MS Julia

MS "Julia" is a cruiseferry owned by the Finland-based Stella Naves Russia. Until date|2008-10-08 she was sailing for Stella Lines on the Helsinki—St. Petersburg route, but the service was terminated due to low passenger numbers and failure by the operator to secure additional funding. Stella Lines have stated they are looking for other uses for the "Julia" as of date|2008-10-09. The ship was built in 1982 by Weser Seebeckswerft, Bremerhaven for Olau Line as MS "Olau Britannia". She has also sailed under the names MS "Bayard" and MS "Christian IV" before entering service with her current name.cite web |url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/OlauBritannia_1.html |title="Olau Britannia" |accessdate=2008-07-08 |last=Boyle |first=Ian |coauthors= |date= |work=Simplon Postcards |publisher= |language= ]

History

1982—1990: Olau Line

The "Olau Britannia" was delivered as the younger sister of MS "Olau Hollandia" on May 5 1982. Two days later she was christened by Princess Margaret in Sheerness and placed on the route Sheerness—Vlissingen. In August 1984 the ship collided with the freighter MS "Mont Louis" in the English channel. Olau Line ordered larger replacements for the "Olau Hollandia" and "Olau Britannia" in the late 1980s (confusingly the replacements were also called MS "Olau Hollandia" and MS "Olau Britannia"). In preparation for delivery of the second "Olau Britannia", the first "Olau Britannia" was sold to Nordström & Thulin, Sweden on October 4 1989, to be delivered in 1990. However, already on October 11 Nordström & Thulin resold the ship to Fred. Olsen Lines.

1990—2008: Fred. Olsen Lines and Color Line

In May 1990 the ship was delivered to her new owners and renamed MS "Bayard". After rebuilding at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany, the "Bayard" was set in on Kristiansand—Hirtshals route in June 1990. For the winter season she was transferred to Oslo—Hirtshals service. Fred. Olsen sold its Scandinavian ferry operations to Color Line in December 1990, and in January 1991 the "Bayard" was renamed MS "Christian IV". The ship was kept on the Oslo — Hirtshals service until April 1994, when she returned to the Kristiansand — Hirtshals route. In March 1995 the ship temporarily sailed on the Moss—Kiel route, after which she reverted back to her older route. The ship was rebuilt in 1999 at Fredericia Værft in Denmark, with additional restaurants and better conference facilities. She was rebuilt again in 2005, this time at Remontowa, Gdansk, Poland. In March 2008 she was replaced by the new MS|Superspeed 1 on the Kristiansand—Hirsthals route, and laid up at Sandefjord. [cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/superspeed_1_2008.htm |title=MS "Superspeed 1" (2008) |accessdate=2008-07-08 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |coauthors= |date= |work=Fakta om Fartyg |publisher= |language=Swedish ] Between 2008-04-10 and 2008-06-15 the "Christian IV" sailed on the Larvik—Hirsthals route, replacing MS|Peter Wessel – that had been sold to the Mediterranean Shipping Company – until the delivery of the new MS|Superspeed 2. [cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/gotland_1981.htm |title=MS "Gotland" (1981) |accessdate=2008-07-08 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |coauthors= |date= |work=Fakta om Fartyg |publisher= |language=Swedish ] [cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/superspeed_2_2008.htm |title=MS "Superspeed 2" (2008) |accessdate=2008-07-08 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |coauthors= |date= |work=Fakta om Fartyg |publisher= |language=Swedish ] cite web |url=http://www.boarding.no/art.asp?id=31557 |title="Christian IV" solgt til finske Stella |accessdate=2008-07-08 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-05-20 |work= |publisher=Boarding.no |language=Norwegian ]

2008 onwards: Stella Lines

On 2008-05-20 the "Christian IV" was sold by Color Line to the Finnish freight shipping and stevedoring operator Stella Company Group for €13 million.cite web |url=http://www.iltasanomat.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/uutinen.asp?id=1534218 |title=Autolauttaliikenne Helsingistä Pietariin alkaa kesällä |accessdate=2008-07-08 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-05-20 |work= |publisher=Ilta-Sanomat |language=Finnish ] The ship was delivered to her new owners in July 2008, and subsequently renamed "Julia". On 2008-08-01 she entered service on the Helsinki—St. Petersburg.cite web |url=http://www.stellalines.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=5 |title=Helsinki - St.Petersburg - Helsinki schedule 01.08.2008 - 31.12.2008 |accessdate=2008-07-08 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Stella Lines |language=Finnish ] Passenger numbers on the "Julia" were low during first months of service due to the bureucracy related to applying a visa in order to travel between Finland and Russia. On 2008-09-20 the Russian State Duma approved a law change allowing passengers arriving by scheduled ferry services to visit Russia for up to 72 hours without a visa. The precise ports where the new law applies has not been decided, but St. Petersburg is presumed to be one of them. If the visa-freedom is granted, it is expected to increase the number of Finnish passengers on the "Julia". [cite web |url=http://www.iltasanomat.fi/uutiset/ulkomaat/uutinen.asp?id=1590429 |title=Pietariin pääsee pian ilman viisumia - Venäjän duuma hyväksyi lakimuutoksen |last=Paananen |first=Arja |accessdate=2008-09-20 |work= |publisher=Ilta-Sanomat |date=2008-09-20 |language=Finnish ] [cite web |url=http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/artikkeli/Lauttaliikenteest%C3%A4+Pietariin+tulossa+viisumitonta/1135239591699 |title=Lauttaliikenteestä Pietariin tulossa viisumitonta |last=Pullinen |first=Jussi |accessdate=2008-09-23 |work= |publisher=Helsingin Sanomat |date=2008-09-20 |language=Finnish ]

Despite this legislation change the Helsinki—St. Petersburg service of the "Julia" was terminated due slower than expected growth of the passenger numbers and failure to acquire additional funding due to the economic crisis of 2008. On date|2008-10-09 Stella Lines CEO Kari Juvas stated that the company would make the decisions about the future of the "Julia" within the next few days. According to Juvas the alternatives are selling the ship or utilizing the ship on a service between Kotka, Finland and Sillamäe, Estonia. [cite web |url=http://www.kymensanomat.fi/Online/2008/10/09/Autolautta+Julian+kohtalo++selvi%E4%E4+l%E4hip%E4ivin%E4/200835999497/4 |title=Autolautta Julian kohtalo selviää lähipäivinä |accessdate=2008-10-09 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=2008-10-09 |work= |publisher=Kymen Sanomat |language=Finnish ] Juvas had stated that Stella was interested in operating a ship on the Kotka—Sillamäe route already in July 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.kymensanomat.fi/page.php?page_id=5&news_id=200733939933 |title=Kotkan ja Viron välisessä liikenteessä olisi ison laivan reikä |accessdate=2008-10-09 |last=Huovinen |first=Issu |coauthors= |date=2007-08-24 |work= |publisher=Kymen Sanomat |language=Finnish ]

Facilities

As "Christian IV"

Restaurants & Cafés

*Fairytale Buffét Restaurant
*Captains Grill - a la carte restaurant
*Trattoria Riviera
*Seaside Café

Activities

*Color Land

Bars, Nightclubs & Entertainment

*Colorama Bar with sports corner
*Irish Corner Pub

hopping

*Taxfree Supermarket
*Color Shop
*Perfume Shop

Conference

*Color Conference Center

References

External links

* [http://www.stellalines.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=16 Stella Lines official website for MS "Julia"]
* [http://www.stellalines.narod.ru/julia-photo.html Photos of MS "Julia" on the 2008-08-03]

de:M/S Christian IV
fi:M/S Julia