MS Bleu de France

MS Saga Sapphire at Tallinn on 15 May 2012
History
Name:	1981–1999: Europa 1999–2000: SuperStar Europe 2000–2004: SuperStar Aries 2004-2008: Holiday Dream 2008–2011: Bleu de France 2011 onwards: Saga Sapphire
Owner:	1981–1998: Hapag-Lloyd 1998–2004: Star Cruises 2004–2008: Club Vacaciones 2008–2011: CDF Croisières de France 2011 onwards: Saga Cruises II Ltd.
Operator:	1981–1999: Hapag-Lloyd 1999–2004; Star Cruises 2004–2008: Pullmantur Cruises 2008–2011: CDF Croisières de France 2011 onwards: Saga
Port of registry:	1981–1999: Bremen,  Germany 1999–2006: Nassau,  Bahamas 2006 onwards: Valletta,  Malta
Builder:	Bremer Vulkan, Bremen, Germany
Cost:	US$120 million
Yard number:	1001
Launched:	December 22, 1980
Completed:	1981
Acquired:	December 5, 1981
Maiden voyage:	January 8, 1982
In service:	January 8, 1982-present
Identification:	Call sign: 9HOF8 IMO number: 7822457 MMSI number: 256208000
Status:	In service
General characteristics (as built)
Type:	cruise ship
Tonnage:	37,049 GT; 5,168 DWT
Length:	199.63 m (654.95 ft)
Beam:	28.55 m (93.67 ft)
Draught:	8.30 m (27.23 ft)
Decks:	12
Installed power:	2 × 7-cylinder MAN-Bremer Vulkan diesels combined 21270 kW
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h)
Capacity:	600 passengers
General characteristics (as Bleu de France)
Type:	cruise ship
Tonnage:	37,301 GRT
Decks:	12 (10 passenger accessible)
Speed:	19 kn (35 km/h)
Capacity:	752 passengers (lower berths) 1158 (all berths)
Crew:	406

MS Saga Sapphire is a cruise ship owned and operated by the cruise line, Saga Cruises II Ltd. It was originally built in 1981 by Bremer Vulkan, Germany for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises as MS Europa. In 1999 Europa was sold to Star Cruises and it was renamed MS SuperStar Europe and year later MS Superstar Aries. In 2004 she was sold to Pullmantur Cruises and renamed MS Holiday Dream. In May 2008 she was transferred to the fleet of CDF Croisières de France and was renamed Bleu de France. In November 2010 the vessel was sold to Saga Cruises, but retained on charter by CDF for a further 12 months. Following an extensive refit in Italy from November 2011 to March 2012, the vessel was renamed Saga Sapphire.

Since its formation in 1970, Hapag-Lloyd operated the former North German Lloyd liner Europa (originally Swedish American Line's Kungsholm) as the flagship of their cruise services. By the late 1970s the decision was made to replace the then-current Europa with a new state-of-the-art ship tailored specifically for the German cruise market, also to be called Europa. The new Europa would be the third ship to bear the name in the North German Lloyd/Hapag-Lloyd fleet. Designed before the advent of the mega cruise ship, at 33,000 gross register tons the new Europa was to be amongst the largest passenger ships in the world at the time.

The order for the new Europa was placed with the Bremer Vulkan shipyard in Bremen, the home city of North German Lloyd. The ship was launched on 22 December 1980, and delivered to her owners on 5 December 1981.