Between 1993 and 2006 the ship was named MV Val de Loire, owned by Brittany Ferries and used on traffic across the English Channel.

Originally the Nils Holgersson was ordered by Ab Swecarrier (Swedish partners of TT-Line), but during construction she was sold to Wallenius Rederiet.

When she was delivered in February 1987 the ship was bareboat-chartered back to Swecarrier, and began service between Trelleborg (Sweden) and Travemünde (West Germany) in June of the same year.

Before entering service for her new owners, the ship was rebuilt at INMA, La Spezia, Italy with a new streamlined forward superstructure, a new bow door and refurbished interiors.

The Val de Loire was the first Brittany Ferries vessel to include a swimming pool, though when the ship was transferred to the Portsmouth–St Malo route it was rarely open.

In February 2006 the Val de Loire ended her service with Brittany Ferries and was renamed MS King of Scandinavia (she is the third ship of the same name to sail with DFDS Seaways).

RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull, and Boulmer, Northumberland were scrambled to the vessel along with two RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.

Four crew members and two passengers had to be winched off the ferry, which was heading to IJmuiden from North Shields, after they inhaled smoke when the fire broke out 30 miles off the Yorkshire coast.

The 30,000-tonne ship returned to Newcastle Ferry Port, in North Shields, at around 4am and passengers were kept on board until 9am while police investigated.

In 2006 she was sold to DFDS Seaways[7] for use on the IJmuiden, Netherlands to Newcastle, England route as MS Princess of Norway.