MS Pacific
{{short description|Cruise ship}}
{{italic title|string=Pacific}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = 300px | Ship caption = Pacific Princess off the US West Coast in 1987 }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name = *1971–1975: Sea Venture
| Ship owner = *1971–1975: Flagship Cruises
| Ship operator = *1971–1975: Flagship Cruises
| Ship registry = *1971–1975: Oslo, {{flag|Norway|civil}}
| Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = Nordseewerke, Emden, West Germany | Ship original cost = {{USD}}25 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 |page=[https://archive.org/details/berlitz2006compl00doug/page/468 468] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/berlitz2006compl00doug/page/468 }} | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship completed = 1971 | Ship christened = 14 May 1971 | Ship maiden voyage = 8 May 1971 | Ship out of service = August 2013 | Ship identification = *Call sign: C6SB5
| Ship fate = Scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey in 2013{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2014/01/29/cruise-ship-tour-love-boat/5011661/ |title=Cruise ship tour: Last look at the original 'Love Boat' |first=Gene |last=Sloan |date=29 January 2014 |work=USA Today |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618132303/https://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2014/01/29/cruise-ship-tour-love-boat/5011661/ |archivedate=18 June 2019 |url-status=live |accessdate=23 September 2015}} | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Ship class = Cruise ship | Ship tonnage = *{{GRT|19,903}}
| Ship displacement = | Ship length = {{convert|167.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|24.59|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = {{convert|7.40|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship power = *4 × Fiat C420,10SS
| Ship speed = *{{convert|20|kn}} (service)
| Ship capacity = 626 passengers | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (as Pacific) | Ship class = Cruise ship | Ship tonnage = {{GT|20,636}} | Ship displacement = | Ship length = | Ship beam = | Ship height = | Ship draught = | Ship depth = | Ship decks = 8 | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = | Ship speed = | Ship capacity = *640 passengers (lower berths)
| Ship crew = 350 | Ship notes = }} |
MS Pacific was a cruise ship owned and operated by the Brazil-based Viagens CVC from 2002 to 2013. She was built for Flagship Cruises in 1971 by the company Nordseewerke in Emden, West Germany, and named Sea Venture. Between 1975 and 2002 she was owned by Princess Cruises named Pacific Princess.
Pacific Princess was one of the ships used in the TV series The Love Boat, airing from 1977 to 1986.{{cite news |last1=Hardingham-Gill |first1=Tamara |title=‘The Love Boat’: How a TV show transformed the cruise industry |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/how-the-love-boat-transformed-cruising/index.html |access-date=22 May 2024 |work=CNN |date=13 February 2024 |language=en}} Much of the 1980 book More Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin took place on board,Correia, Tony "BOOKS: Armistead Maupin returns --- Michael Tolliver Lives" XtraMagazine (July 29, 2007) online at: [https://xtramagazine.com/culture/books-armistead-maupin-returns-18467] and was later made into a miniseries, aired in 1998.
In 2008, Pacific was chartered by the newly-established Quail Cruises to operate cruises out of Valencia, Spain,{{cite web |url=http://dougnewmanatsea.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/quail-cruises-unveils-2008-program/ |title=Quail Cruises Unveils 2008 Program |last=Newman |first=Doug |date=2008-01-24 |work=At Sea With Doug Newman |accessdate=28 January 2008}} but was retired from service when renovation work proved more expensive than had been anticipated, and was sold in 2012 to a ship breaking company. After that sale fell through, she remained laid up in Genoa for an extended period before being towed to Aliağa where she arrived on 6 August 2013 for demolition. Before she was dismantled, on 10 August 2013, there was a fatal accident in which there was a flood in the compartment below the engines. While electrical pumps were operating, two men were killed and nine injured by toxic exhaust gases.{{cite news| url=http://us.cnn.com/2013/08/12/travel/love-boat-accident/?iref=obnetwork | work=CNN | title='Love Boat's' last voyage ends in tragedy - CNN.com | date=13 August 2013}}
History
File:SLEEK NEW CRUISE SHIPS IN DOCK AT NEW YORK HARBOUR - NARA - 548400.tif in New York Harbor]]
The ship began operation in 1971 with Flagship Cruises, under the name Sea Venture. She operated cruises between the United States and Bermuda, which had been settled by the survivors of the wreck of the original Sea Venture in 1609. As Sea Venture, she came to the rescue of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2, after the latter had major engine trouble in 1974.{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1974/04/05/91066513.html?pageNumber=34|title=QE2 Passengers Arrive, Joking About Adventure; 70 Join Sea Venture|newspaper=The New York Times|date=5 April 1974}}
In April 1975, she was sold to P&O's newly-acquired Princess Cruises along with sister ship Island Venture. The pair were renamed Pacific Princess and Island Princess.{{cite news |last1=Sloan |first1=Gene |title=Famed 'Love Boat' makes final voyage to scrapyard |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/08/08/love-boat-cruise-ship/2630821/ |access-date=14 June 2024 |work=USA TODAY |quote=Built in 1971 for Flagship Cruises as the Sea Venture, the ship was renamed Pacific Princess in 1975 after joining the Princess fleet.}} Princess Cruises agreed to have their cruise ships featured in the TV series The Love Boat, which debuted in 1976 as a made-for-TV movie and as regular show in 1977. The ship featured in most of the episodes was Pacific Princess, although other ships also appeared, including Island Princess. The series, that was filmed primarily on sets in a production studio, was occasionally filmed aboard the actual vessels. The term "Love Boat" was heavily used by Princess Cruises in their marketing, and became synonymous with Pacific Princess. The success of the up-beat television show, which remained on the air until 1987, is largely credited with the increase in popularity of cruise ship travel in North America.{{cite news |publisher=FoxNews.com |title=Report: 'Love Boat' cruise ship sold for scrap |url=https://www.foxnews.com/travel/report-love-boat-cruise-ship-sold-for-scrap/ |date=March 9, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2012}}
In 1998 Pacific Princess was impounded by police in Piraeus, Greece after 25 kg of heroin was found on board, smuggled by Filipino crewmen. According to police sources quoted in the BBC report at the time, there was evidence the ship had become a major tool for drug smugglers in the Mediterranean.{{cite news |author=Staff writers |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/223926.stm |title=World: Europe TV boat held after drugs seizure |date=29 November 1998 |work=BBC News|accessdate=14 June 2013}}
File:"Pacific" - Fort-de-France, 2004.jpg, 2004]]
Pacific Princess was sold in 2001, but was leased back and continued to operate as part of the Princess fleet until 2002, when the former Renaissance Cruises R3 replaced her and took her name.
Pacific Princess made her final voyage with Princess Cruises in October/November 2002, sailing from New York City to Rome, Italy.{{cite news |publisher= Consulenza Editoriale |title= Princess Cruises bids farewell to the original "Love Boat" |url= http://www.cybercruises.com/prbifaorlobooct02.htm |date=October 27, 2002 |accessdate=February 10, 2014}} She then began operating for Pullmantur Cruises of Spain as Pacific, sailing in the Caribbean. Pacific was later chartered to and operated by CVC in Brazil during the Southern summer and by Quail Cruises in Spain during the Northern Summer.
=Lien seizure and scrapping=
Pacific was seized by the Italian Coast Guard in 2008 for a repair bill owed to Genoa's San Giorgio del Porto shipyard by her former owners Templeton International Inc.{{cite web |url=http://maritimematters.com/2012/06/visit-to-the-former-pacific-princess/|title=Visit to the Former Pacific Princess|date=5 June 2012|author=Peter Knego |work=Maritime Matters |accessdate=14 June 2013}} Quail Cruises claimed that the debt was much lower than initially reported, and had nothing to do with the ship's current operators.{{cite web |url=http://www.europapress.es/economia/noticia-economia-empresas-quail-cruises-dice-pacific-aun-reparando-deuda-solo-112000-euros-20090716134742.html |title=Quail Cruises dice que el 'Pacific' aún se está reparando y que la deuda es de sólo 112.000 euros |date=16 July 2009 |accessdate=14 June 2013}}
In order to satisfy the debt, Italian authorities tried to sell Pacific at auction three times between 2010 and 2011, but no bids were received. In March 2012 the ship was sold for €2.5 million (about $3.3 million) to a ship breaking company, Cemsan Ship Breaker of İzmir,{{cite news |last1=Baskas |first1=Harriet |title=End of the affair: 'The Love Boat' sails its final voyage |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2013/08/09/end-of-the-affair-the-love-boat-sails-its-final-voyage.html |access-date=14 June 2024 |work=CNBC |date=9 August 2013 |quote=The 561-foot ship was built for an estimated $25 million in 1970 and put into service in 1971. Decommissioned five years ago and deemed too costly to renovate, it was sold for scrap to Turkey's Izmir Ship Recycling for about $3.3 million.}} Turkey,{{cite magazine | author=Nick Carbone |url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/10/sos-love-boat-sails-off-to-the-junkyard/ |title=SOS: 'Love Boat' Sails Off to the Junkyard |date=10 March 2012 |access-date=14 June 2013 |magazine=Time}} but Cemsan defaulted on its payment and in May 2012 the ship once again went up for sale. Pacific Princess remained laid up in Genoa for several months,{{cite web | author=Peter Knego|title=San of Aliaga |date=16 May 2013| url=http://maritimematters.com/2013/05/san-of-aliaga/ |work=Maritime Matters |accessdate=14 June 2013}}{{cite web | author=Peter Knego | title= And Away They Go…Updated, Again!| url=http://maritimematters.com/2013/03/and-away-they-go/ | work=Maritime Matters | date=21 March 2013 | accessdate=14 June 2013}} but on 27 July 2013 the ship was reported as being under tow for demolition.{{cite web|title=IzmirR Bull e Pacific |url=http://www.naviearmatori.net/eng/foto-188370-4.html | work=Navi e Armatori |accessdate=28 July 2013}} On 6 August 2013, she arrived in Aliağa to be dismantled by the İzmir Ship Recycling Company, which acquired her for €2.5 million.{{cite news|title=Love Boat makes its final run to Turkish scrap heap|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sns-rt-us-turkey-loveboat-20130807,0,1547703.story|accessdate=8 August 2013|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=7 August 2013|agency=Reuters}}{{cite web|title=Aşk Gemisi artık hurda|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaB53o8V0Sw| work=YouTube|accessdate=9 August 2013|date=8 August 2013}} On 10 August 2013, two employees dismantling the ship died from the inhalation of toxic fumes, and an additional ten others were hospitalized.{{cite news|title=Two workers killed while disassembling 'Love Boat' in Turkey |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/two-workers-killed-while-disassembling-love-boat-in-turkey-.aspx?pageID=238&nid=52319&NewsCatID=341 |accessdate=12 August 2013|newspaper= Hürriyet Daily News|date=12 August 2013}} By February 2014, the ship was "half to two-thirds gone",{{cite web|url=http://www.travelpulse.com/opinions/column/farewell-love-boat.html|title=Farewell, Love Boat|work=TravelPulse|accessdate=17 March 2016}} and by late 2014 demolition was complete.
Statistics
Pacific was {{convert|168.8|m|abbr=on}}, with a {{convert|24.7|m|abbr=on}} beam, and was built at Nordseewerke, West Germany. She was propelled by four medium speed Fiat Diesel engines with a combined power output of 18,000 shaft horsepower. The engines were individually clutched and geared in pairs to each of the two shafts that drive controllable pitch propellers. This enabled one or more engines to be shut down and declutched as required. As Pacific Princess, her tonnage was {{GT|20,636}} and she carried 646 passengers at a top speed of {{convert|21.5|kn}}, cruising at {{convert|20|kn}}. As Pacific, her capacity was increased to 780 passengers and cruising speed reduced to 18 knots. Country of registry was the Bahamas.
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{citation|title=P&O - Port Out, Starboard Home|author=David L. Williams|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing|date=2002|isbn=0-7110-2850-8}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- [http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/search.php?search_imo=7018563&page_limit=300 Professional photographs]
- {{csr|register=E|id=7018563|shipname=Pacific|accessdate=2013-05-20}} "To Be Broken Up".
- [https://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2014/01/29/cruise-ship-tour-love-boat/5011661/ 60 photos of the Pacific]
{{Princess Ships}}
{{The Love Boat}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pacific, MS}}