MS Polaris

This article is about the 1968 motorship named Polaris in 2005. For other ships, see Polaris (ship).

MS Polaris was a Russian-owned, Danish-built passenger ship in service with the Murmansk Shipping Company and based in Murmansk. It was built in 1968, and until 2000, it served as a ferry between cities in Greenland, mainly passenger transfers along the Greenland coastline. In 2000 she was bought by Scandinavian Cruise Line and was refurbished in Denmark by Master Mariner AB, Sweden. She was named M/S Shearwaterto and changed to Bahamian flag. She was sold to Norway 2001. It moved to Russia in 2005

History
Name	Disko (1968–2000) Shearwater (2000–2001) Brand Polaris (2001–2003) Viking Polaris (2003–2005) Polaris (2005–2019)
Owner	1968–1987: Northsea S 1987–1993: Carrier Vesterhavet IS & A / N Petersen A / S 1993–1996: Royal Arctic Line A / S 1996–1997: KNI-Service A / S 1997–2000: Greenland Tourism 2000–2001: Scandinavian Cruise Line 2001–2001: Viking Polaris 2000–2001: Gallion Shipping 2001–2004: Viking Polaris 2004–2004: Silvero Shipping 2005–2013: Murmansk Shipping[1] 2013–2019: Russia Government Sakhalin Region
Operator	1968–1993: The Royal Greenland Trading Department 1993–1996: Royal Arctic Line 1993–1996: KNI-Service 1996–2000: Greenland Tourism 2000–2000: Dala Rederi 2000–2001: Betz eft. 2001–2003: Viking Polaris 2003–2003: Sophlex Ship Management 2003–2004: Swedish Adventure Cruises 2004–2004: J. Gran & Co. A/S Shipbrokers 2004–2004: NB Maritime Management Cyprus 2005–2013: Murmansk Shipping[2] 2013–2019: Sakhalin-Kurily JSC
Ordered	Northsea S
Builder	Svendborg Skibsværft
Yard number	122
Completed	16 April 1968[3]
Identification	Call sign: UBDF IMO number: 6807395 MMSI number: 273430670
Fate	Scrapped in Busan, South Korea 2019[4][5]
General characteristics
Type	Cruise ship[6]
Tonnage	2,097 GT 556 DWT[7] and 445 DWT[8]
Displacement	2,178 tons[9]
Length	70.56 m (231 ft 6 in)[10]
Beam	13.54 m (44 ft 5 in)[11]
Draught	4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)[12]
Depth	8.0 m (26 ft 3 in)
Decks	5
Propulsion	1968–2000, two 9-cylinder MAN diesel engine after 2000, 1 Scania DSI 14 61 M4OD diesel engine
Speed	in 1968–2000 13.0 knots (24.1 km/h) after 2000, 11.3 knots (20.9 km/h)
Capacity	in 1968–2000 201 passengers, after 2000 80 passengers
Crew	36

It holds 80 passengers and is equipped with a lounge with bar, as well as a library, covered deck, outside deck and a gift shop. It was renovated at Tallinn, Estonia in 2005 and offered cruises in the Barents Sea and transfers from Murmansk to St. Petersburg, Archangelsk, the Solovets Islands and was also the only ship that stops at Vaygach Island.

It was surveyed in Murmansk on 27 February 2010 and found to be in good condition.