Passenger Ferries 1.2.2012

This FDC also issued on 1.2.2012 is about two passenger derries. M/S Birger Jarl (0.55 Euro) is a cruise ship owned by Ånedinlinjen and operated on cruise service between Stockholm, Sweden and Mariehamn on the Åland Islands (Finland). She was built in 1953 as a passenger liner at Finnboda shipyard in Nacka, Sweden as S/S Birger Jarl for Rederi AB Svea. In 1973 she was sold to Jakob Lines, was renamed S/S Bore Nord and converted into a ferry. In 1978 she passed under the ownership of Ånedin Linjen and was renamed S/S Baltic Star. In 1982 the ship's original steam engines were replaced by new diesel engines, hence the ship's prefix was altered into M/S. In 1989 the engines were again changed to new diesels. In 2002 the ship reverted to the name Birger Jarl.

MS Cristal (Local Post) is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines. The ship was originally built as the cruiseferry MS Viking Saga in 1980 at Wärtsilä Turku New Shipyard, Turku, Finland for Rederi Ab Sally. In 1986 she was renamed MS Sally Albatross, and rebuilt into a cruise ship the following year. The ship was destroyed by a fire in 1990, and completely rebuilt at Finnyards, Raum, Finland. She was re-delivered in 1992, still named Sally Albatross. After partially sinking 1994 she was rebuilt at Industrie Navali Maccaniche Affini, La Spezia, Italy, re-entering service as MS Leeward for Norwegian Cruise Line. Subsequently she sailed as MS SuperStar Taurus for Star Cruises, MS Silja Opera for Silja Line and spent a year laid up as MS Opera prior to entering service with her current owner in 2007. Although the 1980 ship and the 1992 ship appear superficially unalike both externally and internally, they share the same IMO number because they are technically the same ship. Ella gave me this interesting nautical FDC.