Entering service as the mv Wellamo in 1974, she was one of a threeship series ordered from the Dubigenon Normandie Yard at Nantes to enable the companies operating as Silja Line to cope with rapidly increasing traffic across the Baltic between Sweden and Finland. The mv Wellamo was the second of the trio to enter service in July 1975. Easily the largest ships of the period, even the capacity of the mv Wellamo and her sisters could not keep pace with demand and by the dawn of the 980's the fist of the really colossal Baltic ferries was on order. Before the end of 1980 the mv Wellamo was sold for further service with DFDS with delivery to take place in may 1981 once the 25,000ton mv Silvia Regina was commissioned.
Following overhaul and repainting she emerged as the mv Dana Gloria entered service on the Newcastle to Esbjerg service with a twice weekly visit to Gothenburg during the summer months. Three years later in 1983 the Dana Gloria would move to the Copenhagen to Oslo route. This assignment was to prove short lived and suprisingly she found herself chartered out back to Silja Line to run opposite one of her sisters on the Stockholm to Turku route. Then in 1985 being returned to DFDS and following an extensive refit she once again took up service between Oslo and Copenhagen in June.
After DFDS considered several options to upgrade the Copenhagen to Oslo route an annouchment was made in December 1987 to lengthen the mv Dana Gloria by 22 metres, providing more cabins and boost restaurant capacities, prior to re-entering service she was renamed mv King of Scandinavia. The work was completed before the summer 1988 season and was to help boost capacity until the arrival of the mv Finlandia (sister ship to the mv Silvia Regina which previously displaced the mv Dana Gloria from Silja Line's fleet).
In 1994 the end of the line was to come for the mv King of Scandinavia and she was sold for further service with Color Line. The deal with Color Line was a ship swap with a cash transaction. DFDS transferred the mv King of Scandinavia to Color Line, and Color Line transferred their mv Venus to DFDS. The mv King of Scandinavia, following refit was to enter service as the mv Color Viking on the Newcastle to Bergen route and was set to begin a career on this route spanning 11 long years before being withdrawn. During those 11 years she was sold again to Fjord Line and renamed mv Jupiter.
Over the years, through many names and across many routes the ship has captured the hearts of many of her passengers and it was a sad day in 2005 when she was retired from service due to old age, a ship that clearly showed no matter the age a ship could still be comfortable and reliable.
Following overhaul and repainting she emerged as the mv Dana Gloria entered service on the Newcastle to Esbjerg service with a twice weekly visit to Gothenburg during the summer months. Three years later in 1983 the Dana Gloria would move to the Copenhagen to Oslo route. This assignment was to prove short lived and suprisingly she found herself chartered out back to Silja Line to run opposite one of her sisters on the Stockholm to Turku route. Then in 1985 being returned to DFDS and following an extensive refit she once again took up service between Oslo and Copenhagen in June.
After DFDS considered several options to upgrade the Copenhagen to Oslo route an annouchment was made in December 1987 to lengthen the mv Dana Gloria by 22 metres, providing more cabins and boost restaurant capacities, prior to re-entering service she was renamed mv King of Scandinavia. The work was completed before the summer 1988 season and was to help boost capacity until the arrival of the mv Finlandia (sister ship to the mv Silvia Regina which previously displaced the mv Dana Gloria from Silja Line's fleet).
In 1994 the end of the line was to come for the mv King of Scandinavia and she was sold for further service with Color Line. The deal with Color Line was a ship swap with a cash transaction. DFDS transferred the mv King of Scandinavia to Color Line, and Color Line transferred their mv Venus to DFDS. The mv King of Scandinavia, following refit was to enter service as the mv Color Viking on the Newcastle to Bergen route and was set to begin a career on this route spanning 11 long years before being withdrawn. During those 11 years she was sold again to Fjord Line and renamed mv Jupiter.
Over the years, through many names and across many routes the ship has captured the hearts of many of her passengers and it was a sad day in 2005 when she was retired from service due to old age, a ship that clearly showed no matter the age a ship could still be comfortable and reliable.