Belorussiya class cruiseferries - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Belorussiya class cruiseferries

Cruiseferry

A cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of...

(sometimes also referred to as the Gruziya class) were built by Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...

Turku Shipyard

Crichton-Vulcan

Crichton-Vulcan is an abandoned shipyard in Turku, Finland that once formed the cornerstone of the Finnish shipbuilding industry. The shipyard is best known for the World War II coastal defence ships and submarines it produced....

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

in 1975—1976 for the Black Sea Shipping Company, Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. The five ships in the class were originally used in ferry service around the Black Sea

Black Sea

The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...

. During the 1980s all ships in the class were rebuilt into cruise ship

Cruise ship

A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...

s. During the end of the 1990s all ships in the class were sold to other operators. As of 2008, at least four ships in this class are in service. The effects of the new SOLAS

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea is an international maritime safety treaty. The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.- History :The first version of the...

regulations that come into effect in 2010 remain unknown.

Concept and construction

During the early 1970s, the Black Sea Shipping Company of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

decided to order five cruiseferries to be used on domestic traffic around the Black Sea

Black Sea

. Instead of having the ships built domestically or ordering them from Comecon

Comecon

The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance , 1949–1991, was an economic organisation under hegemony of Soviet Union comprising the countries of the Eastern Bloc along with a number of communist states elsewhere in the world...

member states, the new ships were ordered from the Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä

shipyards in neutral

Neutral country

A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...

Finland

.

The Belorussiya class ships were built to the same standards of technology and passenger comfort as the cruiseferries built in the western world at the time. They were also amongst the largest cruiseferries of their time, surpassing the largest cruiseferries built in the west at the same time ( and ) in terms of gross register tonnage.

When the Belorussiya class ships entered service, it soon turned out their car-carrying capacity was too small in comparison with their passenger-carrying capacity. Due to their high standards of passenger accommodation, it was decided that instead of rebuildings the ships with larger car-decks, they would be converted into cruise ship

Cruise ship

s with minimal car-carrying facilities. Between 1981 and 1988 all ships in the class were rebuilt at West German or British shipyards, with the car decks built in with cabins and additional public spaces, and the forward superstructure

Superstructure

A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...

slightly expanded.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the sale of the Belorussiya class ships to different operators around the world, some of the ships have received further rebuildings.

Service history

During their career under the Soviet flag, the Belorussiya class ships were used on domestic traffic between Crimea

Crimea

Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...

and the Caucasus

Caucasus

The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...

, as well as considerable cruising both for Soviet passengers as well as under charter to travel companies outside the Eastern Bloc

Eastern bloc

The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...

. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ships were initially transferred under Ukrainian

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

flag, then towards the end of the 1990s they were transferred under various flags of convenience

Flag of convenience

The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...

but soon afterwards sold off to other operators.

Belorussiya

The Belorussiya was launched on 6 March 1974 and delivered on 15 January 1975. She was named after the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Belorussiya was rebuilt into a cruise ship in 1986 at Lloyd Werft

Lloyd Werft

Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH is a dockyard in Bremerhaven, established in 1857 by Norddeutscher Lloyd. The yard employs 500 workers in an area of 260. 000 m². Ships with a draught down to 11,5 m can be accommodated.-External links:* website...

, Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...

, West Germany. From 1987 until late 1992, Belorussiya was chartered by CTC Cruises to operate budget cruises from Sydney, Australia to ports in the south Pacific region. During this time, Belorussiya operated from Sydney during the Australian summer and in Europe for the rest of the year. On 25 October 1992, while in drydock in Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, the ship developed a heavy list and filled with water. She was eventually floated out in January 1993 and sailed to Lloyd Werft, where her interiors were entirely rebuilt. On completion of the refit on 9 December 1993 she was renamed Kazakhstan II. From 22 December 1993 onwards she was chartered to Delphin Seereisen, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. In June 1995 she was sold to Lady Lou Shipping Co, Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

. In May 1996 Delphin Seereisen purchased the vessel and renamed her Delphin. As of 2009, Delphin is in service with Hansa Kreuzfahrten in Germany.

Gruziya

The Gruziya was launched on 18 October 1974 and delivered on 30 June 1975. She was named after the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Gruziya was rebuilt into a cruise ship either in 1984 or 1988, with different sources stating different years. In 1995 she was transferred under the ownership of Blasco UK, transferred under Liberia

Liberia

Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...

n flag and renamed Odeassa Sky. On 26 August 1995 she was arrested in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

and remained there for at least five months. In August 1996 she reverted to Ukrainian flag. On 11 September 1996 she arrived at Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...

, Germany for engine inspection, but was subsequently arrested in the port of Wilhelmshaven due to unpaid debts of her owners. In August 1998 she was sold to the Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

businessman Gerard van Leest, and subsequently rebuilt in Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven

, Germany for cruise traffic. Renamed Club I, the ship begun making short cruises from Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

under the banner of Club Cruise

Club Cruise

Club Cruise was a Holland-based cruise ship company, that charterede vessels to other operators, including Transocean Tours and Phoenix Reisen. The company had also operated ships under its own brands, first in 1999 on short cruises from the Netherlands and during 2008 in the United Kingdom cruise...

in April 1999. In December 1999 she was renamed Van Gogh and chartered to Nouvelles Frontieres. She was later chartered to Travelscope, without a change of name, until Travelscope went bankrupt in December 2007. Following the bankruptcy of Travelscope, Club Cruise established a new subsidiary, Van Gogh Cruises to operate the Van Gogh. This was not a success and in 2009 the ship was sold to Salamis Lines, Cyprus and renamed Salamis Filoxenia.

Azerbaizhan

The Azerbaizhan was launched on 14 April 1975 and delivered on 18 December 1975. She was named after the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. The Azerbaizhan was converted to a cruise ship at Lloyd Werft, West Germany in 1986. In early 1996 she was transferred under the ownership of Blasco UK, transferred under Liberia

Liberia

n flag and renamed Arkadia, but already in July 1996 she reverted to Ukrainian flag. In 1997 she was chartered to SeaEscape, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

under the name Island Holiday. In 1998 she was chartered to Commodore Cruise Lines and renamed Enchanted Capri. In 2001 she was laid up, until chartered to Demar

Demar

Demar may refer to:* DeMar DeRozan, a professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association* Gary DeMar, a Christian theologian....

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

in 2003. Demar purchased the ship on 1 November 2006.

Kazakhstan

The Kazakhstan was launched on 17 October 1975 and delivered in June 1976. She was named after the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The Kazakhstan was converted to a cruise ship at Lloyd Werft, West Germany in 1984. In December 1994 she was transferred under the ownership of Blasco UK, transferred under Liberia

Liberia

n flag and renamed Ukraina. On 2 September 1996 she was chartered to Royal Seas Cruises Lines, reverted to Ukrainian flag and used for cruising from Tampa

Tâmpa

Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

. After the end of charter in January 1997 she reverted to the name Ukraina and was chartered to SeaEscape. On 13 February 1998 she was renamed Island Adventure but continued in service with SeaEscape.

Kareliya

The Kareliya was launched on 14 April 1976 and delivered in December 1976. She was the only Belorussiya class ship not named after a Soviet Socialist Republic (Karelia being an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic at the time). On 1 June 1981 she was grounded while on a cruise near Arrecife

Arrecife

Arrecife is a city in the Canary Islands situated in the centre-east of the island of Lanzarote of which it has been the capital since 1852. The city owes its name to the rock reef which covers the beach located in the city...

, Canary Isles, and her passengers had to be evacuated. Following the grounding she sailed to Tyne

River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...

, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

for repairs. In addition to repairs the chance was taken to convert her into a cruise ship. The Kareliya received a more extensive expansion of her forward superstructure than her other sisters. In December 1982 the Kareliya was renamed Leonid Brezhnev in honour of the recently-deceased long-time General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the title given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With some exceptions, the office was synonymous with leader of the Soviet Union...

Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...

. In 1989 the ship reverted to her original name.

In 1995 the Kareliya was transferred to Maddock Trading and re-flagged to Liberia

Liberia

. In 1996 she reverted to Ukrainian flag. On 17 March 1997 she was arrested at Nouméa

Nouméa

Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...

due to debts of her owners. In May 1998 she was sold to Kaalbye Shipping International, renamed Olvia and moved back under the Liberian flag. On 17 September 2001 she was sold to K&O Shipping and used for service with Peace Boat

Peace Boat

is a global non-government organization headquartered in Japan established for the purpose of raising awareness and building connections internationally among groups that work for peace, human rights, environmental protection and sustainable development. "Peace Boat" may also refer to one of the...

. On 20 December 2004 she was renamed Neptune, on 14 April 2005 CT Neptune and on 27 May 2006 she reverted to Neptune. Sebsequently she was sold to Walden Maritime and used for casino

Casino

In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...

cruising out of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

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