MS Regal Empress

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Regal Empress, Nassau, Bahamas, 2006
Ship Information
Company:	Imperial Majesty Cruise Lines
Builder:	Alex Stephen & Sons Glasgow
Commissioned:	1953
Registry:	Bahamas
Tonnage:	14,500 gross tons
Length:	611 ft (186.5 m)
Draft:	28 ft (8.6 m)
Max Speed:	23 knots
Cruising Speed:	21 knots
Total Compliment:	1475 guests/? crew

MV Regal Empress (former Olympia, Caribe I) is a vintage ocean liner constructed in 1953. She is now owned by Imperial Majesty Cruises and operates on two night cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Nassau and back.

The first and only ship built for the Greek Line was inially named Olympia. The Olympia was completed by Alexander Stephen & Sons, on the River Clyde, in 1953. She was initially measured at 22979 GRT, and carried 138 First Class, and 1169 Tourist Class passengers. She was registered in Liberia. Parsons turbines of 25000shp drove her at a service speed of 21 knots (23 knots maximum). The maiden voyage left Glasgow for Liverpool and New York on April 16, 1953. Her first voyage on the intended route from Piraeus to New York did not take place until March 1955 due to legal complications. In 1961, the route was extended to Haifa, Israel. In 1968, Olympia was registered in Greece, and spent more time cruising, this becoming her exclusive occupation in 1970. By this time she had been re-measured at 17400 GRT. She was laid up at Piraeus in 1974, and the Greek Line suffered financial collapse the following year.

In 1981, the Olympia was bought by Sally Shipping and refitted, with diesels replacing the steam turbines. She returned to cruising as the Caribe I in 1983, in the Commodore Cruise Line fleet. The elegant funnel had been replaced by exhaust pipes and a ludicrous framework design. Happily, this was later replaced by a more traditional funnel, though lacking the style of the original. In 1993 she was sold to Regal Cruises and renamed Regal Empress, and began sailing out of Port Manatee. She is now described as being only 14500 GRT.

Following the collapse of Regal Cruise Line, the Regal Empress was purchased by Imperial Majesty Cruises for their two-night cruise service to The Bahamas, the Regal Empress being cheaper to operate and carrying more passengers than their own ship OceanBreeze.

In 2010, she will be taken out of service as new SOLAS regulations come into effect.

The Regal Empress is the oldest passenger liner still operating in North America.

For a complete history of the Regal Empress and many pictures of the ship, please visit: http://www.ssmaritime.com/olympia.htm

For 85 photographs of the ship's interior, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90781590@N00/sets/72157594555811322/