With the ship now 64 per cent complete, she is expected to be floated out for final outfitting on July 15.

MEGASTAR represents a big step forward for Tallink and will be the most technically advanced ferry operating in the Baltic area.

To meet the 0.1 per cent ECA sulphur limit, Tallink opted for a dual fuel solution, but she will run on LNG from day one with road tankers performing the bunkering when the ship lays over in Tallinn during the night.

Since she will stay within 30 miles of the coast side, Tallink favoured an all-MES solution instead of lifeboats, similar to P&O Ferries’ SPIRIT-class on the Calais-Dover route. The ship has, however, been future proofed to allow the installation of lifeboats.

MEGASTAR will have two full freight decks with a 1,970 lane metre capacity which is similar to STAR and SUPERSTAR. However, unlike the last two ships, MEGASTAR will have an additional deck for 150 cars, the location of which allows to bring purchases from the 2,885m² shopping zone to the cars during the voyage.

The 49,200GT newbuilding will use new port facilities with auto mooring being part of the package. New double-deck installations in both Helsinki and Tallinn will allow for simultaneous loading of the main and upper deck although Shippax understands that the double level linkspan in Tallinn will not be ready by the time that MEGASTAR enters service.

MEGASTAR, together with the improved port installations, is part of the Twin-Port 2 Action with EU co-financing for the ship alone amounting to EUR 4.8 million.

The interior design of MEGASTAR will represent another radical change with a signature interior design from out-of-the-box thinking Vertti Kivi & Co. This includes open-plan dining facilities and an array of lounges, including a quiet sitting lounge.

Tallink has a long-standing relationship with the Finnish builder. Now under the ownership of Meyer Werft and headed by Dr. Jan Meyer, son of Bernard Meyer, the future of the yard in Turku looks promising indeed with an order book that will keep the yard busy until 2020. Besides MEGASTAR, Meyer Turku has MEIN SCHIFF 6, 7 and 8 and two state-of-the-art LNG powered cruise ships for Costa Cruises on order. 

Key data and characteristics MEGASTAR

- Start of basic design: 25 November 2014
- Contract signed: 27 February 2015
- Start of production: 4 August 2015
- Keel laying: 9 February 2016

- Length o.a.: 212.2
- Width: 30.6m
- Draught: 7.0m
- Passengers 2,824
- Cabins: 47
- Estimated GT: 49,300
- Total output: 45,600kw
- Service speed: 27 knots
- Freight lane metres: 1,970
- Car lane metres: 3,800
- Class: Bureau Veritas