MS Amorella

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MS Amorella west of Yxlan in the Stockholm archipelago
MS Amorella
Shipyard: Brodogradiliste Split, Split, Croatia
Signal letters: OIWS
IMO no: 8601915
Launched: 18 July, 1987
Delivered: 28 September, 1988
Route: TurkuMariehamnStockholm
General characteristics
Tonnage: 34,384 GT (gross tonnage)
Length: 169.4 m
Beam: 27.6 m
Draft: 6.26 m
Propulsion: Four Wärtsilä-Pielstick 12PC26V-400 diesels 24,000 kW
Speed: 21.5 knots
Passengers: 2,420
Passenger beds: 1,986
Car capacity: 550
Lanemeters: 970
Ice class: 1 A Super
Sister ships: MS Isabella, MS Gabriella, MS Crown of Scandinavia

MS Amorella is a cruiseferry operated by the Finnish ferry company Viking Line on the route TurkuMariehamn/LångnäsStockholm. She was built in 1988 by Brodogradiliste Split in Yugoslavia.

Contents

[edit] History

The Amorella was ordered in 1986 by SF Line, one of the partners in Viking Line consortium. Although Brodogradiliste Split outbid other shipyards, the Finnish State offered to subsidise construction of the ship if she was built at a Finnish shipyard. This was a common practice in the 1980s to bring more jobs to Finland, but this time SF Line declined and had the ship built in Croatia. The original planned delivery date for the Amorella was in March 1988, but due to delays in construction she was not completed until September, which meant SF Line was forced to operate the lucrative summer season with old tonnage.

Except for short periods of time in 1997, 1998 and 2002, the Amorella has always served on the Turku—Mariehamn/Långnäs—Stockholm route, making her the longest-lasting ship on that route. Originally she only called in Mariehamn during day crossing, but in July 1999 she had to start calling at the Åland Islands in both directions to maintain tax free sales onboard, and as a result a call at Långnäs was added to the night crossing.

Like all ships the Amorella has suffered occasional misfortune. In 1993 the ship ran aground near Stockholm. She was able to come off by her own power, but her bottom was damaged in the process; she started taking in water and diesel oil leaked from a damaged fuel tank. The ship continued to Stockholm, and after unloading passengers and cargo she sailed to Luonnonmaan Telakka, Naantali for repairs. In 1995, and again in 2001, there was a fire in one of the cabins but the ship's own firefighters managed to put it out. In May 2005 there was a fire in a car parked on the cardeck on Deck 5, but that too was put out by the ship's crew.

[edit] Future

As a part of Viking Line's rebuilding programme, Amorella's public spaces and cabins will be rebuilt within the next few years.[1]

[edit] Decks

  1. Engine room
  2. C and economy-class cabins
  3. Cardeck
  4. Cardeck (hydraulic platform that can be lowered to divide the car deck in two giving space for two layers of passenger cars)
  5. Cardeck, A- and B-class cabins
  6. Sauna, hot tubs, swimming pool, A- and B-class cabins
  7. Sea Side Café & Internet, "Air seats", children's playroom, information desk, boarding, Tax-Free shop, Pearl Beauty Shop, B-class cabins, crew accommodations
  8. Viking Buffet, Pub, Food Garden and BBQ House restaurants, conference rooms, Fun Club, Casino
  9. Disco, luxury cabins, suites, crew accommodations, sundeck
  10. Conference rooms, disco, crew accommodations
  11. Crew accommodations, sundeck
  12. Bridge

[edit] References

  1. ^ (Finnish) Viking Line press release: Viking Linella merkittävä laadunkehitysohjelma, retrieved 23. 10. 2007

[edit] External links