Sapphire Princess--she's big and proud of it

We couldn't resist heading down to Circular Quay at lunchtime today to check out the Sapphire Princess which docked in Sydney briefly on its way to New Zealand.



Yes this Princess is definitely... errr... a little "hefty". She's the largest Princess vessel in its fleet and and is the younger but bigger sister to the Diamond Princess. Other jaw-dropping stats include:

• She carries 2,670 passengers in 750 cabins with private balconies.
• She has 5 swimming pools, nine restaurants and cafes, two nightclubs, eight spas, 13 bars and lounges, a hair salon, a wedding chapel and a nine-hole minigolf course.
• She weighs 116,000-tonnes and measures 290-metres long and 63-metres high. She is more than twice the size of the Titanic, and about as big as 102 Manly ferries or 300 jumbo jets.
• She is thought to be the largest-ever cruise ship to visit Australia.
• About 80 per cent of passengers on the Sydney to New Zealand cruise are Americans, with the remainder made up by mainly Australians.
• You can view live satellite images from the Sapphire Princess "bridge-cam" here.

Personally I don't see the appeal of paying exhorbitant money to holiday on an 18-storey Las-Vegas-at-sea. But ask me again in 50 years, and I'll probably (scarily) change my tune. *shudder*

Unfortunately it was a bit of a miserable grey-skied day in Sydney so the pics aren't particularly glamorous. And apologies for the poor-quality birds-eye shot, but it gives you a general idea of her significant expanse (but I believe she has a lovely personality).