{{short description|American cruise ship}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image= The Emerald in Venice, Italy on May 13, 2008.jpg |image_caption=''The Emerald'' in 2008 }}
|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country= |flag= |name=*1958–1976: ''Santa Rosa'' *1976–1990: ''Samos Sky'' *1990: ''Pacific Sun'' *1990–1992: ''Diamond Island'' *1992–1996: ''Regent Rainbow'' *1996–2012: ''The Emerald'' *2012: ''Emerald'' |namesake= |owner=*1958–1970: Grace Line *1970–1975: Prudential-Grace Line *1975–1976: U.S. Department of Commerce *1976–1989: Vintero Corp. *1989–1992: Lelakis Group *1992–1996: Regency Cruises *1996–2012: Louis Cruise Lines |operator=*1958–1970: Grace Line *1970–1971: Prudential-Grace Line *1971-1992: Laid up *1992–1995: Regency Cruises *1997–2008: Thomson Cruises *2008–2009: Louis Cruise Lines *2009-2012: Laid up |registry=*<!--1958−: *INFORMATION MISSING --> 1997–1998: Nassau, {{flag|Bahamas|civil}} *1998–2002: Limassol, {{flag|Cyprus}} *2002: Nassau, {{flag|Bahamas|civil}}<ref>[https://www.eagle.org/safenet/record/record_vesseldetailsprinparticular?ImoNum=*5312824 ABS Record Eagle]</ref> *2009–2012: Pireus, {{flag|Greece}} *2012: Basseterre, {{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}} |route= |ordered= |awarded= |builder=Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock<ref>{{cite web | title=Ships Built By Newport News Shipbuilding |url=http://www.huntingtoningalls.com/nns/products/docs/2011_ShipsBuiltByNN_SET10-13.pdf |publisher=Huntington-Ingalls |access-date=21 January 2012 }}</ref> |original_cost=US $25 million |yard_number=521<ref>{{cite web|title=Newport News Shipbuilding|url=http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/1major/active/newportnews.htm|publisher=www.ShipbuildingHistory.com|access-date=2 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829134102/http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/1major/active/newportnews.htm|archive-date=29 August 2008}}</ref> |way_number= |laid_down=January 15, 1957<ref>{{cite web|last=Falco|first=Nicholas|title=Inventory to the Records of W. R. Grace|url=http://www.sunymaritime.edu/StephenBluceLibrary/pdfs/W.%20R.%20Grace%20Papers.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060830043956/http://www.sunymaritime.edu/stephenblucelibrary/pdfs/W.%20R.%20Grace%20Papers.pdf|archive-date=30 August 2006|publisher=SUNY Maritime College|access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref> |launched=August 28, 1957 |sponsor= |christened= |completed=June 19, 1958 |acquired= |maiden_voyage=June 28, 1958 |in_service= |out_of_service= 2009 |renamed= |reclassified= |refit= |struck= |reinstated= |homeport= |identification=*Call sign: V4MR2 *{{IMO Number|5312824}} *{{MMSI|239942000}} |motto= |nickname= |fate=Scrapped in 2012 |notes= |badge= }}
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption=(as built) |type=Ocean liner |tonnage={{GRT|15,371}}<ref name="Santa Rosa Santa Paula">{{cite web|title=SS Santa Rosa and Santa Paula|url=http://www.ssmaritime.com/SantaRosa-Santa-Paula.htm|work=SS Maritime|access-date=6 March 2017}}</ref> |displacement= |length= {{convert|177.88|m|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="T/S Santa Rosa">{{cite web|url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/santa_rosa_1958.htm|title=T/S SANTA ROSA.}}</ref> |beam= {{convert|25.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |height= |draft= |depth= |hold_depth= |decks= |power= |propulsion= |speed= {{convert|17|kn|lk=in}} |range= |boats= |capacity=546 passengers |crew= |notes= }}
|section4={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption=(1991 onwards) |type=Cruise ship |tonnage=*{{GRT|26,431}} *{{DWT|8,713}}<ref name="equasis">{{csr|register=E|id=5312824|shipname=The Emerald|access-date=2012-08-08}}</ref> |displacement= |length= |beam= |height= |draught= |depth= |decks= |deck_clearance= |ramps= |ice_class= |power= |propulsion= |speed= |capacity=1,198 passengers |crew=412 |notes= }} }}
'''SS ''The Emerald''''' was a cruise ship owned by Louis Cruise Lines (now Celestyal Cruises). She was built in 1958 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock company in Newport News, Virginia, United States, for the Grace Line, as the ocean liner ''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) 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.coltoncompany.com/shipbldg/ussbldrs/postwwii/merchant/passengerships.htm | title=Passenger Liners Built in U.S. Shipyards | access-date = 2007-06-17 | first = Tim | last = Colton | publisher = Maritime Business Strategies, LLC |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070205221951/http://www.coltoncompany.com/shipbldg/ussbldrs/postwwii/merchant/passengerships.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-02-05}}</ref>
==Design and construction== In 1956, the Grace Line ordered two new ships to replace the aging 1932-built sisters, {{SS|Santa Rosa|1932|2}} and {{SS|Santa Paula|1932|2}}. Gibbs & Cox 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Erickson|first=Mark St John|title=The shipyard's last passenger ship|url=https://www.dailypress.com/history/dp-newport-news-shipbuildings-last-passenger-ship-the-ss-santa-paula-20141008-post.html|access-date=2021-08-30|website=dailypress.com|date=8 October 2014 }}</ref> There was full air conditioning for passengers, and the first ships in America to be equipped with Gyrofin stabilizers.<ref>{{cite web |title= Santa Rosa-Santa Paula |url= http://www.ssmaritime.com/SantaRosa-Santa-Paula.htm|publisher = ssmaritime.com|access-date = 15 October 2012}}</ref>
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 Rosa'''s 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.<ref name="UK">{{cite web|title= Santa Rosa (1958) - History|url= http://www.oceanlinermuseum.co.uk/Santa%20Rosa%201958%20History.html|access-date=15 October 2012}}</ref> ''Santa Rosa'' was launched on August 28, 1957, and delivered on June 12, 1958.<ref name="Santa Rosa Santa Paula" />
==Career== ===1958–1971: ''Santa Rosa''=== thumb|left|''The Emerald'' as ''Santa Rosa'' for Grace Line, c. 1960 The new ''Santa Rosa'' and {{SS|Santa Paula|1958|2}} 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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''.<ref>{{cite web | title= Merchant and Navy Ship events 1946 – 2000 |url= http://www.mareud.com/Timelines/1946-1999.htm |publisher = Rolf Skiöld / MAREUD.com |access-date = 22 January 2012 }}</ref> No one was injured on the liner but four crewmen on the tanker were 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.<ref>{{cite tech report |first=W. P. |last=Hawley |author2=W. Stockman, A. S. Frevola |title=SS SANTA ROSA, SS VALCHEM: Collision off the coast of New Jersey with loss of life. |number=Commandant's Action 26 March 1959 |institution=US Coast Guard |date=4 November 1959 }}</ref> The funnel of the ''Valchem'' and adjacent vents were scooped off the tanker and carried onto Santa Rosa's bow.<ref>{{cite web | title= Auke Visser's Famous T - Tankers Pages |url= http://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/id630.htm |publisher= Auke Visser's Historical Tankers Site|access-date = 22 January 2012}}</ref> ''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 in Virginia and put up for sale.<ref name=UK/> In 1975, ''Santa Rosa'' was obtained by the U.S. Department of Commerce and in 1976, she was sold to Vintero Corp. of New York City and renamed ''Samos Sky''.<ref name="Santa Rosa Santa Paula"/> She was intended to operate South American service once again, but this venture failed and she remained idle.<ref name="Santa Rosa Santa Paula"/> In 1989, she was sold to Coral Cruise Lines, part of the Lelakis Group, and towed to Greece that December. In March 1990, ''Samos Sky'' arrived in Chalkis, Greece and was renamed ''Pacific Sun'' and then, later that year, ''Diamond Island''.<ref name="Santa Rosa Santa Paula"/><ref name="Emerald history">{{cite web|title=THE EMERALD - IMO 5312824|url=http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2173911|work=ShipSpotting|access-date=19 February 2017}}</ref> At the cost of $70 million, she was converted into a cruise ship; her superstructure was expanded, whilst her hull remained largely unaltered and she retained her original steam turbine engines, which were renovated with parts from the former ''Santa Paula''.<ref name="Santa Rosa Santa Paula"/><ref name="emeraldeleusis">{{cite web|title=THE EMERALD Of Eleusis And Piraeus To Petrola-ing|url=https://maritimematters.com/2011/09/the-emerald-of-eleusis-and-piraeus-to-petrola-ing/|last=Knego|first=Peter|publisher=Maritime Matters|date=22 September 2011|access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref> The work was finished in 1991.<ref name="Santa Rosa Santa Paula"/>
===1992–2009: ''Regent Rainbow'' and ''The Emerald''=== [[File:The Emerald in Santo Domingo on March 29, 1999.jpg|thumb|left|''The Emerald'', modernised, in ''Santo Domingo'', Dominican Republic, 1999]] The modernised ship entered service under Regency Cruises as the popular ''Regent Rainbow'' in 1992,<ref name="Emerald history"/> until Regency Cruises suffered extensive losses and was declared bankrupt in 1995. ''Regent Rainbow'' was placed under arrest that November.<ref name="T/S Santa Rosa"/> In December 1996, ''Regent Rainbow'' was sold to Louis Cruise Lines and renamed ''The Emerald''.<ref name="Emerald history"/> In 1997, she was chartered to Thomson Cruises to operate cruises for the British market.<ref name="T/S Santa Rosa"/> During her time with Thomson she became the company's most popular ship,<ref>Thomson Cruises brochures, c. 2000s</ref> and remained in service with them until October 2008, when she was dropped in favor of a larger, more modern and economical vessel.<ref name="Thomson to drop Emerald">{{cite web|title=Thomson Cruises to drop Emerald ship from 2009|url=http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/27305/thomson-cruises-to-drop-emerald-ship-from-2009|work=TravelWeekly|access-date=6 March 2017}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://maritimematters.com/2010/06/brokeback-platinum/comment-page-2/#comment-1218 |title=Brokeback PLATINUM |work=Maritime Matters |access-date=2010-06-25 |archive-date=2011-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003032426/http://maritimematters.com/2010/06/brokeback-platinum/comment-page-2/#comment-1218 }}</ref> {{clear}}
==Retirement== [[File:The Emerald in Eleusis, Greece on June 9, 2010.jpg|thumb|''The Emerald'' laid up in ''Eleusis'', Greece, 2010]] 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, Greece. In 2011, she was inspected by scrappers<ref name="emeraldeleusis"/> and in July 2012, she departed Greece for the scrapyard at Alang, India.<ref>{{cite web|title=EMERALD (ex SANTA ROSA, DIAMOND ISLAND, REGENT RAINBOW, THE EMERALD) - 4 August 2012|url=http://midshipcentury.com/index.html|work=MidShipCentury|publisher=Peter Knego|access-date=4 December 2012}}</ref> She was scrapped under the shortened name ''Emerald''.<ref name="Emerald history"/>
== References == {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://digital.wolfsonian.org/WOLF032690/00001/18 Deck Plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830020724/https://digital.wolfsonian.org/WOLF032690/00001/18 |date=2021-08-30 }}
{{1959 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:The Emerald}} Category:1957 ships Category:Cruise ships of the United States Category:Ocean liners Category:Ships built in Newport News, Virginia Category:Ships of Celestyal Cruises Category:Maritime incidents in 1959