23:
121:
140:
44:
671:
announced that a deal had been made to acquire 50% of the ship for 19 million Euro with the intention to form a company with shared ownership with Rederi AB Gotland, for the intended traffic previously outlined. When entering the service for the new company in April 2024, the ship will be renamed
632:
and given new livery. The stripes on the hull were changed from blue, yellow and red to just blue and yellow, and the new "Birka
Cruises" logo was placed on the funnel. According to the CEO, the company wanted to make a "change of profile" to a more Northern European theme. However, the company
612:
in
Finland allowed the sale of snuff on board ships registered in the province, but was forced to discontinue the practice when threatened by legal action by the EU. The outlawing of snuff sales caused the loss of approximately 1 million
576:
entered service on 11 November 2004 on a 22-hour cruise from
Stockholm to Mariehamn, which has been her main route in Birka service. During Christmas 2004 she made a longer cruise from Stockholm, calling at
512:. Unlike most of Birka's previous vessels, the ship was designed from the beginning as a genuine cruise ship, without a car-deck. Following a naming competition that drew 3500 proposals, the ship was named
534:' Clean Design rule relating to environmentally friendly structural solutions. Her hull form was optimised for smallest possible impact on the sensitive archipelago routes on which she sails.
936:
608:
on board. According to
European Union (EU) legislation snuff may not be sold within the EU except in Sweden and on board ships registered in Sweden. Until November 2007 the province of
707:
520:
cruise ship. The ship was designed with various environmentally friendly innovations; in addition to exhaust and closed sewage treatment systems already used on the company's
906:
1156:
1234:
967:
1074:
553:
on 19 August and 14 October, the ship was delivered to Birka Line on 8 November 2004. The ship then sailed via her port of registry
1025:
944:
258:
1048:
914:
824:
1130:
455:
96:
657:
694:
640:
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Rederi Ab Eckerö, ceased operations and the ship was put up for sale.
845:
546:
1104:
22:
1229:
1192:
498:
157:
Laid up. To enter service for new, unnamed company owned by Rederi AB Gotland and Viking Line in 2024.
1239:
597:
590:
637:, dropping "Stockholm" which is part of the official name, as well as being the port of registry.
1082:
975:
312:
262:
998:
509:
585:
and
Mariehamn. From 2006 onwards she has made various longer cruises from Stockholm around the
435:
247:
791:
1197:
748:
1170:
1157:"Gotlandsbolaget köper M/S Birka Stockholm och startar kryssningar till Åland och Gotland"
605:
653:
562:
521:
488:
447:
443:
390:
214:
177:
173:
1223:
1052:
876:
459:
300:
668:
542:
484:
439:
431:
306:
287:
1205:
586:
492:
491:, on 20 November 2002. She was the first new ship ordered by Birka Line since
480:
451:
243:
90:
648:
On the 23rd of March 2023, Rederi AB Gotland announced that they bought the
600:, owner of Birka Cruises since 2007, made public their plans to re-register
558:
554:
550:
517:
252:
133:
114:
497:, ordered in the late 1980s, but never delivered due to bankruptcy of the
1108:
617:
per year for Birka
Cruises, finally resulting in the decision to re-flag
609:
582:
126:
578:
853:
531:
145:
49:
621:. The reflagging took place on 3 June 2009. Registered ownership of
614:
661:
652:
for approximately 38 million euro to be used for traffic between
1214:
803:
604:
to Sweden "as soon as possible" in order to allow the sale of
1131:"Ålandstidningen: Birka Stockholm till salu för 85 miljoner"
1187:
561:, where she was officially named on 10 November 2004 by
508:
were jointly designed by Birka Line, Aker
Finnyards and
708:
Ministry of
Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy
664:. The service is meant to begin in the spring of 2024.
693:
410:21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) service speed
825:"Nya driftsbolaget heter Gotland Alandia Cruises"
943:. Marine Link. 27 October 2003. Archived from
974:(in Swedish). Ă…landstidningen. Archived from
625:was transferred to Rederi Ab Eckerö in 2011.
8:
1171:"Sjöfartstidningen - Hon blir Birka Gotland"
516:to reflect its design, reminiscent of a
1051:(in Swedish). Nya Ă…land. Archived from
840:
838:
836:
834:
685:
17:
786:
784:
782:
780:
778:
776:
774:
772:
770:
742:
740:
738:
736:
734:
732:
730:
728:
726:
724:
628:In January 2013 the ship was renamed
101:2023 onwards: Gotland Alandia Cruises
40:
7:
1047:Erlandsson, Karin (23 March 2009).
1024:Nieminen, Jamie (7 November 2007).
997:Kullman, Annika (24 January 2009).
937:"Birka's New Cruise Vessel will be
1049:"Svensk flagg för Paradise 3 juni"
1026:"Oolannissa syttyy nyt nuuskasota"
356:9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
324:177 m (580 ft 9 in)
14:
966:Lindvall, Liz (24 January 2009).
348:6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
340:43 m (141 ft 1 in)
332:28 m (91 ft 10 in)
1188:Birka Cruises website in Swedish
549:on 15 April 2004. Following her
138:
119:
42:
21:
1107:. Birka Cruises. Archived from
852:. Birka Cruises. Archived from
545:on 19 October 2003 and she was
1:
1235:Ships built in Rauma, Finland
504:The interior and exterior of
30:in Mariehamn in January 2023.
1003:kan flaggas ut redan i juni"
913:. Deltamarin. Archived from
364:11 (10 passenger accessible)
1028:(in Finnish). Turun Sanomat
667:On the 9th of August 2023,
633:refers to the ship only as
458:, and operated under their
442:. She was built in 2004 by
1256:
1137:(in Swedish). 29 July 2020
278:
35:
20:
472:Concept and construction
279:General characteristics
1005:(in Swedish). Nya Ă…land
907:"Passenger Cruise Ship
800:Vessel Register for DNV
1215:Birka Gotland Website
530:was built to fulfill
462:brand. She sailed as
1201:at marinetraffic.com
947:on 25 September 2008
1105:"About our company"
917:on 13 February 2008
827:. 20 December 2023.
591:northern hemisphere
1173:. 5 December 2023.
875:Asklander, Micke.
856:on 30 October 2007
747:Asklander, Micke.
532:Det Norske Veritas
1111:on 5 January 2014
1075:"Ă…landstidningen"
454:, later owned by
436:Rederi AB Gotland
434:owned jointly by
422:
421:
217:
211:10 November 2004
1247:
1193:Rederi Ab Eckerö
1175:
1174:
1167:
1161:
1160:
1159:. 27 March 2023.
1153:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1142:
1127:
1121:
1120:
1118:
1116:
1101:
1095:
1094:
1092:
1090:
1081:. Archived from
1071:
1065:
1064:
1062:
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1044:
1038:
1037:
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1021:
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719:
718:
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690:
598:Rederi Ab Eckerö
596:In January 2009
456:Rederi Ab Eckerö
418:1,800 passengers
399:
389:
385:
233:11 November 2004
212:
165:19 November 2002
144:
142:
141:
125:
123:
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108:Port of registry
97:Rederi Ab Eckerö
52:
47:
46:
45:
25:
18:
1255:
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1250:
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1199:Birka Stockholm
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1140:
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1129:
1128:
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1085:on 7 April 2013
1079:Ă…landstidningen
1073:
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1068:
1058:
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1046:
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1041:
1031:
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1023:
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981:
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965:
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960:
950:
948:
935:
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930:
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918:
905:
904:
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888:
885:Fakta om Fartyg
874:
873:
869:
859:
857:
844:
843:
832:
823:
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818:
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794:Birka Stockholm
790:
789:
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753:Fakta om Fartyg
746:
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722:
712:
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692:
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650:Birka Stockholm
646:
630:Birka Stockholm
623:Birka Stockholm
593:summer season.
571:
569:Service history
499:Wärtsilä Marine
479:was ordered by
474:
427:Birka Stockholm
397:
387:
383:
377:Installed power
225:8 November 2004
195:19 October 2003
139:
137:
120:
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70:Birka Stockholm
48:
43:
41:
31:
28:Birka Stockholm
12:
11:
5:
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1183:
1182:External links
1180:
1177:
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1096:
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1055:on 6 July 2011
1039:
1016:
1001:Birka Paradise
989:
978:on 6 July 2011
970:Birka Paradise
958:
939:Birka Paradise
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909:Birka Paradise
898:
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848:Birka Paradise
830:
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619:Birka Paradise
602:Birka Paradise
574:Birka Paradise
570:
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563:Arja Saijonmaa
539:Birka Paradise
528:Birka Paradise
523:Birka Princess
514:Birka Paradise
506:Birka Paradise
489:Rauma, Finland
485:Aker Finnyards
477:Birka Paradise
473:
470:
465:Birka Paradise
448:Rauma, Finland
444:Aker Finnyards
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238:Identification
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215:Arja Saijonmaa
209:
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178:Rauma, Finland
174:Aker Finnyards
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132:2009 onwards:
130:
109:
105:
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91:Birka Line Abp
85:
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79:
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74:2024 onwards:
72:
66:
64:Birka Paradise
58:
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879:Royal Majesty
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674:Birka Gotland
670:
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644:New ownership
643:
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533:
529:
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461:
460:Birka Cruises
457:
453:
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445:
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429:
428:
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414:
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400:kW (combined)
395:
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203:15 April 2004
202:
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77:
76:Birka Gotland
73:
71:
67:
65:
61:
60:
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55:
51:
39:
34:
29:
24:
19:
16:
1230:Cruise ships
1207:
1198:
1165:
1151:
1139:. Retrieved
1134:
1125:
1113:. Retrieved
1109:the original
1099:
1087:. Retrieved
1083:the original
1078:
1069:
1057:. Retrieved
1053:the original
1042:
1030:. Retrieved
1019:
1007:. Retrieved
1000:
992:
980:. Retrieved
976:the original
969:
961:
949:. Retrieved
945:the original
938:
931:
919:. Retrieved
915:the original
908:
901:
889:. Retrieved
887:(in Swedish)
884:
878:
870:
858:. Retrieved
854:the original
847:
819:
807:. Retrieved
799:
793:
757:. Retrieved
755:(in Swedish)
752:
711:. Retrieved
703:
696:
688:
673:
666:
649:
647:
639:
634:
629:
627:
622:
618:
601:
595:
573:
572:
538:
537:The keel of
536:
527:
522:
513:
505:
503:
493:
476:
475:
468:until 2013.
464:
463:
426:
424:
423:
305:18,839
299:34,924
75:
69:
63:
27:
15:
1210:Video Clips
972:flaggas ut"
749:"M/S BIRKA"
669:Viking Line
589:during the
494:Birka Queen
440:Viking Line
432:cruise ship
311:4,022
288:Cruise ship
259:MMSI number
184:Yard number
113:2004–2009:
95:2011–2023:
89:2004–2011:
68:2013–2024:
62:2004–2013:
1240:2004 ships
1224:Categories
1135:www.hbl.fi
1115:1 February
1032:26 January
1009:26 January
982:26 January
951:15 October
921:15 October
891:15 October
860:15 October
809:1 February
699:(9273727)"
680:References
587:Baltic Sea
551:sea trials
510:Deltamarin
501:shipyard.
481:Birka Line
452:Birka Line
244:IMO number
230:In service
208:Christened
129:(Finland)
658:Mariehamn
654:Stockholm
559:Stockholm
555:Mariehamn
518:Caribbean
372:1 A Super
369:Ice class
263:266314000
253:Call sign
222:Completed
192:Laid down
134:Stockholm
115:Mariehamn
1059:23 March
796:(24651)"
583:Helsinki
547:launched
415:Capacity
391:Wärtsilä
200:Launched
881:(1992)"
759:10 July
713:22 June
704:Equasis
579:Tallinn
345:Draught
294:Tonnage
274:Laid up
248:9273727
246::
170:Builder
162:Ordered
36:History
1141:14 May
1089:8 July
398:
396:23,400
388:
384:
337:Height
321:Length
271:Status
255:: SIJW
146:Sweden
143:
124:
50:Sweden
1208:Birka
877:"M/S
697:Birka
662:Visby
635:Birka
610:Ă…land
606:snuff
483:from
430:is a
407:Speed
361:Decks
353:Depth
154:Route
127:Ă…land
84:Owner
1143:2021
1117:2014
1091:2018
1061:2009
1034:2009
1011:2009
984:2009
953:2008
923:2008
893:2008
862:2008
811:2014
761:2018
715:2013
660:and
543:laid
541:was
450:for
438:and
393:6L46
329:Beam
284:Type
57:Name
1206:MS
804:DNV
557:to
487:at
446:at
425:MS
313:DWT
213:by
187:442
1226::
1133:.
1077:.
883:.
833:^
802:.
798:.
769:^
751:.
723:^
706:.
702:.
676:.
656:,
581:,
565:.
526:,
307:NT
301:GT
261::
176:,
136:,
117:,
1145:.
1119:.
1093:.
1063:.
1036:.
1013:.
999:"
986:.
968:"
955:.
941:"
925:.
911:"
895:.
864:.
850:"
846:"
813:.
792:"
763:.
717:.
695:"
615:€
386:Ă—
382:4
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