Viking Grace interiors, 14-15 February 2013 - Part 1

As some of you have perhaps noticed, the first part of my english-language travel report from onboard the Viking Grace is up at MaritimeMatters here. Since the trip report is up, I though it prodent to put up a more through collection of photos from the ship here. As there are almost 50 photos overall, I decided to break them into two separate entries. Today we will look at decks 9 and 10, while the next installment will deal with deck 11 and 12.

Viking Grace

IMO 9606900
Built 2013, STX Europe Turku, Finland
Tonnage 57 700 GT
Length 218,60 m
Width 31,80 m
Draught 6,80 m
Ice class 1 A Super
2 800 passengers
2 876 berths
530 lane metres of cars
1 275 lane metres of cargo
4 Wärtsilä dual fuel (LNG/diesel) engines, combined 30 400 kW
2 fixed-pitch propellers
2 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Service speed 21,8 knots
Maximum speed 25,6 knots

The Viking Grace is notable, amongst other things, for her unusual interiors. They have been designed by the Finnish architecture firm dSign Vertti Kivi, who have also designed a horde of different things on dry land but never anything afloat before the Grace. The cabins and cabin corridors on the other hand have are the works of another Finnish architectural practice, Korpi & Gordon.

Deck 9 contains the navigation bridge forward, followed by cabins, the reception, conference rooms, a large tax-free supermarket and a teenagers' room.

The cabin corridors have extremely interesting carpeting. Apparently the carpets are identical on each deck with the exception that each deck has it's own identifying insect. On deck 9 this was a butterly, on one of the lower decks it's a ladybug.

An inside double cabin; not large but perfectly adequate for a 23-hour cruise. The floor may look like wood but it's ain fact a carpet patterned to look like wood.

On the port side there is a three-deck high atrium (spanning deck 9, 10 and 11), with a large panoramic window similar to that onboard the 1989 Viking Line ship Cinderella.

The lovely mrs Id demonstrated the functionability of the atrium sofas.

The Teens room is also on deck 9, located out of the way along the connecting corridor to the aft staircase, essentially inside the horseshow-shaped tax-free supermarket.

Deck 10 has, the following spaces, fore to aft: Aurora Buffet restaurant, Sweet & Salty cafeteria, Rockmore Bar, Retro Bar and Vogue night club.

The servery areas of Buffet Aurora have a fairly boring colour palette. It lets the foods stand out, for sure, but perhaps a little colour wouldn't have hurt.

The kids' table is somewhat more interesting. Also notice it's actually been designed for children, heightwise.

The actual eating areas of Aurora share similar patters but different sections have different colour schemes. Here were are looking aft on the starboard side.

Looking forward on the starboard side; notice the Alvar Aalto -style space dividers in the background.

Port side facing aft (towards the entrance), with yellow as the dominating colour.

Sprinkled amongst the more modernist chairs and tables are these odd retro things.

Totally random Buffet Aurora ceiling shot (with regards to Peter Knego).

The port side arcade aft of Aurora.

The Sweet & Salty cafeteria is located midships on deck 10. This also functions are a food outlet, with a self-serve buffet from which you pay according the weight of your portion.

The items served at Sweet & Salty are tasty but in terms of decor it is definately the most boring space onboard.

Aft of Sweet & Salty there are two different bars on either side of the funnel casing. On the port side is the Rockmore disco, which oddly lacks a dance floor.

Rockmore details. The space also functions as an access corridor to the Vogue night club aft and it gets irritatingly crowded easily.

On the starboard side from the Rockmore Bar is the Retro Bar, which features karaoke and the other forms of "traditional" cruise ferry culture. While these are not my favourite things onboard, Retro was clearly the most popular venue onboard.

Karaoke in full swing.

Club Vogue is a two-storey venue furthest aft. All of my Vogue photos are in fact from the upper level on deck 11, but I'm including them here for the sake of balancing the number of photos in the two entries,

It might be just me, but I think Vogue looks like a set from a 1970s science fiction movie.

During daytime Club Vogue is slightly less red and the ceiling lights look even more impressive.

Club Vogue's bar on deck 11.

At the very aft of Club Vogue there are large windows overlooking the ship's stern.

The dance floor in night-time mode...

...and day-time mode.

Next time: part 2 of the Viking Grace's interiors.