Launched last year, the Megastar boasts a 2,800sq m ‘Traveller Superstore shopping area’.

Baltic ferry and cruise operator Tallink Group has revealed revenue from shops and restaurants of €536.7m ($661.5m) in 2017 up from €521.5m ($642.8m) in 2016.

Total revenue amounted to €967m ($1.19bn) from €938m ($1.16bn) in 2016.

In the 2017 financial year (1 January to 31 December), Tallink Group and its subsidiaries carried a record 9.8m passengers, an increase of 3.2% from 2016.

Tallink, which recently acquired the right to operate international fashion brand Esprit’s franchise stores in Estonia commented: “The main drivers for the increased turnover in 2017 were positive developments on several of the group’s routes and in a number of the group’s segments during the year.

“The launch of the group’s newest vessel, Megastar, on the Tallinn-Helsinki route early in the year increased the capacity of this route and improved the efficiency.”

Tallink Group CEO Janek Stalmeister said: “2017 was a record year for Tallink in terms of passenger numbers and several other indicators. I am pleased that our big investment Megastar has been very successful and played an important role in the group’s increased profits, despite increasingly tight competition.”