Navigator of the Seas explained

Navigator of the Seas is a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International. She is a second generation Voyager-class cruise ship.

History

Constructed at Kværner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland, the ship originally measured 138,279 gross tons and carried 3,807 passengers plus additional crew.^[1] A refurbishment in 2014 added 81 additional staterooms, increasing the ship's tonnage to . The ship's dimensions are 1,020 feet in length with a breadth of 157.5 feet.

Navigator of the Seas underwent a US$115 million refit in January 2019,^[2] increasing passenger capacity to 4,000 and size to .

Operations

The ship was christened in a ceremony by its godmother, German former tennis player Steffi Graf.^[3]

Navigator of the Seas was sailing Caribbean itineraries year-round out of Galveston, TX. Navigator of the Seas was sailing Mediterranean cruises based out of Civitavecchia, Italy until November 2012. In November 2012, she began to depart from New Orleans, Louisiana where she sailed Western Caribbean cruises until early April 2013. She returned to Civitavecchia for the Summer of 2013 before moving to Galveston, TX to undertake Mexico cruises.^[4]

In January 2014, Navigator of the Seas was modified while dry docked, this included increasing the number of cabins by removing some of the public facilities and adding a Wave Loch FlowRider surfing simulator, an outdoor movie screen and two new lounges.^{[5] [6]}

In November 2015, after two seasons sailing from Galveston, Navigator of the Seas began sailing winter itineraries out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she sailed Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, and summer itineraries out of Southampton, England, where she sails to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.^[7] From November 2016, Navigator of the Seas transitioned to sailing her winter itineraries out of Port of Miami in Miami, Florida.^{[8] [9]}

Navigator of the Seas returned to service on November 19, 2021 and is home ported in Los Angeles. She rotates between 7 day Mexican Riviera cruises and 3/4 night Ensenada cruises.^[10]

Accidents and incidents

On October 28, 2018, Navigator of the Seas began taking on water after a stabilizer failed, creating a hole in the ship's hull.^[11]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Navigator of the Seas Fact Sheet. Royal Caribbean Press Center. Royal Caribbean International. 13 May 2014.
2. Web site: Cruise Ship Dry Dock/Upgrade Schedules for Cruise Lines in 2018-2023. cruisefever.net. 4 August 2018. en-US. 2018-08-08.
3. Web site: Navigator of the Seas Fact Sheet _ Royal Caribbean Press Center . www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com.
4. Web site: Cruise Calendar. Royal Caribbean International. 25 October 2012.
5. Web site: NOW OUR BEST SHIP IS EVERY SHIP.. Royal Caribbean International. 25 October 2012.
6. Web site: ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S NEWLY REVITALIZED NAVIGATOR OF THE SEAS TO WOW GALVESTON WITH YEAR-ROUND SAILINGS STARTING WINTER 2013. Royal Caribbean Press Center. Royal Caribbean International. 18 June 2013.
7. Web site: ROYAL CARIBBEAN ANNOUNCES 2015-16 DEPLOYMENT FOR NEW YORK AND GALVESTON. Royal Caribbean Press Center. Royal Caribbean International. 17 April 2014.
8. Web site: Royal Caribbean's Empress of Seas returning to Miami. Arlene. Satchell. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. 23 December 2015. Tribune Publishing. 4 March 2016.
9. Web site: ROYAL CARIBBEAN ANNOUNCES 2015-16 DEPLOYMENT FOR NEW YORK AND GALVESTON. Royal Caribbean Press Center. Royal Caribbean International. 17 April 2014.
10. Web site: Navigator of the Seas | Cruise Ships | Royal Caribbean Cruises.
11. Web site: Major emergency at sea as Navigator of Seas cruise liner takes on water after leaving UK. Drake. Matt. 2018-10-30. Express.co.uk. en. 2019-04-22.