Built in 1978 and being named mv Dana Anglia the ship was to set new standards of comfort on the Harwich to Esbjerg route, the interior layout was developed further from the earlier Esbjerg ship mv Dana Regina. The mv Dana Anglia seldom operated on another route and served for over 20 years operating out of the Harwich port. Over the final few years on the route the ship was starting to show her age and the route was becoming more freight orientated which made the mv Dana Anglia unsuitable, therefore in 2002 she was replaced and renamed mv Duke of Scandinavia. Transferred to open a new Copenhagen to Gdansk service, sadly this route was never developed as she was hastily transferred to the Newcastle to Ijmuiden service to replace the sold mv Prince of Scandinavia in 2003.
Following mixed reactions to her arrival due to her limited accomodation and aged interior she was to operate opposite the larger and more luxourious mv Queen of Scandinavia. Over the course of the next few years she once again settled into a routine of crossing the North Sea for which see was built, suprisingly despite her advanced years she was more comfortable in rough seas when compared to her younger fleetmate.
Her DFDS career was terminated following the announcement that DFDS had purchased the mv Val de Loire from Brittany Ferries. The mv Duke of Scandinavia ended her career early on in 2006 and was sent to Frederikshavn to be repainted and refurbished prior to entering service with Brittany Ferries in March as the mv Pont l'Abbe. Brittany Ferries chartering her for a period of two years pending the arrival of a new build for the Plymouth to Roscoff service. Initially operating from Portsmouth to the port of Cherbourg the ship was to later transfer to her new home in Plymouth. The news that the mv Val de Loire was being replaced with a 28 year old ship with an outdated interior caused very mixed reactions, especially as her interiors did not live upto the usual Brittany Ferries standards. However within 10 months she has settled down to her new role and is set to become a well known site in Plymouth for months to come.
What is to become of her following service with Brittany Ferries is anyones guess. In a suprising move Brittany Ferries purchased the ship from DFDS late in 2007. This is said to be down to a potential late delivery of the mv Armorique the ship being built in Finland for the Plymouth to Roscoff route and therefore it was probably more cost effective to purchase the ship than continue to charter the ship.
Following mixed reactions to her arrival due to her limited accomodation and aged interior she was to operate opposite the larger and more luxourious mv Queen of Scandinavia. Over the course of the next few years she once again settled into a routine of crossing the North Sea for which see was built, suprisingly despite her advanced years she was more comfortable in rough seas when compared to her younger fleetmate.
Her DFDS career was terminated following the announcement that DFDS had purchased the mv Val de Loire from Brittany Ferries. The mv Duke of Scandinavia ended her career early on in 2006 and was sent to Frederikshavn to be repainted and refurbished prior to entering service with Brittany Ferries in March as the mv Pont l'Abbe. Brittany Ferries chartering her for a period of two years pending the arrival of a new build for the Plymouth to Roscoff service. Initially operating from Portsmouth to the port of Cherbourg the ship was to later transfer to her new home in Plymouth. The news that the mv Val de Loire was being replaced with a 28 year old ship with an outdated interior caused very mixed reactions, especially as her interiors did not live upto the usual Brittany Ferries standards. However within 10 months she has settled down to her new role and is set to become a well known site in Plymouth for months to come.
What is to become of her following service with Brittany Ferries is anyones guess. In a suprising move Brittany Ferries purchased the ship from DFDS late in 2007. This is said to be down to a potential late delivery of the mv Armorique the ship being built in Finland for the Plymouth to Roscoff route and therefore it was probably more cost effective to purchase the ship than continue to charter the ship.