SILJA EUROPA returns to Helsinki-Tallinn cruise route after refit

FerryTallink Grupp’s largest ferry, the 1993-built SILJA EUROPA returned to service today (12.12.) after a 16 million euro refit, which saw nearly all of the ship’s passenger facilities rebuilt: the buffet and à la carte restaurants were entirely rebuilt, as were the pub, café and one of the bars, while the conference suite, saunas and pool area, all lobbies, corridors, stairwells, public toilets, and 1,015 passenger cabins above the car deck were refurbished.

The 137 C-class cabins, located below the car deck, will be refurbished while the ship is in service, due to be complete by the time of the Finnish winter holiday season in February. The design of all the new interiors is by the Finnish interior designers Aprocos.

In addition to the now-completed refit, the SILJA EUROPA received a smaller four-million euro refit last Spring, in which the shopping areas, two restaurants, the discotheque and the night club were rebuilt. Only the theatre remains unaltered (although it may be converted into an additional bar at a later date), meaning that – from the passengers’ point of view – the SILJA EUROPA is essentially a brand new ship.

The placement of SILJA EUROPA on the 22-hour cruise service from Helsinki to Tallinn allows Tallink to cascade the BALTIC QUEEN to the Tallinn-Stockholm route, and the ROMANTIKA to the Riga-Stockholm route, restoring the latter service to daily departures after an absence of over two years.