A Former Royal Caribbean Giant Is Listed 95 Percent Below Build Cost

A ship that once sailed for Royal Caribbean is back on the market. Cruise Hive reports that a listing for a 1992 880-foot cruise ship at $40 million appears to be the former Majesty of the Seas, identified from its specifications and photos because the listing does not name her. The asking price is about 95 percent below her original construction cost of roughly $300 million, which would be about $720 million in today’s money.

The vessel is a 73,941-gross-ton Sovereign-class ship built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France, with listed capacity for 2,767 guests and 912 crew. Her most recent refurbishment was in 2016. Royal Caribbean sold her in December 2020 to the Greek ferry company Seajets, which renamed her Majesty and, in 2021, Majesty of the Oceans.

The listing is on the Yachtworld platform, and there is no sign of a buyer. At 34 years old, an aging ship with a big fuel appetite is a tough sell in a market where operators favor newer, more efficient vessels. Cruise Hive notes that if she does not find a taker, scrapping is a possibility, as happened to the other two Sovereign-class ships in 2020.

Another possibility is a new cruise operator buying her to return to service. For cruise fans, the listing is a reminder of how quickly a ship that once carried thousands of vacationers can become a secondhand asset. Whether this one sails again as a cruise ship is an open question.

Sources: Cruise Hive, Cruise Fever