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82-454: Celestyal Crystal is a cruise ship , operated between 2007 and 2023 by the Cyprus -based Louis Group's Louis Cruise Lines and Celestyal Cruises . The ship was originally built as the cruiseferry Viking Saga in the 1980 at Wärtsilä Perno Shipyard and Turku Shipyard , Turku , Finland for Rederi Ab Sally . In 1986 she was renamed Sally Albatross , and rebuilt into a cruise ship

164-765: A museum ship , still gets underway several times a year for six-hour "Living History Cruises" that take the ship through Baltimore Harbor, down the Patapsco River , and into the Chesapeake Bay, and she is also the largest cruise ship operating under the American flag on the United States East Coast. Currently the three largest cruise line holding companies and operators in the world are Carnival Corporation & plc, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings . As an industry,

246-463: A North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down. The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years. Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines, which are companies that sell cruises to the public. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in

328-599: A Russian icebreaker. Silja Opera ' s cruises from Helsinki were not very popular, and in October 2004 she began making cruises from Stockholm to Tallinn (via Mariehamn in order to have tax-free sales on board). These too failed to find popularity, and in February 2005 she was transferred back to cruising from Helsinki. Around this same time her white-dominant livery was changed to one closely resembling her Sally -era livery, but with blue stripes instead of black. With

410-417: A combined capacity of 664,602 passengers. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $ 29.4 billion per year, and over 19 million passengers carried worldwide annually as of 2011 . The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to a North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele until

492-448: A crew deck with a swimming pool and hot tubs. The International Labour Organization 's 2006 Maritime Labour Convention is also known as the "Seafarers' Bill of Rights". Most cruise lines since the 2000s have to some extent priced the cruising experience à la carte , as passenger spending aboard generates significantly more than ticket sales. The passenger's ticket includes the stateroom accommodation, room service, unlimited meals in

574-517: A cruise ship at Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard . She did not become a "real" cruise ship as her cardecks were not built in. During conversion there was a fire on board, but it was extinguished by the shipyard staff. Renamed Sally Albatross , the ship entered service for the new Sally Cruise brand in May 1986. She was mainly used for cruising around the Baltic Sea from Helsinki. In 1987 Rederi Ab Sally

656-542: A day, making it the second largest concentration of Olympic accommodation behind the Olympic Village. This hosting solution has been used since then in Games held in coastal cities, such as at Sydney 2000 , Athens 2004 , London 2012 , Sochi 2014 , Rio 2016 and was going to be used at Tokyo 2020 . Cruise ships have been used to accommodate displaced persons during hurricanes. For example, on 1 September 2005,

738-451: A diverse range of ethnically themed restaurants aboard each ship. Ships also feature numerous bars and nightclubs for passenger entertainment; the majority of cruise lines do not include alcoholic beverages in their fares and passengers are expected to pay for drinks as they consume them. Most cruise lines also prohibit passengers from bringing aboard and consuming their own beverages, including alcohol, while aboard. Alcohol purchased duty-free

820-427: A few hundred passengers". After 1980, they offered increasing amenities. As of 2010, city-sized ships have dozens of amenities. There have been nine or more new cruise ships added every year since 2001, including the 11 members of the aforementioned Vista class, and all at 100,000  GT or greater. The only actual ocean liner to be completed in recent years has been Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 in 2004. Following

902-480: A new livery. On 27 June 2015, Celestyal Crystal collided with the tanker STI Pimlico in the Dardanelles off Gallipoli , Turkey. Three people sustained minor injuries. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic all cruises from March 16, 2020 to March 6, 2021 were suspended. Following the acquisition of the new Celestyal Journey , Celestyal Crystal was phased out, ending her last cruise on 20 August 2023. It

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984-524: A perimeter accessible only by passengers and not by locals. Ports of call have often oriented their own businesses and facilities towards meeting the needs of visiting cruise ships. In one case, Icy Strait Point in Alaska, the entire destination was created explicitly and solely for cruise ship visitors. On "cruises to nowhere" or "nowhere voyages", some cruise ships make two- to three-night round trips without visiting any ports of call. Travel to and from

1066-508: A reputation as "party ships" for younger travelers, but have become large, modern, yet still profitable, as well as Holland America Line and Cunard Line, whose ships cultivate an image of classic elegance. In 2004, Carnival had merged Cunard's headquarters with that of Princess Cruises in Santa Clarita, California so that administrative, financial and technology services could be combined, ending Cunard's history where it had operated as

1148-522: A reputation as a ship of bad luck amongst the public (she had after all burnt out completely once and partially sunk only a few years later, in addition to smaller mishaps), and this was not helped when in September 2003 she collided with three cargo-ships in Saint Petersburg , resulting in minor damage to all parties. Less than two months later, in almost precisely same spot, she collided with

1230-428: A result, the ship burned extensively for three days. All workers and crew (and an American actress who had been on board) were rescued by the fire brigade and a crane operator from the shipyard and there were no deaths. The burnt-out hull was first towed to Mäntyluoto , Finland, where she was partially scrapped, leaving only the hull below cardeck intact. After this the remains were towed into Naantali , Finland where

1312-688: A series of fires burned on the island. Most cruise ships sail the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Others operate elsewhere in places like Alaska , the South Pacific, the Baltic Sea and New England . A cruise ship that is moving from one of these regions to another will commonly operate a repositioning cruise while doing so. Expedition cruise lines, which usually operate small ships, visit certain more specialized destinations such as

1394-564: A standalone company (subsidiary) regardless of parent ownership. However, Cunard did regain some independence in 2009 when its headquarters were moved to Carnival House in Southampton. The common practice in the cruise industry in listing cruise ship transfers and orders is to list the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, as the recipient cruise line of the sale, transfer, or new order. In other words, Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, for example, are

1476-427: Is defined for the ship, often suits and ties or even tuxedos for men, and formal dresses for women. The menu is more upscale than usual. Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries, which may be open 24 hours and with menus that vary throughout the day to provide meals ranging from breakfast to late-night snacks. In recent years, cruise lines have started to include

1558-472: Is sealed and returned to passengers when they disembark. There is often a central galley responsible for serving all major restaurants aboard the ship, though specialty restaurants may have their own separate galleys. As with any vessel, adequate provisioning is crucial, especially on a cruise ship serving several thousand meals at each seating. For example, a quasi "military operation" is required to load and unload 3,600 passengers and eight tons of food at

1640-504: The Bahamas from July 1995 onwards. In March 2000 the ship was chartered for three years to Star Cruises (owners of Norwegian Cruise Line) who renamed her Superstar Taurus and used her on various cruises around Asia , mostly cruising from Japan . In December 2001 Star Cruises broke the charter contract and the ship was once again in the hands of Silja Line. Superstar Taurus sailed back to Europe, and between February and June 2002 she

1722-431: The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the entire industry all but shut down. The average age of a cruise ship in 2024 is 17.5 years. The construction market for cruise ships is dominated by three European companies and one Asian company. Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines. Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. Traditionally,

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1804-590: The Cyprus -based Louis Cruise Lines to replace MS Sea Diamond that had sunk some months before. After rebuilding at Pireus , Greece the ship was renamed MS Crystal and started service for the Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines -brand in July 2007. As part of Louis Cruise Lines re-brand as Celestyal Cruises, announced in November 2014, Crystal was renamed Celestyal Crystal and received

1886-478: The French Line 's SS  France (1961), and Cunard Line 's RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969) were designed to serve the dual purposes of ocean liner during the northern hemisphere summer months and cruise ship in the winter, incorporating doors and baffles that could be open or closed to divide classes or open the ship to one class, wherein all passengers received roughly the same quality berthing and most of

1968-554: The Oasis -class ships is the split, atrium structure, made possible by the hull's extraordinary width, with the 6-deck high Central Park and Boardwalk outdoor areas running down the middle of the ship and verandas on all decks. In two short decades (1988–2009), the largest class cruise ships have grown a third longer (268 to 364.75 m, 879 ft 3 in to 1,196 ft 8 in), doubled their widths (32.2 to 65.7 m, 105 ft 8 in to 215 ft 7 in), nearly tripled

2050-703: The Schiffbaugesellschaft Unterweser in 1972 to become Schichau Unterweser and with Seebeckwerft in 1988 to become Schichau Seebeckwerft . The company was then bought by Bremer Vulkan and initially closed in 1996. The new SSW Schichau Seebeck Shipyard GmbH , founded in 1998, was closed in 2009. With its long history of major shipbuilding, the company is also known as Schichau-Werft , or Schichau Seebeck Shipyard ( Werft meaning shipyard ). The following vessels are often cited as being built by Schichau Seebeckwerft, but were actually designed and built by A.G. Weser Seebeckwerft prior to

2132-758: The South Pacific , and the Baltic Sea . Large cruise ships have been identified as one of the major causes of overtourism . Italy, a traditional focus of the Grand Tour , offered an early cruise experience on the Francesco I , flying the flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies . Built in 1831, the Francesco I sailed from Naples in early June 1833, preceded by an advertising campaign. Nobles, authorities, and royal princes from all over Europe boarded

2214-626: The "megaships" of Carnival and Royal Caribbean—designed such that virtually all of their suites are balconies. Several specialty lines offer "expedition cruising" or only operate small ships, visiting certain destinations such as the Arctic and Antarctica, or the Galápagos Islands . John W. Brown , which formerly operated as part of the United States Merchant Marine during World War II before being converted to

2296-488: The 1960s, intercontinental travelers switched from ships to planes, sending the ocean liner trade into a terminal decline. Certain characteristics of older ocean liners made them unsuitable for cruising duties, such as high fuel consumption, deep draught preventing them from entering shallow ports, and cabins (often windowless) designed to maximize passenger numbers rather than comfort. In the late 1950s and 1960s, ships such as Holland America Line 's SS  Rotterdam (1959),

2378-432: The 1990s led to many cruise lines being bought by much larger holding companies and continue to operate as "brands" or subsidiaries of the holding company. Brands continue to be maintained partly because of the expectation of repeat customer loyalty, and also to offer different levels of quality and service. For instance, Carnival Corporation & plc owns both Carnival Cruise Line , whose former image were vessels that had

2460-565: The Arctic and Antarctica, or the Galápagos Islands . Schichau Seebeckwerft The original company Schichau was founded in 1837 by Ferdinand Schichau in Elbing (Elbląg) as F. Schichau . It started by manufacturing steam engines and heavy equipment, later locomotives . In 1854 Schichau built a shipyard in Elbing. A new large shipyard in Danzig was opened in 1890 (later becoming a part of

2542-641: The Helsinki — Stockholm route into a popular cruise route. In June 1982, the ship was sold by Rederi Ab Sally to Suomen Yritysrahoitus , who chartered her back to Sally. In 1985 the Viking Saga hit bottom near Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago, and had to be docked in Stockholm. After MS Olympia replaced her on the Helsinki — Stockholm route in April 1986, the Viking Saga was rebuilt for use as

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2624-811: The Polish Gdańsk Shipyard after 1945). In 1929 the shipyard was bought by the German government. Another shipyard was completed in 1906 near Bremerhaven . In 1930 the company also bought a small yard in Königsberg . After 1945 shipyards in Danzig, Königsberg and Elbing were found on the Soviet and Polish territories, and the company restarted business in Bremerhaven in West Germany , merging with

2706-561: The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contracted three Carnival Cruise Lines vessels ( Carnival Fantasy , the former Carnival Holiday , and the Carnival Sensation ) to house Hurricane Katrina evacuees. In 2017, cruise ships were used to help transport residents from some Caribbean islands destroyed by Hurricane Irma , as well as Puerto Rico residents displaced by Hurricane Maria . The cruise ships have also been used for evacuations. In 2010, in response to

2788-466: The abandoned Vuosaari shipyard (where she arrived on 20 April) where the most necessary repairs were made. After inspection it was determined that the cost to repair the damage would be around 200 million FIM ($ 35 million USD ). In October 1994 the ship was towed to La Spezia , Italy where she was repaired and rebuilt for international cruise traffic. She was then chartered to Norwegian Cruise Line who renamed her Leeward and put her on cruises in

2870-486: The addition of a casino and other entertainment amenities, the crossing was advertised as a vacation in itself. The 1977–1986 television series The Love Boat helped to popularize the concept as a romantic opportunity for couples. Industry experts credit the series with increasing interest in the cruise industry, especially for those that weren't newlyweds or senior citizens, and for the resulting demand to spur investment in new ships instead of conversions. The influence

2952-869: The base fare on Regent Seven Seas ships includes most alcoholic beverages on board ship and most shore excursions in ports of call, as well as all gratuities that would normally be paid to hotel staff on the ship. The fare may also include a one-night hotel stay before boarding, and the air fare to and from the cruise's origin and destination ports. Many cruise lines have loyalty programs . Using these and by booking inexpensive tickets, some people have found it cheaper to live continuously on cruise ships instead of on land. Cruise ships and former liners sometimes find use in applications other than those for which they were built. Due to slower speed and reduced seaworthiness, as well as being largely introduced after several major wars, cruise ships have also been used as troop transport vessels. By contrast, ocean liners were often seen as

3034-659: The beginning and end of each cruise, for the Royal Princess . Modern cruise ships typically have aboard some or all of the following facilities: Some ships have bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, sky-diving simulators, miniature golf courses, video arcades, ziplines, surfing simulators, water slides, basketball courts, tennis courts, chain restaurants, ropes obstacle courses, and even roller coasters. Crew are usually hired on three to eleven month contracts which may then be renewed as mutually agreed, depending on service ratings from passengers as well as

3116-428: The company's group insurance plan. The direct salary is low by North American standards, though restaurant staff have considerable earning potential from passenger tips. Crew members do not have any expenses while on board, because food and accommodation, medical care, and transportation for most employees, are included. Bard College at Simon's Rock professor Francisca Oyogoa states that "Crewing agencies often exploit

3198-706: The cruise lines from this common industry practice point of view; whereas Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Group , for example, can be considered holding corporations of cruise lines. This industry practice of using the smaller operating company, not the larger holding corporation, is also followed in the list of cruise lines and in member-based reviews of cruise lines. Some cruise lines have specialties; for example, Saga Cruises only allows passengers over 50 years old aboard their ships, and Star Clippers and formerly Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and Windstar Cruises only operate tall ships . Regent Seven Seas Cruises operates medium-sized vessels—smaller than

3280-473: The cruise ship business has been volatile. The ships are large capital investments with high operating costs. A persistent decrease in bookings can put a company in financial jeopardy. Cruise lines have sold, renovated, or renamed their ships to keep up with travel trends. Cruise lines operate their ships almost constantly. If the maintenance is unscheduled, it can result, potentially, in thousands of dissatisfied customers. A wave of failures and consolidations in

3362-472: The cruise ship, which sailed in just over three months to Taormina , Catania , Syracuse , Malta , Corfu , Patras , Delphi , Zante , Athens , Smyrna and Constantinople , providing passengers with excursions and guided tours. P&O first introduced passenger-cruising services in 1844, advertising sea tours to destinations such as Gibraltar , Malta and Athens, sailing from Southampton . The forerunner of modern cruise holidays , these voyages were

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3444-405: The cyclical nature of the cruise line operator. Most staff work 77-hour work weeks for 10 months continuously followed by two months of vacation. There are no paid vacations or pensions for service, non-management crew, depending on the level of the position and the type of the contract. Non-service and management crew members get paid vacation, medical, retirement options, and can participate in

3526-465: The desperation of potential employees." Living arrangements vary by cruise line, but mostly by shipboard position. In general two employees share a cabin with a shower, commode and a desk with a television set, while senior officers are assigned single cabins. There is a set of facilities for the crew separate from that for passengers, such as mess rooms and bars, recreation rooms, prayer rooms/mosques, and fitness center, with some larger ships even having

3608-422: The first "mega-cruise ship". The main exception was Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 : although being put on more cruises, she maintained the regular transatlantic crossing tradition throughout the year, but with a stronger focus on leisure passengers, catering to a niche market of those who appreciated the several days at sea. International celebrities were hired to perform acts on board, along with cabarets , and with

3690-424: The first of their kind. P&O Cruises is the world's oldest cruise line . The company later introduced round trips to destinations such as Alexandria and Constantinople. It underwent a period of rapid expansion in the latter half of the 19th century, commissioning larger and more luxurious ships to serve the steadily expanding market. Notable ships of the era include SS  Ravenna built in 1880, which became

3772-524: The first ship built with a total steel superstructure, and SS  Valetta built in 1889. The cruise of Augusta Victoria in the Mediterranean and the Near East from 22 January to 22 March 1891, with 241 passengers including Albert Ballin and wife themselves, is often stated to have been the first ever cruise. Christian Wilhelm Allers published an illustrated account of it as Backschisch . The first vessel built exclusively for luxury cruising

3854-499: The following year. The ship was destroyed by a fire in 1990, and completely rebuilt at Finnyards , Rauma, Finland . She was re-delivered in 1992, still named Sally Albatross . After partially sinking 1994 she was rebuilt at Industrie Navali Meccaniche Affini , La Spezia , Italy , re-entering service as Leeward for Norwegian Cruise Line . Subsequently she sailed as SuperStar Taurus for Star Cruises , Silja Opera for Silja Line . After being temporarily renamed Opera she

3936-407: The hot work. Due to the danger of gas bottles ( oxy-acetylene used in the reconstruction) exploding in the heat, the fire brigade withdrew from the interior of two decks under reconstruction, after having rescued the two crew members that were missing during the initial phase of the fire. Further fire fighting was conducted from the outside and from the decks above and below the reconstruction work. As

4018-610: The hull was tugged after to Turku Shipyard for outfitting. In 1979-1981 the Baltic ferry operators Silja Line and Viking Line brought several new cruiseferries to the routes connecting Stockholm to Helsinki and Turku . Viking Line received a total of four new ships in 1980 alone, three of which were built for Rederi AB Sally. The Viking Saga and her sister ship MS Viking Song were built by Wärtsilä (now Aker Finnyards ) in Turku , Finland. MS Viking Sally (later MS Estonia )

4100-520: The last time bound for lay up at Tilbury Docks , located to the east of Greater London . The ship arrived on 25 May, soon afterwards the Silja Line markings were painted over and her ownership was transferred to SeaContainers , then the parent company of Silja Line. At the same time she was changed from Swedish to Bahamian flag and her name was shortened to Opera . In May 2007 the Opera was sold to

4182-605: The late-19th century, Albert Ballin, director of the Hamburg-America Line, was the first to send his transatlantic ships out on long southern cruises during the worst of the North Atlantic winter seasons. Other companies followed suit. Some of them built specialized ships designed for easy transformation between summer crossings and winter cruising. In 1897 three luxury liners, all European-owned, offered transportation between Europe and North America. In 1906

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4264-744: The main dining room (or main restaurant) and buffet, access to shows, and use of pool and gym facilities, while there is a daily gratuity charge to cover housekeeping and waiter service. However, there are extra charges for alcohol and soft drinks, official cruise photos, Internet and wi-fi access, and specialty restaurants. Cruise lines earn significantly from selling onshore excursions offered by local contractors; keeping 50% or more of what passengers spend for these tours. In addition, cruise ships earn significant commissions on sales from onshore stores that are promoted on board as "preferred" (as much as 40% of gross sales). Facilitating this practice are modern cruise terminals with establishments of duty-free shops inside

4346-511: The mass cruising market. They also were the first series of cruise ships to include a multi-story lobby with a glass elevator and had a single deck devoted entirely to cabins with private balconies, instead of oceanview cabins. Other cruise lines soon launched ships with similar attributes, such as the Fantasy class , leading up to the Panamax -type Vista class , designed such that two-thirds of

4428-526: The name better). In September that same year Sally Albatross was transferred to Silja Line , who also were a part of the EffJohn concern. Despite joining the Silja fleet Sally Albatross ' old colour scheme and Sally Cruise funnel colours were maintained. Although the 1980 ship and the 1992 ship appear unalike, both externally and internally, they share the same IMO number because they are technically

4510-605: The number had increased to seven. The British Inman Line owned City of Paris , the Cunard Line had Campania and Lucania . The White Star Line owned Majestic and Teutonic . La Lorraine and La Savoie sailed for the French Compagnie Générale Transatlantique . Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners. With the advent of large passenger jet aircraft in

4592-401: The oceanview staterooms have balconies. As the veranda suites were particularly lucrative for cruise lines, something which was lacking in older ocean liners, recent cruise ships have been designed to maximize such amenities and have been described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums". Until 1975–1980, cruises offered shuffleboard , deck chairs, "drinks with umbrellas and little else for

4674-539: The port of departure is usually the passengers' responsibility, although purchasing a transfer pass from the cruise line for the trip between the airport and cruise terminal will guarantee that the ship will not leave until the passenger is aboard. Similarly, if the passenger books a shore excursion with the cruise line and the tour runs late, the ship is obliged to remain until the passenger returns. Luxury cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Crystal Cruises market their fares as "all-inclusive". For example,

4756-574: The pride of their country and used to rival liners of other nations, and have been requisitioned during both World Wars and the Falklands War to transport soldiers and serve as hospital ships . During the 1992 Summer Olympics , eleven cruise ships docked at the Port of Barcelona for an average of 18 days, served as floating hotels to help accommodate the large influx of visitors to the Games. They were available to sponsors and hosted 11,000 guests

4838-454: The remaining hull was cut into several sections. These were then transported to Finnyards shipyard in Rauma, Finland where they were used as the basis of a new ship with the project name Sally Eurocruiser . She was to be a genuine cruiseship, without a cardeck. The hull was lengthened by 13 meters compared to the original, and the passenger (cabin) capacity was increased by 452, so the new ship

4920-517: The retirement of her running mate Queen Elizabeth 2 in November 2008, Queen Mary 2 is the only liner operating on scheduled transatlantic service, though she also sees significant service on cruise routes. Queen Mary 2 was for a time the largest passenger ship before being surpassed by Royal Caribbean International 's Freedom -class vessels in 2006. The Freedom -class ships were in turn overtaken by RCI's own Oasis -class vessels which entered service in 2009 and 2010. A distinctive feature of

5002-591: The same facilities. (Passengers in cabins in certain grades on the Queen Elizabeth 2 had access only to certain dining rooms). Ocean liner services almost ceased in the 1970s and 1980s. The Rotterdam was put on permanent cruise service in 1968, while the France (at the time the largest passenger vessel in the world) was mothballed in 1974, sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1979, and after major renovations relaunched as SS  Norway in 1980, thus becoming

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5084-629: The same ship as the first. The new Sally Albatross was delivered to Sally Cruise on 23 March 1992 and started doing cruises in the Baltic Sea with Helsinki as the port of departure, in a similar arrangement as she had done in the late 80's. In July of the same year she was chartered to Svea 92 (a Swedish consortium for advancing exports) as a hotel and conference ship for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona for 1 000 000 Finnish markka per day. Originally Svea 92 had wanted to charter Silja Line's Swedish-flagged MS Svea (which would have matched

5166-409: The same ship. On 4 March 1994 Sally Albatross ran aground in the ice covered sea outside Porkkala . She was towed to shallow waters and her passengers evacuated. After this the ship was left on site, listing badly. While preparations were made to re-float her. Re-floating the ship proved to be a complicated process, and it was not until 16 April that the ship was afloat again. She was then towed to

5248-519: The same time the ships livery was altered, in addition to the light and dark blue stripes running along the hull black stripes were painted along the windows of the superstructure, giving the ship an even more streamlined appearance. The cost of the reconstruction was 35 million Finnish markka . In January 1990, while docked at the Finnboda Shipyard in Nacka , Sweden , for reconstruction of

5330-540: The ship continuing to lose money, in September 2005 Silja Line made public its plans to use cheaper foreign workforce on board. However they could not do so under the terms Swedish maritime worker's collective labour agreement. Two months later Silja Line decided to cut costs by concentrating on their core markets and the Silja Opera , alongside the prestigious GTS Finnjet , was to be sold. In January 2006 Silja Opera made her last cruises from Helsinki, after which she

5412-560: The ship's events (such as shows and performances) for the late diners, but this problem is usually fixed by having a shorter version of the event take place before late dinner. Cunard Line ships maintain the class tradition of ocean liners and have separate dining rooms for different types of suites, while Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises have a standard dining room and "upgrade" specialty restaurants that require pre-booking and cover charges. Many cruises schedule one or more "formal dining" nights. Guests dress "formally", however, that

5494-437: The ship's restaurants, nightclub and conference facilities, practically the entire superstructure of the ship was damaged beyond repair by a fire which had started from drops of liquid metal sparkling on flammable material. The ships' sprinkler system was turned off for the duration of the docking, fire hydrants were dry and the temporary fire water supply was disconnected. In addition to this the fire watchman left for lunch during

5576-554: The ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries. Most cruise ships sail the Caribbean or the Mediterranean . Others operate elsewhere in places like Alaska ,

5658-401: The ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise; a recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Having two dinner times allows the ship to have enough time and space to accommodate all of its guests. Having two different dinner services can cause some conflicts with some of

5740-476: The shutdown of UK airspace due to the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the newly completed Celebrity Eclipse was used to rescue 2,000 British tourists stranded in Spain as an act of goodwill by the owners. The ship departed from Southampton for Bilbao on 21 April, and returned on 23 April. A cruise ship was kept on standby in case inhabitants of Kangaroo Island required evacuation in 2020 after

5822-419: The total number of cabins on all of the world's cruise ships amount to less than 2% of the world's hotel rooms. Cruise ships are organized much like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship's crew. It is not uncommon for the most luxurious ships to have more crew and staff than passengers. Dining on almost all cruise ships is included in the cruise price. Traditionally,

5904-582: The total passenger count (2,744 to 7,600), and more than tripled in volume (73,000 to 248,000 GT). Also, the "megaships" went from a single deck with verandas to all decks with verandas. As of November 2022 there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 664,602 passengers. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with an estimated market of $ 29.4 billion per year, and over 19 million passengers carried worldwide annually as of 2011 . The industry's rapid growth saw nine or more newly built ships catering to

5986-451: The transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager . Among cruise lines, some are direct descendants of the traditional passenger shipping lines (such as Cunard), while others were founded from the 1960s specifically for cruising. Historically,

6068-677: Was Prinzessin Victoria Luise of the German Empire, designed by Albert Ballin, general manager of the Hamburg-America Line . The ship was completed in 1900. The practice of luxury cruising made steady inroads into the more established market for transatlantic crossings . In the competition for passengers, ocean liners – Titanic being the most famous example – added luxuries such as fine dining , luxury services , and staterooms with finer appointments. In

6150-426: Was actually larger than the old one. One notable piece retained from the original ship were the engines. The cost of the rebuilding was approximately 700 million Finnish markka. In essence this was a completely new ship, and she is usually listed as such in most sources. Her owners decided to keep the name Sally Albatross , which has led to some sources (and many passengers) to consider the second Sally Albatross to be

6232-710: Was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg , Germany . Two of the Sally ships have been involved in a total of three serious accidents. The Viking Saga was the first genuine cruiseferry in Finland — Sweden traffic. The interior and exterior design of her and her sister was heavily influenced by those of GTS Finnjet of 1977. The Viking Saga and Viking Song , alongside Silja Line's contemporary MS Finlandia and MS Silvia Regina , were instrumental in turning

6314-467: Was in service with Louis Group as Louis Cristal and later Celestyal Crystal . The ship was originally built in 1980 for Rederi Ab Sally , one of Viking Line partners as the cruiseferry MS Viking Saga . The bow and stern modules were built at Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard and the middle part was made at Wärtsilä Perno Shipyard . The modules were assembled together and the ship was launched in Perno and

6396-494: Was particularly notable for Princess Cruises , a line that partnered with the series and received a great deal of attention as a result. Contemporary cruise ships built in the late 1980s and later, such as the Sovereign class which broke the size record held for decades by Norway , showed characteristics of size once reserved for ocean liners. The Sovereign -class ships were the first "megaships" to be built specifically for

6478-823: Was reported that the ship was sold to Shimizu Cruises , to operate as Erena on cruises in Japan starting from 2024, but this was denied by Celestyal. Cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing . Unlike ocean liners , which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on tours known as "shore excursions". Modern cruise ships tend to have less hull strength, speed, and agility compared to ocean liners. However, they have added amenities to cater to water tourists , with recent vessels being described as "balcony-laden floating condominiums". As of November 2022 there were 302 cruise ships operating worldwide, with

6560-464: Was sold to its rivals Effoa and Johnson Line . In January–February 1988 the Sally Albatross was comprehensively rebuilt at Schichau Seebeckwerft , Bremerhaven , West Germany , where additional cabin were built on the former upper cardeck, the forward superstructure was built to a more streamlined appearance and smaller changes were made to the bow and other parts of the superstructure. At

6642-407: Was transferred to the Turku —Mariehamn— Kapellskär route in place of MS Silja Europa (that was in turn transferred to Helsinki—Stockholm route while the normal ships of that route were being rebuilt). On 13 February 2006, the Silja Opera stopped sailing for Silja Line, and three days later she was laid up Stockholm, waiting for potential buyers. On 22 May 2006, Silja Opera left Stockholm for

6724-510: Was vastly rebuilt at Turku Repair Yard , Naantali , Finland for cruise service on the Baltic Sea. On 1 June 2002 the ship was renamed Silja Opera and placed under Swedish flag. Silja Opera (re)started cruising the Baltic Sea on 29 June 2002, with Helsinki as the starting point. She followed a similar itinerary as she had done as Sally Albatross , making one-day cruise from Helsinki and two-night cruises to Visby , Riga (discontinued after one season) and St. Petersburg . The ship already had

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