Regal Princess in Helsinki, 19 May 2017

Today, I finally managed to get this summer's cruise visitor season started. It did require some help from my friends, as Miles Cowsill and Matthew Punter were visiting Helsinki and I promised to show them around. Good fun was had by all, and I managed to (finally) photograph a ship I had never photographed before: the Regal Princess (which I did visit when she called in Helsinki for the first time in 2015, interior tour here, but I hadn't done the exteriors before now. A bit of a shame, as on the past two summers she was running with a plain white hull, whereas now she has the Princess' "Sea Witch" logo painted on sides of the bow).

Regal Princess

IMO 9584724
Built 2014, Fincantieri Monfalcone, Italy
Tonnage 142 714 GT
Length 330 m
Width 38,40 m
Draft 8,60 m
4 380 passengers
6 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 62 400 kW
2 propellers
3 bow thrusters
3 (?) stern thrusters
Speed 23 knots

Photos below show the Regal Princess departing Helsinki Länsisatama on the afternoon of 19 May 2017. Photographed from Vattuniemi. As usual, click on the images to see them in larger size.

No chance of mistaking the company these days, with the huge logo at the bow and the company name in large letters towards the stern. funnily, cruise ships are continuously nearing ferries when it comes to displaying company names on logos on the topsides.

The water levels were extremely low, but unfortunately not low enough to get to Sisä-Hattu without the need to get your feet wet. And the water is cold this time of year.

I'm not sure I like the exterior design of this class, to be honest. The front and back bits look like they're from a different ship, with curves at the rear up to and including the funnel, but straight lines forward of that.

Kships will return.