MS Romantika in Stockholm, August 2019 | |
History | |
---|---|
Latvia | |
Name | MS Romantika |
Owner | Tallink |
Operator | Tallink |
Port of registry | |
Route | TBD |
Ordered | 30 August 2000 [1] |
Builder | Aker Finnyards, Rauma, Finland [1] |
Yard number | 433 [1] |
Laid down | 23 May 2001 [1] |
Launched | 14 December 2001 [1] |
Christened | 14 December 2001 [1] |
Acquired | 10 May 2002 [1] |
In service | 21 May 2002 [1] |
Identification |
|
Status | In service |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Romantika-class cruiseferry |
Tonnage | |
Length | 192.90 m (632 ft 10 in) |
Beam | 29.00 m (95 ft 2 in) |
Draught | 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in) |
Ice class | 1 A Super[ citation needed ] |
Installed power | 4 × Wärtsilä 16V32 diesels, combined 26,240 kW (35,190 hp) |
Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
Capacity |
|
MS Romantika [lower-alpha 1] is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian ferry company Tallink. The ship's latest use was on a charter to Holland Norway Lines for the route Kristiansand to Emden, until the ferry company's bankruptcy in 2023. [2] [3]
Romantika was built in 2002 by Aker Finnyards, Rauma and she was the first ever newbuilding to be delivered to Tallink. Between 2002 and 2006 the Romantika was used on the Helsinki–Tallinn route, until she was replaced by the new MS Galaxy. After this she was transferred to the Tallinn–Stockholm route, sailing parallel with her sister MS Victoria I.
After the delivery of MS Baltic Queen the Romantika was transferred to the Stockholm– Riga route in May 2009. [4] Simultaneously with this she was changed from Estonian to Latvian registry. When the MS Silja Europa was chartered out from Tallink service in August 2014, the Romantika returned to the Tallinn–Mariehamn–Stockholm route. [1]
In December 2016, with the return of Silja Europa, Tallink reorganized the routes of their ferries and Romantika was transferred to the Stockholm - Riga route from December 12. [5]
From July to September 2021 Romantika was chartered to Morocco's Tanger-Med Port Authority for services between Morocco and Sète in France. [6]
On 13 October 2021, she arrived in Glasgow to provide accommodation for people attending the COP26 summit. [7]
In April 2022, Romantika entered service with Holland Norway Lines on a Kristiansand - Eemshaven routing on charter. This charter was announced on 1 November 2021, and was due to last three years with two one-year extensions. [8] [9] [10] [3] Holland Norway Lines ceased operations on 30 August 2023 due to financial difficulties, and as of that date Romantika was docked in Emden. The charter agreement for Romantika was terminated on 1 September 2023, before the charter agreement's normal expiry date. [11]
Silja Line is a Finnish shipping company and cruiseferry brand owned and operated by the Estonian shipping company AS Tallink Grupp, for car, cargo and passenger traffic between Finland and Sweden.
Viking Line Abp is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands, Sweden and Estonia. Viking Line shares are quoted on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Viking Line is operated from Åland.
Eemshaven is a seaport in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. In 1968, the Dutch government declared the Ems estuary (Eemsmond) to be an economic key region. One of the key developments for the region was the construction of a seaport called Eemshaven. The port was officially opened by Queen Juliana in 1973. Industry and shipping were slow to develop at the site.
MS Silja Europa is a cruiseferry constructed at Meyer Werft Germany for the Swedish ferry operator Rederi AB Slite, a part of Viking Line. At 59,914 gross tonnage (GT), she is the largest ship commissioned for and to ever operate for Tallink Silja, and is the tenth-largest cruiseferry in the world.
MS Silja Serenade is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian shipping company Tallink Grupp, operating under their Silja Line brand on a route connecting Helsinki to Stockholm via Mariehamn. She was built in 1990 by Masa-Yards at Turku New Shipyard, Finland. From 26 June 2020, to 13 September 2020, the ship's route was Helsinki–Riga, which got replaced by the cruiseferry MS Baltic Queen.
MS Silja Symphony is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian shipping company Tallink Group, operated under their Silja Line brand on a route connecting Helsinki, Finland to Stockholm, Sweden via Mariehamn. She was built in 1991 at Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland.
Mega Andrea is a cruiseferry owned and operated by Corsica Ferries Sardinia Ferries. She was formerly owned and operated by the Estonia-based Tallink as the MS Silja Festival, and used on their route connecting Riga, Latvia to Stockholm, Sweden. She was built in 1986 by Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland, for Effoa as MS Wellamo for use on Silja Line traffic. She was rebuilt in 1992 at Lloyds Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany as Silja Festival. In 2008 the ship was transferred from the Silja Line fleet to that of Tallink, but she retained her Silja-prefixed name. After being replaced by MS Isabelle on the Stockholm-Riga route in May 2013 she was chartered as an accommodation ship to Kitimat, British Columbia. She was then sold in early 2015 to Corsica Ferries.
Tallink is an Estonian shipping company operating Baltic Sea cruiseferries and ropax ships from Estonia to Finland, Estonia to Sweden and Finland to Sweden. It is the largest passenger and cargo shipping company in the Baltic Sea region. It owns Silja Line and a part of SeaRail. Tallink Hotels runs four hotels in Tallinn. It is also the co-owner of a taxi company Tallink Takso.
MS Viking Cinderella is a cruiseferry built in 1989 at Wärtsilä Marine Perno Shipyard in Turku, Finland, as MS Cinderella for SF Line, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. She's currently used on the Helsinki to Stockholm route.
MS Isabelle X is a cruiseferry owned and operated till July 2023 by the Estonian based Tallink and in January 2024 sold to Notamare Shipping. She was built in 1989 by Brodosplit in Split, Yugoslavia, for SF Line—one of the partners in the Viking Line consortium—as Isabella. The ship served as refugee housing in Tallinn until 1 July 2023.
The MS Bluefort was an accommodation vessel owned by the Canadian-based company Bridgemans Services Group LP. She was built in 1979 as a car/passenger ferry by Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany as Diana II av Slite for Rederi AB Slite for use in Viking Line's traffic. She has also sailed under the names Diana II, Vironia, Mare Balticum, Meloodia and ARV 1.
The MS Rigel III is a cruiseferry owned by the Greek-based company Ventouris Ferries. She was built in 1979 as MS Turella by Wärtsilä Turku shipyard, Finland for SF Line for use in Viking Line traffic. In 1988 she was sold to Stena Line, becoming MS Stena Nordica. In 1996, she was transferred to Lion Ferry and was renamed MS Lion King. In 1998, she was sold to Tallink and renamed MS Fantaasia. As Fantaasia she also sailed under charter to Algérie Ferries, Comanav and Kystlink during the years 2005–2008. Following the end of her charter to Kystlink in 2008 the latter company bought her, renaming her MS Kongshavn. After Kystlink was declared bankrupt in late 2008 the ship was laid up until sold to the Croatia-based ferry operator Blue Line International, and operated on their service between Split and Ancona as MS Regina della Pace. In 2017 the ship was sold to the Greek-based company Ventouris Ferries and is currently operating on the route Bari-Durres.
MS Vana Tallinn was a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian ferry company Tallink and operated on the line between Kapellskär and Paldiski. She was built in 1974 by Aalborg Skibsværft AS, Aalborg, Denmark for DFDS as MS Dana Regina, and has sailed under the names MS Nord Estonia and MS Thor Heyerdahl.
MS Regina Baltica is a cruiseferry owned by the Spanish shipping company Balearia. She was built in 1980 as Viking Song by Wärtsilä Perno shipyard, Finland for Rederi Ab Sally, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. She has also sailed under the names Braemar and Anna Karenina.
MS Galaxy 1 is a cruise ferry built in 2006 by Aker Finnyards, Rauma, Finland and was at the time the largest ship delivered to ferry operator Tallink. Between 2006–2008 she held the distinction of being the largest ship ever to be registered in Estonia; a title later held by her replacement the sister ship MS Baltic Princess.
MS Victoria I is a cruiseferry owned by AS Tallink Grupp. It was chartered by the Scottish Government to provide temporary accommodation to those fleeing the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The vessel was docked in the port of Leith, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The ship, which was chartered until July 2023, had been providing people with accommodation until they secure somewhere to stay longer term. It took in its first Ukrainian residents in July 2022.
The Baltic Sea is crossed by several cruiseferry lines. Some important shipping companies are Viking Line, Silja Line, Tallink, St. Peter Line and Eckerö Line.
MS Baltic Princess is a cruiseliner owned by the Estonia-based ferry operator Tallink and operated under their Silja Line brand. She was built by Aker Finnyards Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland in 2008. The ship began service on the cruise route between Helsinki, Finland to Tallinn, Estonia on 17 August 2008. From 1 February 2013 the ship began service on the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route.
MS Baltic Queen is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonia-based ferry operator Tallink. The ship was built by the STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland.
Holland Norway Lines was a Dutch ferry company which operated a passenger and car ferry service between Emden, Germany and Kristiansand, Norway three times a week.