Tallink agrees purchase of its biggest ship yet

Lorna Strickland

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Estonian ferry company Tallink has confirmed it has placed a ?146m ($185m) order for its biggest ferry yet

Estonian ferry company Tallink has confirmed it has placed a ?146m ($185m) order for its biggest ever ferry.

The ship is expected to be available in spring 2006 to serve the Tallinn-Helsinki route. One of the company's new vessels, the M/S Romantika, will move from the same route to operate a second service on the Tallinn?Stockholm line.

Tallink Duty Free purchasing director Magnus Skjörshammer told DFNI that the introduction of another ferry on the Tallinn?Helsinki route was a necessary step as the operator had witnessed a 30% increase in passenger numbers over the summer months.

About 100,000 passengers sailed the Tallinn?Stockholm route in July, a record for the company. Skjörshammer said 3m passengers are expected to sail with the company overall.

Skjörshammer explained that the company's plan is to withdraw its older ferries eventually and replace them with modern, luxurious vessels.

Skjörshammer told DFNI: "This is a huge development for us. We aren't a global company, and even though it will take time, our plan is to sell the older ships and carry on replacing them with new ones. First-time travellers can be disappointed to come on board an old ship.

"We have big plans for the retail areas," said Skjörshammer. "Although we can't yet say what they will be, the space is much larger than what we have already and we will be heading towards a unique onboard offer. This is a very exciting day for us."

Meanwhile, the operator says its new Tallink Best Western hotel venture, which opened in June, is enjoying great success. The company's second hotel will open in the capital in spring 2006. Skjörshammer said that the second hotel would be a modern spa hotel, reflecting Estonia's improving popularity as an up-and-coming destination.