MS Oscar Wilde docked in Rosslare harbour |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1987 - 2007: Kronprins Harald 2007 - present: Oscar Wilde |
| Owner: | 1987 - 1990: Jahre Line 1990 - 2003: Color Line 2003 - 2007: M/V Color Harald AS 2007 - present: Irish Ferries |
| Operator: | 1987 - 1990: Jahre Line 1990 - 2007: Color Line 2007 - present: Irish Ferries |
| Builder: | Wärtsilä Marine, Turku, Finland |
| Yard number: | 1292 |
| Launched: | 31 August 1986[1] |
| Christened: | 23 March 1987[1] |
| Acquired: | 23 March 1987[1] |
| In service: | 26 March 1987[1] |
| Homeport: | 1987 - 1990: Sandefjord, Norway 1990 - 2007: Oslo, Norway 2007 - present: Nassau, Bahamas[1] |
| Identification: | IMO number: 8506311 |
| Notes: | In service |
| General characteristics (as built)[1] | |
| Tonnage: | 31122 GT |
| Displacement: | 5,250 metric tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Length: | 166.30 m (545.60 ft) |
| Beam: | 28.41 m (93.21 ft) |
| Draught: | 6.50 m (21.33 ft) |
| Installed power: | 2 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 12 ZAV 40 diesels 2 × Sulzer-Wärtsilä 6 ZAL 40 diesels combined 19800 kW |
| Speed: | 22 knots |
| Capacity: | 1440 passengers 1440 passenger beds 700 cars 1220 lanemeters |
| General characteristics (currently)[2] | |
| Tonnage: | 31914 GT |
| Speed: | 21.5 knots (service), 26 knots (maximum)[3] |
| Capacity: | 1458 passengers 580 cars 1220 lanemeters |
MS Oscar Wilde is a cruiseferry owned by Irish Ferries. She in currently in service on Irish Ferries' Rosslare - Cherbourg and Rosslare - Roscoff routes. The ship was built in Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard, Finland for Jahre Line as MS Kronprins Harald. In 1991 she passed under ownership of Color Line, for whom she sailed until sold to Irish Ferries in 2007.
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On delivery the Kronprins Harald was placed on Jahre Line's Oslo – Kiel service. In 1990 Jahre Line merged with Norway Line and Fred. Olsen Lines to form Color Line. After the change the Kronprins Harald was kept on the same route, only her livery changed from the grey hull of Jahre Line to blue hull of Color Line.[1]
In January 2007 the ship was sold to Irish Ferries in preparation for the delivery of Color Line's new mega-cruiseferry MS Color Magic.[1][4] Irish Ferries chartered the Kronprins Harald back to Color Line until September 2007. The vessel's final sailing for Color Line took place on 31 August 2007 with a the northbound Kiel – Oslo crossing. With her Color Line career over, Irish Ferries took control over her on 2 September 2007. Arriving for rebuilding at Fredericia Skibsværft A/S on 4 September, she was renamed MS Oscar Wilde.[1] She entered service with Irish Ferries in December 2007, replacing MS Normandy.[2]
Unlike other Irish Ferries ships, Oscar Wilde has a blue hull and a white funnel instead of a white hull and a green funnel.[5] On 21 November 2007 the ship arrived in Rosslare Harbour for the first time, and entered service on the Rosslare – Cherbourg route on 30 November 2007. In January 2010 there was no service between Rosslare and Cherbourg as she was operating the Rosslare – Pembroke Dock route during the docking of MS Isle of Inishmore.[3] and after this the M/S Oscar Wilde was in dry dock for the annual overhaul.
On Tuesday, 2 February 2010 the engine room caught fire upon leaving Falmouth where the ship had undergone its annual refit. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished, but the ship returned to Falmouth so a full investigation can be carried out and repairs can be carried out. Sailings resumed on March 6, 2010 but the service was delayed by operational problem. The Ferry sailed from Cherbourg to Rosslare on Sunday morning 7 March 2010.
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