The cruise world moves fast. One day you're the biggest ship on the planet, and the next, you're a floating memory or a scrap metal project in Turkey. It's wild. If you sailed during the nineties or the early aughts, you probably remember the Majesty of the Seas. It wasn't just another boat. When Royal Caribbean launched her in 1992, she was a massive statement of intent. She was the third and final vessel in the Sovereign class, following her sisters Sovereign of the Seas and Monarch of the Seas. At the time, she was huge. By today's standards? She's basically a tugboat compared to the Icon of the Seas.
But size isn't everything. Honestly, Majesty of the Seas had a soul that many modern mega-ships lack. She was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France. She had that classic profile—the Viking Crown Lounge wrapped around the funnel like a glass halo. People loved her. Yet, the story of her later years is a bit of a rollercoaster, involving a canceled transfer, a global pandemic, and a mysterious buyer that left ship trackers scratching their heads for months.
Why Majesty of the Seas Refused to Retire
For years, the rumor mill said Majesty was done. In 2014, Royal Caribbean announced she would be leaving the fleet in 2016 to join their Spanish subsidiary, Pullmantur Cruises. It made sense. Pullmantur was where older Royal Caribbean ships went to live out their golden years. But then, something weird happened. Royal Caribbean looked at the numbers and realized Majesty was still a cash cow. Her short-haul three and four-night cruises to the Bahamas from Miami and Port Canaveral were packed. People didn't need a surfing simulator or a skydiving tube for a weekend trip to CocoCay; they just wanted a piña colada and some sun.
So, they canceled the transfer. They kept her.
In 2016, she went into a massive dry dock. They added Voom—the high-speed internet that Royal Caribbean is famous for—and updated some of the venues. It was a stay of execution. She spent the next few years proving that a ship built in the early 90s could still hold its own in a market obsessed with "new."
The Day the Music Stopped
Then 2020 hit. We all know what happened to the travel industry, but for the Majesty of the Seas, the timing was brutal. The entire global fleet stayed at anchor. While newer ships were prioritized for the eventual "return to service," the older ladies of the sea were suddenly liabilities. Maintaining a 73,000-ton vessel with zero revenue is a nightmare. Royal Caribbean had to trim the fat.
In December 2020, they dropped the news: Majesty of the Seas was sold.
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She wasn't the only one; her sister Empress of the Seas was also offloaded. But unlike many other ships during that era that went straight to the scrapyards in Aliaga or Alang, Majesty found a second life. Or so we thought. She was sold to an undisclosed buyer in Asia. For a while, she was renamed Majesty and then Majesty by Mitsui. Speculation was rampant. Was she going to be a hotel ship? A casino boat?
Life Under the Name "Majesty"
The ship eventually ended up in the hands of Eagle Alpha Shipping, then Seajets—a Greek ferry operator that started buying up cruise ships like they were collecting Pokémon cards during the pandemic. Marios Iliopoulos, the man behind Seajets, became the temporary custodian of maritime history. He bought Oceana from P&O, Veendam and Maasdam from Holland America, and the Majesty.
For a long time, she just sat there.
If you go to the Gulf of Elefsina in Greece, you can often see these "ghost ships" anchored. It’s a bit depressing, frankly. A ship that once hosted thousands of cheering vacationers just sitting silent in the Mediterranean sun. The rust starts to show. The paint fades. You start to wonder if she'll ever sail with passengers again or if she's just waiting for the price of steel to go up.
What it Was Really Like Onboard
Let’s talk about the actual experience because that’s what people miss. Majesty of the Seas wasn't about the bells and whistles. She had a capacity of about 2,744 passengers at maximum occupancy. The cabins? They were tiny. Seriously. If you were used to a modern "Superior Ocean View Balcony," a standard room on Majesty felt like a walk-in closet. Most rooms didn't even have balconies. You had a porthole if you were lucky, and you liked it.
But the public spaces were legendary.
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- The Centrum: This was the heart of the ship. A multi-story atrium with brass finishes, glass elevators, and that distinct 90s luxury vibe. It felt grand in a way that modern ships, which sometimes feel like floating shopping malls, don't quite capture.
- The Windjammer: Before it became a massive food hall on the Oasis-class ships, the Windjammer on Majesty was a cozy, reliable place for a buffet.
- Schooner Bar: That smell of oiled wood and gunpowder—well, not real gunpowder, but the "nautical" theme was strong. It was the best place for trivia.
The ship had a "family" feel. Because the vessel was smaller, you’d see the same crew members every day. You’d get to know your bartenders. It was manageable. You didn't need a GPS map on your phone just to find the dining room.
The Technical Reality
From a technical standpoint, Majesty of the Seas was a powerhouse of her time. She had a gross tonnage of 73,941. To put that in perspective, the Symphony of the Seas is over 228,000. She was powered by four Pielstick diesel engines that could push her to about 20 knots.
One of the issues with keeping her in service was the environmental regulations. The IMO (International Maritime Organization) keeps tightening the screws on carbon emissions and fuel types. Older ships like Majesty weren't designed for scrubbers or LNG. Retrofitting them is insanely expensive. That’s usually the "hidden" reason these ships get sold or scrapped. It’s not that people don't like them; it’s that they become too expensive to legally operate in many parts of the world.
Is She Still Around?
As of the latest maritime registries, the ship has been through a few hands. After the Seajets stint, there was talk of her becoming a floating accommodation vessel. This is a common fate for mid-sized ships—housing oil rig workers or being used as emergency housing.
However, the shadow of the breaker's yard always looms. Her sister ships, Sovereign and Monarch, were both scrapped in Turkey in 2020. They were stripped of their interiors, run aground on the beach at Aliaga, and torn apart by excavators. It’s a violent end for ships that carried millions of memories. Majesty has outlived them, which is a testament to her condition, but she remains in a state of limbo.
Actionable Insights for Cruise Fans
If you're looking for that Majesty of the Seas vibe today, you won't find it on the newest ships. Here’s how to recreate the experience or track the ship:
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1. Track the Current Status
Use sites like MarineTraffic or VesselFinder. Look for the IMO number 8819512. This is the ship's "social security number." It never changes, even if the name does. Currently, she is often listed under the name Majesty or Manara.
2. Book "Vision Class" or "Radiance Class"
If you miss the layout of Majesty, look at Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas. They are the closest living relatives to that era of ship design. They still have the glass-heavy architecture and the manageable size.
3. Check the Greek Market
Keep an eye on Celestyal Cruises or Seajets. Sometimes these older ships get a sudden refurbishment and start sailing three-day Greek Isle cruises. It’s the perfect retirement gig for a ship that spent decades in the Bahamas.
4. Look for Small-Ship Itineraries
The reason people loved Majesty was the ports. Smaller ships can get into places like Key West (before the restrictions), Havana (when that was open), and smaller private islands where the mega-ships can't dock.
The legacy of the Majesty of the Seas is really about the transition of the cruise industry. She bridged the gap between the "old school" ocean liners and the modern "floating resorts." She proved that you could have a massive atrium and a grand scale without losing the connection to the ocean. Whether she eventually meets the torch at a scrapyard or finds a niche as a boutique hotel, she’s already earned her place in the history books as the ship that helped Royal Caribbean conquer the Caribbean.
Most people think these ships last forever. They don't. They have a lifespan of about 30 to 35 years before the maintenance costs outpace the ticket revenue. Majesty has pushed that limit to the edge. If you ever got to sail on her, consider yourself lucky. You saw the end of an era. The focus now is on sustainability and tech, which is great, but there will always be something special about a ship that just felt like a ship.