Baltic Princess in Helsinki, 14 December 2012

After the entries dealing with the new Finlandia, we now return to regular programming and the oft-promised entry featuring the Baltic Princess, also providing details about the route swap between the Baltic Princess and Silja Europa next year.

Baltic Princess

IMO 9354284
Built 2008, Aker Yards France / Aker Yards Helsinki, Finland
Tonnage 48 915 GT
Length 212,10 m
Width 29,00 m
Draugth 6,42 m
Ice class 1A Super
2 800 passengers
2 484 berths
600 cars
1 130 lanemetres
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 32 000 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 24,5 knots

For a short history of the Baltic Princess, see this previous entry on her. The photographs in this entry might very well be my last photos of her in Helsinki, as she will swap routes with the Silja Europa next year. The Silja Europa will replace the Baltic Princess on the Helsinki-Tallinn 22-hour cruise route on 23. January 2013, after which the Baltic Princess will be drydocked and she will enter service on the Turku-Stockholm run on 1. February. The ships will swap flags and crews, the Silja Europa moving under Estonian flag & crew and the Baltic Princess under Finnish flag and crew.

Sources within the company give somewhat conflicting information on what will happen to the ships in terms on names and brands. The Silja Europa will either keep her current name or be renamed Tallink Europa. She will, defiantely, be repainted with Tallink hull texts and funnel symbol. The Baltic Princess will be painted with Silja Line hull text but retaining the Tallink funnel symbol - or she will gain the Silja seal to her funnel. It will be interesting to see what the ships will look like come February.

The photographs below show the Baltic Princess at her quay in Helsinki's West Harbour on 14 December 2012. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Lit up like a christmas tree. Very topical.

Princesses aplenty: Baltic Princess in the center and behind her on the right the Princess Maria.

Next time: possibly the Star... or then something completely different.