M/S Regina Baltica

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M/S Regina Baltica in Stockholm, August 2006

M/S Regina Baltica is a cruiseferry operated by the Estonian ferry company Tallink. She was built in 1980 as Viking Song by Wärtsilä Turku shipyard (now Aker Finnyards), Finland for Rederi Ab Sally, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. She is currently used on the line connecting Stockholm, Sweden with Riga, Latvia.

1 History
2 Specifications
3 External links
4 See also

[edit] History

[edit] Viking Line and Fred. Olsen service

Delivered in August 1980, M/S Viking Song was the last newbuilding delivered to Rederi Ab Sally for use on Viking Line's routes. She served alongside her sister M/S Viking Saga on the route connecting Helsinki, Finland to Stockholm. Viking Song was always the less liked of the two sisters, at least by Sally executives, and when SF Line brought their new M/S Mariella to Helsinki - Stockholm service in 1985, Viking Song was withdrawn from service and sold to Norwegian Fred. Olsen & Co. As a comparison, her sister Viking Saga was withdrawn next year to make way for newer tonnage, but she was rebuilt as the cruiseship M/S Sally Albatross for Sally's new Sally Cruises brand.

After rebuilding at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg where a second storey was added to her nightlub, Viking Song emerged as Fred. Olsen's new M/S Braemar. She was initially set on a route connecting Oslo, Norway with Harwich, UK, although her route varied a lot during the next five years, with Hirtshals, Denmark replacing or appearing alongside Harwich as the main destination. In December 1990 Fred. Olsen sold their ferry operations to the new Color Line, however Braemar was not included in the sale and she was laid up.

[edit] Russian Army and Baltic Line

In January 1991 Braemar was chartered to Baltic Shipping Co. and renamed M/S Baltica for planned service between St. Petersburg, Russia and Stockholm. This service was never realised however, and for the time being the only change was moving the ship to Hamburg where she was again laid up. Later in the same month the ship was sub-chartered to the Russian army for transporting troops out of former East Germany. The ship, renamed M/S Anna Karenina, was badly vandalised by the troops transported onboard, and had to be docked in Hamburg afterwards for repairs.

March 1991 finally saw the beginning of a service out of St. Petersburg, when Anna Karenina started traffic on the St. Petersburg - Nynäshamn - Kiel route for Baltic Line. In 1995 St. Petersburg was dropped from the itenary. In January 1996 Baltic Line was declared bankrupt and Anna Karenina (soon renamed Anna K.) returned to Fred. Olsen for laying up in Germany.

[edit] EstLine and Tallink

Anna K. was sold to EstLine (a daughter company of Nordström & Thulin, Sweden and ESCO, Estonia) in 1996 for service between Tallinn, Estonia and Stockholm, Sweden. She was renamed M/S Regina Baltica. In 1997 Nordström & Thulin withdrew from Estline leaving ESCO as the sole owner of the company. ESCO later changed it's name to Hansatee Shipping. At the end of 2000 the name Estline was abandoned and the Tallinn - Stockholm service became a part of Tallink. In May 2004 a call at Mariehamn was added to maintain tax free sales onboard.

In spring 2005 the ship was temporarily chartered to NATO for training exercises in Norway. On September 28, 2005 the ship ran aground in Swedish waters near Kapellskär. There were no victims in the accident which happened a day after the 11th anniversary of the sinking of the M/S Estonia. In April 2006 Regina Baltica made three trips between Tallinn and Helsinki, due to the ice situation being so bad that all of Tallink's normal ships on the route could not traffic. On May of the same year M/S Romantika replaced her on the Tallinn - Mariehamn - Stockholm route, and Regina Baltica was moved to Stockholm - Riga route where she replaced M/S Fantaasia. In August of the same year her homeport was changed from Tallinn to Riga.

In early 2007 it was rumoured that M/S Vana Tallinn would replace the Regina Baltica on the Stockholm — Riga route from April 2007 onwards. However according to Tallink, the Vana Tallinn will join the Regina Baltica as a second ship for that route, not replace her.