Birka Princess has been built in Finland in 1986 and has been fully refurbished against $26 million in 1999. It is of 22,412 tons and carries 1537 passengers in 584 cabins. It has all amenities and systems of a modern cruise ship.

Another shot

She is not the first ship sold by Birka Cruises to Louis Cruises, also the
PRINCESA MARISSA was bought from Birka, 19 years ago.

I was looking through the onboard photos on Fakta om Fartyg and if you go to pages 3 & 4 you will see that QM2 is not the only vessel to incorporate pod blades in a decorative surrounding... although I doubt Birka Princess' would be of any practical use. Is anyone able to translate the wording on the plaque pictured please?

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Originally posted by PamM:

I was looking through the onboard photos on Fakta om Fartyg and if you go to pages 3 & 4 you will see that QM2 is not the only vessel to incorporate pod blades in a decorative surrounding. Is anyone able to translate the wording on the plaque pictured please?

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Ok, I will give it a try, since none of our Swedish members has noticed Pam's request yet...

"M/S BIRKA PRINCESS is equipped with two adjustable KaMeWa pods, each with four blades with this appearance.

The blades' heavily backwards swept shape gives significant reduction of vibration and noise level, thus improving the passenger comfort.

Pods' diameter is 3,8 metres and they are made of an alloy of nickel, aluminium and bronze."

AJL

[ 02-13-2006: Message edited by: AJL ]

Back here, after being away for a while. Hope haven't missed anything too exciting. (well I 've read alla about RCCL megaship)

Very good news for Louis buying this new cruise ship.

I guess it is part of their fleet renewal / upgrade for 2010 (is this the correct year for new legislation to become active?)

I've heard that 2-3 Louis ships will have either to e modified (costly operation) or taken out of service.

The auction was because of the events described in the following CSE announcement.

With reference to the press reports on cruise ship Aegean I, Louis Public Company Ltd would like to clarify the following:

1. On May 30, 2005, the company signed an agreement according to which its subsidiary, Progress, acquired the ship Aegean I from Dolphin against the sum of $4,800,000 and €500,000. The company paid in advance only €500,000.
2. According to the agreement, Mr. Anargyros Angelopoulos, shareholder of Dolphin, would remain a shareholder in the new company with a stake of 25%.
3. Based on the relevant legislation, the agreement was subject to the Greek Competition Committee approval. The Committee approved it in late September 2005.
4. Unfortunately, Dolphin refused to complete the sale agreement using a number of excuses and Progress decided to take legal measures for the protection of its interests.
5. Meanwhile, a foreign company that belongs to Kolakis Group proceeded to the acquisition of the loans that had been granted to Dolphin by Piraeus Bank and took certain measures for the sale of the ship by auction. To avoid this possibility and to protect its interests, Progress has taken additional legal measures.
6. On Tuesday, January 31, 2006, the Court of Piraeus decided in the favour of Progress, stressing that the allegation of Dolphin that Progress cancelled the agreement is “not only false and ostensible, but it is against the good faith and the honesty required during the deal by the parties”.
7. The Court of Piraeus also seized the assets of Dolphin, Anargyros Angelopoulos and his children, including Aegean I, for the sum of €8,000,000 to cover possible moral or material damages of Progress.
8. On Monday, February 6, 2006, the Court will issue two new decisions concerning Progress’s request to stop the auction.

The auction was because of the events described in the following CSE announcement.

With reference to the press reports on cruise ship Aegean I, Louis Public Company Ltd would like to clarify the following:

1. On May 30, 2005, the company signed an agreement according to which its subsidiary, Progress, acquired the ship Aegean I from Dolphin against the sum of $4,800,000 and €500,000. The company paid in advance only €500,000.
2. According to the agreement, Mr. Anargyros Angelopoulos, shareholder of Dolphin, would remain a shareholder in the new company with a stake of 25%.
3. Based on the relevant legislation, the agreement was subject to the Greek Competition Committee approval. The Committee approved it in late September 2005.
4. Unfortunately, Dolphin refused to complete the sale agreement using a number of excuses and Progress decided to take legal measures for the protection of its interests.
5. Meanwhile, a foreign company that belongs to Kolakis Group proceeded to the acquisition of the loans that had been granted to Dolphin by Piraeus Bank and took certain measures for the sale of the ship by auction. To avoid this possibility and to protect its interests, Progress has taken additional legal measures.
6. On Tuesday, January 31, 2006, the Court of Piraeus decided in the favour of Progress, stressing that the allegation of Dolphin that Progress cancelled the agreement is “not only false and ostensible, but it is against the good faith and the honesty required during the deal by the parties”.
7. The Court of Piraeus also seized the assets of Dolphin, Anargyros Angelopoulos and his children, including Aegean I, for the sum of €8,000,000 to cover possible moral or material damages of Progress.
8. On Monday, February 6, 2006, the Court will issue two new decisions concerning Progress’s request to stop the auction.

Louis and its subsidiary, Progress, will continue taking all the necessary measures for the protection of their interests and will inform the investing public when necessary.

Next announcement was on 07/02/06

Further to the announcement dated February 4, 2006 on cruise ship Aegean I, Louis Public Company Ltd (Louis) announces the following:

1. The Multimember Court of First Instance speculated the validity of the allegation of Progress that the right of “Majestic Cruises” Group (Group of Kolakis’ interests) to hasten the auction has been obtained illegally and it, therefore, decided to accept the application of Progress, subsidiary of Louis, for the taking of temporary measures and postponed the sale of the ship via an auction until the court decides to cancel the auction at a hearing scheduled on 16.1.2007.

2. The One-Member Court of First Instance rejected another application of Progress for the taking of the same measure, since it judged that there is no issue in view of the postponement of the auction.

What does delaying the auction until 2007 acheive? Aegean I will sit and rot?

Any guesses for the new name? Princesa something or another birthstone?

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250 jobs to go as Birka sells Princess
February 13, 2006

Tough competition, declining tax free sales and rising fuel prices are combining to put increasing pressure on the ferry companies plying the Baltic Sea routes.

Now, Birka Line has announced that it has sold its Birka Princess ferry with the loss of 250 jobs.

The Cypriot firm Louis Public Company is to buy the boat for around 270 million kronor.

The Birka Princess has recently been out of service for maintenance work and, after 20 years, will cross the Baltic no more. Instead, it will head for Cypriot waters.

Following the sale, Birka Line now has only the Birka Paradise left on the Baltic routes.

"I believe it suits our strategy much better to invest in quality rather than quantity," said Wiveka Burgaz, managing director of Birka Cruises in Stockholm.

But the sale means that 250 of the company's 900 employees will be made redundant. They are employed by the shipping company in Åland.

Anders Ingves, managing director of Birka Line, described the sale as a strategic decision and pointed to the tough competition in the area.

Birka Line was in the red when 2005's third quarter figures were presented at the end of October. The company was showing a loss before tax of 73 million kronor, compared to a profit of 70 million kronor a year earlier.

The firm's costs rose so much that a 48% rise in turnover had little effect on the results. Passenger numbers rose by as much as 83% during the first nine months. The full year's figures are expected in a couple of weeks.

"But nothing changed dramatically in the last quarter," said Wiveka Burgaz.

Passengers who have bought tickets for the Birka Princess will instead be offered trips on the Birka Paradise or their money back.

TT

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You can find a review of it in it's previous life herehere

[ 03-01-2006: Message edited by: linerwise ]

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Originally posted by Pewit:
There aren't any car decks on the Birka Princess - it was being used as a "booze cruise" for Swedes to get cheap alchohol (i.e. completely smashed) sailing to Aland (an Island in the Swedish archipeligo) and back.

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Being a Finn I must add that Aland, even though being situated in the Swedish archipelago, is part of Finland.

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BIRKA PRINCESS sale job cuts update
March 20, 2006

Finnish ferry line operator Birka Line Abp Monday said it will cut 145 jobs in connection with the sale of the "Birka Princess" vessel.

The company said the labor negotiations were complete. Of the total job cuts, 122 will be effective Monday.

Another 63 employees were offered new work positions within the Birka Line group.

The company said the sale of the "Birka Princess" means the total number of job positions within the company has been reduced by 280.

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