Golden Princess – silverfox175

Golden Princess, a sixteen-year-old ship, which has managed to maintain her grace.

 The Golden Princess is registered in London.

The above photo clearly illustrates the historical link between Australia and the UK. The flag on the left is the Princess company flag.

We did notice a few things different from the more modern vessels.

The balcony was smaller than those that we have experienced on other Princess ships, but as the weather was not ‘sitting out’ weather this was not a problem.
Our shower cubical was smaller than on previous ships – just don’t drop the soap because I had to step out of the shower to pick it up . . . perhaps this is why the liquid soap bottle is bolted to the bulkhead in the shower – due to a skin reaction to perfumed soap I use basic unperfumed soap, which is why I make an effort not to drop the soap!

The view from our cabin before we sailed.

Also Circular Quay ferry terminal from our cabin.

The cruise has started – ‘sail away’, with the traditional dance music and passengers trying to secure the best photographic position as we sail Sydney Harbour towards the open sea.

A blast form the past, perhaps the last arrival from the 1st Fleet in 1787.

What is now Circular Quay, in 1788.

A piece of history, the Sydney ferry passes the top mast of ‘HMAS Sydney’, the Australian light cruiser that fought and beat the German light cruiser ‘Emden‘ off the Cocos Islands in November, 1914, during WW1.

If you wish to know more of ‘HMAS Sydney’ and the ‘Emden’ check this link.

The view from our balcony, after leaving Sydney harbour. I could spend hours just watching the sky change shape – who needs TV?

Golden Princess

Seven of us are off on a short cruise next week to Tasmania, a place that neither Maureen or I have visited. The cruise is just a week, and for us it is a taste of the Apple Isle, which might convince us to return later for a driving holiday.

Tasmania’s coat of arms, and the meaning of the moto being, Fertility and Faithfulness.

You must have heard of the Tasmanian Devil according to Bugs Bunny’s Devil

And now for a real Devil.

The first European to visit the island was Abel Tasman in 1642. The French arrived in 1772, and the first Englishman to set foot on the island was Tobias Furneaux in 1773. Captain Cook arrived in 1777. It was a popular place.

In 1803 a small detachment was sent from Sydney to the island, because French explorers were investigating the southern coast of Australia, during the time when Great Britain was at war with Napoleon. The British, in Sydney, wanted to make sure that the French did not lay claim to the island. At that time the island was considered as part of New South Wales.

In 1642 the island was been named Van Diemen’s Land by Abel Tasman. This naming was in honour of Anthony Van Diemen who was the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, who had sent Tasman on his voyage of discovery. The island did not become Tasmania until 1856, after petitioning Queen Victoria for the name to be changed.

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Golden Princess was built in Italy and was launched in 2001, she is 108,865 gt and has accommodation for 2,600 passengers. She is registered in London, UK. Her last refurbishment was in May 2015, so the smell of paint should no longer be around.

I have read that it is planned for the Golden Princess to be transferred to P & O Australia in 2020. One has the feeling that it is my fault that ships, in which Maureen & I sail, don’t stay long after our cruise before Princess Cruises move them over to P & O.

Dawn Princess, in which we sailed last February is now Pacific Explorer under the P & O Australia house flag, and now I read that Golden Princess will follow.