MS Stena Saga

Stena Saga, September 2014
History
Name:	1981–1991: Silvia Regina 1991–1994: Stena Britannica 1994 onwards: Stena Saga
Owner:	1981–1986: Suomen Yritysrahoitus 1986–1988: Johnson Line 1988 onwards: Stena Line
Operator:	1981–1991: Silja Line 1991 onwards: Stena Line
Port of registry:	1981–1983: Helsinki,  Finland 1983–1987: Mariehamn,  Finland 1987 onwards: ,  Sweden
Route:	Oslo–Frederikshavn (as of 2010) Göteborg–Frederikshavn on Monday mornings (as of 2010)
Builder:	Wärtsilä Perno shipyard/Turku shipyard, Turku, Finland
Yard number:	1252
Launched:	21 October 1980
Christened:	28 April 1981 (by Queen Silvia of Sweden)
Acquired:	10 June 1981
In service:	12 June 1981
Identification:	IMO number: 7911545
Status:	In service
General characteristics (as built)
Type:	Cruiseferry
Tonnage:	25,905 GRT 3,898 DWT
Length:	166.10 m (544 ft 11 in)
Beam:	28.46 m (93 ft 4 in)
Draught:	6.70 m (22 ft 0 in)
Ice class:	1A Super
Installed power:	4 × Wärtsilä-Pielstick 12PC2.5V 22,948 kW (combined)
Speed:	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity:	2,000 passengers 1601 berths 450 cars 70 trailers
General characteristics (as rebuilt, 2005)
Tonnage:	33,750 GT
Capacity:	2,000 passengers 1601 berths 510 cars 1032 lanemeters

MS Stena Saga is a cruiseferry owned by the Swedish shipping company Stena Line and operated mainly on their route connecting Oslo, Norway to Frederikshavn, Denmark. Every Monday morning she also sails between Göteborg, Sweden and Frederikshavn, Denmark. She was built as MS Silvia Regina in 1981 by Wärtsilä Turku, Finland for Rederi AB Svea for use in Silja Line traffic. The ship joined Stena Line fleet in 1991, originally with the name MS Stena Britannica.

In the late 1970s Effoa and Rederi AB Svea, two of the owners of the Baltic Sea ferry operator Silja Line, made the decision to order two new, large car/passenger ferries for Silja Line's Helsinki– service. The ships were designed to be much larger than the ships that were at the time sailing on the route (built in 1975) and they would be Silja Line's first genuine cruiseferries.

During the 70s the French Dubegion-Normandie shipyard in Nantes had been Silja Line's shipyard of choice, with both previous generations of ferries for the Helsinki–Stockholm service built there. However for the new ships, the decision was made to build them in Finland at Wärtsilä Turku shipyards, that was at the time building several large ferries for Silja's main rival Viking Line.