Cruise Talk: Ocean Dream (ex Tropicale, Costa Tropicale, Pacific Star)

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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » Ocean Dream (ex Tropicale, Costa Tropicale, Pacific Star)

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Author

Topic: Ocean Dream (ex Tropicale, Costa Tropicale, Pacific Star)

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 05-02-2008 02:19 PM

I considered it was better to open a new topic rather than polluting the A. Von Humbolt one.
Here is a fresh picture of Ocean Dream in her current condition : 02/05/2008, 6pm

[ 05-02-2008: Message edited by: Pascal ]

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

ibcrazy3933
First Class Passenger
Member # 14686

posted 05-02-2008 02:56 PM

oh so small it is.... but so many good memories....

Posts: 51 | From: Overland Park Kansas | Registered: Apr 2008 | IP: Logged

jeffrossatsea
First Class Passenger
Member # 2962

posted 05-02-2008 07:45 PM

that block of apartments on the hill behind the dry-dock....is that an old part of balconie's from a cruise ship?.....sure looks like an ex carnival newbuild

....jeff

Posts: 1118 | From: vancouver | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged

Carlos Fernandez
First Class Passenger
Member # 6432

posted 05-02-2008 08:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jeffrossatsea:
that block of apartments on the hill behind the dry-dock....is that an old part of balconie's from a cruise ship?.....sure looks like an ex carnival newbuild ....jeff

No, those balcony blocks are waiting to be fitted into Ocean Dream.

Posts: 1325 | From: Miami, Florida (Cruise Capital of the World) | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

Salaison
First Class Passenger
Member # 4722

posted 05-02-2008 08:29 PM

well at least she will be back in her original colours

Posts: 444 | From: St. Lucia--The Sleeping Leviathan | Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 05-03-2008 01:08 AM

She looks smart with the new coat of white paint. The red shade funnel doesn't fit right with the white paint.

IMO, the P&O Australia livery fit her best.

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

geno-er
First Class Passenger
Member # 4202

posted 05-03-2008 04:17 PM

We had one of our best cruises on "The Tropical". I'm still mad at Carnival for getting rid of her. They could have used her to try new intineraries and new ports out of the east coast like NCL does out of Charleston.

Posts: 159 | From: Pocono's, Pa. | Registered: Oct 2003 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 05-03-2008 05:56 PM

I'll see if she's still in Marseille on Monday (not really likely as ships usualy leave very quickly once the paint job completed) so that I can take pictures of her entirely finished. That said, I took other pictures of her on Friday. I'll see tomorrow if I've time to post them.

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

reeves35
First Class Passenger
Member # 6021

posted 05-03-2008 08:01 PM

quote:
They could have used her to try new intineraries and new ports out of the east coast like NCL does out of Charleston.

You're kidding aren't you?

She is a tired old barge that probably really deserved to go on a oneway cruise to Alang. P&O Australia only had her a couple of years and she was a problem. Passengers often had to endure weak water pressure and sewage smells. Her one upside for P&O Australia was that she made Pacific Sun look modern!!

Brad

[ 05-04-2008: Message edited by: reeves35 ]

Posts: 343 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged

Carlos Fernandez
First Class Passenger
Member # 6432

posted 05-03-2008 08:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by reeves35:
[quoteThey could have used her to try new intineraries and new ports out of the east coast like NCL does out of Charleston.

You're kidding aren't you?

Brad[/QUOTE]

She was in bad shape as Pacific Star because she wasn't being taken care of by P&O Australia. She had been very successful with Carnival and Costa. Hopefully she will see good service with Pullmantur.

Posts: 1325 | From: Miami, Florida (Cruise Capital of the World) | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-04-2008 12:11 AM

Carlos - I don't think you can blame P&O for all her problems. She had a lot of issues when she was still with Carnival. I don't know much about her Costa career, but in her later Carnival days she was certainly not a trouble-free ship.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

rd77
First Class Passenger
Member # 2117

posted 05-05-2008 04:21 AM

I remember TROPICALE had some major sewage problems in her last years with Carnival, including a black-out PLUS overflowing toilets in the Gulf of Mexico somewhere in '99 or thereabouts.

I do think Costa spent a lot of money on her. They did excellent work on her interiors, it was a big improvement!

However, as PACIFIC STAR, the ship took some major batterings from the rough weather around Oz and NZ. PACIFIC SUN (ex-JUBILEE) is apparently wearing out rather quickly as well...

I imagine she will do better now, given the fact that the Med has calmer waters. I just hope Pullmantur will also spend decent money on her upkeep, then everthing ought to be fine I reckon...

Posts: 1037 | From: The Hague, Netherlands | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-05-2008 12:06 PM

Ralph - Pullmantur must have been really desperate to buy this ship. It seems like a stint with P&O Australia is often nearly enough to finish a ship off! By the time ships get down there they are usually pretty old to begin with, and they are in for some of the hardest use a cruise ship will ever see. Lots of sea time, at high speeds, often in bad weather... If the ship wasn't in good condition to begin with, it is not a recipe for many years of reliable service!

Costa did spend quite a bit on TROPICALE but I have no idea how much of this was on technical stuff and how much was cosmetic. Anyway, with both Carnival and Costa she was used on far less-demanding itineraries than she was with P&O, and she will be again with Pullmantur. But my view is that she is really a "stop-gap" ship for Pullmantur. By the early part of the next decade I imagine she will be gone and certainly so will OCEANIC and SKY WONDER. (It remains to be seen whether OCEAN DREAM approaches SKY WONDER's spectacular record of trouble, but between SKY and OCEANIC, it is the older ship that is actually much less of a problem...!)

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

Carlos Fernandez
First Class Passenger
Member # 6432

posted 05-13-2008 08:49 PM

Any news of Ocean Dream? I thought she would be done by now.

Posts: 1325 | From: Miami, Florida (Cruise Capital of the World) | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 05-14-2008 03:33 AM

According to Pullmantur's website, she began sailing May 11th.

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Magic Pipe
First Class Passenger
Member # 6994

posted 05-14-2008 06:56 AM

If you want to see the Ocean Dream, look at Queen Victoria's webcam right now.

[ 05-14-2008: Message edited by: Magic Pipe ]

Posts: 213 | From: NYC | Registered: Jul 2006 | IP: Logged

Thad
First Class Passenger
Member # 1224

posted 05-14-2008 09:29 AM

Her stack is visible in this pic of the QV from the Malta Times.

Posts: 1967 | From: Boston, MA | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

hilifta
First Class Passenger
Member # 14861

posted 05-30-2008 09:10 AM

Why all this bagging of the Tropicale. She is 27yrs old. We sailed on her last Feb on her last cruise with P&O Aust as the Pacific Star and she was fantastic. She was spoltessly clean, no stinks from sewage, nice decor, and a fantastic crew.
i have been involved in the shipping industry all my life and have seen some ships you would not put your mother-in-law on. It has been many years since we travelled by passengers ship, and then it was on line voyages, but we were very impressed with Pacific Star.
We head off on Sun 1st June on Pacific Sun, and can't wait.
You have to remember that cruising in this part of the world is in very much open ocean conditions, and despite its name the the Pacific is often quite the oposite.
In summer you have cyclones in the Islands and in winter you have storms near Aust and NZ.
Thats life, don't blame the ship.
I beleive that for her age the Tropcale is in very good nick, but i cannot vouch for her mechanically, I dont have that expertise. On our cruise she performed admirably.

Rgds/Mike

Posts: 15 | From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: Apr 2008 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 05-30-2008 12:09 PM

And of course she is now to transfer to a new permanent home in Acapulco crusing the Riviera for Mexican pax. Wish her well na dhope her mechanical issues are sorted.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

Corey H.
First Class Passenger
Member # 5202

posted 05-30-2008 07:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mike sa:
And of course she is now to transfer to a new permanent home in Acapulco crusing the Riviera for Mexican pax. Wish her well na dhope her mechanical issues are sorted.

Is this really true?

Posts: 172 | From: TAMPA Florida USA | Registered: Nov 2004 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 05-30-2008 07:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mike sa:
And of course she is now to transfer to a new permanent home in Acapulco crusing the Riviera for Mexican pax. Wish her well na dhope her mechanical issues are sorted.

I wonder if there is a market for that? W/all the new large ships sailing that route from L.A. I wonder how a 26-year-old ship could compete. During our bi-annual trips to Mexico I usually see a selection of Vista Class ships and other newbuilds docked or anchored.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-30-2008 08:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Corey H.:
Is this really true?

Yes, it's true.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

gpcruisedude
First Class Passenger
Member # 3533

posted 05-30-2008 08:56 PM

Homeporting in Acapulco I dont think is anything new. I believe Sitmar Cruises and Princess both did that for many years running 7 day cruises one way LA to Acapulco.

Posts: 865 | From: Grande Prairie,Alberta | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged

Tim in Fort Lauderdale
First Class Passenger
Member # 953

posted 05-30-2008 11:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gpcruisedude:
Homeporting in Acapulco I dont think is anything new. I believe Sitmar Cruises and Princess both did that for many years running 7 day cruises one way LA to Acapulco.

But neither of them did cruises round-trip from Acapulco and they certainly weren't targeted exclusively at the Mexican domestic market.

A very smart move on their part as there is a disproportionate amount of wealth in Mexico and they are very fond of cruises.

But I do question the choice of vessel as the Latin American market as a whole tends to favor newer, larger ships and the higher-end accomodations.

Tim

Posts: 1468 | From: Fort Lauderdale, FL | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 05-30-2008 11:51 PM

Tim

I had thought the same but I suspect they are going to punt to first timers and price it accordingly to try and grow the market ?

Certainly OD is not going to be able to compete with the US based ships based on the hardware.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

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