MS Birka Queen
Thomson Majesty, docked in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, on March 1, 2013.
|
|
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: |
|
| Owner: |
|
| Operator: |
|
| Port of registry: | |
| Builder: | Wärtsilä Marine/Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Turku, Finland |
| Cost: | $229 million |
| Yard number: | 1312 |
| Launched: | 15 November 1991 |
| Christened: | 29 July 1992 |
| Completed: | 1992 |
| Acquired: | 2 July 1992 |
| Maiden voyage: | 7 July 1992 |
| Identification: |
|
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics (as built | |
| Type: | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 173.50 m (569 ft 3 in) |
| Beam: | 27.60 m (90 ft 7 in) |
| Draft: | 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) |
| Ice class: | 1A Super |
| Installed power: |
|
| Propulsion: | Two controllable pitch propellers |
| Speed: | 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) |
| Capacity: | 1,056 passengers (1,256 maximum |
| General characteristics (after 1999 refit)) | |
| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 207.1 m (679 ft) |
| Beam: |
|
| Draft: | 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) |
| Depth: | 14 m (45 ft 11 in) |
| Decks: | 9 (passenger accessible) |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Capacity: | 1,460 passengers (1,970 maximum) |
| Crew: | 620 |
| Notes: | Otherwise the same as built |
MS Thomson Majesty (formerly MS Norwegian Majesty) is a cruise ship owned by Louis Cruises and is chartered/operated by Thomson Cruises. 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.
Birka Queen was ordered by Birka Line for short cruises out of as a running mate to MS Birka Princess. The ship was ordered from Wärtsilä Marine, but the shipyard went bankrupt in 1989. Operations were soon reorganized under the name of Masa-Yards, 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. Due to her past, the ship has some features uncommon for cruise ships, such as the highest Finnish-Swedish ice class.
Following delivery, 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. She was christened by Liza Minnelli. Following this, she was used on three- and four-night cruises out of Florida. In 1994 she initiated a new northern hemisphere summer season itinerary 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 on board, while parts of Titanic were being salvaged.
...
Wikipedia