The ship was designed by Harland & Wolff as a freighter in Belfast built and ran in 1954 as Port Melbourne, a fast cargo liner for Port Line's UK-Australia express service.

She was planned to be rebuilt as a car ferry, the Therisos Express, but instead became the cruise ship Danae.

In later years, she was named Starlight Express, Baltica, and then Princess Danae.

[1]From 1994 until 2012, the ship was operated by Classic International Cruises as the Princess Danae.

In late summer of 2012, the ship was detained in Dublin, Ireland for the non-payment of a fuel bill.