- MS Louis Majesty
-
"MS Birka Queen" redirects here. For the other cruise ship with the same name, see MS Birka Queen (1992).
Louis Majesty photographed in 2007, while being operated by NCL.Career Name: 1992—1997: Royal Majesty
1997-2009: Norwegian Majesty
2009-onwards: Louis MajestyOwner: 1992—1997: Majesty Cruise Line
1997—2004: Norwegian Cruise Line[1]
2004—2008: Star Cruises[2][3]
2008 onwards: Louis Cruise Lines[3]Operator: 1992—1997: Majesty Cruise Line
1997—2009: Norwegian Cruise Line
2009-onwards: Louis Cruise LinePort of registry: 1992—1997: Panama City, 
Panama
1997—?: Hamilton,
Bermuda[1]
?—present: Nassau,
Bahamas[4]Builder: Wärtsilä Marine/Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Turku, Finland Cost: $229 million[4] Yard number: 1312[1] Launched: 15 November 1991[1] Christened: 29 July 1992[1] Completed: 1992 Acquired: 2 July 1992[1] Maiden voyage: 7 July 1992[1] In service: In Active Status as of March 2010 General characteristics (as built)[1] Type: Cruise ship Tonnage: 32,396 GRT
2,600 metric tons deadweight (DWT)Length: 173.50 m (569 ft 3 in) Beam: 27.60 m (90 ft 7 in) Draft: 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) Installed power: 4 × Wärtsilä 6R42 diesels
combined 21120 kWPropulsion: Twin propellers[5] Speed: 20,5 knots Capacity: 1056 passengers (1256 maximum[5]) General characteristics (after 1999 refit)[1] Tonnage: 40,876 GRT Length: 207.26 m (680 ft) Beam: 27.60 m (90 ft 7 in) Draft: 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) Decks: 9 (passenger accessible)[4] Speed: 20 knots[citation needed] Capacity: 1,460 passengers (1970 maximum)[4] Crew: 620 crew[4] Notes: Otherwise the same as built The MS Louis Majesty (formerly MS Norwegian Majesty) is a cruise ship owned and operated by Louis Cruise Lines. She was originally ordered by Birka Line as MS Birka Queen from the Wärtsilä Marine Turku Shipyard in Finland, but completed by Kvaerner Masa-Yards as MS Royal Majesty for Majesty Cruise Line. In 1997 she was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line and lengthened by 33.76 m (110 ft 9 in) at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany.[1] Two passengers died when the ship was hit by a rogue wave in 2010.
Contents
Concept and construction
The Birka Queen was ordered by Birka Line for short cruises out of Stockholm as a running mate to MS Birka Princess. The ship was ordered from Wärtsilä Marine,[1] but the shipyard went bankrupt in 1990. Operations were soon reorganized under the name of Masa-Yards,[6] but the price of the ship was increased in the process, and Birka therefore refused to take delivery. Instead, the build contact was sold to Majesty Cruise Line, who took delivery of the ship on July 2, 1992, renaming her Royal Majesty.[1]
Service history
Following delivery, the Royal Majesty set on her maiden voyage, a transatlantic crossing from Southampton to New York City, on July 7, 1992. She was officially christened in New York City on July 21, 1992.[1] She was christened by Liza Minelli. Following this, she was used on three- and four-night cruises out of Florida. In 1995 she initiated a new northern hemisphere summer season itenary with cruises from Boston to St. George's, Bermuda, returning to Florida for the winter season. In September 1995 she participated in an expedition to the sinking site of RMS Titanic, spending five days at the site with many survivors from the famous ship onboard, while parts of the Titanic were being salvaged.[7]
The upper deck of the Norwegian Majesty.
On June 10, 1995, Royal Majesty grounded on Rose and Crown Shoal about 10 miles east of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, and about 17 miles from where the watch officers thought the vessel was. The vessel, with 1,509 persons on board, was en route from St. George’s, Bermuda, to Boston, Massachusetts. There were no deaths or injuries as a result of this accident. Damage to the vessel and lost revenue, however, were estimated at about $7 million.[8][9]
Majesty Cruise Line ceased operations at the end of the 1997 summer season, and the Royal Majesty was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line.[10] She was renamed Norwegian Majesty, and in 1999 she received a 33.76 m (110 ft 9 in) lengthening at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany.[1] Similar lenghtenings had been carried out on NCL's Dreamward and Windward the previous year.[7] The lengthening of the Norwegian Majesty however was more technically complicated than those of the other ships, as she had not been designed for such an operation.[4]
In 2004 the ownership of the Norwegian Majesty was transferred to NCL's parent company Star Cruises in preparation for potential transfer to the Star Cruises fleet or sale at a later date. She remained in NCL service without other changes.[2] On April 23, 2008 the Norwegian Majesty, was sold to the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines. Louis Cruise Lines had reportedly outbid International Shipping Partners with their offer of $162 million.[3][11] The deal was completed on July 29, 2008, but the Norwegian Majesty will be chartered back to Norwegian Cruise Line until October 2009.[3][12]
On June 24, 2009, Louis revealed that the Norwegian Majesty would be renamed Louis Majesty.[13]
On March 3, 2010, three rogue waves hit the Louis Majesty, killing two passengers, and injuring a number of others, while on a 12 day cruise around the Mediterranean. The waves, which were reportedly in excess of 26 feet (8 m) high, collided with the side of the vessel, smashing several windows in the saloon area. Water was taken on in the saloon area, which then drained down the decks below. The ship returned to port at Barcelona to receive repairs.[14]
Decks and facilities
As Norwegian Majesty
Only including decks accessible to passengers.
- Caribbean Deck - Outside and inside cabins
- Biscayne Deck - Hospital, outside and inside cabins
- Atlantic Deck - Nightclub, bars, shops, games arcade, library, card room, internet café, dining rooms, bistro, cafeteria, sundeck
- Majesty Deck - Casino, bar, showroom, suites, outside and inside cabins
- Promenade Deck - Sauna, gym, discothèque, outside and inside cabins, sundeck
- Viking Deck - Bridge, outside cabins, sundeck
- Norway Deck - Observation lounge, children's playroom, suites, outside cabins, sundeck, swimming pool
- Sun Deck - Buffet restaurant, outdoors cafeteria, bar, sundeck, swimming pools
- Sky Deck - Sundeck[15]
Cruises
As Norwegian Majesty: The ship was based in Charleston, South Carolina during the winter months 7-Day cruises to Bermuda calling at St. George's and also sailed a variety of Caribbean itineraries. 7-Day Western Caribbean cruises included stops at Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - Cozumel, Mexico and Key West, Florida. Longer exotic reposition cruise in April out of Charleston included stops at San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. Thomas - St. Kitts - Barbados - Aruba - Curacao and NCL's private islands Great Stirrup Cay and ending in Boston. Fall exotic reposition cruise from Boston included an overnight stay at St. George's, Bermuda - St. Thomas - St. John's, Antigua - Curacao - Aruba and finally Port Canaveral before ending in Charleston. During the spring and summer months, she was based in Baltimore, Maryland and formerly Boston, Massachusetts and sailed 7-day cruises to Bermuda also calling at St. George's. At one time she sailed out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[16][17]
As Louis Majesty: She currently sails out of Piraeus, Greece sailing 3/4/5-Day cruises around the Greek Isles. Louis Cruises recently canceled the Majesty's 2011/2012 Mediterranean season in favor of sailing around Greece instead.[18][19]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Asklander, Micke. "M/S Royal Majesty (1992)" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/royal_majesty_1992.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ a b Newman, Doug (2008-04-15). "Lloyd’s List: Three NCL Ships Nearly Sold". At Sea with Doug Newman. http://dougnewmanatsea.com/2008/04/15/lloyds-list-three-ncl-ships-nearly-sold/. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ^ a b c d "Louis acquires Norwegian Dream and Majesty". Cruise Business Review. Cruise Media Oy Ltd. 2008-04-23. http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080423140950. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ a b c d e f Ward, Douglas (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 440–441. ISBN 981-246-739-4.
- ^ a b Miller, William H. Jr. (1995). The Pictorial Encycpedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-1994. Mineola: Dover Publications. p. 110. ISBN 0-486-28437-X.
- ^ Malmberg, Thure; Stampehl, Marko (2007) (in Finnish/English). Siljan viisi vuosikymmentä. Espoo: Frenckellin Kirjapaino Oy. pp. 153–154. ISBN 978-951-98405-7-4.
- ^ a b Boyle, Ian. "Royal Majesty". Simplon Postcards. http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/RoyalMajesty.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ "NTSB Marine Accident Report". http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/1997/MAR9701.pdf.
- ^ "Cruise Ship Carrying 1,500 Runs Aground -NY Times". The New York Times. 1995-06-12. http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/12/us/cruise-ship-carrying-1500-runs-aground.html. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
- ^ Boyle, Ian. "Majesty Cruise Line". Simplon Postcards. http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/MajestyCruiseLine.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ Newman, Doug (2008-04-18). "Seatrade: Pride of America Not Sold". At Sea with Doug Newman. http://dougnewmanatsea.com/2008/04/18/seatrade-pride-of-america-not-sold/. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- ^ Hand, Marcus (2008-09-30). "Star Cruises $218m Norwegian Dream sale fails". Lloyd's List. http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/star-cruises-218m-norwegian-dream-sale-fails/20017575692.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-30.[dead link]
- ^ http://cruiseind.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/louis-majesty/
- ^ "Two killed as giant waves hit Mediterranean cruise ship". BBC News Online. 2010-03-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8548547.stm. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
- ^ "Norwegian Majesty - deck plans". Norwegian Cruise Line. http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/fleet/deckplan.html?shipCode=MAJESTY. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ http://www.cruisenetwork.com/norwegian-majesty.jsp
- ^ http://www.baltimorecruiseguide.com/norwegian-majesty.html
- ^ http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/5935-louis-majesty-winter-season-cancelled.html
- ^ http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/5942-louis-majesty-to-drydock-this-winter.html
External links
Norwegian Cruise Line fleet Leo class Sky class America class Libra class Jewel class Epic class Breakaway class Norwegian Breakaway (2013) • Norwegian Getaway (2014)Categories:- Cruise ships
- Passenger ships of Norway
- Ships of Norwegian Cruise Line
- Ships of Louis Cruise Lines
- Ships built in Finland
- 1991 ships
- Rogue wave incidents
- Maritime incidents in 2010
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