The MV Ancona was a versatile car-passenger ferry with a rich service history spanning over four decades. Built in 1966 by Lindholmens varv in Gothenburg, Sweden, she was originally launched as MS Svea for Rederi AB Svea. Her design was based on an essentially traditional concept, featuring subdued and luxurious interior fittings and lacking full-height car decks. She was designed to operate at a service speed of 18 knots. Initially, Svea was part of the joint UK–Sweden service known as the England–Sweden Line (ELS), connecting Gothenburg with Hull, and later Stockholm. She was introduced into service on 10 November 1966, sailing parallel to her sister ship Saga, and was used on the Gothenburg–Hull route. However, due to intense competition from more modern vessels with full-height car decks and higher speeds, Svea was sold in 1968 to Swedish Lloyd, which renamed her Hispania in 1969. She was then modified for service on the Southampton–Bilbao route, and later returned to the Gothenburg–Tilbury service, during which she was marketed as one of the earliest cruiseferries. Throughout her career, the vessel underwent multiple renamings and ownership changes. In 1972, she was renamed Saga after being sold to Swedish Lloyd, and later sold again in 1978 to Minoan Lines, receiving the name Knossos. Under Minoan Lines, she served various routes in Greece, including Piraeus–Heraklion and Piraeus–Chania, and later Patras–Igoumenitsa–Corfu–Ancona. In 1998, she was transferred to Diler Lines and renamed Captain Zaman II, operating on routes between Turkey and Ukraine, and later between Italy and Turkey. Finally, in 2003, she was acquired by Blue Line International and renamed Ancona, serving the route between Ancona, Italy, and Split, Croatia, with occasional calls at Hvar and Vis. Her operational life ended in 2010, when she was withdrawn due to new SOLAS regulations, and her scrapping commenced at Alang, India, in December 2010. Her lengthy service record highlights her adaptability and significance within European and Mediterranean ferry operations over the decades.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.