Serenissima

Serenissima in Trogir

In June 2021 I was in Trogir overseeing some refit works on m/y Caipirinha and waiting to handover after I had done the delivery voyage from Abu Dhabi. Just next to our berth there was this ship that looked very classy but somehow a bit polished so I got curious of her origins. She originally started out as a passenger ferry for Hurtigruten in Norway, then went to Sweden and was renamed Andrea, these days it she's recorded by Faergelejet to be trading for a Russian cruise line Premier but I think this is outdated as Equasis has her registered owner recorded as Maritime Nine Invest Ltd C/O: Vestland Marine Sp z oo ul Kaszubska 28, Banino 80-297, Miszewko Poland. I think she may have changed owners after the Russia - Ukraine conflict started.

On the Danish ferry website Faergelejet she has a long and colorful chronology of her many rebuilds and incidents. See below the excerpt. She was last refitted in Croatia so I suppose Trogir is her go to yard since then and hence I saw here there for maintenance.

Looking in Equasis she has had only 49 recorded inspections, no detentions although she seems to have been arrested according to Faergelejet in 2009, I am guessing for bankruptcy as on Equasis there is a 3 years pause in inspections between 2009-2012. 

Her worst port state control was in May 2004, Dover, UK with 25 deficiencies recorded.

Accident prevention (ILO147): Other accident prevention 

Fire Safety measures: Doors within main (x2) 

Fire Safety measures: Fire prevention 

Fire Safety measures: Fixed fire extinguishing installation 

Fire Safety measures: Means of control (opening, pumps) Machinery spaces 

Food and catering: Other food and catering 

Life saving appliances: Immersion suits 

Life saving appliances: Lifebuoys 

Life saving appliances: Stowage of lifeboats 

MARPOL related operational deficiencies: Other MARPOL related operational deficiencies (x2) 

Propulsion & aux.: Cleanliness of engine room (x2) 

Propulsion & aux.: Insulation wetted through (oil) 

Propulsion & aux.: Other propulsion and auxiliary machinery (x3) 

Radiocommunications: Functional requirements 

Radiocommunications: Operation/maintenance 

Radiocommunications: Other (radiocommunication) 

Radiocommunications: Reserve source of energy 

Structural Safety: Closing devices watertight doors 

Structural Safety: Means of escape 

Working spaces and accident prevention: Electrical

When I saw her in 2021 she had a port state inspection in Trogir only the next year so I assume she had been laid up since 2019 (her last inspection) and then for the covid period, in 2022 they had her on 3 deficiencies, very easy ones.

Radio Communications: Radio log (diary) 

Safety of Navigation: ECDIS 

Safety of Navigation: Nautical publications

Her last Port State control was quite recently, May 2025 in Longyearbyen, Norway and she got 11 strikes in the record.

Certificate and Documentation - Ship Certificates: Other certificates 

Fire safety: Evaluation of crew performance 

Fire safety: Means of escape 

Fire safety: Other fire fighting equipment 

ISM : ISM, related deficiencies 

Life saving appliances: Means of recovery of lifesaving appliances 

Life saving appliances: Operational readiness, maintenance and inspections 

Life saving appliances: Training/instruction manual 

MLC, 2006 Health protection, medical care, social security: Electrical (x2) 

MLC, 2006 Health protection, medical care, social security: Other (Health protection, medical care)

These look more like operational than structural deficiencies so they should be able to rectify them with some housekeeping, admin and training.

Serenissima from forward

IMO number: 5142657

Vessel Name: Serenissima (since 01/04/2012)

Ex names: Harald Jarl (20/06/1960–31/07/2002), Andrea (31/07/2002–01/04/2012)

Ship Type: Passenger (Cruise) Ship

Flags: Bahamas (since 01/05/2025) St Vincent & Grenadines (since 01/04/2012), Liberia (since 31/07/2002), Norway (since 15/06/1960)

Port of registry : Trondheim (15/06/1960–01/08/1989), Tromsø (01/08/1989–31/07/2002), Monrovia (31/07/2002–01/04/2012), Kingstown (since 01/04/2012), Nassau (?)

Builder : Trondheims Mekaniske Værksted (hull no 244), 1960

Status of ship : Keel Laid (1959), Launched (29/01/1960), Delivered (20/06/1960)

Length Overall: 79.25m/ after 2013 refit 87.40 m

Beam: 13.26 m

Draught: 4.62 m

Tonnages: Originally 2632GT/ 1092NT, 2598 (since 01/03/2013 refit), DWT: 590 t

Speed 16.3 kts

Engines: 1x DM550-VBTF B&W diesel, 3450 HP with CPP

Capacities: 600 pax with 224 berths (1960), 600pax with 164 berths (1983), 399 pax, 164 berths (?), 106 pax with 106 berths (2003), 96 pax with 96 berths (2013)

Registered owners: Hurtigruten ASA (2002–20/04/2006), AML Shipping Ltd Liberia, Premier Cruises Ltd Care of West Wind Ltd, Mazuranicevo Setaliste 1, HR-21000 Split, Croatia (since 01/04/2012), Maritime Nine Invest (since 01/03/2024)

Stabilisers: 1 pair

Serenissima in a calm day

Events and incidents chronology as translated from Norwegian from Faergelejet

June, 1968

Harald Jarl was the first Hurtigruten ship on the new Express route to Svalbard, which every summer up to and including 1982 was handled by Hurtigruten ships, which in turn left the coastal route to make a detour to Svalbard.

February, 1969

Collided with Sunnmøre at Hustadvika. Received minor damage to the ship's side.

Saturday, January 6, 1973

Had a light grounding in Raftsundet. Subsequently repaired in Bergen.

1980

Rebuilt by Haugesund's Mek. Workshop from double-class to single-class ship. A large part of the cabins were here modernized with bathrooms and toilets.

January, 1989

Run aground on the Åboskjæret at Brønnøysund.

Saturday, September 1, 1990

Collided with the cargo ship Aquamarin in Stokksundet.

January, 1995

Suffered damage to the hull in rough weather between Stamsund and Svolvær. Subsequently repaired in Harstad.

Wednesday August 6, 1997

On the way south in Risværsund north of Rørvik, the Lofoten ran aground. Towed to Rørvik for temporary repairs. The next day it was towed on for repair at Mylkebruk Mekaniske Verksted.

Sunday, August 31, 1997

Returned back into traffic.

Sunday, October 21, 2001

Harald Jarl arrived for the last time in Bergen in Hurtigruten. Continued as a Hurtigruten ship to Oslo, where at the end of October 2001 she was presented to the public for the last time in the Hurtigruten context. After this, the ship went to Fosen to act as a hotel ship in connection with the building of MS Trollfjord, but was not at Fosen until the turn of the year 2001-02 - so was quickly laid up elsewhere.

August, 2002

Harald Jarl went to Uddevalla, Sweden for conversion to the cruiser Andrea.

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Was towed Uddevalla-Göteborg (Gothenburg) for further conversion at Cityvarvet.

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Andrea left Göteborg (Gothenburg) for her new career as a cruise ship.

March, 2009

Arrested.

April, 2012 - Thursday, April 4, 2013

Rebuilt and renovated in Split, Croatia. Among other things, the superstructure behind the bridge was replaced with a larger one. The lifeboats were replaced with two modern covered lifeboats.

Chronology of Operators:

Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab A/S, Norway (June 20, 1960 - August, 1989)

Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskab ASA (TFDS), Norway (August, 1989 - 2002)

Elegant Cruise Line, Liberia (2002 - April, 2012)

Premier Cruises, Ltd., Sankt Petersburg, Russia (April, 2012 - )

Serenissima transiting Kiel canal in 2024

Credit: Manfred (shipspotting)

As Harald Jarl in Honningsvåg, Norway, 1970

Credit: Mittet & Co. AS - Creator unknown - Nasjonalbiblioteket: Honningsvåg (Wikimedia)