The Golden Cruise Ship: Golden Princess
From Princess to Pacific Adventure to Carnival Adventure.
Get Free Cruise QuotesSearch for a golden cruise ship and one name comes up: the Golden Princess. Here is her story, from her Princess Cruises years to her new life in Australia, plus a word on the “golden age” of ships that still shapes how we picture a voyage.
The Golden Princess
Golden Princess was one of Princess Cruises’ Grand-class ships, built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone in Italy. According to the ship’s history, she made her maiden voyage from Southampton on 16 May 2001 and measured roughly 109,000 gross tons. Over two decades with Princess she sailed the Caribbean and Europe, circled South America, cruised the US West Coast and later spent years in Asia and Oceania.
In 2018 P&O Cruises Australia announced she would join its fleet as Pacific Adventure; she entered service under that name after the pandemic pause. Her sister Star Princess followed the same path as Pacific Encounter. In March 2025, when P&O Cruises Australia was absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line, the pair were renamed Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, and they sail for Carnival from Australia today.
For past passengers, the ship still carries memories of her Princess years, and many who sailed her in the 2000s were celebrating exactly the milestones this site is about.
The Golden Age of Ships
When people speak of the golden age of cruise ships, they usually mean the era of the great ocean liners, when crossing the Atlantic by sea was the way to travel and liners competed on speed and style. Jet travel ended that era for most routes. Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 keeps the tradition alive with regular transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York, and a crossing is a favorite of many retirees; see our page on the best cruises for retirees.
Sailing a Classic-Style Voyage Today
- Choose a crossing or a long voyage with plenty of sea days.
- Look for ships with promenade decks, libraries and afternoon tea.
- Dress up for formal or gala nights if the line holds them.
- Join the lecture program to learn the history of the route.
Sailing the Former Golden Princess Today
If you sailed her in her Princess years and want to see her again, Carnival Adventure now sails from Sydney with Carnival’s Australian-market program. Expect a different style from the Princess era — Carnival’s brand, dining and entertainment — on a hull you may remember. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise can quote her sailings along with flights to Australia, or suggest a ship in the Princess fleet today if what you loved was the Princess experience itself.
Golden Cruise Ship Questions
What happened to the Golden Princess?
Golden Princess sailed for Princess Cruises from 2001, moved to P&O Cruises Australia as Pacific Adventure, and in March 2025 became Carnival Adventure when P&O Australia was folded into Carnival Cruise Line. She is based in Sydney.
Is there still a ship called Golden Princess?
Not under that name. The ship sails today as Carnival Adventure.
What was the golden age of cruise ships?
The phrase usually refers to the great ocean liner era before jet travel, when liners carried passengers across the Atlantic. Leisure cruising as we know it grew afterwards.
Sail a Classic Voyage
From a transatlantic crossing to a ship with fond memories, our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will find the voyage that suits you.
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