As of 1 January 2021, the ferry will cease sailing on the Tallinn-Stockholm-Riga-Stockholm-Tallinn and Tallinn-Helsinki routes.

The vessel has been operating on the two temporary routes since this autumn, providing additional cargo capacity between Estonia and Sweden and the only maritime transport route between Stockholm and Riga on a temporary basis.

Since October it has also provided weekend cruises on the Helsinki-Tallinn route without disembarking in Tallinn for the Finnish market.

The company's decision comes as the operation of the vessel between Estonia, Sweden, and Latvia has become financially infeasible in the current pandemic situation and due to tightening travel restrictions once again in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Latvia, making passenger numbers plummet.

"We are sorry to suspend another vital maritime travel routes between our neighbouring countries, but with passenger numbers dwindling and the travel restrictions expected to last for some time as a result of the worsening coronavirus pandemic situation in our countries, it is impossible to continue to operate these routes without significant losses," Paavo Nõgene, CEO, Tallink Grupp, said.

During the time when Victoria I is suspended from the Tallinn-Helsinki route, it will be possible to take a five-hour-long mini-cruise without disembarking onboard Megastar and Star every day, and it will be possible to travel to Sweden on Tallink's ferries from Estonia and Finland via the ports of Paldiski and Turku, respectively.

According to current plans, the vessel will return to the Tallinn-Helsinki route during weekends from 19 February 2021.

Photo: Tallink/Jokemedia