Kawasaki Converts Semi-Passenger Into Full-Passenger Ship

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., recently completed the conversion of a 30,000-ton-class semipassenger ship into a full-passenger ship at its Kobe Works, and delivered it to Festivale Maritime Inc. of the U.S.

The unusual order, the first of its kind to have been received by a Japanese shipbuilder, was placed through Nissho-Iwai Co.

The former name of the ship was S.A. Vaal, and it was owned by South Africa's Safmarine Co.

The 30,212-ton semi-passenger vessel was acquired by the U.S.

company, and after remodeling, named T.S.S. Festivale.

The ship, which used to accommodate 725 passengers, can now accommodate 1,433. The crew, formerly limited to 415, now numbers 579. As a result, a total of 2,012 people (formerly 1,140) can be accommodated.

Festivale Maritime Inc. now operates the Carnivale Cruise Line with its 27,250-ton-class Carnivale and Mardi Gras in the Caribbean Sea Zone. Miami, Fla., is the Line's headquarters. The T.S.S.

Festivale will be put into this service.

The ship's nationality has been shifted from South Africa to Panama. While its classification, length overall, length between perpendiculars, molded breadth and molded depth remain unchanged, its draft extreme was reduced from 9.75 meters (about 32 feet) to about 8.64 meters (28 feet).

The vessel continues to use four John Brown steam turbine engines with an output of 44,000 shp for a service speed of 22.5 knots.

The T.S.S. Festivale has 369 cabins, 18 public spaces including a restaurant, theater, bar, etc., 109 rooms for crew members and 2,900 square meters of other spaces.

The ship is equipped with lifeboats including two high-speed boats, an improved air-conditioning system, sewage treatment equipment, and an automatic telephone system.

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