Viking Line Viking Cinderella - History of the Vessel MS Viking Cinderella is a cruiseferry built in 1989 by Wärtsilä Turku shipyard, Finland, as MS Cinderella for SF Line, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. She's currently used on cruise traffic from Stockholm to Mariehamn and occasionally Riga during the summer. The Cinderella is Viking Line's largest ferry with some special touches including the panoramic elevator, three-storey nightclub and large play area called "Wonderland" for the children.
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The Cinderella was planned in the later half of the 1980s as the new flagship for SF Line. Her interior layout was based on that of MS Mariella but with more space and additional facilities. SF Line originally planned the Cinderella to take over the Mariella's place in Helsinki - Stockholm traffic. The plan was never realised however, and when completed the Cinderella was placed as a third ship on the Helsinki - Stockholm route, with departures from Helsinki on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a 25 hour cruise from Helsinki on Sundays. The one-day cruises proved very popular and after a few years they were made also on Fridays and Saturdays. During 1988-89 SF Line made plans to order a sister for Cinderella, to be built at Brodogradiliste Split. The plan was abandoned when Euroway came in between and made a big two ship order at the yard. |
In 1993, after the other Viking Line partner Rederi AB Slite went bankrupt, the Cinderella took over MS Olympia's place on the Helsinki - Stockholm route, sailing in tandem with the Mariella. At this time her passenger capacity was upgraded to 2700, but it was soon lowered back to 2500. In autumn 1994 she swapped routes with MS Isabella, returning to making 24 (later 20) hour cruises from Helsinki to Tallinn. In summers 1995 and 1996 Cinderella sailed on the Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm route, freeing MS Rosella for the seasonal Naantali - Mariehamn - Kapellskär route. In summers 2002 and 2003 Cinderella made cruises from Helsinki to Riga in addition to the normal 20 hour Tallinn cruises.
Viking Line decided to withdraw Cinderella from the Helsinki - Tallinn route after the end of the 2003 summer seasons, due to increased competition from Tallink's newer MS Romantika and the fact tax-free sales on the route would end in 2004 when Estonia joined the EU. Cinderella was extensively rebuilt in Naantali, and emerged as the all-white Swedish-flagged Viking Cinderella for the Stockholm - Mariehamn 22 hour cruise market. The name change was dictated by nescessity as a ship called Cinderella already existed in the Swedish ship registry. In 2003 the Viking Cinderella was declared the most environmentally friendly ship of her size in the world by the Swedish maritime authorities. From 2004 onwards Viking Cinderella made cruises to Riga (via Mariehamn in order to sell tax-free goods) during the summer season in addition to the 22-hour cruises.
Viking Cinderella Deck Plan
- Engine room
- C-class cabins
- Cardeck
- Cardeck (hydraulic platform that can be lowered to divide the car deck in two giving space for two layers of passenger cars)
- A- and B-class cabins, crew accommodations
- Spa, hot tubs, swimming pool, A- and B-class cabins
- Information desk, Admiral Hornblower's Pub, Sea Side Café, Coffee Bar, Lilla Scenen, children's play room, conference rooms, game arcade, Club Seven Disco, Tax-Free shop, Pearl Beauty Shop, A- and B-class cabins
- Viking Buffét, Food Garden, Sea Food Marseille and Banquet restaurants, Tapas & Grill Wine Bar, casino, Fun club (level 1)
- Conference rooms, Fun Club (level 2), luxury, A- and B-class cabins, suites, sundeck
- Fun Club (level 3), A-class and luxury cabins, suites, crew accommodations
- Bridge, luxury cabins
- Sundeck
Viking Line Viking Cinderella Ferry Statistics
- Length - 191 m
- Breadth - 29.6 m
- Draught - 6.6 m
- Speed - 22 knots
- Engines - 4 x Wärtsilä-Sulzer 12 ZAV 40S diesels
- Built - 1989
- Yard - Wärtsilä Marine Turku New Shipyard, Turku, Finland
- Power - 28,800 kw
- Cars - 480
- Passengers - 2700
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