Viking Line ends a strong year with good passenger numbers

2023 was a very good year for Viking Line. A total of nearly 5 million passengers sailed on the company’s vessels. During the period June-August, there were nearly 1.8 million passengers, and many departures during the summer holiday season were sold out well in advance.

Traffic on the different routes

The number of passengers who sailed with the company in 2023 was 4,897,494 (4,945,564), which is a very good result given that capacity was reduced, with fewer vessels than the year before. The vessel Amorella ended its service for Viking Line in October 2022 while Rosella made its last voyage for the company in January 2023.

• In 2023, Viking Grace and Viking Glory had the biggest passenger increase, on the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route, with 2,123,647 (1,955,988) passengers. Viking Line’s market share here was 72 %. Viking Glory, which launched service in 2022, is still a novelty and a very popular vessel. The two vessels make for a strong combination on this route.

• Viking Gabriella served the Helsinki–Åland–Stockholm route on its own during the year and had 496,844 (515,445) passengers. During the summer, the vessel made an extra voyage during the day together with Viking Cinderella between Helsinki and Tallinn. Gabriella also made a number of special cruises during the year.

• Viking Cinderella provided cruise service between Stockholm and Mariehamn and had 534,149 (517,354) passengers. The vessel also made special cruises to a number of destinations on the Baltic Sea during the year.

• On January 17, 2023, Rosella, which provided service between Mariehamn and Kapellskär, was sold to a Greek buyer. Rosella had 16,190 passengers in January.

• M/S Viking XPRS had 1,655,548 (1,403,048) passengers in its service between the capital cities of Helsinki and Tallinn.

• The number of passengers who sailed on special cruises and other routes was 71,116.

• The number of cargo units was 125,269, and the number of passenger cars was 563,081.  

“We are ending a good year. In 2023, Viking XPRS was reflagged under a Finnish flag, and during the autumn we decided to do the same with Viking Cinderella, which will be reassigned to the Helsinki–Stockholm route in spring 2024. The new financial year 2024 will be both exciting and demanding. We are following economic developments very closely and adapting our operations to meet the challenges we face. Last autumn, we formed a joint venture with the shipping company Gotlandsbolaget with the task of developing and providing cruises with M/S Birka Gotland. We see great potential for this joint venture and have a generally optimistic outlook for Baltic Sea travel,” says Jan Hanses, CEO of Viking Line.

Link to the original press release of Viking Line.

Text & Picture ©: Viking Line