By
Rebecca Gibson |
Finnish operator Viking Line has handled record passenger numbers following the January launch of Viking Grace, the world’s first large passenger vessel to be powered by liquefied natural gas.
Between June and August, longer cruises from Helsinki and Turku to Stockholm attracted more than 2,147,000 passengers across Viking’s fleet, marking a 3.7 per cent rise from the same period in 2012.
Over the summer months, Viking Grace and Amorella carried a total of 690,000 passengers on the Turku-Stockholm route, around a fifth more than last year.
“We’re very satisfied indeed with Viking Grace’s splendid first summer,” said Mikael Backman, Viking Line CEO. “Our passengers have clearly discovered this pearl of the Turku–Stockholm route and have embraced it.”
In addition, a record 599,000 people sailed between Helsinki and Tallinn, while an extra 110,000 passengers travelled on the Turku-Åland-Stockholm route. The Helsinki to Stockholm service also remained popular with Mariella and Gabriella transporting around 327,000 passengers over the three-month period.