MS Silja Europa

Silja Europa in 2016
History
Estonia
Name	Europa (1993) Silja Europa (1993-present)
Owner	1993–2003: Fährschiff Europa KB 2003–2006: Silja Line 2006 onwards: Tallink
Operator	1993–2013: Silja Line 2013–14: Tallink 2014–2016: Bridgeman Services 2016–onwards: Tallink
Port of registry	1993–2013: Mariehamn,  Finland 2013 onwards: Tallinn,  Estonia
Route	Charter
Ordered	6 October 1989
Builder	Meyer Werft, Papenburg, West Germany
Yard number	627
Laid down	6 November 1991
Launched	23 January 1993
Christened	5 March 1993
Completed	6 March 1993
Maiden voyage	13 March 1993
In service	1993–present
Refit	(2014) Bridgeman (2016) Tallink
Identification	Call sign: ESUJ IMO number: 8919805 MMSI number: 276807000
Status	In service
General characteristics
Type	Cruiseferry
Tonnage	59,914 GT
Length	201.78 m (662 ft 0 in)
Beam	32.6 m (106 ft 11 in)
Height	59 m (193 ft 7 in)
Draught	6.8 m (22 ft 4 in)
Decks	14
Ice class	1 A Super
Installed power	4 × MAN 6L58/64 31,800 kW (combined)
Propulsion	Two shafts; controllable pitch propellers
Speed	22.5 knots (41.7 km/h; 25.9 mph)
Capacity	3,123 passengers 3,644 passenger beds 450 vehicles (932 lane meters)

MS Silja Europa is a cruiseferry constructed at Meyer Werft Germany for the Swedish ferry operator Rederi AB Slite, a part of Viking Line. At 59,914 gross tonnage (GT), she is the largest ship commissioned for and to ever operate for Tallink Silja, and is the tenth-largest cruiseferry in the world.

Just before she was due for delivery, Slite entered economic difficulties and could no longer afford the ship, so Meyer Werft kept her and she was soon chartered to Viking Line's rival, Silja Line. She was put on the Helsinki–Stockholm route, replacing MS Silja Serenade which was put to the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route, but the two ships swapped routes with each other again in 1995.