MS Viking Cinderella

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MS Viking Cinderella
Previous names: MS Cinderella
Shipyard: Wärtsilä Marine
Signal letters: SEAI
IMO no: 8719188
Launched: 15 April 1989
Delivered: 7 November 1989
Current (2007) route: StockholmMariehamn (also Stockholm—Riga during the summer)
General characteristics
Tonnage: 46398 gross register tons (GRT)
Length: 191 m
Beam: 29 m
Draft: 6,60 m
Propulsion: Four Wärtsilä-Sulzer 12 ZAV 40S diesels
Speed: 21.5 knots
Passengers: 2560
Passenger beds: 2500
Car capacity: 480 (100 cars allowed to park in the cardeck during cruises)
Lanemeters: 760
Ice class: 1 A Super
MS Cinderella in earlier livery
MS Cinderella in earlier livery

MS Viking Cinderella is a cruiseferry built in 1989 by Wärtsilä Turku shipyard, Finland, as MS Cinderella for SF Line, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. She's currently used on cruise traffic from Stockholm to Mariehamn and occasionally Riga during the summer.

Contents

[edit] History

The Cinderella was planned in the later half of the 1980s as the new flagship for SF Line. Her interior layout was based on that of MS Mariella but with more space and additional facilities. SF Line originally planned the Cinderella to take over the Mariella's place in Helsinki — Stockholm traffic (the Mariella would have been placed on a new route from Helsinki to Norrköping). The plan was never realised however, and when completed the Cinderella was placed as a third ship on the Helsinki — Stockholm route, with departures from Helsinki on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (at 19.30 instead of the normal 18.00), with a 25 (later 24) hour cruise from Helsinki on Sundays. The one-day cruises proved very popular and after a few years they were made also on Fridays and Saturdays. During 1988-89 SF Line made plans to order a sister for Cinderella, to be built at Brodogradiliste Split.[citation needed] The plan was abandoned when Euroway came in between and made a big two ship order at the yard.

In 1993, after the other Viking Line partner Rederi AB Slite went bankrupt, the Cinderella took over MS Olympia's place on the Helsinki - Stockholm route, sailing in tandem with the Mariella. At this time her passenger capacity was upgraded to 2700, but it was soon lowered back to 2500. In autumn 1994 she swapped routes with MS Isabella, returning to making 24 (later 20) hour cruises from Helsinki to Tallinn. In summers 1995 and 1996 Cinderella sailed on the Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm route, freeing MS Rosella for the seasonal Naantali - Mariehamn - Kapellskär route. In summers 2002 and 2003 Cinderella made cruises from Helsinki to Riga in addition to the normal 20 hour Tallinn cruises.

Viking Line decided to withdraw Cinderella from the Helsinki - Tallinn route after the end of the 2003 summer seasons, due to increased competition from Tallink's newer MS Romantika and the fact tax-free sales on the route would end in 2004 when Estonia joined the EU. Cinderella was extensively rebuilt in Naantali, and emerged as the all-white Swedish-flagged Viking Cinderella for the Stockholm - Mariehamn 22 hour cruise market. The name change was dictated by nescessity as a ship called Cinderella already existed in the Swedish ship registry. From 2004 onwards Viking Cinderella also made cruises to Riga (via Mariehamn in order to sell tax-free goods) during the summer season.

[edit] Decks

  1. Engine room
  2. C-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. A- and B-class cabins, crew accommodations
  6. Spa, hot tubs, swimming pool, A- and B-class cabins
  7. Information desk, Admiral Hornblower's Pub, Sea Side Café, Coffee Bar, Lilla Scenen, children's play room, conference rooms, game arcade, Club Seven Disco, Tax-Free shop, Pearl Beauty Shop, A- and B-class cabins
  8. Viking Buffét, Food Garden, Sea Food Marseille and Banquet restaurants, Tapas & Grill Wine Bar, casino, Fun club (level 1)
  9. Conference rooms, Fun Club (level 2), luxury, A- and B-class cabins, suites, sundeck
  10. Fun Club (level 3), A-class and luxury cabins, suites, crew accommodations
  11. Bridge, luxury cabins
  12. sundeck

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Preceded by
MS Athena
World's Largest Cruiseferry
1989–1990
Succeeded by
MS Silja Serenade