MS Amorella

MS Amorella is a cruiseferry operated by the Finnish ferry company Viking Line on the route Turku–Mariehamn/Långnäs–Stockholm. She was built in 1988 by Brodosplit in Croatia, then Yugoslavia.

Amorella west of Yxlan in the Stockholm archipelago, 2005.
History
Name: Amorella
Owner:
Operator:
  • 1988–1995: SF Line (in Viking Line traffic)
  • 1995 onwards: Viking Line[1]
Port of registry: Mariehamn,  Åland[1]
Route: Turku–Mariehamn/Långnäs–Stockholm (as of 2009)
Ordered: 3 February 1986[1]
Builder: Brodosplit, Split, Croatia[1]
Yard number: 356[1]
Launched: 18 July 1987[1]
Acquired: 28 September 1988[1]
In service: 14 October 1988[1]
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics [2]
Type: Cruiseferry
Tonnage:
Length: 169.40 m (555 ft 9 in)
Beam: 27.60 m (90 ft 7 in)
Draught: 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in)
Depth: 13.99 m (45 ft 11 in)
Decks: 12[3]
Ice class: 1 A Super
Installed power:
Propulsion: Two shafts; controllable pitch propellers[2]
Speed: 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)[1]
Capacity:
  • 2,420 passengers
  • 1,986 berths
  • 450 cars
  • 970 lanemeters[1]

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

History
In Turku Harbor before a voyage to Stockholm

Amorella was ordered in 1986 by SF Line, one of the partners in Viking Line consortium. Although Brodosplit outbid other shipyards, the Finnish State offered to subsidise construction of the ship if she was built at a Finnish shipyard. This was a common practice in the 1980s to bring more jobs to Finland, but this time SF Line declined and had the ship built in Croatia. The original planned delivery date for Amorella was in March 1988, but due to delays in construction she was not completed until September, which meant SF Line was forced to operate the lucrative summer season with old tonnage.

Except for short periods of time in 1997, 1998 and 2002, Amorella has always served on the Turku–Mariehamn/Långnäs–Stockholm route, making her the longest-lasting ship on that route. Originally she only called in Mariehamn during day crossing, but in July 1999 she had to start calling at the Åland Islands in both directions to maintain tax free sales on board, and as a result a call at Långnäs was added to the night crossing.

Like all ships, Amorella has suffered occasional misfortune. In 1993 the ship ran aground near Stockholm. She was able to come off by her own power, but her bottom was damaged in the process; she started taking in water and diesel oil leaked from a damaged fuel tank. The ship continued to Stockholm, and after unloading passengers and cargo she sailed to Turku Repair Yard, Naantali for repairs.

Arriving at Mariehamn from Turku, 2019

In 1995, and again in 2001, there was a fire in one of the cabins but the ship's own firefighters managed to put it out. In May 2005 there was a fire in a car parked on the cardeck on Deck 5, but that too was put out by the ship's crew. In March 2010, the ship had to be rescued by ice breakers after becoming stranded in thick ice along with several other vessels. During this stranding, Amorella collided with the Finnlines ship Finnfellow which resulted in a large dent on the port side hull. Nobody was injured in the collision.

On 14 December 2013, MS Amorella lost her steering due to a blackout and ran aground with about 2,000 passengers on board.[4] The only hull damage that occurred was a breach into a bow ballast tank. Therefore, no environmental damage occurred and there was no leak into the vessel. After being stuck for about twelve hours she was able continue her journey to Mariehamn under her own power.[5]

Future

Isabella, the sister ship which sailed in pair with Amorella, was replaced by Viking Line's newbuilding Viking Grace in January 2013. Viking Line had an option for a sister ship for the same route but announced in May 2012 that they have decided not to build it. Amorella will therefore continue her traffic as normal as Viking Line has not made any announcements regarding future plans for the ship. This wouldn´t be until January 2017 when Viking Line announced that they would sell Amorella in 2020 as there will be new ship at late Q1/early Q2 2020.

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References
  1. Asklander, Micke. "M/S Amorella (1988)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  2. "Amorella (15087)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  3. "M/S Amorella – Cut-away view". Viking Line. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  4. Viking Amorella karilla – "Jotkut ovat itkeneet". Ilta-Sanomat, 14 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  5. Ilta-Sanomat, 14 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-14.

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