She departed late for her current cruise and apparently is now sailing on a single engine at a much reduced speed towards Vila. The captain has been unable to advise how long the ship will be in Vila or what is happening to the remainder of the current itinerary or the next cruise. There are also apparently significant air conditioning issues that has meant no airconditioning to parts of the ship though this fault has been around for over 3 weeks and is yet to be rectified.

She is getting on a bit and it seems that she is following Pacific Sky and Pacific Star down a familiar path of mechanical issues as she ages.

What are these other boards re the chatter about the Sun.

I am booked on her on the 3rd April sailing from Auckland and I am obviously interested in any possible problems.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike sa:
Maybe Pullmantur will buy her !

---

Why would Pullmantur do that? They already have a Pacific Dream!

quote:

---

Originally posted by hilifta:
Hi there reeves35,

What are these other boards re the chatter about the Sun.

Rgds/Mike (hilifta)

---

Here you go Mike. Hope your cruise isn't affected!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kevin Griffin, London:

Why would Pullmantur do that? They already have a Pacific Dream!

By the way what ship is this Pacific Sun? A very anonymous name indeed.

---

The Pulmantur reference is a bit of a joke. Pulmantur purchased Pacific Sky and Pacific Star off P&O Australia and it was a bit of a disaster in both cases as the ships were quite old and probably needed to be retired.

Pacific Sun was previously Carnival Jubilee before it transferred to P&O Australia in 2004. Once again this ship is now 24 years old and apart from being ugly is also starting to wear out mechanically.

P&O Advice on Cruise Termination

There is no info on what is planned for future cruises.

Is this another Pacific Sky fiasco?

They get a full refund and a future cruise credit of25%, but that does not compensate them for all the hassle.

Old ships are great,
and lets keep as many as we can,
but
when oh deary me when,
will the bean counters
wake up and realise that
old girls ,
need to be cherished
and nurtured.

It may look good on paper to turn the twin
cabins into quads and make lots more dollars,

Their 56 year old Princess Danae is at present visiting ports in New Zealand on a 127 day around the world cruise.

Pacific Sun can not even make it round the Fiji Islands !

For a Carnival group owned ship, of which I am a shareholder, I think her breakdowns and peoples holidays being spoilt, is a disgrace.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike sa:
Yes but these ships are only engineered to last 25 - 30 years - they are designed to be scrapped at that time.

---

Even if they spent millions on her, her lack of desired features that can't be added no matter how much money you throw at her, she would probably have to be retired within a couple of years anyway. I think the term is "lipstick on a pig."

P&O would be better to cut their losses.

Brad

[ 03-15-2010: Message edited by: reeves35 ]

P&O's Canberra lasted 37 years, QE2 39 years, the USS Kitty Hawk was decommissioned at 48 years and interestingly the USS Missouri was decommissioned for the last time at 48 years. These are rare exceptions of ships that have lasted the test of time.

These days I am aware that allot of the Naval ships of the world are not lasting any more than 20 to 30 years before they become obselete and are retired.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Magic Pipe:

No ship owner commissions a passenger ship and expects only 25 to 30 years of service out of it. A tanker or bulk carrier, sure, but not a passenger ship. There is no reason why a ship like this can not last 50 years with the proper maintenance, and even then it likely will be withdrawn because it is not competitive or because of more stringent safety regulations - not because it is physically worn out.

---

With respect I don't agree, since the 70s especially accountants are much more involved in ship design etc in terms of costs, steel is thinner, the spec in terms of mechanics is lower because owners (especially of pax ships) know that in 20 years time their ships will be outdated and therefore will not earn the same as newer ships - combined with increased costs in maintainance etc very few (if any) ship owners expect their ships to still be sailing 25 years after building them.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike sa:

With respect I don't agree, since the 70s especially accountants are much more involved in ship design etc in terms of costs, steel is thinner, the spec in terms of mechanics is lower because owners (especially of pax ships) know that in 20 years time their ships will be outdated and therefore will not earn the same as newer ships - combined with increased costs in maintainance etc very few (if any) ship owners expect their ships to still be sailing 25 years after building them.

Take Pacific (ex Pacific Princess) without a huge amount of cash spent on her it will take a miricle to see her in service again even though as recently as the 80s she was one of the most popular ships at sea - almost an icon to some, however she is now old and past it - while her sister has been luckier she has had a fortune spent of her and still has mechanical issues from time to time, and they were built PRIOR to the age of accountants.

---

Mike,

I work in ship design, and can say that this "cheapening" of passenger ships never took place. Steel in newer ships is not thinner (A modern panamax cruise ship contains about 20% more steel than the QE2, for example), coatings are better so corrosion has become less of a factor, structural detailing is more robust and less fatigue prone than in the past, and modular construction makes them easier and more cost effective to refit than older ships. And the components for ship building are hugely expensive compared to the equivalent component for a land based building. A cruise ship built today will also not become functionally obsolete so fast, as evolution has somewhat plateaued. Take Grand Princess or Voyager of the Seas. They are 10-11 years old, but 100% competitive with a brand new ship. Besides, what 25 to 30 year old cruise ships have been scrapped recently? The 26 year old Artemis was recently sold, after her new owner approached Carnival unsolicited and ended up paying a very good price (in Carnival's eyes). Do you think that the thought of scrapping this ship has even crossed Carnival's mind? Of course not.

And the example of the ex-Pacific Princess is not appropriate. That ship is going on 40 years old and may well be nearing retirement, but the 24 year old ex-Jubilee certainly is not.

[ 03-15-2010: Message edited by: Magic Pipe ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike sa:
[...]ship owners expect their ships to still be sailing 25 years after building them.

Take Pacific (ex Pacific Princess) [...]

---

Apparntly P&O tried to send the ship on its cruise running at half the speed and only on one engine before they got to their first call after 4 days they realised they had to cancel.

Its situations like this that are based on nothing more than greed that causes the so called "carnival bashers" to come out. If the ship was really as bad as I have seen described then the cruise should have been cancelled and the ship sent in for repairs.

Cruise Line executives must have been keeping an eagle eye on the Australian market,
and having seen how much P&O can charge,
and get,
from an eager market ,
lusting to cruise,
are stepping up their presence
and marketing in the region.

While still a small market,
it has survived the recession,
and is a very wealthy market
ready to be tapped.
Especially as many Australians
will retire in the coming years
with one of the best super schemes in the world that gives them a bundle of cash on retirement.

[ 03-16-2010: Message edited by: bmajor ]

Today she is making the first call of a cruise ship in many a year to Norfolk Island.

This is her first cruise out of Auckland for its short season here.
She returns on the 3rd April for her next cruise,
but the following one,
15th April has been cancelled
as parts are being built for her engine ,
and will be flown to Auckland and fitted here.

Passengers will recieve the same
as the last cancelled cruise,
full refund, and 25% future cruise credit.

quote:

---

Originally posted by bmajor:
Well some good news has come out of all of this.

---