Last Look: Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas [PHOTOS]

Like other much-loved ships we’ve had to say farewell to in recent weeks, Monarch of the Seas has taken her final voyage.

cruise ship exterior
Monarch of the Seas

While the ship — which had many loyal fans over the years — would have met this sad fate eventually, as do they all, we can’t help but feel she was felled prematurely by the current crisis rocking the entire cruise industry.

Other ships in our Last Look series:

Like sister ship Sovereign of the Seas, Monarch once proudly sailed as part of the Royal Caribbean fleet.

Both were eventually transferred to Pullmantur, with Sovereign making the transition in 2008, and Monarch joining her in 2013.

As we pay our final respects to the ship, we look back at her storied history and reflect fondly on the memories she helped her passengers create.

Monarch Royal Caribbean Cruise
Monarch of the Seas nearing completion at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France. (ROYAL CARIBBEAN)

Monarch of the Seas Specifications 

Just The Facts
Gross Tonnage:73,941
Length:880.3 feet
Year Built:1991
Passenger Count:2,354 at double occupancy
Crew:822
Monarch Royal Caribbean Ship
The Monarch of the Seas (aka hull number A30) builder’s plate.

Being the second vessel in a trio of pioneering cruise ships is the maritime equivalent of life as a bridesmaid and never the bride.

The first ship in this case, the 1988-built Sovereign Of The Seas, received the lion’s share of the fanfare, while the last, the 1992-built Majesty Of The Seas, will always be considered the “most evolved” in the class. 

Monarch Royal Caribbean Ship
The Monarch of the Seas had a carved wooden crest over her Pool Bar.

And yet, despite her somewhat diminished status as the middle sister, the 1991-built Monarch of the Seas will nonetheless be fondly remembered as a stunner for her sheer architectural beauty, forward-thinking design and reliability. 

Royal Caribbean Monarch Ship
Monarch of the Seas

Approximately 400-tons larger than the 73,529-ton Sovereign — thanks to the forward extension of the superstructure above the wheelhouse — she was just as fetching.

Indeed, the Sovereign-class is considered by many ship lovers to be among the last truly beautiful cruise ships ever built.

Monarch Lido Pool Royal Caribbean
Monarch of the Seas Lido Pool

Their identifying features include long clipper bows, layer cake superstructures, funnels festooned with spaceship-like Viking Crown lounges, terraced and rounded aft superstructures and beautifully sculpted sterns. 

All one has to do is compare the artful profile of the Monarch of the Seas to a 21st-century ship like the Norwegian Epic to see how much cruise ship architecture has aesthetically devolved over the years.

Monarch promenade Royal Caribbean
The port promenade facing aft.

Built for the sunny Caribbean, the Monarch of the Seas boasted a midship lido with two large saltwater pools and a fully encircling promenade deck.

Monarch Casino Royale Ship
Monarch’s Casino Royale featured slots and a myriad of other gaming options.
Monarch Brigadoon Dining Room
The Brigadoon Dining Room, facing aft.
Monarch Windjammer Cafe Lido Buffet
The Windjammer Cafe was the Monarch’s casual dining venue.

Additionally, she had a huge casino, a dedicated movie theater (in lieu of the two small theaters on the Sovereign), a conference center, two main dining rooms (The Flower Drum Song and the Brigadoon, later renamed Mediterraneo and Atlantico), as well as the Windjammer Cafe buffet (later known as Delicias Buffet de Mercado).

Monarch Ship Show Lounge
The Sound of Music Lounge, facing aft.

A large, tiered showroom called the Sound of Music Lounge (later just known as the Theater) was situated aft on the ship.

Other lounges, all initially taking their names from Broadway and film musicals, included An American in Paris Lounge (later Pura Vida Bar)  and the Ain’t Misbehavin’ Nightclub (later Disco Luz de Luna).

Monarch Sun Deck Ship
The Monarch had a turf-lined sunning deck surrounding the mast at the top of the ship.

The Monarch featured spacious sunning decks, a large fitness center, a jogging track, a basketball court, two saunas, four whirlpools, shuffleboard courts, a children’s playroom (in addition to the teen center), a beauty salon and several duty-free shops. 

Monarch Schooner Piano Bar
The nautically-themed Schooner Piano Bar was located next to the casino.
Monarch Viking Crown Lounge
The Viking Crown offered spectacular views from the base of the Monarch’s funnel.

As with the other ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet, there was a nautically-themed Schooner Bar (later Encuentro Cafe y Mas) and the visually stunning Viking Crown (later known as Antalya 360), which offered 360-degree views through full-length windows from the base of the funnel.

Monarch Centrum Atrium Ship
The multi-deck Centrum was in the heart of the ship.
Monarch Mural Centrum Ship
A large painted mural towered over the Centrum.

Guests entered the ship via the multi-deck Centrum, a marble and brass-festooned atrium that would soon be dwarfed by those in Royal Caribbean’s next generation of Vision-class ships. 

The ship’s overall internal look was contemporary and somewhat modest compared to the flashy “entertainment decor” of competitor Carnival’s fleet.

Monarch Suite Bridge Deck Ship
Monarch of the Seas had a dozen suites with separate sitting areas on Bridge Deck, just aft of the wheelhouse.
Monarch Balcony Royal Caribbean
The Monarch of the Seas was the first ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet to be fitted with balconies.

There were twelve large suites with separate sitting areas, marble bathrooms and balconies on Bridge Deck. 

Monarch Stateroom Royal Caribbean
A standard outside stateroom on the Monarch of the Seas was compact but comfortable.

Most of the ship’s standard staterooms tended to be a bit smaller than those of competing lines.    

Saying Farewell to Monarch of the Seas

Monarch Pullmantur Ship
Monarch in Pullmantur colors in Curacao.  Photo by Russ Willoughby.

One of the first cruise ship casualties of the 2020 pandemic, the former Monarch of the Seas has operated as the Monarch for Royal Caribbean’s Spanish-speaking Pullmantur division since 2013. 

Sporting a smart blue hull and still looking pristine, the Monarch was de-stored of equipment and fittings at Naples earlier this year when Royal Caribbean announced it was shutting down Pullmantur. 

Seeking to divest itself, the parent company immediately sold all three of the Pullmantur ships, which also included the Sovereign, the former Sovereign of the Seas, and the former Celebrity Cruises’ ship Horizon built-in 1990, to Turkish shipbreakers. 

After making a pit stop at Malta, the Monarch set her final course for Aliaga, a scrapyard that is just north of the city of Izmir on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

Pullmantur Monarch Bridge Ship
Monarch of the Seas bridge, facing starboard.

In late July, Monarch’s crew was tasked with the sad process of running the ship up onto the beach where she would be demolished over the next several months. 

Sovereign would soon follow, coming to rest along Monarch’s port side and the Carnival Fantasy would beach next to Sovereign, just days later, followed by Carnival Inspiration

History: How Monarch Of The Seas Changed The Game

Monarch Royal Caribbean Ship
Monarch of the Seas off Catalina.

 Although it was the Sovereign that changed the game, the Monarch certainly helped establish the new generation of mega cruise ships that paved the way for even larger ships to come. 

She also helped Royal Caribbean evolve into the powerhouse company it is today.

Fun Facts About The Monarch of the Seas

Normandie Ship Book
A stern view of the magnificent Normandie.  From “The Only Way To Cross” by John Maxtone-Graham.
Sovereign Royal Caribbean Ship
A stern view of the Sovereign of the Seas.

The Sovereign-class sterns were not only lovely to look at but also meant to emulate that of the opulent French liner Normandie, which was built in 1933 by the legendary Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard at St. Nazaire, France, not coincidentally the yard that proudly built the Sovereign-class over a half-century later.

Monarch Royal Caribbean Ship
The Monarch of the Seas had an especially handsome forward superstructure, as seen from the ship’s bow off Baja, California.

The Monarch was slightly larger than the Sovereign, making her the largest passenger ship in the world when she debuted. 

The Majesty was identical to the Monarch in size and would share that status until Princess Cruises 77,000-ton Sun Princess entered service in 1995. 

Monarch of the Seas was the first ship to have a dedicated teen night club called Flashes, located aft on the Sun Deck.

Monarch Lauren Bacall Godmother
Godmother Lauren Bacall with Royal Caribbean’s CEO, Richard Fain, on christening day. Photo credit:  Royal Caribbean.

The Monarch of the Seas was christened in Miami by legendary movie star Lauren Bacall.

She was the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature suites with balconies.

In 2007, the vessel became the first major cruise ship in the world to have a female captain, Karin Stahre-Janson.

Monarch of the Seas Past Incidents 

Monarch Shipyard Royal Caribbean
The Monarch of the Seas bow being fitted at Chantiers de l’Atlantique.   

On December 3, 1990, while under construction, the Monarch of the Seas caught fire in the shipyard and suffered damage to the forward end of the ship, delaying the building process by six months.

On December 15, 1998, the ship struck a reef and tore a 131 by 6-foot gash along her starboard hull off St. Maarten, flooding three of her compartments. 

In order to avoid sinking, the Monarch of the Seas was grounded on a sandbar where all passengers were safely disembarked.  After refloating, she spent three months undergoing repairs in Mobile, Alabama. 

In August 2005, three crew members were killed and 19 others were injured by deadly gases when the ship experienced a sewage leak in Los Angeles.

Monarch Royal Caribbean Ship
Facing aft from the Monarch of the Seas starboard wing while underway.

In 2006, 38-year-old Captain Joern Rene Klausen was found dead in his stateroom of natural causes.

Refurbishments

Monarch Rock Climbing Wall
Monarch of the Seas rock climbing wall.

Monarch of the Seas was given a major refit in 1997 and again in 2003, when the rock climbing wall was added aft of her Viking Crown.

In 2013, when she was transferred to Pullmantur, the Monarch was given a refit that included a refreshment of her cabins, casino and shopping areas.

Sister Ships

  • MV Sovereign of the Seas (built in 1988)
  • MV Majesty of the Seas (built in 1992)

The Final Days

The sad irony is that middle sister Monarch has the unfortunate distinction of being the first of the trio to be delivered for scrapping. 

To be dismantled alongside her older sister Sovereign is a strange final twist to a decades-long story that began with her construction in the same berth as her younger sister, Majesty of the Seas, at St. Nazaire.

Monarch Deck Guide Royal Caribbean
Deck guide and plan aboard the Monarch of the Seas. Copyright and photo by Peter Knego.

Over the next several months, crews will first strip both ships of all fittings and furniture, then begin cutting off large chunks of hull and superstructure that will be moved by crane to be further cut down in their respective plots. 

While the furnishings will likely find use in local hotels, the steel will be hauled off to be melted down into rebar for new construction.  

cruise ship at Western Turkey
Monarch sits empty on the shoreline of Western Turkey. (Photo via Fatih Takmakli)

Had the pandemic not intervened, these two ships would most certainly have continued sailing for several more years. Even so, they have both led very productive and relatively long lives.

For now, Royal Caribbean has stated that it will not sell the third sister, the Majesty of the Seas.

Other ships in our Last Look series:

Peter Knego is a journalist and maritime historian found at MidShipCentury.com. All copyrights and photos by Peter Knego unless otherwise noted.

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