MS Victoria I

MS Victoria I departing in Tallinn
History
Estonia
NameVictoria I
OwnerTallink
OperatorTallink
Port of registryTallinn, Estonia Estonia
RouteTallinn–Mariehamn–Stockholm
Ordered15 October 2002
BuilderAker Finnyards, Rauma, Finland
Yard number434
Laid down11 March 2003
Launched16 October 2003
Acquired9 March 2004
In service21 March 2004
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics [1][2]
Tonnage
Length192.9 m (633 ft)
Beam29 m (95 ft)
Draught6.5 m (21 ft)
Decks12
Ice class1 A Super
Propulsion
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity
  • 2,500 passengers
  • 2,252 passenger beds
  • 400 cars
  • 1,000 lanemeters
NotesSister ship to MS Romantika

MS Victoria I [3] is a cruiseferry owned by AS Tallink Grupp. It was chartered by the Scottish Government to provide temporary accommodation to those fleeing the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The vessel was docked in the port of Leith, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The ship, which was chartered until July 2023, had been providing people with accommodation until they secure somewhere to stay longer term.[4] It took in its first Ukrainian residents in July 2022.[5][6]

On 1 August 2023 Victoria I arrived back in her home port at Tallinn and currently the vessel on service between Tallinn and Helsinki starting from 12 October.[7]

The Victoria I was formerly on a route connecting Stockholm, Sweden to Tallinn, Estonia via Mariehamn, Finland. She was built in 2004 by Aker Finnyards, Rauma. Although the ship's official name is Victoria I, she is often referred to as Victoria, without the number. This is also the name displayed on top of her superstructure, whereas the name is written in full form on the hull.

Between 18 and 20 November 2005, the Victoria I made two one-day cruises from Helsinki to Tallinn, the latter of which was a re-election campaign cruise for the Finnish president Tarja Halonen. The use of an Estonian-flagged ship by the president provoked protests from the Finnish Seamen's Union.

Victoria's sister ship, the ferry Romantika was chartered by Holland Norway Lines to operate a route between Kristiansand in Norway and Eemshaven in Netherlands.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Victoria I technical info". Tallink.
  2. ^ "Victoria I technical info 2". Valkeatlaivat (in Finnish).
  3. ^ "Victoria I technical aspects". Valkeatlaivat. (in Finnish). 1 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Council says cruise ship would be 'floating prison' for asylum seekers". BBC News. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Super sponsor scheme paused". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  6. ^ "War in Ukraine: First refugees welcomed aboard Leith cruise ship without proper checks, critics warn". www.scotsman.com. 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  7. ^ "Tallink ferry returns after hosting Scotland's Ukrainian refugees". August 2023.
  8. ^ "Tallink Grupp to charter out vessel Romantika from March 2022 for at least three years". Tallink. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.

Media related to IMO 9281281 at Wikimedia Commons


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