Seabourn Sojourn in Helsinki, 25 July 2012

Seabourn Sojourn

IMO 9417098
Built 2010, T. Mariotti, Italy
Tonnage 32 346 GT
Length 198,15 m
Width 25,60 m
Draught 6,40 m
462 passengers
462 berths
4 Wärtsdilä diesels, combined 23 040 kW
2 azipods
2 bow thrusters
Service speed 19 knots
Maximum speed 25,5 knots

The Seabourn Sojourn seems to be a ship that's always in Helsinki. From myobservation of cruise ship movements in Helsinki, there are two kinds of cruise ships that follow very regular, rigid patterns: on one hand there are the mass-market mega cruise ships of lines like NCL or Celebrity Cruises, but on the other hand ultra-luxe ships of lines like Seabourn or Compagnie du Ponant seem to follow a similar pattern.

Also, the Seabourn Sojourn still strongly reminds me of the old Finnish-market cruise ship Sally Albatross (today sailing as Louis Cruises' Louis Cristal).

The photographs below show the Seabourn Sojourn sailing through the Kustaanmiekka strait after departing Helsinki on the afternoon of 25 July 2012. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Sailing towards the strait from Kruunuvuorenselkä, with the archipelago cruiser Doris trailing.

Chic ship, I have to admit. Although, looking at the lack of windows, I wonder where all the public rooms are...

Le dynamique. Okay, I admit that would better fit a Le Ponant ship. Which are more stylish anyway.

Nice reflecting sunlight on the funnel.

And a little foreground granite.

Next time: Saga Sapphire.

Seabourn Pride in Helsinki, 12 June 2012

Before we start today's entry it's time for the announcement to the Finnish-speaking readers - the same one that takes place every two months:

Ulkomatala-verkkolehden uusin numero on jälleen kerran luettavissa osoitteessa www.ulkomatala.net. Tämänkertaisessa numerossa on mm. kirjoittamani artikkelit Costa Concordia-onnettomuuden viimeisimmistä vaiheista sekä Fjord Linen ja Color Linen suunnittelemista uudisrakennuksista ja uusista reiteistä. Lisäksi lehdestä löytyvät artikkelit Vaasan ja Uumajan välille perustetusta kunnallisesta varustamosta ja metkakertomus Kristina Katarinan Välimeren-risteilyltä.

We now return to normal programming.

Seabourn Pride

IMO 8707343
Built 1988, Schichau-Seebeckwerft Bremerhaven, West Germany
Tonnage 9 975 GT
Length 133,81 m
Width 19,00 m
Draugth 5,20 m
212 passengers
4 Normo-Bergen diesels, combined 5 355 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 19 knots (maximum), 15 knots (service)

The Seabourn Pride was built in 1988 as the first ship of the Norway-based Seabourn Cruise Line (later rebranded as Yachts of Seabourn). Originally the company had been founded in 1986 as Signet Cruise Line, but the name was amended after a lawsuit by an American who claimed to own the rights to the name Signet (only in America...). There isn't that much to say about the Seabourn Pride after that. She got an identical sister ship, the Seabourn Spirit, in 1989, and an extended version of the same design was built in 1992 as the Royal Viking Queen for Royal Viking Line. Seabourn Cruise Line and Royal Viking Line later came to be owned by by the Carninal Corporation and today both of Seabourn Pride's sisters sail for Yachts of Seabourn, the Royal Viking Queen known today as Seabourn Legend.

The photographs below show the Seabourn Pride passing through the Kustaanmiekka strait shortly after departing Helsinki South Harbour on the afternoon of 12 June 2012. Click on the individual images to see in larger size.

It is rather tiny by today's standards, isn't it? I was mildly suprised to notice that most of the balconies are French balconies rather than proper ones. But that's the late 80s for you.

I've never been a fan of the design where you "hide" the bridge in the superstructure as done here. The bridge is a central part of a ship's design and obsuring it almost always looks bad.

Didn't get excited enough by the ship to move to a location yielding better aft views.

It's that one particular tree again.

Seabourn Sojourn in Helsinki, 11 June 2011

Seabourn Sojourn

IMO 9417098
Built 2010, T. Mariotti, Italy
Tonnage 32 346 GT
Length 198,15 m
Width 25,60 m
Draught 6,40 m
462 passengers
462 berths
4 Wärtsdilä diesels, combined 23 040 kW
2 azipods
2 bow thrusters
Service speed 19 knots
Maximum speed 25,5 knots

Seabourn Sojourn is the second ship in a trio of newbuildings for the Carnival Corporations -owned Yachts of Seabourn. (Personally I would question if a 32 000 GT ship can by any measurement be called a "yacht", even if she is small by today's cruise ship standards - she is for instance about 7 000 GT bigger than Louis Cruises' Louis Cristal). She entered service in 2010. As Seabourn is one of the ultra-luxe cruise lines, all accommodation onboard the Seabourn Sojourn are suites. I admit I don't really have much to say about the ship apart from that. For some reason, her exterior reminds me very much of the former Finnish cruise ship Sally Albatross/Silja Opera (today sailing as the aforementioned Louis Cristal), though to be honest the semblance might just in my head.

The photographs below show the Seabourn Sojourn passing through the Kustaanmiekka strait on 11 June 2011 after departing from Helsinki South Harbour. Click on the individual images to view larger size.

Entering the Kustaanmiekka strait. In the background you can see the slowly-dismantling Laajasalo oil harbour. In a few years there should be a residential area in it's place.

The ship is surprisingly goodlooking, considesing the all-outside accommodation and large number of balconies. Of course, the small size helps... and maybe for a luxury cruise line, exterior appearances are slightly more important than for lines offering more standard products.

Out to the open sea, with plenty of spectators on the "no entry" -area of the ramparts.

I guess what mainly reminds me of the Sally Albatross in the looks of the Seabourn Sojourn is the rear of the ship, combined with the fact that the side of the ship is very similar.

The blob in the background on the right is Le Boréal, which had departed some minutes before. Silver Whisper also departed between Le Boréal and the Seabourn Sojourn, but I'm not putting of the photographs of her as they are so similar to my earlier set of the Silver Whisper.