Artania in Helsinki, 3 August 2013

Artania

IMO 8201480
Name history: Royal Princess, Artemis, Artania
Built 1984, Wärtsilä Helsinki, Finland
Tonnage 44 500 GT
Length 230,61 m
Width 29,60 m
Draught 7,80 m
1 260 passengers
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 23 200 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

It's been a while since I've featured a new ship here. The Artania had been on my to-photo list for some time (already since she was the Artemis of P&O Cruises), but for whatever reason I only photographer her for the last time last summer. But since this is the first time this ship has been featured here, it's time for a short history.

The Artania was originally built in 1984 by Wärtsilä's Helsinki shipyard as the Royal Princess for Princess Cruises. She was the first newbuilt ship ever to be delivered to Princess Cruises, and a rather innovative at that: not only did she feature cabins with balconies on an unprecedented scale, she was the first modern cruise ship to offer all-outside accommodation. It tells something about the cruise business 30 years ago that the Royal Princess was a one-off design; no sister ship was ever built and it was well over a decade before cabins with balconies truly caught on.

The Royal Princess was never the less clearly a popular ship and she stayed with Princess Cruises for over 20 years, until in 2005 she was transferred to the fleet of P&O Cruises and renamed Artemis. She was one of the company's increasingly popular child-free ships. In 2009 the ship was sold to Artania Shipping (who I presume are related to Phoenix Reisen), but chartered back to P&O Cruises until 2011. At the end her charter to P&O the ship joined the fleet of Phoenix Reisen and was renamed Artania. Interestingly, her place in the P&O fleet was taken over by the second Royal Princess (ex-R Eight, Minerva II), which was renamed Adonia. The Artania remains in the Phoenix Reisen fleet at the time of writing and is used on worldwide cruising.

The photographs below show the Artania departing from the Helsinki West Harbour in the afternoon of 3 August 2013. Photographed from Sisä-Hattu. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

She does look a wee bit retro, the bridge design and funnel-mounted observation lounge in particular.

Water levels were low, so interesting foreground crap presented itself.

Innocent bystanders (or bysitters, more accurately) featured in ship photos: the Bruce Peter school of photography.

This shot would be better without the yellow-hulled sailing boat. But I can't be bothered to photoshop it out.

Next time: Crystal Serenity

Amadea in Helsinki, 2 July 2013

Amadea

IMO 8913162
Name history: Asuka, Amadea
Built 1991, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki, Japan
Tonnage 28 856 GT
Length 192,82 m
Width 24,70 m
Draugth 6,60 m
624 passengers
2 MAN-Mitsubishi diesels, combined 17 300 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 21 knots

For a short history of the Amadea, see the first entry on her. The photographs below show the Amadea at, and departing from, Helsinki South Harbour in the afternoon on 2 July 2013. Photographed from onboard the ferry to Suomenlinna and from Kustaanmiekka. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

At the South Harbour, framed by Helsinki's two cathedrals: the protestant Helsinki Cathedral on the left, and the Greek Orthodox Uspensky Cathedral on the right.

Entering the Kustaanmiekka strait, with a neat rowan in the foreground.

That is a good-looking ship, actually!

Sailing past the King's Gate, part 1.

Sailing past the King's Gate, part 2. And looking very sleek while doing it, too.

And onward to the open sea, showing the somewhat unusual stern design.

Next time: Prinsendam.

Albatros in Helsinki, 25 July 2012

The weather here in Finland keeps getting chillier by the day, so it is good to look back at the passing summer and some of the delightful cruise ships that visited Helsinki... such as Phoenix Reisen's Albatros.

Albatros

IMO 7218395
Name history: Royal Viking Sea, Royal Odyssey, Norwegian Star, Crown, Albatros
Built 1973, Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 28 078 GT
Length 205,47 m
Width 25,20 m
Draugth 7,55 m
830 passengers
1 100 berths
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 15 840 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 18 knots

The Albatros started life as the Royal Viking Sea of Royal Viking Line, the last ship of the company's initial trio of newbuildings. The Royal Viking Sea was owned by A. F. Klaveness. According to Fakta om Fartyg, her first voyage with passengers was a Bergen-Newcastle ferry crossing, but this might be a mistake as according to Bruce Peter's upcoming book Knud E. Hansen A/S - 75 Years of Ship Design it was in fact the Bergen Line -owned Royal Viking Star that entered service in this manner. Of course it is within the realm of possibility that both the RV Star and RV Sea started their careers in the same manner. In any case, the Royal Viking Sea entered regular cruise service in late 1973.

The Royal Viking Sea's owner A. F. Klaveness was the only company in the Royal Viking consortium that did not have previous experience of operating passenger ships. Perhaps reflecting this, the company decided as early as 1975 to withdraw from the consortium. The Royal Viking Sea was sold to Bergen Line and Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, the other owners of Royal Viking Line. In 1983 the Royal Viking Sea was lengthened with the addition of a 28-metre midsection (similar chop-and-stretch operations had already been carried out on her sister ships in 1981 and 1982). The next year Royal Viking Line's owners sold the company to the Kloster Group, the owners of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Initially the operations of Royal Viking Line continued much as before, but in the beginning of the 1990s Kloster Gorup felt the original RVL trio were outdated for Royal Viking Line's high-class brand and the ships were transferred to other Kloster companies. The Royal Viking Sea therefore became Royal Cruise Line's Royal Odyssey in 1991. She was later joined in the RCL fleet by her sister Royal Viking Star, now Star Odyssey, which had in the interim sailed as Norwegian Cruise Line's Westward.

By the mid-1990s Kloster Group was in financial difficulties. The Royal Viking Line brand and it's remaining two ships had been sold to Cunard in 1994. Royal Cruise Line disappeared in 1997, with the Royal Odyssey becoming Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Star. In 1999-2001 the Norwegian Star cruised in Australian waters for NCL's subsidiary Norwegian Capricorn Line. In 2002 she became the Far Eastern casino cruise ship Crown. In 2003 the Crown was chartered to Spanish Cruise Line for Mediterranean cruising from Valencia. This was to be another short interlude however, as in the beginning of 2003 the ship passed to Germany's Phoenix Reisen, who were looking for a ship to replace their aged Albatros (ex-Sylvania, Fairwind, Sitmar fairwind, Dawn Princess). The Crown took over the name Albatros and begun cruising for Phoenix Reisen. In 2005 her engines were exchanged for newer ones and she continues to sail for Phoenix Reisen to this day.

The photographs below show the Albatros passing through the Kustaanmiekka strait outbound from Helsinki on 25 July 2012. Click on the images to view them in larger size.

Albatros passing Finnish Navy's minelayer Hämemaa. The grey paint works surprisingly well as camouflage, at least in these weather conditions.

Very chic. Supposedly the Royal Viking trio's exteriors were inspired by the QE2.

In the full-size image, notice the Swedish flag flown aft of the bridge. Apparently someone onboard had done their homework on the subject of "how to irritate Finns".

Through the strait to the delight of the mandatory crowd of on-lookers.

And further on.

Next time: Seabourn Sojourn.

Amadea, 1 June 2007

Amadea

IMO 8913162
Built 1991, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki, Japan
Tonnage 28 856 GT
Length 192,82 m
Width 24,70 m
Draugth 6,60 m
624 passengers
2 MAN-Mitsubishi diesels, combined 17 300 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 21 knots

For a history of the Amadea, see the previous entry about her.

The photographs below show the Amadea arriving in Stockholm. Photographed from onboard the Mariella. Click on the images to view larger size.

Turning on Stockholms ström before berthing. Despite the calm weather the Amadea needed tug assistance to berth.

Notice both the nicely terraced aft decks and the vertical layout with cabins forward and public spaces aft, the Amadea being one of the few cruise ships to be built to such a plan.

Amadea, 10 September 2010

Amadea

IMO 8913162
Built 1991, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki, Japan
Tonnage 28 856 GT
Length 192,82 m
Width 24,70 m
Draugth 6,60 m
624 passengers
2 MAN-Mitsubishi diesels, combined 17 300 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 21 knots

Amadea started life as the Asuka, the sole ship of Asuka Cruises, a cruise brand established by Japan's Nippon Yusen Kaisha (alias NYK Line). Interestingly enough, although NYK are one of Japan's main shipping companies, the Asuka was their first newbuilt passenger ship since the second world war. The Asuka cruised around Asia and the Oceania on cruises aimed at the Japanese market until 2006, when NYK decided to replace her by transferring the Crystal Harmony sailing under their US market luxury brand Crystal Cruises to the Asuka Cruises brand as the Asuka II. The original Asuka was sold to Germany's Phoenix Reisen (or more accurately, a Bahamas-based holding company) and entered service in 2006 as Phoenix's new flagship Amadea.

Photographs below show the Amadea on 10 September 2010, shortly after departing the cruise quay at Katajanokka, Helsinki. Photographed from Suomenlinna. Click on the image(s) to view full size.

On Kruunuvuorenselkä. Notice the larger windows towards aft, evidence of the Amadea's unusual layout with public rooms aft and cabins forward.

Turning towards the Kustaanmiekka strait.

And entering the Kustaanmiekka strait.