MS Scandinavia (1980)
Encyclopedia
The Scandinavia is a cruiseferry
owned and operated by Polish
shipping company Polferries
. The vessel sails overnight between the Polish city of Gdańsk
and Nynäshamn
in Sweden
. The Scandinavia is the first of two sister ships built. The second vessel currently operates for SNAV
as the SNAV Toscana.
. She was the first of two identical ships built by Öresundsvarvet in Landskrona
.
The Visby entered service between Gotland
and the Swedish
mainland ports of Nynäshamn
and Oskarshamn
. In 1987 the contract to run ferry services to Gotland
was awarded to Gotlandslinjen. The Visby was charted to the new operator until replaced by the Nord Gotlandia
in 1990.
In 1990 the Visby was chartered
to United Kingdom
based ferry operator Sealink British Ferries
for service between Fishguard
and Rosslare
. Following a major refit in Tilbury
the vessel entered service in March 1990 as the Felicity. She remained the largest ferry on the Irish Sea
until the arrival of the Isle of Innisfree in 1995. The Felicity was renamed Stena Felicity in 1991 following the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries by Stena Line
.
In 1997 the charter of the Stena Felicity ended. Her place on the Fishguard route was taken by the Koningin Beatrix
. Following a rebuild in Germany
, the vessel re-entered Gotland service in 1998 under her original name of Visby. In 2003 the Visby was renamed Visborg to release her name for a new vessel under construction in China.
In 2003 she was sold to Polferries
and renamed Scandinavia for service between Gdansk and Nynäshamn.
Cruiseferry
A 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...
owned and operated by Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
shipping company Polferries
Polferries
Polferries is the largest Polish ferry operator.The Polish Baltic Shipping Company was established on 31 January 1976 as a state-owned shipping company. Under the operating name Polferries, the company runs ferry routes across the Baltic Sea between Poland and Scandinavia.In 1996 Polferries...
. The vessel sails overnight between the Polish city of Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
and Nynäshamn
Nynäshamn
- References :...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The Scandinavia is the first of two sister ships built. The second vessel currently operates for SNAV
SNAV
SNAV is an Italian company that operates ferry services from Italy to Sardinia, Croatia and Sicily.- Routes :SNAV operates a large network of routes across the Mediterranean and Adriatic....
as the SNAV Toscana.
History
The Scandinavia was launched in January 1980 as the Visby for Rederi AB GotlandDestination Gotland
Destination Gotland is a Swedish ferry-line that run state-subsidiarised domestic ferries from Nynäshamn andOskarshamn to Visby on the island of Gotland. It is a wholly owned daughter company of Rederi AB Gotland...
. She was the first of two identical ships built by Öresundsvarvet in Landskrona
Landskrona
Landskrona is a locality and the seat of Landskrona Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 28,670 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Landskrona was founded at the location of Scania's best natural harbour, as a means of King Eric of Pomerania's anti-Hanseatic policy, intended to compete...
.
The Visby entered service between Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
and the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
mainland ports of Nynäshamn
Nynäshamn
- References :...
and Oskarshamn
Oskarshamn
Oskarshamn is a coastal city and the seat of Oskarshamn Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 17,258 inhabitants in 2010.-History:The location of Oskarshamn was known as Döderhultsvik since the Medieval age...
. In 1987 the contract to run ferry services to Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
was awarded to Gotlandslinjen. The Visby was charted to the new operator until replaced by the Nord Gotlandia
MS Nordlandia
MS Nordlandia is a cruiseferry owned by the Finnish shipping company Eckerö Line on their route connecting Helsinki, Finland, to Tallinn, Estonia. She was built in 1981 by AG Weser Seebeckswerft, Bremerhaven, West Germany for Olau Line as MS Olau Hollandia...
in 1990.
In 1990 the Visby was chartered
Bareboat charter
A bareboat charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible for taking care of such things....
to United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based ferry operator Sealink British Ferries
Sealink
Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland....
for service between Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
and Rosslare
Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeastern-most point of Ireland's coastline, handling passenger and freight ferries to and from Wales and France....
. Following a major refit in Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...
the vessel entered service in March 1990 as the Felicity. She remained the largest ferry on the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
until the arrival of the Isle of Innisfree in 1995. The Felicity was renamed Stena Felicity in 1991 following the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries by Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
.
In 1997 the charter of the Stena Felicity ended. Her place on the Fishguard route was taken by the Koningin Beatrix
MS Stena Baltica
MS Stena Baltica is a ro-ro ferry owned by Stena Line and operated on their Karlskrona - Gdynia service. She was built in 1986 by Van der Giessen de Noord as MS Koningin Beatrix for SMZ...
. Following a rebuild in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the vessel re-entered Gotland service in 1998 under her original name of Visby. In 2003 the Visby was renamed Visborg to release her name for a new vessel under construction in China.
In 2003 she was sold to Polferries
Polferries
Polferries is the largest Polish ferry operator.The Polish Baltic Shipping Company was established on 31 January 1976 as a state-owned shipping company. Under the operating name Polferries, the company runs ferry routes across the Baltic Sea between Poland and Scandinavia.In 1996 Polferries...
and renamed Scandinavia for service between Gdansk and Nynäshamn.