2006–present
In 2006, Tallink purchased the Baltic Sea operations of Superfast Ferries from Attica Group, opened a route between Riga and Stockholm[8] (with MS Fantaasia,[21] which was within a month replaced by MS Regina Baltica[34]), took delivery of the new MS Galaxy[35] which replaced Romantika on the Tallinn–Helsinki route, transferred Romantika to the Tallinn–Stockholm route,[26] and withdrew AutoExpress from service.[24] A few months later, the company purchased the rival Finnish passenger line Silja Line from Sea Containers.[8] The purchase of Superfast and Silja cost €780 million.[7] In October 2006, the company expressed an interest in making an offer to operate ferries on the state-subsidized routes between the Swedish island of Gotland and the Swedish mainland between 2009 and 2015.[36]
From the beginning of 2007, the former Superfast ships were moved under the Tallink brand and their route changed to Tallinn–Helsinki–Rostock.[37][38][39] In April of the same year, Aker Yards delivered the fast cruiseferry MS Star that had been ordered in 2005.[32] With the delivery of the Star, Meloodia was chartered to Balearic Islands, Spain for ten months and later sold,[18][40] while AutoExpress 3 and AutoExpress 4 were also withdrawn.[28][29]
Two new ships followed in 2008, with the fast cruiseferry MS Superstar delivered from Fincantieri and the second Galaxy-class ship, MS Baltic Princess, delivered from Aker Yards. Both ships were placed in service between Helsinki and Tallinn[31][33] With the delivery of the former, the last AutoExpress fast craft, AutoExpress 2, was withdrawn from Helsinki–Tallinn service.[27] Baltic Princess, meanwhile, replaced her sister ship Galaxy, which was transferred to the fleet of Silja Line. With the arrival of Galaxy MS Silja Festival was left without employment in the Silja fleet, and she was in turn transferred to Tallink's fleet, joining Regina Baltica on the Riga–Stockholm service.[42] In November 2008, MS Superfast IX, one of three ships purchased from Superfast Ferries in 2006, was chartered to the Canadian Marine Atlantic ferry operator for five years.[39] In April 2009, Tallink took delivery of its last newbuilding (as of 2010), when MS Baltic Queen was delivered STX Europe (the former Aker Yards). The new ship was placed on the Tallinn–Mariehamn–Stockholm service alongside Victoria I.
In December 2009, it was reported that the company was struggling to repay its debts of €1.1 billion. The fiscal year ending in August resulted in an operating loss, and the company had to re-negotiate with its 15 funding banks debt repayment schedules for the years 2009–2011. The banks took a more controlling role in the company: it could no longer pay dividends, make investments, or sign new contracts without its creditors' approval. Tallink also had to pick up the pace in debt repayments if conditions were to improve, and had to look for options to sell or rent some of its ships. Most of its debts were incurred for purchasing Silja Line for €470 million and Superfast Ferries for €310 million.[44]
In November 2009, due to the competitive pressure of larger rivals and higher fuel prices Tallink temporarily withdrew MS Superfast VII and MS Superfast VIII from the Germany–Finland service.[7] The ships spent the winter of 2009–2010 laid up in Kopli, before re-commencing service between Helsinki and Rostock in April 2010.[37][38]
In March 2011, it was confirmed that the MS Superfast VIII and MS Superfast VII have been chartered to Stena Line for a period of three years, with the option to extend the charter for another year. Stena Line will use these ships for Scotland–Northern Ireland service. The vessels will be delivered after the end of the high season in August 2011. Until then they are operated on their current route by Tallink. The prospective charter will improve the result of these vessels so that they will be generating a profit.
In February 2015, the company signed a building contract for the construction of its first liquefied natural gas-fueled ship, the MS Megastar which began from January 2017, providing a six-times-a-day Tallinn–Helsinki–Tallinn service.[7]
In 2018, during the course of over 10,000 voyages the company carried 9.756 million passengers, 1.25 million vehicles and 384,958 cargo units.[7][1]
In 2019, the company carried 9.763 million passengers and 385,000 cargo units.[1]
In 2019, Tallink reached a franchise agreement with a global fast-food company, Burger King to open restaurants in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and according to the agreement, Tallink will have exclusive rights for running Burger King eateries in the Baltic states for 20 years.[45] The company plans to open the first restaurant in each Baltic state in the first half of 2020.[46] The enlargement of Burger King will employ around 800 people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.[47]
In late 2018 Tallink ordered its second liquefied natural gas-fueled ship the MS MyStar, it was supposed to be completed by the end of 2019, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[48]
In December 2020, Tallink made its last trip from Riga, the capital of Latvia. It was sailed by the ship MS Victoria I from Riga to Stockholm.
In April 2022, relations with Tallink ships will cease to operate in Latvia.
On December 10, 2022, the new MS Mystar arrived in Tallinn and started Tallinn-Helsinki route on December 13,[49] eventually replacing MS Star which was chartered for 20 months to Irish Ferries and renamed to MS Oscar Wilde.[50]
