After a promotional cruise from Copenhagen to Esbjerg via Harwich and London she started scheduled service on the Harwich–Esbjerg route on 8 July 1974.

In June 1990, the Dana Regina was sold to Nordström & Thulin, Sweden, who renamed her MS Nord Estonia and used her to open a service between Tallinn and Stockholm under colours of their subsidiary EstLine.

In May 1994 the ship was sold to Inreko, at the time one of the owners of Tallink, who renamed her MS Vana Tallinn and placed her on the Helsinki–Tallinn route.

As a result, Inreko withdrew from Tallink, and chartered the Vana Tallinn to ESCO who continued to operate her on the same route under the same name (from the passenger's point of view nothing changed, which has led to some confusing records from this time of the ship's history).

After the delivery of Star the Vana Tallinn was transferred to Stockholm–Riga route, running parallel with MS Regina Baltica.