Viking Line’s new vessel currently under construction at STX Finland shipyard in Turku, with the working name NB 1376, will be called the MS Viking Grace. The vessel, which begins service in January 2013 on the Turku (Finland) – Åland Islands (Finland) – Stockholm (Sweden) route, will officially receive its name during a christening ceremony that will take place at the time it begins service.
NB 1376 represents a completely new generation of ferries and will offer innovative, alluring and exciting experiences to 2,800 passengers. The newbuild concept incorporates environmentally friendly solutions, such as LNG and electrical propulsion, thus she will be able to comply with the 2015 Baltic regulation on gas emissions.
Technical data for NB 1376:
Length 214 + 4 m
Width 31.8 m
Speed 22 knots
Gross tonnage 57,000
Route: Turku- Mariehamn/Långnäs-Stockholm
Classification: Lloyd’s Register
Flag state: Finland
Passenger capacity: 2,800
Lane metres: Cargo 1,275 m, cars 500 m on Deck 4 plus 500 m on Deck 5
Expected delivery: January 10 th 2013
The ferry will begin scheduled service on January 15, 2013. A maiden voyage, which will also be sold to the public, is planned for January 13.
STX Finland Oy has three shipyards in Finland, Turku shipyard, Rauma shipyard and Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy, of which STX Finland Oy owns 50%. STX Finland’s subsidiaries include Aker Arctic Technology Oy and STX Cabins Oy, among others. The company belongs to the STX Europe Group, an international shipbuilding group with a product range including cruise vessels, ferries, offshore services vessels, arctic and other specialized vessels. STX Europe has approximately 14,000 employees.
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Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, February 17, 2012; Image: stxeurope