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An artist’s impression of the new Tallink cruise ferry, which comes into operation in 2009 |
ESTONIA. Tallink Group has started construction of a new cruise ferry that will enter service next year, with a strong focus on retail and commercial services.
The keel was laid in late April for the new ship, which belongs to the same series as the M/S Baltic Princess, the cruise ship that comes into service this summer. The new €180 million vessel, as yet unnamed, has 927 cabins and accommodates up to 2,800 passengers.
Tallink/Silja Line Duty Free Sales Purchasing Director Magnus Skj̦rshammer told The Moodie Report that the new ship will have similar retail space to the Baltic Princess, which houses a 1,200sq m shopping area Рcomprising a main shop and several boutiques Рplus restaurants and a conference centre.
Once the Baltic Princess comes into operation Tallink will reorganise its ships across its key routes.
Skjörshammer said: “This summer when we receive M/S Baltic Princess, it will be placed on the Tallinn-Helsinki route. For this reason we will move M/S Galaxy, which is there at the moment, to our Turku (Finland)-Stockholm route, replacing M/S Silja Festival, which in return will be transferred to the Stockholm-Riga route. Our Riga route saw the largest increase in terms of passenger numbers last season.”
Russian passengers are becoming a more important feature of the passenger mix, with accompanying high spends on board.
“The Turku-Stockholm route has the highest number of Russian passengers, and this is one of the reasons that the newer M/S Galaxy will be transferred there,” said Skjörshammer. “Around 12% of the passengers on that route are Russians, and this number is expected to grow significantly.”
About Tallink
AS Tallink Group is one of the leading shipping companies on the Baltic Sea, operating seven different shipping routes under the brands of Tallink and Silja Line. The company owns 19 vessels.
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