MS King of Scandinavia 5333720 215019038 2008-05-26T10:04:58Z Riveira2 7164421 /* Sister Ships */ builder name inserted {{Nofootnotes|date=March 2008}} {|{{Infobox Ship Begin}} {{Infobox Ship Image |Ship image=[[Image:No Photo Available.svg]] |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox Ship Career |Hide header= |Ship name=1987-1993: ''Nils Holgersson''<br>1993-2006: ''Val de Loire''<br>2006-present: ''King of Scandinavia'' |Ship owner=1987-1992: [[Wallenius Safe Felicia Ab]]<br>1992-1993: [[SweFerry Ab]]<br>1993-2006: [[Brittany Ferries|Bretagne Angleterre Irlande SA]]<br>2006-present: [[DFDS Seaways]] |Ship operator=1987-1992: [[TT Line]]<br>1993-2006: [[Brittany Ferries]]<br>2006-present: DFDS Seaways |Ship registry=1987-1993: [[Trelleborg]], {{flag|Sweden}}<br>1993-2006: [[Morlaix]], {{flag|France}}<br>2006-present: [[Copenhagen]], {{flag|Denmark}} |Ship route=[[Newcastle-upon-Tyne|Newcastle]]—[[IJmuiden]] (currently) |Ship ordered= |Ship builder=[[Schichau Seebeckwerft]] AG, [[Bremerhaven]], [[West Germany]] |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number=1059 |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched=[[16 August]] [[1986]] |Ship completed= |Ship christened= |Ship acquired=[[20 February]] [[1987]] |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service=[[26 June]] [[1987]] |Ship out of service= |Ship fate= |Ship status=In service |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox Ship Characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption=(as built) |Ship class=[[Cruiseferry]] |Ship tonnage=31360 GRT |Ship displacement={{DWT|4160|metric|first=yes}} |Ship length=161.45 meters |Ship beam=27.6 meters |Ship height= |Ship draught=6.20 meters |Ship depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship ramps= |Ship ice class= |Ship power=4 × [[MaK]] 8M552 [[diesel]]s<br>combined 19570 kW |Ship propulsion= |Ship speed=21 knots |Ship capacity=1800 passengers<br>1320 passenger berths<br>550 cars<br>1410 lanemeters |Ship crew= |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox Ship Characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption=(currently) |Ship class= |Ship tonnage=31395 GRT |Ship displacement={{DWT|4110}} |Ship length= |Ship beam=27.6 |Ship height= |Ship draught= |Ship depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship ramps= |Ship ice class= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion= |Ship speed= |Ship capacity=2280 passengers<br>1686 passenger berths<br>570 cars<br>1250 lanemeters |Ship crew= |Ship notes= }} |} '''MS ''King of Scandinavia''''' is a [[cruiseferry]] operated and owned by the [[Denmark|Danish]] shipping company [[DFDS|DFDS Seaways]] on a route connecting [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], [[England]] to [[IJmuiden]] in the [[Netherlands]]. She was built in [[1987]] as '''MS ''Nils Holgersson''''' by [[Schichau Unterweser]], [[Bremerhaven]], [[West Germany]] for [[TT-Line]]. Between [[1993]] and [[2006]] the ship was named [[MV Val de Loire|'''MS ''Val de Loire''''']], owned by [[Brittany Ferries]] and used on traffic across the [[English Channel]]. ==History== ===MS ''Nils Holgersson'' 1987&ndash;1993=== The MS ''Nils Holgersson'' (fourth ship to bear the name in TT-Line's fleet) was built as the younger sister of the [[MS Princess of Norway|MS ''Peter Pan'']]. The sisters were notably larger than any ships to have sailed for TT-Line before. Originally the ''Nils Holgersson'' was ordered by [[Ab Swecarrier]] (owners of TT-Line), but during construction she was sold to [[Wallenius Rederiet]]. When she was delivered in February 1987 the ship was bareboat-chartered back to Swecarrier, and began service between [[Trelleborg]] ([[Sweden]]) and [[Travemünde]] ([[West Germany]]) in June of the same year. In February [[1992]] the ship was sold to [[SweFerry]], but kept in the same traffic. <!--(whether or not Swecarrier and SweFerry are the same company is unknown to the writer).--> ===MS ''Val de Loire'' 1993&ndash;2006=== In January [[1993]] the ''Nils Holgersson'' was sold to [[Brittany Ferries]] and renamed MS ''Val de Loire''. Before entering service for her new owners, the ship was rebuilt at [[INMA]], [[La Spezia]], [[Italy]] with a new streamliner forward superstructure and refurbished interiors. Inside the theme used was "Maritime Tradition", with many artifacts and ship models on display in her public areas. The facilities on board ''Val de Loire'' were very similar in style to those found on board the ''[[MV Normandie|Normandie]]'' and the ''[[MV Barfleur|Barfleur]]''. The ''Val de Loire'' was the first Brittany Ferries vessel to include a swimming pool, though when the ship was transferred to the [[Portsmouth]]&ndash;[[St Malo]] route it was rarely open.{{fact|date=March 2008}} After the rebuild was completed in June 1993, the ship entered service on Brittany Ferries' [[Plymouth]]&ndash;[[Santander, Cantabria|Santander]] route, as well as Plymouth&ndash;[[Roscoff]] and [[Cork (city)|Cork]]&ndash;Roscoff. In 2004 the new [[MV Pont-Aven|MV ''Pont-Aven'']] replaced the ''Val de Loire'' on her old routes, and she was transferred to serve on the [[Portsmouth]]&ndash;[[St Malo]] and Portsmouth&ndash;[[Cherbourg]] routes . In November 2005 the ''Val de Loire'' was sold to [[DFDS Seaways]] for delivery in 2006. Her final crossing with Brittany Ferries was between Portsmouth and Cherbourg on [[20 February]] [[2006]]. ===MS ''King of Scandinavia'' 2006&ndash;present=== In February 2006 the ''Val de Loire'' ended her service with Brittany Ferries and was renamed MS ''King of Scandinavia'' (she is the third ship of the same name to sail with DFDS Seaways). Between 2 and 11 March she was refitted for her new service in [[IJmuiden]], the [[Netherlands]], and on 11 March she began serving on DFDS Seaways' [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] - IJmuiden route, running parallel to [[MS Queen of Scandinavia|MS ''Queen of Scandinavia'']]. In May 2007 the [[M/S Queen of Scandinavia|MS ''Queen of Scandinavia'']] swapped routes with [[MS Princess of Norway|MS ''Princess of Norway'']], a sister ship of the ''King of Scandinavia''. On [[22 February]] [[2008]], the ''King of Scandinavia'' broke free from its moorings at North Shields during high winds, drifting across the River Tyne and colliding with an oil rig moored on the opposite bank. There were no passengers on board at the time of the incident. Sailings were suspended while repairs were carried out<ref>{{cite news |title=Crash ferry's sailings suspended |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7261527.stm |date=2008-02-25 |accessdate=2008-02-26}}</ref>. ==Sister Ships== The ''Nils Holgersson'' was one of two ships built for [[TT-Line]]. The other was the ''Peter Pan'' (built 1986), later the first ''[[Spirit of Tasmania (first ship)|Spirit of Tasmania]]'' of [[TT-Line (Australia)| TT-line (Tasmania)]], and subsequently the ''[[MS Princess of Norway|Princess of Norway]]'' of DFDS Seaways. Currently, the two sister ships are both in service on the Newcastle-IJmuiden route. An additional two sisters were constructed for TT Line's sister company, [[Olau Line]]: the ''[[Pride of Le Havre|Olau Hollandia]]'' (built 1989) and ''Olau Britannia'' (built 1990). These two vessels were subsequently operated by [[P&O Ferries]] and are currently in service with [[Italy|Italian]] operator [[SNAV]]. The former ''Koningin Beatrix'' (built 1986), now the ''Stena Baltica'' of [[Stena Line]] was built by Van der Gissen De Noord, to a similar design. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.dfds.co.uk/DSW/EN/Top_Navigation/Company/Press+Center/Pressreleases/Rise.htm DFDS Unveils the m.s King of Scandinavia] *[http://www.bfenthusiasts.com/valdeloirefarewell.htm Brittany Ferries Enthusiasts feature: Farewell to the Val de Loire] *{{sv icon}} [http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/nils_holgersson_1987.htm M/S Nils Holgersson at Fakta om Fartyg] {{Peter Pan class}} {{DEFAULTSORT:King of Scandinavia}} [[Category:Ferries of England]] [[Category:Ferries of the Netherlands]] [[Category:Cruiseferries]] [[Category:Ships built in Germany]] [[de:M/S King of Scandinavia]]