MS Allegra
{{Infobox ship image
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Costa Allegra berthed at Cruise Jetty in Port Louis harbour
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Ship caption = Costa Allegra in Shanghai
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Annie Johnson 1969-1986 Regent Moon 1986-1988 Alexandra 1988-1992 Costa Allegra 1992-2010 Allegra 2010-present |
| Owner: | Rederi AB Nordstjernan 1969-1986 Regency Cruises 1986-1988 Compania Naviera Panalexandra 1988-1990 Costa Crociere 1990-present |
| Operator: | Rederi AB Nordstjernan 1969-1986 rebuild/laid up1986-1992 Costa Crociere 1992-2010 Paquet Cruises 2010-present |
| Port of registry: |  Sweden, Stockholm 1969-1986 Cyprus, Limassol 1986-1988 Panama, Panama City1988-1990 Italy, Naples 1990-1994 Liberia, Monrovia 1994-2000 Italy, Genoa 2000-present |
| Builder: | Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard Turku, Finland (original) T. Mariotti, Genoa, Italy (rebuild) |
| Yard number: | 1170 |
| Launched: | 29 April 1969 |
| Acquired: | 4 December 1969 |
| Identification: | Call sign: ICRA IMO number: 6916885 MMSI no.: 247816000 |
| Status: | Operational |
| Notes: | [1][2] |
| General characteristics As built | |
| Class and type: | Axel Johnson class container ship |
| Tonnage: | 16,289 GT; 16,080 DWT |
| Length: | 187.8 m (616 ft) |
| Beam: | 25.6 m (84 ft) |
| Draught: | 10.39 m (34.1 ft) |
| Installed power: | 2 × 16PC2V + 2 × 12PC2V Wärtsilä-Pielstick diesels combined 19,139 kW |
| Speed: | 23 knots (42.60 km/h; 26.47 mph) |
| Capacity: | 6 passengers |
| Notes: | [1] |
| General characteristics As Costa Allegra, 1992 | |
| Type: | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 28,430 GT; 11973 NT; 7,391 DWT |
| Length: | 187.69 m (615.8 ft) |
| Beam: | 25.75 m (84.5 ft) |
| Draught: | 8.20 m (26.9 ft) |
| Decks: | 8 (passenger accessible) |
| Installed power: | 4 × 6R46 Wärtsilä diesels combined 19,123 kW |
| Propulsion: | Two propellers |
| Speed: | 19 knots (35.19 km/h; 21.86 mph) |
| Capacity: | 820 passengers (lower berths) 1072 passengers (all berths) |
| Notes: | [1][2][3] |
MS Allegra is a cruise ship owned by the Italy-based Costa Crociere and operated by Paquet Cruises, one of many subsidiaries owned by Costa's parent company, the Carnival Corporation. She was built in 1969 by the Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Turku, Finland as the container ship MS Annie Johnson for the Sweden-based Rederi AB Nordstjernan. In 1986 she was sold to Regency Cruises with the intention of being converted into a cruise ship under the name MS Regent Moon, but she was laid up instead. In 1988 she was sold to Compania Naviera Panalexandra and renamed MS Alexandra but continued laid up. In 1990 the ship was acquired by Costa Cruises and rebuilt into a cruise ship at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy. She entered service as Costa Allegra in 1992.[1][4] In 2010 she was chartered to the French cruise brand Paquet Cruises and renamed Allegra. As of 2012 it is believed she is still in service with Paquet. [5]
Contents |
[edit] Annie Johnson
[edit] Original construction
Annie Johnson was the second in a series of five container ship built by the Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Finland for the Swedish shipping company Rederi AB Nordstjernan. She was launched on 29 April 1969 and delivered to her owners on 4 December of the same year, entering service on the same date.
[edit] Service history
From 1969 until 1986, Annie Johnson was used as in cargo services by Rederi AB Nordstjernan. On 8 August 1986 the ship was sold to the Greece-based Regency Cruises with the intention of being rebuilt as a cruise ship. With this aim in mind she was renamed Regent Moon.[1][4] Her sister ship MS Axel Johnson was sold to Regency Cruises at the same time, renamed Regent Sun, also with the intention of being converted into a cruise ship. These plans were never realised, and Regent Moon was laid up in Perama, Greece.[1][6] In May 1988 Regent Moon was sold to Compania Naviera Panalexandra and renamed Alexandra, but continued laid up until 1990 when she was sold to Costa Crociere.[1][4]
[edit] Costa Allegra
[edit] Concept and construction
Costa Crociere had acquired Regent Sun which was renamed Italia in the interim, in 1988 and had her conversion into a cruise ship realised, with the ship being delivered in July 1990 as Costa Marina.[6] Following this Costa Crociere acquired Alexandra on 28 August 1990 for conversion into a cruise ship at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy, the same shipyard that had rebuilt Costa Marina. Work on Alexandra commenced on 4 September 1990. She received an entirely new superstructure in the same style as that of Costa Marina, as well as new engines. However, unlike Costa Marina, Alexandra was lengthened by 13.4 metres (44 ft 0 in) when rebuilt.[1][3][6][7] Although originally planned to be renamed Costa Azzurra,[4] the ship was eventually renamed Costa Allegra in November 1992. On 16 November 1992 she was delivered to Costa Cruises.[1]
[edit] Service history
Costa Allegra entered service with Costa Crociere on 23 November 1992 with a cruise from Genoa to St. Thomas in the Caribbean. During the early years of her service with Costa she sailed in the Mediterranean during the northern hemisphere summer season, relocating to the Caribbean for the winter.[1] In 2006 the ship was relocated for cruising out of China. At the same time her interiors were refurbished to better suit the Asian cruise market.[3] Her ports of departure in Asia are Singapore and Hong Kong. Countries visited include China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.[citation needed]
In 2010, the ship was relocated back to Europe, her Asia Itineraries were replaced by Costa Classica and Costa Romantica.
[edit] Allegra
[edit] Current status
Her charter has been rather uneventful, and very little information can be provided about her service or status, although it is believed her livery under Costa Cruises has remained unchanged with her switching of owners. [8]
[edit] Design
The eight decks on Costa Allegra are named after famous impressionist painters. A three deck high glass atrium is the centre of the ship. All throughout the ship, elegant works of art can be found.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Asklander, Micke. "M/S Annie Johnson (1969)" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/annie_johnson_1969.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Advanced Masterdata for the Vessel Costa Allegra". VesselTracker. 2011. http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Costa-Allegra-6916885.html. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d Ward, Douglas (2008). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 306–307. ISBN 978-981-268-240-6.
- ^ a b c d Miller, William H. Jr. (1995). The Pictorial Encycpedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-1994. Mineola: Dover Publications. p. 5. ISBN 0-486-28437-X.
- ^ Cruise Ships 2011, The Year In Review: Aida, Ibero & Paquet
- ^ a b c Asklander, Micke. "M/S Axel Johnson (1969)" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/axel_johnson_1969.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ de Boer, Bart (2005-05-29). "Costa Allegra - Duckling or Swan?". ShipParade. http://www.shipparade.com/cruise%20reviews/costa_allegra/Costa_Allegra.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^ The Return of Paquet Cruises
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: MS Allegra |
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