Isabella M/S (Cruise Ferry) 1989

[Arturo]

MS Isabella is a cruise ferry owned and operated by the Estonia-based Tallink. She was built in 1989 by Brodogradilište Split in Split, Croatia, for SF Line one of the partners in the Viking Line consortium as Isabella. The ship is currently serving the Riga-Stockholm route. IMO number: 8700723

Isabella has two sister ships in the Viking Line fleet, Amorella and Gabriella, and a third one, Crown Seaways, operated by DFDS Seaways.

Builder: Brodogradiliste Shipyard in Split, Croatia. Ordered: 4 Feb 1986. Laid down: 15 Sep 1987. Launched: 13 Aug 1988. Acquired: 15 Jun 1989. In Service: 4 Jul 1989. Tonnage: 34,386 GT, 3,680 DWT. Lenght: 169,40 m. Beam: 27,61 m. Draught: 6,26 m. Installed Power: 4 x Wartsila-Pielstick 12PC2.6V-400e 24,000 kW (combined). Two shafts. Controllable-pitch propellers. Speed: 21.5 kts. Capacity: 2,200 passengers, 1,983 passenger berths, 410 cars, 970 lanemetres.

Isabella was the second of two sister ships ordered by SF Line from Brodogradiliste Split in Split, Croatia for Viking Line service (the first sister being Amorella). Order for Isabella was placed on 1986-02-04, her keep was laid on 1987-09-15, and she was launched on 1988-08-13. Delivery to SF Line took place on 1989-06-15, and on 1989-06-20 the ship left Yugoslavia for Finland.

Prior to entering service Isabella visited Pori, Finland where the ship was displayed to the public on 1989-07-03. She had originally been planned to replace Rosella on the Naantali–Mariehamn–Kapellskär route, but the authorities of Kapellskär failed to modernise the port of the town to accommodate a ship of such large size. As a result, when delivered the ship was placed on a new Naantali–Stockholm route for thenorthern hemisphere summer season, and 24 hour cruises from Helsinki for the rest of the year.

In spring 1992 the ship was rebuilt at Naantali with a new skybar on deck 11, new cabins in place of the former second cardeck on deck 5 and her livery was slightly altered by the addition of a red stripe running along the windows of deck 6. After the 1992 summer season SF Line decided to terminate the Naantali–Stockholm service and the Isabella was placed on the Helsinki cruise route all year round. In summer 1993 she made a handful of cruises from Helsinki to Visby. After the 1994 summer season Isabella swapped routes with Cinderella and served Helsinki–Stockholm for the next three years. During the summer of 1996, instead of spending the day in Helsinki she made short 'picnic' cruises to Tallinn. These proved to be unprofitable and were terminated after the single season.

In 1997 Viking Line placed Isabella's newly purchased sister Gabriella on the Helsinki–Stockholm route and Isabella joined Amorella on the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route. After this Isabella has occasionally sailed on the Helsinki route when the normal ships of that route have been docked. She was rebuilt with rear sponsons at Naantali in 2000.

In September 2007 the ship was again docked at Naantali. Her tax-free shop, pub and disco were completely rebuilt, and two restaurants based on new concepts replaced two earlier restaurants. Viking Line had plans to refurbish all of the ship's cabins as a part of their large-scale fleet rebuilding programme.

In January 2013, Isabella was replaced by the newbuilding Viking Grace. She then temporarily replaced the docked Amorella from January 16th to February 11th. After that she was laid up in Turku awaiting her entrance on the Helsinki-Tallinn route for the summer season starting in May 2013. This was in case no buyer for her was found. Since the summer of 2012, Isabella was on sale in the international market.

On April 5th 2013, Viking Line announced that Isabella has been sold to the competitor Tallink. This means that Isabella will not sail on the Helsinki-Tallinn route as originally planned. According to the CEO, "some 10 000 bookings" are now affected by this but they will all be compensated. Isabella replaced Silja Festival on the Stockholm-Riga route.

In April 2013, Isabella was renamed Isabelle and her port of registry was changed to Riga, Latvia.

From late April 2013 until 5th of May 2013, she was in Tallinn for maintenance and repainting. On the 6th of May she made her first voyage on the Riga - Stockholm route.

Aland 1998 SG?, Scott?

Source: Wikipedia

[Arturo]

M/S Isabella

Madagascar 1994, S.G.?, Scott: 1255.

[aukepalmhof]

22 April 2013. transferred to A/S Tallink Latvia, Riga, Latvia. Renamed ISABELLE.
06 May 2013 in service between Riga to Stockholm.
April 2022 chartered to Estonian Authorities, to be used as an accommodation ship for Ukrainian refugees in Tallinn.
December 2022 still in Tallinn.

Source: faktaomfartyg