Estonian shipping company Tallink Grupp said that its vessel Silja Europa has set sail to Turku Repair Yard in Naantali, Finland for scheduled maintenance and planned renewal works that would make the ship more environmentally friendly.
The 1993-built vessel will stay in Turku Repair Yard for two weeks, returning to the Tallinn-Helsinki route on February 9, said a press note from the provider of mini-cruise and passenger transport services in the northern Baltic Sea region.
During the scheduled docking, the vessel will undergo considerable renovation of several key passenger areas. Also, technical upgrades will be carried out on the vessel.
For example, several entertainment areas such as the Starlight Palace show bar, the Satellite Bar and Sauna Bar will be refreshed and receive new equipment. In addition, the Starlight bar will receive a brand new sound technician booth and equipment.
On the technical side - like all Tallink’s vessels undergoing scheduled dockings in 2020 - preparations will be made to the vessel for the use of high-voltage shore connection during its port stays.
Other important technical improvements to the vessel will include installation of the Ballast Water Treatment System to better address the environmental challenges of shipping and to enhance the protection of the local marine environment.
Captain Tarvi-Carlos Tuulik, Tallink Grupp’s Head of Ship Management, said: "Silja Europa is the largest cruise ferry operating on the Baltic Sea and is very popular among our customers for both regular day cruises as well as special cruises offered over the spring and summer period. Therefore, it is very important that we regularly modernize the vessel, so it continues to provide a top-of-the-range travel experience to our customers."
Silja Europa is the fourth Tallink Grupp’s vessel to go to dock in the first quarter of 2020. Tallink runs a continuous ship renovation program, according to which all the group’s vessels are updated and refreshed during a five-year period. In the last five years alone, the company has invested nearly 90 million euros into upgrading its vessels.
