She is the first large-scale passenger ferry to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as being fitted with a rotor sail.

[12][13] Viking Line had been planning new ships on the route from Turku to Stockholm for a long time.

Viking Line designed advanced technical solutions for the Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm route.

According to the chief technical officer Kaj Jansson, the intent was to design fast ships with narrow hulls, which would travel lightly in the water and whose environmental effects would be minimal.

[15] Viking Line was already in negotiations in 2009 with the Finnish natural gas company Gasum about using LNG as fuel for the new ship.

Making larger ships would also cause renovation work with Viking Line's Turku and Stockholm terminals so they could handle increased passenger traffic.

[17] The second level of the Turku terminal would be expanded, the passenger bridges would be elevated and the harbour would possibly have a new parking house.

[17] On 3 June 2010 Viking Line announced that it had not received a satisfactory answer from the shipyards it had left an offer request at.

According to estimates, Viking Line would have had a great defeat in its image had it ordered the ship from abroad.

[22] On 26 October 2010 no decision to support Viking Line's ship order was made in the additional budget negotiations of the Finnish government.

[23] The CEO of STX Finland Juha Heikinheimo said that conceptual design work of the ship had already been going on for a long time.

[24] On the next day 22 December Viking Line and STX Finland announced that the ship building contract had entered into force.

During the night from 22 to 23 November 2012 a water damage was found on the ship, resulting from a failure in a cargo valve.

[6] Viking Grace is driven by four diesel/gas Wärtsilä 8L50DF electric engines, each with power of 10,100 HP,[5] and was the first LNG-powered passenger ship.

[33] Viking Grace is the first modern passenger ship to be fitted with a rotor sail,[34] which allows for hybrid usage of LNG and wind power.

The technology, called Rotor Sail Solution, was developed by the Finnish company Norsepower and has produced a fuel saving of up to 20% in favourable wind conditions.

Viking Line sold all inclusive packages to the cruise, covering a cabin, food, drinks and special programs.

On 21 November 2020, Viking Grace ran aground while attempting to dock at Mariehamn en route from Stockholm to Turku.

[42][a] The ship was towed into the harbour overnight and the 331 passengers and 98 crew, who had slept on board, were evacuated later that morning.