Carnival Encounter

Carnival Encounter
Carnival Encounter as Star Princess was anchored besides with two cities Helsingør in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden on June 20, 2010
History
Bahamas
Name
  • 2002–2021: Star Princess
  • 2021–2025: Pacific Encounter
  • 2025-present: Carnival Encounter
Owner Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator
Port of registry
OrderedJanuary 1998
Builder
CostUS$425 million
Yard number6051
Launched10 May 2001
Sponsored byGunilla Antonini
Christened25 January 2002
Completed25 January 2002
Maiden voyage
  • 10 March 2002 (Star Princess)
  • August 2022 (Pacific Encounter)
  • 29 March 2025 (Carnival Encounter)
In service2002–present
HomeportBrisbane, Australia
Identification
StatusIn service
Notes
General characteristics
Class & typeGrand-class cruise ship
Tonnage
  • 109,000 GT
  • 73,347 NT
  • 10,852 DWT
Length290 m (951 ft 5 in)
Beam36 m (118 ft 1 in)
Draught8.05 m (26 ft 5 in)
Speed23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) (maximum)
Capacity2,600 passengers
Crew1,100
Notes

Carnival Encounter is a Grand-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. She was originally delivered in 2002 as Star Princess to sister cruise line Princess Cruises in 2002 by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, and was the second ship in Princess' history to operate under the name. She had been the third Grand-class ship to be added to the fleet, following Grand Princess and Golden Princess. In 2018, Carnival Corporation announced that Star Princess would be transferred to P&O Cruises Australia to accommodate P&O's expansion plans in Oceania; however, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent impact on tourism, Carnival Corporation accelerated the transfer of the vessel and Star Princess joined P&O's fleet in 2020, one year earlier than planned. Following a renovation and a renaming to Pacific Encounter, she debuted in August 2022 upon P&O's staged resumption of operations. As of March 2025, she has been transferred to Carnival Cruise Line under the name Carnival Encounter and will be sailing from Brisbane.