Fair Princess becomes an Aussie!

This page is under construction – more to be added in the near future

Fair Princess departed Sydney on her maiden cruise for P&O Holidays Australia on 7 February 1997 to a disastrous start. Her maiden cruise was plagued with mechanical faults, including a fire in the casino. She sustained water damage in cabins below. Sadly, she was plagued with ongoing generator, and air-conditioning problems for most of her time in Australia, which saw a good number of cruises cancelled. Eventually, P&O sent for US specialists who knew Fair Princess well from her time in the US with Princess Cruises. Repairs were made, but she did continue to suffer from generator problems until she was sold.

Fair Princess berthed in Darling Harbour Sydney

T.S.S. Fair Princess

Many past passengers felt that this ship could never provide the kind of cruise experience the Fairstar had offered for so long. However, records and bookings prove, that after her ongoing improvements, including re-carpeting and refurbishing, Fair Princess eventually gained the esteem of passengers who loved “Ships that are ships,” the respect this fine vessel deserved. Even amongst first time cruisers, she slowly built up a good following, and enjoyed many repeat passengers on every sailing. The author, whilst on the “New Zealand Enchanter” cruise ex Sydney 31 January 2000, found that there were over four hundred and fifty repeat passengers onboard, being almost half of her capacity.

Fair Princess continued her proud history as a ship that has served her owners with pride! Not that her owners always served her with great pride, as due to the new land based hotel style management, Fair Princess became a moneymaking workhorse. To the point, P&O, massacred one of the finest rooms onboard, the delightfully peaceful, non-smoking “Harry’s Bar,” by placing slot machines and gaming tables, where once there were cosy tables and chairs for passengers to enjoy a quiet drink, away from a room filled with smoke, like in all the other bars aboard. P&O also placed two casino tables in what was the annexe, connecting the South Seas Lounge, and Harry ‘s Bar, which had been a delightful corner for a drink, or a game of cards. Obviously, the casino was not large enough for P&O! After the alterations, non-smokers did not have a single non smoking lounge / bar aboard. The only non-smoking venues onboard was the dinning room.

The author departing the Bay of Islands 2 February 2000

The announcement came early in 1999, that the ex Sitmar / Princess Cruises Fairsky / Sky Princess would replace the Fair Princess in November 2000. Sky Princess was renamed Pacific Sky for the Australian cruise market. P&O intended to use, and duly marketed Fair Princess to cruise out of Auckland New Zealand for an annual series of Pacific cruises. This news was gratefully received by New Zealanders, as advance bookings obviously revealed.

Index

Page 1 – Foreword – Construction

Page 2 – Sitmar buys Carinthia and Ivernia – Sisters go Russian

Page 3 - Fairwind / Fairsea – Sitmar sold to P&O Princess Cruises

Page 4 – The Fairstar the Australian connection

Page 5 – Fair Princess becomes an Aussie

Page 6 – Passenger list images

Page 7 – Albatros ex Dawn Princess / Fairwind / Sylvania / Ivernia /

Saxonia – Passenger list images

Fair Princess Photo Album – Exteriors

Fair Princess Photo Album - Interiors

Fedor Shalyapin - ex Franconia / Ivernia

China Sea Discovery – ex Fair Princess / Fairsea / Fairland / Carinthia

China Sea Discovery Photo Album

China Sea Discovery Saga

All photographs are by the author, or from the author's private collection, unless mentioned otherwise ~ Fairsea in Juneau Alaska - Luca Ferrerio ~ Fair Princess (Princess Cruises) - Marvin Jensen ~ Pacific Sky – Marion Carter ~ China Sea Discovery - Kiwi Marine Consultants Ltd, Hong Kong ~ Photographer of Fedor Shalyapin laid up, and other ‘*unknown’ photographers, please make yourself known, in order that full credit may be given.

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Photographs on ssMaritime –Cruise-Australia and all associate pages are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection (including those photos the author has purchased outright and own copyright to). 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are some photographs sent to us without details of the photographer/owners concerned. We would therefore appreciate if owners of these photographs would make themselves known to me, that due credit may be given.

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