Superstar in Helsinki, 25 January 2017

These are the last proper pictures I ever took of the Superstar. My original plan was to post these when the ship begun her new career with Corsica Ferries, but for some reason that never happened. So instead these will be the Kships Christmas greeting.

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Name history: Superstar, Pascal Lota
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

The Superstar was ordered by Tallink from Fincantieri in August 2005, for delivery in spring 2008. The ship was based on the design of the Moby Wonder -class, which Fincantieri were heavily promoting at the time (they also negoatiated about building a ship of the same design for Viking Line). The Superstar was ordered at the same time as her eventual running mate Star, and originally both contacts included an option for a sister vessel. At the time there were plenty of rumours circulating around about the future deployment of the ships: the Star and her sister were expected to go to the Helsinki-Tallinn -line, while the Superstar and her potential sister were expected to open an Estonia-Germany service for Tallink. Other rumours suggested one pair would go on the Gothenburg-Frederikshavn route in competition with Stena Line. Tallink at the time also expressed interest in submitting a tender for the state-funded service between the island of Gotland and the Swedish mainland. In the end only the Germany service came true, by the virtue of Tallink buying Superfast Ferries' Baltic Sea operations. Neither sister ship option was taken up, and the somewhat mismatched pair of Star and Superstar took over Tallink's non-cruise Helsinki-Tallinn services.

The Superstar continued in service without incident for eight years. In late 2014 Tallink signed a memorandum of agreement to build a new, larger, LNG-powered fast ferry for the Helsinki-Tallinn route, which was confirmed as a firm order in February 2015. In preparation for the delivery of the new ship, the Superstar was sold to Corsica Ferries in November 2015, with delivery in December, but chartered back to Tallink until the delivery of the new Megastar in January 2017.

After making her last crossing with Tallink on 28 January 2017, the Superstar was briefly registered in Cyprus and sailed to La Spezia in Italy for an extensive refit (somewhat oddly, most of the original Italian-influenced decor was removed). In early March, the ship was renamed Pascal Lota, after the recently-deceased founder of Corsica Ferries (originally, the ship was reported to be renamed Mega Express Six). In June, the ship finally entered service with Corsica Ferries, on routes from Livorno to Bastia and Golfo Aranci.

The photos below show the Superstar arriving at Helsinki Länsisatama (West Harbour) in the afternoon of 25 January 2017. Photographed from Vattuniemi. As always, click on the images to see them in larger size.

A surprising number of dents on the sides.

I'm not sure how often the ship is going t osee snow these days...

...but the snow did make for nice pictures.

The real obejctive of the day was the brand-new Megastar, which was in Helsinki to test ramps, but her depature was delayed until after dark. But getting the Superstar in the same shot as the ship wthat replaced her was nice.

Merry Christmas everyone, Kships will return.

Superstar in Tallinn, 11 March 2014

We continue the deviation from advertized programming due to yesterday's news that Tallink have sold the Superstar to Corsica Ferries, effective next month, but she will be chartered back to Tallink until the completion of the new, larger fast ferry from Turku at the beginning of 2017.

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

So, with these changes it's maybe a good time to look at the brief history of the Superstar. She was ordered by Tallink from Fincantieri in August 2005, for delivery in spring 2008. The ship was based on the design of the Moby Wonder -class, which Fincantieri were heavily promoting at the time (they also negoatiated about building a ship of the same design for Viking Line). The Superstar was ordered at the same time as her eventual running mater Star, and originally both contacts included an option for a sister vessel. At the time there were plenty of rumours circulating around about the future deployment of the ships: the Star and her sister were expected to go to the Helsinki-Tallinn -line, while the Superstar and her potential sister were expected to open an Estonia-Germany service for Tallink. Other rumours suggested one pair would go on the Gothenburg-Frederikshavn route in competition with Stena Line. Tallink at the time also expressed interest in submitting a tender for the state-funded service between the island of Gotland and the Swedish mainland. In the end only the Germany service came true, by the virtue of Tallink buying Superfast Ferries' Baltic Sea operations. Neither sister ship option was taken up, and the somewhat mismatched pair of Star and Superstar took over Tallink's non-cruise Helsinki-Tallinn services.

The Superstar continued in service without incident for eight years. In late 2014 Tallink signed a memorandum of agreement to build a new, larger, LNG-powered fast ferry for the Helsinki-Tallinn route, which was confirmed as a firm order in February 2015. At the time the company reported no final decisions about the fate of the current Helsinki-Tallinn Shuttles had been made: the new ship could either replace one of them or join them as a fourth ship. However, in November a contact to sell the Superstar to Corsica Ferries was made public. She will change owners in December, but is chartered back to Tallink until the completion of the new ship from Turku. In early 2017, following delively of the as-of-yet unnamed new fast ferry, she will join Corsica Ferries' fleet as the Mega Express Six.

The photographs below show the Superstar arriving in Tallink on 11 March 2014. I did not publish these images at the time, keeping them under wraps for the Tallink – The First 25 Years book. Since the book is now out (and all of you should go and buy it), these photos will not spoil anything. As always, click on the images to see them in larger size.

Sisters are doing it for themselves: the inbound Superstar and the outbound Finlandia outside the harbour.

I'm really quite fond of the combination of the decaying concrete in the foreground.

Next time: Presumably, we'll hopefully finally get to the Azamara Quest.

Aranda in Helsinki, 9 May 2013

Aranda

IMO 8802076
Built 1989, Wärtsilä Marine Helsinki shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 1 734 GT
Length 59,20 m
Width 13,80 m
Draugth 5,00 m
12-13 crew
27 passengers (researchers)
2 Wärtsilä Vasa diesels, combined 3 000 kW
1 propeller
1 bow thruster
1 stern thuster
Speed 13,5 knots (maximum), 10,5 knots (service)

The Aranda is an ice-reinforced research vessel owned by the Finnish Environmental Institute (Suomen ympäristökeskus, SYKE for short). She is the third Finnish research vessel with the name; the first was a former passenger steamer that only carried out one research voyage before the breakout of World War II. The second was completed by the Valmet shipyard in Helsinki in 1953. She was upgraded several times and withdrawn from research use when the third Aranda was completed in 1989. The second Aranda still exists as the Finnish training vessel Katarina.

The current Aranda was completed by Wärtsilä's Helsinki shipyard in 1989, very shortly before Wärtsiläs's shipbuilding division went bankrupt. She was delivered to the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, for whom she sailed until the FIMR was merged into the Finnish Environmental Institute and the Finnish Meteorological Institute in 2009.

The Aranda was originally built for use within the Baltic Sea, but she has sailed further than just the Baltic Sea, including the Atlantic and the Arctic. In 1995 the Aranda sailed as far as the Weddell Sea on the Antarctica; she was not the firsy Finnish vessel to sail to the Antarctica. The first was the aptly named Finnpolaris, a Thomesto-owned but Finnlines-operated cargo ship that made four expeditions to the Antarctica for the Indian and Italian governments between 1983 and 1988.

The photographs below show the Aranda arriving in Helsinki West Harbour on the afternoon of 9 May 2013 after a short test voyage on the Gulf of Finland. Photographed from the Hernesaari cruise quay. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Not the best weather to photograph a ship with a grey superstructure I admit. But chances to photograph the Aranda on the move are rare.

The Aranda's livery seems to be adopted version of the Finnish coast guard's colours (don't ask me why). Notice the SYKE logo on the side, with colours that don't really match the rest of the livery.

According to a rumour the Aranda was originally planned to be ten matres longer, which would have allowed for more researchers to be carried but also would have required more crew. Hence the result was this short stubby thing.

With the midships bridge and low stern, the ship is actually shaped quite similarly to a stereotypical superyacht of today. Less streamlined of course, but the size and overall shape are similar.

I've taken many photos of the Superstar sailing past a much-larger cruise ship. Here, for once, the Superstar is the big ship in background. Notice, by the way, how the Superstar is need of a new layer of paint for her sides.

Next time: Delphin.

Superstar in Helsinki, 23 January 2013

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

I just noticed, when looking at past entries featuring the Superstar, that the three previous entries of the ship have all featured her in a winterly setting. Well, we will continue on the same theme today.

The photographs below show the Superstar arriving in Helsinki West Harbour on the morning of 23 January. I photographed her from the deck of her sister ship Finlandia - the Finlandia had just departed and the Superstar was moving in to fill the quay vacated by the Finlandia. (The two ships sharing the same quay is a temporary arrangement while the quay normally used by Eckerö's ship is being rebuilt).

Click on the images to see in larger size.

A foggy winter's day is normally not the best weather for ship photography - but fortunately the Superstar stands out nicely from the background. (But notice how on all images her more traditionally painted radar mast blends into the background).

The two sisters met at quite high speeds, so I did not take quite as many pics I normally would have. But it was a good thing too, as it was cold outside.

Pihlajasaari, a normal background feature in West Harbour photos, seen from a slightly different point-of-view.

West Harbour calling.

While I've grown to like most of this design and even the livery, the rear of the ship just looks atrocious. And it's not even a practical arrangement as both sisters that I've been on vibrated quite at higher speeds. Not Finnjet-heavily but still noticeably.

Next time: Star.

Superstar in Tallinn, 4 March 2012

Clearly there weren't enough images featuring the Superstar in this blog yet, so here are some more. There is a futher reason to featuring these photos however, as I discovered yesterday that Tallink will be introducing a new graphic identity to their fleet (and the fleet of Silja Line) - you can see the new look in a graphic guidelines booklet here. If the guidelines in the booklet will be rigidly introduced on the Tallink and Silja Line fleets (the example images specify the ships as all-white apart from funnel markings and hull texts), the Superstar might look rather different not too soon.

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

The photographs below were taken in Tallinn harbour on 4 March 2012 from onboard the Nordlandia. Click on the images to see in larger size.

Spiffing image, even if most of the ship is in shadows. Ideally one would be at this same quay to observe one of the departures later during the day...

Two months ago we still had ice and snow. Today the summer cruise season opens in Helsinki with AIDAsol being the first ship to call (most unsual, normally the Fram is always the first).

Notice the damage to the paintwork caused by navigating in the ice.

Hopefully Tallink will not be too rigid about their new look - the Superstar would look awful in all-white. And the Tallink Shuttle hull text wouldn't look too good centrally located either. But, we'll see.

Looking back the trip when this photo was taken was an opportune time - getting both good light and ice at the same time is frightfully difficult.

Two hours later, Helsinki.

Superstar on the Bay of Finland, 25 February 2012

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

The photo of the Superstar below, taken on 25 February 2012 from the deck of the Silja Symphony, is from my recent Helsink-Stockholm-Helsinki cruise with Bruce Peter. You may read a full report from the trip, complete with photos, on MaritimeMatters. I will be posting further ship photos from that trip here during the upcoming weeks.

Superstar sailing into the sunset.

Superstar in Helsinki, 3 August 2011

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

Yes, another Superstar entry. Bear with me, I promise you'll find these photos interesting.

Last August I spent quite a lot of time looking though the website of the fabulous Søren Lund Hviid (paxpix.dk) and inspired by his work I decided to try a less ship-documenting and more atmospheric approach. Sisä-Hattu, which I have visited quite often recently for ship photographing purposes proved quite ideal for this as the island has very nice vegetation and neat rocky shores. And the Superstar was a more than suitable test subject, as if the pics of her turned out to be rubbish it wouldn't be much of a loss. But I'll let you judge for yourself if this was the case or not.

Superstar departing Helsinki West Harbour on 3 August 2011. Click on the individual images to see in larger size.

Superstar from between the trees. I didn't notice them when photographing, but there were a lot of small insects haging arund between the trees that make the image look a bit dirty, particular in the higher resolution.

This one doesn't really need a caption, does it?

Superstar-under-the-Rowan.

Costa Luminosa in Helsinki, 23 June 2011

Costa Luminosa

IMO 9398905
Built 2009, Fincantieri Marghera, Italy
Tonnage 92 700 GT
Length 294,00 m
Width 32,25 m
Draught 8,00 m
2 260 passengers
6 MaK diesels, combined 64 000 kW
2 azipods (?)
3 bow thrusters
Speed 21,6 knots

There's very little new to say about the Costa Luminosa. She's been a common visitor in Helsinki during this summer. The photographs below show her departing from Helsinki west harbour on 23 June 2011. Photographed from Sisä-Hattu. Click on the individual images to see larger size.

Costa Luminosa at quay, with Superstar passing her. A slight difference in size, don't you agree?

Pulling away from the cruise quay at Hernesaari.

Windy days attract sailboats. Sadly, the barges used for deepening the sealane are less photogenic.

Elegant profile... though the aft superstructure is perfance a bit too built-in.

And then onwards to the open sea.

Superstar in Helsinki, 23 June 2011

Let's start off with a little announcement. I mentioned in the Kships' first anniversary entry that last month (July 2011) was looking to be a record breaker in terms of page views. That indeed it was, with 4 633 page views during the month, beating the previous record by over a thousand views. Many thanks to everyone who have visited (and hopefully enjoyed) this site.

Now onwards to the photos.

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

I was looking through pictures I've taken this summer and came across images of the Superstar taken on 23 June (the day had a record number of cruise ship visitors for the year and I also wrote about it on MaritimeMatters). My initial reaction was "what, yet more images of Superstar? What was I thinking?", but actually there are just two entries before this with exterior images of the ship. These particular ones actually looked quite fine, so I thought, "why not?"

Superstar departing Helsinki West Harbour on 23 June 2011, photographed from Sisä-Hattu. Click on the individual images to view larger size.

The day was nicely windy and sailboats were out en-masse, making attractive nautical decorations for photographs.

Pihlajasaari, sailboat and Superstar. The Superstar's unconventional livery makes for a particularly good candidate for photographs with sailboats.

Pihlajasaari and Superstar but minus the sailboats. The island makes for a rather fine backdrop in my opinion.

Outbound panoramica. When the ship isn't the prettiest around, showing plenty of the surroundings improves the photographs. :P

Superstar, 13 August 2010

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

As noted previously, Superstar is a member of the Moby Wonder -class developed by Fincantieri for Moby Lines (although the first two members of the class were built by Daewoo in South Korea). Apart from her eyecathing livery, Superstar mostly differs from her sisters with the shape of her funnel; the Moby sisters have a much more streamlined design. The funnel of the Superstar rather looks like the funnel of the Moby ships placed backwards. On their most recent Finnish-built ships (the Galaxy-class and Star) Tallink have had a uniform (and quite stylish) funnel design. Personally I find it odd that this design was not carried on to the Superstar, especially as her funnel was designs was changed from the class template. That said, the Superstar's funnel does look better, with the front of the funnel being raked in the same angle as the forward superstructure.

As for the Superstar's livery, it seems she was originally planned to have a more conventional look. Apparently Fincantieri retain a builder's model of her, painted in all-white livery with blue water-splash -like patterns in place of the orange swirls of the real livery. Initial artists' impressions of the Star had a similar livery, so it does seem possible the original planned livery for these ships was quite different from the final one.

Superstar departing Helsinki Länsisatama (West Harbour) on 13 August 2010. Click on the image(s) to view full size.

Shortly after departure, with bow of the Star Princess visible on the left.

Passing Pihlajasaari, with the funnel cathing the rays on the sun nicely.

Heading south towards Tallinn for yet another 2-hour crossing.

Superstar interiors, 13 February 2010

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draft 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

Superstar's interiors are, like her exterior, something of a departure from the style of their other newbuildings. The interior design was apparently trusted to the designers of Fincantieri, which resulted in not only stylings that offer a departure from the company's previous newbuildings, but also nomenclature that's different as Superstar's public spaces bear names with heavy italian connections.

Photographs taken on 13 February 2010 during a crossing from Tallinn to Helsinki. Click on the image(s) to view full size.

Dolce Vita, the three-deck high forward lounge, offers impressive views over the bow of the ship.

Dolce Vita photographed from the topmost level. The stage in the middle of the lounge was not used at all during this crossing.

Pizza Roma on Deck 8, aft of Dolce Vita.

Further aft of Pizza Roma there's the sitting area for the fast food restaurant Presto and Ice Cream Bar Pinocchio.

Adjacent to the previous is cafeteria Sardinia.

Right in the aft of deck 8 (extending up to deck 9) is another bar with impressive views, Da Vinci.

Another view of the Da Vinci, with the chairs and tables giving the impression of an outdoor space.

The not-so-sunny sundeck and funnel on deck 9.

The outdoor Sole bar on deck 9 did not live up to it's name on a February crossing. Unless of course the name was intended as the English "sole" rather than the Italian "sole". :P

Superstar, July 2010

Superstar

IMO 9365398
Built 2008, Fincantieri, Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 36 400 GT
Length 175,10 m
Width 27,60 m
Draft 7,00 m
Ice class 1A
2 080 passengers
520 berths
665 cars
1 930 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 50 400 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 27,5 knots

Superstar was built for Tallink by Fincantieri, as a sister ship of the Moby Aki they had built in 2005 for Moby Lines (which turn was based on two ships built for Moby by Daewoo in 2001). Originally the order for Superstar included an option for a sister ship (as did the order for Star), and it has been theorized that the Superstar and her unrealized sister were meant for Tallink's planned service from Estonia and/or Finland to Germany, which never materialized due to Tallink's buying the Baltic Sea operations of Superfast Ferries in 2006.

Click on image(s) to view full size.

Arriving in Helsinki West Harbour, photographed from Vattuniemi. 10 July 2010.

Arriving in Helsinki West Harbour, photographed from Sisä-Hattu. 20 July 2010.