SS ''The Emerald'' was a
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 "s ...
owned by Louis Cruise Lines (now
Celestyal Cruises
Celestyal Cruises (formed in 2014) is a succession to Louis Cruises and Louis Cruise Lines. The Cruise line was a subsidiary of Louis plc (Founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus) until November 2021 when Searchlight Capital Partners ...
). She was built in 1958 by the
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock
Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...
company in
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, for the
Grace Line
W. R. Grace and Co. is an American chemical business based in Columbia, Maryland. It produces specialty chemicals and specialty materials in two divisions: Grace Catalysts Technologies, which makes catalysts and related products and technologies ...
, as the
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
''Santa Rosa''. Between 1992 and 1995, she sailed for Regency Cruises as ''Regent Rainbow'' and between 1997 and 2008, she sailed for Thomson Cruises (now
Marella Cruises
Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises) is a British cruise line operated by TUI UK, offering cruise holidays around Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.
History
The company had initially entered the cruise market in 1973, but due to rising fue ...
) as ''The Emerald''. Before retiring in 2009, she was the
last passenger ship built at a U.S. shipyard that was still in active service.
Design and construction
In 1956, the Grace Line ordered two new ships to replace the aging 1932-built sisters, and .
Gibbs & Cox
Gibbs & Cox is an American naval architecture firm that specializes in designing surface warships. Founded in 1922 in New York City, Gibbs & Cox is now headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
The firm has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C. ...
had designed the older two ships and would now design their successors. These modern ocean liners were built by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Newport News, Virginia, USA and were among the last passenger ocean liners built entirely in the U.S.
There was full air conditioning for passengers, and the first ships in America to be equipped with Gyrofin stabilizers.
The interior was fireproofed with aluminum, and designed by
Dorothy Marckwald & Anne Urquhart, the same designers that did the interiors for the
SS ''America'' and
SS ''United States''. Accommodations were spacious with all cabins facing outside,and every cabin had its own bathroom. The ''Santa Rosas had two aft cargo holds had side doors and automatic conveyors to quickly move pallets on and off the ship, thus giving her a rapid turn-around at port.
''Santa Rosa'' was launched on August 28, 1957 and delivered on June 12, 1958.
Deck Plan
Career
1958–1971: ''Santa Rosa''
The new ''Santa Rosa'' and entered service on the New York to South America and the Caribbean for Grace Line. The Santa Rosa made its maiden voyage on Oct. 10, 1958, when it became the largest ship ever to make the voyage up the Hudson River to
Albany, N.Y.
She also became the first major passenger liner to make her maiden appearance in New York harbor from the north.
Collision with SS ''Valchem''
In the early morning hours of March 26, 1959, ''Santa Rosa'' was returning to New York in heavy fog. She was 22 miles east of Atlantic City, N.J., when she collided with the tanker SS ''Valchem''. No one was injured on the liner but four crewman on the tanker was killed and 16 were injured. Santa Rosa’s bow punched a cavity extending halfway into the tanker and caused flooding of the lower engine room with resultant loss of power. Two boilers were also demolished. The funnel of the ''Valchem'' and adjacent vents were scooped off the tanker and carried onto Santa Rosa’s bow. ''Santa Rosa'' sustained heavy damage but was repaired and returned to service.
1971–1992: inactivity and modernisation
In 1970, the Grace Line merged with
Prudential Lines to become Prudential-Grace Line. ''Santa Rosa'' sailed for another year but in 1971, passenger operations ceased and both she and the ''Santa Paula'' were laid up at
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
in Virginia and put up for sale.
[ In 1975, ''Santa Rosa'' was obtained by the ]U.S. Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth ...
and in 1976, she was sold to Vintero Corp. of New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and renamed ''Samos Sky''. She was intended to operate South American service once again, but this venture failed and she remained idle. In 1989, she was sold to Coral Cruise Lines, part of the Lelakis Group, and towed to Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
that December. In March 1990, ''Samos Sky'' arrived in Chalkis
Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...
, Greece and was renamed ''Pacific Sun'' and then, later that year, ''Diamond Island''. At the cost of $70 million, she was converted into a cruise ship; her superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships.
Aboard ships and large boats
On water craft, the superstruct ...
was expanded, whilst her hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
remained largely unaltered and she retained her original steam turbine engines, which were renovated with parts from the former ''Santa Paula''. The work was finished in 1991.
1992–2009: ''Regent Rainbow'' and ''The Emerald''
The modernised ship entered service under Regency Cruises as the popular ''Regent Rainbow'' in 1992, until Regency Cruises suffered extensive losses and was declared bankrupt in 1995. ''Regent Rainbow'' was placed under arrest that November. In December 1996, ''Regent Rainbow'' was sold to Louis Cruise Lines
Celestyal Cruises (formed in 2014) is a succession to Louis Cruises and Louis Cruise Lines. The Cruise line was a subsidiary of Louis plc (Founded in 1935 as the first travel agency in Cyprus) until November 2021 when Searchlight Capital Partners ...
and renamed ''The Emerald''. In 1997, she was chartered to Thomson Cruises
Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises) is a British cruise line operated by TUI UK, offering cruise holidays around Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.
History
The company had initially entered the cruise market in 1973, but due to rising fue ...
to operate cruises for the British market. During her time with Thomson she became the company's most popular ship, and remained in service with them until October 2008, when she was dropped in favor of a larger, more modern and economical vessel. Hereafter, she saw limited further service for Louis until 2009, when the company announced that she was being laid up and most likely would not sail again.
Retirement
Following the departure of ''The Emerald'' from their service, Louis looked for other owners who would operate her for further use, since she met SOLAS 2010 regulations, but she remained laid up at Eleusis
Elefsina ( el, Ελευσίνα ''Elefsina''), or Eleusis (; Ancient Greek: ''Eleusis'') is a suburban city and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in the West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is situated about northwest ...
, Greece. In 2011, she was inspected by scrappers and in July 2012, she departed Greece for the scrapyard at Alang
Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard.
Demographics
As of the 2001 Indian census, Alan ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. She was scrapped under the shortened name ''Emerald''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:The Emerald
1957 ships
Cruise ships of the United States
Ocean liners
Ships built in Newport News, Virginia
Ships of Celestyal Cruises
Maritime incidents in 1959