MS Princesa Marissa was a cruise ship owned and operated by the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines. She was built in 1966 by Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Helsinki, Finland as the RORO car/passenger ferry M/S Finnhansa for Finnlines, Finland. The ship also sailed under the colours of Birka Line as M/S Prinsessan.
History
Finnlines service
Finnlines had begun car/passenger ferry operations from Finland to Germany in 1962 with M/S Hansa Express. The Hansa Express soon proved too small however, and already in November 1963 Finnlines ordered a pair of larger ferries to replace her. The first of these sisters, M/S Finnhansa, was launched on December 1, 1964, by Sylvi Kekkonen, the wife of Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. The ship was originally planned to be delivered in June 1965, but two fires on board during the fitting out phase, first one in March 1965 and the second in December of the same year, meant she wasn't delivered until March 28, 1966.