SS The Emerald

SS "The Emerald" is a cruise ship owned by the Cyprus-based shipping company Louis Cruise Lines, under long-term charter to the United Kingdom-based Thomson Cruises. She was built in 1958 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia, USA for Grace Lines as SS "Santa Rosa". Between 1992 and 1995, she sailed for Regency Cruises as SS "Regent Rainbow". As of 2007 she is the only passenger liner built at a (passenger liners having not been built there since 1958) that is still in service. [cite web | url=http://www.coltoncompany.com/shipbldg/ussbldrs/postwwii/merchant/passengerships.htm | title=Passenger Liners Built in U.S. Shipyards | accessdate = 2007-06-17 | first = Tim | last = Colton | publisher = Maritime Business Strategies, LLC ]

History

"Santa Rosa" and time laid up

The ship was originally launched in 1958 as "Santa Rosa" and she measured 20,000 tonnes. She sailed under this name for 13 years before she was laid up in 1971. She was sold to Vintoro Corp of New York in 1976 and was renamed "Samos Sky", to operate South American service once again, but this venture did not eventuate and the ship remained idle. In 1989, she was sold to Coral Cruise Lines and towed to Greece that December.

Modernisation

In March 1990, the "Samos Sky" arrived in Chalkis, Greece to be modernised and Coral Cruises renamed her "Pacific Sun", then "Diamond Island" before selling her to the also Greek Lelakis Group later that year, who substantially rebuilt her at the cost of $70 million. She emerged in 1991, with a brand new superstructure above her unaltered hull, and was barely recognisable, although unusually she kept her steam turbine engines.

"Regent Rainbow"

Now measuring 26,431 gross tonnes, the ship entered service under Regency Cruises as the popular "Regent Rainbow" from 1992, until Regency Cruises suffered extensive losses and was declared bankrupt in 1995. The "Regent Rainbow" was placed under arrest on November 27 of that year and, in December 1996, was sold to the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines and renamed "Emerald".

"The Emerald"

In 1997, the "Emerald" was chartered to Thomson Cruises (where "The" was added before her name) to operate cruises for the British market, and soon became the company's most popular ship, [ [TUI brochures] ] remaining so and staying with the company for the next eleven years. In 2008, the company announced that, despite her ongoing popularity, they would be dropping her that October, in favour of a larger, more mordern ship. Afterwards, it is unknown what will become of her, but she is likely to be withdrawn from service in 2010 at the latest, as new SOLAS regulations coming into effect on 1 July 2010 will make operating her impossible without a major reconstruction.

Decks

The Emerald has ten decks, all ten of which are accessible to passengers.

#Gym, hospital, Kidzone, massage room, sauna, engine room, crew spaces
#Outside and inside cabins, engine room, crew spaces
#Outside and inside cabins, crew spaces
#Outside and inside cabins, beauty salon
#Outside and inside cabins, reception
#Yacht club bar, Royale lounge, casino, shops, library, Monte Carlo court, Chanterelle dining room, Regency showlounge
#Outside and inside cabins
#Outside and inside cabins, Le Bistro buffet, swimming pool, lido bar
#Starlight lounge, disco, whirlpools
#Sun deck (exists in the forward part of the ship only)

References

* [http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/SantaRosa.html Santa Rosa - Regent Rainbow - Emerald]
* [http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/santa_rosa_1958.htm T/S SANTA ROSA]