Viking Line
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox company Viking Line Abp is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands, Sweden and Estonia. Viking Line shares are quoted on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Viking Line is operated from Åland. The company currently operates five ferries, of which four travel to Stockholm and one to Tallinn.<ref>Laivat, Viking Line. Accessed on 13 April 2022.</ref>
The activities of Viking Line include route trips, cruises and cargo traffic. In 2023 Viking Line employed an average of 2138 people both on land and on sea. As well as the corporation's own staff, the MS Viking XPRS employs an average of 65 rented workers.<ref name="vuosikertomus">Viking Line vuosikertomus 2018, Viking Line. Accessed on 13 April 2022.</ref>
Company history
Early years: 1959–1966
Viking Line's history can be traced back to 1959, when a group of sea- and businessmen from the Åland Islands province in Finland formed Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen, purchased a steam-powered car-ferry SS Dinard from the UK, renamed her Template:SS and began service on the route Korpo (Finland)–Mariehamn (Åland)–Gräddö (Sweden).<ref name="40 years">Viking Line: 40 Years of Ferry Service, retrieved 12. 10. 2007 Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Proj">Template:In lang Eliasson, Thor-Alf: Viking Line i backspegeln. Mariehamns Tryckeri/Viking Line 2005. No ISBN code</ref>Template:Rp In the same year the Gotland-based Rederi AB Slite began a service between Simpnäs (Sweden) and Mariehamn.<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp
In 1962, a disagreement caused a group of people to leave Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen and form a new company, Rederi Ab Ålandsfärjan, who began a service linking Gräddö and Mariehamn the following year.<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp
Soon the three companies, all competing for passengers between Åland Islands and Sweden, realised that they in the long run all stood to lose from mutual competition. In 1965 Vikinglinjen and Slite began collaborating,<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp and in the end of July 1966 Viking Line was established as a marketing company for all three companies.<ref name="40 years" /><ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp At this time Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen changed their name to Rederi Ab Solstad, in order to avoid confusion with the marketing company.<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp The red hull livery was adopted from Slite's Ålandspilen service<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 24 October 2007</ref> (to which it had been taken from the colour of the chairman's wife's lipstick!<ref>Template:In lang FCBS Forum: laivojen nimien alkuperä ja merkitys, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref>). In 1967 Rederi Ab Ålandsfärjan changed its name to SF Line<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp and in 1977 Rederi Ab Solstad was merged into its mother company Rederi Ab Sally.<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref>
1967–1985
Because Viking Line was only a marketing company, each owner company retained their individual fleets and could choose on which routes to set their ships (naturally there was also co-ordination on schedules and such). Each company's ships were easy to distinguish by name: all Sally ships had a "Viking" prefix on their names, Slite took their names from Roman and Greek mythologies, while SF Line's names ended with -ella in honor of managing director Gunnar Eklund's wife Ellen Eklund.
During the 1970s Viking expanded greatly and overtook Silja Line as the largest shipping consortium on the Northern Baltic Sea.Template:Citation needed Between 1970 and 1973 Slite and Sally took delivery of five nearly identical ships built at Meyer Werft Germany, namely MS Apollo and MS Diana for Slite, and MS Viking 1, MS Viking 3 and MS Viking 4 for Sally. MS Viking 5, delivered in 1974, was an enlarged version of the same design.<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp These so-called Papenburg sisters can be considered to be one of the most successful ships designs of all timesTemplate:Citation needed (the shipyard built three additional sisters of the original design for Transbordadores for ship services in Mexico: Coromuel,<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref> Puerto Vallarta<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref> and Azteca<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref>). In 1973 Viking Line started service on the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route, directly competing with Silja Line for the first time. The next year Sally began Viking Line traffic between Helsinki and Stockholm.<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp For the next decade this route stayed in their hands, whereas on other routes the three companies operated together.
By the latter half of the 1970s, Sally was clearly the dominant partner in the consortium. In 1980 they took delivery of three new ferries (MS Viking Saga, MS Viking Sally and MS Viking Song), largest to have sailed under Viking's colours. This further established their dominance over the other partners, although SF Line did take delivery of the new MS Turella and MS Rosella in 1979–80 and Slite MS Diana II in 1979.<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp In the early 1980s Sally started expanding their operations to other waters, which became the company's failing as those operations were largely unprofitable and ultimately made Sally unable to invest on new tonnage for Viking Line service.<ref>Template:In lang FCBS Forum: Matkustajalaivojen vaihtuminen matkustaja-autolautoiksi, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref>
1985–1993
In 1985 a new leaf was turned in Viking Line's history when SF Line's brand-new MS Mariella, at the time the largest ferry in the world, replaced MS Viking Song on Helsinki–Stockholm service, breaking Sally's monopoly on the route. The next year Slite took delivery of Mariella's sister MS Olympia and thus forced Sally out of Helsinki–Stockholm traffic completely. While SF Line and Slite were planning additional newbuilds, Sally were in an extremely poor position financially and in 1987 Effoa and Johnson Line, the owners of Silja Line, purchased Sally. As a result, SF Line and Slite forced Sally to leave the Viking Line consortium.<ref name="Proj" />Template:Rp
Between 1988 and 1990 SF Line took delivery of three new ships (MS Amorella, MS Isabella and MS Cinderella) while Slite took delivery of two (MS Athena and MS Kalypso).<ref name="Proj" />Template:RpUnfortunately Wärtsilä Marine, the shipyard building one of SF Line's newbuilds and both of Slite's, went bankrupt in 1989. SF Line avoided financial repercussions, their Cinderella had been continuously paid for as her construction progressed. Hence it was SF Line who owned the almost completed ship when the shipyard went bankrupt.<ref>Template:In lang FCBS Forum: Sliten konkurssin syyt ja seuraukset + muuta 1980–90-l. taitteen Vikingistä, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref> Slite however had signed a more traditional type of contract, the Kalypso was to be paid for on delivery. Since the shipyard owned the unfinished ship, this led to an increased cost for the Kalypso<ref>Template:In lang FCBS Forum: Gunnar Eklundin lähtö Vikinglinjenistä, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref>—about 200 million SEK more than had been originally envisaged.Template:Citation needed In the end, despite the financial problems, by 1990 Viking Line had the largest and newest cruiseferry fleet in the world.
In 1989Template:Citation needed Slite started planning MS Europa, which was to be the jewel in the company's crown, the largest and most luxurious cruiseferry in the world. Unfortunately for them Sweden entered a financial crisis during the construction of the ship, which led to devaluation of the Swedish krona. This in turn meant that the cost for the Europa increased by 400 million SEK. When time came to take delivery of the new ship, Slite did not have the funds to pay for it and their main funders (Swedish Nordbanken, who were also the main funders of Silja Line) refused to loan them the money needed. Eventually the ship ended up in Silja Line's fleet and Slite was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1993.<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref>
1993–2010
Following the bankruptcy of Rederi AB Slite, SF Line was left as the sole operator under the Viking Line brand. The remaining two Slite ships, Athena and Kalypso were auctioned in August 1993.<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref><ref name="Kalypso">Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref> SF Line made a bid for the Kalypso, but both ships ended up sold to the newly established Malaysian cruise ship operator Star Cruises. In 1995 SF Line changed their name into Viking Line.
Between 1994 and 1996 the company operated a fast ferry service from Helsinki to Tallinn during the summers on chartered catamaran ships.<ref>Viking Line: Chartered Vessels Template:Webarchive, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref> In 1997 they purchased MS Silja Scandinavia from Sea-Link Shipping AB and renamed her Template:MS for Helsinki–Stockholm service.<ref>Template:Cite web, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref> It has been reported that around the same time plans were made to construct a pair of new ships for the Helsinki–Stockholm service so that Viking could better compete with Silja on that route, but the plans were shelved.Template:Citation needed
In 2006 Sea Containers Ltd—that had become the main owner of Silja Line in 1999—placed Silja Line and their cargo-carrying subsidiary SeaWind Line for sale, except for Template:GTS and Template:MS that were transferred under Sea Container's direct ownership and eventually sold.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Viking Line placed a bid for their main competitor,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but were outbid by the Estonian Tallink.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The first new ship built for Viking Line since Slite's MS Kalypso in 1990, Template:MS, had been ordered from Aker Finnyards in 2005,<ref name="FoF XPRS">Template:Cite web</ref> in response to growing competition from Tallink on the Helsinki–Tallinn route.Template:Citation needed The Viking XPRS eventually entered service for Viking in April 2008.<ref name="FoF XPRS" /> A second new ship was ordered in January 2007, when Viking Line announced that they had placed an order for a Template:GT ferry at the Spanish shipyard Astilleros de Sevilla. The project name for the ship, that would have replaced the Template:MS on the Mariehamn–Kapellskär route,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was Viking ADCC. Her delivery was originally expected for March 2009,<ref>Viking Line press release: Viking Line orders new vessel Template:Webarchive, retrieved 12 October 2007</ref> but after delivery of the ship had been delayed multiple times, on 8 February 2010 Viking Line decided to cancel the contract altogether.<ref>Template:In langSkeppsbyggnadskontrakt uppsagt, vikingline.fi, retrieved 2 February 2010</ref>
2010–present
Nils-Erik Eklund retired as Viking Line's CEO in July 2010. He was replaced by Mikael Backman, who has previously worked with Royal Caribbean. In interviews Backman has stated he hopes to introduce features from Caribbean cruise ships to Viking Line vessels, as well as begin selling Viking's routes to North American customers as a new cruise experience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In a seminar held in January 2010, Backman stated that Viking Line were negotiating with nine different shipyards about the possibility of constructing a pair of Template:GT ships to replace Amorella and Isabella on the Turku–Stockholm service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=au>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> The possibility of using liquefied natural gas engines and other emission-reducing technologies were reportedly researched,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while according to Mikael Backman the ships would include various features akin to those found onboard cruise ships such as Royal Caribbean International's Template:MS.<ref name=au /> Projected delivery dates for the vessels were May 2012 and February 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In October 2010 Viking Line signed a letter of intent with STX Turku for a 57,000 GT cruiseferry for the Turku–Stockholm route.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two months later, the formal order for the new ship was placed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The new ship, christened Viking Grace, was laid down on 6 March 2012 and launched on 10 August. The ship entered service in January 2013. Viking Line had an option for a sister ship but announced in May 2012 that they have decided not to build it.
Viking Line revealed in November 2016, that a letter of intent had been signed with Chinese shipyard Xiamen Shipbuilding for the construction of a 63,000 GT cruiseferry that would on completion replace the Amorella in the Viking Line fleet. The new ship would be LNG powered and would sport Flettner rotors to reduce fuel consumption.<ref name=hbl>Template:Cite web</ref>
On May 27, 2019, Viking Line announced the official name of the ship, M/S Viking Glory, after a public name-giving contest.
The maiden voyage of M/S Viking Glory took place from March 1–2, 2022. She is in service on the Stockholm-Mariehamn-Turku route.
Corporation
The Viking Line Abp corporation includes the shipping companies Viking Rederi AB (previously known as Finlandshamnen), OÜ Viking Line Eesti, Viking Line Skandinavien AB, Viking Line Finnlandverkehr GmbH responsible for sales and marketing in Germany and Viking Line Buss Ab responsible for bus traffic. Each ship has its own command crew responsible for the activity and usage of the ship, including the ship's captain, chief of engineering and intendent. Viking Line has its own harbour terminals in Stockholm and Turku. In Helsinki, Mariehamn, Kapellskär and Tallinn the company rents the premises it needs for its activities.<ref>Konsernirakenne, Viking Line Abp. Accessed on 19 November 2015.</ref>
Jan Hanses has served as the CEO of Viking Line since 20 March 2014, replacing Mikael Backman who was dismissed from the corporation.<ref>Viking Linen toimitusjohtajalle potkut, Helsingin Sanomat 20 March 2014. Accessed on 3 April 2014.</ref> Ben Lundqvist serves as chairman of the board. The head office of Viking Line is located in Mariehamn.<ref>Avainlippu - suomalaisen työn puolesta, Viking Line Abp. Accessed on 28 September 2025.</ref>
In 2018 Viking Line transported 6,411,537 passengers and 128,549 unit loads of cargo.<ref name="vuosikertomus"/>
Trademark
Viking Line's ships are known for their vivid red colour. The colour dates from 1964 when the colouring of the new ship M/S Apollo was taken from the Mexican Fire lipstick used by the sister of the CEO of one of Viking Line's companies.<ref>Paperille piirretyllä huulipunaviivalla oli valtava voia - samalla sävyllä väritetään nyt kaikki Viking Linen laivat, Yle Uutiset 6 May 2017. Accessed on 6 May 2017.</ref>
The name "Viking Line" is sometimes shown shortened as "NG LI", which is a registered trademark of the corporation.<ref>Tavaramerkin tiedot, rekisterinumero 123166, Finnish Patent and Register Bureau. Accessed on 6 May 2017.</ref> Viking Line has also used a logo consisting of a yellow square standing on its corner, with a black letter V inside it.<ref>Tavaramerkin tiedot, rekisterinumero 117015, Finnish Patent and Register Bureau. Accessed on 6 May 2017.</ref>
On the older ships of Viking Line, the announcements start with Rod Stewart's song "Sailing".
Ville Viking
Ville Viking is the mascot of Viking Line, which is used as an icon for activities for children passengers, marketing and merchandising. The white ship's cat figure appears on ships and Viking Line's marketing events at least in Finland and Sweden.<ref>Sportlovskul för barnen med cirkusskola och Ville Viking, My News Desk, Viking Line 13 February 2015. Accessed on 27 April 2015.</ref> The feline figure can be hugged and can appear in pictures with people.<ref>Ville Vikingin lasten leikkipäivä, Helsinki This Week, no date given. Accessed on 27 April 2015.</ref><ref>Lapsille, Supermessut 2015. Accessed on 27 April 2015.</ref>
The name of the Viking Line children's club is Ville Viking Club. Children under 12 years of age can join the club free of charge, and members receive a mail letter twice per year. The club has its own cruises from Turku once per week and from Helsinki once per month except for the summer holiday season.<ref>Ville Viking Club, Park Alandia Hotel. Accessed on 27 April 2015.</ref>
Alcohol-free Ville Viking drinks can be bought on Viking Line's ships. Children's menus and buffet tables on the ships are also named for the character.
In 2007 a CD of children's songs was published under the Ville Viking name.<ref>Ville Viking, CD record in the Finna database. Accessed on 27 April 2015.</ref>
Fleet
Current fleet
Former ships
Ships that are still in use are marked in green.
| Ship | Built | Owner/operator | In service | Current status | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:SS | 1924 | Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen | 1959–1970 | Scrapped in 1973. | |
| MS Slite MS Tella |
1955 | Rederi AB Slite | 1959–1963 1989 (chartered) |
Scrapped in 2006. | |
| MS Boge | 1956 | Rederi AB Slite | 1961–1963 | Sunk in 1981. | |
| MS Linden | 1951 | 1963–1964 | Scrapped in 1974. | ||
| Template:SS | 1933 | Rederi Ab Ålandsfärjan | 1963–1972 | Scrapped in 1972. | |
| MS Thor Viking | 1944 | 1963–1967 | Scrapped in 1974. | ||
| Template:SS | 1924 | Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen | 1964–1966 | Scrapped in 1979. | |
| MS Apollo | 1964 | Rederi AB Slite | 1964–1967 | Scrapped in 2006. | |
| MS Visby | 1964 | Rederi AB Slite Rederi Ab Ålandsfärjan |
1965, 1967–1970 (chartered) | Scrapped in 2002. | |
| MS Kapella | 1967 | Rederi Ab Ålandsfärjan | 1967–1979 | Scrapped in 2006. | |
| MS Viking 2 | 1940 | Rederi Ab Solstad | 1968–1978 | Scrapped in 2016. | |
| MS Apollo | 1970 | Rederi AB Slite | 1970–1974 | Scrapped in 2020. | File:Finnboda varv 1972.jpg |
| MS Viking 1 | 1970 | Rederi Ab Sally | 1970–1983 | Scrapped in 2002. | File:Wasa Express ship.jpg |
| MS Marella | 1970 | SF Line | 1970–1981 | Scrapped in 2004. | |
| MS Viking 3 | 1972 | Rederi Ab Sally | 1972–1976 | Scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey in 2022. | |
| MS Diana | 1972 | Rederi AB Slite | 1972–1979 | Scrapped in 2021. | File:MS Diana Maiden voyage 1972 001.jpg |
| MS Viking 4 | 1973 | Rederi Ab Sally | 1973–1980 | Scrapped in 2005. | |
| MS Aurella | 1973 | SF Line | 1973–1982 | Scrapped in 2024. | File:Aurella IMO 7310260 F Hamburg 06-1973 (1).jpg |
| MS Viking 5 | 1974 | Rederi Ab Sally | 1974–1981 | Scrapped in 2015. | File:Vikingline 1974.jpg |
| MS Viking 6 | 1967 | Rederi Ab Sally | 1974–1980 | Scrapped in 2001. | File:Viking 6 IMO 6717148 F Emden 04-1975.jpg |
| Template:SS MS Apollo III |
1962 | Rederi AB Slite | 1976–1981 1982–1989 |
Sold for scrap, July 2008. | |
| MS Turella | 1979 | SF Line | 1979–1988 | Since 2018 MS Rigel III for Ventouris Ferries. | File:MS REGINA DELLA PACE.jpg |
| MS Diana II | 1979 | Rederi AB Slite | 1979–1992 | Scrapped in Alang, India as Bluefort. | File:Diana 2 - panoramio.jpg |
| MS Viking Saga | 1980 | Rederi Ab Sally | 1980–1986 | Scrapped in Alang, India, 2025. | File:Le ferry-boat Viking Saga (Viking Saga).jpg |
| MS Viking Sally | 1980 | Rederi Ab Sally Rederi AB Slite |
1980–1990 | Sunk 1994 as MS Estonia. | File:Viking Sally 002.jpg |
| MS Viking Song | 1980 | Rederi Ab Sally | 1980–1985 | Since 2010 MS Regina Baltica for Baleària. | File:Viking Song Helsinki 1981-2 (cropped).jpg |
| MS Olympia | 1986 | Rederi AB Slite | 1986–1993 | Since 2023 MS Moby Orli for Moby Lines. | File:Matkustaja-alus Olympia lähdössä Katajanokanlaiturista - D498 - hkm.HKMS000005-km002lkb (cropped).jpg |
| MS Athena | 1989 | Rederi AB Slite | 1989–1993 | Since 2025 MS Nordic Pearl for Destination Gotland. | File:MS Athena 007.jpg |
| MS Kalypso | 1990 | Rederi AB Slite | 1990–1994 | Scrapped in 2022. | File:Star Pisces at Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong, from ferry pier 2.jpg |
| HSC Condor 10 (marketed as Viking Express I) |
1992 | Viking Line | 1995 (chartered) | Since 2018 HSC Tiger for Tiger Shipping. | File:Condor 10 Boat In Weymouth Ferry Terminal - Dorset..jpg |
| MS Ålandsfärjan | 1972 | SF Line/Viking Line | 1987–2008 | Since 2008 MS Expedition for G.A.P. Shipping. | File:Ålandsfärjan In Mariehamn.jpg |
| MS Isabella | 1989 | SF Line/Viking Line | 1989–2013 | Since 2024 MS Isabelle X is sold to Notamare Shipping. | File:MS Isabella saaristomerellä 2008-05-19 cropped.jpg |
| HSC Express (marketed as Viking FSTR) |
1998 | Viking Line | 2017 (chartered) | Since 2019 HSC Superexpress for Golden Star Ferries. | File:Viking FSTR Suomenlinna Kustaanmiekka.jpg |
| MS Mariella | 1985 | SF Line/Viking Line | 1985–2021 | Since 2021 MS Mega Regina for Corsica Ferries. | File:Mariella departing Tallinn 9 July 2018.jpg |
| MS Amorella | 1988 | SF Line/Viking Line | 1988–2022 | Since 2022 MS Mega Victoria for Corsica Ferries. | File:MS Amorella - August 2020.jpg |
| MS Rosella | 1980 | SF Line/Viking Line | 1980–2023 | Since 2023 MS Anemos for Aegean Speed Lines. | Frameless |
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Additionally a large number of ferries were chartered during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s for seasonal traffic.
Planned new ships
| Ship | Estimated time of completion | Estimated time of start of service | Planned route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/S Viking Helios | Unknown | 2030s | Helsinki - Tallinn | Largest electric-powered passenger car ferry in the world<ref>Viking Line konseptoi maailman suurimman sähköisen matkustaja-autolautan, Viking Line 6 June 2025. Accessed on 19 October 2025.</ref> |
| Sister ship of M/S Viking Helios | Unknown | Unknown | Helsinki - Tallinn<ref>Suojanen, Kristiina: Maailman suurin täyssähköinen laiva suunnitteilla Suomeen – Nyt toimitusjohtaja kertoo T&T:lle hankkeen etenemisestä, Tekniikka & Talous 15 September 2025. Accessed on 19 October 2025.</ref> |
Ordered but never delivered
| Planned/project name | Projected delivery | Ordered by | Gross tonnage | Notes | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Europa | 1993 | Rederi AB Slite | Template:GT | Building project was almost complete when Rederi AB Slite went bankrupt. She was then completed for Silja Line as MS Silja Europa in 1993. | In Tallink service. |
| MS Viking ADCC | 2009 | Viking Line | Template:GT | Building project cancelled by Viking Line due to Seville shipyard's inability to complete the ship on time. | Hull was transferred to another shipyard in Vigo, where it was finished and delivered to Trasmediterránea as MS Villa de Teror in July 2019,10 years after original delivery date. Since 2021 Madeleine II for CTMA. |
| MS Hansa Express | 1962 | Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen | Template:GRT | Completed for Finnlines as MS Hansa Express, 1962. | Scrapped in 2003. |
Terminals
Viking Line has six terminals, of which four are in Finland (two in mainland Finland and two in Åland), one in Sweden and one in Estonia.<ref>Satamat, Viking Line official site. Accessed on 4 October 2024.</ref>
Finland
- Helsinki: Katajanokka Terminal. Served by Helsinki tram lines 4 and 5.
- Turku: Linnansatama. Served by the Port of Turku railway station and bus line 1.
- Mariehamn: Västhamnen. Served by the Mariehamn city bus.
- Lumparland: Långnäs.
Sweden
- Stockholm: Stadsgården. Served by a terminal bus line and the city ship Emelie.
Estonia
- Tallinn: A-terminal. Served by Tallinn bus line 2 and tram lines 1 and 2.
See also
References
External links
Template:Viking Line ships Template:Nasdaq Helsinki Template:Authority control