 Shortly thereafter it was determined that the new ship would be named "Northern Expedition" and that BC Ferries' other northern vessel (the recently purchased "Sonia", the replacement for the sunken "Queen of the North") would be named "Northern Adventure".The keel of the vessel was laid on June 16, 2008 and she was launched on September 25, 2008.Sea trials took place at Baltic Sea east from Danish island Bornholm between January 7–9, 2009.