Color Line AS is the largest
cruiseferryA cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of...
liner operating on routes to and from
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
. The company is also one of the leading operators in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. Color Line provides transportation for
peopleThe English noun people has two distinct fields of application:* as a countable noun, a group of humans, either with unspecified traits, or specific characteristics ....
and
cargoCargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.- Marine Cargo Types :...
,
hotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
accommodation,
shoppingShopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
, restaurants and
entertainmentAn entertainment is any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time.Entertainment is typically passive - as in watching opera or a movie. Activities which involve participating in games or sports are more often considered to be recreation...
. The company currently employs 3500 people in four countries.
Color Line main office is in
Oslois the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
, but the company also have offices in Bergen,
Stavangeris a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838...
,
Kristiansandis a city, municipality and the county capital of Vest-Agder county in Southern Norway. Kristiansand municipality is the 6th largest in Norway with a population of 80,109 as of 1 January 2009...
,
Sandefjordis a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
and
Larvikis a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik.The city of Larvik was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
in addition to international offices in
KielKiel is the capital and most populous city of the northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of over 236,000 .Kiel is approximately to the north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore...
,
HirtshalsHirtshals is a town in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland on the north coast of the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, Europe.- The town of Hirtshals :...
and
StrömstadStrömstad is a locality and the seat of Strömstad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 6,110 inhabitants in 2005.Strömstad is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city.- History :...
.
Color Line has roots in the ferry business that go back more than 100 years.
Color Line AS is the largest
cruiseferryA cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of...
liner operating on routes to and from
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
. The company is also one of the leading operators in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. Color Line provides transportation for
peopleThe English noun people has two distinct fields of application:* as a countable noun, a group of humans, either with unspecified traits, or specific characteristics ....
and
cargoCargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.- Marine Cargo Types :...
,
hotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
accommodation,
shoppingShopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
, restaurants and
entertainmentAn entertainment is any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time.Entertainment is typically passive - as in watching opera or a movie. Activities which involve participating in games or sports are more often considered to be recreation...
. The company currently employs 3500 people in four countries.
Color Line main office is in
Oslois the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
, but the company also have offices in Bergen,
Stavangeris a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838...
,
Kristiansandis a city, municipality and the county capital of Vest-Agder county in Southern Norway. Kristiansand municipality is the 6th largest in Norway with a population of 80,109 as of 1 January 2009...
,
Sandefjordis a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
and
Larvikis a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik.The city of Larvik was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
in addition to international offices in
KielKiel is the capital and most populous city of the northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of over 236,000 .Kiel is approximately to the north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore...
,
HirtshalsHirtshals is a town in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland on the north coast of the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, Europe.- The town of Hirtshals :...
and
StrömstadStrömstad is a locality and the seat of Strömstad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 6,110 inhabitants in 2005.Strömstad is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city.- History :...
.
History
Color Line has roots in the ferry business that go back more than 100 years. The company was established in 1990 when two
NorwegianNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
shipping companies, Jahre Line and Norway Line merged. Jahre Line had operated ferries between
Oslois the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
and
KielKiel is the capital and most populous city of the northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of over 236,000 .Kiel is approximately to the north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore...
since 1961, while Norway Line had operated ferries from Norway to the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
since 1986. During 1990 Color Line also took over the Fred. Olsen Lines
cruiseferryA cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of...
operations, thereby expanding the traffic are of the new company to Norway—
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
routes.
During the first half of the 1990s Color Line enlargened their tonnage by lengthening their existing ships and replacing older small ships by acquisition of larger second-hand ships. The company begun operating fast ferries between Norway and Denmark during the summer of 1996. Initially the operations were in collaboration with SeaContainers, but were run without them from 1997 onwards. In October of the same year Color Line took over the operations of Larvik Line, their competitor in the Norway—Denmark traffic. In September 1998 Color Line acquired both the Color Hotel Skagen and Scandi Line, which operated two ferries on the short routes connecting Norway and Sweden. In the end of 1998 the Norway—United Kingdom operations were sold to
Fjord LineFjord Line is a Norwegian ferry operator founded in 1993 offering services between Norway and the European continent....
. For the 1999 summer season the (former) Scandi Line ships received new Color Scandi Line liveries. They were fully incorporated into the Color Line fleet in 2001.
During the 2000s Color Line begun investing heavily in new tonnage, with , , and supplanting much of the older tonnage between 2004 and 2008. In April 2008 the company announced the closure of the
Oslois the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
—
HirtshalsHirtshals is a town in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland on the north coast of the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, Europe.- The town of Hirtshals :...
service from 6 May 2008 onwards.
Ships and routes
| Ship |
Built |
Entered service
for Color Line |
Route |
Tonnage1 |
Notes |
| MS Bohus MS Bohus is a ferry owned by Color Line operating between Sandefjord and Strömstad.-External links:**...
|
1971 |
1999 |
Sandefjordis a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
—StrömstadStrömstad is a locality and the seat of Strömstad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 6,110 inhabitants in 2005.Strömstad is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city.- History :...
|
|
ex-Prisessan Desireé, Europafärjan, Europafärjan II, Lion Princess |
| MS Color Fantasy |
2004 |
2004 |
Oslo is the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
—KielKiel is the capital and most populous city of the northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of over 236,000 .Kiel is approximately to the north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore...
|
|
|
MS Color MagicMS Color Magic is a cruiseferry owned and operated by the Norway-based shipping company Color Line on their route connecting Oslo, Norway to Kiel, Germany. She was built by Aker Finnyards, Rauma, Finland in 2007. The Color Magic is currently the largest cruiseferry in the world.The Color Magic is a...
|
2007 |
2007 |
Oslo is the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
—KielKiel is the capital and most populous city of the northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of over 236,000 .Kiel is approximately to the north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore...
|
|
Largest cruiseferry in the world |
MS Color VikingMS Color Viking is a ferry owned by the Norway-based Color Line, operated on their service between Sandefjord and Strömstad. She was built in 1985 as MS Peder Paars by Nakskov Skipsværft, Nakskov, Denmark for DSB Färjedivision...
|
1985 |
2000 |
Sandefjord—Strömstad |
|
ex-Peder Paars, Stena Invicta |
|
| 2008 |
2008 |
Kristiansand is a city, municipality and the county capital of Vest-Agder county in Southern Norway. Kristiansand municipality is the 6th largest in Norway with a population of 80,109 as of 1 January 2009...
—HirtshalsHirtshals is a town in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland on the north coast of the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, Europe.- The town of Hirtshals :...
|
|
|
|
| 2008 |
2008 |
Larvikis a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik.The city of Larvik was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
—Hirtshals |
|
|
| 1May be specified in gross tonnage Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross Tonnage is different from Gross Register Tonnage...
(GT) or gross register tons (GRT). |
Former ships
| Ship |
Built |
Years in service |
Tonnage1 |
Status as of 2009 |
|
| 1987 |
1991-2007 |
|
Since 2007 MS Oscar Wilde for Irish Ferries |
| MS Prinsesse Ragnhild MS Bahamas Celebration is a cruiseferry owned by Celebration Cruise Line. Sine March 2009 she has been operating two and three day cruises from Port Everglades to the Bahamas. The ship was built in 1981 by HDW Kiel, Germany as MS Prinsesse Ragnhild for Jahre Line. In 1990 she was transferred to...
|
1980 |
1991-2008 |
|
Since 2008 MS Bahamas Celebration |
|
| 1973 |
1991-1999 |
|
Since 2004 laid up in NassauNassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 260,000 , nearly 80 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
as MS Mirage I |
|
| 1975 |
1991-2005 |
|
Since 2005 MS Sherazad for Arab Bridge Maritime Co. |
|
| 1974 |
1991-1994 |
|
Since 2002 MS Cesme for Turkish Marmara Lines |
MS Christian IVMS Julia is a cruiseferry, owned by Fastnet Line, an Irish based ferry company which purchased her from a Finnish liquidator following the bankruptcy of the previous owners Stella Lines on 6 November 2008. The Julia had been laid up in Kotka, Finland since the 7th October 2008...
|
1982 |
1991-2008 |
|
Since 2008 MS Julia for Stella Lines. Laid up since October 2008. |
|
| 1975 |
1994-1998 |
|
Since 2007 MS Jupiter for Royal Group Ltd. |
|
| 1985 |
1994-2008 |
|
Since 2008 MS Mega Smeralda for Corsica FerriesCorsica Ferries and Sardinia Ferries are marketing names used by Corsica Ferries, an Italy-based ferry company that operates traffic to and from the islands of Corsica and Sardinia...
|
|
| 1991 |
1996 |
|
Since 2006 HSC Pescara Jet for SNAV. |
|
| 1991 |
1996 |
|
Since 2007 HSC Snaefell for Isle of Man Steam PacketThe Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world, celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2005....
|
|
| 1984 |
1996-1997 |
|
Since 2005 MS Fast Independence for Independence Shipping Co. Ltd. |
|
| 1981 |
1996-2008 |
|
Since 2008 MS SNAV Toscana for SNAV |
| HSC Silvia Ana L HSC Silvia Ana L is a high-speed ferry owned and operated by Color Line on a route connecting Kristiansand, Norway to Hirtshals, Denmark. She was built in 1996 by Bazans Fernando Shipyard, Cadiz, Spain for the Uruguay-based Buquebus...
|
1996 |
1997-2007 |
|
Since 2007 sailing for Buquebus |
|
| 1997 |
1997-1998 |
|
Since 2007 HSC Queen Nefertiti for Arab Bridge Maritime Co. |
|
| 1977 |
1998 |
|
Scrapped 2004 |
|
| 1972 |
1998 |
|
Since 2003 MS Dorrah Jeddah, owned by an unknown Saudiarabian company |
|
| 1965 |
1999-2000 |
|
Since 2007 MS Red Star I for Star Ferries |
|
| 1976 |
1999 |
|
Since 2007 MS Ammari for Ustica Lines |
MS European MarinerThe European Mariner is a ferry owned by Fleet department, P & O European Ferries Ltd.-History:European Mariner was launched in 1978 as Salahala for the Salahala Shipping Company. She was chartered by Gilvani for use on the Genoa - Malta - Pireus - Alexandria route...
|
1978 |
2002 |
|
Since 2003 sailing for P&O FerriesP&O Ferries is a constituent company of DP World...
|
| MS Gute |
1979 |
2003 |
|
Since 2007 laid up in Visby Visby is a locality and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County, Sweden with 22,236 inhabitants in 2005. It is the only one with city status on the island of Gotland; it is arguably the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, owned by Rederi AB Gotland |
| MS Calibur |
1976 |
2003 |
|
Since 2007 sails for P&O FerriesP&O Ferries is a constituent company of DP World...
|
|
| 1981 |
2004-2006 |
|
Since 2007 MS Rostock for ScandlinesScandlines is a major German-Danish ferry operator.It consists of a parent company, Scandlines AG, and under this parent company a German subsidiary named Scandlines Deutschland GmbH and a Danish subsidiary named Scandlines Danmark A/S...
|
| 1May be specified in gross tonnage Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross Tonnage is different from Gross Register Tonnage...
(GT) or gross register tons (GRT). |
Key People
- Trond Kleivdal, Managing Director
- Elisabeth Anspach, Marketing Director
- Helge Otto Mathisen, Information Director
- Svein Sørensen, Technical Director
- Jan Kverneland, E-business Director
- Rolf Kjær, Project Director
- Frode Hansen, Route Director Norway-Germany
- Odd Grønnberg, Route Director Norway-Denmark
- Laila Valdal, Route Director Norway-Sweden
External links