Majestic International Cruises

Majestic International Cruises, also known as Majestic Cruises,[4] is a Greek owned cruise liner that is based in Glyfada, a suburb of Athens located in Greece.[5] The company was founded in the late 1980s and has expanded operations to throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. Currently the cruise liner operated its main ship, the Ocean Majesty, in main scheduled operations.[6][7]

Majestic International Cruises
TypeWholly owned Subsidiary
IndustryTravel and Tourism
FoundedLate 1980s in Athens, Greece
HeadquartersGlyfada,
Athens
,
Greece
Area served
Europe, Mediterranean Sea
Key people
Michael Lambros, President[1]
Costa Zalacosta, Director
Theodore Kontes, COO[2]
ProductsCruise line
ParentKollakis Group[3]
Websitewww.majesticcruises.gr

History

Late 1980s through 1990s

The Majestic International Cruises group was founded in the late 1980s by a group interested in commercial production and cruising. By 1994, the cruise liner purchased its first ship, the Ocean Majesty, which had seen a major re-construction prior to its service converting from a ferry to a cruise liner.[8] By 1998, a second ship was adopted to the fleet which was renamed to the SS Ocean Explorer I, which serviced as a hotel ship for the 1998 Expo 98 in Lisbon, Portugal.[9]

2000s

As Majestic gained momentum, the group bought their third ship in 2002 which was renamed to the Ocean Monarch. The ship had previously serviced the European continent. In 2004, the SS Ocean Explorer I was laid up and sold to an Indian scrap yard.[6] Later in 2004, Majestic sent its Ocean Monarch to aid as a hospital ship during the relief efforts of the tsunami victims during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[10][11]

2010s

On November 30, 2013, the Ocean Countess went ablaze off the coast of Greece after a fire broke out on the passenger Deck 5.[12] At the time, the ship was laid in port following the termination of its charter from Cruise & Maritime Voyages and only had five crew members aboard, all of which survived.[13] The ship sustained major damage and was subsequently sold to a scrap yard in Aliağa, Turkey in 2014.[14][15]

On September 17, 2014, Majestic's Ocean Majesty was one of the first cruising vessels to reach Crimea in years.[16][17] However with its call to port, it was criticized that it was violating the European Union's sanctions on Crimea.[18]

During 2015, Lambros reported that cruises were down from the previous year in the Greek isles noting that the financial economy in Greece has weakened the cruise liners activity and cruises would continue to shrink in the Mediterranean Sea.[19][20][21]

Fleet

Current Fleet
Ship Class Year Built Entered service for Majestic Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Ocean Majesty Ocean Class 1966 1994–present 10,417 GT[7][22] Portugal Oldest and only ship in service for Majestic International Cruises fleet.

Former Fleet
Ship Class Year Built Years serviced for Majestic Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Ocean Countess Ocean Class 1976 2004–2005 17,593 GT[23] Portugal Chartered to Holiday Kreuzfahrten cruise line in 2005.[24] Subsequently, scrapped in 2014 after a fire broke out on the 5th deck in 2013.[12]
Ocean Monarch Ocean Class 1955 2002–2003, 2006–2007 15,883 GT[25] Greece Chartered to Page & Moy in 2003, sold to Monarch Classic Cruises in 2007.[26]
Ocean Explorer I Ocean Class 1944 1998–2004 20,071 GT[27] Greece Sold to India scrap yard in 2004.[28]

See also

References
  1. "Monarch Classic Cruises Management". www.mycruiseship.info. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  2. "Theofore Kontes". www.posidoniaseatourism.com. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  3. "Cruise Ship owners and Operators" (PDF). www.amem.at. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  4. "MAJESTIC INTERNATIONAL CRUISES - Overview". www.aihitdata.com. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  5. "Majestic". www.stazionimarittimegenova.com. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  6. Smith, Peter C. (2014-03-31). Cruise Ships The Small Scale Fleet: A Visiual Showcase. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781781592816.
  7. "Ocean Majesty itinerary, current position | CruiseMapper". www.cruisemapper.com. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  8. Co, Lakeside Publishing (1996-12-01). Cruise Travel. Lakeside Publishing Co.
  9. "Majestic International Cruises - Simplon Postcards". www.simplonpc.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  10. "Greek floating hospital to help Trinco tsunami victims". www.tamilnet.com. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  11. Niles, Hezekiah (1849-01-01). Niles' Weekly Register: Volume 74.
  12. "Feuer auf der Ocean Countess in griechischer Werft". Cruisetricks.de Kreuzfahrt-Ratgeber (in German). Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  13. "Update: Cruise Ship Ablaze Off The Coast of Greece". Cruise Critic. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  14. "Ship Scrapping". merseyshipping.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  15. "NGO Ship breaking Platform" (PDF). www.shipbreakingplatform.org. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  16. "Немцы прорвали блокаду Крыма". Газета.Ru. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  17. "BSNews :: Греческий лайнер OCEAN MAJESTY с немецкими туристами не рискнул заходить в Одессу после оккупированной Ялты - подробности". BSNews. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  18. "Maritime Bulletin - Greek cruise liner Ocean Majesty with German tourists violated EU sanctions, Crimea". www.news.odin.tc. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  19. "Αρνητικό πρόσημο για την κρουαζιέρα στον Πειραιά για δεύτερη σερί χρονιά". www.naftemporiki.gr. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  20. "Τα νησιά "σώζουν" την ελληνική κρουαζιέρα". www.zougla.gr. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  21. "Οι εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας ετοιμάζονται να πάρουν τα πλοία τους από την Ελλάδα". www.protothema.gr. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  22. "OCEAN MAJESTY - Passengers Ship: current position and details | IMO 6602898, MMSI 255717000, Callsign CQSC | Registered in Portugal - AIS Marine Traffic". Marinetraffic.com. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  23. "Ocean Countess cruises ship - Monarch Classic Cruises". www.greek-cruises.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  24. "M/S CUNARD COUNTESS (1975)". www.faktaomfartyg.se. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  25. "Princess Daphne - Cruises". www.cruising.com.au. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  26. "Port Sydney - Akrotiri Express - Daphne - Switzerland - (Ocean Odyssey?) - Ocean Monarch - Hellenic Aid - Ocean Monarch". www.simplonpc.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  27. "OCEAN EXPLORER I - IMO 5284053 - Callsign 3FKD8 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker". www.shipspotting.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  28. "Transport (AP)". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
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