Viking Glory

Viking Glory is a cruiseferry owned and operated by Viking Line on the northern Baltic Sea. The vessel was constructed by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry in China and was designed as a larger, more energy-efficient successor to Viking Line's Viking Grace. It is slightly longer and wider than Viking Grace and is approximately nine percent larger, making it the largest cruiseferry by gross tonnage in the northern Baltic Sea according to reference descriptions. The ship was ordered on 5 April 2017 under the construction designation NB 488A. Construction began in China on 3 September 2018, and the keel was laid on 3 June 2019. A public naming competition was held during spring 2019. Viking Line selected ten finalists, including Arielle, Estelle, Glory, Lady, Mary, Panorama, Rose, Sophia, Stelle and Vista, before announcing the name Viking Glory on 27 May 2019. The name links the vessel to Viking Line's established naming tradition while presenting it as a new-generation flagship for the company's Baltic services. Viking Glory was launched in January 2021 and delivered to Viking Line in December of that year. Its transfer from China to Finland took place between 28 December 2021 and 6 February 2022. The 41-day voyage passed through the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic approaches, with route complications including fishing nets near Sri Lanka, an administrative delay concerning Suez Canal passage registration and prolonged time in Gibraltar because of storms. The ship reached Turku on 6 February 2022, where preparations for regular service continued. The vessel's first cruise took place on 1 March 2022. It operates a full-cruise pattern linking Turku in Finland with Mariehamn or Långnäs in Åland and Stockholm in Sweden. A typical round trip lasts about 23 hours. The ship normally departs Turku in the morning, reaches Mariehamn during the afternoon and arrives in Stockholm in the evening before returning toward Turku through Långnäs. It was introduced on the route previously served by Amorella, while also operating in coordination with Viking Grace. Viking Glory combines passenger accommodation, vehicle transport, dining, shopping, entertainment, conference facilities and wellness services. Its public spaces include restaurants such as Kobba Restaurant & Bar, Mimmi's, The Buffet and Market, together with cafés and bars including Torget Café & Bar, Vista Room, Vista Deck and Algoth's Bar. The vessel also contains Shopping World Tax Free, a casino, children's facilities, conference areas and the Archipelago Spa & Wellness. Several spaces draw on Baltic, Finnish and Åland cultural references: Kobba is associated with Kobbaklintar in the Åland islands, Algoth's takes its name from Finnish smuggler Algoth Niska, and Mimmi's refers to sailor Wilhelmina “Mimmi” Widbom. The project experienced substantial delays. The ship was initially expected to enter traffic in 2020, but the planned start moved repeatedly as construction and the COVID-19 pandemic affected delivery. The vessel ultimately entered service in spring 2022, almost two years later than the earliest plan. The reported contract value rose from €194 million to €225 million. Viking Line indicated that it was considering seeking compensation from the shipyard for late delivery and increased costs. In August 2022, Viking Glory also experienced a power failure while sailing from Turku to Stockholm. It continued to Stockholm but arrived approximately one hour late, and the disruption affected the timetable of Viking Grace on the same route.

Viking Glory was commissioned by Viking Line as a new-generation cruiseferry for the company's core Baltic Sea connection between Finland, Åland and Sweden. The ship was ordered from Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry on 5 April 2017. Its design was based partly on the operational concept of Viking Grace, but the new vessel was intended to be larger and more energy efficient. The finished ship is approximately nine percent larger than Viking Grace and has been described as the largest cruiseferry by gross tonnage in the northern Baltic Sea. Construction began at the Chinese shipyard on 3 September 2018, with the keel laid on 3 June 2019. During construction, the vessel was identified by the working number NB 488A. Nordic companies involved in the project included Wärtsilä, Kone, Deltamarin and Almaco. Viking Line used a public naming process in spring 2019, inviting suggestions before presenting ten finalists for a public vote. The selected name, Viking Glory, was announced on 27 May 2019. The project encountered repeated delays. The original target was to begin traffic in spring 2020, followed by revised plans for autumn 2020 and spring 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic further affected the construction and delivery schedule. The ship was launched in January 2021, delivered to Viking Line in December 2021 and finally began service in March 2022. The reported project value increased from €194 million to €225 million. Viking Line stated that it was considering compensation claims against the shipyard in connection with the late delivery and cost increase. Viking Line chief executive Jan Hansen characterized the project as the longest and most difficult in the company's history. After delivery, Viking Glory undertook a 41-day voyage from Xiamen to Turku between 28 December 2021 and 6 February 2022. The route passed through Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, the Suez Canal, Cyprus, the Strait of Gibraltar and Copenhagen. During the voyage, the vessel encountered fishing nets near Sri Lanka, was temporarily affected by an issue with its Suez Canal passage registration and spent additional time in Gibraltar because of Atlantic storms. It reached Turku on 6 February 2022. Before regular service, Viking Glory conducted docking tests at Långnäs, Mariehamn and Stockholm from 24 to 26 February 2022. These tests were important because the vessel's size required operational checks at relatively constrained ports. The maiden voyage followed on 1 March 2022. The ship replaced Amorella on the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route and now works alongside Viking Grace. Viking Glory's operating concept extends beyond transport. The ship carries passengers and vehicles while offering a broad range of onboard services across its decks. Passenger facilities include cabins, restaurants, cafés, bars, a casino, shopping, a spa, conference rooms and family areas. Its restaurant and entertainment names incorporate local and maritime references, including Kobba, Algoth's and Mimmi's. A typical round trip takes about 23 hours, with a short stop in Mariehamn and a longer evening stop in Stockholm. The principal operational incident publicly described in the reference material occurred on 3 August 2022, when Viking Glory suffered a power cut while travelling from Turku to Stockholm. The vessel continued its voyage and reached Stockholm approximately one hour late. The disruption also caused Viking Grace to wait in Mariehamn for passengers transferring from the delayed service. No further major incident is documented in the supplied material.

• 2022

  Arrival in Turku

  [1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Viking Glory completed its delivery voyage and arrived in Turku on 6 February.

• 2022

  Commercial service begins

  [1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  The maiden voyage took place on 1 March on the Turku–Åland–Stockholm service.

• 2021

  Launch and delivery

  [1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  The vessel was launched in January and delivered to Viking Line in December.

• 2019

  Keel laid and name selected

  [1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  The keel was laid on 3 June, and Viking Line announced the name Viking Glory on 27 May after a public naming competition.

• 2018

  Construction begins

  [1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Construction started at the Chinese shipyard on 3 September 2018.

• 2017

  Viking Line orders the vessel

  [1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Viking Line placed the order with Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry on 5 April 2017.

A large, modern and relatively energy-efficient Baltic Sea cruiseferry combining scheduled transport with cruise-style dining, shopping, entertainment and wellness experiences.

• Passenger and vehicle ferry · 2022

  Viking Glory cruiseferry service

  The vessel provides scheduled passenger and vehicle transportation between Turku, ports in Åland and Stockholm. Its timetable is structured as a roughly 23-hour round trip, combining transport with an overnight or cruise-style onboard experience.

• Hospitality · 2022

  Onboard dining and beverage venues

  Viking Glory offers multiple restaurants, cafés and bars, including Kobba Restaurant & Bar, Mimmi's, The Buffet, Market, Torget Café & Bar, Vista Room, Vista Deck and Algoth's Bar. The venues cover casual meals, buffet dining, drinks and more specialized restaurant experiences.

• Retail · 2022

  Shopping World Tax Free

  The ship's Shopping World Tax Free provides onboard retail as part of Viking Line's Baltic cruise-ferry model. It complements the vessel's restaurants, entertainment venues and passenger transport services.

• Wellness · 2022

  Archipelago Spa & Wellness

  Archipelago Spa & Wellness is the vessel's dedicated wellness facility. Its positioning supports Viking Glory's broader role as a leisure-oriented cruiseferry rather than a purely point-to-point transport ship.

• 2019Viking Glory public naming competition

  Finland · Åland · Sweden

  Viking Line invited the public to propose names for the new vessel, selected ten finalists and held a public vote before announcing Viking Glory as the winning name.

  Outcome. The ship was officially named Viking Glory on 27 May 2019.

  Source

• 2022

  Replacement of Amorella on the Turku–Stockholm routeStrategy

  Background

  Viking Line introduced Viking Glory as a newer and larger vessel for the Turku–Åland–Stockholm connection.

  Action taken

  Viking Glory entered regular service and replaced Amorella on the route.

  Aftermath

  The ship became one of Viking Line's principal cruiseferries in the northern Baltic Sea, operating alongside Viking Grace.

  Source

• 2022

  Consideration of compensation for delayed deliveryOther

  Background

  The vessel was delivered substantially later than originally planned and the reported project value increased from €194 million to €225 million.

  Action taken

  Viking Line indicated that it planned to seek compensation from the shipyard for late delivery and budget overrun.

  Aftermath

  The supplied material does not document the final outcome of any compensation claim.

  Reported construction contract value. €194 million → €225 million (During the delayed construction and delivery period, 2017–2022)

  Source

• 2017

  Commissioning of a larger, more efficient cruiseferryStrategy

  Background

  Viking Line sought a successor to Viking Grace for its central Baltic route, with greater size and improved energy efficiency.

  Action taken

  The company ordered a new vessel from Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry.

  Aftermath

  The resulting ship became Viking Glory and entered the Turku–Åland–Stockholm service in 2022.

  Source

• 2022

  Viking Glory arrives in Turku after delivery voyage[1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The vessel completed its voyage from Xiamen to Finland and arrived at the Port of Turku on 6 February 2022.

• 2022

  Viking Glory begins commercial service[1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The ship's maiden cruise took place on 1 March 2022, with the first sailing and many subsequent cruises reportedly selling quickly.

• 2022

  Power failure delays Viking Glory voyage[1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A power cut on 3 August 2022 delayed the vessel's arrival in Stockholm by about an hour and caused a knock-on delay for Viking Grace passengers in Mariehamn.

• 2021

  Viking Glory launched at Xiamen shipyard[1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The new Viking Line cruiseferry was launched in January 2021 after construction in China.

• 2021

  Delivery delays push Viking Glory project into 2022[1]MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Construction and pandemic-related disruption postponed the vessel's delivery and entry into service well beyond the original 2020 timetable.

1. 1MS Viking Gloryen.wikipedia.org