Costa Allegra

Costa Allegra in Shanghai
Career
Name:	Annie Johnson 1969-1986 Regent Moon 1986-1988 Alexandra 1988-1992 Costa Allegra 1992-present
Owner:	Rederi AB Nordstjernan 1969-1986 Regency Cruises 1986-1988 Compania Naviera Panalexandra 1988-1990 Costa Cruises 1990-present
Operator:	Rederi AB Nordstjernan 1969-1986 rebuild/laid up1986-1992 Costa Cruises 1992-present
Port of registry:	Sweden, Stockholm 1969-1986  Cyprus, Limassol 1986-1988  Panama, Panama City1988-1990  Italy, Naples 1990-1994  Liberia, Monrovia 1994-2000  Italy, Genoa 2000-present
Builder:	Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard Turku, Finland (original) T. Mariotti, Genoa, Italy (rebuild)
Yard number:	1170
Launched:	29 April 1969
Acquired:	4 December 1969
Identification:	Call sign: ICRA IMO number: 6916885 MMSI no.: 247816000
Status:	Operational
Notes:	[1][2]
General characteristics As built
Class and type:	Axel Johnson class container ship
Tonnage:	16,289 GT; 16,080 DWT
Length:	187.8 m (616 ft)
Beam:	25.6 m (84 ft)
Draught:	10.39 m (34.1 ft)
Installed power:	2 × 16PC2V + 2 × 12PC2V Wärtsilä-Pielstick diesels combined 19,139 kW
Speed:	23 knots (42.60 km/h; 26.47 mph)
Capacity:	6 passengers
Notes:	[1]
General characteristics As Costa Allegra, 1992
Type:	Cruise ship
Tonnage:	28,430 GT; 11973 NT; 7,391 DWT
Length:	187.69 m (615.8 ft)
Beam:	25.75 m (84.5 ft)
Draught:	8.20 m (26.9 ft)
Decks:	8 (passenger accessible)
Installed power:	4 × 6R46 Wärtsilä diesels combined 19,123 kW
Propulsion:	Two propellers
Speed:	19 knots (35.19 km/h; 21.86 mph)
Capacity:	820 passengers (lower berths) 1072 passengers (all berths)
Notes:	[1][2][3]

MS Costa Allegra is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Italy-based Costa Cruises. She was built in 1969 by the Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Turku, Finland as the container ship MS Annie Johnson for the Sweden-based Rederi AB Nordstjernan. In 1986 she was sold to Regency Cruises with the intention of being converted into a cruise ship under the name MS Regent Moon, but she was laid up instead. In 1988 she was sold to Compania Naviera Panalexandra and renamed MS Alexandra but continued laid up. In 1990 the ship was acquired by Costa Cruises and rebuilt into a cruise ship at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy. She entered service as Costa Allegra in 1992.^[1][4]

Annie Johnson

Original construction

Annie Johnson was the second in a series of five container ship built by the Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Finland for the Swedish shipping company Rederi AB Nordstjernan. She was launched on 29 April 1969 and delivered to her owners on 4 December of the same year, entering service on the same date.

Service history

From 1969 until 1986, Annie Johnson was used as in cargo services by Rederi AB Nordstjernan. On 8 August 1986 the ship was sold to the Greece-based Regency Cruises with the intention of being rebuilt as a cruise ship. With this aim in mind she was renamed Regent Moon.^[1][4] Her sister ship MS Axel Johnson was sold to Regency Cruises at the same time, renamed Regent Sun, also with the intention of being converted into a cruise ship. These plans were never realised, and Regent Moon was laid up in Perama, Greece.^[1][5] In May 1988 Regent Moon was sold to Compania Naviera Panalexandra and renamed Alexandra, but continued laid up until 1990 when she was sold to Costa Cruises.^[1][4]

Costa Allegra

Concept and construction

Costa Cruises had acquired Regent Sun which was renamed Italia in the interim, in 1988 and had her conversion into a cruise ship realised, with the ship being delivered in July 1990 as Costa Marina.^[5] Following this Costa Cruises acquired Alexandra on 28 August 1990 for conversion into a cruise ship at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy, the same shipyard that had rebuilt Costa Marina. Work on Alexandra commenced on 4 September 1990. She received an entirely new superstructure in the same style as that of Costa Marina, as well as new engines. However, unlike Costa Marina Alexandra was lengthened by 13.4 metres (44 ft 0 in) when rebuilt.^[1][3][5][6] Although originally planned to be renamed Costa Azzurra,^[4] the ship was eventually renamed Costa Allegra in November 1992. On 16 November 1992 she was delivered to Costa Cruises.^[1]

Service history

Costa Allegra off the coast of Korčula, Croatia in 2004

Costa Allegra entered service with Costa Cruises on 23 November 1992 with a cruise from Genoa to St. Thomas in the Caribbean. During the early years of her service with Costa she sailed in the Mediterranean during the northern hemisphere summer season, relocating to the Caribbean for the winter.^[1] In 2006 the ship was relocated for cruising out of China. At the same time her interiors were refurbished to better suit the Asian cruise market.^[3] Her ports of departure in Asia are Singapore and Hong Kong. Countries visited include China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.^{[citation needed]}

Design

The eight decks on Costa Allegra are named after famous impressionist painters. A three deck high glass atrium is the centre of the ship. All throughout the ship, elegant works of art can be found.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Asklander, Micke. "M/S Annie Johnson (1969)" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/annie_johnson_1969.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Advanced Masterdata for the Vessel Costa Allegra". VesselTracker. 2011. http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Costa-Allegra-6916885.html. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Ward, Douglas (2008). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 306–307. ISBN 978-981-268-240-6. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Miller, William H. Jr. (1995). The Pictorial Encycpedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-1994. Mineola: Dover Publications. p. 5. ISBN 0-486-28437-X. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Asklander, Micke. "M/S Axel Johnson (1969)" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/axel_johnson_1969.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
6. ^ de Boer, Bart (2005-05-29). "Costa Allegra - Duckling or Swan?". ShipParade. http://www.shipparade.com/cruise%20reviews/costa_allegra/Costa_Allegra.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 

External links

• Costa Cruises