Editing MS Gabriella (section)

==Service history==
===1992–1994: ''Frans Suell''===
On 16 May 1992 ''Frans Suell'' was christened in [[Malmö]] by the [[Swedish people|Swedish]] [[opera singer]] [[Birgit Nilsson]]. The following day she set on her maiden voyage from Malmö to [[Travemünde]] and [[Lübeck]], with only invited guests on board.<ref name=Stampehl /> On 19 May 1992 she began normal service on the Malmö–Travemünde route, with a daily departure from both ports.<ref name=EurowayHistory /><ref name=EurowayTimetable>{{cite web |url=http://www.cruiseferry.de/euroway/eurowayroute.html |title=The Route |accessdate=2008-03-26 |work=The Euroway Memory Page }}</ref> The service had a troubled start, as marketing had been difficult due to delays in the construction of the ship. Due to restrictions placed by the city of Malmö on traffic through the city, no trucks could be carried on board, and operating the buffet restaurant on board caused difficulties for the company.<ref name=FoF /><ref name=EurowayHistory />

From 1 September 1992 onwards ''Frans Suell''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s route was extended to Lübeck for the duration of the [[northern hemisphere]] winter season. The call at Travemünde was maintained as the city of Lübeck did not allow cars to be unloaded in the city. Due to the longer crossing times the timetable was altered with departures from every second day from Malmö and Lübeck, with overnight crossings.<ref name=FoF /><ref name=EurowayHistory /><ref name=EurowayTimetable />

On 1 June 1993 Sea-Link Shipping entered an agreement with [[Silja Line]], with the latter assuming marketing and operational responsibility of the Euroway service and ships. The service now became marketed as Silja Line Euroway, with [[MS Silja Festival|''Silja Festival'']] joining ''Frans Suell'' as the second ship on the service (the original planned second ship, [[MS Frans Kockum|''Frans Kockum'']], had been even more severely delayed than ''Frans Suell'', and eventually Sea-Link cancelled the order).<ref name=Stampehl /><ref name=EurowayHistory /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/crown_of_scandinavia_1994.htm |title=M/S ''Crown of Scandinavia'' (1994) |accessdate=2008-03-26 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |work=Fakta om Fartyg |language=Swedish }}</ref> From the beginning of June 1993 ''Frans Suell'' (and ''Silja Festival'')'s route was again shortened to Malmö–Travemünde, with two daily departures from both ports.<ref name=EurowayTimetable />

With hopes of attracting more passengers, for the 1993–1994 winter season the route was extended into [[Copenhagen]]–Malmö–Travemünde–Lübeck from 1 September 1993 onwards, with daily departures from Copenhagen and Lübeck.<ref name=EurowayTimetable /> Due to the low passenger figures on the service and the poor financial situation of Silja Line, the decision was made to terminate the Euroway service on 12 March 1994.<ref name=EurowayHistory /> Silja Line wished to charter ''Frans Suell'' for use on their [[Turku]]–[[Stockholm]] service, and already on 2 March 1994 she had been chartered to Silja.<ref name=Stampehl />

===1994–1997: ''Silja Scandinavia''===
Following the closure of Euroway ''Frans Suell'' sailed to the [[Vuosaari shipyard]] in [[Helsinki]], Finland, where she was fitted with rear sponsons, refurbished, painted in Silja Line livery and renamed ''Silja Scandinavia''. On 31 March 1994 she entered service on the [[Turku]]–[[Stockholm]] route.<ref name=FoF /><ref name=Stampehl /> Silja Line's main rivals [[Viking Line]], who owned two of the ship's sisters, were also interested in chartering the ship but thought the price was too high.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

As Silja Line's charter agreement for ''Silja Scandinavia'' was drawing to a close in 1996, the main funders of Sea-Link demanded that instead of continuing the charter the ship should be sold to the highest bidder. Although Silja Line would have wanted to continue operating the ship, the company was in such a poor financial condition that it could not pay the price asked for the ship. Instead, she was sold to Viking Line on 11 November 1996, with the delivery date planned in April 1997.<ref name=Stampehl /><ref>Malmberg, Stampehl (2007). p. 165.</ref> On 4 April 1997 ''Silja Scandinavia'' arrived for the last time in Turku in Silja Line colours.<ref name=Stampehl />

[[Image:Gabriella Helsinki 1997.jpg|thumb|left|''Gabriella'' in Helsinki, May 1997. Note the all-red funnel and white-painted car ramps]]

===1997 onwards: ''Gabriella''===
After ending her service with Silja Line, ''Silja Scandinavia'' again sailed to the Vuosaari shipyard in Helsinki, where she was delivered to [[Viking Line]], refurbished, repainted and renamed ''Gabriella''<ref name=FoF /><ref name=Stampehl /> (the name having been chosen by a public naming competition). On 17 April 1997, ''Gabriella'' entered service for her new owners on the [[Helsinki]]–[[Stockholm]] route. On 30 June 1999 the a call at [[Mariehamn]] was added to the service to maintain [[duty free|tax free]] sales on board. In 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 the ship spent brief periods sailing on Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route, in place of the ship normally used in the service.<ref name=FoF /><ref name=Stampehl /> On 23 January 2004 she collided with the harbour ferry [[MS Ehrensvärd|''Ehrensvärd'']] in the Helsinki harbour, resulting in minor damage to both ships.<ref name=FoF />

Between 5 May 2008 and 27 May 2008, ''Gabriella'' was rebuilt at [[Öresundsvarvet]] in [[Landskrona]], [[Sweden]],<ref name=FoF /> as a part of Viking Line's fleet rebuilding programme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vikingline.fi/yritysinfo/lehdistotiedotteet/tuotteet_071004_laadunkehitys.asp |title=Viking Linella merkittävä laadunkehitysohjelma |accessdate=2008-07-12 |date=2007-10-04 |work=Viking Line press release |publisher=Viking Line |language=Finnish |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228062520/http://www.vikingline.fi/yritysinfo/lehdistotiedotteet/tuotteet_071004_laadunkehitys.asp |archivedate=2008-12-28 }}</ref> The refit included the removal of the original cafeteria from deck 7 in favour of expanding the tax-free shop, the addition of a games room on deck 7, the addition of a Tapas & Wine restaurant on deck 8, the conversion of the former BBQ-restaurant into an Ella's restaurant, the conversion of the two-storey discothèque on decks 9 and 10 into a new cafeteria, the addition of new cabins in place of the former conference rooms on deck 11, and redecoration of the majority of passenger cabins.<ref name=VLsivut>{{cite web |url=http://www.vikingline.fi/merella/gabriella/uusitut_tilat.asp |title=M/S ''Gabriella'' sai uuden ilmeen: uudet raikkaat tilat ja konseptit |accessdate=2008-07-12 |publisher=Viking Line |language=Finnish |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223064853/http://www.vikingline.fi/merella/gabriella/uusitut_tilat.asp |archivedate=2008-12-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vikinglinesivut.info/index.php?sivu=Uutiset&subaction=showfull&id=1212412135&archive=&start_from=&ucat=& |title=Viking Line: Gabriellan uudistukset! |accessdate=2008-07-12 |date=2008-06-02 |format= |work=Viking Line // Laivasivusto |publisher= |language=Finnish }}</ref>