MS Costa Allegra

Overview

*Annie Johnson (1969-1986) *Regent Moon (1986-1988) *Alexandra (1988-1992) *Costa Allegra (1992-2012) *Santa Cruise (2012)

owner	Rederi AB Nordstjernan (1969-1986) Regency Cruises (1986-1988) Compania Naviera Panalexandra (1988-1990) Costa Crociere (1990-2012) *Themis Maritime Ltd (2012)
operator	Johnson Line (1969–1986) Costa Crociere (1992–2012)
registry	Stockholm, 🇸🇪 (1969–1986) Limassol, 🇨🇾 (1986–1988) Panama City, 🇵🇦 (1988–1990) Naples, 🇮🇹 Italy (1990–1994) Monrovia, 🇱🇷 (1994–2000) Genoa, 🇮🇹 Italy (2000–2012) *Freetown, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone (2012)
builder	Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard, Turku, Finland (original) T. Mariotti, Genoa, Italy (rebuild)
yard number	1170
launched	29 April 1969
completed	1969
acquired	4 December 1969
maiden voyage	5 December 1969
refit	1986–1992
in service	1969
out of service	27 February 2012
identification	Call sign: ICRA *MMSI no.: 247816000
fate	Scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey in 2012
notes	‡R1R‡

Costa Allegra, formerly Annie Johnson, was a cruise ship owned by the Italy-based costa Cruises, one of many subsidiaries owned by Costa's parent company Carnival Corporation. She was built in 1969 by the Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Turku, Finland, as a container ship for the Johnson Line services of Sweden-based Rederi AB Nordstjernan. In 1986 she was sold to Regency Cruises with the intention of being converted into a cruise ship as Regent Moon, but she was laid up instead. In 1988 she was sold to Compania Naviera Panalexandra and renamed Alexandra but continued laid up. In 1990, the ship was acquired by Costa Cruises and rebuilt into a cruise ship at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy. She entered service as Costa Allegra in 1992.[2][3]

Costa Allegra suffered a generator fire while off the coast of Africa approximately 200 miles southwest of the

Career

Annie Johnson

Annie Johnson was the second in a series of five container ships built by the Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Finland for the Swedish shipping company Rederi AB Nordstjernan. She was launched on 29 April 1969 and delivered to her owners on 4 December of the same year, entering service on the same date.

From 1969 until 1986, Annie Johnson was used as in cargo services by Rederi AB Nordstjernan. On 8 August 1986 the ship was sold to the Greece-based Regency Cruises with the intention of being rebuilt as a cruise ship. With this aim in mind, she was renamed Regent Moon.[2][3] Her sister ship MS Axel Johnson was sold to Regency Cruises at the same time, renamed Regent Sun, also with the intention of being converted into a cruise ship. These plans were never realised, and Regent Moon was laid up in Perama, Greece.[2][6] In May 1988 Regent Moon was sold to Compania Naviera Panalexandra and renamed Alexandra, but continued laid up until 1990 when she was sold to Costa Crociere.[2][3]

Costa Allegra

Costa Crociere acquired Regent Sun which was renamed Italia in the interim, in 1988 and had her conversion into a cruise ship realised, with the ship being delivered in July 1990 as Costa Marina.[6] Following this Costa Crociere acquired Alexandra on 28 August 1990 for conversion into a cruise ship at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy, the same shipyard that had rebuilt Costa Marina. Work on Alexandra commenced on 4 September 1990. She received an entirely new superstructure in the same style as that of Costa Marina, as well as new engines. However, unlike Costa Marina, Alexandra was also lengthened by 13.4 m when rebuilt.[2][7][6][8] Although originally planned to be renamed Costa Azzurra,[3] the ship was eventually named Costa Allegra and delivered to Costa Cruises on 16 November 1992.

2012 fire

During the morning of 27 February 2012, a fire broke out in the generator room.[12] The fire was extinguished by the on-board fire-suppression system and there were no injuries, but the ship was left without power and adrift about 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles.[13][14] She was towed by the French tuna-fishing vessel Trevignon, from the Compagnie Française du Thon Océanique (CFTO) based in Concarneau,[15][16] to Mahé in the Seychelles for repair and evacuation of the passengers.[17] 1049 people,[18]

MS Costa Allegra

Career

Annie Johnson

Costa Allegra

2012 fire

Design

References

2012 fire