Finnlines once again named best Ferry Operator of the Year at the Grand Travel Award
Finnlines has been awarded Ferry Operator of the Year at the Grand Travel Award Finland gala for the second year in a row. The award is based on independent consumer research and evaluations by travel industry professionals and a jury.
The Grand Travel Award Finland gala was held in Helsinki on 28 May 2026, bringing together approximately 300 travel industry professionals. Freight and passenger shipping company Finnlines received the Ferry Operator of the Year award. Other nominees in the category were Eckerö Line, Tallink Silja Line, Viking Line and Wasaline.
The award evaluation is based on consumer research (50%), votes by travel industry professionals (25%) and an assessment by a professional jury (25%).
Finnlines’ Head of Passenger Services Marco Palmu, Sales and Marketing Manager Krista Orvomaa and Sales Manager Satu Hirvenoja received the award at the gala.
“We are truly honoured to receive this recognition for the second year in a row. It shows that the appreciation is not based solely on novelty, but that we have genuinely succeeded in providing our customers with a high-quality travel experience and service over the longer term. We warmly thank our customers for their trust and our partners for their excellent cooperation,” says Marco Palmu.
Over the past year, Finnlines has continued to enhance the passenger experience by improving onboard services, investing in digital customer experience and strengthening service training for personnel. The company has also placed increased focus on customer communications.
The company’s newest vessels, Finnsirius and Finncanopus, operating on the Finland–Sweden route, represent a new service concept that combines modern design, hight service standards and sustainable technologies. Finnlines is also continuing to invest in its fleet, with three new vessels planned for the Finland–Germany route in 2028–2029. Their design has been driven by a strong focus on travel comfort and an enhanced overall travel experience, particularly on long sea crossings.
“The experience on our newest vessels has exceeded many passengers expectations. We have developed our services consistently over the long term, and this award confirms that we are succeeding in areas that matter most to our customers. In 2025, our Net Promoter Score reached 78 and the intention to travel again 85,” says Krista Orvomaa.
Finnlines continues to develop its services based on customer insights. Recent improvements include enhancements to onboard dining concepts and for the upcoming summer season, new offerings will be introduced in restaurants, the tax free shop and the entertainment programme.
Grand Travel Award
The Grand Travel Award was first organised in Sweden in 1992. Since then, the event has expanded to Norway and Finland. The awards highlight the best-performing companies in the travel industry based on independent consumer research and professional evaluations. The research is conducted by Nordic Bench and utilises NPS methodology to measure customers loyalty, service quality, reliability and brand image.
Further information
Marco Palmu, Head of Passenger Services, Finnlines Plc
[email protected], +358 40 773 4894
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Finnlines Plc
Finnlines is a leading shipping operator of freight and passenger services in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the Bay of Biscay. The company is a part of the Grimaldi Group, one of the world’s largest operators of ro-ro vessels and the largest operator of the Motorways of the Sea in Europe for both passengers and freight. This affiliation enables Finnlines to offer liner services to and from several destinations in the Mediterranean, West Africa, Atlantic coasts of both North and South America as well as Asia and Australia.