MS Silja Serenade

Silja Serenade at the Kustaanmiekka strait, Helsinki in 2006
History
Name: Silja Serenade
Owner:
Operator: 1990 onwards: Silja Line[2]
Port of registry:
Route: Helsinki–Mariehamn–Stockholm
Ordered: 26 October 1987
Builder: Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Turku, Finland
Yard number: 1301[2]
Laid down: 29 May 1989[2]
Launched: 6 November 1989[2]
Acquired: 15 November 1990[2]
Maiden voyage: 17 November 1990[2]
In service: 17 November 1990[2]
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics
Type: Cruiseferry
Tonnage: 58,376 GT
Beam: 31.50 m (103.3 ft)
Draught: 7.10 m (23.3 ft)
Decks: 13
Ice class: 1 A Super
Installed power:
Speed: 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph)
Capacity:
  • Passengers:
  • 2,626 (originally)
  • 2,852 (currently)
  • Passenger beds:
  • 2,626 (originally)
  • 2,841 (currently)
  • Car capacity:
  • 450
  • Lanemeters:
  • 950

MS Silja Serenade is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian shipping company Tallink Group,[3] operated under their Silja Line brand on a route connecting Helsinki, Finland to Stockholm, Sweden via Mariehamn. She was built in 1990 at Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland.

History

The ship was ordered on 26 October 1987 by Effoa for Silja Line traffic. The ship had a revolutionary interior layout, a promenade-street running alongside the central axis of the ship for nearly her full length. This allowed amongst other things for a larger number of cabins with windows (today such promenades are found in the most recent ships of Royal Caribbean and Color Line). Before the ship was completed Silja Line's owners Effoa and Johnson Line merged to form EffJohn, and it was to EffJohn that the Silja Serenade was delivered on 15 November 1990. On November 18 she began service on the route Helsinki–Stockholm route. Her original homeport was Helsinki, but in 1992 she was reflagged to the Ålandian shipregistry, her homeport altered to Mariehamn. This allowed Silja to make more money from her onboard slot machines and casino, due to legislation differences between Åland and the Finnish mainland. When Silja Line acquired Silja Europa in 1993 the Serenade was moved to the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route. The Silja Serenade was somewhat ill-suited for this route, her accommodations were not designed for daytime crossings and reportedly she steered poorly in the narrow archipelagoes of Stockholm, Åland and Turku. In 1995 it was decided that the Europa and Serenade switch routes, returning the Serenade to her original route, again sailing parallel to her sister ship Silja Symphony. In order to keep tax free sales on the Stockholm–Helsinki ships when the EU changed its tax free legislation, a stop at Mariehamn was added to the route in July 1999. In early 2006, just prior to the sale of Silja Line to Tallink, Serenade and her sister had their interiors extensively rebuilt at Luonnonmaan telakka, Naantali.

There are some minor differences between the Serenade and her sister. The funnel of Serenade is constructed of steel whereas that of her sister ship Symphony is made of aluminium. There are also some purely cosmetic differences: the outer decks of the Serenade are painted green (blue on Symphony), the light box with the ship's name is blue (white on Symphony) and the seal's eye in the funnel is white with a blue outline (solid blue on Symphony). In 2014, the steel seal was replaced with a painted one.

When the ship docked in October 2010, the 13th deck was rebuilt, removing Silja Dream Teather, Club Bali and Chill Lounge. Instead, there was built a New York-themed club and lounge.

In January 2014, the ship was docked Turku Repair Yard, Naantali. The Taxfree shop, Buffet Serenade, and Bistro Maxime restaurant on deck 6 were extensively rebuilt, as well as the Sunflower Oasis on deck 12 and the shops on deck 7.

Decks

  1. Engine room
  2. Engine room, C-class cabins
  3. Car deck, crew accommodations
  4. Car deck, crew accommodations
  5. Spa, driver's club, A and B-class cabins, crew accommodations
  6. Conference rooms, Tavolàta Ristorante Italiano, Grande Buffet, Taxfree Superstore
  7. Atlantic Palace night club & casino, tax-free shops, el Capitan, Happy Lobster and Bon Vivant restaurants, Mundo Tapas & Seafood bar, Old Port Pub, Siljaland children's playroom
  8. Atlantic Palace night club, A and Promenade -class cabins
  9. Suites, Junior suites, A, Promenade and B -class cabins.
  10. Commodore lounge, Commodore, A, Promenade and B -class cabins.oi
  11. Silja suite, Commodore, DeLuxe, A, Promenade and B -class cabins.
  12. Sundeck, Sunflower Oasis sauna, swimming pool and hot tubs, crew accommodations
  13. Bridge, New York Club&Lounge
  14. Helicopter deck

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Audited annual report of the 2008/2009 financial year" (pdf). Retrieved 2010-03-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Asklander, Micke. "M/S Silja Serenade (1990)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  3. ↑ Tallink corporate structure, retrieved 2008-09-08

Media related to Silja Serenade (ship, 1990) at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
MS Cinderella		 World's Largest Cruiseferry
1990–1991 		Succeeded by
MS Silja Symphony
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