Princess' Sun Princess could be sailing into the sunset

Sun Princess

The news that Princess Cruises has ordered two new ships for delivery in 2019 and 2020 will likely mean the departure from the fleet of several older ships.

In announcing the orders at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy, Carnival CEO Arnold Donald made reference to the line’s measured growth strategy, which includes “replacing less efficient ships with newer, larger and more efficient vessels over a very specific period of time."

The oldest and presumably least efficient ship in the Princess stable is the 1995-built Sun Princess, now sailing in Australia. It doesn’t seem that long ago when the Sun Princess was the biggest, freshest ship in the Princess fleet.

In 1995 Princess was still predominantly a West Coast cruise line, but it was trying to raise its profile in the Caribbean. Its Sun class ships were part of that strategy.

Of course, that was before Carnival Corp. acquired Princess. The godmother of the Sun Princess, Lady Dorothy Sterling, was the wife of Lord Jeffrey Sterling, chairman of the line’s then-owner, the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

In fact, Princess was a competitor for several of Carnival’s brands until Carnival acquired the company in 2003.

The Sun Princess came along when cruise lines were first realizing the appeal and revenue power of balcony cabins. The ship’s 372 balcony cabins gave it a big advantage in the Caribbean when it first launched.

Today, at slightly less than 2,000 passengers, the Sun Princess carries 45% fewer passengers than the ships Carnival has ordered for the future. 

The other ship that was christened at Port Everglades in the fall of 1995, Celebrity Cruises’ Century, has already left the fleet and is sailing for Celebrity’s joint venture with Ctrip in China. 

By 2020, the Sun Princess will be 25 years old. I would look for a similar exit for it sometime in the next few years.

Viking Sky ship launch postponed until spring 2017

By Hollie-Rae Merrick 

Viking Ocean Cruises has announced the launch of its third ocean ship, Viking Sky, will be postponed until spring 2017, but remains adamant the delay will not affect its ambitious expansion plans.

The cruise line’s first ocean ship, Viking Star, has completed her maiden voyage and is due to be christened in Bergen on May 17. A further two ships, Viking Sea and Viking Sky, were both due to begin sailing in 2016, with a fourth ship currently under construction.

But speaking onboard Viking Star, company chairman Torstein Hagen (pictured) said delays with the building of Holland America ship Koningsdam at the Italian shipyard Fincantieri had had a knock-on effect on the construction of one of Viking’s new vessels.

The third ship, which was due to launch next summer, will now be delayed until spring 2017, with any passengers who had already booked sailings given the option to transfer over to Viking Sea. Hagen confirmed that all three ships would share a similar design, following the pattern of the 930-passenger ‘Venice class’ ship Viking Star.

UK managing director Wendy Atkin-Smith dismissed worries that this could dampen the line’s plans for expansion. She said: “Hardly any of her sailings were on sale yet, because our 2016 offering is not for the full year yet.

“We will have some passengers booked on to the ship, but they will be transferred over. There’s as much damage limitation as possible.

“As far as I know, the Koningsdam ship that was being built is taking longer than predicted so it’s impacted on us. Everything depends on other factors, but it’s not going to affect the expansion plans at all.”

Hagen previously revealed hopes to grow the line’s fleet substantially to more than 100 Longships and 10 ocean ships – a significant increase from its current fleet of 63 river vessels and one ocean ship – within the next five years.

Viking ocean liner to winter in Mediterranean

By Tom Stieghorst

Viking Cruises said its first ocean-cruising ship, Viking Star, will stay in the Mediterranean for the winter season of 2015-16.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is constructing the ship, which is scheduled to enter service in May 2015. Viking had announced a limited number of maiden voyages, which are nearly sold out, according to the company.

The winter cruises will be eight-day sailings between Barcelona and Rome, or 15-day roundtrip cruises from Barcelona.

Viking unveils ocean cruise plans

By Tom Stieghorst

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Viking Cruises has taken the wraps off a two-ship ocean cruise subsidiary that will launch in 2015 and complement its extensive river cruise operation.

The first ship in the Viking Ocean Cruises fleet will be called the Viking Star and will launch in May 2015 on itineraries in Scandinavia, the Baltic and the eastern and western Mediterranean. (Click here or on the photos for a slideshow of renderings of what the ship will look like.)

The 928-passenger ship will compete in size and emphasis with lines such as Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Crystal Cruises.

Viking Ocean Cruises has a firm order for a second ship to be delivered in 2016 and conditional orders and options for four additional ships. The Viking Star will be built by Italy's Fincantieri.

Viking Cruises Chairman Torstein Hagen unveiled the details of the new product, itineraries and amenities at a function for travel agents and media here.

Viking will straddle the ocean and river cruise markets, an unusual feat; most firms tend to compete in one style or the other.

"With our new ocean cruises, we are applying the same principles behind our award-winning river cruises to our itinerary and ship design, privileged-access excursions and onboard experiences to make destinations the true focus," Hagen said.

The fare on the Viking Star will include shore excursions, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, WiFi, self-service laundry and 24-hour room service, along with port charges and government taxes.

Designed with the experienced traveler in mind, Viking Ocean cruises will maximize time in port, often with late evening departures or overnight stays.

Similar to Viking's river ships, the interior design of the Viking Star will be understated and Scandinavian modern.

The all-balcony ship will have five cabin categories, ranging from a 270-square-foot model to a 1,448-square-foot suite. There will be two pools, one with a retractable dome, the other a glass-backed infinity pool at the ship's stern.

Another unusual feature will be a "snow grotto" in the spa in which "snowflakes gently descend from the ceiling through chilled air," according to a Viking description.

Dining options include a main dining room called the Restaurant, an intimate Chef's Table, an Italian Grill, a Viking Deli with Scandinavian specialties, a World Cafe and a cooking school and intimate restaurant called the Kitchen Table.

Pricing for the 10-day cruises starts at $2,999 per person, with discounted airfares from $695 per person.

The 2015 maiden season is initially being offered only in the U.S.; Viking will begin marketing the ocean cruises in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand later this year.