MS Regina Baltica

MS Regina Baltica en route to Stockholm in April 2009.
Career
Name:	1980—1985: Viking Song 1985—1991: Braemar 1991—1996: Anna Karenina 1996 onwards: Regina Baltica
Owner:	1980—1985: Rederi Ab Sally 1985—1996: Fred. Olsen 1996—1997: Nordström & Thulin 1997—2002: Estonian Shipping Company 2002 onwards: Tallink
Operator:	1980—1985: Rederi Ab Sally (in Viking Line traffic) 1985—1990: Fred. Olsen Lines 1991—1996: Baltic Line 1996—2001: Estline 2001—2009: Tallink 2009 onwards: Acciona Trasmediterránea
Port of registry:	1980—1985: Mariehamn, Finland 1985—1991: Kristiansand, Norway 1991—1996: Saint Petersburg, Russia 1996: Limassol, Cyprus 1996—2006: Tallinn, Estonia 2006 onwards: Riga, Latvia
Route:	Algeciras—Tanger (as of May 2010)
Builder:	Wärtsilä Turku new shipyard, Turku, Finland
Yard number:	1248
Launched:	15 February 1980
Acquired:	29 August 1980
In service:	30 August 1980
Identification:	IMO number: 7827225
Status:	In service
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Viking Saga-class cruiseferry
Tonnage:	13,878 GRT 2,830 DWT
Length:	145.19 m (476 ft 4 in)
Beam:	25.51 m (83 ft 8 in)
Draught:	5.52 m (18 ft 1 in)
Decks:	12
Ice class:	1 A
Installed power:	4 × Wärtsilä-Pielstick 12 PC2SV diesels, combined 19,480 kW
Propulsion:	2 propellers 2 bow thrusters
Speed:	21.3 knots (39.45 km/h; 24.51 mph)
Capacity:	2000 passengers 1250 passenger berths 462 cars

MS Regina Baltica is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian shipping company Tallink and operated under charter by Acciona Trasmediterranea. She was built in 1980 as MS Viking Song by Wärtsilä Perno shipyard, Finland for Rederi Ab Sally, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. She has also sailed under the names MS Braemar (for Fred. Olsen Lines) and MS Anna Karenina (for Baltic Shipping Co.).

History

Viking Song in Stockholm, 1984.

Viking Line and Fred. Olsen service

Delivered in August 1980, MS Viking Song was the last newbuilding delivered to Rederi Ab Sally for use on Viking Line's routes. She served alongside her sister MS Viking Saga on the route connecting Helsinki, Finland to Stockholm. Although she was the newer of the two ships, when SF Line brought their new MS Mariella to Helsinki–Stockholm service in 1985, the Viking Song was withdrawn from service and sold to Norwegian Fred. Olsen Lines.

After rebuilding at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg where a second storey was added to her nightclub, Viking Song emerged as Fred. Olsen's new MS 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.

Russian Army and Baltic Line

In January 1991 Braemar was chartered to Baltic Shipping Co. and renamed MS 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 MS Anna Karenina, was badly vandalised by the troops transported on board, 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 itinerary. In January 1996 Baltic Line was declared bankrupt and Anna Karenina (soon renamed Anna K.) returned to Fred. Olsen for laying up in Germany.

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 MS Regina Baltica. In 1997 Nordström & Thulin withdrew from Estline leaving ESCO as the sole owner of the company. ESCO later changed its 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 on board.

In spring 2005 the ship was temporarily chartered to NATO for training exercises in Norway. On 28 September 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 MS 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 MS Romantika replaced her on the Tallinn–Mariehamn–Stockholm route, and Regina Baltica was moved to Stockholm–Riga route, where she replaced MS Fantaasia. In August of the same year the Regina Baltica's homeport was changed from Tallinn to Riga.

Acciona Trasmediterranea

The Regina Baltica was withdrawn from service with Tallink in April 2009, when she was replaced by Romantika in the Stockholm—Riga service. Subsequently she was chartered to the Spain-based Acciona Trasmediterránea and entered service their Almeria—Nador -route on 25 June 2009. On 20 September 2009 she was returned to Tallink and laid up in Riga. In the end of May 2010 Regina Baltica was again chartered to Acciona Trasmediterránea, serving on their Algeciras—Tanger route.^{[citation needed]} This charter will last at least until the end of September 2010.^{[citation needed]}

Decks and facilities

As Viking Song, 1980

0. Engine room and other technical facilities
1. Sauna, swimming pool, inside cabins, crew facilities, engine room and other technical facilities
2. Car deck, outside cabins, crew facilities, storage rooms
3. Car deck, outside cabins, crew facilities, storage rooms, technical facilities
4. Car deck, outside cabins, crew facilities, sun deck
5. Car deck, outside cabins, technical facilities
6. Outside and inside cabins, reception, tax-free shops, Discothèque, restaurant, cafeteria, air seats
7. Outside and inside cabins, bars, restaurants
8. Crew facilities, conference rooms, night club, sundeck
9. Crew facilities, technical facilities, sundeck
10. Bridge, sundeck

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[[Commons: Category:Regina Baltica

| Regina Baltica

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• (Swedish) M/S Viking Song (1980) at Fakta om Fartyg
• (Swedish) Company website for Regina Baltica