MS Saga Sapphire
Saga Sapphire in the port of Tallinn on 15 May 2012
Germanischer Lloyd
IMO no. 7822457
The Saga Sapphire is a cruise ship, which was completed in late 1981 and placed in service on January 8, 1982. At the time, the design corresponded with a length of 200 meters and a survey of 30,000 GRT the largest cruise ship construction in the world. The ship worked from 1981 to 1999 as Europe Hapag -Lloyd Cruises to ride.
History
Construction and commissioning
In the 1970s, excelled for Hapag -Lloyd, it became evident that the former, built as Kungsholm Europe did not meet the ever increasing demands of their cruise guests and had to be replaced with a new building. Therefore planned Hapag- Lloyd wrote a new Europe and in 1977 this job. Basic specifications for the shipyards were a capacity for 600 passengers, the minimum size of the cabins of 21 m² and not more than 21 percent of these should be on the inside. A merger of the Bremen shipyards AG Weser and Bremer Vulkan won the tender. Commissioned in 1978, Hapag-Lloyd Bremer Vulkan shipyard to build the new Europe for a total price of 176 million DM The cost of the shipyard were ultimately with about 260 million DM but much higher, so this with the construction of a loss import. Originally, the AG Weser should make the front half of the fuselage with the living quarters; turn of the year 1979/80 it was decided to build the complete Europe at the Bremer Vulkan.
The keel of the vessel took place on April 1, 1980, the launching and naming ceremony by the President of the European Parliament, Simone Veil, on December 22, 1980 in Bremen- Vegesack. Some twelve months later, on December 6, 1981 followed by the completion of the ship, which was subsequently taken over by Hapag -Lloyd Cruises. The maiden voyage started on 8th January, 1982 by Genoa, Italy, to destinations in Africa.
Hapag -Lloyd
In the first year of the use of Europe could already look back with satisfaction in the future. The utilization of the ship was already at 90 percent, although the passenger capacity was significantly higher than that of the old Europe.
1997, the 150th anniversary of Hapag- Lloyd, it was announced that a new Europe will be built. This should then be put into service in 1999. The era of Europe ended with Hapag- Lloyd Cruises.
Star Cruises
On April 5, 1998 Star Cruises bought from Asia the ship. Until 30 June 1999, it was still chartered by Hapag -Lloyd and officially adopted in Hamburg by the new owner on 1 July 1999. Before the ship went on a cruise for the first time for the new shipping company, it was brought to U.S. $ 15 million at the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore to date and overhauled. There were grown and Others balconies in the suites.
The ship was under the name SuperStar Europe from October 1999 Cruises from Laem Chabang, Thailand, used. In February 2000, the ship was renamed SuperStar Aries. It continued to operate Asiatic ports on the cruise operation. In March 2001, Star Cruises was planning to transfer the ship in 2002 Orient Lines, and to leave it there running under the name Ocean Voyager. The attacks of 11 September 2001 these plans a spanner in the works, as the number of passengers then reduced drastically. Therefore, the Superstar Aries was used for cruises to Thailand and China.
Pullmantur Cruises
In March 2004, Pullmantur Cruises bought the ship and led it to Spain. It was renamed Holiday Dream and went cruising the Mediterranean from Barcelona, Spain, and later it crossed the Caribbean. As the ship had previously been rebuilt only a few years, you just changed the decorations in the interior areas.
CDF Croisieres de France
In September 2007, Royal Caribbean International announced as the new owner of Pullmantur Cruises, use a new cruise ship with her daughter CDF Croisieres de France for the French market. To this end, the ship in the spring of 2008 for EUR 30 million in MML Shipbuilding, Barcelona, rebuilt and adapted to the needs and tastes of French. Now the ship was the first ship of the French CDF Croisieres de France under the name Bleu de France. In the summer season it was used for cruises in the Mediterranean from Marseille, in the winter it went to the Caribbean Cruises from La Romana, Dominican Republic. Later it went to the Brazilian CVC.
Saga Cruises
2011 confirmed the British Saga Cruises purchasing the Bleu de France, which should enter service in 2012 there. Between November 2011 and February 2012, the ship was at the Fincantieri, Trieste, obsolete. The facility was renewed, built new cabins, reconditioned marine diesel oils and a new exterior paint attached. The ship was renamed Saga Sapphire. On the first trip in mid-April 2012, under a new name, there was an engine failure, the zunichtemachte the planned cruise. The passengers were given back their entire tour price and a discount for future cruises.
Incidents
- On August 3, 1985, the ship ran aground off the coast of Greenland due. Three days later it was refloated.
- On the morning of April 29, 1992, the Europa crashed in thick fog, about 330 km off Hong Kong, with the Greek freighter Incon Glory together, which caused considerable damage to the rear. Fortunately, in these departments at the time of collision no passengers or crew members, so that no one was injured. The Europe was towed to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where the passengers disembark went. Then the ship to be repaired in Singapore was transferred. On July 7, 1992, took his service again.