M/S Sea Venture, Pacific Princess, Pacific - M/S
Island Venture,
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organisations! The author has been in the passenger shipping industry since May
1960 and is now semi-retired, but continues and I
hope that the well over 675 Classic Liners and Cargo-Passengers ships I have
written on will continue to provide classic ship enthusiasts and
continue a great deal of information and pleasure!
Was TV’s Popular “Love Boat”
have images on this page especially my dear friend
and maritime historian Peter Knego, who visited the MV Pacific in 2012.
Norwegian Cruiseships A/S of Oslo Norway commence planning two revolutionary cruise ships that would not just have outstanding features, such as a spectacular lobby and stairway, but also an aft lounge with a wall of glass that spanned two decks high! Her engines were aft providing additional passenger space aboard the ships that had the most attractive profiles!
Both ships would be
built by the “Nordseewerke” (North Sea
Works) at
The first ship to be
commenced and the ship being the subject matter had her keel laid down in Yard
411 and she was launched, but not named on May 9, 1970. She was completed and
undertook her sea trials a year later. The on May 8, 1971 she undertook a
private company cruise, after which she was delivered to her owners and
officially “Christened” dockside and was named Sea Venture on May
14 in
The M/S Sea Venture featured a gold sea horse on the blue part of her funnel and looking simply sublime, she commenced her official cruise duties in June 1971
In 1972 she was
officially taken over by O. Lorentzen of
A past passenger wrote: “Many thanks for the very complete history of the M/S Sea
Venture on your web site. I sailed on it when younger to
Provided by Marinna Martini
On the left we see the great SS Oceanic and the M/S
Sea Venture.
Photograph is & ? by Finn Tornquist
Island Venture Story in full:
In 1974 she was with her sister sold to
P&O Princess Lines and she was renamed MV Island Princess. She, like her
sister also appeared in the famed “Love Boat” TV show, when the
Pacific Princess was not available, for let’s face it they were identical
ships! Island Princess was sold in 1999 to Hyundai Merchant Marine of South Korea and they renamed her MV Hyundai Pungak and used her to transport
South Korean pilgrims to religious sites in
From 2001 to 2002 she sailed named as the MV
Platinum, but she went through a major refit between 2001 and 2003. Since then,
this great ship has been sailing as the popular MV Discovery owned by the “All Leisure Group Plc” but was operated by the popular “Voyages of Discovery” and she cruised out of
Harwich and
The beautifully maintained MV
Discovery is seen departing
Then in February 2013, the Discovery began operating under a special agreement for Cruise & Maritime Voyages, but in late October or early November 2014 the Discovery was taken out of service by her owners “All Leisure Group” due to losses in operating. Mid September, the Discovery was sold on an “as is” basis for US$5 million.
Renamed “Amen” she departed
Bristol for the very last time on October 9, with the St. Kitts and Nevis flag
at her stern, and she headed for Alang India were she was beached in December
2014 and duly broken up.
However, In October 1974 she was sold to the British P&O Line. But delivery would be in April 1975. When she was taken over by P&O she received the traditional buff/slightly yellowish funnel, with the P&O logo on her funnel, but her hat was strange being a dark blue, whilst other P&O ship had black hats. She was renamed Pacific Princess and she commenced cruising from American ports as well as during the Australian summer months in 1975 and 1976.
Above & below: The P&O cruise ship MV Pacific
Princess seen in the Pacific and in
The Much Loved “Love Boat”:
In a very smart move, Princess Cruises agreed to have their two of their ships widely featured in a new television romantic/comic sitcom named “The Love Boat” that debuted in 1977. The ship that was featured in almost every episode of the series was the Pacific Princess and at times also her sister, the Island Princess.
You can visit the MS
Pacific Princess Deck Plan
When the plan opens,
you cam enlarge it by using the tool that will show!
There is another link at the bottom of the page
Photograph by & ? Princess Cruises
Pacific Lounge, or as it was originally called the
Terrace Lounge
The ship is seen at
Due to Princess Cruises’ having purchased one of the former luxury Renaissance Cruises ships, the R3 to replace the Pacific Princess, and the new ship would be named when ready, Pacific Princess. However, The Pacific Princess “the Love Boat” the ship that made Princess Cruises one of the most loved cruise companies in the world, was sadly disposed off and sold to Pullmantur Cruises of Spain in 2001, but she was leased back in order that she could continue to operate as part of the Princess fleet until late in 2002, awaiting the delivery and refit of their new modern ship.
She
was officially handed over to her new owners in November and after a refit
Pullmantur Cruises gave her the shortened name of MV Pacific and she began
operating mostly around the
Photograph ? Pullmantur Cruises
This arrangement continued until she was sold in December 2007 to Templeton International Inc of Florida who had intended to charted the ship our and thus ensured that she had the repairs that were requited, which was quite extensive. It would be Quail Cruises who took over the Pacific and she received the Quail Cruises livery and she returned to her new cruise duties on March 8, 2008 operating one-week circle Mediterranean cruises. But this new cruise venture would sadly be one that ends this magnificent ships career some six months later!
Where is the Love for the MV Pacific?
Tragically, the MV Pacific was seized by the
Italian Coast Guard in 2008 for a massive repair bill of US$14 million that was
due to San Giorgio di Porto Shipyards by Templeton International Inc. Although
we should understand that the debt in question had nothing to do with Quail
Cruises it was owned by Templeton International Inc who owned the Pacific. For
interest, Quail had purchased Templeton from Flameck International,
There were three attempts to sell the MV Pacific by the Italian authorities and although the minimum bid for her was fixed at just € 3.4 million Euros, but no bids were received. However, also
the company who previously owned the ship and owned the massive debt seemed to
play games with the system, for on February 9, 2011 although
the Genoa Court had the scheduled an auction for February 3,
for the MV Pacific,
it had been postponed per the request
of “Templeton International” and it would now take place on February
14. We should need to understand that Quail Cruises (now operating as “Happy Cruises”) had only been acting as the ships charterer
and not the owner!
There
was another auction on November 16, 2011, with a starting price of Euro
€2,737,080 Million Euros, but again without success. Sadly during this
time, the ship being laid up in Genoa was deteriorating very badly and she had
come to a point were rust on her upper decks had become so severe that there
were massive holes appearing and when it rained water would leak into the upper
decks. Interior wise she looked delightful when my dear friend and maritime
historian Peter Knego visited her in June 2012 see: http://maritimematters.com/2012/06/visit-to-the-former-pacific-princess/ and you will discover that there was some internal water damage,
but it did get very much worse during the winter of 2012, and the terrible rust
on board and the sad state of her once beautiful teak promenade deck continued
to deteriorate badly. Sadly the
once much “Love Boat” was now very much an unloved ship indeed!
we see
Photograph by & ? Peter Knego
The Unloved “Love Boat” Tragic
Day!
But then I was
advised on July 28, 2013 (Australian time or July 27, European time), that
obviously she had been obtained by a breaker for she was towed out of Genoa on
July 27, 2013, and I was told she is bound for the breaker in Turkey. If there
are any further news updates, these will be at the bottom of the page!
Obviously, this was
sad news indeed for a ship that was so much loved, but became a very sad and
such an unloved ship in her final years! Some of her top decks had rusted so
much that huge holes had appeared and rain was pouring into her interiors,
ruining carpets, furnishings, as well as electrical wiring, and so much more.
The former and superbly beautiful MV Pacific Princess became completely
neglected in her last days, which was a great tragedy!
Farewell, my
beautiful and beloved Princess, you will always be my “Love Boat”!
Reuben Goossens.
And Cruise’n’Ship Reviewer.
Photographer unknown – *Please see Photo Notes at bottom of page!
Specifications
Yard:??????????????????? 411.
??????????????????????????? Pacific Princess
1975 to 2002
??????????????????????????? Pacific
2002 to 2013.
Call-sign:????????????? C6SB5.
IMO number:???????? 7018563.
Tonnage:?????????????? 19,903 GRT
??????????????????????????? 3,390
DW.
Length:???????????????? 550.4ft – 167.74m.
Width:????????????????? 80.8ft – 24.6.
Draft:??????????????????? 24.3ft
– 7.4m.
Engine:???????????????? 4 ?
Fiat Geared Diesels C420, 10SS 18,000 BHP, 13,240 kW.
Screws:???????????????? Twin.
Passengers:?????????? 767 One-Class MV Sea Venture.
??????????????????????????? 626 MV Pacific Princess.
??????????????????????????? 640 MV Pacific
– lower berths.
??????????????????????????? 750 MV Pacific
– all berths.
Crew:??????????????????? 184 to 220.
Owners of the unknown images, please see the Photo notes at the bottom of
the page
Photograph by & ? Princess Cruises
Photograph by & ? Phil Archer
MV Discovery, ex Island Princess
Update:
Finally after all those
aforementioned attempts she was sold in February 2012 to unknown buyer and in
late in July 2013 she left
I was told a number of days later that she was
heading for a breakers yard with the name “ACIF” on her bow and
registered in
She departed
Photographer
unknown – *Please see Photo Notes at bottom of page!
Photographer
unknown – *Please see Photo Notes at bottom of page!
Obviously, this is the END of the much loved; “The Love
Boat”
Tragic Conclusions: I have been advised that sadly a number of breakers yard workers died whilst they were working in her engine room. In addition another six men were severely injured by toxic gases and were hospitalised.
I have been advised that she continued to list and that water had been pumped out and leaks plugged. Having done that they moved the ship to another berth as she was located between two other ships and she was endangering these ships and the work on their breaking up. Then by November 2013 she had again listed worse than before to starboard.
That is what happens when there are no
stringent safety measures at hand for these poor men who are paid very little,
and believe it or not, it is far better in Turkey than it is in those evil
yards such as Alang in India and Chittagong in Bangladesh, where men, women and
even children work in the worst of conditions and are treated very much as if
they are rubbish at these horrid breakers yards, that are run by very rich men
who care nothing for anyone but their extreme wealth! Yet the majority of
shipping companies in general have little to no conscience to selling their
ships to these breakers. This is one of the great human tragedies of today, but
sadly no-one cares! The question is, why can these
ship breakers not be better regulated?
Visit the
MS
Pacific Princess Deck Plan
When the plan opens,
you cam enlarge it by using the tool that will show!
Visit Eckhard Herrnsdorf MS Pacific Cruise Photo
Album in June 2008
This was very close to being one of her last cruises
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