MS Monarch

Last updated

Monarch Cartagena 2014.jpg
History
Name
  • 1991–2013: Monarch of the Seas
  • 2013–2020: Monarch
Owner Royal Caribbean International
Operator
Port of registry
RouteSouthern Caribbean
Builder Chantiers de l'Atlantique; Saint-Nazaire, France
Yard numberA30 [3]
Laid downJuly 31, 1989 [3]
LaunchedSeptember 22, 1990 [3]
AcquiredOctober 15, 1991 [3]
Maiden voyage
  • November 11, 1991 as Monarch of the Seas
  • April 27, 2013 as Monarch
In service1991-2020
Out of service2020
Identification
FateScrapped in Aliağa in 2021
General characteristics
Class and type Sovereign-class cruise ship
Tonnage
Length268.32 m (880 ft 4 in) [3]
Beam36.0 m (118 ft 1 in) [3]
Draft7.55 m (24 ft 9 in) [3]
Decks12
Installed powerFour Pielstick-Alsthom diesel engines, 21,840 kW (29,288 hp) (combined)
Propulsion
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity2,744 passengers

MS Monarch (formerly Monarch of the Seas) was the second of three Sovereign-class cruise ships owned by Royal Caribbean International. Beginning on April 1, 2013, Monarch was operated by RCCL's Pullmantur Cruises, before being sold for scrap in 2020 following Pullmantur's closure. The ship was built in 1991 at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, France.

Contents

At 73,941  GT, Monarch was one of the largest cruise ships in the world at time of her completion. She could carry up to 2,744 passengers.

History

Monarch of the Seas with Royal Caribbean livery anchored off Coco Cay. Monarch of the Seas.JPG
Monarch of the Seas with Royal Caribbean livery anchored off Coco Cay.

About a third of the ship burned during its completion afloat in 1990, due to an accident involving some welding equipment. At the time, the cost to make repairs was so significant that it was not clear if the ship could be repaired. After consideration, the ship was placed in dry dock and the damaged bow section was removed. This section was then rebuilt and the metal recycled to construct the next ship of the class, Majesty of the Seas.

Monarch had an outdoor basketball court, two shuffleboard courts, and a rock climbing wall. There were also two full-sized salt water pools. She was refurbished in May 2003 to add the rock-climbing wall. The fitness center, spa and children's area were also enlarged. [5] Prior to being retired from the Royal Caribbean International fleet, Monarch of the Seas (as she was then called) sailed to the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

In 2007, Monarch became the first major cruise ship 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. [6] [7]

On 1 April 2013, after serving for Royal Caribbean International for 22 years, Monarch was transferred to Spain's Pullmantur Cruises, joining her sister ship MS Sovereign. [8] Before sailing for Pullmantur, Monarch underwent another refurbishment to some of her cabins, casino and shops. [9] She began sailing year-round in the Southern Caribbean on 27 April 2013. [10] [11]

Monarch (left) and Sovereign (right) beached for scrapping in Aliaga, Turkey in July 2020. Monarch et Sovereign en Turquie pour etre demanteles.jpg
Monarch (left) and Sovereign (right) beached for scrapping in Aliağa, Turkey in July 2020.

In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Monarch and MS Sovereign were placed into "cold lay-up" and Pullmantur Cruises filed for financial reorganization. [12] According to reports, the interiors of the ships were stripped of "everything of value". [13] Pullmantur Cruises announced that MS Monarch, MS Sovereign and MS Horizon were to be sold to breakers for scrap in Aliağa, Turkey. She was beached on 22 July 2020 and scrapping started on 5 April 2021 with the removal of the pilot's cabinet. [14] [15]

Incidents

Grounding off St. Maarten

Monarch being scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey in May 2021. AliagaPanoramaMay2021 (Monarch).jpg
Monarch being scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey in May 2021.

After evacuating a sick passenger at Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the Netherlands Antilles on December 15, 1998, Monarch of the Seas grazed a reef while departing, opening a gash along the starboard hull 40 by 2 metres (131 ft 3 in by 6 ft 7 in) in size. [16] The ship started taking on water and began to sink by the bow. Three of its watertight compartments were completely flooded and several others partially flooded.

The ship was intentionally grounded on a sandbar to prevent further sinking. All passengers were evacuated by crew members and local tender operators. There were no deaths. The grounding breached two of the ship's diesel fuel tanks and an overflow tank causing a small fuel spill of approximately 100 US gallons (380 L; 83 imp gal). There was also severe damage to the ship. [16] [17] A joint investigation by the Norwegian Maritime Investigator and the United States Coast Guard found that the accident was due to "…a myriad of human performance deficiencies." Reports also indicate that navigation out of the port was done visually rather than using of electronic navigation and that the relocation of a vital buoy was not reflected on charts. [18] [19]

The ship was drydocked for repairs for three months at Atlantic Marine's Mobile, Alabama, facilities. 114 of the ship's compartments had to be cleaned. The work also included replacement of machinery, 460 tons of shell plating, and 18 miles (29 km) of electrical wiring.

American comedian John Pinette was aboard the ship at the time of the incident, referencing it in his 2005 DVD 'I Say Nay Nay'.

Gas leak

While docked at the Port of Los Angeles in August 2005, maintenance on a sewage pipe caused a small amount of raw sewage and an unknown amount of hydrogen sulfide gas to escape. Three crew members were killed and 19 others were injured. Reports said that the deaths were almost instantaneous as the crew members were not wearing breathing apparatus at the time. [20] [21]

Captain's death

Thirty-eight-year-old Captain Joern Rene Klausen was found dead in his stateroom aboard Monarch early the morning of January 30, 2006. The ship was returning to Los Angeles from a three-night cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. [22] According to reports, the death appeared to be from natural causes. [23]

Coronavirus pandemic

On 14 March 2020, Panama repatriated 1,504 Colombian tourists from the cruise ship Monarch due to coronavirus fears. Since the port of Cartagena, Colombia was closed, the people had to fly from Colón, Panama.

On 17 April 2020, a Honduran crew member died of the virus in a hospital in Panama City. [24] He had been medically evacuated after having trouble breathing, and tested positive at the hospital. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Caribbean International</span> Norwegian–American cruise line

Royal Caribbean International (RCI), previously known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line brand founded in 1968 in Norway and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997. Based in Miami, Florida, it is the largest cruise line by revenue and second largest by passengers counts. In 2018, Royal Caribbean International controlled 19.2% of the worldwide cruise market by passengers and 14.0% by revenue. As of August 2024, the line operates 28 ships and has four additional ships on order and 2 ships were planned but did not announced the launch date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celebrity Cruises</span> Cruise line based in Miami, Florida, US

Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1997. Celebrity's signature logo is an "Χ" displayed on the funnel of Celebrity ships, and is the Greek letter chi, for "Chandris".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Caribbean Group</span> Cruise holding company

Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & plc. As of March 2024, Royal Caribbean Group fully owns three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises with 65 ships in the current fleet and 5 ships on order until 2028. They also hold a 50% stake in TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

<i>Majesty of the Seas</i> Sovereign class cruise ship

Majesty of the Seas was a Sovereign-class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, France, weighing 73,941 gross tons. She was placed in service on 26 April 1992 offerering 4- and 5-night Caribbean cruises, sailing from Florida. Her Godmother is Queen Sonja of Norway. In December 2020 she was sold to Seajets, renamed Majesty and laid up in Greece. Subsequently renamed Majesty of the Oceans, she is the only remaining Sovereign-class ship, although still out of service in August 2024.

MS <i>Freedom of the Seas</i> Cruise ship; first of her class

MS Freedom of the Seas is a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International. She is the namesake of Royal Caribbean's Freedom class, and can accommodate 3,634 passengers and 1,300 crew on fifteen passenger decks. The vessel also has 4 crew decks below the waterline. Freedom of the Seas was the largest passenger ship ever built from 2006 until construction of her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas in 2007.

<i>Empress of the Seas</i> Cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International

Empress is a cruise ship owned by Cordelia Cruises, an Indian cruise line. She is the sole ship of her class. She entered service with then-Royal Caribbean International in 1990, transferred to Pullmantur Cruises in 2008, and then returned to Royal Caribbean International in 2016. In December 2020, she was retired from the Royal Caribbean fleet and sold to Cordelia Cruises.

MS <i>Crown Iris</i>

The MS Crown Iris is a cruise ship owned by Mano Maritime. 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 as MS Norwegian Majesty and lengthened by 33.76 m at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany. She was sold to Louis Cruises as MS Louis Majesty from 2008 to 2012 when she was chartered to Thomson Cruises as MS Thomson Majesty before being returned to Louis Cruises/Celestyal Cruises, as the Majesty. In 2018 the ship was sold to Mano Maritime.

MS <i>Formosa Queen</i> Cruise ship

MS Song of Norway was one of the first ships purpose-built as a cruise ship. She was the first ship of Royal Caribbean International when she entered operation in 1970. She was sold for scrap in 2013 and broken up in 2014, after serving her last years as a gambling ship.

MV <i>Horizon</i>

The MV Horizon was a cruise ship that sailed from 1990-2020, and was the first new build for Celebrity Cruises. She was sent for scrapping in Aliaga in 2022.

MS <i>Sovereign</i> Cruise ship (1987–2020)

MS Sovereign was one of three large cruise ships of the Sovereign class operated by Pullmantur Cruises and formerly by Royal Caribbean International. When she was completed in 1987, Sovereign of the Seas was the world's largest passenger ship. On 24 June 2020, due to economic losses caused by COVID-19 pandemic, Sovereign arrived and was beached at Aliağa, Turkey, where she was dismantled.

MV <i>Zenith</i> Horizon-class cruise ship

The MV Zenith was a cruise ship built in 1992 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany for Celebrity Cruises as Zenith. After a career for Pullmantur Cruises and Croisières de France she was sold for scrapping in Alang, India in 2022.

<i>Sovereign</i>-class cruise ship Class of Royal Caribbean cruise ships

The Sovereign class is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's third generation of cruise ship, formerly operated by Royal Caribbean International

MS <i>Tropicale</i> Cruise ship built 1982

MS Tropicale was a cruise ship that entered service in 1982, and was one of the pioneering cruise ships in the modernization of the cruise industry. She was Carnival Cruises Line's first newly built ship, initially operating mainly in the Mexican Riviera and the Caribbean.

Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U.S.-based Royal Caribbean Group, but Royal Caribbean later sold a 51% stake in the cruise line to Spain-based investment firm Springwater Capital, retaining a 49% stake.

SS <i>Oceanic</i> (1963) Cruise ship

SS Oceanic was a cruise ship built in 1963 by Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy for Home Lines. Between 1985 and 2000, she sailed for Premier Cruise Line under the names Starship Oceanic and Big Red Boat I, before being sold to Pullmantur Cruises and reverting to her original name. In 2009 was sold to a new owner-operator, Peace Boat, which kept her until 2012. She was broken up in China later that year.

<i>Atlantic Star</i> (cruise ship)

Atlantic Star was a cruise ship built in 1984. She sailed for Sitmar Cruises, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, and Pullmantur Cruises. Under ownership of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the ship had been laid up since 2010 before being handed over to STX France in 2013 as a partial payment for the construction of what is now, Harmony of the Seas. She was later sold to a shipbreaker in Aliağa, Turkey, renamed Antic, and scrapped on 14 April 2013.

<i>Azamara Quest</i> Cruise ship

Azamara Quest is an R-class cruise ship that entered service for Azamara Cruises on 24 October 2007. She was built in 2000 for Renaissance Cruises as R Seven. Following the collapse of Renaissance Cruises in 2001 she was laid up for two years, until chartered to the Germany-based Delphin Seereisen as Delphin Renaissance.

<i>Blue Sapphire</i> (ship) Cruise ship operating for ANEX Tour

Blue Sapphire is a cruise ship owned and operated by ANEX Tour. She was originally built in 1981 by Bremer Vulkan of Germany for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises as Europa. In 1999, Europa was sold to Star Cruises and she was renamed SuperStar Europe and a year later, Superstar Aries. In 2004, she was sold to Pullmantur Cruises and renamed Holiday Dream. In May 2008, she was transferred to the fleet of CDF Croisières de France and renamed Bleu de France. In November 2010, she was sold to Saga Cruises, but retained on charter by CDF for a further 12 months. Following an extensive refit in Italy from November 2011 to March 2012, the vessel was renamed Saga Sapphire. Most recently, she was sold to ANEX Tour in June 2020 and renamed Blue Sapphire, scheduled for an official debut in 2021.

MS <i>Black Watch</i> (1971)

MS Black Watch was a Royal Viking Star-class cruise ship. She was built by Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland for Royal Viking Line as Royal Viking Star, entering service in 1972 as the lines first ship. She has also sailed for Norwegian Cruise Lines as Westward and Royal Cruise Line as Star Odyssey. As of June 18, 2022 she has been beached for scrapping as Odin at Alang, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier Cruises</span> Former cruise line

Premier Cruises was a cruise line holding company formed in the early 1990s that focused on the family cruise market as well as on developing cruise operations in new geographic markets. The company's business focus was to acquire older cruise vessels, refurbish these vessels in order to offer "traditional cruise experiences", operate the vessels in geographic areas, such as Europe and south/Central America.

References

  1. ↑ "><". PressTur. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  2. ↑ Report of Investigation into the Circumstances Surrounding the Grounding of the Monarch of the Seas
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Monarch (16251)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV . Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  4. ↑ Monarch of the Seas, USGS
  5. ↑ "Royal Caribbean International's Monarch of the Seas to be completely refurbished in late-5/03". Travel Agent . 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.
  6. ↑ "Q&A: World's first female captain of a major cruise ship". USA Today. November 5, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Sarah Breton:The first female cruise ship captain". Daily Express. April 22, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Royal Caribbean Moving Monarch of the Seas to Pullmantur – Cruise Industry News | Cruise News". Cruise Industry News. March 20, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Pullmantur Ship Management awards Merima a refurbishing project | Merima". www.merima.fi. Archived from the original on September 3, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Pullmantur to Base Monarch of the Seas in Southern Caribbean – Cruise Industry News | Cruise News". Cruise Industry News. May 21, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Monarch of the Seas Transferred to Pullmantur". CruiseInd. March 20, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Pullmantur Ships Move to Cold Lay-up". Cruise Industry News. New York NY. June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  13. ↑ Walker, Jim (June 21, 2020). "Is Pullmantur Cruises Ending Operations?". Cruise Law News. South Miami FL: Walker & O'Neill Maritime Lawyers. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Monarch Arrives in Aliaga for Scrapping". Cruise & Harbour News Magazine. July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Famed Monarch Cruise Ship Beached for Scrapping". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  16. 1 2 "Monarch of the Seas Incident Summary". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. December 16, 1998. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Disaster Averted On Luxury Line". CBS News. December 16, 1998. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2008.
  18. ↑ Bryant, Dennis L. (September 27, 2006). "The Law of E-Navigation". Archived from the original on July 18, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2008.
  19. ↑ Maritime Investigator of Norway & US Coast Guard. Report of Investigation into the Circumstances Surrounding the Grounding of the MONARCH OF THE SEAS on Proselyte Reef in Great Bay, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles.
  20. ↑ Becerra, Hector (September 3, 2005). "Gas Kills 3 Crewmen on Ship; Sewage bursts from a pipe during repair on a cruise liner at the Port of L.A. Twenty others are injured, but no passengers are hurt". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  21. ↑ "3 Workers Who Died on Cruise Ship Identified". Los Angeles Times. September 5, 2005. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  22. ↑ "CRUISE SHIP CAPTAIN DIES ON TRIP". Long Beach Press-Telegram. February 2, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Monarch of the Seas master dies". Europe Intelligence Wire. February 2, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  24. 1 2 "In Memoriam: Cruise Ship Crew Members Lost in COVID-19 Pandemic". Crew Center. April 7, 2020. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.