Color Magic in Kiel, 22 May 2011

Color Magic

IMO 9349863
Built 2007, Aker Finnyards Turku New Shipyard (hull), Aker Finnyards Rauma shipyard (outfitting), Finland
Tonnage 75 027 GT
Length 223,75 m
Width 35,00 m
Draught 6,80 m
2 750 passengers
2 669 berths
550 cars
1 265 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 31 200 kW
2 propellers
3 bow thrusters
2 stern thrusters
Speed 22 knots

The 2007-built Color Magic gets the honour of being the first ship to have it's photographs put up here from my recent two-week trip on the MSC Poesia. The Color Magic is a sister ship to Color Line's 2004-built Color Fantasy and thanks to being slightly larger than her sister she is currently the world's largest cruiseferry (and the world's largest ferry). In terms of ferries she's quite spacious, carrying just 2 700 passengers in her 75 000 GT hull (in comparison, Silja Line cram the same number of people on the 48 000 GT Galaxy). The Color Magic's facilities include a horizontal atrium/promenade, a three-storey restaurant, an impressive gym/spa combination and a large array of other facitilies comparable to "proper" cruise ships.

The photographs below show the Color Magic on the Kiel Fjord, shortly after departing Color Line's Norwegenkai terminal on 22 May 2011. Sadly she departs early in the afternoon when the lighting conditions are less favourable, but I hope you enjoy the images regardsless. Click on the individual photographs to view full size.

This year is actually the 50th anniversary of Kiel-Oslo ferry service, being started by Jahre Line using their (first) Kronprins Harald in 1961. Jahre Line then merged in 1991 with Norway Line to form the current Color Line, so technically it's been just one company sailing on the route continuously for half a century now.

Yeah, the lighting is a bit of a bummer. A like the sleek approach of the Color Magic and Fantasy's design (by Falkum-Hansen Design), though it would work better if the ships were slightly longer, making the fore and aft look less stubby.

Also, notice the recessed superstructure. I suspect this is in part in order to allow balconies added on onto the superstructure without making the ship any wider than she already is, in case the ship is one day resold for trading as an actual cruise ship.

Heading northwards and out of the range of my camera. I like the way they've put a very small aft ramp on the ship, instead of the massive things you usually see on ferries.

Hope you enjoyed this entry, more images from my recent cruise will follow in the upcoming weeks featuring the Stena Scandinavica, Stena Germanica, Color Fantasy, AIDAcara, Nordnorge, Norröna, Smyril and MSC Poesia.