MS Med Express

MS Med Express is a Ro-Ro ship owned by the Turkish shipping company Ams Line Shipping Company. The vessel was built in 1993 in Saint Petersburg and completed in 2000 in Naples, Italy. Med Express is registered under the flag of San Marino and its home port is the City of San Marino.

History
Name	Regal Star (1993-2025) Med express (2025-Present)
Owner	MCR SrL (2000–03) Hansatee Shipping (2003–04) Helsinki Line (2004-2025) Ams Line Shipping Company(since 2025)
Operator	MCR SrL (2000) Grimaldi Ferries (2000–03) Tallink Group (2003-2025) Ams Line Shipping Company(since 2025)
Port of registry	Naples, Italy (2000–03) Tallinn, Estonia (2003-25) City of San Marino, San Marino (Since 2025)
Route	Savona–Catania (2000) Salerno–Palermo–Valencia (2000–03) Paldiski–Kapellskär (2003–06, 2007–10, September 2010-February 2025) Tallinn–Helsinki (2006) Turku–Stockholm (2010)
Builder	Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Severnaya Verf / Palumba SpA
Yard number	668
Launched	1993
Completed	2000
Identification	IMO number: 9087116
General characteristics
Tonnage	15,412 GT, 7,045 DWT
Length	156.60 metres (513 ft 9 in)
Beam	23.80 metres (78 ft 1 in)
Draught	6.70 metres (22 ft 0 in)
Installed power	Two B&W 6DPH45 diesel engines, 8,700 kilowatts (11,700 hp)
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h)
Capacity	106 passengers, 1,740 lane metres cargo capacity.

Description

The ship is 156.60 metres (513 ft 9 in) long, with a beam of 23.80 metres (78 ft 1 in) and a draught of 6.70 metres (22 ft 0 in). She is powered by two Burmeister & Wain 6DPH45 diesel engines, rated at a total of 8,700 kilowatts (11,700 hp). They propel the ship at 18 knots (33 km/h).^[1]

History

The ship was built in 1993 as yard number 668 by Sudostroitelnyy Zavod Severnaya Verf, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The IMO Number 9087116 was allocated. She was laid up after launch and was sold in 1999. She was completed in 2000 by Palumba SpA, Naples, Italy for MCL SrL, Naples. Her port of registry was Naples. She entered service in March 2000 on the Savona–Catania route. In September, she was chartered by Grimaldi Ferries and entered service on the Salerno–Palermo–Valencia route.^[1]

In December 2003, Regal Star was sold to Hansatee Shipping, Tallinn, Estonia. She was transferred to the Estonian flag and placed under the management of Tallink Group. On 13 March 2003, the ship started operating on the Paldiski–Kapellskär route. In March 2006, she was transferred to the Tallinn–Helsinki route. She collided with the quayside at Helsinki and damaged her stern. Following repairs, she returned to service in January 2007 on the Paldiski–Kapellskär route.^[1] From June 2010, Regal Star operated on the Turku–Stockholm route.^[2] She returned to the Paldiski–Kapellskär route on 1 September 2010.

In November 2017 MS Regal Star had an additional section added which raised her tonnage to 15,412 GT and increased her passenger capacity.

On August 6 2025 Tallink announced the sale of Regal Star to Ams Line Shipping Co with the ship being handed over the same day.^[3]