_001.jpg) Carnival Encounter asStar Princess was anchored besides with two citiesHelsingør inDenmark andHelsingborg inSweden on June 20, 2010 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Bahamas | |
| Name |
|
| Owner |  Carnival Corporation & plc |
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Ordered | January 1998[1] |
| Builder | |
| Cost | US$425 million[1] |
| Yard number | 6051[2] |
| Launched | 10 May 2001[3] |
| Sponsored by | Gunilla Antonini[4] |
| Christened | 25 January 2002[4] |
| Completed | 25 January 2002[3] |
| Maiden voyage |
|
| In service | 2002–present |
| Homeport | Brisbane,Australia |
| Identification | |
| Status | In service |
| Notes | [5] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Grand-classcruise ship |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 290 m (951 ft 5 in)[2] |
| Beam | 36 m (118 ft 1 in)[2] |
| Draught | 8.05 m (26 ft 5 in)[2] |
| Speed | 23knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)(maximum)[2] |
| Capacity | 2,600 passengers |
| Crew | 1,100 |
| Notes | [5] |
Carnival Encounter is aGrand-classcruise ship operated byCarnival Cruise Line. She was originally delivered in 2002 asStar Princess to sister cruise linePrincess Cruises in 2002 by Italian shipbuilderFincantieri, and was the second ship in Princess' history to operate under the name. She had been the thirdGrand-class ship to be added to the fleet, followingGrand Princess andGolden Princess. In 2018, Carnival Corporation announced thatStar Princess would be transferred to P&O Cruises Australia to accommodate P&O's expansion plans in Oceania; however, amid theCOVID-19 pandemic and its subsequentimpact on tourism, Carnival Corporation accelerated the transfer of the vessel andStar Princess joined P&O's fleet in 2020, one year earlier than planned. Following a renovation and a renaming toPacific Encounter, she debuted in August 2022[6] upon P&O's staged resumption of operations. As of March 2025, she has been transferred to Carnival Cruise Line under the nameCarnival Encounter and will be sailing from Brisbane.[7]
AsStar Princess, the vessel measured 109,000 GT, had a length of 290.0 metres (951 ft 5 in), adraft of 8.05 metres (26 ft 5 in), and abeam of 36 metres (118 ft 1 in).[2] She was powered by a diesel-electricgenset system, with sixSulzer engines: four producing 11,520 kilowatts (15,450 hp) and two producing 8,640 kilowatts (11,590 hp).[2] The system gave the vessel a maximum speed of 23knots (43 km/h; 26 mph).[2] The ship housed 1,299 passenger cabins and 627 crew cabins.[2] Of the 1,780 passenger cabins, 72% had a view outside, including 55% that included a balcony.[2] The ship had a maximum capacity of 4,160 passengers and crew.[2]
In January 1998, the then-unnamed ship was ordered as part of a two-ship order made by Princess withFincantieri, with each ship costing US$425 million.[1] The two 109,000 GTGrand-class ships were scheduled to be delivered in 2001, and slotted to sail in theCaribbean fromPort Everglades year-round.[1] Later, in October 2000, Princess announcedStar Princess would instead be deployed toLos Angeles forMexican Riviera cruises following her delivery,[8][9] with Alaska itineraries during the summers.[10]Star Princess became the first then-dubbed "mega-ship" ever to be homeported in Los Angeles and also cruise from theWest Coast on a full-time basis.[9]
Star Princess waslaunched on 10 May 2001 at Fincantieri's shipyard inMonfalcone, Italy.[3] On 29 June 2001, a fire started in agalley on board when sparks from a welding torch ignited it.[3] The fire spread into a dining room but damage was not extensive and construction continued until completion on 25 January 2002.[3]
Star Princess was christened on 25 January 2002 at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard by her godmother, Gunilla Antonini, wife of Fincantieri's executive chairman, Corrado Antonini.[4][11]
At the time of her delivery to Princess Cruises,Star Princess was too large to make aPanama Canal transit, so to arrive in Los Angeles, she embarked on an eastward voyage from Italy, taking her through theMediterranean, theSuez Canal, the Indian Ocean, and a 26-day inaugural voyage across the Pacific Ocean.[12]
Star Princess' first homeport was Los Angeles and her maiden season featured itineraries to the Mexican Riviera,[9] with her first cruise from Los Angeles, a 3-day cruise, held on 10 March 2002.[13] She sailed to Alaska fromVancouver beginning mid-2003.[3] In late 2003, she became the first vessel of more than 100,000 GT to sail in Australian waters after she arrived atSydney on 26 November 2003.[3] She moved to Southeast Asia in early 2004 before cruising the Mediterranean in mid-2004, the Caribbean in late 2004, and theBaltic in mid-2005.[3] She made her first trip to South America and Antarctica in January 2008.[14][15]
On 23 March 2006, at approximately 3:00 am, while en route fromGrand Cayman toMontego Bay, Jamaica, a fire broke out in the passenger compartments in the midship section on the port side of the ship.[16] Shortly after, the captain sounded thegeneral emergency signal—seven short blasts followed by one long blast on the ship's whistle over the public address system, horn, and various alarms. Passengers evacuated their cabins into public areas through smoky hallways, grabbing theirlife jackets on the way. They assembled at their muster stations and were combined into groups for about seven hours.
The evacuation was reportedly orderly, in contrast to deadlier fires such as those onMorro Castle,Yarmouth Castle andScandinavian Star.[17]Lifeboats were lowered but proved to be unnecessary, as the fire was contained and doused, and the ship headed intoMontego Bay under her own power. The fire was allegedly caused by a cigarette left burning on a balcony, which had become hot enough to melt the balcony divides made from plasticpolycarbonate, a material that had been approved by international cruise line safety rules. The fire caused scorching damage in up to 150 cabins, and smoke damage in at least 100 more on passenger decks 9 to 12 (Dolphin, Caribe, Baja and Aloha decks, respectively). One passenger died[18] from "asphyxia secondary to inhalation of smoke and irrespirable gases" and thirteen other passengers suffered significantsmoke inhalation.
While a smoldering discarded cigarette probably did cause the flames, the following items were also at fault for allowing the fire to spread as quickly as it did:
The cruise was terminated in Montego Bay and passengers were evacuated to hotels in Jamaica and subsequently flew home. All passengers received a full refund and were reimbursed any out-of-pocket travel expenses they incurred.[19] The ship had been on a Caribbean itinerary that departed from Port Everglades on 19 March 2006. With 79 cabins destroyed and a further 204 damaged, the ship was moved to theBahamas where she was prepared for a transatlantic crossing to theLloyd Werft shipyard inBremerhaven, Germany, for repairs.[20] Her remaining Caribbean cruises and atransatlantic cruise were cancelled, with the anticipation that she would begin her summer sailing season in the Baltic on 15 May.[21]
The ship set sail again on 13 May 2006, and resumed her regular service on 15 May fromCopenhagen.[22][23] Princess implemented new measures that aim to prevent a disaster of similar proportion, which include enhanced procedures for handling fires and clear communication during emergencies.[23] Passengers reported that the only noticeable differences were a strong smell of new carpeting, the addition of sprinklers to all balconies and the replacement of plastic furniture with non-combustible alternatives. No interior decor was significantly modified to maintain consistency of the ship's interior design.[23] On 28 May 2023, asimilar fire occurred on the vessel's sister shipCarnival Adventure.[24]
On 10 March 2012, en route in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America, three passengers fromStar Princess spotted a small boat drifting with waving seamen, apparently in distress, and notified the crew. However,Star Princess did not change course to investigate.[25] On 19 March, the Ecuadorian coast guard rescued the Panamanian fishing boatFifty Cent with one survivor on board. Subsequent communication between the survivor, a reporter, and the passengers who spotted the survivors led to allegations that the small boat sighted nine days prior was, in fact,Fifty Cent, and thatStar Princess had failed to stop and render aid.[26]
Princess first indicated that there had been a breakdown in communication and the captain had not been notified of the sighting.[27] A later report stated that a crew member did, in fact, convey the passengers' concerns to the bridge, and that the ship's log for that time on 10 March contained an entry recording that the ship had deviated to the west to avoid the fishing nets, and that the fishermen had "signaled their thanks" for avoiding their nets.[28]
By June 2012, two lawsuits were filed against Princess on behalf of the fishermen ofFifty Cent. In August 2012, Princess responded with the claim thatStar Princess andFifty Cent were never within sight of one another and thus, the accusations were the result of mistaken identity. As supporting evidence, the cruise line made public the results of a drift analysis and a photographic investigation they had commissioned.[29] In April 2013, the Bermuda Department of Maritime Administration was reported to have closed their official inquiry into the incident.[30] The Bermuda Police Service carried out the investigation. The Department of Public Prosecutors disclosed that the passengers who were material witnesses to the case made a statement that the boat they had seen from the cruise ship was ultimately not the same boat as the one recovered by the Ecuadorian coast guard.[30]
For winter 2019–2020, she was homeported in Los Angeles and sailed itineraries to the Mexican Riviera,Sea of Cortez, and Hawaii.[31][32] In mid 2020, she was scheduled to homeport inSan Francisco for Alaska voyages.[33] However, following Princess' suspension of operations due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, all summer 2020 voyages were cancelled.
In August 2018, Princess' sister brand,P&O Cruises Australia, announced thatStar Princess would be transferred to the P&O fleet in late-2021, joining her sister ship,Golden Princess, which was set to join P&O in October 2020.[34] It also announced in November 2019 that she would be renamedPacific Encounter upon joining its fleet.[35] However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Carnival Corporation accelerated the transfer ofStar Princess from Princess to P&O in October 2020, thus cancelling all final voyages she was originally scheduled to sail for Princess through 2021.[36][37]
In January 2021, the ship entered theSembcorp Marine Shipyard in Singapore for a dry dock to redesign the vessel and modify the design language of the interior to align her with those of her sister ships.[38][39] The work included exterior repainting and rebranding, as well as new interior outfitting and maintenance.[39][40] Modifications also included redesigned lounge areas and venues, a revamped atrium, and new restaurants.[41]
In December 2019, P&O announced thatPacific Encounter would homeport inBrisbane beginning in November 2021 and cruise to different destinations in Oceania, including theQueensland coast andMelanesia islands.[42] As of December 2021, the ship was subject to P&O's resumption of operations, which were scheduled to commence in March 2022.[43]
In June 2024, Carnival Corp. announced P&O Cruises Australia would be closed[44] and absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line from March 2025, impacting all ship's of the P&O fleet.
After a two week wet docking inMelbourne in March 2025,[45] the newly rebrandedCarnival Encounter continued sailing from Brisbane year round, supplemented byCarnival Luminosa during the busy summer season.[46]
