Ocean Monarch was built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, High Walker,[1] at a cost of £2,500,000.

Ocean Monarch was awarded a gold medal by the American Institute for Designing for her "outstanding beauty and unusual design features of a cruise ship".

As well as conveying passengers she was used to supply fresh drinking water to the island.

[5] She was chartered by SUR-Seereisen, Germany,[5] who announced a series of Mediterranean cruises to take place in summer 1981.

[3] The tow parted and Reina del Mar ran aground on Salamina Island.

[1] On 1 June 1981,[3] a new fire broke out on Reina del Mar, and she was then scuttled off Kynosoura.