By
Rebecca Gibson |
Viking Line’s Viking Grace has transported 1.3 million passengers in her first year of service, which will be marked during an all-inclusive Anniversary Cruise from 13–15 January 2014.
Offering passengers a wider variety of itineraries, Viking Grace is the newest ferry on the Baltic Sea and has raised Viking Line’s market share on the Turku-Stockholm-Turku route to 57.3%. The vessel hosted its millionth cruise passenger, Paula Riihisaari, in September after eight months in service, while many other Finnish, Swedish and international guests have travelled on the service.
“We’re extremely happy fact that Viking Grace has attracted a fresh group of newcomers to come and experience the cruises of the 2000s,” said Mikael Backman, Viking Line’s president and CEO. “People have been delighted by the novel design and pleased with all the services onboard, such as the various restaurants and the Spa & Wellness department.”
The vessel also has the world’s largest floating Tax-Free World, offering around 10,000 varied products and has sold, among other items, 6,700 pairs of Converse shoes, 130,000 fragrances and 43,000 pieces of jewellery in 2013.
Viking Grace is the world’s first large passenger vessel powered by liquefied natural gas and is designed to operate between Finland and Sweden in the shallow waters of the archipelago. The ship features a hydrodynamically optimised hull to reduce swell waves, and energy-efficient propulsion machinery to improve sustainability.