Pearl Starways
Pearl Starways | |
Spacecraft Characteristics | |
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Base Hull | Athena class cruiseferry |
Length | 178.40 m |
Width | 29.61 m |
Mass | 40,039 GRT |
Drive Type | 2x 4 blade gravity propellers / 4x 23,760 diesel engines |
Drive Rating | 0.015c |
Armament | None |
Primary Manufacturer | Wärtsilä Marine Turku New Shipyard, Turku, Finland |
Owner | DFDS (Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab) |
Flag of Record | Denmark |
Faction | 'Danelaw (private) |
Launched | October 10th, 2014 |
Purpose | Cruiseferry |
Other Crew | 2200 passengers |
Auxillary Vehicles | 350 parking slots |
Operational Status | active |
Originally build as the MS Athena, the MS Pearl Starways used to be a curiseferry emplyed in various routes on Earth by various owners and under various names. By 2010 and the increase of traffic to and from Fenspace in cars and other small 'waved vehicles, the owner of the MS Pearl Starways, the danish DFDS, decided to refit the ship so that it could be used as a ferry in space.
Extensive rebuilds had to be done to the hull and systems of the ship and nearly from the base, costing DFDS more then a purpose build ferry may have cost them. However in late 2014, after nearly three years in dock, the MS Pearl Starways took to space after docking in Copenhagen, Bergen and Oslo to transport a number of Fen as well as tourists into space and to Stellvia.
Running a few routes in trial, it became apparent that a regular line Earth-Earth/Moon L5-Mars and back would be the most profitable. If the possibility arises a stopover at The Island is possible.
By 2017 the 'MS Pearl Starways' has proven to be very profitable as most small vehicles are very uncomfortable when used to traverse larger distances.
In 2018 two more purpose build DFDS cruiseferries joined the MS Pearl Starways, through other shipping companies launched their own cruise ferries by 2020.
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