On August 18, 2006 BC Ferries awarded the contract to build a replacement vessel for to Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Flensburg, Germany (the same shipyard awarded the contract for the three new ferries). 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) would be named .[1]
The keel of the vessel was laid on June 16, 2008 and she was launched on September 25, 2008. Sea trials took place in the Baltic Sea east from Danish island Bornholm between January 7–9, 2009. The vessel left Germany on January 30, 2009 bound for British Columbia via the Panama Canal. Northern Expedition completed her 9900nmi journey on March 6, 2009, passing Victoria and Vancouver before arriving in Departure Bay at Nanaimo for post-voyage inspection.
Northern Expedition entered service on May 18, 2009 along the Inside Passage route between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy. She joined Northern Adventure in BC Ferries' northern fleet and allowed for the retirement of Queen of Prince Rupert.
Northern Expeditions four passenger decks feature: