http://www.cruiselinersreviews.com en-us Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:02:18 -0500 http://www.cruiselinersreviews.com/ms-cristal/ M/S Cristal (earlier Viking Saga, Sally Albatross, Leeward, Superstar Taurus, Silja Opera and Opera) is a cruise ship, which owner is a Louis Cruise Lines. It is operated under their Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines brand. The ship was firstly built as a cruiseferry in 1980 at Wärtsilä Marine Perno, Finland, and totally reconstructed into a cruise ship following a fire in 1992 at Aker Finnyards Rauma, Finland.

The ship was originally built in 1980 for Rederi Ab Sally, one of Viking Line partners as the cruiseferry M/S Viking Saga. The ship's hull was built in Wärtsilä's Turku shipyard, and towed from there to the nearby Perno shipyard to be fitted out.

In 1979-1981 the Baltic ferry operators Silja Line and Viking Line brought several new cruiseferries to the routes connecting Stockholm to Helsinki and Turku. Viking Line received a total of four new ships in 1980 alone, three of which were built for Rederi AB Sally. The Viking Saga and her sister ship M/S Viking Song were built by Wärtsilä (now Aker Finnyards) in Turku, Finland. M/S Viking Sally (later M/S Estonia) was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Two of the Sally ships have been involved in a total of three serious accidents. The Viking Saga was the first genuine cruiseferry in Finland — Sweden traffic. The interior and exterior design of her and her sister was heavily influenced by those of GTS Finnjet of 1977, but with far less attractive results. The Viking Saga and Viking Song, alongside Silja Line's contemporary M/S Finlandia and M/S Silvia Regina, were instrumental in turning the Helsinki — Stockholm route into a popular cruise route. In June 1982, the ship was sold by Rederi Ab Sally to Suomen Yritysrahoitus, who chartered her back to Sally. In 1985 the Viking Saga hit bottom near Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago, and had to be docked in Stockholm.

After M/S Olympia changed her on the Helsinki — Stockholm route in April 1986, the Viking Saga was rebuilt for use as a cruise ship at Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard. She did not become a "real" cruise ship as her cardecks were not built in. During conversion there was a fire on board, but it was extinguished by the shipyard staff. Renamed Sally Albatross, the ship entered service for the new Sally Cruise brand in May 1986. She was mainly used for cruising around the Baltic Sea from Helsinki (mainly 25 hour cruises to nowhere).

In 1987 Rederi Ab Sally was sold to its rivals Effoa and Johnson Line. In January-February 1988 the Sally Albatross was plainly rebuilt at Schichau Seebeckwerft, Bremerhaven, Germany, where additional cabin were built on the former upper cardeck, the forward superstructure was built to a more streamlined appearance and smaller changes were made to the bow and other parts of the superstructure. At the same time the ships livery was altered, in addition to the light and dark blue stripes running along the hull black stripes were painted along the windows of the superstructure, giving the ship an even more streamlined appearance. The cost of the reconstruction was 35 million Finnish markka. In January 1990, while docked at the Finnboda Shipyard in Nacka, Sweden, for reconstruction of the ship's restaurants, nightclub and conference facilities, practically the entire superstructure of the ship was damaged beyond repair by a fire which had started from drops of liquid metal sparkling on flammnable material. The ships' sprinkler system was turned off for the duration of the docking. Due to the danger of gas bottles (used in the reconstruction) exploding in the heat, the fire brigade did not dare to approach the fires inside the ship. As a result the ship burned uncontrollably for three days. All workers (and an American actress who had been on board) were rescued from inside the ship and no lives were lost.

The burnt-out hull was first towed to Mäntyluoto, Finland, where she was partly scrapped, leaving only the hull below cardeck intact. After this the remains were towed into Naantali, Finland where the remaining hull was cut into a number of sections. These were then transported to Finnyards shipyard in Rauma, Finland where they were used as the basis of a new ship with the project name Sally Eurocruiser. She was to be a genuine cruiseship, without a cardeck. The hull was lengthened by 13 meters compared to the original, and the passenger (cabin) capacity was increased by 452, so the new ship was actually larger than the old one. One notable piece retained from the original ship were the engines. The cost of the rebuilding was approximately 700 million Finnish markka. In essence this was a completely new ship, and she is usually listed as such in most sources. Her owners decided to keep the name Sally Albatross, which has led to some sources (and many passengers) to consider the second Sally Albatross to be the same ship as the first.

The new Sally Albatross was delivered to Sally Cruise on March 23, 1992 and started doing cruises in the Baltic Sea with Helsinki as the port of departure, in a similar arrangement as she had done in the late 80's. In July of the same year she was chartered to Svea 92 (a Swedish consortium for advancing exports) as a hotel and conference ship for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona for 1 000 000 Finnish markka per day. Originally Svea 92 had wanted to charter Silja Line's Swedish-flagged M/S Svea (which would have matched the name better). In September that same year Sally Albatross was transferred to Silja Line, who also were a part of the EffJohn concern. Despite joining the Silja fleet Sally Albatross' old colour scheme and Sally Cruise funnel colours were maintained. On March 4, 1994 Sally Albatross ran aground in the ice covered sea outside of Porkkala. She was towed to shallow waters and her passengers evacuated. After this the ship was left on the spot, partially submerged, while preparations were made to re-float her. Re-floating the ship proved to be a complicated process, and it was not until April 16 that the ship was afloat again. She was then towed to the abandoned Vuosaari shipyard (where she arrived on April 20th) where the most necessary repairs were made. After inspection it was determined that the cost to repair the damage would be around 200 million FIM ($35 million USD).

In October 1994 the ship was towed to La Spezia, Italy where she was repaired and rebuilt for international cruise traffic. She was then chartered to Norwegian Cruise Line who renamed her Leeward and put her on cruises in the Caribbean from July 1995 onwards. In March 2000 the ship was chartered for three years to Star Cruises (owners of Norwegian Cruise Line) who renamed her Superstar Taurus and used her on various cruises around Asia, mostly cruising from Japan. In December 2001 Star Cruises broke the charter contract and the ship was once again in the hands of Silja Line.

Superstar Taurus sailed back to Europe, and between February and June 2002 she was vastly rebuilt at Luonnonmaan Telakka, Naantali, Finland for cruise service on the Baltic Sea. On June 1, 2002 the ship was renamed Silja Opera and placed under Swedish flag. Silja Opera (re)started cruising the Baltic Sea on June 29, 2002, with Helsinki as the starting point. She followed a similar ideology as she had done as Sally Albatross, making one-day cruise from Helsinki and two-night cruises to Visby, Riga (discontinued after one season) and St. Petersburg. The ship already had a reputation as a ship of bad luck amongst the public (she had after all burnt out completely once and partially sunk only a few years later, in addition to smaller mishaps), and this was not helped when in September 2003 she collided with three cargo-ships in St. Petersburg, resulting in minor damage to all parties. Less than two months later, in almost precisely same spot, she collided with a Russian icebreaker. Silja Opera's cruises from Helsinki were not very popular, and in October 2004 she began making cruises from Stockholm to Tallinn (via Mariehamn in order to have tax-free sales on board). These too failed to find popularity, and in February 2005 she was transferred back to cruising from Helsinki. Around this same time her white-dominant livery was changed to one closely resembling her Sally-era livery, but with blue stripes instead of black. With the ship continuing to lose money, in September 2005 Silja Line made public its plans to use cheaper foreign workforce on board. However they could not do so under the terms Swedish maritime worker's collective labour agreement. Two months later Silja Line decided to cut costs by concentrating on their core markets and the Silja Opera, alongside the prestigious GTS Finnjet, was to be sold. In January 2006 Silja Opera made her last cruises from Helsinki, after which she was transferred to the Turku—Mariehamn—Kapellskär route in place of M/S Silja Europa (that was in turn transferred to Helsinki—Stockholm route while the normal ships of that route were being rebuilt). On February 13, 2006 the Silja Opera stopped sailing for Silja Line, and three days later she was laid up Stockholm, waiting for potential buyers. On 22 May 2006 Silja Opera left Stockholm for the last time bound for lay up at Tilbury Docks, located to the east of Greater London. The ship arrived on May 25, soon afterwards the Silja Line markings were painted over and her ownership was transferred to SeaContainers, then the parent company of Silja Line. At the same time she was changed from Swedish to Bahamian flag and her name was shortened to Opera.

In May 2007 the Opera was sold to the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines to replace M/S Sea Diamond that had sunk a few months before. After reconstruction at Pireus, Greece the ship was renamed M/S Cristal and started service for the Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines-brand in July 2007.

Ship's Specifications:
Rebuilt: 2007, Elefsis Shipyard, Pireus, Greece
Gross Tonnage: 25.611 GRT
Length: 158,9 meters
Breadth: 25,18 meters
Draught: 6.72 meters
Max speed: 21 knots
Decks: 11
Cabins: 482
Beds: 1400
Passengers: 1400
Classification: Det Norske Veritas
Flag: Panama

All cabins are equipped with plasma screen TV. Lounges, 2 Restaurants, Buffet, Bars, Casino, Disco, Boutique, Shopping Arcade, Duty Free shops, Business centre, Gym, Sauna/Massage, Beauty Salon, 2 Swimming pools, Mini Golf court, 4 Elevators, Fully Air-conditioned, Electric Current onboard 220V AC,Stabilizers, Telephone, Fax, Satellite Telephone, Doctor on board. ]]> Tue, 20 May 2008 15:35:08 -0400 http://www.cruiselinersreviews.com/ms-cristal/ http://www.cruiselinersreviews.com/adventure-of-the-seas/ Completed in 2001, Adventure of the Seas is the third Voyager-class cruise ship from Royal Caribbean International. And what's more, Voyager-class ships are the third largest passenger ships in the world; Nowadays, only Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Royal Caribbean International's Freedom class ships are larger. She was built in Aker Finnyards in Turku, Finland. Since 2001, she sails in the Southern Caribbean and departs weekly from the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This luxury and beautiful ship features everything from a rock-climbing wall perched 200 feet above the ocean to a nine-hole, small-scale golf course, as well as an ice skating rink and a separate in-line skate track, both with complimentary skate rentals. How did Royal Caribbean accommodate all of these innovative ideas on one cruise ship? Simple. They have built a bigger ship - the 138,000-ton, 3,114-guest Adventure of the Seas. Innovations on this and other Voyager-family cruise ships add up to more space for every guest and include enhanced staterooms, expanded dining options and exceptional recreational facilities. Experience a fun-filled vacation that will provide a high seas adventure like no other. There's a golf bar, a sports bar, and even an aquarium bar. Dine in style in the three-tier dining room, go casual at the Windjammer Cafe, try the onboard Johnny Rockets® '50s-style restaurant or just relax in a Day Spa and Fitness Center. All of this and more can be yours on a state-of-the-art vessel over three football fields long.

Ship Facts:
Name: Adventure of the Seas
Registry: Bahamas
Builder: Kvaerner Masa-Yards
Country Built In: Finland
Ship Completed Date: 11/18/2001
Christened By: Tara Stackpole, Kevin Hannafin, Margaret McDowell
Call Letters: C6SA3
Capacity: 3835 Number of Crew, Nationality: 1185, International
Gross Tonnage: 142,000
Average Speed: 23 knots
Maximum Speed: 23 knots
Length: 1020 feet
Beam: 157.5 feet
Number of Passenger Decks: 14
Number of Inside Rooms: 480
Number of Outside Rooms: 1077
Number of Restaurants: 5
Number of Pools: 3
Number of Elevators: 4
Voltage: 110/220 AC

Conference Facilities:
-Dedicated meeting space with breakout rooms and reception area to accommodate up to 400 people.
-Executive boardroom.
-High-tech presentation rooms.
-Color touch screens, wireless remote controls, teleconferencing equipment and more. ]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:35:13 -0400 http://www.cruiselinersreviews.com/adventure-of-the-seas/ http://www.cruiselinersreviews.com/ms-victoria-i-tallink-cruise-ship/ A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with millions of passengers each year. The industry's rapid growth has seen nine or more newly built ships catering to a North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele. Smaller markets such as the Asia-Pacific region are generally serviced by older tonnage displaced by new ships introduced into the high growth areas.

Cruise ships operate mostly on routes that return passengers to their originating port. In contrast, ocean liners do "line voyages" and typically transport passengers from one point to another, rather than on round trips. Some liners also engage in longer trips which may not lead back to the same port for many months.

MS Victoria I.
MS Victoria I is a cruiseferry (a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry - roll on/roll off passenger) operated by the Estonian ferry company Tallink on a route connecting Stockholm, Sweden to Tallinn, Estonia via Mariehamn, Finland. She was built in 2004 by Aker Finnyards, Rauma. Although the ship's official name is Victoria I, she is often referred to as Victoria, without the number. This is also the name displayed on top of her superstructure, whereas the name is written in full form in the hull.

Between 18 November and 20 November 2005 the Victoria I made two one-day cruises from Helsinki to Tallinn, the latter of which was a re-election campaign cruise for the Finnish president Tarja Halonen. The use of an Estonian-flagged ship by the president provoked protests from the Finnish Seamen's Union.

General characteristics:
Homeport: Tallinn, Estonia; Tonnage: 40975 GT; Displacement: 4500 metric tons of deadweight (DWT); Length: 193,80 meters; Beam: 29,00 meters; Draught: 6,50 meters; Ice class: 1 A Super; Propulsion: 4×Wärtsilä 16V32 diesels combined 26240 kW; Speed: 22 knots; Capacity: 2500 passengers, 2252 passenger beds, 400 cars, 1000 lanemeters; Yard number: 434. ]]> Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:00:18 -0400 http://www.cruiselinersreviews.com/ms-victoria-i-tallink-cruise-ship/