I had been on several ships - aircraft carriers and battleships - but wasn't prepared for the immensity. When I got to the dock and got my first view of the Sea Princess, I was taken aback - I didn't expect it to be this large.
We had an inside cabin on the lowest deck. It had a double bed (actually two twins pushed together), adequate closet and drawer space, and a small bathroom. The cabin included a refridgerator, a TV and phone, and a small safe. Surprisingly, there was no alarm clock. Given that we were seldom in our room, it was large enough for the two of us.
The middle of the ship features a 4-story atrium, with two glass elevators. The atrium features the purser's desk (similar to a front desk at any decent hotel), the shore excursion office, and several bars and shopping boutiques. The two main dining rooms are reached via the atrium, as is the casino.
The main pool area is at the top of the ship, in the middle. It featured two pools of adequate size, several hot tubs, several bars, a band stand for evening entertainment, and plenty of deck chairs.
This area was good for general relaxation and was also where numerous events were scheduled. The large domes contained satellite dishes, enabling the ship to have Internet access when the Business Center was open.
The promenade deck held the ships tenders. These boats, which could double as lifeboats, were used to ferry passengers ashore in those ports where the ship had to anchor rather than dock. They seemed quite sturdy and well-designed.
We took the bridge tour, but unfortunately the more interesting photos didn't come out too well due to the darkness of the bridge contrasting with the bright sun outside.
The bridge overhung on each side by about 8 feet. This photo shows one of these overhangs, containing a control panel used when the ship was docking. Under the pilot's feet was a glass floor, affording a look 100 feet straight down to the water.
The ship was a marvel of modern electronics. While it still retained double throttles and a wheel, the entire operation was generally controlled using computer monitors and a point-and-click interface. The monitor could show a satellite photo, depth charts, radar sweep, and/or the course/position plot.
The ship used diesel/electric propulsion - diesel engines generate electricity, which is then used by huge electric motors to turn the screws. The typical cruising speed was around 25 miles per hour.
The ship also featured computer-controlled fins that were extended when at sea. These fins helped to keep any rolling motion to a minimum.
The ship had both bow and stern thrusters. These were tubes, 9 feet in diameter, running across the ship from side to side. Within each tube was a large propeller. With the thrusters, the ship did not need tugs to snuggle up to a dock. If each thrust in a different direction, the ship could turn in its own length. According to the officer on the bridge tour, the thrusters were powerfull enough to move the ship sideways at 5 miles per hour.
The Sea Princess was built in Italy at a cost of $350 million dollars, and entered service in 1998.
This ship, as do all Princess ships, has a web camera showing the view from the bridge. The images are available on the Princess web site and are updated every 60 seconds.
Copyright © 2008 by Dana Cline
Last updated on 7/8/2008
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