MS Princess of Scandinavia

Princess of Scandinavia in Gothenburg
History
Name:	1976-1982: Tor Scandinavia 1982-1983: World Wide Expo 1983-1991: Tor Scandinavia 1991-2006: Princess of Scandinavia 2006-present: Moby Otta
Owner:	1976-1981: Tor Line 1981-1983: DFDS 1983-1991: Difko XXXIII 1991-2006: DFDS 2006-present: Moby Lines
Operator:	1976-1980: Tor Line 1980-1981: Sessan Tor Line 1981: Tor Line 1981-2006: DFDS Seaways 2006-present: Moby Lines
Port of registry:	1976-1981: Gothenburg,  Sweden 1981-1991: Esbjerg,  Denmark 1991-2006: Copenhagen,  Denmark 2006-present: Naples,  Italy
Builder:	Flender Werke, Lübeck, West Germany
Yard number:	608
Laid down:	2 April 1975
Launched:	4 November 1975
Christened:	15 April 1976by Jennifer Wilson
Acquired:	12 April 1976
In service:	15 April 1976
Identification:	IMO number: 7361324
Status:	In service
Notes:	Sister ship to MS Moby Drea
General characteristics (as built)
Tonnage:	15673 GRT
Displacement:	3,290 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
Length:	182.26 meters
Beam:	23.62 meters
Draught:	6.20 meters
Installed power:	4 × Pielstick PC3 12 V480 diesels 33540 kW
Speed:	27.2 knots
Capacity:	1507 passengers 1416 beds 420 passenger cars 910 lanemeters
General characteristics (after 1998 refit)
Tonnage:	21545 GRT
Displacement:	3,335 DWT
Length:	184.55 meters
Beam:	26.40 meters
Draught:	6.20 meters
Capacity:	1507 passengers 1617 beds 420 passenger cars 910 lanemeters
General characteristics (after 2007 refit)
Capacity:	1900 passengers 500 passenger cars

MS Moby Otta is a cruiseferry, currently owned by the Italy-based shipping company Moby Lines and operated on their Livorno–Olbia service. She was built in 1976 by Flender Werke, Lübeck, West Germany as MS Tor Scandinavia for Tor Line. Between 1991 and 2006 she sailed as MS Princess of Scandinavia.

Tor Line had been established in 1966 by two Swedish companies to operate car-passenger services between Sweden, England and the Netherlands with modern car-passenger ferries. By the early 1970s Tor Line had essentially defeated their main competitors on the route, Rederi AB Svea and Swedish Lloyd. To consolidate their leading position the company decided to order a pair of new state-of-the-art ferries for the service. The new ships were to be the fastest ferries in the world, as well as largest, except for the Soviet Union's Belorussiya class ships.

The first sister, MS Tor Britannia, was delivered in May 1975. Just a month earlier the keel had been laid for the second sister, to be called MS Tor Scandinavia. Tor Scandinavia was eventually delivered on April 12, 1976. The two ships revolutionized trans-North Sea traffic, being capable of speeds in excess of 27 knots and offering services hitherto unknown on ferries in that route. Although technically modern in many ways, the ships' exteriors were quite traditional in their style, reminiscent more of ocean liners than ferries. The sole exception to this were two massive loading ramps in the rear of the ship, which were necessary as the ships had no forward car-gate (just a small car door on the forward starboard side for upper car deck exit only) for safety reasons.

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