Sovereign-class cruise ship
.jpg) MS Sovereign as Sovereign of the Seas. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Chantiers de l’Atlantique; Saint-Nazaire, France |
| Succeeded by: | Vision class |
| Built: | 1987-1992 |
| Completed: | 3 Ships |
| Active: | 3 Ships |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 73,192-73,941 gt |
| Length: | 268.33 m (880.3 ft) |
| Beam: | 32.21 m (105.7 ft) |
| Draft: | 7.55 m (24.8 ft) |
| Decks: | 12 |
| Installed power: |
4 × 9-cyl, Pielstick-Alsthom diesels combined 21844 kW[2] |
| Propulsion: | Two controllable pitch propellers rear; two thrusters each side forward |
| Speed: | 21.5 kts |
| Capacity: | 2,744 passengers |
| Crew: | 833 |
The Sovereign class is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's third generation of cruise ships, currently being operated by Royal Caribbean International and Pullmantur Cruises.
The three ships of the class were built in Saint-Nazaire, France at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards. The first modern "megaships" to be built, they also were the first series of cruise ships to include a multi-story atrium with glass elevators. They also had a single deck devoted entirely to cabins with private balconies instead of oceanview cabins. The first ship, the Sovereign of the Seas launched in 1988, was the world's largest passenger ship in service, breaking the record held by the SS Norway (originally designed as an ocean liner.[1] Sovereign held this distinction until 1990 when Norway succeeded her after being refurbished with the addition of two more decks. In 1991, Royal Caribbean International launched a slightly modified sister ship, the Monarch of the Seas. In 1992, the line launched its third and final sister ship, the Majesty of the Seas. These ships were among the largest modern cruise ships to sail during the late 80's and early 90's.
During that time, other major cruise lines also followed suit, building ships that included many of the same features and similar dimensions as the Sovereign class. Carnival Cruise Lines launched the Fantasy class in 1990, comparable in size to the Sovereign class and also featuring a multi-story atrium with glass elevators. Princess Cruises also countered by launching two ships in 1990 and 1991 to compete with the Sovereign class, the Crown Princess and the Regal Princess. They also featured an atrium and two decks devoted to cabins with private balconies instead of windowed "oceanview" cabins. Since then, newer and larger ships have exceeded the size of the Sovereign-class ships. 'They are less than half the size of the Freedom-class ships and about a third the size of Oasis-class ships.
In 2007, Monarch of the Seas became the first major cruiseliner in the world to be captained by a woman, the Swede Karin Stahre Janson, who remained the only one until 2010 when the British captain Sarah Breton took charge of MS Artemis of P&O Cruises.[2][3]
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd transferred Sovereign of the Seas and Monarch of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International to their Pullmantur Cruises subsidiary in 2008 and 2013, respectively.[4] Majesty of the Seas was originally planned in early 2015 to be leaving the Royal fleet however later in the year, Royal Caribbean reversed those plans, instead stating that she will be receiving a massive overhaul and upgrade in early 2016 to bring her up to today's standards.[5][6][7]
Ships
| Ship | Year Built | Gross tonnage | Operated By | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Sovereign | 1988 | 73,192 | Pullmantur Cruises | Barcelona, Spain/Rome, Italy/Genoa, Italy | Largest ship in the world at the time of its completion. Completely refurbished in November 2004. Transferred to Pullmantur and renamed Sovereign in 2008. | .JPG) |
| MS Monarch | 1991 | 73,937 | Pullmantur Cruises | Caracas, Venezuela/Colon, Panama/Cartagena, Colombia/Aruba | Completely refurbished in May 2003.[8] Transferred to Pullmantur and renamed Monarch in 2013. | .JPG) |
| Majesty of the Seas | 1992 | 73,941 | Royal Caribbean International | Miami, Florida | Retrofitted in 2007 with new features such as enhanced staterooms, public areas, Compass Deli, Jade, addition of rock walls, re-painted pool floors, new carpeting and more spaces enhanced for guest comfort. Will receive DreamWorks Experience, waterslides, outdoor movie screen, additional restaurants, and complementary O3b internet access in April 2016 before moving to Port Canaveral, Florida.[9] |  |
References
- ↑ "Are mega-ships better ships?". Globe and Mail. October 15, 2005.
- ↑ "Q&A: World's first female captain of a major cruise ship". USA Today. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
- ↑ "Sarah Breton:The first female cruise ship captain". Daily Express. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
- ↑ http://www.presstur.com/site/news.asp?news=36059
- ↑ Cruise Business Review 12. 10. 2007: Say goodbye to Sovereign! The first ever modern megaship to join Pullmantur fleet, retrieved October 13, 2007 Archived October 29, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Monarch amplia frota da Pullmantur em 2013 - PressTur
- ↑ "Royal Caribbean Moving Monarch of the Seas to Pullmantur". cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ "Royal Caribbean International's Monarch of the Seas to be completely refurbished in late-5/03". Travel Agent (magazine). March 24, 2003.
Look for Royal Caribbean International's Monarch of the Seas, one of RCI's older ships, to be completely refurbished in late May before it begins Los Angeles service in June.
- ↑ http://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/press-release/1157/fast-free-internet-and-exciting-new-features-for-royal-caribbeans-majesty-of-the-seas-/
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||