Silver Whisper in Helsinki, 29 May 2012

Silver Whisper

IMO 9192179
Built 2001, C.N. "Visentini" di Visentini Francesco & C. Donada, Italy (hull), T. Mariotti Genoa, Italy (outfitting)
Tonnage 28 258 GT
Length 186,00 m
Width 24,80 m
Draugth 6,00 m
400 passengers
2 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 11 474 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 20,5 knots

Silver Whisper is one of the ship that comes to Helsinki a lot. Interestingly, these ships tend to fall into two very different categories: large mass-market ships like AIDAsol, Celebrity Constellation and Norwegian Sun in one end of the spectrum, and exclusive luxury ships like Le Boréal, Seabourn Sojourn and Silver Whisper in the other. I find it quite fascinating that such diverse ships seem to follow so similar itineraries.

Anyway. The photographs here show the Silver Whisper at the Kustaanmiekka strait after departing Helsinki South Harbour on the afternoon of 29 May 2012. As usual, photographed from Kustaanmiekka. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Not photographed from "The Hill" near the western shore of Suomenlinna but from the bottom of it, giving ever-so-slightly different point of views from the earlier Kristina Katarina entry from the same session.

All kinds of foreground crap here.

And a rowan in bloom. And way markers. And a small lighthouse-thing.

Past the rowan and onwards to... someplace. Probably either St. Petersburg or Stockholm.

Kristina Katarina in Helsinki, 29 May 2012

Kristina Katarina

IMO 7625811
Previous names: Konstantin Simonov, Francesca, The Iris
Built 1982, Stocznia Szczecinska im A. Warskiego Szczecin, Poland
Tonnage 12 688 GT
Length 138,00 m
Width 21,01 m
Draugth 5,60 m
450 passengers
4 Sulzer diesels, combined 12 779 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 18 knot

For a brief history of the Kristina Katarina, see the first entry on her. On 29 May 2012 the Kristina Katarina arrived back home in Finland from her extensive winter cruise season, that took her as far as the Caribbean (becoming the first Finnish-flagged cruise ship to sail there). Unusually she arrived at 16.00, which gave the change to - for once - photograph a ship arriving in Helsinki South Harbour without the need to wake up ridiculously early. She was due to depart at 20.00 and it was my intention to also photograph her outbound passage through Kustaanmiekka - but alas, she departed an hour late by which time I had made the (wrong) decision to start heading home. I did manage to photograph her departure, but only got a handful of not that good images from the deck of the Tor.

Click on the images to see them in larger size.

As you can see, the lighting was not ideal for photographing the arrival - and the all-white cloud cover didn't help much.

That little lighthouse-thing is extremely pictoresque. Should try to take more images featuring it, really.

The white sky and light sea stop being a problem when you can frame the ship's superstructure in front of some trees.

Inbound.

A lot of the ship is obscured, yet I find this photo looks very good.

Passing a pilot boat - who, as my wife pointed out, looks very much like the red Angry Bird here. ;)

More in our series of "obscured but good".

Departing after nine. Has I stayed in Kustaanmiekka the photos would have undoubtedly been awesome - and I would have been home by 23.00 at earliest.

Le Boréal in Helsinki, 23 May 2012

Le Boréal

IMO 9502506
Built 2010, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 10 700 GT
Length 142,00 m
Width 18,00 m
Draugth 4,70 m
Ice class 1C
264 passengers
264 berths
Diesels, combined 6 400 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16 knots

Le Boréal has become something of a permanent fixture in the Helsinki cruise scene, visiting the city several times every summer. And since it's such a sexy-looking ship, I seem to photograph it every summer at least  once. This year's at least once was yesterday (well, technically the day before yesterday as I'm writing this just past mightnight). So, photos of Le Boréal departing Helsinki on 23 May 2012, photographed from Kustaanmiekka (where else?). Click on the images to see in larger size.

Entering this Kustaanmiekka strait, with Helsinki's archipelago looking very photogenic in the spring colours.

Only a narrow angle for good photographs from this location, but you get nice foregrounds.

Through the strait, with only two onlookers at this point.

Cannons in the foreground and a surpisingly large bow wave for Le Boréal.

MSC Poesia interiors, 23. May - 2. June 2011

MSC Poesia and icelandic landscape near Akureyri. 28 May 2011.

MSC Poesia

IMO 9387073
Built 2008, Aker Yards Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France
Tonnage 93 330 GT
Length 293,80 m
Width 32,20 m
Draugth 7,70 m
3 013 passengers
5 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 58 000 kW
2 propellers
3 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Speed 22 knots

Today's entry continues from yesterday's entry (so to say), as this time we (finally) look at the interior photographs I took on our MSC Poesia cruise from Kiel to Bergen, Tórshavn, Akureyri, Ísafjörður and Reykjavik last May-June. Phose interested in reading more about the cruise itself can do so either in English at Maritime Matters (part 1, part 2 and part 3) or in Finnish from the 1/2012 issue of Ulkomatala (klikkaa kohtaa "arkisto" ja valitse lehden oikea numero).

Deck 16 (Sport deck) - The topmost deck houses a solarium (read=sun deck) and a sports field aft of the funnel.

The funnel, so I'm told, is confusingly a symbol of power and speed, as well as pollution. MSC's choice of design is particularly sleek. 2 June 2011.

Deck 15 (Alfieri deck) - Forward there are cabins and aft, below the funnel, minigolf and shuffleboard courses.

MSC's idea of a minigolf course is, apparently, miniature golf rather than actual minigolf. Or maybe these things are different in different parts of the world. Certainly this is not the only thing MSC did funnily from our point of view. 26 May 2011.

Deck 14 (Pascoli deck) - Again cabins forward, sunbathing spaces surrounding the pool complex (one deck below) midships, a children's play area aft at the base of the funnel and an observation lounge cum dischotheque at the very aft.

Continuing the proud tradition of naming discotheques after the ship's yard number. 25 May 2011.

I love the sleek, technological design of this space. If only MSC would start playing something else than the same tape on repeat a bit earlier than at 1 AM... 25 May 2011.

Not perhaps quite as impressive during the day. Using this space as an observation lounge was somewhat hindered by the layout of the sofas which had their backs facing the windows. We developed some very creative ways of sitting in order to enjoy the views. 23 May 2011.

Deck 13 (Foscolo) - Forward there is a spa compex with a gym and a sauna (the latter could have been better), with the gym being the only forward-facing public room on the ship (!). Amidships there are the main pool areas (Coral Bay and Cavo Levantado) and aft there are two restaurants, Villa Pompeiana and L'Obelisco. For breakfast and lunch both restaurants fuction as a buffet, for dinner the L'Obelisco becomes a (rather expensive) extra-charge a la carte venue while on most night (but not all) Villa Pompeiana has a limited buffet section (mostly salads, burgers and pizzas).

Coral Bay pool area facing forwards (photographed from a walkway on deck 14). 23 May 2011.

Cruising on the North Atlantic in spring the weather doesn't invite you to spend much time on the sun decks - although we did go for a swim despite the weather. As did a number of the German passengers. Both nationalities of course batshit crazy, albeit in different ways. 24 May 2011.

Cavo Levantado pool (as was the photo above) at night time, facing forward. Notice the water level in the pool. Could have been nice for a noctural dip, but MSC nets over the pools at 6 PM regardless of the weather. 26 May 2011.

Villa Pompeiana and L'Obelisco were both finished in very classical style that was a bit at odds with the rest of the ship, as most of the interiors were in art deco -influenced. 2 June 2011.

Villa Pompeiana, starboard side, facing forward. 2 June 2011.

Deck 12 (Leopardi deck) - Navigation bridge & cabins.

Deck 11 (D'Annunzio deck) - Cabins.

Deck 10 (Carducci deck) - Cabins.

Deck 9 (Ungaretti deck) - Cabins.

Deck 8 (Tasso deck) - Cabins.

Deck 7 (Manzoni deck) - Theatro Carlo Felice (the show lounge) forward, followed by the casino, a "Via dello Arti" including a library, card room and a sushi bar. Aft of these, flanking the main atrium (Rendez-Vous reception) was a cigar room and a internet café, followed by a photo arcade and Il Grappolo d'Oro wine bar. At the very aft was one of the largest entertainment venues, Pigalle Lounge. For some reason we spent little to no time in the latter.

Entrance vestibule to the upper level of Carlo Felice. 24 May 2011.

Theatro Carlo Felice, viewed from the balcony level. The space was named after Genoa's opera house if I remember correctly, though the original probably didn't resemble this space very much. Still, this was very cool and the nightly shows rather good. 25 May 2011.

Via dello Arti, fecing towards the library with the sushi bar on the left. The latter was quite expensive (in my opinion anyway) and always empty. The quality of fish foods onboard was very poor overall, which might also have scared potential customers away. 26 May 2011.

Rendez-Vous Reception, facing down from deck 7. 24 May 2011.

Il Grappolo d'Oro wine bar, with what were probably the least comfortable armchairs known to mankind. 26 May 2011.

More of Il Grappolo d'Oro, 26 May 2011.

Deck 6 (Dante deck) - The lower level of Theatro Calro Felice at the bow, followed by Zebra Bar (the clue is in the name), Bar del Poeti (flanked by several small shops), middle level of the atrium (with more shops) and one of the two main dining rooms, Il Palladio, aft.

Zebra Bar. The decor works surprisingly well, although the music played here wasn't to our tastes (except on the first night when the band, playing to a near-empty lounge, treated us with a 10-minute funk jam). 25 May 2011.

Bar dei Poeti's entertainment included a delightful three-piece jazz band, but unfortunately smoking was allowed on the port side of the room and with no partitions the whole place ranked of cigarettes. Suitable for a jazz lounge but still irritating to those of us who do not smoke. 26 May 2011.

Our coze little corner of the Il Palladio restaurant. I rather liked the decor, but the food ranged from almost-ok to downright terrible. 23 May 2011.

Deck 5 (Petrarca deck) - The lowest deck accessible to passengers had a medical center forward, a number of cabins amidships followed by the lowest level of the atrium (flanked by two bars) and aft the other main dining room La Fontane with blue rococo-influenced decor.

The entertainment at the atrium had alternating performers: the guy with guitar and a female singer (who you can see here) and a string trio playing classical music. The former was not my cup of tea while the latter was quite splendid. Sadly the crew had no intention of letting you enjoy the music and particularly on the upper level of the atrium there was a lot of unnescessary, distracting noise. 26 May 2011.

One of the sitting areas off the Rendez-Vous atrium. 26 May 2011.

The atrium, pohotographed upwards from deck 5. 2 June 2011.

MSC Poesia in Tallinn, 16 May 2012

MSC Poesia

IMO 9387073
Built 2008, Aker Yards Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France
Tonnage 93 330 GT
Length 293,80 m
Width 32,20 m
Draugth 7,70 m
3 013 passengers
5 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 58 000 kW
2 propellers
3 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Speed 22 knots

Ships of MSC Cruises are starting to become a rarity in Helsinki as the company have decided to stop calling in the city completely due to the high harbour fees levied. Tallinn across the Bay of Finland on the other hand remains a popular destination for the line and fortunately enough I happened to be in that city on 16 May when the MSC Poesia called there. The Poesia and I are of course old friends as I travelled on a year ago on a cruise to Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland (my travel report from that trip can be read at Maritime Matters here, while this previous entry has images of her in Tórshavn, Akureyri and Ísafjörður. I should try to remember to look through the interior photos of her I have and put them up in here as well).

So yes, the MSC Poesia departing from Tallinn's cruise quay on the afternoon of 16 May 2012, photographed from Linnahall. Click on the images to see in larger size.

For some reason the waterfront between Linnahall and the passenger harbour is essentially a wasteland (and judging by the trees has been for some time). While not perhaps very effective use of land, the trees with their newly-sprouted leaves make for a nice foreground.

I never seem to have a chance to photograph the MSC Poesia in sunlight - every time I have photographed her it has been overcast, raining or snowing. Not that I'm complaining, these photos too turned out fine despite the fact it was, in fact, raining lightly.

Linnahall, in case you were wondering, is a Soviet-era building designed by Raine Karp. Originally it was named the V. I. Lenin Palace of Culture and Sport, which also illustrates the building's purpose. Today the interiors of the badly dilapidated building are closed down, but it's exterior is open to visitors.

Most of the ferries visiting Tallinn sail into the harbour a bit too far away from Linnahall to yield good photographs (at least with my equipment), but the Poesia did a nice turn in perfect range for photography.

Another upright photo! I couldn't resist the tree in full bloom in the foreground. ;)