The vessel was originally built as the BEWA Discoverer in 1974.[1] The ship was sold to BEWA Cruises out of Denmark. The ship was renamed "Lowell Thomas Discoverer" and ran 7-day Great Lakes Chicago to Montreal (and the reverse) St. Lawrence Seaway cruises. In July 1976, the vessel was sold to Adventure Cruises, Inc. and was renamed World Discoverer. There was also a sister ship that is believed to be still afloat. The ship also became a long-term charter to Society Expeditions. In 1976, the ship was registered in Singapore. In 1987, Society Expedition came under new ownership and was renamed Society Expedition Cruises, with offices in Seattle, United States and Germany. The new owner of the ship was Discoverer Reederei who also has ownership of other vessels, such as MV Explorer.[citation needed] In 1990, she was registered in Liberia under the name World Discoverer. The vessel had a double hull construction, allowing for periodic voyages to the Antarctic polar regions to allow its passengers to observe ice floe movements and providing protection for minor impacts. In 1996, the ship was refurbished under the new name, World Discoverer. The ship carried a fleet of inflatable dinghies, allowing passengers to move closer to ice floes for observation.[2]