“Our market share on the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route rose nearly 70 per cent already during GLORY’s first few months and has remained at that level since then. GLORY has been a very important investment for us strategically and has had a significant impact on the company’s financial success,” says Viking Line’s Commercial Director, Minna Tuorila.

A comprehensive experience and a taste of Nordic cruise culture

In its four years of operation, VIKING GLORY has already served nearly four million passengers. The vessel was planned to provide a comprehensive experience at sea, giving travellers a wide range of options in terms of service, public spaces and atmosphere. In the vessel interiors, designed by the Swedish architect firm Koncept, there are no clear boundaries between the vessel’s different spaces and functions – instead, passengers move seamlessly from one space to the next while viewing the archipelago landscape through GLORY’s expansive panoramic windows.

“When I welcome cruise passengers, I notice how the heart of the vessel, the two-storey Torget with its floor-to-ceiling windows, impressive staircase and Stefan Lindfors sculptures, still makes visitors pause. Many of them say: Wow, this is much more impressive than I expected,” notes Tuuli Peltonen, who has worked as intendant on VIKING GLORY since its launch.

VIKING GLORY departs from the Port of Turku in the morning and from Stadsgården in Stockholm in the evening. About half of the travellers are Finns and half Swedes, while the number of international travellers is continuously on the rise.

A pioneer in climate-smart solutions

The construction of VIKING GLORY cost EUR 225 million, and the vessel’s technological features are nearly one hundred per cent the result of Finnish labour. It was one of the world’s first vessels equipped with Wärtsilä’s 31DF multi-fuel engines. Thanks to this technology, Viking Line has been able to increase its use of biogas tenfold since last autumn and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50,000 tonnes.

“GLORY and VIKING GRACE, the other vessel operating the route, were planned from the start to be climate-smart vessels, and they play a vital role in developing the green shipping corridor between Turku and Stockholm. The investments we’ve made in GLORY and GRACE also benefit all of our customers who want to travel more sustainably. Thanks to the biofuel used on board, we can sell 100% carbon-neutral trips and freight on all of our routes and vessels, says Minna Tuorila.

© Shippax