MS Scandinavia in Gdansk |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1980-1990: Visby 1990-1991: Felicity 1991-2003: Stena Felicity 2003-2003: Visborg 2003 onwards: Scandinavia |
| Operator: | 1980-1988: Rederi AB Gotland 1988-1990: Gotlandslinjen 1990-1991: Sealink British Ferries 1991-1993: Sealink Stena Line 1993-1996: Stena Sealink Line 1996-1997: Stena Line 1997-2003: Destination Gotland 2003 onwards: Polferries |
| Port of registry: | 1980-2003: Visby, Sweden 2003 onwards: Nassau, Bahamas |
| Builder: | Öresundsvarvet, Landskrona, Sweden |
| Yard number: | 278 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 7826788 |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics (after 1997 rebuild)[1][2] | |
| Class and type: | Visby class cruiseferry |
| Tonnage: | 23,842 GRT |
| Length: | 146.10 m (479 ft 4 in) |
| Beam: | 25.90 m (85 ft 0 in) |
| Draught: | 5.71 m (18 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power: | 4 × B&W 8K45 GUC diesels |
| Propulsion: | 2 x controllable pitch propellers 2 x bow thrusters |
| Speed: | 18 kn (33.34 km/h; 20.71 mph) |
| Capacity: | 2072 passengers 515 cars |
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.
The Scandinavia was launched in January 1980 as the Visby for Rederi AB Gotland. 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.[3]
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.
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