Lisco Optima in Kiel, 23 May 2011

Lisco Optima

IMO 9188427
Name history: Alyssa, Svealand, Lisco Optima, Optima Seaways
Built 1999, Cantiere Navale di Visentini Donada, Italy
Tonnage 25 206 GT
Length 186,00 m
Width 25,60 m
Draught 6,50 m
328 passengers
256 berths
180 cars
2 115 lane metres of cargo
2 MAN B&W diesels
2 propellers
3 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Speed 21,5 knots

The Lisco Optima - or Optima Seaways as she's known today - was built in 1999 by the Visentini shipyard in Italy, one in a long series of similar ropaxes built by the yard for various owners (the Trinacria featured previously in this blog is another example of the class). This particular ship was originally owned by either Levantina Trasporti or by Royal Maritime, with different souces giving different information. Regardless of the owners, she was named Alyssa and chartered to COTUNAV for 1999-2000. This was followed by a charter to Trasmediterranea for 2000-2001 without a change of name.

In 2001 the ship was chartered to Scandlines and given the traditional name Svealand. She was placed on the Trelleborg-Travemünde -service, moving to the Kiel-Klaipeda route in 2003. In 2004 the Svealand was sold to Stena Line but stayed under charter to Scandlines until 2005. In early 2006 the ship was chartered to TT-Line still as the Svealand, returning to to the Trelleborg-Travemünde service. Within the same year she was sold by Stena Line to DFDS Lisco, who renamed the ship Lisco Optima and placed her on the Kiel-Klaipeda and Karlshamn-Klaipeda -routes. In 2010 DFDS Lisco ceased existing as a separate entity when the DFDS-owned shipping brands were given a single identity as DFDS Seaways. For the time being the Lisco Optima kept her Lisco-era name and the white-hulled Lisco livery, but finally in 2012 she was renamed Optima Seaways and given DFDS Seaways' blue-hulled livery.

The photographs below show the Lisco Optima departing from Kiel on 23 May 2011. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Just a few moments before the ship had been beautifully lit, but just as she was departing the sun was obscured by a cloud.

All-white is, in my opinion, seldom a good livery. While I'm not a fan of DFDS' current blue-hulled livery either, based on photographs available elsewhere I do think the blue hull was an improvement in this particular case.

Next time: Probably some ship model images from the Forum Marinum maritime museum in Turku.