D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Apr 17, 2012 15:26:15 GMT -8
www.marinelink.com/news/scandlines-launched343828.aspx Baltic Ferry – Second of Two for Scandlines – LaunchedP+S Shipyard in Stralsund, Germany, launches 'Copenhagen', second of two ferries for Scandlines' Baltic routeAt a speed of two meters a minute the new ferry for Scandlines' Gernany – Danish operation was rolled out of the buiding hanger the 400 meters to the lift, and thence placed in the outfitting dock. The first ferry, "Berlin", and the "Copenhagen" (to be jointly christened later) will operate the route from Rostock-Gedser later this year, and will double existing capacity. These ferries can carry approximately 480 cars or 96 trucks and up to 1,500 passengers. With the naming of the new buildings Scandlines emphasizes the growing importance of the Berlin-Copenhagen route for tourism and economic cooperation between Germany and Scandinavia. Scandlines invested almost 230 million Euros in these two new ships as well as the expansion of the ports of Rostock and Gedser. The new ferries are built for speed, service and innovation say the owners: The development of a wedge-shaped hull was a special and timeless design. The vertical surface slope and the large glass windows of the passenger decks with rounded corner windows give light and dynamics of the ferry. On board there will be a choice of dining establishments and shops for the Wohlder crossing. P+S Shipyards will soon have a full order book. They say they have total contracted orders in hand value one billion Euros and the yard will reach it's maximum capacity next year.
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D'Elete BC in NJ
Voyager
Dispensing gallons of useless information daily...
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Apr 19, 2012 3:12:30 GMT -8
www.fairplay.co.uk/login.aspx?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/secure/display.aspx&path_info=/secure/display.aspx&articlename=dn0020120417000010Scandlines hit by newbuilding delaysDELAYS in the construction of two ferry newbuildings at Germany’s P+S Werften have forced Baltic Sea ferry operator Scandlines to rejig its peak season schedule. The group’s passenger and freight service between Rostock (Germany) and Gedser (Denmark) must continue to be operated with the two vintage ferries Kronprins Frederik (1981) and Prins Joachim (1980) in July and August, Scandlines informed its customers. Both vessels were going to be pulled from the service and replaced by the two newbuildings Berlin and Copenhagen which have been contracted at P+S Werften in a €230M deal. However, Scandlines announced yesterday that the planned joint naming ceremony for the new ships on 3 May had to be cancelled due to delays at the shipyard. The newbuildings are designed to carry up to 480 vehicles or 96 trucks and 1,500 passengers. According to German radio station NDR, a possible reason for the delay could be a recent amendment to fire safety provisions in Denmark which may have required a revision of certain specifications. No one at P+S Werften was available for comment this afternoon. Scandlines said it expects to commission one of the two new vessels, the Berlin, by 1 July. It would then operate alongside Kronprins Frederik and Prins Joachim during the summer holiday peak season. The Copenhagen is expected to be phased in on 1 September. Both vintage ferries would then leave the route.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Apr 19, 2012 9:20:53 GMT -8
www.fairplay.co.uk/login.aspx?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/secure/display.aspx&path_info=/secure/display.aspx&articlename=dn0020120417000010Scandlines hit by newbuilding delaysDELAYS in the construction of two ferry newbuildings at Germany’s P+S Werften have forced Baltic Sea ferry operator Scandlines to rejig its peak season schedule. The group’s passenger and freight service between Rostock (Germany) and Gedser (Denmark) must continue to be operated with the two vintage ferries Kronprins Frederik (1981) and Prins Joachim (1980) in July and August, Scandlines informed its customers. Both vessels were going to be pulled from the service and replaced by the two newbuildings Berlin and Copenhagen which have been contracted at P+S Werften in a €230M deal. However, Scandlines announced yesterday that the planned joint naming ceremony for the new ships on 3 May had to be cancelled due to delays at the shipyard. The newbuildings are designed to carry up to 480 vehicles or 96 trucks and 1,500 passengers. According to German radio station NDR, a possible reason for the delay could be a recent amendment to fire safety provisions in Denmark which may have required a revision of certain specifications. No one at P+S Werften was available for comment this afternoon. Scandlines said it expects to commission one of the two new vessels, the Berlin, by 1 July. It would then operate alongside Kronprins Frederik and Prins Joachim during the summer holiday peak season. The Copenhagen is expected to be phased in on 1 September. Both vintage ferries would then leave the route. How do you like these Europeans, refering to 1981 vessels as 'vintage'? Here on the west coast, 1981 is barely old enough for a mid-life upgrade...
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Apr 19, 2012 11:48:51 GMT -8
How do you like these Europeans, refering to 1981 vessels as 'vintage'? Here on the west coast, 1981 is barely old enough for a mid-life upgrade... One thing I've noticed in dealing with Marine Atlantic is that they do not put anywhere near the "ongoing" investment into their ships that BCF does. I suspect that this is true in Europe as well. I've noticed that BCF spends a lot of time and money keeping the systems on their ships reasonably up to date and meeting modern standards. For example, the fuel systems on many ships have been upgraded with electronic control systems to better regulate and monitor fuel use. When Marine Atlantic scrapped the Caribou and Smallwood, every system on those ships was original as built in the mid-80s. Nothing gets fixed until it breaks, and nothing is upgraded to improve performance unless it's absolutely necessary. I think this is indicative of the different attitudes... Marine Atlantic, and some European ship operators tend to treat their ships more like cars, where they don't upgrade anything, and prefer to buy new. BCF on the other hand, continually modernizes to ensure that their ships are performing the best they can.
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D'Elete BC in NJ
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on Apr 20, 2012 19:08:15 GMT -8
www.marinelink.com/news/keellaying-finland-ferry344022.aspx Keel-laying of Ferry at STX FinlandThe keel-laying of the Double Ended Ferry to be built for Suomen Lauttaliikenne Oy (Finferries) was performed at STX Rauma Shipyard on Friday, 20 April 2012. The environmentally friendly next-generation ferry will be delivered to the customer at the end of 2012. The vessel will enter traffic on the Korpo – Houtskär route at the beginning of 2013. The keel-laying ceremony following old tradition performed at the STX Rauma Shipyard was witnessed by representatives of Suomen Lauttaliikenne (Finferries), STX Finland and the classification society Bureau Veritas. Particular attention has been given to the efficiency and safety of the ferry by, for example, minimising the docking time with help of wide bow and stern ramps. The ferry, capable of running in both directions, is 65 metres long and 12.8 metres wide and has the capacity to carry some 250 passengers, three tandem trailers and 39 cars. The ship features a modern passenger seating saloon with cafeteria. Shipyard will also deliver three floating link spans, through which the cars will be driven to the ferry. “This project is significant for STX Rauma Shipyard as the impact for the employment in the current underload situation is important. The project has advanced as planned. The ferry which represents the cutting edge technology in its field will be launched in June and delivered to the customer at the end of 2012" says Toivo Ilvonen, Director of STX Rauma Shipyard. “It has been a pleasure to note that a Finnish partner was an excellent choice. We believe that both crew and passengers will appreciate the enhanced qualities of the new vessel” says Mats Rosin, Managing Director of Finferries / Suomen Lauttaliikenne Oy.
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D'Elete BC in NJ
Voyager
Dispensing gallons of useless information daily...
Posts: 1,671
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Post by D'Elete BC in NJ on May 8, 2012 15:23:20 GMT -8
www.marinelink.com/news/bangladesh-shipyard344466.aspx Bangladesh Shipyard Launches Danish RoRo FerryWestern Marine Shipyard -- the emerging country's top shipbuilder – has launched a RORO ferry for Denmark's Hundested Rorvig FaergefartWestern Marine Shipyard has launched the 50 m long ferry Isef Jord a Danish roll-on-roll-off passenger ferry, constructed under the supervision of classification society Bureau Veritas. The ship will be owned by Danish ferry operator Hundested Rorvig Faergefart. The contract for the ship is worth more than BDT 36 crore. Denmark has a huge global fame in building the best quality ferries. In-fact, several inland ferries being used in Bangladesh were imported from Denmark, but now the tables have been turned, and from now on, Bangladesh is going to export ferries to Denmark. Thus Western Marine believe that, with the launch of this ferry, a new chapter for the shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh is being opened. Western Marine was nominated for this project by the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA). The ferry is expected to be handed over to the owner on June 2012.
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timo
Deckhand
Posts: 57
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Post by timo on Jun 14, 2012 3:22:58 GMT -8
How do you like these Europeans, refering to 1981 vessels as 'vintage'? Here on the west coast, 1981 is barely old enough for a mid-life upgrade... One thing I've noticed in dealing with Marine Atlantic is that they do not put anywhere near the "ongoing" investment into their ships that BCF does. I suspect that this is true in Europe as well. I've noticed that BCF spends a lot of time and money keeping the systems on their ships reasonably up to date and meeting modern standards. For example, the fuel systems on many ships have been upgraded with electronic control systems to better regulate and monitor fuel use. When Marine Atlantic scrapped the Caribou and Smallwood, every system on those ships was original as built in the mid-80s. Nothing gets fixed until it breaks, and nothing is upgraded to improve performance unless it's absolutely necessary. I think this is indicative of the different attitudes... Marine Atlantic, and some European ship operators tend to treat their ships more like cars, where they don't upgrade anything, and prefer to buy new. BCF on the other hand, continually modernizes to ensure that their ships are performing the best they can. Sorry about the late posting. Generally speaking one might get such an assumption - if one just looks at how often vessels were replaced on certain routes. But the claim is not accurate. It has to do with company policies. Certain companies use a similar approach as BCF does, investing money in the existing fleet. Color Line, Stena Line, Viking Line are typical examples of this. They seldom - apart from Stena Line - choose to jumboize ships by lengthening - as really, today that is the only option left. You really can not raise a ship with a deck or two today, stability issues being something totally different today than in the 1970ies and 1980ies. Stena Lines approach is unusual - their thinking is to build a ship - use it as long as possible - and scrap it - unless somebody comes in with a lot of money. They always buy cheap - newer sell cheap. Today the company is so large that they can use one newbuilding to improve services on many routes. Then why are European companies scrapping tonnage from the 1970ies and 1980ies? There are a number of reasons: 1. Economy - overcapacity exists on many routes due to the downturn. 2. Environmental issues. 2015 is closer, all Baltic ferries will have to turn into LNG, diesel or use sulphur scrubbers. All alternatives - not necessary worth to invest in an old vessel. 3. Vehicle size: Trucks in the 1970ies were generally low enough for a 4,2 meter headroom being sufficient. Now a 5,0 meter headroom is the norm. As services are more vehicle-based than earlier (due to the biggest mistake the EU has ever made - the abolition of the tax-free) this makes many vessels impossible to use due to traffic demand. 4. Fuel costs. Economy of scale - or no economy at all. There are of course examples of companies doing the other example mentioned. For instance Irish Ferries treated at least the ex Olympia (Pride of Bilbao, today Princess Anastasia) this way. Everything in the engine rooms are original on her. Also - one thing to remember is financing. You know, to invest you have to have securities. A ship older than 19 years old can not be a security. This means that if you invest in an old ship, let us say 15 year old, and lengthen her, you will get the loan, and can use her as a security for part of the loan. BUT - if you five years later intend to order a new replacement - the old ship is no longer available as a security. So, it is economically more viable to buy younger or build new. Then why does Stena Line use a different approach? Stena Line is just a small percentage of a huge company that among other things has tankers, roros and also deals in scrap metal and recycling. The shipping business and especially the ferries are more of a "hobby" - though very professionally run.
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Post by paulvanb on Jun 18, 2012 22:53:48 GMT -8
Speaking of Italian disasters, has anyone in the forum had the pleasere of travelling on any of the ferries that connect Sicily? I will be visiting there next month.
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Post by Scott on Oct 1, 2012 19:30:33 GMT -8
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19790977Above is a BBC news report on the sinking of a passenger ferry in Hong Kong tonight with at least 36 dead. I've never been to Hong Kong, but this isn't some third-world city and I imagine their ferries are fairly modern and regulations strict. PS. It seems now that the boat that sank may not have been a ferry, but the boat it collided with, was.
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scotpix
Oiler (New Member)
mv Isle of Mull, Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries
Posts: 9
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Post by scotpix on Jun 23, 2013 11:16:39 GMT -8
Hi All The Paddle Steamer Waverley will be commencing her 2013 season of sailings on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland on Friday June 28th 2013. If anyone is visiting Scotland, please come and sail aboard the world's last seagoing paddle steamer. Full details of schedules can be found here www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/scotland.htm Enjoy your trip!
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Post by Scott on Aug 16, 2013 7:46:36 GMT -8
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Aug 17, 2013 8:49:07 GMT -8
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Post by Scott on Nov 28, 2013 22:28:59 GMT -8
A ferry mystery from Hong Kong. The high speed passenger ferry MADEIRA sailing from Hong Kong to Macau hit an "unidentified object" causing almost no damage, but injuring 85 passengers. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-25148817- John H
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Post by northwesterner on Nov 29, 2013 20:58:09 GMT -8
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Post by northwesterner on Dec 6, 2013 2:19:43 GMT -8
A quick note from a vacationing Northwesterner... There is a lot of consternation here in New Zealand because of the loss of the ferry (in the article I linked to above). Without that capacity on the route, vehicle spaces are basically booked out for over a month. Additionally, some of the sailings are actually selling out of walk-on space. I just checked availability for the date I want to travel and it looks like I'll be fine, but.... Also, I am trying to determine the sailing pattern for the Bluebridge ferries as the vessel is not indicated on their website. Some of the vessels used on this route between Wellington and Picton have much better outdoor space than others, and I do not intend on being inside some glassed in observation lounge for the duration of the trip.
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Dec 28, 2013 16:30:38 GMT -8
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Post by northwesterner on Dec 29, 2013 16:02:54 GMT -8
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Jan 26, 2014 14:40:52 GMT -8
A ferry's very last landing, along with its death scream.
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SolDuc
Voyager
West Coast Cyclist
SolDuc and SOBC - Photo by Scott
Posts: 2,055
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Post by SolDuc on Jan 26, 2014 15:07:08 GMT -8
A ferry's very last landing, along with its death scream. Goodbye, Pride of Calais! Now let's guess what was the age of that ferry... have you made your guesses? The answer is...(drumroll please)... 26 years!! Ouch, that's young! Had P&O be like BC Ferries it would've kept it twice as long. Had they been WSF they would've kept it more than twice as long. But that's the average life for a ferry on the Cross-Channel route (note that they run 24/7 though)
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Post by compdude787 on Jan 26, 2014 23:20:37 GMT -8
A ferry's very last landing, along with its death scream. Goodbye, Pride of Calais! Now let's guess what was the age of that ferry... have you made your guesses? The answer is...(drumroll please)... 26 years!! Ouch, that's young! Had P&O be like BC Ferries it would've kept it twice as long. Had they been WSF they would've kept it more than twice as long. But that's the average life for a ferry on the Cross-Channel route (note that they run 24/7 though) Wow, so in Europe, ferries only last as long as aircraft do. Generally airlines retire their aircraft at around 20-25 years of age, unless they are in Iran, which still has 747s from the late-1970s, delivered to them right before the Iranian Revolution. There was another airline in Iran known as Saha Airlines that was the last commercial operator of Boeing 707s up until they ceased operations in 2013. Many other third-world countries have super-old aircraft, but the most famous example is Iran, which can't acquire new planes from either Boeing or Airbus due to economic sanctions.
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Post by dofd on Jan 28, 2014 10:52:39 GMT -8
To go along with the Aliaga, Turkey ship breaking theme. A beaching taken from the bridge.
The MV Norcape before:
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Jan 28, 2014 11:50:22 GMT -8
A ferry's very last landing, along with its death scream.
Here's the onboard perspective...
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timo
Deckhand
Posts: 57
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Post by timo on Jan 28, 2014 12:51:40 GMT -8
I have no idea of what happened to the quotes above. They are not entirely correct - but too tired to fix them. Sorry. You have to remember that there is a very hard economic downturn, even recession in Europe. So there is overcapacity - which is why secondhand ships are impossible to sell and ships like Pride of Calais with less than 2000 lane metres for cargo are really obsolete. The market functions entirely on a commercial basis, so comparing this to BC Ferries is not a fair comparison. Under normal circumstances they would have lived longer under other operators. Another news story: One typical Baltic ferry is heading your way. The 1986-built Silja Festival, (ex Wellamo of Silja Line) is to be used as an accomodation vessel over there. More of it: www.northernsentinel.com/ourtown/242442111.htmlRio Tinto Alcan brings in cruise ship to house workers for Kitimat modernization Rio Tinto Alcan has announced an agreement to bring in a cruise ship to house workers for the Kitimat Modernization Project. The final agreement was reached on January 27 with Bridgemans Haisla LP to house workers in the final construction year, the company said. The ship, the Silja Festival, will be redubbed the Delta Spirit Lodge by RTA, and is a converted Baltic Ferry. The ship is expected to be used for nine months. The ship left port in Estonia earlier yesterday and is expected in Kitimat by the end of February. The ship is expected to be stationed at the former Eurocan wharf, and will have a service staff of 110, will have 500 bedrooms, as well as dining and lounge facilities.
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timo
Deckhand
Posts: 57
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Post by timo on Jan 29, 2014 12:54:25 GMT -8
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/kitimat-smelter-operator-to-house-temporary-workers-on-cruise-ship/article16562911/Tells the following: Kitimat smelter operator to house temporary workers on cruise ship
MARK HUME
VANCOUVER — The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Jan. 28 2014, 8:24 PM EST
Last updated Tuesday, Jan. 28 2014, 8:31 PM EST
A luxurious cruise ferry that boasts a sailor’s pub, casino and dance floor is on its way from the Baltic Sea to Kitimat, on B.C.’s north coast, where it will help relieve a growing housing crisis.
Joanne Monaghan, mayor of the booming resource town, said she’s looking forward to seeing the gleaming, 11-deck ship tied up in a working port that is more commonly used by bulk freighters and barges.
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“It’s desperate,” she said of the housing situation in the town. Kitimat may soon see its population of about 9,000 residents double if several proposed liquefied natural gas projects go ahead.
“We’ll probably have anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 workers in the long run,” she said.
“The vacancy rate right now is .04 per cent,” said Ms. Monaghan, who was busy Tuesday trying to find a new home for a woman who was being forced out of her apartment by soaring rents. “With the ship coming in, it will probably alleviate things a little bit because some of the [workers] are staying in the apartments and some of them are renting houses. They will probably go to the cruise ship now.”
Ms. Monaghan said the inflow of well-paid workers has jacked up rents in Kitimat, and many locals can’t find, or can’t afford, accommodations.
“These apartments that are being rented out now to these workers are really very [expensive]. They are $1,200 to $1,400 a month because the workers have it. … None of these elderly people on a pension can afford that,” she said. “I don’t know what to do. I’d put them all up at my house if I could, but I don’t have room.”
Rio Tinto Alcan is bringing in the cruise ferry, Silja Festival, for a nine-month stay to provide accommodations for temporary workers involved in a $3.3-billion modernization and expansion of its smelter.
The ship will house 500 workers, said Colleen Nyce, manager of communications for Rio Tinto Alcan, and there will be an on-board staff of about 100. Most of those positions – ship cooks, cleaning staff – will be filled in B.C., but the ship will come with an outside crew of about 20 people.
Rio Tinto Alcan already has a work camp in Kitimat with 1,700 beds, but Ms. Nyce said that is at capacity and workers have been renting places in town, where vacancies are getting increasingly hard to find.
“Over this past year and a bit, we’ve seen an increase in activity with other projects and realized as we ramp up that we are not going to have enough room in the town,” she said. “The town folk are already feeling the pain a bit, and we’ve heard that. This is something we just pulled out of our back pocket and started working on really quickly.”
The 170-metre ship, run by Tallink Group as a cruise ferry in the Baltic Sea, is being called the Delta Spirit Lodge for its Canadian assignment.
Ms. Monaghan said that name reflects the history of Kitimat because 60 years ago, workers brought in to help build the original Alcan smelter were housed on a ship called the Delta King.
“It was an old paddle wheeler and that’s where a lot of the accommodations were. That ship is now in California as a restaurant,” she said.
Ms. Monaghan said there are already a lot of workers in the community and many more will come if the LNG projects go ahead.
Kitimat LNG, LNG Canada and Douglas Channel Energy Project all have proposed building new projects in Kitimat.
The plans, which have not yet been completed, would see pipelines built to Kitimat from the gas fields in northeast B.C. Gas would be processed at plants on the waterfront and loaded on LNG bulk carriers for shipment to markets largely in Asia.
THE SILJA FESTIVAL
Owner: The Tallinn-based Tallink Grupp, operator of 18 ferries on several routes in the northern Baltic Sea under the Tallink and Silja Line brands.
Previous service: Stockholm-Riga; Stockholm-Turku, Finland
Commissioned: 1986
Refit: 1992
Length: 171 metres
Decks: 11
Passenger cabins: 588
Restaurants and cafés: 4
Shops: 3
Other amenities: Children’s playroom, sauna, 12-room conference centre on the 8th deck
Source: Company website
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 16, 2014 19:07:23 GMT -8
The TV show "Undercover Boss" has an episode featuring Stena ferries.
- 47 minutes of interesting ferry management & front line footage and inside commentary.
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