Louis Majesty photographed in 2007, while being operated by NCL. |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1992—1997: Royal Majesty 1997-2009: Norwegian Majesty 2009-onwards: Louis Majesty |
| Owner: | 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 Line |
| Port 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 kW |
| Propulsion: | 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 |
| 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.
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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]
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]
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]
Only including decks accessible to passengers.
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]
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