MS Cruise Smeralda

The MS Cruise Smeralda is a RO/PAX ferry operated and owned by Grimaldi Lines. The ship was built as Ikarus in Fosen Mek Verksteder A/S, Norway for Minoan Lines in 1997, and later renamed Ikarus Palace. She has a sister ship Jean Nicoli now with Corsica Linea.

Cruise Smeralda as Ikarus Palace
History
Italy
Name
  • 1997-2001: Ikarus
  • 2001-2016: Ikarus Palace
  • 2016-2023: Cruise Smeralda
NamesakeIcarus
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
RouteBarcelona-Tanger-Med-Savona-Barcelona
Ordered1995
BuilderFosen Mek Verksteder A/S, Norway
Laid down1997
Launched5 May 1997
Completed1997
Maiden voyage1997
In service1997
Identification
  • IMO: 9144811
  • MMSI: 247343200[1]
StatusIn service
General characteristics
TypeRo-pax ferry
Tonnage
  • 29,968 GT
  • Summer DWT: 5150 t[2]
Length200.65 m (658 ft)
Beam26 m (85 ft)
Draught6.8 m (22 ft)
Ramps2 for vehicles, 1 for passengers
Installed power11,120 kW @ 428 rpm
Propulsion
  • 4 x MAN B&W 8L 58/64 4-stroke engines.
  • 2 x Rolls-Royce KaMeWa propulsion system (ggearboxes, propeller lines and propellers).
  • 2 x Vulkan RATO S 531T couplings [3]
Speed26.4 knots (48.9 km/h; 30.4 mph)
Capacity
  • 1,528 passengers
  • 819 cars

Minoan Lines Career
Ikarus Palace

Ikarus made her career for Minoan Lines in 1997 and worked the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice route for many years with her sister ship Pasiphae. In 2001 both ships were renamed Ikarus Palace and Pasiphae Palace respectively. They worked together for many years on the same route until Pasiphae Palace was sold to SNCM and renamed Jean Nicoli. Ikarus Palace also made worked the Piraeus-Heraklion route replacing another ship of her company. After the arrivals of the newest ships MS Cruise Europa and MS Cruise Olympia, Ikarus Palace was laid-up in Patras and then joined the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona route and subsequently replacing HSF Knossos Palace and HSF Kydon Palace on Piraeus-Heraklion route.

Chartered to Grimaldi Lines
Cruise Smeralda in Savona, August 2018.

Ikarus Palace then chartered for Grimaldi Lines. The ship when chartered for Grimaldi Lines began the Livorno-Barcelona-Tangier route. The ship also came many times in Greece to replace other ships of her company. The ship made her last route Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona route in 2016 and then sold to Grimaldi Lines and named Cruise Smeralda.

Route

Cruise Smeralda made every day Barcelona-Tanger-Savona-Barcelona route. Since April 2023 the ferry's new route is Travemünde-Malmö for Finnlines/Nordö-Link.

References
  1. "Cruise Smeralda". MarineTraffic.com. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  2. "Zeus Palace". MarineTraffic.com. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  3. "Vulkan RATO S couplings for Grimaldi Group: the story of a conversion (Part One)". Powertrain - Diesel International. 2021-03-19. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
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