Pearl Starways

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Spacecraft Registry
Pearl Starways
Spacecraft Characteristics
Base HullAthena class cruiseferry
Length178.40 m
Width29.61 m
Mass40,039 GRT
Drive Type2x 4 blade gravity propellers / 4x 23,760 diesel engines
Drive Rating0.015c
ArmamentNone
Primary ManufacturerWärtsilä Marine Turku New Shipyard, Turku, Finland
OwnerDFDS (Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab)
Flag of RecordDenmark
Faction'Danelaw (private)
LaunchedOctober 10th, 2014
PurposeCruiseferry
Other Crew2200 passengers
Auxillary Vehicles350 parking slots
Operational Statusactive
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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.