Saturday, March 31, 2012

Royal Caribbean to Retire Monarch OTS

Final Year
3&4-Night
Bahamas
Cruises


Sailing Now Thru
March 31 2013


Royal Caribbean International

Monarch of the Seas®

Monarch of the Seas, will be leaving the Royal Caribbean fleet to sail for sister line Pullmantur. Tue ship is the oldest in the fleet, having sailed its maiden voyage in November, 1991. It will continue sailing 3 & 4-night Bahamas cruises thru it's final 3-night voyage March 29, 2013. The ship currently sails from Port Canaveral in Florida.

The 2,390-passenger, 73,941-ton ship will enter service for Pullmantur after a significant refurbishment. It will join its sister ship Sovereign (formerly Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas), which transferred over in 2008.

Gonzalo Chico Barbier, president and CEO of Pullmantur said "The transfer of Monarch of the Seas will reinforce Pullmantur in our Latin American growth strategy, and help us become one of the most widely recognized brands." 

Cruisers on the West Coast will remember Monarch as a main-stay serving San Diego with short weekend cruises to Ensenada, Mexico and Baja California. Many Crown & Anchor members frequently the ship which served as a training ground for crew members. Often the Monarch was the first ship to try something new, so it was a favorite ship of those travelers. It will certainly be missed by those that have fond memories of cruises gone by.

Ship Profile & Stats
Maiden Voyage 1991 (Refurbished: 2003)
Passengers (dbl) 2,766
Tonnage 73,937 Tons
Normal Crew Size 858
Length 880 feet
Crew Nationality International
Beam 106 feet
Nationality of Officers Norwegian
Draft 25 feet
Nationality of Dining Staff International
Speed 19 knots
Registration Country Norway

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