M/S Gabriella

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M/S Gabriella in Kustaamiekka strait, Helsinki

M/S Gabriella is a cruiseferry sailing on a route connecting Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden for Viking Line. She was built in 1992 in Brodogradiliste Split, Croatia as M/S Frans Suell for service with Euroway.

1 History
2 Decks
3 Specifications
4 External links

[edit] History

M/S Frans Suell was ordered as the first ship of the new Euroway company in 1991. Her design was essentially the same as that of M/S Amorella of Viking Line, built by the same shipyard, but with additional cabins and less public spaces. When the ship was being built, the shipyard Brodogradiliste Split in Split, Croatia was attacked due to the civil war in former Yugoslavia. The Frans Suell got damaged by gun shots, remnants of the damages are still visible if you know where to look. She was delivered to the passenger shipping company Euroway on May 5, 1992. Her initial itenary was Malmö - Travemmünde, but from September 1992 onwards the route was extended from Travemünde to Lübeck. In 1993 Euroway formed a partnership with Silja Line, and the ship came to be marketed as Silja Line Euroway. For the 1993 summer season the call at Lübeck was dropped to allow a more intense schedule. For the 1993-1994 winter season the route was extended into Copenhagen - Malmö - Travemünde - Lübeck to attract more passengers, but this was in vain Euroway closed down on 12 March 1994.

After Euroway was closed down the Frans Suell was chartered to Silja Line and renamed to M/S Silja Scandinavia, rebuilt with read sponsons and placed on traffic on the route Stockholm - Mariehamn - Turku. Silja Line's main rivals Viking Line, who owned two of the ship's sisters, were also interested in chartering the ship but thought the price was too high. However, when the charter to Silja was drawing to a close in 1996 the Silja Scandinavia was sold to Viking Line, to be delivered in 1997. After a naming competition she was renamed M/S Gabriella and started trafficking on the Helsinki - Stockholm route, occasionally filling in on the Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm route. On 23 January 2004 she collided with the small ferry M/S Ehrensvärd in the Helsinki harbour, resulting in minor damage to both ships.

[edit] Decks

Engine room
C-class cabins
Cardeck
Cardeck (hydraulic platform that can be lowered to divide the car deck in two giving space for two layers of passenger cars)
A- and B-class cabins, boarding
Sauna, hot tubs, swimming pool, A- and B-class cabins
Sea Side Café & Internet, children's playroom, information desk, boarding, Tax-Free shop, Pearl Beauty Shop, B-class and luxury cabins, suites, crew accommodations
Viking Buffet, Captain's Corner Pub, Food Garden and Banquet restaurants, Fun Club, Casino
Disco, B-class and luxury cabins, suites, crew accommodations, sundeck
Conference rooms, disco, crew accommodations
Luxury cabins, conference rooms, crew accommodations
Bridge, sundeck