Over the weekend of May 1st, eight cruise ships called at Gibraltar, two of which were visiting for the first time. The traditional plaque exchange ceremony took place on board both ships with representatives from the Gibraltar Tourist Board, the Gibraltar Port Authority, and their respective shipping agents, MH Bland and Smith Imossi.
The Sapphire Princess arrived on Monday, April 30th. The ship entered service in 2004 and is operated by Princess Cruises, a brand of Carnival Corporation PLC. Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Sapphire Princess is 290 meters long, has a gross tonnage of 116,000, and can accommodate approximately 2,670 passengers and 1,100 crew members. In 2012, it was renovated with the addition of the "Movies Under the Stars" screen in the main pool and a new adults-only relaxation area called "The Sanctuary.".
Sapphire Princess has been sailing around Asia for a long time and is currently on its way to Southampton, UK where it will be stationed until October 2018.
The MS Asuka II made a port call in Gibraltar on Tuesday, May 1st. Originally known as the Crystal Harmony, it was built in 1990, is 241 meters long, has a gross tonnage of 50,142, and a capacity for approximately 960 passengers and 545 crew members.
In 2006, the ship was transferred from Crystal Cruises to its then-parent company, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), and refurbished to make it more appealing to the Japanese market. Currently operating under the new name Asuka II, the ship was equipped with a Japanese-style spa and a traditional Japanese tea room.
Asuka II has been rated as one of the best cruise ships in the Japanese market and operates cruises around Japan and around the world.
