Cost US$134 million Length 223 m Beam 28 m | Yard number 596 Launched 26 October 1985 Builder Malmö Municipality | |
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Name Henna (since 2012)
Pacific Sun (2004–2012)
Jubilee (1986–2004) Owner 1986–2004 Carnival Cruise Line
2004–2011 P&O Cruises Australia
2011-2016 Triton International Investment Co Ltd Operator 1986–2004 Carnival Cruise Lines
2004–2012 P&O Cruises Australia
2012–2015 HNA Tourism Cruise Port of registry 1986–1996 Monrovia, Liberia
1996–2000 Panama, Panama
2000–2007 Nassau, Bahamas
2007–2010 London, United Kingdom
2010 onwards Valletta, Malta |
MS Henna is a Holiday-class cruise ship owned by the Chinese company HNA Cruise Company, Limited around the West Pacific region. At 47,000 tons, Henna is a medium-sized ship, and was the first and largest luxury cruise liner in mainland China, with 739 passenger cabins and a maximum passenger capacity of 1,965, including nine suites with balconies, 432 ocean-view staterooms and 298 interior staterooms.

History

Henna was built in 1986 by Kockums Varv, Malmö, Sweden, for Carnival Cruise Line as Jubilee, along with near-sister ship Celebration. The other near-sister ship of the class, Holiday, was built earlier by Aalborg Værft in Aalborg, Denmark.

In 2004, the vessel was transferred to P&O Cruises Australia and renamed Pacific Sun. Pacific Sun arrived in Australia in November 9, 2004, and began year-round cruises from Sydney to the South Pacific and Tropical North Queensland. From late 2007, she was based at Brisbane, and was then the largest year-round liner to be based in Queensland. After receiving a multimillion-dollar makeover, she sailed in all white colours, like P&O's other ships, along with new amenities. Pacific Sun was the only ship of three sisters (with Grand Celebration and Grand Holiday) whose funnel was changed upon leaving the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet; her sister's funnels were simply painted over and not changed, while Sun had both Carnival's iconic wings and a part of shelding removed. Carnival's first new build ship, the slightly older Tropicale (Now MS Ocean Dream), also had her Carnival funnel removed, and replaced with Costa Cruises's round stove-pipe funnel which she still has today.

In late July 2008, 42 passengers were injured in a storm. The event became widely known when video footage was reposted on the internet two years later.

On 18 December 2011, P&O announced that Pacific Sun would leave its fleet in July 2012. Her farewell cruise was an 8-day roundtrip from Portside Wharf in Brisbane, Australia, and stopping at Nouméa, Lifou in New Caledonia, and Port Vila in Vanuatu with three days at sea. Pacific Sun had completed between 314 and 332 cruises, with 2,707 nights at sea and an estimated 586,000 passengers carried.

On 13 September 2012, new owner HNA Cruises renamed the ship Henna; she made her maiden voyage under Chinese ownership on 26 January 2013 from Sanya to Vietnam. From January to April, the ship will run between Sanya and Ha Long Bay and Da Nang in Vietnam. From May to September, her home port will be shifted to Tianjin, with a new route launching between Tianjin and the South Korean ports of Incheon and Jeju Island.
In September 2013 the ship was detained at a port on the South Korean island of Jeju after Chinese shipping service company Jiangsu Shagang International applied for a seizure. After several days stuck on board, the 1,659 passengers were flown home via the airlines company of HNA Group, leaving their cruise uncompleted but safe.
In November 2015, HNA shut down its cruise ship operation after three years of losing money due to newer vessels being deployed to the region. Since the Henna's last cruise with HNA, she is currently laid up and is for sale for $35 million USD.
Her class was renewed and all statutory documents as well to make her fit for further trading. Lloyd's status report from 13.07.2016 can prove this.