After spending nearly a year alongside the Fishing Pier in Gdynia, Vestland Adventurer entered Dry Dock No. 4 at Gdańsk Shiprepair Yard (Gdańska Stocznia Remontowa S.A.) on Saturday, 10 October. The exact scope of the planned work remains unknown for now, but the vessel’s history is certainly worth exploring. During more than 50 years of service, the ship has undergone numerous changes of purpose – from a passenger and car ferry operating on Danish routes, through services across the English Channel and in the Baltic Sea, to a vessel used for expedition voyages.

The ship arrived in Gdynia in October 2025, after completing its service under the previous name, Expedition, and being acquired by the Norwegian company Vestland Adventurer AS. Publicly available sources indicate that the vessel is managed by Vestland Marine, a Gdynia-based company specialising, among other things, in the technical and operational management of ships and crew provision. The company’s fleet also includes Nordstjernen, a vessel we have covered on numerous occasions.

Vestland Adventurer was built in 1972 at the Helsingør Skibsværft og Maskinbyggeri A/S shipyard in Helsingør, Denmark, as the passenger and car ferry Kattegat for the operator Jydsk Færgefart A/S. The vessel has an overall length of 105.23 metres, a beam of 18.9 metres and a draught of 4.71 metres. In its original configuration, it could reach a speed of 17 knots and carry 963 passengers and 180 cars. From July 1972, it operated on the Grenå–Hundested route in Denmark, remaining in service there until December 1977.

A few months later, in March 1978, the vessel was sold to the British company Midland Montague Leasing Ltd for P&O Normandy Ferries, a company belonging to the P&O Group that operated cross-Channel services. Following a refit, it was renamed nf Tiger and began operating on the Dover–Boulogne route.

Interestingly, the ceremony at which the vessel received its new name featured some unusual guests. In June 1978, as part of a well-known British television programme, the wish of a five-year-old girl named Loretta was granted. She had written to the programme asking for the opportunity to name a ship. Following the intervention of the programme’s presenter, she was invited to take part in the official ceremony. In June 1978, she joined politician Lord George Brown in naming the vessel nf Tiger.

The Tiger made its final voyage on the Dover–Boulogne route on 18 July 1986. The vessel was subsequently laid up at Chatham in England.

More Than 20 Years in the Baltic Sea

In November 1986, the vessel attracted the interest of a company operating under the SF-Line brand, later known as Viking Line. Following further refits, it was renamed Ålandsfärjan. In May 1987, it began operating on the route between Kapellskär in Sweden and Mariehamn in the Åland Islands. In 1993, it was also introduced on a route serving Naantali in Finland.

In July 2005, a malfunction caused the ship to strike a mooring dolphin in Mariehamn. It returned to service after repairs. A more serious incident occurred on 23 October 2007, when Ålandsfärjan ran aground on Marbadan Reef near Mariehamn. An inspection revealed extensive damage to the hull, and the vessel was consequently sent to a shipyard in Tallinn, Estonia. It returned to service in November 2007.

From the Baltic Sea to Polar Waters

The ferry’s changes of ownership did not end there. In May 2008, the vessel was purchased by GAP Shipping Co Ltd of Barbados, a company associated with G Adventures. The plan was to convert it into a cruise ship for voyages in polar regions. Following a refit at the STX shipyard in Rauma, Finland, it was renamed Expedition and began operating on expedition voyages under the Liberian flag.

By late 2009, the ship was already experiencing engine problems. In January 2010, technical faults led to the cancellation of all return voyages from its home port of Ushuaia, Argentina, to Antarctica. Passengers were transferred to other vessels, while Expedition remained laid up in the Canary Islands.

In March 2020, G Adventures suspended its voyages because of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the ship was in Ushuaia, Argentina. In the following years, the vessel underwent repairs. In 2022, the resumption of voyages covering the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica was announced, with calls at ports including Montevideo in Uruguay.

After spending time in Montevideo in 2025, Expedition set sail for Porto Grande in Cape Verde and then headed to Gdynia. In October, it was sold to the Norwegian company Vestland Adventurer AS and given its current name, Vestland Adventurer.

Today, Vestland Adventurer is a passenger ship designed for expedition voyages. According to information published in the vessel’s materials, it can accommodate up to 140 passengers. It has an ice class of 1B and is equipped for operation in icy conditions.

[At the time of publication, we had not received a response regarding the planned scope of work or the vessel’s future. We will return to the subject as soon as we are able to establish further details.]

Photos: GospodarkaMorska.pl