More than 70 new passenger berths are ready for use by passengers travelling between Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick on the NorthLink ferry MV Hrossey.

Twenty-two additional cabins have been made available to passengers on the ship, providing 76 extra berths. Previously, in addition to recliner seats, each vessel provided 95 passenger cabins, encompassing some 280 berths.

The new passenger accommodation has been provided by moving crew to a new module on the upper deck and modifying the crew quarters to accommodate passengers. The refit has been conducted during the vessel’s annual dry-dock programme and ensures the extra passenger accommodation is in place before the 2007 summer season.

A number of the new cabins feature televisions and DVD players as well as tea and coffee making facilities. Four executive cabins have also been created, which include a larger fixed bed and one pull down bunk, a desk area, tea and coffee facilities and complimentary chocolates and newspapers.

Furthermore, 10 of the existing four-berth cabins have been upgraded to improve their suitablilty for sharing, with privacy curtains installed on the upper and lower berths.

The decision to provide the additional cabins reflects the very significant increase in passenger traffic since NorthLink took over the service to the Northern Isles.

Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders of Birkenhead were awarded the £3m contract to refit accommodation on sister ships Hrossey and Hjaltland. With work on Hrossey’s cabins now complete, Hjaltland will come out of service for three weeks on April 14 to leave for dry-dock in Birkenhead.

Gareth Crichton, commercial director of NorthLink Ferries, said: “We’re very pleased with the result of the refit. The new passenger cabins add significantly to the number of berths we are able to provide and greatly enhance the NorthLink offering. I’m keen that islanders have the chance to view the results of the refit so once Hjaltland returns from dry-dock in May it is our intention to open one of the vessels to the public so they can come and see the changes for themselves.”