17 June 2012

Deutschland in Helsinki, 6 June 2012

Deutschland

IMO 9141807
Built 1998, HDW Kiel, Germany
Tonnage 22 496 GT
Length 175,49 m
Width 23,00 m
Draugth 5,79 m
520 passengers
4 Krupp MaK-DMR diesels, combined 12 320 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 20 knots

The Deutschland is the flagship (and currently the only ship) of Germany's Peter Deilmann Reederei. Deilmann had operated numerous ferries since 1973 and entered the cruise business in 1980 with the chartered Regina Maris and the purpose-built Berlin (most recently sailing as the Spirit of Adventure). The Regina Maris left the fleet in 1983 and the ferry division closed down later during the decade, leaving just the Berlin. In 1998 the Berlin was joined by the new purpose-built Deutschland, delivered from the HDW shipyard in Kiel. Somewhat unusually the Deutschland (and indeed the Berlin) was not placed under a flag of convinience but flies the German flag with Neustadt in Holstein as the post of registry. (Just as a small comparison: Hapag-Lloyd's Europa was built a year later by a Finnish shipyard and registered in the Bahamas).

Already during the ship's first year of service it was rebuilt with a smaller (!) number of cabins, with the removal of 100 passenger berths. The remaining cabins were upgraded in 1999. Accordingly to Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising the interiors have been designed to "reroduce the atmosphere of the ocean liners of the 1920s" and to be fair the exterior profile is also rather classical with a low superstructure, a centrally located funnel and masts both fore and aft. One wouldn't really believe the ship was built at recently as 1998.

The photographs below show the Deutschland outbound from Helsinki South Harbour on 6 June 2012. Photographed from Kustaanmiekka. Click on the images to see in larger size.

Not sure if I like the new Deilmann funnel colours. The previous had a white funnel with the old Deilmann logo in red. The light blue background in this one looks a bit weird, particularly when combined with the red funnel-shaped thingy on the side of the funnel. Why would you need a funnel on a funnel anyway.
The logo on the forward superstructure advertises the fact the ship will be used a hotel ship in London for the 2012 summer olympics.
In the narrowest part of the strait.
Notice the classical composition of the ship's profile.
And indeed, Neustadt in Holstein as the homeport. Said city also houses the headquarters of Peter Deilmann Reederei.

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