MS Empress makes maiden call to Maldives with 1,473 tourists

MS Empress, popularly known as the ‘Empress of the Seas’, made its maiden call to the Maldives on Tuesday, arriving with 1,473 passengers and 613 crew members.

Upon docking, the vessel received a warm welcome, and a commemorative plaque was presented to mark its first call to the Maldives. The plaque was handed over by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) CEO Captain Hussain Shafeeq.

MS Empress is a cruise liner with a passenger capacity ranging between 1,600 and 1,910, supported by a crew of 671. The 689-foot vessel features multiple restaurants and buffets, swimming pools, a gym and a movie theatre. The ship is operated by an Indian cruise company.

MS Empress was originally built and launched between 1989 and 1990 by a French shipbuilder, and has since served various cruise markets before beginning operations in the region.