Red Star Line

  

Red Star Line

Red Star Line's headquarters in San Francisco City, San Francisco, Kingdom of Sierra
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Hospitality Tourism
Founded	1871 (1871) in New York City
Headquarters	San Francisco City, San Francisco, Kingdom of Sierra
Key people	Alec Tremaine (CEO and president)
Services	Cruises
Parent	Red Star Group

The Red Star Line is a Sierran-based international cruise line. Founded in 1871, the company is the central subsidiary of Red Star Group and is also one of the oldest active cruise lines in the world. Headquartered in San Francisco City, the Red Star Line owns and operates a total of 22 ships, three of which are the largest passenger ships in the world.

Founded in 1871, the Red Star Line was founded by American and Dutch shipping companies in New York City, with an additional European-based headquarters in Antwerp. The Red Star Line would act as a shipping company, primarily focusing on trade between the United Commonwealth and the Netherlands. During the Northeastern Revolution, the Red Star Line would relocate to San Francisco City in the Kingdom of Sierra and would completely abandon its European headquarters, solely focusing on North American trade. In 1932, the Red Star Line would be granted a royal warrant by Louis III, for "exemplary service to the Crown and people of Sierra". Despite success, the Red Star Line would be considered a minor player in the Sierran shipping industry, with there being larger and more successful shipping companies overshadowing it. Following a merger with a number of smaller passenger liner companies and a number of financial troubles, the Red Star Line would begin to shift its focus away from shipping and to the growing industry of cruise lining.

In 1955, the Red Star Line would launch the S.S King Louis III, its first ship dedicated to cruise lining. The maiden voyage of the S.S King Louis III would be a resounding success for the company, who was almost at the brink of bankruptcy. Following continue financial success from the cruise line industry, the company would completely shift to cruise lining in 1962, ending its shipping operations. The company would continue to financial gain throughout the late twentieth century. In 1981, the Red Star Line would begin its Caribbean Sea cruises, which would eventually become a staple for the company. In the same year, the Red Star Line would be incorporated into the newly-formed Red Star Group. In the modern era, the Red Star Line is considered one of the "Big Three" of the cruise line industry, along with Carnival and Genting Hong Kong. In 2019, it was reported that the ships of the Red Star Line saw over TBD million passengers, with the company earning $TBD that year.

History

The Red Star Line was established in 1871 by prominent American shipping magnate Clement Griscom. Griscom, who was considered a leading pioneer in the pre-revolutionary United Commonwealth shipping industry, founded the company after merging the American-based International Navigation Company and the Dutch-based Dutch-American Anonymous Navigation Society. Griscom would serve as the company's first chairman and president, serving until 1902. The Red Star Line would be one of the many shipping companies owned and operated by Griscom. The Red Star Line shares no historical connection with the British-based White Star and Blue Star Lines other than the obvious name similarities.

After Griscom resignation as the company's president in 1902, the International Mercantile Navigation Company, led by J.P. Morgan would attempt to purchase the company in his pursuit of establishing a monopoly over the United Commonwealth's shipping industry. Under the guidance of company president Henry Goodwin, the Red Star Line would famously resist attempts at purchase, opting to continue running as a independent shipping corporation. As a result, the IMNC would purposefully isolate the Red Star Line from a number of crucial shipping agreements in an attempt to pressure the company into joining. Due to this, Goodwin and Red Star Line executives would begin to look westward for financial gain, establishing a regional office in San Francisco City. This pressure to be purchased was eventually lifted in 1915, when the IMNC would collapse into financial ruin.

With the start of the Northeastern Revolution and the Continental Revolutionary War in 1917, the Red Star Line would provide support for Federalist and Liberal-Republican governments against the revolting Landonists, supplying both with a number of support and hospital ships, most notably the UCS Endurance. In 1918, as the wars turned in favor of the landonists, the Red Star Line would officially relocate its headquarters and remaining commercial fleet to San Francisco City at the behest of the government of Prime Minister Philip Judd. In 1924, the Red Star Line would officially be "naturalized" as a Sierran company and would receive a royal warrant in 1932 by Louis III.

During Great War I and Great War II, many Red Star Line ships would be re-purposed by the Sierran Royal Navy to serve in combat, reconnaissance, and transport roles. Following the conclusion of Great War II, the Red Star Line would begin to shift away from shipping and towards a growing cruise line industry. In 1955, the Red Star Line would launched the King Louis III, the first ship of the RSL fleet that was solely designed for cruise lining. Following the success of the King Louis III and its sister ship, the Gem of Sierra, the Red Star Line would fully switch to cruise lining, ending their shipping business in 1962.

Fleet

Current fleet

Newark class

Ship	Year built	Capacity	Ports		Notes	Ship image
			Port of Origin	Home Port
Red Star	1996	3,092	Grands Ballons, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra	San Diego, Laguna, Kingdom of Sierra
Melony	1997	3,492	San Francisco City, San Francisco, Kingdom of Sierra	Porciúncula, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra
Winter Winds	1997	3,891	Cancún, Bajaría, Kingdom of Sierra	Cancún, Bajaría, Kingdom of Sierra	Temporarily out of service from 2009 to 2013
Mapmaker	1999	3,409	Grands Ballons, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra	Grands Ballons, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra

Queen Elizabeth class

Ship	Year built	Capacity	Ports		Notes	Ship image
			Port of Origin	Home Port
Grand Star	1999	3,932	Grands Ballons, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra	City of Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska
Queen Rachel	2000	3,432	San Francisco City, San Francisco, Kingdom of Sierra	New Charleston, Cuba, Antilles
Regency	2001	4,001	Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies	Cancún, Bajaría, Kingdom of Sierra
Star of the South	2002	3,783	Grands Ballons, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra	La Pez, Pacífico Sur, Kingdom of Sierra

Birch class

Ship	Year built	Capacity	Ports		Notes	Ship image
			Port of Origin	Home Port
Origin	2004	4,283	San Francisco City, San Francisco, Kingdom of Sierra	Seattle, Olympia, Astoria
Advent	2006	4,573	Seattle, Olympia, Astoria	Eureka, Shasta, Kingdom of Sierra
Water Sheep	2008	4,001	Sotenäsvarvet, Skandinavia	Galveston, Brazoria

Odyssey class

Ship	Year built	Capacity	Ports		Notes	Ship image
			Port of Origin	Home Port
Symphony	2010	4,110	San Francisco City, San Francisco, Kingdom of Sierra	Grands Ballons, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra
Deliverance	2011	4,000	Grands Ballons, Gold Coast, Kingdom of Sierra	Hilo, Hawaii, Kingdom of Sierra
Imperium	2013	4,521	Galveston, Brazoria	Mérida, Kingdom of Sierra