MS Baltic Star

MS "Baltic Star is a cruise ship owned by Rederi Hotell Fartyget BJ AB that was operated on services between Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Turku and most recently Mariehamn on the Åland Islands (Finland). She was built in 1953 as a passenger liner at Finnboda shipyard in Nacka, Sweden as SS "Birger Jarl for Rederi AB Svea. In 1973 she was sold to Jakob Lines, was renamed SS "Bore Nord and converted into a ferry. In 1978 she was bought back by the Ånedin Line (named after the 1970s British TV series The Onedin Line, also popular in Sweden) and was renamed SS "Baltic Star. In 1982 the ship's original steam engines were replaced by diesel engines; the ship's prefix hence altered to MS. In 1989 the engines were again replaced by new diesels. In 2002 the ship reverted to the name "Birger Jarl", and in 2020 back to the "Baltic Star" name.
History.
SS "Birger Jarl" was ordered by Rederi AB Svea from Finnboda shipyard in Nacka, Stockholm, where the keel of the ship was laid on 16 November 1951. She was launched on 15 January 1953 and named after the 13th-century Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. Her maiden voyage was made on 9 June 1953 to Helsinki, after which she started regular services between Stockholm – Helsinki and Stockholm – Turku.
SS "Birger Jarl" is one of the so-called "Olympia" ships, built to upgrade the ferry traffic for the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics. Her two sister ships, SS "Aallotar" and SS "Bore III", entered service before the Olympics, but SS "Birger Jarl" was only delivered the year after.
Between 1973 and 1978 the ship sailed under the name SS "Bore Nord" and between 1978 and 2002 she was SS "Baltic Star"/MS "Baltic Star". In 2002 she was given back her original name.
In 2020, the ship again reverted to the name MS "Baltic Star", under controversial circumstances.
The ship is a listed historic ship of Sweden.