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Finnlines
Oy Finnlines Ltd
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards of the passenger ferries Finnlines - the large fleet of ro-ro and ro-pax ferries will be covered on a separate page. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships Below the table are official postcards of the fleet in chronological order.
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
Bore Star (1975, 1976)
Finlandia (1975-1978)
Finndana (1966-1967)
Finnhansa (1966-1977)
Finnjet (1977-1986)
Finnpartner (1) (1966-1969)
Finnpartner (2) (1973-1975)
Finnpartner (3) (1975, 1976)
Finnstar (1978-1981)
Hansa Express (1962-1966)
Helsinki Express (1965-1966)
Ilmatar (1975)
Nili (1965-1966)

Associated Pages:-
Birka Line
Bore Line - Ångfartygs Bore Ab/Höyrylaiva Oy Bore
Finland SS Line - Finska Ångfartygs Ab
Louis Cruise Lines
Swedish Lloyd
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
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Table of Ship Histories

Name

Other names

 Built
 Bore Star  Finnpartner, Silja Star, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun, Wasa Queen

 1975
 Finlandia  Finnstar, Pearl of Scandinavia, Ocean Pearl, Costa Playa etc

 1967
 Finnhansa  Princessan, Princesa Marissa

 1965
 Finnjet  

 1977
 Finnpartner (1)  Sveaborg, Peer Gynt, Stena Baltica, Ialyssos

 1966
 Finnpartner (2)  Stena Atlantica, Olau Finn, Folkliner, Festos, Captain Zaman I

 1966
 Finnpartner (3)  Bore Star, Silja Star, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun, Wasa Queen

 1975
 Ilmatar  Viking Princess, Palm Beach Princess

 1972
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finnlines Fleet List
 
 
Hansa Express (Finnlines: 1962-1966)
Finndana (Finnlines: 1966-1967)
 
Hansa Express was completed by Hanseatische Werft, Hamburg, in 1962 for Oy Finnlines Ltd. Hansa Express was used to inaugurate a new ferry service between Hanko/Hangö to Trävemünde via Visby/Slite. In 1963 Hansa Express was redelivered following lengthening by Kieler Howaldswerke. Soon after her return, the route changed to Helsinki-Kalmar-Trävemünde. In 1964, the Swedish call moved to Karlskrona, followed by a further change to Nynäshamn in 1965. In 1966, Hansa Express was renamed Finndana, and was transferred to a Helsinki-Copenhagen route. In 1967, Finndana was sold to Polferries and renamed Gryf. In 1981 she was sold to Greek company Fragline and renamed Eolos. In 1995 Eolos passed to A.K.Ventouris as the Agios Vassilios.
 
 
Nordd.Ansichtskarten postcard (serial Tra23) showing Hansa Express in original condition top left.
 
Schöning & Schmidt postcard showing Hansa Express following lengthening.
 
 
 
 
 
Nili/Helsinki Express
(Finnlines charter: 1965-1966)
 
Nili was built in 1965 by Fairfields of Glasgow for Nili Somerfin Car Ferries Ltd., Haifa, Israel. It was planned to use her on a service from Southampton to Algeciras. She was instead chartered to Finnlines for service between Helsinki-Travemünde with the marketing name Helsinki Express.
 
 
Official Finnlines art card of Finnhansa.
Scan supplied by Fakta om Fartyg.
 
 
 
 
 
Finnhansa
(Finnlines: 1966-1977)
 
Finnhansa was completed in 1966 by Oy Wärtsilä Ab, Helsinki, for the route Helsinki-Slite/Nynäshamn-Karlskrona-Lübeck. Her sistership Finnpartner (1) was delivered later the same year. In 1972 Finnhansa was rebuilt with increased cabin capacity. In 1978 Finnhansa was sold to Birka Line and renamed Prinsessan. She was again given increased cabin accommodation. Prinsessan was sold in 1987 to Louis Cruise Lines of Cyprus, and renamed Princesa Marissa.
 
A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Official Finnlines art card of Finnhansa.
Route Helsinki-Lübeck.
 
Official Finnlines art card of Finnhansa.
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Finnhansa.
Scan supplied by Mikael Blomberg.
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Finnhansa.
Route Helsinki-Lübeck.
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Finnhansa.
Route Helsinki-Trävemünde.
 
Schöning & Schmidt postcard Tra3 of Finnhansa.
 
 
 
 
 
Finnpartner (1)
(Finnlines: 1966-1969)
 
Finnpartner was a sistership of Finnhansa and was delivered in 1966 by Oy Wärtsilä Ab, Helsinki, for the route Helsinki-Slite/Nynäshamn-Karlskrona-Lübeck service. In 1968 she was sold to Oy Svea Line (Finland), owned by Stockholms Rederi Ab Svea and chartered back to Finnlines. In 1969 she was renamed Sveaborg for the Trave Line service Helsingborg-Copenhagen-Trävemünde. In 1972 Sveaborg was sold to the parent company Stockholms Rederi Ab Svea. She was renamed Peer Gynt in 1977, and chartered to Aarhus-Oslo Line. The following year she was sold to Stena Line AB and renamed Stena Baltica, for use as an accommodation ship for North Sea oil workers. In 1982 she was sold for Greek service between Rhodes-Piraeus as the Ialyssos.
 
A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Finnpartner.
 
Gotlandskonst postcard 24500 of Finnpartner.
 
 
 
 
 
Finnpartner (2)
(Finnlines: 1973-75)
 
Finnpartner (2) was built in 1966 as the Saga for Swedish Lloyd. Saga was one of three sisterships, the others being Swedish Lloyd's Patricia, and Svea Lines' Svea which became the Knossos of Minoan Lines in 1978. Saga was used on the Swedish Lloyd Tilbury-Gothenburg service until 1971, when she was sold to Stena Line, and served under the name Stena Atlantica. In 1973, Stena Atlantica was sold to Oy Finnlines, renamed Finnpartner, and put on a route between Helsinki-Nynäshamn-Travemünde. She was laid up in 1975, and chartered to Olau Line between 1976-82 as Olau Finn. In 1982 she was sold to Finska Postbanken as Folkliner before purchase by Minoan Lines in 1984. She entered service with them as the Festos in 1985. Festos has since served as the Captain Zaman I of Diler Lines, and the Sancak I.
 
A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.
 

Official Finnlines postcard of Finnpartner.
 
Gebr.Spanjersberg postcard A5178-2 of Finnpartner.
 
 
 
 
 
Ilmatar
(Finnlines charter: 1975)
 
Ilmatar was the first motor passenger ship for the Finland Steamship Co She was delivered from Wärtsila of Helsinki in 1964, and operated on routes from Stockholm to Turku or Helsinki.
 
In 1973, Ilmatar was rebuilt in Hamburg, increasing in size to 7355grt and 128m long Two additional Nohab wing diesels were added, increasing speed to 19 knots She was then used on the Helsinki-Trävemünde route, including a charter to Finnlines. She was later used on cruises in the Baltic, Mediterranean and along the Norwegian coast.
 
A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Official Finland SS Co postcard of Ilmatar as rebuilt.
 
Official Finland SS Co postcard of Ilmatar as rebuilt.
 
 
 
 
 
Finlandia (Finnlines: 1975-1978)
Finnstar (Finnlines: 1978-1981)
 
Finlandia was delivered by Oy Wärtsilä Ab, Helsinki in 1967 to Finska Ångfartygs Ab (FÅA), for the route Helsinki-Copenhagen-Travemünde, which was marketed as Finlandia Line. In 1975 she was sold to Finnlines without change in name or route. In 1978 Finlandia was converted to a cruise ferry and renamed Finnstar. She commenced cruising in the Mediterranean, but was laid up in Toulon in 1980. In 1981 she was sold to I.M.Skaugen and converted into a luxury cruise ship by Aarlborg Werft, returning to service in 1982 as the Pearl of Scandinavia of Pearl Cruises. In 1987, Pearl Cruises was sold to Ocean Cruise Lines. Pearl of Scandinavia was rebuilt again in 1988, receiving a new bow and funnel. and renamed Ocean Pearl. In 1990, Ocean Cruise Lines was acquired by Croisieres Paquet. The owners of Paquet also owned Costa, and management passed to Costa in 1994. The name was changed to Pearl. In 1995 Pearl was refurbished and reappeared as the Costa Playa of Costa.
 
 
Official Finlandia Line postcard of Finlandia.
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Finlandia.
Scan supplied by Mikael Blomberg
 
I do not have a postcard of Finlandia in Finnlines colours.
If you can help, please email: simplon@simplon.co.uk
 
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Finlandia as rebuilt as Finnstar.
 
 
 
 
 
Bore Star/Finnpartner (3)
(Finnlines charters: 1975-76, 1976-77)
 
Bore Star was built in 1975 by Dubigeon-Normandie SA, Nantes. She was one of three sisters built for Silja Line services, being owned by Silja Line consortium member Bore. During the winters of 1975/76 and 1976/77 she was chartered to Finnlines for cruises around the Canary Islands and African coast. These were marketed as the Finnpartner, although her official name was unchanged. In 1980 Bore Star was sold to Silja Line consortium member Finska Ångfartygs Ab, and renamed Silja Star.
 
There is a complete postcard history of this ship on this link.
 
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Bore Star.
 
 
 
 
 
Finnjet
(Finnlines: 1977-1986)
 
32490grt - 212.96m long - 1800 passengers - 1532 berths - 380 cars
 
Finnjet was built by Wärtsilä in Helsinki in 1977 for Enso Gutzeit, Finnish owner of Finnlines. She was fitted with two Pratt & Whitney FT 4C-1 DLF gas turbines, developing 55200hp, giving a speed of 30.5 knots. At the time of building, she was the largest, longest and fastest car ferry in the world. Finnjet entered service on Finnlines' Helsinki-Travemünde route, replacing two conventional ferries. In 1981, additional 18-cyl Pielstick-Wärtsilä diesels were installed of 23040 kW, which could achieve a speed of 18.5 knots. This allowed Finnjet to make slower off peak journeys to reduce fuel consumption. In 1986 Finnjet was sold to EFFOA (Finska Ångfartygs Ab) subsidiary Oy Finnjet Line. She was marketed as Finnjet Silja Line. In recent years she has added calls at Tallinn, and the German port has changed to Rostock. During the winter 2003/4 she sails just between Helsinki-Tallinn.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Official Finnlines postcard of Finnjet.
 
S+S postcard Tra1035 of Finnjet.
 
S+S postcard TraLuft6958 of Finnjet.
 
S+S postcard TraLuft6965 of Finnjet.
 
S+S postcard TraLK5373 of Finnjet.
 
 
 
 
 
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