A pair of former floating casinos, including one once owned by one of Donald Trump’s companies, are expected to spend several months docked at Sarnia Harbour
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A pair of former floating casinos, including one once owned by one of Donald Trump’s companies, are expected to spend several months docked at Sarnia Harbour.
The Majestic Star II arrived in Sarnia on June 2, after being towed from Sturgeon Bay, Wis., where it reportedly had been docked for two years.
The boat’s arrival was expected, said the City of Sarnia’s Steve Henschel.
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“It’s going to be docked at our facility for several months,” he said. “And we are expecting its sister ship, the Majestic Star, to arrive in the near future.
“The most common reason that vessels would dock at the harbour for an extended period . . . is generally either overwintering, which is not the case right now, or repairs,” Henschel said.
The city doesn’t release detailed information about commercial harbour users, he said.
“There’s a great local marine industry that does facilitate repairs, so it’s a great spot for vessels to access that local maritime talent,” Henschel said.
Previously known as Trump Princess, the Majestic Star II was a floating casino from 1996 to 2021 in Buffington Harbor in Gary, Ind., overlooking Lake Michigan.
Launched in 1996, the 88-metre diesel-powered vessel can carry 2,740 passengers and 250 crew, according to Florida vessel broker Stomar Inc.
“We’re going to build something that this area, and that includes Chicago, that this area has never seen,” Trump told WRTV Indianapolis when the project was announced. “It’s going to be first class, it’s going to be world class.”
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Trump Princess was operated by Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts, along with a nearby Trump hotel, then sold in late 2005 to Majestic Star Holdings that had a casino boat next door. Both closed in 2021.
Each is said to have had three floors of gaming, a total of 1,900 slot machines, game tables, poker, baccarat and VIP rooms, plus dining facilities.
Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy in 2004.
Majestic Star II is at the harbour’s Government Wharf and warehouse area, next to Seaway Road.
Use of the harbour is up from last year, Henschel said.
“It’s good to see that facility utilized, especially since we’ve made some recent investments,” he said.
Work began last year on a more than $8-million expansion, known as the Cestar Dock, at the harbour’s North Slip as part of an oversize load corridor project in the Sarnia area to help industries and fabrication companies move large industrial vessels and equipment to and from the harbour through the city.
“It has started welcoming ships,” Henschel said. “There still is a little work to be done on the facility in terms of finishing touches.”
That work is expected to be completed in July, he said.
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