Viking Line’s new flagship, Viking Glory (CruiseMapper), to be launched in service in early 2022, will offer conference facilities in an unbeatable setting. The conference venue, which can accommodate nearly 400 conference guests, will offer panoramic views of the Baltic Sea from Deck 9. Conferences on board the vessel can be booked starting August 23, 2021.

The shipping company Viking Line is now building Viking Glory, which will be one of the world’s most climate-smart vessels. Viking Glory will depart every evening from Stockholm and sail via Mariehamn to Turku, Finland starting in early 2022. It will be possible for conference guests to choose from day cruises, scheduled sailings, or a 24-hour voyage on board with opportunities to attend a conference, visit the spa, eat the finest food on the Baltic Sea, and shop.

“We can’t wait to welcome our guests onboard the new Viking Glory. The interiors, especially in the conference venue, are tastefully decorated, and outside an unparalleled view opens up of the most beautiful archipelago in the Baltic Sea. Naturally, we have equipped the vessel with cutting-edge technology and flexible solutions so that our customers will be able to use the premises in the best way possible,” says Stig Pernell, intendant on Viking Glory.

The modern conference premises on Viking Glory provide space for inspiration and relaxation, far from boring training classrooms and enclosed lecture halls. The unique view of the sea has been showcased to inspire participants. Together with interior designers from the Swedish architect firm Koncept, Viking Line has developed the meeting rooms of tomorrow, with a good balance between flexibility and fit-for-purpose facilities. The conference venue, located on Deck 9, has 14 flexible rooms that can be combined as needed. All rooms have LED screens. The auditorium has seating for 250 people and is equipped with floor-to-ceiling screens.

Close to the conference venue are additional premises of various sizes that can be booked by groups. Specially designed programs can be held here, with activities, entertainment, and refreshments.

Viking Glory’s conference rooms can be booked starting August 23, 2021, at https://www.sales.vikingline.com/conferences-group-travel/

Conference in the archipelago – both literally and figuratively

The conference rooms on Viking Glory have been named after lighthouses, islands and other sites in the waters plied by the vessel. Each space has its own history.

Ruissalo

The island of Ruissalo, with its beautiful nature, is just beyond the city of Turku – a popular recreation area with lovely 19th-century villas and large, lush oak groves.

Kobba Klintar

When you get a glimpse of the old pilot station, with its white pyramid-shaped landmark, you know you’ve arrived at Mariehamn. Many sailors were said to burst into tears of joy when they caught sight of Kobba Klintar after treacherous journeys at sea.

Airisto

A large, sparkling bay in the beautiful Turku archipelago. The traffic of small boats is lively here since the navigable routes to the ports of Turku and Naantali go via this inlet.

Lågskär

South of Mariehamn is the small island of Lågskär, surrounded by some fifteen sea stacks. As early as the 17th century, a cairn of stacked rocks was built on the island to guide sailors, and this is also where Åland’s first beacon was set up. Lighthouse keepers once resided here, and birdwatchers have now taken over.

SjälöIts somber history has not stood in the way of the town of Själö, which in Finnish is known as Seili. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the island was a leper colony, where patients lived in isolation from the rest of the world. Later a hospital for the mentally ill was built here. Today the Archipelago Research Institute at the University of Turku has its marine station located on the island.

Flötjan

According to an old sailor’s story, a reddish-green pole was erected on this rocky islet to mark the border between Sweden and Czarist Russia in the 19th century. The current lighthouse was completed in 1953 and now runs on electricity powered by solar panels.

Östersjön

The Baltic Sea, or Östersjön in Swedish, is our lifeblood. During Finland’s centenary of independence, Viking Line raised 50,000 euros for the Tvärminne Zoological Station, which is Finland’s largest center for research and education on the Baltic Sea.

Fejan

Today Fejan is a popular destination, with a guest harbour and restaurant. But life wasn’t so rosy in the late 19th century when the island served as a quarantine station for people infected with cholera.

Ingenjör Pettersson

Tip your hat to Engineer (Ingenjör) Pettersson – at least that’s what some sailors do when they sail past the six-meter tall sector light located in the Omenaistenaukko Sound. The lighthouse, built-in 1909, was named after the engineer who designed it, Karl R. Petterson. The memorial marker here is still polished by students each year.

Gräskö

In the early 20th century, smuggling alcohol from the Baltic countries was common, and the island of Gräskö was the centre of smuggling in the archipelago north of Stockholm. One bootlegger was said to have stored 20,000 liters of alcohol in his woodshed.

Korpo

During Prohibition, Korpo was the centre of alcohol smuggling in the Turku archipelago. It was a profitable business that raised living standards here. The undisputed leading trader was Hjalmari Mäkelä, who was extremely popular. Hjalmari distributed Christmas presents to those less fortunate and sweets to the children of Korpo. When customs officers interrogated local residents, they responded that they had neither seen nor heard anything.

Furusund

It was on the beautiful island of Furusund in the Swedish coastal region of Roslagen that one of the world’s most famous stories was born. Astrid Lindgren had her summer home here, and one evening when her daughter begged her to tell a story, the author wondered with some resignation: “What story should I tell then?” Her daughter Karin simply burst out, “Tell me a story about Pippi Longstocking!”.

Gustav Dalén

The Gustaf Dalén caisson lighthouse was a commemorative gift from the Swedish industrial gas company AGA in 1946. Finland returned the favour by naming the lighthouse after AGA’s famous founder. The structure was towed to the site, where it was crowned by an eight-sided lantern featuring a Dalén or AGA light, regulated by a solar valve. The fog bell was activated by the humidity of the fog, striking every 20 seconds to guide seamen. Today the lighthouse is powered by solar panels, and the bell can be seen in the port of Mariehamn.

Oxdjupet

The narrow channel between Rindö and Värmdö usually draws people out on deck to take a look. This strait has been one of the main routes into Stockholm from time immemorial. In order to divert Sweden’s enemies, Gustav Vasa ordered the depth of the water to be reduced so that all vessels would instead have to pass by the strongly fortified Vaxholm Fortress. Only in the mid-19th century was the strait cleared and the water restored to its depth, which varies between 17 and 38 metres.

Facts about Viking Glory:

“We want to show you the archipelago as you’ve never seen it before. There’s nothing on board to obstruct your view – the sea is ever-present. In order to continue safeguarding our unique maritime environment, we make use of cutting-edge innovations. With a focus on the environment and comfort, the travel experience of tomorrow is taking shape. Welcome to a greener and more beautiful world. Welcome to Viking Glory.”

• To be delivered in late 2021

• Expected placement in service in early 2022 on the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route

• Passenger capacity: 2,800 passengers

• Cabins: 922

• Crew about 150 + 150 people

• Length: 222.6 metres, gross tonnage: 63,813 tonnes

• Cargo capacity: 1,500 metres

• Ice class: 1A Super

• Fuel: Liquefied natural gas (LNG)

• Construction at XSI’s shipyard in China

• Partners: Wärtsilä, ABB Marine, Kone, Almaco, Koncept, Climeon, Evac, Projektia, Pointman, Deltamarin and others