Viking Line
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Viking Line is a company with more than 2,000 employees. Its roots are in the sea of Archipelago, while many of its employees live in this area. In March 2022, its new “climate-smart” ship, the Viking Glory, began sailing. The Company focuses on the environment, comfort and its customers, thus shaping the travel experiences of tomorrow in a greener and more beautiful world.
The story of Viking Line began in the spring of 1959, when the first car ferry of the Baltic Sea, the S/S Viking, started to operate. The new Company Vikinglinjen Ab was founded on the initiative of the Captain, Gunnar Eklund and marked a new era in travel from mainland Finland, the Aland Islands and Sweden.
At first, the above sea communication was met with great skepticism, but later people realized that this was the first phase of an almost revolutionary expansion, as before it was difficult and expensive to travel between these areas. To get from Turku to Stockholm, one had to take a plane or the night ferry, via Mariehamn. If they had a car, it had to be lifted onto the ship, which meant risk of damage. Professional drivers, on the other hand, had to drive their trucks north across the Baltic Sea, via Haparanda, to transport cargo between Stockholm and Helsinki.
Soon everyone realized the potential of this new industry and the "players" of the market decided to cooperate. Three shipping companies, Vikinglinjen Ab, Rederi AB Slite and Ålandsfärjan Ab (later SF Line Ab) started cooperation through the joint marketing company Oy Viking Line Ab, which was founded in 1966, while the red color of the ships had already been launched a year before. When two of these Companies ceased operations, the marketing company became a wholly owned subsidiary of SF Line. Today, operating under the brand name Viking Line Abp, it is the leading cruise and ferry line in the Baltic, while its fleet has changed dramatically: from the humble second-hand ships of the early years to the impressive vessels of today.
Viking Line ships offer the luxury of a cruise ship, but also large capacity vehicle decks, thus meeting the needs of tourists traveling by car, as well as cargo traffic. Below we see the ships of the Viking Line fleet, as well as their routes:
M/S Viking Cinderella: Stockholm - Mariehamn
M/S Gabriella: Helsinki - Aland Islands - Stockholm
M/S Rosella: Mariehamn - Kapellskar
M/S Viking Grace: Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm
M/S Viking XPRS: Helsinki - Tallinn
M/S Viking Glory: Turku - Aland Islands - Stockholm