The Tahitian Princess will be renamed the Ocean Princess in November 2009. The renaming will take place while the ship is out of service during a routine maintenance period in Singapore.
Princess Cruises said the new name is intended to reflect the ship's new deployment on worldwide itineraries, as it expands its market beyond French Polynesia, where it has been sailing since 2002.
In the fall of 2009, the Pacific Princess will replace the Tahitian Princess in Papeete, Tahiti. The two 670-passengers ships are the line’s two smallest vessels.
This summer, the Tahitian Princess will be used for Alaska cruises. After a 107-day, 40-destination world cruise in early 2009, the Tahitian Princess will be used for a series of Northern Europe sailings next summer.
Following the 2009 renaming, the Ocean Princess will operate a series of Asia cruises, enabling Princess to increase its capacity in Asia to two ships. The Ocean Princess also will sail to India and Africa between Sept. 17, 2009, and May 7, 2010.
Princess said its 2009-2010 lineup will also include a new 31-day West Africa cruise and a new 13-day sailing in Australia and New Zealand on the Diamond Princess.