View source for MS Isabelle X

{{Short description|Cruiseferry built in 1989}}
{{Use dmy dates|date = February 2019}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image =
| Ship caption = M/S Isabelle on 12 June 2017
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship name = *''Isabella'' (1989–2013)
*''Isabelle'' (2013–2024)
*''Isabelle X'' (2024– )
| Ship owner = *1989–95: [[SF Line]]
*1995–2013: [[Viking Line]]<ref name=FoF>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/isabella_1989.htm |title=M/S ''Isabella'' (1989) |accessdate=25 September 2008 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |date= |work=Fakta om Fartyg |publisher= |language=Swedish }}</ref>
*2013–2023: [[Tallink]]
*2024–present: Notamare Shipping
| Ship operator = 
| Ship registry = *[[Mariehamn]], {{flag|Finland}} (1989–2013)
*[[Riga]], {{flag|Latvia}} (2013–2023)
*TBD, {{flag|Canada}} (2023-onwards)
| Ship route = charter
| Ship ordered = 4 February 1986<ref name=FoF />
| Ship builder = [[Brodosplit]], [[Split, Croatia|Split]], [[Croatia]] ([[Yugoslavia]])<ref name=FoF />
| Ship original cost = 
| Ship yard number = 357<ref name=FoF />
| Ship way number = 
| Ship laid down = 15 September 1987<ref name="DNV Yard">{{cite ship register |register=DNV |id=15383 |shipname=Isabella |accessdate=25 September 2008 }}</ref>
| Ship launched = 13 August 1988<ref name=FoF />
| Ship completed = 
| Ship christened = 5 June 1989<ref name=FoF />
| Ship acquired = 15 June 1989<ref name=FoF />
| Ship maiden voyage = 
| Ship in service = 4 July 1989<ref name=FoF />
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship identification = *[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: CFA4275
*{{IMO Number|8700723}}
*{{MMSI Number|275430000}}
| Ship fate = 
| Ship status = In service
| Ship notes = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = (as built)<ref name=FoF />
| Ship type = [[Cruiseferry]], Passenger/Ro-Ro Cargo Ship
| Ship tonnage = *{{GT|34,386}}
*{{DWT|3,680}}
| Ship displacement = 
| Ship length = {{convert|169.40|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|27.61|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{convert|6.26|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship depth = 
| Ship decks = 12<ref name="FoF Drawing">{{cite web|url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/isabella_1989_rit.htm|title=M/S ''Isabella'' (1989) Översiktsritning|accessdate=25 September 2008|work=Fakta om Fartyg|language=Swedish|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214091914/http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/isabella_1989_rit.htm|archivedate=14 February 2008}}</ref>
| Ship deck clearance = 
| Ship ramps = 
| Ship ice class = 1 A Super<ref name=DNV>{{csr|register=dnv|id=15383|shipname=Isabelle|accessdate=21 April 2013}}</ref>
| Ship power = *4 × [[Wärtsilä]]-[[Pielstick]] 12PC2.6V-400e
*24,000{{nbsp}}kW (combined)
| Ship propulsion = Two shafts; controllabe-pitch propellers
| Ship speed = {{convert|21.5|kn}}
| Ship capacity = *2,200 passengers
*1,983 passenger berths
*410 cars
*970 lanemetres
| Ship crew = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = (after 2007 refit)<ref name=DNV />
| Ship class = 
| Ship tonnage = *{{GT|35,154}}
*{{NetT|20,682}}
*{{DWT|3,680}}
| Ship displacement = 
| Ship length = {{convert|169.40|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|28.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{convert|6.35|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship depth = {{convert|14.05|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship decks = 
| Ship deck clearance = 
| Ship ramps = 
| Ship ice class = 
| Ship power = 
| Ship propulsion = 
| Ship speed = 
| Ship capacity = *2,480 passengers
*2,166 passenger berths
*364 cars
*850 lanemetres
| Ship crew = 
| Ship notes = Otherwise the same as built
}}
|}
'''MS ''Isabelle X''''' is a [[cruiseferry]]<ref name="fairplay">[https://archive.today/20130707043054/http://www.fairplay.co.uk/login.aspx?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/secure/displayMagArticles.aspx&path_info=/secure/displayMagArticles.aspx&articlename=fpss20130425029ss  Isabella  and her sisters]. IHS Fairplay, 25 April 2013. {{retrieved|accessdate=4 May 2013}}</ref> owned and operated till July 2023 by the [[Estonia]]n based [[Tallink]] and in January 2024 sold to Notamare Shipping. She was built in 1989 by [[Brodosplit]] in [[Split, Croatia|Split]], Yugoslavia, for [[SF Line]]—one of the partners in the Viking Line consortium—as '''''Isabella'''''. The ship served as refugee housing in Tallinn until 1 July 2023.

''Isabelle'' has three sister ships, one in the Viking Line fleet, [[MS Gabriella|''Gabriella'']], one in the Corsica Ferries fleet, [[MS Mega Victoria|''Mega Victoria'']] and one operated by [[DFDS Seaways]], [[MS Crown Seaways|''Crown Seaways'']].

==Concept and construction==
''Isabella'' was the second of two sister ships ordered by SF Line from [[Brodosplit]] in [[Split, Croatia|Split]], [[SFR Yugoslavia]] for Viking Line service (the first sister being ''Amorella''). Order for ''Isabella'' was placed on 4 February 1986,<ref name=FoF /> her keel was laid on 15 September 1987,<ref name="DNV Yard" /> and she was launched on 13 August 1988. She has twelve decks.<ref name="VL Brochure">{{cite web |url=http://www.vikingline.fi/download/isabella.pdf |title=''Isabella'' |accessdate=19 September 2008 |last= |first= |date= |publisher=Viking Line |language=Swedish, Finnish, English |pages=16, 18–19 }}</ref> Delivery to SF Line took place on 15 June 1989, and on 20 June 1989 the ship left Yugoslavia for [[Finland]].<ref name=FoF />

==Service history==
[[File:MS Isabella saaristomerellä 2008-05-19 cropped.jpg|thumb|250px|left|''Isabella'' in the [[Archipelago Sea]], 19 May 2008]]
Prior to entering service ''Isabella'' visited [[Pori]], Finland where the ship was displayed to the public on 3 July 1989.<ref name=FoF /> She had originally been planned to replace [[MS Rosella|''Rosella'']] on the [[Naantali]]–Mariehamn–[[Kapellskär]] route, but the authorities of Kapellskär failed to modernise the port of the town to accommodate a ship of such large size.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}  As a result, when delivered the ship was placed on a new Naantali–Stockholm route for the [[northern hemisphere]] summer season, and 24-hour cruises from [[Helsinki]] for the rest of the year.<ref name=FoF />

In spring 1992 the ship was rebuilt at Naantali with a new skybar on deck 11, new cabins in place of the former second car deck on deck 5 and her livery was slightly altered by the addition of a red stripe running along the windows of deck 6. After the 1992 summer season SF Line decided to terminate the Naantali–Stockholm service and the Isabella was placed on the Helsinki cruise route all year round. In summer 1993 she made a handful of cruises from Helsinki to [[Visby]]. After the 1994 summer season ''Isabella'' swapped routes with [[MS Cinderella|''Cinderella'']] and served Helsinki–Stockholm for the next three years. During the summer of 1996, instead of spending the day in Helsinki she made short 'picnic' cruises to [[Tallinn]]. These proved to be unprofitable and were terminated after the single season.<ref name=FoF />

In 1997 Viking Line placed ''Isabella''{{'}}s newly purchased sister [[MS Gabriella|''Gabriella'']] on the Helsinki–Stockholm route and ''Isabella'' joined ''Amorella'' on the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route. After this ''Isabella'' has occasionally sailed on the Helsinki route when the normal ships of that route have been docked. She was rebuilt with rear [[sponson]]s at Naantali in 2000.<ref name=FoF />

In September 2007 the ship was again docked at Naantali. Her tax-free shop, pub and disco were completely rebuilt, and two restaurants based on new concepts replaced two earlier restaurants. Viking Line had plans to refurbish all of the ship's cabins as a part of their large-scale fleet rebuilding programme.<ref>{{in lang|fi}} [http://www.vikingline.fi/yritysinfo/lehdistotiedotteet/tuotteet_071004_laadunkehitys.asp Viking Line press release: Viking Linella merkittävä laadunkehitysohjelma] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228062520/http://www.vikingline.fi/yritysinfo/lehdistotiedotteet/tuotteet_071004_laadunkehitys.asp |date=28 December 2008 }}, retrieved 23. 10. 2007</ref>

In January 2013, ''Isabella'' was replaced by the newbuilding [[MS Viking Grace|''Viking Grace'']]. She then temporarily replaced the docked ''Amorella'' from 16 January to 11 February. After that she was laid up in Turku awaiting her entrance on the Helsinki–Tallinn route for the summer season starting in May 2013. This was in case no buyer for her was found. Since the summer of 2012, ''Isabella'' was on sale on the international market.

On 5 April 2013, Viking Line announced that ''Isabella'' has been sold to the competitor [[Tallink]]. This meant that ''Isabella'' will not sail on the Helsinki–Tallinn route as originally planned. According to the CEO, "some 10 000 bookings" were affected by this but they were all compensated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iltasanomat.fi/matkat/art-1288553882436.html |title=Viking myy suosikkilaivan Viroon - moni matkustaja jää rannalle |language=fi |access-date=5 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408071542/http://www.iltasanomat.fi/matkat/art-1288553882436.html |archive-date=8 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Isabella'' replaced [[MS Silja Festival|''Silja Festival'']] on the Stockholm–Riga route.

In April 2013, ''Isabella'' was renamed ''Isabelle'' and her port of registry was changed to [[Riga]], [[Latvia]].<ref name=DNV /> From late April 2013 until 5 May 2013, she was in Tallinn for maintenance and repainting. On 6 May she made her first voyage on the Riga–Stockholm route.

In April 2014, on board a passenger was found dead from unknown causes.<ref>[http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article18650634.ab Död man hittad på färja], retrieved 02. 04. 2014</ref>

Since April 2022, the ship is acting as temporary accommodation for 1,500 refugees fleeing the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>[https://news.err.ee/1608593905/over-37-000-ukrainian-refugees-have-fled-to-estonia. Over 37,000 Ukrainian refugees have fled to Estonia]. Retrieved 12 May 2022</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://menu.err.ee/1608580846/reisilaev-isabelle-on-ajutiseks-koduks-1500-le-ukraina-sojapogenikule |title=Viking myy suosikkilaivan Viroon - moni matkustaja jää rannalle |date=28 April 2022 |language=et |access-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429003045/https://menu.err.ee/1608580846/reisilaev-isabelle-on-ajutiseks-koduks-1500-le-ukraina-sojapogenikule |archive-date=29 April 2022 }}</ref>

In January 2024 it was relocated to Canada to serve as a floatel for workers at the [[Woodfibre, British Columbia|Woodfibre]] LNG project.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-05 |title='Floatel' ship arrives in B.C. to house LNG workers, but local permit still needed |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mv-isabelle-floatel-arrives-in-bc-to-house-lng-workers-but-permit-still-needed-1.7076452 |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=[[CBC News]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>Ferry to Flotel for Baltic Veteran ''[[Ships Monthly]]'' February 2024 page 6</ref> In the same month the ship was sold to Notamare Shipping.<ref>[https://www.shippax.com/en/news/tallink-grupp-completes-sale-of-isabelle-to-cyprus-based-notamare-shipping-company-limited.aspx Tallink Grupp completes sale of Isabelle to Cyprus-based Notamare Shipping Company Limited] Shippax</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|IMO 8700723}}
* [http://www.vikingline.fi/onboard/isabella/ Viking Line official website for ''Isabella'']

{{Tallink Grupp ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isabella}}
[[Category:Ferries of Finland]]
[[Category:Cruiseferries]]
[[Category:Ships built in Croatia]]
[[Category:1988 ships]]
[[Category:Ships of Latvia]]