing as today's Sapphire Princess) during construction, leading to a construction delay. Both sister ships were being constructed at the same time, so the original Sapphire assumed the role of Diamond. This name swap assisted in keeping the delivery date of Diamond Princess on time, and kept Sapphire Princess on schedule as it was nearing completion early. Sapphire Princess was the second Princess Cruises ship to be built in a Japanese shipyard, and lacks the "wing" or spoiler across the rear which can be seen on Golden Princess.
2012 Refit
At the beginning of 2012 Sapphire Princess was refitted with Princess' signature "Piazza" in place of the center atrium, including the International Café and a pizzeria. Princess also added the "Movies Under the Stars" poolside theatre to the top deck and a new adults' retreat, The Sanctuary. The refit brings Sapphire Princess in alignment with the newer features from Grand Princess and others in the Grand Fleet.
Machinery
Her diesel-electric plant includes four diesel generators and a gas turbine generator. The diesel generators are Wärtsilä 46 series common rail engines, two of the straight 9-cylinder configuration, and two of the straight 8-cylinder configuration. The 8- and 9-cylinder engines can produce approximately 81/2 and 91/2 MW of power respectively. These engines are fueled with Heavy Fuel oil (HFO or bunker c) and Marine Gas Oil (MGO) depending on the local regulations regarding emissions, as MGO produces much lower emissions but is much more expensive. The gas turbine generator is a GE 2500, producing a peak of 25 MW of power and being fueled by MGO. This generator is much more expensive to run than the diesel generators, and is used mostly in areas, such as Alaska, where the emissions regulations are strict. It is also used when top speed is required to make it to a port in a short time period. There are two propulsion electric motors which drive fixed-pitch propellers and six thrusters used during maneuvering; three bow and three stern. The propulsion electric motors (PEMs), are conventional synchronous motors made by Alstom Motors, driven by synchroconverters made by Alstom Power Conversion (now GE Power Conversion). The two motors are each rated to 20 MW and have a maximum speed of 154 rpm. (Rated speed of 0-145 rpm.)
Ports of call
Sapphire Princess previously alternating Northbound & Southbound Voyage of the Glacier cruises during the summer and in the winter sails Mexico, Hawaii & California Coastal cruises. Beginning in 2014, the ship has been sailing roundtrip Asia cruises from Shanghai in the summer months, then from November through February, the ship sails roundtrip Asia cruises out of Singapore. After her Singapore season concludes in 2016, the ship will be sailing from China year-round until 2017 until the arrival of the Majestic Princess. The winter sailings from Singapore will be replaced by the Diamond Princess, but will resume these sailings during the 2017-18 season as the Diamond Princess will be returning to Australian waters once again during the 2017-18 northern hemisphere winter season.
Rescheduled sailings
In April 2014, Sapphire Princess was supposed to return to Alaska, but those plans were cancelled and will sail Asian cruises instead. Most of the ship's Hawaii cruises for 2014 were cancelled, and from the beginning of that year, which Princess kept it running on more short cruises to the West Coast round-trip Los Angeles, as well as a 10-day cruise that departed March 1, 2014. On April 3, 2014, the Sapphire Princess sailed a 25-day repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Osaka, which it stopped at Honolulu, Guam, Keelung, Okinawa, Shanghai, Kagoshima and concludes in Osaka.
On April 5, 2014, her previously scheduled cruises at that time was replaced by Crown Princess after its arrival in Los Angeles.
On 13th Nov. 2017 at Hong Kong Sapphire Princess will complete her Chinese charter & re-position to Singapore where she will operate from through to March 2018. From 14th to 28th March 2018 ship will be dry docking at Sembawang Singapore. On 28 March 2018 re-positions to Southampton UK with a 38-day cruise. Will be based in Southampton until 21 October 2018 when she will re-position back to Singapore with another 38 day cruise & be based there into 2019.
Incidents and accidents
Whale strikes
On two occasions, whales have been found dead on the bulbous bow of Sapphire Princess, a year apart from each other. On July 25, 2009 the ship docked at Canada Place Terminal, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with a dead Fin Whale lodged on its bow. The estimated 21.3 m (70 ft) whale was found on top of the bulbous bow. Preliminary reports from the Fisheries and Oceans necropsy suggest the whale might have been sick.
On July 28, 2010, Sapphire Princess had a whale stuck on the bow of the ship. The estimated 12.2 m (40 ft) humpback whale became entangled on the ships bulbous bow while Sapphire Princess was sailing from Ketchikan to Juneau.
The last time, before Sapphire Princess, that an Alaskan cruise ship docked in Vancouver with a whale on its bow was in 1999, when a dead 20-metre (66 ft) Fin whale was found on MV Galaxy.
Drowning
In August 2014 a passenger drowned in one of the ship's swimming pools. Emergency response was delayed as the result of language issues within the crew.
Gallery
References
External links
- Princess Cruises website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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