Grand Princess
{{short description|Cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises}}
{{for|the royal title|Grand princess}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
| infobox caption = Grand Princess | display title = ital }} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Grand Princess kruzer Kečikan 28 08 2023 Dragan Cvetković Niš.JPG | Ship caption = Grand Princess docked in Ketchikan, Alaska in 2023 }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Bermuda|civil}} | Ship name = Grand Princess | Ship owner =
| Ship operator = Princess Cruises | Ship registry = * Monrovia, {{flag|Liberia}} (1998–2000)
| Ship country = Bermuda | Ship ordered = 8 February 1994 | Ship builder = | Ship original cost = US$450 million | Ship yard number = 5956 | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = 20 May 1998 | Ship completed = | Ship christened = 29 September 1998 | Ship sponsor = Olivia de Havilland | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = 26 May 1998 | Ship in service = 1998–present | Ship out of service = | Ship identification = * Call sign: ZCBU5
| Ship fate = | Ship status = In service }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = {{sclass|Grand|cruise ship}} | Ship tonnage = {{GT|107,517}} | Ship length = {{convert|289.86|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|35.97|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height = {{convert|61.26|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship draught = {{convert|7.92|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = | Ship hold depth = | Ship decks = 17 | Ship propulsion = Two shafts; fixed-pitch propellers | electrical generators = Six generators; Sulzer 16ZAV40S, {{convert|11,520|kW|hp|lk=on|abbr=on}} each | Ship speed = {{convert|22.5|kn|lk=in}} (cruising) | Ship boats = 6 tenders | Ship capacity = * 2,590 lower berth passengers
| Ship crew = 1,100 }} |
Grand Princess is a {{sclass|Grand|cruise ship|0}} cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises. It was built in 1998 by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Monfalcone, Italy, with yard number 5956, at a cost of approximately US$450 million. She was the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever built at the time.
History
Grand Princess was the first of the {{sclass|Grand|cruise ship|1}}s debuting in 1998, and christened by Olivia de Havilland. When Grand Princess was launched, she featured in the Princess Cruises brochures as a Sun-class ship; it was only with the subsequent launch of {{ship||Golden Princess|2000|2}} that the Grand class appeared in brochures. The ship has a different decor scheme to her sister ships, using darker woods, and the interior decor is more similar to the smaller {{sclass|Sun|cruise ship|0}} ships.
She is the sister ship of {{ship||Star Princess|2001|2}} and Golden Princess. Grand Princess was the setting for a task in the second series of the UK version of the reality TV show The Apprentice.
On 19 July 2009, the ship was drydocked for 14 days for refurbishments such as boosting Grand Princess's energy and environmental efficiency.{{cite web|url=https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/news-content-hub/energy-focus-for-grand-princess-retrofit-55612|title=Energy focus for Grand Princess retrofit|website=Riviera}}
= 2011 refit =
File:Grand Princess - panoramio.jpg
In May 2011, Grand Princess completed the most extensive dry-dock in Princess Cruises history that included a refit and removal of the nightclub from her stern.{{cite web | author=Peter Knego | title=Grand Princess To Lose Her 'Handle' | url=http://maritimematters.com/2011/02/grand-princess-loses-her-handle/ | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110218021854/http://maritimematters.com/2011/02/grand-princess-loses-her-handle/ | archive-date=18 February 2011 | work=MaritimeMatters | date=10 February 2011 | access-date=29 April 2012}}{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=C. I. N. |date=2011-02-10 |title=Grand Princess to Undergo Dramatic Transformation; Skywalkers Removed |url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/5095-21011-grand-princess-to-undergo-dramatic-transformation-skywalkers-moved.html |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com |language=en-gb}} This resolved her tendency to sail bow high, and has improved her fuel economy by about 3–4%. The bow high tendency was specific to Grand Princess and did not affect her sister ships as they were designed with aluminum upper decks.
Incidents
= 2017 whale incident =
On 9 August 2017, a dead humpback whale was found stuck on the bow of the ship after it docked in Ketchikan, Alaska.{{Cite news|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/dead-whale-found-on-bow-of-cruise-ship-entering-alaska-port/ar-AApN7RJ?ocid=spartanntp|title=Dead whale found on bow of cruise ship entering Alaska port|last=Joling|first=Dan|date=9 August 2017|agency=The Canadian Press|work=msn.com|access-date=9 August 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810090610/http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/dead-whale-found-on-bow-of-cruise-ship-entering-alaska-port/ar-AApN7RJ?ocid=spartanntp|archive-date=10 August 2017}} Princess Cruises issued a statement that said "It is unknown how or when this happened as the ship felt no impact. It is also unknown, at this time, whether the whale was alive or already deceased before becoming lodged on the bow."{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2017/08/10/cruise-ship-finds-dead-whale-on-bow-while-docking-in-alaska/ |title=How did a dead whale get stuck to the bow of this cruise ship? |work=New York Post |agency=Associated Press |date=10 August 2017 |access-date=13 March 2020}} It was the second time in two years that a whale had been carried into an Alaska port on the bow of a cruise ship.{{cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/passenger-shock-cruise-ship-arrives-in-port-with-massive-whale-carcass-on-bow/news-story/823ff87472b6c61ced07c329fbd914d4 |title=Passenger shock: Cruise ship arrives in port with massive whale carcass on bow |work=news.com.au |agency=Associated Press |date=10 August 2017 |access-date=13 March 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{Saunders-Giants of the Seas}}
- {{Smith-Cruise Ships-2010}}
External links
{{Commons category|IMO 9104005}}
- {{Official website|http://www.princess.com/ships/ap/index.html}}
- [http://www.cruiseserver.net/images/news/news_ps_grand_clipped2_big.jpg The picture of Grand Princess departing from Fort Lauderdale post refit.]
{{List of ships built by Fincantieri}}
{{Largest passenger ships}}
{{Grand class}}
{{Princess Ships}}
Category:Ships of Princess Cruises
Category:Ships built in Monfalcone