MS Expedition - Service History

Service History

The Kattegat was delivered in 1972 and placed on the intra-Denmark Grenå—Hundested service of Jydsk Færgefart A/S. She stopped serving on that route in December 1977. In March 1978 she was sold to the London-based Midland Montague Leasing Ltd who leased the ship to P&O Normandy Ferries Ltd, also based in London. After rebuilding at Caillard S.A., Le Havre, France the ship was renamed MS nf Tiger placed on Dover—Boulogne-sur-Mer service. In 1985 P&O Normandy Ferries was bought by Townsend Thoresen. The ship's name was shortened to MS Tiger, but she remained on the same service.

In July 1986 the ship was laid up, and in November of the same year she was sold to Finlandshamnen AB, a subsidiary to SF Line, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. After being rebuilt the ship was renamed MS Ålandsfärjan(in English "The Åland Ship") and placed in Mariehamn—Kapellskär service in May 1987. In 1993, following bankruptcy of the other Viking Line partner, Rederi AB Slite, the Ålandsfärjan's route was extended into Naantali—Mariehamn—Kapellskär (freight only on the Mariehamn—Naantali part of the route), but this solution was found impractical and soon the ship reverted to the earlier route).

In 2002 the ship was rebuilt at Baltic Ship Repairers, Tallinn, Estonia, where sidesponsons were added for increased stability. In January 2007 Viking Line ordered a replacement for her to be delivered in summer 2009, codenamed Viking ADCC.

On 23 October 2007, the Ålandsfärjan touched the bottom near Mariehamn. Passengers were readied for evacuation, but an inspection of the ship revealed no major damage and she was able to continue to Mariehamn under her own power, arriving some 30 minutes behind schedule. As a result of the accident, all departures until 22 November were cancelled. Investigations revealed that the cause for the accident was the new duty rosters: the officer on duty was inspecting the new roster and because of that failed to notice that the ship should have made a course change while approaching Mariehamn.

In September 2007 an Ålandian newspaper had claimed that the Ålandsfärjan would be replaced on the Mariehamn—Kapellskär route already in spring 2008, when MS Rosella would take over the route. On 8 April 2008 Viking Line confirmed the claim and on 30 May, the Rosella replaced the Ålandsfärjan the route. On 27 May, Viking Line revealed that they had sold the Ålandsfärjan to Gap Shipping with delivery in June 2008. Following delivery to her new owners the ship was renamed MS Expedition, and on 27 June the ship sailed for Aker Yards Rauma Shipyard. Aker Yards subsequently drew up plans for conversion of the vessel, and on 2008-09-10 the conversion contract was signed between Aker Yards and Gap Shipping. The Expedition is due to re-enter service after the conversion on 2009-01-04, re-launching Gap's polar cruise program that had been halted due to the sinking of their previous ship, MS Explorer.

Between June and September 2009 the Expedition will be chartered to Spitsbergen Travel, a daughter company of the Norway-based Hurtigruten, for week-long cruises around Spitsbergen.