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Place the cursor over the photos to read the
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the full-sized photo will open in a pop up screen. Please note
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Page 1 of 6 |
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Page 1 of 6 |
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She is big. She is bold. And whether she is beautiful
remains to be seen as we travel to Southampton, England on a
sunny day in May, 2001 to witness the birth of a
new Princess. At 108,865 gross register tons,
Golden Princess
is not exactly a lightweight, but after
getting to know Princess Cruises' new baby it seems she was
well worth the 2 year pregnancy. Delivered well in time for
her spring debut, Italian builders Fincantieri managed to create a
stunning sister to the
1998-delivered
Grand Princess. Costing an amazing US$ 450
million,
Golden Princess
spent her first summer in Mediterranean waters
before heading to Florida for a winter in the warm
Caribbean. |
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Together with
my good friend Teun Wim, I was able to join the first-ever
bunch of guests to ever sail on this magnificent ship on a
2-night pre-inaugural cruise to "nowhere" from Southampton,
England. The sun shone as Golden Princess slowly edged away
from berth 106 on the Southampton waterfront on
Tuesday, May 8, 2001. At 6:30 pm, with her decks filled to the
brim with passengers
sipping champagne, Captain Bernie Warner hammered the ship's
horn. Clouds of blue and yellow confetti filled the air
and Spandau Ballet's Gold played over the PA System. What a
way to start a cruise! |
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Cruise Line: |
Princess
Cruises |
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Year built: |
2001 |
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Price tag: |
US$ 450
million |
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Yard: |
Fincantieri,
Monfalcone, Italy |
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Gross Tonnage: |
108,865 |
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Length: |
289.0 m
(951.4 ft) |
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Beam: |
36.0 m (118.1 ft) |
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Passengers
(norm.): |
2,592 |
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Passengers
(max): |
3,300 |
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Crew: |
1,100 |
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Service speed: |
22.5 knots |
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Flag: |
Bermuda |
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Golden
Princess is easily recognizable as "the ship with the
spoiler". She looks somewhat like an ocean-going shopping
cart, but once you set foot on her, the design grows on you as
it holds numerous surprises not found on traditionally
designed ships. With her 18 decks, her terraced balconies,
giant funnel and "flying" bridge wings, she is a sight to
behold - even though opinions about her looks vary widely. But
- she sure does attract attention. And isn't that what it's
all about? |
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