Star Pisces
MS Star Pisces at Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong in 2013
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| Builder: | Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland |
| Cost: | SEK 650 million |
| Yard number: | 1298 |
| Launched: | 27 August 1989 |
| Acquired: | 26 April 1990 |
| In service: | 30 April 1990 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 8710857 |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics (as Kalypso) | |
| Type: | Cruiseferry |
| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 176.60 m (579 ft 5 in) |
| Beam: | 29.61 m (97 ft 2 in) |
| Draught: | 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) |
| Decks: | 12 |
| Installed power: | |
| Propulsion: | 2 propellers |
| Speed: | 21.0 knots (38.9 km/h; 24.2 mph) |
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| General characteristics (as Star Pisces) | |
| Type: | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 40,053 GT |
| Ice class: | 1 A Super |
| Speed: | 21.2 knots (39.3 km/h; 24.4 mph) |
| Capacity: | 1,900 passengers |
| Crew: | 750 |
| Notes: | Otherwise the same as built |
MS Star Pisces is a cruise ship, owned by Star Cruises and until recently did short cruises from Hong Kong. She was originally built as the cruiseferry MS Kalypso in 1990 at Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland for Rederi AB Slite for use in Viking Line traffic. The ship was designed by Per Dockson.
Star Pisces has a sister ship, Pearl Seaways.
The late 1980s were a time of hectic new building in Baltic Sea ferry services. Between 1985 and 1991 no less than 11 new ships debuted for competing companies Viking Line and Silja Line. During construction of the Kalypso in 1989 the shipbuilding company Wärtsilä Marine was declared bankrupt. A new company, Masa-Yards, was established to continue operating Wärtsilä's shipyards in Turku and Helsinki. As a result of the bankruptcy the Kalypso's final price was much larger than originally agreed.
When delivered on April 30, 1990, the Kalypso entered traffic on the route connecting Turku to Mariehamn and , where she sailed without mishap for the next three years. 1993 was to be the year when Slite would take delivery of another newbuild, the largest ferry in the world, M/S Europa. However, the Swedish krona was devaluated shortly before Slite were supposed to take delivery of the new ship. The Europa ended up in rival Silja Line's fleet in March 1993, and in April Rederi AB Slite was declared bankrupt.
As a result of Slite's bankruptcy, Kalypso and her sister were sold at an auction in August 1993. Bids were made by SF Line (the remaining Viking Line operator), P&O Ferries and DFDS, but the final buyer emerged from Malaysia where the newly established Star Cruises bought both ships. The Kalypso, the last ship ever delivered to Rederi AB Slite, stayed in Viking Line's traffic until January 1994.
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Wikipedia