Monarch of the Seas; St Marteen, Virgin Islands

St Marteen, Virgin Islands | 1998-Dec-16

Initial Notification: The 880-foot Royal Caribbean Line cruise ship, Monarch of the Seas grounded on a coral reef off St. Marteen on December 15, 1998. All passengers were evacuated from the vessel. The grounding caused significant damage to the vessel, creating a 40- by 2-m gash along the starboard hull. During the grounding three tanks were breached, two diesel tanks and one overflow tank. The vessel carried 256,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil and a small amount of diesel. Initially, an estimated 100 gallons of diesel leaked from the vessel. USCG district 7. Keyword: potential spill, salvage.