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.

Silja Serenade in Helsinki, 24 February 2012

As the winter seems to be drawing to a close in Finland, I guess this is a good time to be posting winterly photos. Well, that and the fact that I have made four ferry trips within the last month and all of them of course yielded numerous photographs. The latest trip was a day cruise to Tallinn on the Nordlandia today (first time on that ship for me), though seeing that there is a backlog from the previous trips, you will have to wait for the images from the Nordlandia for a while.

Silja Serenade

IMO 8715259
Built 1990, Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 58 376 GT
Length 203,03 m
Width 31,93 m
Draugth 7,12 m
Ice class 1A Super
2 852 passengers
3 001 berths
410 cars
1 600 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä-Vasa diesels, combined 32 580 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Speed 21 knots

The Silja Serenade at the Olympia Terminal in Helsinki on 24 February 2012, photographed from onboard the Viking XPRS. Click on the individual images to see in larger size.

In just nine days the amount of ice and snow has decreased dramatically from what is seen here.

Hiding in plain sight.

Gabriella in Helsinki, 24 February 2012

I did an extensive amount of travelling around last weekend with the delightful Bruce Peter. This is the first entry of photographs from that trip, with plenty more to come. Once I have managed to get some essays for the university out of the way, a travel report from the Silja Symphony with Bruce will also be forthcoming at MaritimeMatters.

Gabriella

IMO 8917601
Former names: Frans Suell, Silja Scandinavia
Built 1992, Brodogradiliste Split, Croatia
Tonnage 35 492 GT
Length 171,50 m
Width 28,20 m
Draugth 6,25 m
Ice class 1 A Super
2 420 passengers
2 402 berths
400 cars
900 lane metres
4 Pielstick diesels, combined 23 760 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 21,5 knots

For a history of the Gabriella, see this entry. For some notes on her design see this one. The photographs below show the Gabriella at quay on Katajanokka ferry terminal, photographed from onboard the Viking XPRS. Click on the images to see in larger size.

Finnish winter at it's... well, not really best, since the sky was overcast, but still fairly chic with the broken ice.

These photos were made possible by the fact that the XPRS turned around in the harbour pool and did not reverse to turn on Kruunuvuorenselkä (Finnjet-style), like the ship usually does.

Viking Cinderella in Stockholm, 10 February 2012

Viking Cinderella

IMO 8719188
Former name: Cinderella
Built 1989, Wärtsilä Marine Turku, Finland
Tonnage 46 398 GT
Length 191,00 m
Width 29,00 m
Draught 6,74 m
2560 passengers
2500 berths
480 cars or 60 trucks (in cruise service parking space for 100 cars)
760 lanemeters
4 Sulzer diesels, combined 28 800 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

Staying in the theme of Viking Line, here is a ship that has been featured far too rarely in this blog: the Viking Cinderella, without a doubt the best ship currently in Viking Line's fleet. A status she is likely to lose next year to the unfortunately named Viking Grace. But until then, if you wish to experience the best that the red ships can offer, go on the red ship with a white hull.

These photographs show the Viking Cinderella arriving at Viking Line's terminal on Tegelvikshamnen in the afternoon of 10 February 2012. Photographed from Södermalm. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

It's a great-looking ship, even though I think she looked betetr (and less boxy) with the proper red Viking Line hull.

Notice that the starboard side (pictured here) is different from the port side, featuring the impressive three-deck high panoramic window. Earlier drawings show it as being five-deck high, but for whatever reason the ship's name was written in huge letters on deck 10 instead.

Considering the ship was designed in one-third of normal design time (thanks to SF Line being offered a building slot left open when Admiral Cruises cancelled an order they had at Wärtsilä) the end result is really quite good. On the inside it's a derivative of the Mariella and Amorella/Isabella, but considering how practical the layout on those ships is, that is not a bad thing.

...I couldn't get pictures showing the ship from a aft view from this point, she moved behind a security fence. I think I have a bunch of older pics showing her from an aft view, I'll have to dig them up at some point.

Viking Grace - the dawn of a new era of duller names

Now it is official - Viking Line's new ship will be named Viking Grace. The company that previously utilized the rather brilliant and unique naming scheme where ship names ended with -ella and even managed to make a company prefix name sound interesting with Viking XPRS has slid to the level of boring names favoured by most other shipping companies. And on top of that they chose a name with strong religious connotations. Not nescessarily the best choice for a ship that is primarily about fairly non-virtuous activities. I admit that as an atheist I also resent the name on a purely personal basis.

Of course, I will still go and sail on the ship. She's looking to become a wonderful - in all aspects except the name.

Not sure how graceful the ship is. Still, Viking Grace it is and while I can bitch and moan about it, that doesn't change the name. No matter how much I wish it would. Photo copyright Viking Line.

Finally, as pointed out by Timo Selkälä, Viking Grace is also the name of a line of women's boots. Research, Viking, ever heard of that? Even a simple Google search?