Kristina Cruises is a family-owned cruise company that has been around since 1985. The Finnish, family-owned company shipping company has two ships including M/S Kristina Katarina and M/S Kristina Brahe. M/S Kristina Regina, a third ship until August 23, 2010, is no longer in service. More on that later. M/S Kristina Katarina is the company’s new flagship. She has room for 400 guests, three dining venues, saunas, massage and salon services at Day Spa Mare, a gym, a children’s playroom, and several lounges. M/S Kristina Katarina has 193 cabins (450 beds), ranging from large (200 square feet) down to small or less than 100 square feet.
All Kristina Katarina cabins have a shower and private restroom. They also have a phone for internal calls, radio/music channels, and a/c. An elevator is located between decks 4-6. Large cabins have a separate lounge and sleeping compartment, , windows, a double bed, sofa, and desk. Small rooms have 2-4 berths, porthole, shower and private restroom. Katarina sails the Suez Canal & Redsea, Croatia, Greek Archipelago, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, Istanbul, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Madeira & the Azores, Western Europe, Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, Denmark, and Iceland & Greenland. Offerings change annually as Kristina Cruises sail to more than one hundred ports in 30 countries.
M/S Kristina Brahe is a former military vessel, built in Chicago, IL. in 1943. M/S Kristina Brahe has 45 cabins, 5 different cabin classes, on four decks. According to the official Kristina Cruises website:
Kristina Brahe is known to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean once during the war under the flag of USA. The vessel was called HMS Kilchernan when she served under the Union Jack as a submarine destroyer at the western coast of Africa and the Gibraltar area.
In 1948 the ship was sold to Norway and rebuilt to become a passenger ferry. Named Sunnhordland, the vessel operated as a mail steamer between Bergen and Stavanger up to the year 1973. At that time the vessel’s capacity was 600 passengers and 13 cars.
The ship was sold to Finland in 1971 and was named Kristina Brahe after Ristiina, the vessel’s that time home port. The ship was turned into a cruise vessel by building more cabins and restaurant facilities.
Kristina Brahe’s maiden voyage took place on 15th May, 1975. At first the ship cruised mainly on Lake Saimaa making two- to five-day cruises. In the following years the cruising area was expanded, first to Vyborg and to the Gulf of Finland. In 1982 Kristina Brahe made the first cruise across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki to Tallinn and in the next year to Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg.
In 1985 Rannikkolinjat Ltd. bought the shipping company who owned Kristina Brahe and Kotka became the vessel’s new home port. More cabins were built and the restaurant improved. At the same time more cruises were made abroad.
Today, Kristina Brahe cruises “The Czars Route,” which takes her to Lake Saimaa, the Saimaa Canal, Gulf of Finland, and the Archipelago Sea.
M/S Kristina Regina was a traditional passenger ship originally built in Oskarsham in 1960. The ship received upgrades in 2001 including refurbished cabins and public spaces, the addition of a health center and laundry, and a new computer system. Guests had the option to relax in the comforts of the panorama café , the ships “living room” or take in the sights from a restaurant or scenic deck. M/S Kristina Regina’s last cruise was August 23, 2010. she is now used as a museum, hotel, and restaurant ship in Turku.
If you would like to reserve a Kristina Cruise, please call Kristina Cruises directly at +358 5 211 4230. You can also fax your request to +358 5 211 4500, or e-mail: [email protected]. To learn more about Kristina Cruises, visit the official Kristina Cruise website at www.kristinacruises.com.