Constructed at Kværner Masa-YardsTurku New Shipyard, Finland, the ship originally measured 138,279 gross tons and carried 3,807 passengers plus additional crew. A refurbishment in 2014 added 81 additional staterooms, increasing the ship's tonnage to. Her length is 1,020 feet with a breadth of 157.5 feet. The ship contains US $8.5 million in art, displayed in stairwells and public areas. Navigator of the Seas main Atrium sculpture spans over seven decks and is based on the bubbles a scuba diver makes when swimming under water. Her promenade also features lighting that changes color based on the time of day and with events occurring on the ship. Navigator of the Seas is the first of the second generation of Voyager-class vessels. She was also from 2002 to 2005 the world's largest cruise ship. Navigator of the Seas underwent a US$115 million refit in January 2019, 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. 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. 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. 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. From November 2016, Navigator of the Seas will transition to sailing her winter itineraries out of Port of Miami in Miami, Florida. In December 2018, she entered Dry Dock at the Grand Bahama Shipyard for a multi million dollar refit that added water slides, new restaurants, a new pool deck, new cabins. As of March of 2019, she is sailing cruises from Miami to the Bahamas.
Accidents & 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. Passengers described hearing a "loud bang", and were told by crew members that there was only a minor technical issue. Crew members were also seen wearing life jackets around the ship. The ship immediately diverted to Vigo, Spain, for repairs. She had been on the second half of a 10-day cruise around the Canary Islands.
