Silja Serenade navigating in the Stockholm archipelago in 2016 | |
History | |
---|---|
Finland | |
Name | Silja Serenade |
Owner |
|
Operator | 1990 onwards: Silja Line [2] |
Port of registry | |
Route | Helsinki–Mariehamn–Stockholm |
Ordered | 26 October 1987 |
Builder | Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Turku, Finland |
Yard number | 1301 [2] |
Laid down | 29 May 1989 [2] |
Launched | 6 November 1989 [2] |
Acquired | 15 November 1990 [2] |
Maiden voyage | 17 November 1990 [2] |
In service | 17 November 1990 [2] |
Identification |
|
Status | In service |
General characteristics | |
Type | Cruiseferry |
Tonnage | 58,376 GT |
Length | 203.03 m (666.1 ft) |
Beam | 31.93 m (104.8 ft) |
Draught | 7.12 m (23.4 ft) |
Decks | 13 |
Ice class | 1 A Super |
Installed power | |
Speed | 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) |
Capacity |
|
MS Silja Serenade is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian shipping company Tallink Grupp, [3] 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.
The ship was ordered on 26 October 1987 by Effoa for Silja Line traffic. The ship had a revolutionary interior layout, with a promenade-street running alongside the central axis of the ship for nearly her full length. This allowed, among other things, for a larger number of cabins with windows (today such promenades are found in the most recent ships of Royal Caribbean and Color Line). Before the ship was completed, Silja Line's owners Effoa and Johnson Line merged to form EffJohn, and it was to EffJohn that the Silja Serenade was delivered on 15 November 1990.
On 18 November 1990, she began service on the Helsinki–Stockholm route. Her original homeport was Helsinki, but in 1992 she was reflagged to the Ålandian ship registry, her homeport altered to Mariehamn. This allowed Silja to make more money from her onboard slot machines and casino, due to legislation differences between Åland and the Finnish mainland. When Silja Line acquired Silja Europa in 1993, the Serenade was moved to the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route. The Silja Serenade was somewhat ill-suited for this route; her accommodations were not designed for daytime crossings and reportedly she steered poorly in the narrow archipelagoes of Stockholm, Åland and Turku. In 1995, it was decided that the Europa and Serenade switch routes, returning the Serenade to her original route, again sailing parallel to her sister ship Silja Symphony. In order to keep tax free sales on the Stockholm–Helsinki ships when the EU changed its tax free legislation, a stop at Mariehamn was added to the route in July 1999. In early 2006, just prior to the sale of Silja Line to Tallink, Serenade and her sister had their interiors extensively rebuilt at Turku Repair Yard, Naantali.
There are some minor differences between the Serenade and her sister. The funnel of Serenade is constructed of steel, whereas that of her sister ship Symphony is made of aluminium. There are also some purely cosmetic differences: the outer decks of the Serenade are painted green (blue on Symphony), the light box with the ship's name is blue (white on Symphony) and the seal's eye in the funnel is white with a blue outline (solid blue on Symphony). In 2014, the steel seal was replaced with a painted one.
When the ship docked in October 2010, the 13th deck was rebuilt, removing Silja Dream Theater, Club Bali and Chill Lounge. Instead, a New York-themed club and lounge was built.
In January 2014, the ship was docked again at Turku Repair Yard. The Taxfree shop, Buffet Serenade, and Bistro Maxime restaurant on deck 6 were extensively rebuilt, as well as the Sunflower Oasis on deck 12 and the shops on deck 7.
In 2020, services were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in June, the vessel began operating a temporary ferry route between Helsinki and Riga, departing each capital city on alternate days. [4]
The Silja Serenade has a maximum capacity of 2,852 passengers, 450 cars and 65 freight vehicles. There are 986 cabins with a total of 2,841 berths, as well as several restaurants, bars, lounges, conference rooms, sports facilities and duty-free shops. [5]
Silja Line is a Swedish-Finnish cruiseferry brand operated by the Estonian ferry 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.
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MS Mega Victoria is a cruiseferry owned by Corsica Ferries. She was formerly owned by Viking Line as MS Amorella and operated on the route Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm and from 2022 Helsinki-Mariehamn-Stockholm. She was built in 1988 by Brodosplit in Croatia, then Yugoslavia.
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.
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Celestyal Crystal is a cruise ship, operated between 2007 and 2023 by the Cyprus-based Louis Group's Louis Cruise Lines and Celestyal Cruises. The ship was originally built as the cruiseferry Viking Saga in the 1980 at Wärtsilä Perno Shipyard and Turku Shipyard, Turku, Finland for Rederi Ab Sally. In 1986 she was renamed Sally Albatross, and rebuilt into a cruise ship the following year. The ship was destroyed by a fire in 1990, and completely rebuilt at Finnyards, Rauma, Finland. She was re-delivered in 1992, still named Sally Albatross. After partially sinking 1994 she was rebuilt at Industrie Navali Meccaniche Affini, La Spezia, Italy, re-entering service as Leeward for Norwegian Cruise Line. Subsequently she sailed as SuperStar Taurus for Star Cruises, Silja Opera for Silja Line. After being temporarily renamed Opera she was in service with Louis Group as Louis Cristal and later Celestyal Crystal.
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 cruise traffic from Stockholm to Mariehamn and occasionally Riga during the summer.
MS Isabelle is a cruiseferry owned and operated till July 2023 by the Estonia-based Tallink and in January 2024 sold to Notamare Shipping, the Cyprus-based subsidary of Bridgemans. She was built in 1989 by Brodosplit in Split, Croatia, back then 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.
MS Mega Smeralda is a cruiseferry owned by Medinvest and operated by Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries. She was built in 1985 by Wärtsilä at the Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, for Johnson Line as MS Svea for use in Silja Line traffic. Between 1992 and 1994, she sailed for Silja Line as MS Silja Karneval and, between 1994 and 2008, for Color Line as MS Color Festival.
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The MS Bore Star was a cruiseferry owned by Chryses Finance Co. and operated by Ilion Lines on their Trieste–Durres–Bari service. She was built in 1975 by Dubegion-Normandie, Nantes, France as Bore Star for Steamship Company Bore, which used her in Silja Line services on the Baltic Sea. During the northern hemisphere winter months she was chartered to Finnlines for cruise services on the African west coast. In 1980 she was sold to Finland Steamship Company and renamed Silja Star but retained in Silja Line service. Between 1986 and 1992 she was used in different cruise and ferry services around the world for various operators under the names Orient Express, Club Sea, Eurosun and Orient Sun. In 1992 her ownership passed to Wasa Line and she was renamed Wasa Queen for Baltic Sea ferry service. In 1993 Wasa Line was merged into Silja Line and Wasa Queen returned to the Silja Line fleet. In 2001 she was sold to Star Cruises for use in Far Eastern ferry services and later casino cruising with its daughter company Cruise Ferries without a change in name. In 2008 Wasa Queen was withdrawn from service and in 2009 sold to her current owners.
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Media related to IMO 8715259 at Wikimedia Commons