Festivale

RMS Transvaal Castle was a British ocean liner built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotalnd for the Union-Castle Line for its mail service between Southampton and Durban. In 1966 she was sold to the South Africa-based Safmarine and renamed S.A. Vaal for further service on the same route. Following cessation of the service between the UK and South Africa in 1977 the ship was sold to Carnival Cruise Line and rebuilt in Japan as the cruise ship SS Festivale, re-entering service in 1978. In 1996 she was chartered to Dolphin Cruise Line and renamed IslandBreeze. In 1998 the ship was sold to Premier Cruise Line, which renamed her The Big Red Boat III. Following the bankruptcy of Premier Cruise Line in 2000, The Big Red Boat III was laid up until 2003 when she was sold to scrappers in Alang, India. She was renamed The Big Red Boat for her final voyage to the scrapyard.

Festivale was built in 1961. Vessels of this generation reflect the design conventions of their construction era: atrium layouts, public-room programming, balcony cabin ratios and propulsion systems all evolved measurably between the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s shipbuilding cycles.

Key reported specifications for Festivale include a passenger capacity in the vicinity of 728, an overall length of approximately 232 metres.

Onboard programming on a vessel of Festivale's profile typically includes multiple dining venues, a central showroom, pool deck areas, a spa and fitness facility, themed bars, and on family-oriented brands children's and teen spaces.

Itineraries assigned to Festivale reflect the operator's seasonal deployment plan, which moves vessels between regions to follow demand and weather. Researching the ship's current and upcoming season gives the most accurate picture of where it will sail.