Azamara Pursuit
{{Short description|Cruise ship}}
{{for|the moon of 93 Minerva formally designated Minerva II|93 Minerva#Satellites}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
| display title = ital }} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Azamara pursuit.jpg | Ship image size = | Ship caption = }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name = *R Eight (2001–2003)
| Ship country = | Ship flag = | Ship owner = *Renaissance Cruises (2001)
| Ship operator = *Renaissance Cruises (2001)
| Ship registry = *{{flagicon|Liberia}} Monrovia, Liberia (2001)
| Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = *Chantiers de l'Atlantique | Ship original cost = GB£150 million{{cite book |title=Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships |last=Ward |first=Douglas |year=2006 |publisher=Berlitz |location=Singapore |isbn=981-246-739-4 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/berlitz2006compl00doug/page/398 398–99] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/berlitz2006compl00doug/page/398 }} | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = 10 April 2000 | Ship launched = 16 September 2000 | Ship christened = 2001 | Ship completed = 16 February 2001 | Ship acquired = 1 February 2001 | Ship maiden voyage = | Ship in service = 2001 | Ship out of service = | Ship identification = *Call sign: 9HA4800
| Ship fate = | Ship status = | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (as Adonia) | Ship class = {{sclass2|R|cruise ship}} | Ship tonnage = *{{GT|30,277}} | Ship displacement = 15,100 t | Ship length = {{convert|180.45|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|25.46|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = Max. Draft {{convert|5.95|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = | Ship decks = 12 (9 passenger accessible) | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship power = *4 × Wärtsilä 12V32 | Ship propulsion = Two propellers | Ship speed = {{convert|18|kn}} | Ship capacity = *777 passengers (max. capacity) | Ship crew = 380 crew | Ship notes = }} |
Azamara Pursuit (previously R Eight, Minerva II, Royal Princess and Adonia) is a cruise ship operating for Azamara Club Cruises. The ship was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at their shipyard in St. Nazaire, France in 2001.
Azamara Pursuit is a sister ship of Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, as well as Pacific Princess of Princess Cruises, and Regatta, Nautica, Insignia and Sirena of Oceania Cruises. She previously sailed for Renaissance Cruises, Swan Hellenic, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises and Fathom.
Azamara acquired the ship in 2017,{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/azamara-acquires-adonia-to-rename-ship-pursuit|title=Azamara Acquires Adonia; to Rename Ship "Pursuit"|website=Travel Agent Central|date=26 September 2017 |language=en|access-date=11 September 2019}} renamed the vessel the Azamara Pursuit in March 2018 and began operating the ship in August 2018 after an extensive refit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/boutique-pursuit|title=On Site Report: The New Azamara Pursuit|website=Travel Agent Central|date=25 November 2018 |language=en|access-date=11 September 2019}}
Service history
=''R Eight''=
Originally built as the last of eight R-class ships for Renaissance Cruises, Azamara Pursuit was first known as R Eight, and entered service in 2001.{{cite news|last1=Sampson|first1=Hannah|title=Carnival launches fathom, a new "social impact travel" brand|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article23081625.html|access-date=4 May 2016|work=Miami Herald|date=4 June 2015}} After Renaissance ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy in late 2001, the vessel was seized by creditors and laid up in Marseille, France.
=''Minerva II''=
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.
=''Royal Princess''=
{{other ships|List of ships named Royal Princess}}
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 debuted for Princess on her maiden voyage on 19 April 2007. Her christening ceremony was on 14 June 2007 in Portofino,{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Royal-Princess-moves-christening-to-Portofino,-Italy|title=Royal Princess moves christening to Portofino, Italy: Travel Weekly|date=1 May 2007|website=www.travelweekly.com|language=en}} with Lorraine Arzt performing the honors.{{Cite web|url=https://news.paxeditions.com/news/archives/article/14005|title=Most-Traveled Princess Passenger Christens Ship|date=19 June 2007|website=news.paxeditions.com|language=en}}
On 18 June 2009, a major 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.[http://cruiseind.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/fire-on-royal-princess/ cruiseind.wordpress.com: CruiseInd], retrieved 19 June 2009
=''Adonia''=
In 2010, it was announced that Royal Princess was to transfer to the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship entered service with the company on 21 May 2011,{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} and was renamed Adonia. She was the second P&O ship to be named Adonia, succeeding Sea Princess.
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.{{cite news | title=Adonia cruise ship Britons 'shot' in Bridgetown, Barbados | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21835645 | work=BBC News | date=18 March 2013 | access-date=30 May 2013}}
After completing a major refit in 2016,{{cite web|last1=Burke|first1=Tom|title=More problems for fathom – first sailing cancelled|url=https://tomscruiseblog.co.uk/2016/04/13/more-problems-for-fathom-first-sailing-cancelled/|website=Tom's Cruise Blog|access-date=13 May 2016|date=13 April 2016}} Adonia was reassigned within the Carnival Corporation, and became the first ship for a new brand called "Fathom", focusing on the growing number of people who wanted to work alongside local communities as part of their travel experience in areas such as education, the environment and economic development.{{cite web|last1=Golden|first1=Fran|title=Will Carnival's volunteerism cruise line Fathom do good?|url=http://experience.usatoday.com/cruise/story/best-of-cruising/2015/09/16/carnival-volunteerism-line-fathom-activities-dominican-republic/72309350/|website=USA Today|access-date=13 May 2016}} She sailed out of Miami to the Dominican Republic and Cuba on an alternating weekly basis. While in the Dominican Republic and Cuba, passengers had the opportunity to work on programs designed to make a positive social impact on the communities they visited.
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.{{cite web|last1=Marcus|first1=Lilit|title=Fathom's Adonia Makes History as First U.S. Cruise Ship Back in Cuba|url=http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-05-01/fathom-adonia-makes-history-first-us-cruise-ship-back-in-cuba|website=Conde Nast Traveler|date=May 2016 |access-date=13 May 2016}} It was also the first time in decades that Cuban-born individuals were able to travel by sea to or from Cuba.Clary, Mike and Arlene Satchell. (1 May 2016). [http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/cuba-cruise/fl-cuba-cruise-sails-20160501-story.html Cruise to Cuba: Travelers to 'make history' in Havana ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502121734/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/cuba-cruise/fl-cuba-cruise-sails-20160501-story.html |date=2 May 2016 }}. Sun Sentinel. Accessed on 4 May 2016. An outbreak of gastro-intestinal illnesses occurred on the initial voyage, striking 14 passengers.{{cite web|last1=Whitefield|first1=Mimi|title=Cases of gastro-intestinal illnesses reported aboard Fathom Adonia|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article76322602.html|website=Miami Herald|access-date=13 May 2016}}
In November 2016, Carnival announced that Fathom would discontinue operations in June 2017. The Adonia returned to Carnival’s P&O Cruises fleet at that time.{{cite news|last1=Sampson|first1=Hannah|title=Carnival Corp. Is Pulling the Plug on Its New Cruise Line Fathom|url=https://skift.com/2016/11/23/carnival-corp-is-pulling-the-plug-on-its-new-cruise-line-fathom/|access-date=24 November 2016|publisher=Skift|date=23 November 2016}}
==Farewell Voyage==
On 26 September 2017 P&O announced{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pandocruises/posts/10155621259915782:0|title=P&O Cruises|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=26 September 2017}} that Adonia would be retired in March 2018 with the last cruise leaving Barbados on 23 February and ending in Barbados on 9 March 2018. She arrived at the Grand Bahama Shipyard on 13 March 2018 and was officially handed over to Azamara the following day.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18713-azamara-signs-for-ownership-of-pursuit.html|title=Azamara Signs for Ownership of Pursuit|website=CIN|date=14 March 2018|access-date=14 March 2018|language=en-GB}} She completed a short drydocking in Grand Bahama (which included hull inspections, along with changing her name and registry) before sailing for Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard.
=''Azamara Pursuit''=
File:Katakolon Greece (45487383352).jpg
Her first cruise under Azamara Club Cruises took place on 13 August 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/azamara-announces-uk-refit-and-maiden-voyage-for-third-ship-pursuit/|title=Azamara announces UK refit and maiden voyage for third ship, Pursuit|last=Bond|first=Mary|date=8 January 2018|website=Seatrade Cruise News}} when she joined two other R-Class vessels in the fleet, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest. Her christening ceremony happened in Southampton on 28 August 2018, where she was officially named by Lucy Huxley and Ellen Asmodeo-Giglio, two travel industry executives.{{Cite web|url=https://www.azamara.com/le-club-voyage/news/azamara-club-cruises-selects-travel-connoisseurs-ellen-asmodeo-giglio-afar-and|title=Azamara Club Cruises Selects Travel Connoisseurs, Ellen Asmodeo-Giglio of AFAR and Lucy Huxley of Travel Weekly U.K. as Godmothers of Azamara Pursuit|date=13 December 2018|website=Azamara|language=en}} Before entering service, the ship underwent a substantial refit at Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast,{{Cite news|url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18385-harland-wolff-to-refit-azamara-pursuit.html|title=Azamara Pursuit Refit Scheduled at Harland & Wolff by MJM|website=CIN|date=8 January 2018|access-date=29 January 2018|language=en-GB}} bringing her decor and image into line with Azamara's other ships.
Incidents
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk/our-ships/azamara-pursuit/ Azamara Pursuit web page]
{{R class}}
{{Princess Ships}}
{{P&O Cruises Ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azamara Pursuit}}
Category:Ships built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Category:Ships of Princess Cruises