MS Stena Baltica
Encyclopedia
MS Stena Baltica is a ro-ro ferry
owned by Stena Line
and operated on their Karlskrona
- Gdynia
service. She was built in 1986 by Van der Giessen de Noord
as MS Koningin Beatrix for SMZ
. In 1989 she passed under Stena Line's ownership and in 2002 she was renamed Stena Baltica.
She is build to a similar design to the SNAV Lazio
, SNAV Sardegna
, Princess of Norway and King of Scandinavia
.
as the Koningin Beatrix. She entered service the same year sailing between Hoek van Holland
and Harwich
for SMZ
. In 1989 Stena Line
took over the route. She remained on that route until 1997 when she was replaced by the Stena Discovery.
Following the arrival of the Stena Discovery the Koningin Beatrix was transferred to the Fishguard
- Rosslare
route, replacing the Stena Felicity
. She remained on the Fishguard
- Rosslare Harbour
route until 2002, when she was replaced by former Stena Line BV
fleetmate Stena Europe
.
In 2003 the Koningin Beatrix was transferred to the Karlskrona
- Gdynia
route and renamed Stena Baltica.
In 2005 the Stena Baltica was rebuilt at the Remontowa
yard. The SEK
235 million. investment included the refurbishment of the passenger facilities on decks 7, 8 and 9. A new vehicle deck was created from stripping the cabin accommodation on decks 5 and 6. Externally, a large vehicle door and ramp was constructed at the bow
and number of lifeboats
were also removed.
- Gdynia
route in 2010 by the Stena Scandinavica
and Stena Germanica
. Current speculation is that the Stena Baltica will be returning to the Irish Sea
or a new route from Gdynia to Goteborg will be launched.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
owned by Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
and operated on their Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
- Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
service. She was built in 1986 by Van der Giessen de Noord
Van der Giessen de Noord
Van der Giessen de Noord was a shipyard that mainly built ferries, located in Krimpen aan den IJssel, a town in the western Netherlands. The yard was especially suited to the construction of large vessels due to its developed undercover facilities....
as MS Koningin Beatrix for SMZ
Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland
Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland was a Dutch ferry operator that ran services from Hook of Holland to Harwich between 1875 and 1989.-History:The Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland was founded in 1875....
. In 1989 she passed under Stena Line's ownership and in 2002 she was renamed Stena Baltica.
She is build to a similar design to the SNAV Lazio
MS Pride of Portsmouth
The SNAV Lazio is a Peter Pan-class cruiseferry currently owned and operated by the Italian shipping company SNAV. She was launched on 28 October 1989 by Schichau Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven, West Germany as the Olau Britannia for Olau Line....
, SNAV Sardegna
MS SNAV Sardegna
MS SNAV Sardegna is a cruiseferry owned by the Italy-based SNAV and operated on their Olbia—Civitavecchia and Palermo—Civitavecchia services. She was built in 1989 by Schichau Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven, West Germany as MS Olau Hollandia for Olau Line...
, Princess of Norway and King of Scandinavia
MS King of Scandinavia
MS King Seaways is a cruiseferry operated and owned by the Danish shipping company DFDS Seaways on a route connecting Newcastle, England to IJmuiden in the Netherlands. She was built in 1987 as MS Nils Holgersson by Schichau Unterweser, Bremerhaven, West Germany for TT-Line...
.
History
The Stena Baltica was built in 1986 by Van der Giessen de NoordVan der Giessen de Noord
Van der Giessen de Noord was a shipyard that mainly built ferries, located in Krimpen aan den IJssel, a town in the western Netherlands. The yard was especially suited to the construction of large vessels due to its developed undercover facilities....
as the Koningin Beatrix. She entered service the same year sailing between Hoek van Holland
Hoek van Holland
The Hook of Holland , also known in English as the Hook, is a town in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is situated on the North Sea coast, on the north bank of the Nieuwe Waterweg ship canal. The town is administered by the municipality of Rotterdam as a district of that city...
and Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
for SMZ
Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland
Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland was a Dutch ferry operator that ran services from Hook of Holland to Harwich between 1875 and 1989.-History:The Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland was founded in 1875....
. In 1989 Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
took over the route. She remained on that route until 1997 when she was replaced by the Stena Discovery.
Following the arrival of the Stena Discovery the Koningin Beatrix was transferred to the Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
- Rosslare
Rosslare
The name Rosslare may refer to:*Rosslare Strand, a village in County Wexford, Ireland* Rosslare Harbour, a village in County Wexford, Ireland*The Rosslare Europort at Rosslare Harbour...
route, replacing the Stena Felicity
MS Scandinavia (1980)
The Scandinavia is a cruiseferry owned and operated by Polish shipping company Polferries. The vessel sails overnight between the Polish city of Gdańsk and Nynäshamn in Sweden. The Scandinavia is the first of two sister ships built...
. She remained on the Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
- Rosslare Harbour
Rosslare Harbour
The village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
route until 2002, when she was replaced by former Stena Line BV
Stena Line Holland BV
Stena Line Holland BV is a subsidiary of Stena Line that operates ferry routes between Harwich and Killingholme on the east coast of England and Hoek van Holland and Europort in the Netherlands. The head office is in Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands...
fleetmate Stena Europe
MS Stena Europe
MS Stena Europe is a ferry owned by Stena Line and operated on their Fishguard—Rosslare service. She was built in 1981 by the Götaverken shipyard in Gothenburg, Sweden as MS Kronprinsessan Victoria for Sessan Line. During the same year Sessan Line passed under the ownership of Stena Line...
.
In 2003 the Koningin Beatrix was transferred to the Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
- Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
route and renamed Stena Baltica.
In 2005 the Stena Baltica was rebuilt at the Remontowa
Remontowa
Remontowa is a shipyard in the Polish city of Gdańsk. The yard specialises in ship repair and conversions. Remontowa S.A...
yard. The SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
235 million. investment included the refurbishment of the passenger facilities on decks 7, 8 and 9. A new vehicle deck was created from stripping the cabin accommodation on decks 5 and 6. Externally, a large vehicle door and ramp was constructed at the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
and number of lifeboats
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
were also removed.
Future
The Stena Baltica and her running partner are due to be replaced on the KarlskronaKarlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
- Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
route in 2010 by the Stena Scandinavica
MS Stena Scandinavica
Stena Spirit is a large cruiseferry owned by Stena Line. She entered service in 1988 as Stena Scandinavica and after a major refit in Gothenburg is now in service between Karlskrona and Gdynia.-History:...
and Stena Germanica
MS Stena Germanica
MS Stena Germanica may refer to:* Stena Germanica - Sunk near Puerto Rico in 1985* Stena Germanica - Now Stena Vision with Stena Line* Stena Germanica - Current Stena Germanica...
. Current speculation is that the Stena Baltica will be returning to the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
or a new route from Gdynia to Goteborg will be launched.