The Motor Ship (MS) Island Princess was built for Carnival Corporation by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France between 2001 and 2003 at a cost of US$330 million. Built as a sister ship to MS Coral Princess, Island Princess was christened at Canada Place in Vancouver, British Columbia on 11 July 2003. Part of Carnival subsidiary Princess Cruises' fleet, Island Princess commenced service on the popular 7-day Alaskan summer cruise route on 12 July 2003. During the autumn, winter, and spring, Island Princess sails on 10- and 15-day Panama Canal cruises, stopping in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Aruba.
Below: The front and reverse sides of an Island Princess deck plan, which conveniently folds up into the size of a credit card for easy pocket stowage.
Photos taken 1-8 August 2012
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| MS Island Princess docked at the Canada Place cruise terminal, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1 August 2012. |
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MS Island Princess docked at Skagway, Alaska, 5 August 2012.
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MS Island Princess docked in Juneau, Alaska on 4 August 2012, as seen from a gondola en route to the top of Mount Roberts.
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| Looking over a vast expanse of Pacific Ocean from the forward observation deck on Deck 11 while underway. |
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| The Atrium aboard MS Island Princess. Spanning Decks 5-8, this centrally-located open-concept core features two glass elevators, fountains, and tropical plants. Many of the ship's public rooms are located on the decks surrounding the Atrium, including Passenger Services, the Shore Excursions Desk, the Bordeaux Dining Room, and La Patisserie (Deck 5); the Provence Dining Room, Essence and Meridian Bay boutiques, and Calypso Cove gift shop (Deck 6); Crooners Bar, the Churchill Lounge, and the Wheelhouse Bar (Deck 7); and, the Library, Card Room, and Internet Cafe (Deck 8). |
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| Passengers watch as several of the ship's chefs put on a fruit carving show in the Atrium. The finished creations included a fish made out of a pineapple and intricate rose flowerscarved into the sides of watermelons. |
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| A pianist plays smooth jazz on the Atrium piano during boarding in Vancouver. |
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The impressive, sculptural entrance to the Bordeaux Dining Room on Deck 5, behind the Atrium's glass elevators.
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| The interior of the Provence Dining Room (Deck 6) between sittings. |
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| A six-person table in the Provence Dining Room between sittings. The large picture window looks out the starboard side of the ship, giving diners fantastic views of the waves rolling by. |
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| Crooners Bar on Deck 7. This venue features a live pianist during the evenings, usually singing Billy Joel hits, as well as large murals depicting the Rat Pack. |
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| The Library on Deck 8. |
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| The surprisingly well-stocked library contains hundreds of hard copy books as well as audio books. The collection includes volumes on travel, geography, history, biography,transportation, as well as fiction. |
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| The Card Room, for whiling away some time with games or letter writing. |
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| The entrance to the two-story Universe Lounge, located aft on Decks 6 and 7. |
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| A view from the Deck 7 mezzanine level of the Universe Lounge. In addition to more seating, this level of the lounge includes a full production booth and theatre lighting systems. |
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| The ground floor of the Universe Lounge, featuring comfortable couches, intimate tables, and large, round picture windows with automated curtains that lower before showtime. A full bar is located at the rear of the theatre and features table service by waiters. |
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| The entrance to the Bayou Cafe, the New Orleans-themed steakhouse and seafood restaurant. The dark wood and warm atmosphere inside is enhanced by the jazz stylings of the Percy Ellis Trio, playing nightly on the intimate stage near the Bayou Bar. |
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| A view of the inside of the Bayou Cafe on Deck 7. As a specialty restaurant, diners pay a $20 per person cover charge but enjoy sumptuous meals, including thick-cut steaks grilled to order, fresh seafood and lobster, and southern delicacies like fried green tomatoes, succotash, and jambalaya. |
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| The entrance to the French-themed Princess Casino, located on Deck 6. |
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| A view inside the Princess Casino, which features table games and a wide variety of slot machines. |
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| Some of the slot machines in the Princess Casino. |
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| An entrance to the Wheelhouse Bar, located on Deck 7, forward of the Atrium. |
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| The Wheelhouse Bar features dark wood panelling and richly-upholstered couches, wing-back chairs and brass-accented wood tables, clustered in intimate groupings and interspersed with nautical artefacts, including a large ship's wheel, and brass engine room telegraphs and signal lamps. |
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| Featuring live entertainment in the evenings, the Wheelhouse Bar is perfect for a quiet drink or a good book while you watch the ocean pass by outside the large windows on the port side. |
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| Located at the Atrium entrance to the Wheelhouse Bar is the small but interesting Wheelhouse Museum, containing a treasure trove of artefacts from the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O Line) as well as large framed paintings of famous P&O vessels. As with Princess Cruises, P&O Line is now owned by Carnival Corporation. |
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| A cozy corner in the Wheelhouse Bar, the perfect spot to enjoy a quiet moment while basking in the aura of the transatlantic passenger liners of the 1920s and 1930s. |
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| The main entry to the Wheelhouse Bar, located off the promenade on Deck 7. The bar's namesake ship's wheel is positioned just inside the doors, while two nautical figureheads and brass hurricane lamps flank the entrance. |
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| Looking forward at the promenade as it winds its way past the Wheelhouse Bar on Deck 7. This section of the promenade features the same dark wood panelling used in the Wheelhouse Bar, and displays several paintings of famous P&O Line passenger vessels on the walls. |
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| The entrance to Sabatini's, the other specialty restaurant aboard for those passengers wishing a more intimate, gourmet experience for an added fee. Sabatini's features Italian cuisine. |
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A row of comfortable chairs in the Deck 6 promenade look out through large picture windows onto the sea.
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| The entrance to Explorers Lounge, on Deck 6. |
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| Explorers Lounge, a nightclub featuring late-night live entertainment on Deck 6. The decor is an eclectic mix of exotic Oriental, Indian, and African murals and sculpture, evoking the travels of the great explorers. |
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| Another view of a quiet, daytime Explorers Lounge on Deck 6. |
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| The entrance to the Princess Theatre, the largest live entertainment venue aboard Island Princess, located forward on Deck 7. |
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| Looking down from the top of the Princess Theatre. Seating hundreds of guests, the Princess Theatre is used for everything from educational seminars and lectures to stand-up comedy and elaborate, full-sized gala stage productions by the ship's troupe of singers and dancers. |
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| A typical staircase aboard Island Princess. This one is located on Deck 5 aft. Unseen to the right is a bank of four elevators. |
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| Signage on Deck 5, also known as Plaza Deck. This deck is the second-lowest deck aboard Island Princess and the lowest deck with passenger accommodations. |
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| Looking aft down the port side passageway on Plaza Deck. None of the staterooms on this deck feature balconies, though most do have unobstructed ocean views through large windows. |
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| A view of Cabin P610, located on the port side of Plaza Deck, shortly after arrival aboard. The large mat with the Princess Cruises logo is a baggage mat to enable passengers to unpack without soiling the linens. |
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| Another view of Cabin P610. The small, but highly-functional cabin features two Twin beds that can be combined to form a Queen, a mini-fridge, a desk, a TV, a safe for valuables, ample closet space, and a washroom with sink, toilet, and shower stall. |
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| The large picture window lets in ample light as well as stunning views of the Alaskan geography, while light switches on the headboard allow you to turn off the lights without having to get out of bed. |
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| The illuminated Island Princess nameboard and Princess Cruises 'Sea Witch' logo mounted on either side of the funnel. The silver tubes resembling jet engines are purely decorative. |
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| The Lotus Pool, located on Deck 14. This enclosed, two-story Thai-inspired space features teak decking, lounge chairs, hot tubs, thatched pagodas, and sculptures, as well as ping pong tables, an ice cream parlour, and a bar. |
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| Another view of the Lotus Pool, with the glass roof seen at the top of the photo, a feature that permits swimming on even the coldest Alaskan days. |
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| Looking forward on Deck 14, or the Lido Deck. This photo shows the ship's mast, with the Princess Grill one deck below (Deck 15), and the Lido Bar and Princess Pizzeria immediately behind the passengers on Deck 14. |
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| A whole Pacific salmon, surrounded by colourful carved fruit and vegetable flowers, is the centrepiece of a special 'Taste of Alaska' buffet served poolside on 6 August 2012. |
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| Another view of the Lido Deck, as seen from Deck 15 above. The pool and three hot tubs are flanked by padded loungers. |
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| The Lido Bar, closed while embarking passengers in Vancouver in accordance with Canadian law. |
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| A cold, rainy night on the Lido Deck. Despite the weather, a few brave souls watched Movies Under the Stars, using the ship's large outdoor screen to play Hollywood feature films. The wet, chilly weather was moderated somewhat by the provision of popcorn, hot chocolate, and heavy woollen blankets to spectators. |
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| Located at the rear of the ship on Decks 14 and 12 (there is no Deck 13), the Sanctuary is an AstroTurf adults-only exclusive retreat featuring lounge chairs, a pool, and pavilions that can be rented out at a cost of $10/half day and $20/full day. This venue features wait staff who will deliver fruit and beverages to you. |
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| The exterior promenade on Deck 7. This broad, open-air deck stretches right around the ship and is perfect for a morning jog, evening stroll, wildlife or glacier viewing, or simply relaxing on one of the comfortable padded loungers positioned at intervals. As noted, 2.8 laps of this deck equals 1 mile. |
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| Another view of the Deck 7 exterior promenade. The ship's lifeboats hang overhead, while blue-padded loungers are perfect for stretching out with a good book and your favourite beverage while cruising off the Alaskan coast. |
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Island Princess passengers take in the majesty of Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska from the starboard side of Deck 7. This 3,283,000 acre park features soaring mountains, spectacular glaciers, and pristine water of a greenish-blue colour indicative of silt-laden glacial runoff. The body of water known as Glacier Bay covers 1,375 square miles of glaciers and comprises 27% of the area of Glacier Bay National Park. Whilst a popular destination for scenic cruising, the US National Park Service imposes restrictions on the number of vessels that may enter Glacier Bay, limiting daily access to two cruise ships, three tour boats, six charter vessels, and 25 private vessels.
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| The glassy-still water of College Fjord, Alasak reflects the mountains and glaciers which overlook it, as seen from Island Princess's forward observation deck. |
MS Island Princess - Specifications:
Class: Coral class
Displacement: 91,627 gross tons
Length: 294 metres (964 feet)
Beam: 32 metres (106 feet) at waterline
Height: 62 metres (204 feet)
Draught: 7.9 metres (26 feet)
Propulsion: 2 x Wärtsilä 16V46C diesel engines; General Electric LM2500+ gas turbine (Combined diesel-electric and gas - CODLAG); two propeller shafts with fixed pitch propellers
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h)
Decks: 16 (12 for passengers)
Capacity: 1,970 passengers, 900 crew
Port of registry: Hamilton, Bermuda
