Tallink has announced that their VICTORIA I will act as a second Tallinn to Stockholm ferry this summer. She will join the route’s permanent vessel, BALTIC QUEEN.
VICTORIA I will operate on the Sweden to Estonia link from 31 May until 31 August 2024, allowing a daily departure from both the ports of Stockholm and Tallinn. The route includes a call at the port of Mariehamn on the Åland Islands, this allows the intra-EU route to offer Duty Free due to the exemption for the autonomous region of Finland.
VICTORIA I is currently operating on Tallink’s Tallinn to Helsinki route, focussing on the one-night 22-hour cruise from Estonia to Finland. She is due to return to that route from 31 August. In the interim, there will be no cruise product offered on that service, with passengers directed to the high-end Shuttle ferries, MYSTAR and MEGASTAR.
Ticket sales for Victoria I’s Tallinn to Stockholm ferry crossings will open on 6 February 2024 at tallink.com
Reaction to customer demand
VICTORIA I will also operate special cruises from Helsinki and Tallinn to Visby this summer. More information regarding the dates and ticket sales for these special cruises will be shared in the coming weeks.
Commenting on the temporary route operations change, Tallink Grupp’s CEO Paavo Nõgene said:
“We saw customer demand increase on the Tallinn-Stockholm route for more frequent departures already in summer 2023, so this year we have decided to offer our customers what they have asked for during the summer peak travel season and give everyone the opportunity to travel between our two Nordic capitals more easily.
Victoria I will return to the Tallinn-Helsinki route again at the end of the summer to continue to provide amazing cruising opportunities to Tallinn for our Finnish customers and in the summer, we invite our Finnish customers to use the green shuttle bridge travel option connecting Estonia and Finland.”
Tallink Press Release 25 January 2024
Tallink’s ROMANTIKA remains laid-up at Tallinn after the failure of Holland Norway Lines, awaiting a new use within the fleet or an external charter. Meanwhile, the Tallink owned Superfast-designed vessel, ATLANTIC VISION is due to complete her charter to Marine Atlantic in May, following the delivery of the E-flexer ALA’SUINU. It is expected that another operator will quickly strike a deal with Tallink for the use of this vessel.
Return to previous route
VICTORIA I is no stranger to the Stockholm to Tallinn route, having been deployed there when she entered service new in 2004 and spending most of her career there until March 2020.
Withdrawn from her normal route at the start of the Global Pandemic, VICTORIA I was initially laid up, followed by spending the summer period on the Helsinki to Tallinn cruise trade. She also operated on both the Stockholm to Riga and Stockholm to Tallinn routes in the last quarter of 2020.
VICTORIA I was laid up for the first half of 2021 before being chartered to the Moroccan Government. Marketed by Intershipping, she sailed Tangier Med – (Tarragona) – Sète during summer 2021. Apart from some occasional periods on the Helsinki to Tallinn cruise trade during the first half of 2022, VICTORIA I was to see no further Tallink service.
In July 2022, the Scottish Government chartered VICTORIA I to house Ukrainian migrants at Leith, Edinburgh. The charter was initially for six months but eventually lasted a year. A plan by the UK Government to then use the ship failed when it was unable to secure a port willing to host the vessel.
Following an overhaul on the Tyne, VICTORIA I arrived back at her Tallinn homeport on 31 July 2023. Tallink subsequently brought her into use on the Helsinki – Tallinn cruise service from 12 October 2023.
Sizeable Tallinn to Stockholm ferry
The 2500-passenger ferry has 700 cabins onboard. These range from Deluxe and Suites right down to budget inside cabins, providing something for all budgets.
For diners, there is a choice of the Grande Buffet, Grill House, Fast Food 25h and Coffee and Co.
Meanwhile, there is a full night of entertainment to be found. The main entertainment venue onboard is the twin-level Starlight Palace. It plays host to bingo in the early evening following by a variety of acts with big name artists appearing alongside house bands. Additionally, there is karaoke and a troubadour in the Sea Pub and a DJ in the Aluminum Disco.
Technical information
- Maiden voyage 21.3.2004
- Length 192.9 metres
- Width 29 metres
- Engine capacity 26,240 kW
- Speed 21 knots
- Ice class 1 А super
- Amount of decks 12
- Passenger capacity 2,500
- Cabins 739
- Berths 2,246
- Line meters 1,030
