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May 27th 1972: Ordered a cost of 33 million DEM.
March 17th 1973: Launched
June 23rd 1973: Sea trials.
June 30th 1973: Delivered to Oy SF-Line Ab, Mariehamn, Finland and officially named AURELLA.
July 3rd 1973: Commenced service with Viking Lines between Nådendal - Mariehamn - Kapellskär. She was the first "Jumbo ferry" in operation in the Ålands Sea.
September 21st 1973: Suffered engine failure and ran aground near Björkön in the Åländ Islands.
October 10th 1973: Arrived at Finnboda Yard, Nacka for repairs.
September 1981: Laid up in Mariehamn.
January 20th 1982: Sold to Irish Continental Group Ltd Dublin, Ireland for about $16 million.
January 1982: Renamed SAINT PATRICK II. Rebuilt by Amsterdamsche Droogdok, Amsterdam, Holland extra cabins.
© Aubrey Dale
June 2nd 1982: Commenced service between Rosslare - Le Havre.
1985: Chartered to Stena Line, operated between Moss - Fredrikshavn - Göteborg.
1986: Back from charter.
November 21st 1982 - April 1st 1983: Chartered to North Sea Ferries. Operated between Rotterdam - Hull.
April 21st 1983 - June 22nd 1983: Chartered to Belfast Car Ferries, operated between Belfast - Liverpool.
1984, 1988 & 1989: Chartered to B&I Line. Operated between Pembroke - Rosslare.
1985 (winter): Chartered to DFDS Seaways, operated between Hamburg - Harwich.
1987: Operated between Liverpool - Belfast.
1988: Owners company changed name to Irish Continental Group, PLC, Dublin
© Brian Fisher
September 15th 1989 - 30th September 1989: Chartered to Sealink
UK Ltd, operating between Portsmouth and Cherbourg.
October 1989 - March 1990: Between Dover and Calais.
© Nigel Thornton
1990: All Sealink vessels were laid-up during a sea-mans strike.
September 22nd 1990 - March 1991: Continued at Dover, this time under charter to P & O European Ferries and operating between Dover and Zeebrugge
Dover, March 1991 ©
Marconista
1992, 1993, 1994 & 1995: In the winters she was chartered to Estonian Shipping Company, Tallinn, Estonia. Operated Tallin's services between Helsingfors - Tallinn. Transferred to the Estonian ships register.
© Ulrich Streich
1993, 1994 & 1995: In the summers, back to the Irish register and operating between Ireland and France.
March 4th 1994: Went to the aid of the grounded SALLY ALBATROSS, and evacuated 1,101 passengers and 158 crew.
Roy Thornton Collection
1995 (early): Operated between Dublin and Holyhead, replacing the previous ISLE OF INNISFREE which had been returned to Stena Line at the end of her charter in early 1995.
© Aubrey Dale
1997: Laid up in Le Havre for sale.
July 1997: Reinstated for two crossings between Cork/Rosslare - Roscoff/Cherbourg/Le Havre.
July 1997: Laid up in Le Havre, France.
1998: Chartered to Hellenic Mediterranean Line of Greece (with purchase at end of five year charter period) and re-named the EGNATIA II.
© Ton Grootenboer
June 24th 1998: Operated between Brindisi and Patras.
May 2000: Chartered to Balear Express, Spain and renamed VILLE DE SETE. She then operated between Sete and Palma
© Andreas Wörteler
September 29th 2000: Laid-up in Piraeus.
March 2001: Chartered to Swansea Cork Ferries and renamed CITY OF CORK.
March 15th 2001: Commenced between Swansea - Cork.
© Marko Stampehl
2001: Transferred to Maltese flag, home port Valletta.
December 2001: Withdrawn from service
at the end of the season, then went to lay up in Greece.
March 6th 2002: Sold to CTMA of Canada to be renamed C.T.M.A. VACANCIER for service between Montreal and the Iles de la Madeleine.
30th April 2002: Left Piraeus bound for Canada.
© Marc Piché
May 8th 2002: Arrived at Cap-aux-Meules where she was renamed C.T.M.A. VACANCIER. She then operated between Montreal and Cap-aux-Meules.
2002 (Autumn): Underwent refit at Cap-aux-Meules. .
2003: Re-engined and rebuilt at Les Mechins Dry Dock, Quebec.
April 28th 2003: In dry dock for the installation of new aluminium bridge-wings as well as a general inspection, mechanical repairs, sandblasting and painting. The bridge-wings, which were constructed by Vereault Navigation prior to the arrival of the vessel.
 
© Marc Piché
2007: Still in service with CTMA as the C.T.M.A. VACANCIER.
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Technical Data
History
