Dawn Princess in Ketchikan, Alaska
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Class overview | |
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Name: | Sun class |
Builders: | Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. |
Operators: |
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Succeeded by: | Grand class |
Cost: | US$380 million |
Built: | 1995–2003 |
Planned: | 4 |
Completed: | 4 |
Active: | 4 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Cruise ship |
Tonnage: | 77,741 |
Length: | 260.0 m (853 ft 0 in) |
Beam: | 32.2 m (105 ft 8 in) |
Draught: | 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in) |
Decks: | 16 (10 publicly accessible) |
Propulsion: | 4 Sulzer Diesel engines driving 2 shafts |
Speed: | 21.4 knots (39.6 km/h; 24.6 mph) |
Complement: | 900 crew, 1,950–2,272 passengers |
The Sun class is a class of cruise ships operated primarily by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival. The class was designed and its component vessels constructed by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Italy. The first Sun-class vessel, Sun Princess, entered service in 1995 and the last, Ocean Princess, entered service in the year 2000 (the Ocean Princess has since been renamed MV Oceana and now sails for P&O Cruises).
At the time of launch, the Sun class was amongst the largest cruise ships in the world, although this has since been surpassed many times. The vessels are promoted as "big ship choice and small ship feel".
The four ships are effectively identical, with the only notable exception being the design of the bridge wings; Sun Princess and Pacific Explorer having exterior bridge wings, Sea Princess and Oceana having enclosed bridge wings.