Super Grand class cruise ships
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PROFILE AND REVIEW
PRINCESS CRUISES and P&O CRUISES SUPER-GRAND CLASS |
Caribbean Princess
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The Super Grand class includes Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess of Princess Cruises and Ventura and Azura, which sail for sister line P&O Cruises.
When they entered service (between 2004 and 2010), the Super Grands were considered quite large. Now, on a relative scale, they are towards the lower end of the large ship range. Still, they can accommodate more than 3,000 passengers.
The ships are family-friendly, resort-style ships. Each is equipped with three main dining rooms . Guests can choose between traditional dining or flexible dining systems. There are also extra-tariff specialty restaurants and alternative casual dining outlets (Some are complimentary and some are extra charge). The ships also have several entertainment venues as well as bars and lounges thus giving guests a number of options. Along the same lines, there are three small pools and a large spa area.
The Super Grand class ships are based on a design that first premiered with Grand Princess. However, they are somewhat larger than the original Grand class ships with an additional deck. All of the Super Grand class were built by Fincantieri in Italy.
Caribbean Princess was ordered when Princess Cruises was owned by P&O. Pleased with the success of the Grand class ships that it had built for Princess, P&O wanted a Grand class for itself to serve the British market. However, after further thought, P&O decided that the new ship would be better situated with Princess. In exchange for the new build, it transferred two smaller ships from the Princess fleet into the P&O fleet.
In a number of ways, Caribbean Princess can be viewed as a transitional ship between the original Grand class and the Super Grand class. She has the additional deck of the Super Grands but has the “shopping cart” silhouette of the original Grands with the nightclub suspended above the stern.
By 2006 when Crown Princess entered service, P&O had merged with Carnival Corporation and Princess was under the Carnival umbrella. Crown had a more sophisticated atmosphere and featured a number of new features including a Piazza-style atrium. Versions of these new features were subsequently rolled back through the existing Princess fleet.
Crown was followed by two identical sister ships, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess. Indeed, unless one saw the name of the ship printed somewhere, it would be hard for a guest to tell which of the three he or she was on. The idea was that a guest who had experienced one of the sisters would have certain expectations coming aboard one of the sisters and should not be disappointed to find that the sister was different. Also, the interior décor for Crown was quite successful so why make significant changes?
In 2008, P&O Cruises finally obtained its long-desired Grand class ship with Ventura. Slightly larger than the Princess versions, Ventura was designed for the British market and so had a different décor and a somewhat different array of features.
Ventura was followed by Azura, the last of the Super Grands to be built. While very similar to Ventura, Azura had some differences. Perhaps the most apparent was that Azura did not have a retractable roof over one of the pools like Ventura. Also, unlike any of the previous ships in her class, Azura came equipped with a group of single-occupancy cabins. (Single-occupancy cabins were subsequently retrofitted on to Ventura).
All of the Super Grands have traditional propeller shafts which are driven by diesel-electric power plants. As indicated by their somewhat ungainly lines, these ships were not designed for speed. However, they are surprisingly maneuverable.
When they entered service (between 2004 and 2010), the Super Grands were considered quite large. Now, on a relative scale, they are towards the lower end of the large ship range. Still, they can accommodate more than 3,000 passengers.
The ships are family-friendly, resort-style ships. Each is equipped with three main dining rooms . Guests can choose between traditional dining or flexible dining systems. There are also extra-tariff specialty restaurants and alternative casual dining outlets (Some are complimentary and some are extra charge). The ships also have several entertainment venues as well as bars and lounges thus giving guests a number of options. Along the same lines, there are three small pools and a large spa area.
The Super Grand class ships are based on a design that first premiered with Grand Princess. However, they are somewhat larger than the original Grand class ships with an additional deck. All of the Super Grand class were built by Fincantieri in Italy.
Caribbean Princess was ordered when Princess Cruises was owned by P&O. Pleased with the success of the Grand class ships that it had built for Princess, P&O wanted a Grand class for itself to serve the British market. However, after further thought, P&O decided that the new ship would be better situated with Princess. In exchange for the new build, it transferred two smaller ships from the Princess fleet into the P&O fleet.
In a number of ways, Caribbean Princess can be viewed as a transitional ship between the original Grand class and the Super Grand class. She has the additional deck of the Super Grands but has the “shopping cart” silhouette of the original Grands with the nightclub suspended above the stern.
By 2006 when Crown Princess entered service, P&O had merged with Carnival Corporation and Princess was under the Carnival umbrella. Crown had a more sophisticated atmosphere and featured a number of new features including a Piazza-style atrium. Versions of these new features were subsequently rolled back through the existing Princess fleet.
Crown was followed by two identical sister ships, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess. Indeed, unless one saw the name of the ship printed somewhere, it would be hard for a guest to tell which of the three he or she was on. The idea was that a guest who had experienced one of the sisters would have certain expectations coming aboard one of the sisters and should not be disappointed to find that the sister was different. Also, the interior décor for Crown was quite successful so why make significant changes?
In 2008, P&O Cruises finally obtained its long-desired Grand class ship with Ventura. Slightly larger than the Princess versions, Ventura was designed for the British market and so had a different décor and a somewhat different array of features.
Ventura was followed by Azura, the last of the Super Grands to be built. While very similar to Ventura, Azura had some differences. Perhaps the most apparent was that Azura did not have a retractable roof over one of the pools like Ventura. Also, unlike any of the previous ships in her class, Azura came equipped with a group of single-occupancy cabins. (Single-occupancy cabins were subsequently retrofitted on to Ventura).
All of the Super Grands have traditional propeller shafts which are driven by diesel-electric power plants. As indicated by their somewhat ungainly lines, these ships were not designed for speed. However, they are surprisingly maneuverable.
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Cruise ship class profile and review - - Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises - - Super Grand class