www.CRUISESHIPODYSSEY.com
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All text and photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Paul Timmerman; photographs on this page made during a cruise in 2001 when she sailed as Baltic Star for her present owners. In the early fifties,
three
business
partners
agreed to provide a ship
each
for the
ferry
links between Stockholm and
Helsinki and Stockholm and Turku. These
partners were the Finland Steamships Company who contributed the Aallotar, the
Bore Line with their Bore III and last of the three ships was the Birger Jarl of Stockholms Rederi A/B Svea, entering service in 1953.
Skybar, Sun deck Birger
Jarl was built by A/B Finnboda at Stockholm. She had space in one hold for some
cargo, and of course her hull was ice strengthened,
necessary for service in Scandinavian waters. Birger
Jarl had space for 57 passengers in first class, 219 in second and an additional
600 day passengers. Traffic
on both routes grew at a brisk pace, so Silja Line as the joint venture of
Finland, Bore and Svea was was now called, was in need for larger ships with
car-decks for those travelling with their car. Action had to be taken
immediately as a rival firm had emerged: Viking Lines
Tax free shop, deck 4
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