Ocean Princess (ship)

For the former Princess Cruise Lines ship named Ocean Princess operated from 2000 to 2002 now owned by P&O Cruise Lines see MV Oceana.

Tahitian Princess, in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, 17 August 2009
Career
Name:	1999–2002: R Four 2002–2009: Tahitian Princess 2009-present Ocean Princess
Owner:	1999–2001: Renaissance Cruises 2002–present: Princess Cruises
Operator:	1999–2001: Renaissance Cruises 2001–2002: laid up 2002–present: Princess Cruises
Port of registry:	Liberia, Monrovia 1999–2002  Gibraltar 2002–2005  Bermuda, Hamilton 2005–present
Builder:	Chantiers de l'Atlantique St. Nazaire, France
Cost:	GB£150 million
Yard number:	O31
Christened:	December 1999
Acquired:	1999
Identification:	Call sign: ZCDS4 IMO number: 9187899 MMSI no.: 310505000
Notes:	[1][2]
General characteristics (as Ocean Princess)
Class and type:	R class cruise ship
Tonnage:	30,277 GRT
Displacement:	2,700 DWT
Length:	181.00 m (593 ft 10 in)
Beam:	25.46 m (83 ft 6 in)
Draught:	5.80 m (19 ft 0 in)
Decks:	11 (9 passenger accessible)[3]
Installed power:	4 × Wärtsilä 12V32 diesel engines combined 13,500 kW
Propulsion:	Twin propellers
Speed:	18 kn (33.34 km/h)
Capacity:	688 (lower berths) 826 (all berths)
Crew:	373
Notes:	[1][2]

Ocean Princess, formerly R Four, and Tahitian Princess, is an R-class cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises. She mainly sails around the French Polynesian islands, Society Islands, Cook Islands, Marquesas Islands, and often sails to Hawaii. She also spends northern hemisphere summers in Alaska. Her sister ships are Pacific Princess and Royal Princess.

In November 2009 the Tahitian Princess was renamed Ocean Princess to "reflect a more global theme."^[4]

History

The vessel entered operation in 1999 under the flag of Renaissance Cruises. The ship was not owned by the company; instead she was owned by a group of French investors. When Renaissance declared bankruptcy in 2001, the ship was seized by creditors, along with the other seven vessels in the fleet.

In 2002, Princess Cruises secured a two year lease for R Four and her sister ship R Three (now Pacific Princess). The vessel entered operation at the end of 2002, and was renamed Tahitian Princess. At the end of the lease, Princess Cruises purchased both vessels.

• 

  Tourist boat from MS Tahitian Princess in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Asklander, Micke. "M/S R Four (1999)" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/r_four_1999.htm. Retrieved 12 August 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Ward, Douglas (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 609–610. ISBN 981-246-739-4. 
3. ^ "Tahitian Princess Deck Plans". Princess Cruises. http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/ta/deck_plans/ta_deck_7.html. Retrieved 12 August 2010. 
4. ^ "Tahitian Princess to be renamed Ocean Princess to reflect better new deployments". Cruise Business Review. Cruise Media Oy Ltd. 4 April 2008. http://www.cruisebusiness.com/news.php?u=20080403173156. Retrieved 12 August 2010. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Princess Cruises: Tahitian Princess
• Ocean Princess GDFL images at Ship Spotting World