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No vessel of the past four decades gained more renown or was as well used to promote cruising as the ship with which we all are very familiar under the current name Pacific Princess.

Launched as the "Sea Venture" in 1972, she served for three years under that name before being sold to the fledgling Princess Cruises, who retitled her Pacific Princess. Along with her sister, Island Princess, these two modern vessels were the third and fourth ships to sail under that banner.

Two smaller and older craft (under lease) had been the foundation on which Princess Cruises had built their fine reputation for quality and outstanding service, but when the two newer ships were bought and came online the company really entered its era of success.

In 1977 "The Love Boat" series introduced worldwide television to the glories of cruising, with Pacific Princess as the background for the episodes. Even many of the executives of competing cruise lines are willing to acknowledge that it was one of the great factors that spurred the growth of the cruise industry.

Somewhat small, in comparison to the huge cruise ships now entering the market, the Pacific Princess has always been exceptionally well maintained and upgraded as new luxury and comfort features were introduced to the business. She had remodelings in 1985 and 1992 and underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishment in 1999.

An appended box shows the physical statistics of the ship, but those are cold figures which fail to give any impression of the comfort and quality that are built into this small "gem" of a ship.

Your private quarters

The Pacific Princess has a passenger capacity of 640 on a double-occupancy basis, comprising four suites, nine mini-suites, two outside deluxe single cabins, 235 outside cabins and 70 inside cabins. There are two wheel-chair-accessible cabins, and the sizes of the various accommodations range from 126 sq. ft. up to 443 sq. ft.

Multifunction telephones, color television with remote control, multichannel music system, terry cloth robes, individually controlled air-conditioning and 110V current are featured in all cabins, and bathtub and refrigerator grace each suite and minisuite.

Rooms to roam and relax

Among the assortment of public rooms are the Coral Dining Room, seating 332; the Carousel Lounge, the main show venue with the Carousel Bar adjacent; the Princess Theater, for first-run and classic films and seating 250; the Bridge Lounge, for cards and games; the Crown Casino, to challenge lady Luck and seating 100; Pirate's Cove, an intimate bar and late-night disco, for 40 persons; the Princess Boutique, with an assortment of duty-free sundries and fine gift items, and the Pacific Lounge & Bar, a secondary show and dancing spot.

Up top

On the top three decks are two pools, with the Crystal pool and outdoor Lido Bar & Buffet under a sliding glass dome; the library and reading room; the spa, with beauty center, massage, etc., and, last but not least, the Starlight Lounge, a luxuriant forward-viewing center with the most sinfully comfortable seating -- perfect comfort for napping.

What now?

Pacific Princess is currently employed in 7-day round-trip cruises from New York to the islands of Bermuda, and she will finish that series with the sailing of Oct. 20, 2002.

She is the only ship in that service that provides port calls at all three major attractions of Bermuda: St. George, Hamilton and the Royal Naval Dockyard on Ireland Island. It is a fine itinerary, allowing for more pedestrian exploration than is possible with the port plans of the other cruise lines, which make only one or two port calls.

At the completion of her Bermuda runs, she will do a final transatlantic and Mediterranean cruise of 16 days, sailing on Oct. 27 from New York to a Rome termination. That will be the conclusion of her service with Princess Cruises. We have received no announcement to the time of this writing as to any future employment, sale or lease of the ship.

It has been my good fortune to have sailed aboard the Princess three times in years past, and all three experiences were memorable and happy. I only wish that time and the funds would allow me one last chance to again experience a cruise on... "The Love Boat."

More information about Princess' schedules and fares is available through a professional travel agent. Brochures are available by calling 800-PRINCESS. They also maintain a very informative website at www.princess.com.