There must be some people who read my blog occasionally and probably get fed up with the blizzard of mega ships, water slides and stories of 3,000 plus people having fun all explained in a babble of preposterous superlatives.
Of course it’s not hard to see why this might be so. Cruising used to be about a ship, a Captain and crew, ports of call, a comfy chair to sit in and meet Mr and Mrs. Smith from California. Then it was off to dinner followed by dancing, a walk on deck under the stars and a bollocking from the wife for staring at Mrs. Smith’s bottom.
For those who miss those days and thought that they had gone forever ……….. well …………..I am happy to tell you…………..they haven’t…………..and these values can be found alive and well onboard the Pacific Princess.
This is not a ship that is all loud and shouty with “look at me” features………no………..it doesn’t need to………..this ship is quiet and dignified yet like when a Rolls Royce pulls up outside a hotel lobby you immediately know that the car and the people inside are both very special.
The ship was built in 1999 for Renaissance Cruise Lines in a French shipyard and while I am not going to submit my normal attack on the French I do have to say something about the name they choose……………..the M/S R3. Now, either they had absolutely no imagination or they ran out of paint………….R3…………that’s a cabin on the Holiday and Fantasy Class.
Unfortunately Renaissance built too many ships too quickly and before you could say R2D2……………the company was broke and the R ships were scattered to the four corners of the cruise ship world. Princess took 3 R’swhich became the Tahitian, The Royal and the Pacific.
Today, I traveled to the surely one of the most beautiful spots in the world ………….. Portofino. When God made Belgium he stood back and said “bugger” I messed that one up” and realised he had better make something incomparable ………….he did ………………..Portofino.
I had been collected by that huge Mercedes limo again and this time Maurizio drove me right down to the Picola Harbour. As the huge V12 engine purred down the quayside I once again felt guilty that the tourists armed with Canons and Nikons ready to snap the star of stage and screen stepping out of the car to head to their yacht would be disappointed to discover it was just a fat bloke who needed a pee.
If Portofino is Catherine Zeta Jones then the Pacific Princess sitting in the harbour was the Cartier Diamond Necklace draped round her perfect neck and as the tender which took me nearer to the ship I once again felt like one very lucky chap.
I was met at the tender station by a group of men whose uniforms had obviously just returned from the laundry and the only things that were brighter were their smiles of greeting. I met the Passenger Services Director Peter who has been at sea for 41 years. He was guide and not just around the ship but through a veritable history of the industry which he has seen change so much in his many years of service. He talked about ships I had read about in history books and ones that I have never heard of. He must have many stories to tell and I will therefore in the days ahead be interviewing him and tapping into Peterpedia………the online cruise historian.
However, as I was escorted to the bridge I couldn’t take my eyes off the handsome Italian Captain……………….don’t panic………………just because I listen to Mariah Carey occasionally doesn’t mean ………well…………you know………………I couldn’t take my eyes off him because I felt like I knew him…………..it turns out I didn’t………..but I knew his brother.
In 1987 a young stud from the beautiful island of Progida joined the Carnival Cruise Lines vessel Holiday to work as a Fire Patrol Officer. At the same time an ugly and spotty Brit joined the same ship as a bar waiter………………..the young Italian stud who broke girls hearts just by looking at them was Rocco Lubrano. The young spotty bar waiter who made girls vomit …………was me.
The two became best friends and one is now an ugly Cruise Director and the other is Captain of the Carnival Liberty. When we realised that we had a mutual friend in Captain Vincenzo Lubrano’s brother Rocco any tension on meeting for the first time was broken as we chatted about the old days and Rocco’s love of the air conditioning service room as a young third officer…..and that’s all I am going to say about that.
And so, the tour of the Pacific Princess began.
You may have seen a photo of the ship but you don’t really get a sense of scale from the pictures — and nor do you get an impression of just how beautiful she is. The ship has an extraordinary blend of presence and tradition.
The ship had 600 plus guests onboard ………600…………lets say that one more time………….600………when was the last time I said that about a ship.
These days ships are often referred to as floating hotels………….something by the way that makes me mad. Well, just for the sake of argument let’s continue with that analogy. Hotels these days are mostly the same…………revolving doors………..a bit of tired red carpet to stand on while you wait for the 12-year-old behind the desk to tell you that your room won’t be ready until Friday and when you do finally get there the furniture was bought from Hotels R Us ………….you sit in your room trying to decide if you can afford to pay the $89 they want for a bottle of water from the mini bar before going to the hotel’s restaurant where the 12 year old receptionists sister is ready to serve you something with fries.
The Pacific Princes could not be more different. This is a English Country hotel where Jeeves and Wooster are ready to serve. Deep brown woods, deep luxurious carpets and huge sofas invite you to stop and stay a while you enjoy a cocktail and listen to the music in one of the bars and lounges. The cabaret lounge, the library in fact all the public lounges made me feel like I should kick of my shoes…………..put on a big pair of comfy slippers………….light my pipe and watch the world go by.
The dining room was massively impressive. The seating is assigned and although most of the evenings are smart casual the restaurant gives off an unparalleled sense of tradition. We enjoyed a beautiful lunch prepared by the ship’s Italian Executive Chef. You will be proud of me when I tell you that I ignored the bread, the potatoes, the cheese soufflé and grazed instead on artichoke (I think that’s a vegetable) and beautifully cooked lamb.
The Pacific Princess also has two alternative restaurants. The Grill serving Princess’s famous T-Bone Steak and other carnivorous delights and of course there is the legendary Sabitini’s This is never-ending recapitulating cycle of Italian gourmet delights can be found on all the Princess ships ………..and is to date……………….still my favorite private dining restaurant on any ship………………..there…………..I said it.
We also toured the open decks with loads of space in which to worship the sun, the fully equipped spa and beauty salon and a visit to life below stairs to visit the crew only areas. The crew is International and all had that special comraderie that comes with working on a smaller vessel. Everyone knows everyone and that in turn bares fruit to a unique bonding between all the crew which I am positive is noticed by the crew …………………… Peter the PSD and the Captain called most if not all by their first names as we walked the ship………….that’s not something you see everyday.
And this must be the same for the passengers as well. I experienced this togetherness years ago as Cruise Director of the Carnival…………you saw the same people throughout the voyage and each night on the Pacific Princess I am sure stories of the day are shared and plans for the days to come explored.
I have nothing much else to report. There are no gizmos or gadgets no icons ………… why ………..it doesn’t need one…………..the ship IS the icon……….it’s simply a luxurious way to see places other ships cannot………….it’s what cruising has and should always be about……..the perfect way to meet new friends, see the world and stand on the deck under the stars holding the hand of the one you love and remember how much you love them.
Walking aboard the Pacific Princess is like climbing into your Tuxedo or Ball Gown ……….there is a sense that you’re about to do something very, very special.
Here are a few photos which I hope you enjoy.
Goodnight
Your friends John and Heidi and the Captain and Crew of the Pacific Princess
Filed under: Europe, Tales from the Ship, Travel | Tagged: Pacific Princess
lookingforwardtothenearlysmokefreecarnivalfreedom
Maybe that’s why Renaissance Cruises are no more because they WERE smoke free.
BIG ED
Ah, Renaissance Cruises – how I miss them. Their drawing card was that their ships were entirely smoke-free.
The wife and I dreamed of cruising the Tahiti-Bora Bora itinerary before they went bankrupt.
Alas, those days are long gone.
Boo-hoo
John – We did a cruise to Bermuda last summer on
the Celebrity (Azamara) Journey which started out I think as the R6. Your pictures from the Pacific Princess looked nearly identical to what we saw on the Journey. It is a neat little ship – definitely different from the Triumph or Glory or one of the Princess Grand class ships. It was just too bad the service on Celebrity did not measure up to that which passengers receive on Carnival or Princess. You got the feeling the crew was just there doing a job and nothing more. There certainly was not a ‘We are Cunard’ feeling about it.
I have stayed in R3 before on several Carnival ships, Jubilee, sensation, Holiday, and some of the other R rooms LOL. I have to agree that I am one of the people who prefer the smaller fantisy class ships over the larger ships. Yes I have sailed on the spirt, and Discovery class ships, but out of all my 23 cruises I like the Fanatsy class the best.
I can only imagine what a great time you had touring the Ship. You are deffenetly Carnivals
ambasidor to the other lines. Keep up the good work, and while I don’t get to write every day, I do read the Blog Thingy every day.
Take my friend,
Capt Bill floating around Boston Harbor
I TOTALLY agree with you. I have sailed on Princess line many many times !!!
(and hope to again, soon) I am also VERY fond of Holland American. To my taste, the best food of
all the lines. You were the HIGHLIGHT of my last cruise on the Carnival Freedom. (my first and last on a Carnival ship) TOO BIG !!! Food left MUCH to be desired.
My first cruise was on the old Island Princess, also about 600 pax. There is a lot to be said about smaller ships. We prefer them.
Hi John, Your photos today brought back many happy memories. We sailed on the Tahitian Princess several years ago. We loved the ship. It is the perfect size. I really don’t like the huge ships that are being built today. Bigger is not always better. We pick a cruise for the ports it will take us to so we end up on the new gigantic ships. Maybe with the price of gas cruise lines will return to building smaller more energy efficient ships. The Carnival Legend is our favorite Carnival ship mainly because of its’ size.
You are look like you have really lost weight. You look terrific. Thanks for taking us along on your travels.
Jo and Dave
That ship is pretty sweet. Who knew?
Now THAT is a ship! Wow! you mean I could live the life if Bertie Wooster there?
BTW, you looked quite dashing descending the grand staircase…you still got it, John!
Hugs to you and your lovely bride!
)
John,
All I can say is it takes my breath away. What a lovely ship just gorgeous! Thank-you for the beautiful pics.
I enjoy each and every detail of the ships and the people you bring to us everyday. You make my day! Keep’em coming!
My best to you and Heidi!
Kathy
Thanks John for the Princess review.
That is definately one of the cruise lines in our future. (when DJ can’t go to Club O2 any longer)
I have been told that Princess still gives us freight haulers the Interline discount AND that Princess and Cunard reciprocate loyalty “perks”. (IE: if you have a Black card on Princess but have never sailed on Cunard…you still get their loyalty perks!)
Now all I need to find out is do they have “karaoke”? LOL
Linda (5 pounds lighter and now walking 5 miles a day)
Hi John/Heidi:
Immediately you can tell how different she is from many of the other vessels in the company.
I do like the color scheme and it seems like it would be a wonderful cruise to take.
Thanks for the in-depth review.
Hope everything else is going well.
Take care,
David
Thanks for the PP review, but I’ll stick with the Splendor. I like them new, big and beautiful.
See you next month.
Hi John & Heidi,
Thanks for the photos & descriptions – it’s nice to see all the various ships in the fleet. I remember the R’s, black-hulled & boring looking. Not the Pacific Princess, she’s lovely. A fitting replacement for the original “Love Boat”.
Mille grazie, John,
Carol
What a great ship. We’d love to try a Princess cruise sometime in the future.
The great thing about the Princess “Renaissance class” ships are their itineraries. Because of their size, they can go to some of the smaller ports. Princess has a fantastic “exotics” program and has ships going to ports all over the world.
We were on the Pacific Princess for 4 weeks in 2006 (Bangkok to Cape Town) and I think it ranks right up there as my favorite ship along with the old Royal Princess, now P&O’s Artemis.
John, who was the cruise director of the Pacific Princess?
Nice pics, John! Who took ‘em? Was Heidi with you?
I especially liked the dining room. Very elegant. While I am generally a fan of Joe Farcus’ “Vegas-esque” decorating style (I think a cruise should be a special, over-the-top experience), I do think the dining room should be a calm, cool space to allow one to concentrate on the food and to reflect on the day’s activities. The Princess’ dining room is exactly the kind of thing I mean. Lovely.
She truly looks and sounds marvelous.She looks like a ship a man or woman could truly relax and sit back watch the sea and drift off into wonderful memories.Just proves new is not always better.Thanks John bless you and Heidi and Stephanie
Your Friends Gary and Bug
So, John, how much weight have you lost. You look a little smaller to me in these photos. Hope the diet’s going well. For what it’s worth, I’ve managed to lose a shade over 40 pounds since September, mainly just by eating more sensibly, and I’d probably have lost a bit more, but I indulged during a Med cruise, plus during a three-week vacation with my parents. I’m sure you can meet your target of 60 pounds in a year. Good luck, mate.
Wow John, Great Ship! I love the pics, she is a beauty, the pics of you were great! We may just try to sail with her this winter. We are going to be on Spirit this September going to Alaska Can not wait!
John, Thanks for the tour of the beautiful Pacific Princess – I was most impressed by the fireplace in front of the comfy couch and arm chairs!!
From the pics it looks like you have dropped more than just a few pounds! Great Job!! I’m doing the same style diet you are, no bread, potatoes, pasta, as little sugar as possible. Works absolutely great, I’ve done it before. Keep the faith, you will be slim and trim again!
Greetings to the beautiful Heidi.
Many thanks for the hardworking Stephanie!
Looking forward to the Bloggers Cruise with my Cruise Critic Krewe,
Diane
John that is a beautiful ship. Is it geared more to adults as it sounds?
Now I would like to praise you. We are all so proud of you and your dedication to sticking to your diet. I hope you have started seeing the weight come off each time you step on the scales and you aren’t feeling you are fighting a losing battle.
We’re wishing you all the best with your diet.
Carolyn and Don
PS…… you’re doing a great job Stephanie.
Hi Heidi ! we miss hearing from you
Hi John,
Thanks for the review of the Pacific Princess. We did a 10 day cruise from Tahiti on the Renaissance R3 in 2000. That was one of our favorite cruises. It was nice being on a small ship and it was an all adult cruise because you had to be 18 or older to sail with Renaissance. A really nice feature was that we spent two days at each port so you got to really see more. I believe Princess does the same itinerary with their ship in Tahiti (or at least they did) and we would like to do that one again. The R class ships were very classy vessels.
Can’t wait to see you on the Splendor. In just a few days Carnival gets possession and that will be a great day for you.
Linda
Beautiful Ship. It has to be wonderful to sail on the unique Princess ships.
Gorgeous! Her beauty belies her age. What a wonderfully well fitted out vessel.
I love the heavy woods, the leather and the rich fabrics. It almost looks like a museum!
How right you are, John. Zip lines, skating rinks and laser shows are more DIStraction than ATTraction…
Here’s hoping that more cruise lines will treat us like passengers and not tourists. We understand that the VOYAGE is the main thing.
Thanks again for a great blog, my friend!!
Pass along my howdies to the lovely Heidi and my thanks to the industrious Stephanie!!
Ciao!
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