She was built as MS Silvia Regina in 1981 by Wärtsilä in Turku, Finland, for Rederi AB Svea for use in Silja Line traffic.

Twelve days later the ship left on a two-day trial voyage, and on 10 June 1981 she was delivered to her new owners.

[1] On 12 June 1981, the brand new Silvia Regina was set in Silja Line's Helsinki–Stockholm service,[4] joining her sister MS Finlandia that had been completed some four months earlier.

In order to maximise car carrying capacity, they had been designed with very wide bows that made the ships very difficult to control, especially in poor weather conditions.

As a result, both ships were docked at Wärtsilä's Perno shipyard during the winter 1981–82 and rebuilt with new bows that were notably sleeker along the waterline.

[4] Following completion of the reconstruction the ship re-entered service in Turku on 3 February, from where she made a crossing to Stockholm, after which she continued on her normal traffic.

Later the Silvia Regina departed Stockholm without passengers and resumed normal traffic in Helsinki the following day.

In January 1987, Johnson Line purchased the Silvia Regina from Suomen Yritysrahoitus with the cost of 189,862,839 Finnish markka,[1] and moved her under Swedish flag.

On 16 June 2021, Saga left Sweden for two-month charter to Adria Ferries on their Ancona-Durrës route.

[11][12] In November 2021, Saga was reported bound for the Philippines, on charter to Bridgemans Services, after conversion to a floating hotel vessel.