Grand Princess
 The Grand Princess in Livorno (August 2007)
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The Grand Princess (dt .: Large Princess ) is a PostPanamax -Kreuzfahrtschiff the shipping company Princess Cruises . She is the type ship of the construction class of the same name and replaced the Carnival Destiny as the largest and, until then, most expensive cruise ship in the world. The Grand Princess was designed and built primarily for cruising the Caribbean.
history
Construction and commissioning
On February 8, 1994, the shipping company P&O - Princess Cruises commissioned the Italian shipyard Fincantieri to build a new cruise ship. The unusual design, which differs significantly from other cruise ships, comes from the Italian naval architect Giacomo Mortola (GEM srl, Genoa) and Theresa Anderson, who is responsible for the interior design at Princess Cruises. The keel of the ship with hull number 5956 was laid on July 1, 1996 in Monfalcone . Almost a year later, in May 1997, the construction dock was flooded and the ship was transferred to the shipyard's equipment quay, where it was completed on February 20, 1998. The delivery to P&O Princess Cruises took place on May 19, 1998. The maiden voyage began on May 26, 1998. The ship went into service under the Liberian flag . Actress Olivia de Havilland was baptized on September 29, 1998 in New York City . Since 2000 the ship has been registered in the Bermudan shipping register.
Remodeling 2011
During a dry dock stay at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport (Bahamas) between April 11 and May 4, 2011, the Grand Princess was extensively redesigned. The most noticeable change concerned the dismantling of the “Skywalker Nightclub” characteristic of the series, which was moved from Deck 18 to Deck 15 and renamed the “One5 Lounge”. This measure is intended to reduce crosswind sensitivity and fuel consumption. In addition to the redesign of several public areas (restaurants, casino, shopping facilities), the atrium of the ship was completely redesigned in the style of an Italian piazza. In addition, ten new suites were set up.
On May 6, 2011, the Grand Princess went back into service as planned as part of an Atlantic crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton. According to the shipping company, this was the most extensive renovation that has ever been carried out on a Princess Cruises cruise ship.
After US authorities found that a man who had died of an infection with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was traveling on the Grand Princess until February 21, they ordered tests for the virus on board. The Grand Princess was on a trip from San Francisco to Hawaii when a shortcut to the trip and the return was arranged. On March 4, the ship arrived off the California coast with 3,500 people on board. National Guard helicopters dropped rapid tests, and the subsequent review of suspected cases revealed that at least 21 people on board were infected with the virus. 19 of them were crew members. Vice President Mike Pence announced that the ship would be diverted to a non-commercial port where everyone on board would be tested. The ship arrived in Oakland on March 8 , from where the passengers were distributed to various facilities. The bulk of the passengers with no symptoms were quarantined at nearby Travis Air Force Base for 14 days while foreign passengers flew back to their home countries via Metropolitan Oakland International Airport .
Lawyers filed on June 4, 2020 2,800 passengers Grand Princess a class action ( class action lawsuit ) against the operating company and its parent company in federal court in Southern California one. You accused the cruise operators of gross negligence in February 2020. The organizers would have knowingly left potential COVID-19 cases on board and continued to encourage passengers to enjoy themselves and interact closely after the occurrence of COVID-19. The defendants said they would generally not comment on pending legal cases, but the health and safety of passengers had top priority.
Machine system and drive
The Grand Princess is equipped with a diesel-electric machine system. The six 16-cylinder V-engines of the Sulzer ZA40S series were built under license by GMT ( Grandi Motori Trieste ). They develop an output of 11,520 kW and each drive a generator . The engine speed of 514 rpm results in an alternating current frequency of 60 Hz. In addition, there are two emergency power systems with an output of 900 kW each. The waste heat from the diesel engines is used in the exhaust gas boiler as so-called process heat to generate steam. The Grand Princess is driven conventionally with three-phase synchronous motors manufactured by Siemens via shaft systems on two fixed propellers, each weighing approx. 40 tons. The drive system of the Grand Princess is supplied by eight converter transformers with an output of 6,150 kVA each.
The ship is controlled by two half-balance rudders. To support maneuverability, the Grand Princess transverse thruster is equipped in the bow and stern. The systems in the bow develop a total output of 6,600 kW (approx. 8,970 hp), while the stern thrusters develop a total of 5,160 kW (approx. 7,020 hp). In order to dampen rolling movements, extendable stabilizer fins are installed on the long sides of the fuselage.
The machines and systems of the Grand Princess are monitored and controlled via a ship automation system.
Cabins and on-board facilities
The Grand Princess has 1,300 cabins that can accommodate up to 3,100 passengers. 80% of the 928 outside cabins are equipped with a balcony. This ratio was unrivaled at the time of commissioning. In contrast to many other cruise ships, the balconies were not integrated into the hull contour, but attached to the outside. Due to the greater width, the ship can no longer pass the Panama Canal.
The most striking detail of the Grand Princess was the “Skywalker Nightclub”, which was arranged like a spoiler at a height of about 45 meters above the waterline across the stern. It served as an observation lounge during the day and was used as a disco in the evening. The facility, which is always controversial from a technical and aesthetic point of view (maintenance costs, shading of the stern), often referred to as the “shopping cart handle”, was removed in spring 2011 during the extensive renovation of the ship.
literature
- Douglas Ward: Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2009 . Berlitz Publishing, Singapore et al. 2009, ISBN 978-981-268-564-3 .
Web links
- Internet presence of the shipping company Celebrity Cruises (German)
- Internet presence of the shipping company Princess Cruises (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d e Equasis - France Ministry for Transport: Administrative data of the "Grand Princess". Retrieved May 11, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c d e Princess Cruises: Fact Sheet "Grand Princess". Retrieved May 11, 2011 .
- ↑ Seal Etter Travel Inc .: The People behind the "Grand". Retrieved May 11, 2011 .
- ^ Princess Cruises: Princess Cruises Ship Christeners. Retrieved May 11, 2011 .
- ^ Cruise Industry News: Grand Princess to undergo dramatic transformation; Skywalkers Removed. Retrieved May 11, 2011 .
- ^ Cruise Industry News: Grand Princess returns to service. Retrieved May 11, 2011 .
- ↑ Faith Karimi, Dan Simon and Amir Vera: "21 test positive for coronavirus on California cruise ship, Vice President Mike Pence says" cnn.com of March 7, 2020
- ↑ Jenny Gross, Thomas Fuller, John Eligon and Jenny Gross: "Cruise Ship, Floating Symbol of America's Fear of Coronavirus, Docks in Oakland" www.newyorktimes.com of March 9, 2020
- ↑ Princess and Carnival Cruise Lines South in LA Over Coronavirus Spread , NBC News Los Angeles June 5, 2020.
- ^ Net Resources International: Grand Princess - Cruise Ship - Ship Technology. Retrieved May 11, 2011 .