This story - a "methodological guide" on "using the Viking Line ferries" :) - will be included in its own author's series "My Guides". It is designed to orient you on the “ferry area”, help you choose a cabin, a place for dinner / lunch, introduce you to schedules, give an idea about the ferries themselves and their routes, as well as a variety of interesting nuances :).
ABOUT VIKING LINE FERRIES
(HELSINKI - STOCKHOLM - HELSINKI)
Principal choice of ferry to Stockholm (from Helsinki).
On New Year's Eve, we decided to take a ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm, and naturally, the question of choice arose. We thought for a long time - on what to sail - on the “Viking Line” or on the “Silja Line”?
And they definitely chose Viking.
Our arguments in its favor were as follows:
Firstly, Viking is owned by a Swedish company, and after she changed the owner from Finnish to Estonian (Tallink), Silja was immediately hit by a lot of service complaints. The Finns themselves, who are extreme conservatives by nature, unanimously and massively showed Silya the non-front part of the body and moved to the Viking.
Secondly and most importantly, Viking arrives at the central pier of Stockholm, from which it takes 20 minutes to walk to the historical center (Gamla Stan), and Silja lands somewhere in the North Port, from where it takes a little longer to get to the center by metro (~ 4 stops by metro). And it is much more convenient for us to get to our hotel (Hotel "Rival", Mariatorget metro station) from the Viking terminal.
Each Viking ship has a romantic name, by which you can already guess the direction of movement in advance.
Mariella and "Gabriella"- go along the route (there / back): Helsinki (17.30 / 9.55) - Mariehamen (Aland Islands, 4.25-4.35 / 23.45-23.40) - Stockholm (9.40 / 16.45).
"Amorella"(1) and "Isabella"(2) - along the route (there / back):
(1) Turku (08.45/07.35) - Mariehamen (14.10/03.30)/Langnas (14.25/03.20) - Stockholm (18.55/20.10)
(2) Turku (21.00/19.50) - Mariehamen (01.00/14.25)/Langnas (01.10/14.10) - Stockholm (06.30/07.45)
"Rosella"- Mariehamena - Kappelskar, (on weekdays to Sweden): 08.00-9.15, 16.00-17.30, (on weekdays from Sweden): 12.00-15.30, 19.00-22.00. (!) - additional flights on weekends.
Cinderella- Marienhamen - Stockholm, (to Sweden): 09.45-15.30, (from Sweden): 18.00-07.45
"Viking XPRS"- from Helsinki to Tallinn.
The newest and most modern ferry - "Viking XPRS" - left the shipyard in 2008. (length 185m, number of passengers - 2500).
“Gabriella”, built in 1992, length 171m, 2420 people.
"Cinderella" - 1989 (191m, 2560 people), “Isabella” - 1989 (171m, 2480 people), “Amorella” - 1988 (169m, 2480pax)
Mariella was built in 1985. (176m, 2500 people).
The oldest and smallest - "Rosella" - 1980, length 136m, 1700 passengers.
FERRIES “MARIELLA” AND “GABRIELLA” (“VIKING LINE”)
FINLAND/HELSINKI - SWEDEN/STOCKHOLM (and back)
travel time - ~17 hours
Cabin and deck selection. Tickets.
We find out (in the agency, about it below) that on our dates we sail there on the Mariella, back on the Gabriella.
We are sailing on such a large ferry for the first time, besides with a child, so we decided to take a nice big cabin with a window. We meticulously reviewed everything on the Viking Line websiteproposed options , and stayed in the Lux-LXR cabin (large bed, two windows, hair dryer, refrigerator, TV, 5th deck). On the way back(cabin was Lux-LXB, exactly the same.
The better the cabin, the higher deck it is on. I note for a good example that on our 5th deck we hardly fell asleep to the sounds of cracking ice and the roar of the engine. Therefore, make the conclusion about the comfort of more economical options yourself.
Budget options, for example, without a window, but on the 5th-6th decks are quite acceptable. Below - really scary, and the cabins look like compartments in a train.
I note that the cost of ferry tickets is different, and depends on what day of the week you leave: Sat-Tue - the lowest, Fri - average, Wed-Thu - the highest. There is no holiday coefficient for New Year and Christmas on Viking (unlike Silya), besides, the company makes a lot of different discounts, such as "family", "early booking" (25 days in advance), "round trip", etc. ( about prices and discounts).
In summer (June-August) you can buy very cheap tickets without a cabin - like a "deck". And the rest of the time (September-May) they buy a mandatory package: “cabin + deck / passenger ticket”. That is, this deck ticket is added to the price of the cabin you have chosen on the website - 40/50/70 €, depending on the day of the week.
The cost of our tickets (package, winter 2010) is 170€ round trip for three (+ ~50% total discount).
Tickets were bought in Moscow, from one of authorized agents (Norvica Ltd):. To which there are no complaints, except for one :) - we were incorrectly calculated the amount, of course not in a smaller direction. Since we are financiers, we never allow ourselves to relax :), the cost of tickets was carefully calculated by us long ago, we had to politely point out the girl to the "accidental" mistake. "Oh," said the authorized agent, "I'll look on another computer." In which, of course, the price was already calculated correctly :).
Registration of tickets. Ferry boarding.
We drove almost to the Viking Terminal on tram 4 (4B is possible). They were worried, but they saw people pulling suitcases in one direction, and lined up behind them. Walking past the car park at the Marina Hotel, we were very impressed by the number of cars with Russian numbers. We walked and calculated the region using them: Moscow, Moscow, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, again Moscow ...
It is advisable to drive up to the ferry boarding check-in in advance: for passengers - as min 1 hour in advance, for car passengers - as min 45 minutes in advance. 10 minutes before departure, boarding stops hard. Who did not have time, he was late.
Our tickets received in Moscow are not tickets yet, but A4 pieces of paper. We line up in a huge queue at the ticket office (several windows), show our passports, and exchange papers for cardboard tickets. We go up the escalator and through electronic machines (as in the subway, we apply tickets) we pass into a booming transparent plastic corridor-pipe, which “sticks” to the side of the ferry. It's good that we were warned - that somewhere around the corner "a bird will fly out", i.e. photographers are standing. I'm trying to fix my curls and keep my mouth in the cheese position. And this was the right behavior, because somehow suddenly we pass through some kind of frame where we scoff at a sudden flash. A photo (5 €) can then be bought at the exit at the reception desk.
And finally, the solemn moment - we are INSIDE!
Inside the ferry. Cabin.
In fact, it is a very exciting feeling. The people - the sea. Everyone is excited. New Year's mood, you are waiting for something festive.
At the entrance, you should immediately look at the signs - they sort the flow into decks. As usual with Russians, those who are taller immediately begin to look contemptuously at those who are shorter :(. We somehow very quickly taxi out along a narrow long pink corridor immediately to our cabin.
Here she is.
The first feeling is small. The second feeling is cold.
We turned out to be right, the photos exaggerate the size of the cabin a little (and we had a suite), and, indeed, it is very cool inside, literally at the lower limit of comfort. If you wash your hair, you must immediately turn on the hair dryer, otherwise you can become covered with frost. Branded travel kits are lined up in a tiny WC. And caramel sweets near the mirror. And so no frills.
Here is the internal "device of Mariella:
8 deck - conference room, viewing open deck
7 deck - restaurants, nightclub, wc
6 deck - reception (Information desk), Duty Free shop, cabins
5 deck - cabins
4 deck - cabins, luggage
3rd deck, 1st tier - car platform
3rd deck, 2nd tier - car platform
2 deck - anchor compartment
Orientation in space. Observation deck. duty free.
We began to understand the nooks and crannies of the ferry, despite some initial confusion, quite quickly, connecting all the senses to this process like GPS navigators.
So, leaving the cabin for the first reconnaissance, we did not have time to move far from it, when we saw people in jackets running somewhere and heard shouts: “Faster, faster to the upper deck.” We mirrored the action, grabbed the camera and, buttoning up on the run, rushed up the stairs.
It should be noted that in January it is very cold, slippery and scary at the top open area. I held our Maconian by the hood, and my husband held me behind. But the sight of Helsinki twinkling at night from the height of a seagull's flight was unforgettable. We tried to capture these shots, but - you need a pre-prepared tripod, otherwise, of course, everything is smeared. And in the summer here, no doubt, you get a hundred times our pleasure.
There was no tripod, so you have to fantasize. We sail from Helsinki. (Winter 2010)
They returned, undressed, changed the camera for a wallet and moved - well, where to? - in Duty Free of course. It is pleasantly large, but uncomfortably filled with people, 95% of which are our people (more on that later). The amount of alcohol in the carts was appalling. As well as queues at the box office.
The grocery section has a very good selection of sweets and chocolates (mostly Finnish Fazer). There was a tasting of white wine, which we tested without pleasure (very sour) and after which my throat hurt unbearably (very cold). A rather interesting assortment of Finnish haberdashery in the form of Arabia dishes, Aalto vases, Marimmekko small fabric items.
Quite a variety of Parfume, I even found organic brands there - Weleda and Dr.Andrew. There are clothes and shoes for which at this time (the first week after New Year) there was a 30-50% discount. There are silver jewelry.
Prices in Duty Free on ferries are really enticing. To illustrate by the example of a perfume, the men's Dior in Sokose costs ~70€. Here - a little more than 40€.
Meals on the ferry. Restaurant al a Carte, Viking buffet or sandwich snack.
The cost of meals (and this is dinner and breakfast) is not included in your ticket package.
All restaurants are on the same deck, there are signs.
Viking offers his Buffet or Buffet, the cost of which:
Dinner, prepayment / payment on board: adult - 29€ / 32€, children 6-17 years old - 13€ / 14.50€
Tomorrow to: adult - 9 € / 10 €, children 6-17 years old - 4.50 € / 5 €
*wine, beer, drinks, tea, coffee are included in the price.
We, in fact, did not doubt that we would use the buffet, but fortunately, my friend, who made a trip on the ferry in the autumn, categorically advised against “wasting money” on completely “standard tasteless” food and drinking wine that “colors the tongue” .
It turns out that on any Viking there are several more restaurants where you can invest the indicated euros more productively. It's presentable “Food Garden”, slightly more democratic “Wine & Tapas”(European cuisine) and "Ellas"(American-Italian cuisine) and beer "Pub"(they have different names on different ferries "Arcade", "Pamir", "Captain's Correr" and etc.).
Special recommendations received the first place where we (dressed up) and went. The Food Garden has a very sophisticated interior, there are bouquets of fresh flowers on the tables, a pianist plays quietly, tailcoats and evening dresses are welcome, ski pants and sweaters must be left for direct use.
Restaurant "Food Garden"
The audience in the restaurant
Restaurant "Food Garden"
It offers a buffet of starters and desserts, as well as a choice of à la carte dishes. Payment scheme is tricky:
Buffet (snack) or dessert) + main course (price separately) - 10€
Buffet (snack) and dessert) + main course (price separately) - 15€
Buffet only (starter + dessert) without main course - 27€.
*The main course is meat or fish from 17€ (chicken) to 26€ (veal entrecote, reindeer fillet).
Accordingly, to the option you have chosen, you choose the main dish from the menu (then the buffet serves you either as an appetizer or dessert, or both), or you order everything from the menu (instead of the buffet, choose an appetizer and / or dessert from the menu ).
I just wrote about the buffet for adults, but there is children's - 10€.
Adult - an excellent choice of hams, rolls, shrimps, salads, cheeses, desserts. Kid's - Terrible selection of tough chicken, mini burgers, fried fries, red ketchup, slurred veggies and no sweets.
Very tasty and worthy. Members of the Viking Club - 10%. Leaving a tip of €9 (rounded up to a hundred euros), we subjected the waitress to a state of mild shock, she even looked at us accusingly. In fact, a dinner for three with wine is more than worth the money.
And by the way, here you can order dietary meals, they are marked on the menu with signs - G / gluten-free, L / lactose-free, LL / low-lactose, V / vegetarian. And in the summer (17.06-21.07) they have Strawberry weeks!!! Which pass into Lobster ... ... (22.07-22.08).
Delicious and original selection of snacks “Wine & Tapas”- in fact, the name is translated as follows: Wine and Snacks. You can have a snack with various small sandwiches (for example, with shrimp paste), mini skewers, slices of meat and artichokes, asparagus in a ham wrap, etc. The prices for them are regressively tempting: 3 tapas (i.e. appetizers) cost 7.50€ , 5 - ~9€, 7 - ~10€, plus you can add a glass of red wine to one of the schemes. They also offer the same delicious (large portions) Caesar salad for 8 € - 3 toppings you choose yourself (they are included in the price: chicken, shrimp, boiled eggs, smoked salmon, olives, cheese, ham, etc.) , and each next (optional) costs 1€.
Tapas at "Wine&Tapas"
In the morning, you can also have breakfast in the “Food Garden”. Breakfast, prepayment / payment on board: adult - 14€ / 15.50€, children 6-17 years old - 7€ / 7.50€. But we absolutely loved it. Sea Side Cafe(on Mariella there is, on Gabrielle not). We got up very early (forgetting the time difference), and had a great meal in it against the background of the dawn rising over the already Swedish sea. Tea, coffee, cocoa, milk, juices + sandwiches, salads, meatballs + great pastries + great souvenirs. In the same cafe you can have a simple dinner.
"Sea Side Cafe"
We have breakfast in a cafe, and outside the window is dawn ... - already Swedish
January 3rd Morning photos - Stockholm is coming soon
Entertainment on the ferry for adults and children.
This is the Night Club - where they dance and sing on the stage, and drink and eat on the tables surrounding the stage. In principle, it's fun for those who are addicted to nightlife, dances, dances, and dizziness from drinking. I personally pass. I don’t like it, I can hardly stand it for 5 minutes, at one time I danced on the tables at Spanish discos.
Children have fun in children's rooms littered with toys and even computer screens with simple games. Shoes must be removed.
You can kill time (and money) on slot machines - there are a large number and variety of them.
Children's playroom at Mariella
Our Makonian did not come off the window
Our people are on the ferry.
The global nature of the inadequate behavior of our compatriots, of course, is the reason that many Finns, knowing the peaks of the influx of Russian neighbors to visit them, are trying to minimize tourist contact with us. Therefore, in the post-New Year days, i.e. for our winter holidays, Finns and Swedes on the ferry - ~ 5%, Russians - 95%. What does this mean? :) :(... No matter how offensive it is to say, I can’t find another word - the collective farm is walking. In the cabin next to us, people sang songs like “A Christmas tree was born in the forest, b ...”, a uniform for walking on a ferry like sweatpants + slates + a crumpled T-shirt + a can of beer, crazy spraying yourself with perfume in duty free, pushing, grabbing, getting sick with each other, etc., etc. these are the most innocent manifestations of our "soviet" mentality.
I always write "ours", because in a very rare Russian human specimen there are no proletarian manners.
Money exchange. Bus tickets to metro.
You can exchange euros/dollars for Swedish krona at the reception. The minimum cache, of course, is required to start. They also sell tickets (€4) for the City Bus cargo bus, which you need to board when you get off the ferry to either get to the nearest metro station, Slussen, or to the final one, T-Centralen.
This is an info desk where they change currency, take different booklets and cards
The bus stop is located right at the exit of the pipe from the ferry. Recognizable by the huge queue (we stood for 15 minutes).
The queue for boarding the bus to the metro station Schlussen
And most importantly! - travel time to Slussen is exactly 3 minutes :). So if you have little luggage - turn right and after 10 minutes of a pleasant walk along the embankment you will be at Slussen, from which Gamla Stan is within easy reach. And buy a souvenir with the saved euros :).
!And do not forget to buy your photos as a memory of the Viking at the exit! :)
And near the same reception there is a stand with information about Stockholm (maps, brochures, magazines) in different languages, incl. and in Russian.
Night. Moon in the porthole
Floating on the ice
And outside the window (porthole) is already Stockholm
Mini guide to ferries “Viking Line” (Finland - Aland Islands - Sweden) №2- soon
Stories about Finland and Sweden:
Story “Lady Northern Lights - Finland. Helsinki"
Story Stockholm and Helsinki. Young Lady and Peasant Woman"
*Here it is written about ferries from Finland to the Åland Islands
A few comments from an old Photobucket post ( about why I'm changing)
lap_landia
Have you tried setting the A/C switch to maximum heat? (It hangs right above the bed, and the sensor is on the wall near the shower door). It usually gets hotter than ever. And if it does not work, the reception should take measures up to the provision of another cabin, if any.
The choice between Viking and Silya has already begun to resemble a "religious" choice between Canon and Nikon. :) That is, the pros and cons are very balanced.
In fact, the service on Silja is adequate to any Scandinavian. It is hardly possible to distinguish from the outside the belonging of the company - a common northern European standard. And the size and leisure opportunities are so much larger than on Viking that after a promenade with a variety of restaurants, shops, a spa with a jacuzzi overlooking the sunset on the glazed upper deck, more vibrant clubs and programs that are offered on Silja, Viking is really boring.
However, there are things that make Viking a really convenient means of transportation for walking to Stockholm - the Viking Club Membership Card gives discounts much better than the Silja Club. During the December Christmas season we ride in a cabin with a window for about 0 Euro. We only order food. In the usual "low" season, a cabin costs an average of 20 euros. A fundamental convenience for us is also that Viking accepts a simple debit bank card for payment (Finnish, I don’t know about Russian ones), and Silja does not accept a debit card, neither Finnish nor Estonian, only a credit card.
The place of arrival in the city is also a matter of relative convenience. From Silja by metro 1 stop, not much longer in time than walking along the pier from Viking. And if you want to devote more time to Djurgården with its parks and museums, then it is more convenient to do it from the Silja terminal.
In general, these are just details. The main thing is that these walks by the sea here are very pleasant, you are absolutely right. Any way, any season. Each has its positive aspects.
Tatiana, thanks for the clarification.
As for the air conditioner - they tried to turn it, there were no shifts towards the change of the ice age, and they stopped there :).
I cannot compare the merits of both ferries as we have (so far) only used the Viking. Therefore, I was careful (sort of) to avoid a dangerous comparative debate :) only touched on our conclusions on the subject of preferences.
I don’t like to be unfounded, and Silje can give only one real plus so far - when booking tickets, we found out that, unlike Viking, an intermediary agent is excluded here, and you can choose a cabin on the site and pay immediately with a card.
I was surprised to read about "1 stop on the metro from Silya." Didn't understand what? To T-Central? On the map, the distance from the Silja terminal to the center seemed to me more significant.
In general, of course, you are absolutely right. The question "which is better" Viking or Silya is secondary, the main thing is to travel to Stockholm more often :), even on a goat :)))
lap_landia
Then you can demand compensation for the malfunction if there is no cooling of the room in the heat and heating in the winter. At least they always try to help if there are any problems. But anything can happen, of course.
And why are there intermediaries on the Viking website? We always book and pay directly. Or is it for overseas armor?
There is one stop from Silja to the city center, from the side where the approach to Djurgården (where is the Vasa ship museum, ethnographic Skansen), and one or two more to Gamla Stan, I don’t remember - it takes five minutes there, it’s fast.
I understand that this is almost not for discussion, I myself can not give an unambiguous preference. Just for more information. :)
In Moscow, Viking tickets can only be bought through official dealers (their list is posted on the ferry website). There is no electronic form of reservation and payment. And this is very inconvenient, because it involves unnecessary body movements and a waste of time.
Your "additional" information is priceless :). This experience is the most important "baggage" in travel. Without it - out of the blue a lot of problems :).
iriina
_the main thing is more
go to Stockholm :), even on a goat :))_
YES YES YES!!! It should be gold - on marble!! :-))
Shh, a secret just for you:
My first cruise to Stockholm was in 1998 and then 2-3 times a year...
But it was only a couple of years ago that I realized to set the regulator to a warmer temperature before going to bed, and before that I always froze in the cabin at night, looking for it in the morning by touch and pulling on some kind of jumper... ;-)
iirina
to evaluate means to compare,
or some clarifications:
1) Hmm, I thought that Ketchup (as the locals call the Viking Line ferries "a by their color) is the joy of Finnish and Swedish pensioners, and, it turns out, also Russian tourists :-)
The comment above has already mentioned the incomparability of the volume and diversity of the cultural and entertainment program on Viking and Silja - a pianist, a bard, shows, competition games, etc.
Those. comparing them is like comparing things that are not comparable in general, for example, a hostel and a good hotel. Each option has its own merits. Viking's budget is unbeatable.
2) On the Helsinki-Stockholm line, the Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony remain the most impressive, even compared to the much newer Victoria I and Baltic Queen on the Tallinn-Stockholm line.
3) Inner cabins (without a window) and outer cabins (with a window) are exactly the same in terms of equipment, i.e. comfort. Sometimes internal ones are a couple of square meters smaller in area. But in winter - when it dawns late and it gets dark early, the window in the cabin is useless, the skerries (Stockholm archipelago) are still not visible.
3) City Bus goes not only to the nearest metro, but to the center, i.e. for the same price and in 20 minutes - you are there - at the entrance to Djurgården or Gamla Stan :-)
But the main thing remains in the future - more travel! - good and different! :-))
iirina
Nata, links to your started guide should be placed as widely as possible, because the practical information in it will surely help many people to navigate the specifics of "what-how-where-how much?" :-)
How your guide to Amsterdam helped me in spring... :-)
mediadima
Why not compare Silja and Viking?
They are very comparable. I have been on both lines since the 80s regularly,
transit St. Petersburg-Copenhagen and I can compare, based on personal impressions.
About the so-called. cultural and entertainment program, any animation nonsense
(pianist, bard, show, competition games) - I did not see any fundamental difference.
All these pleasures for people who are bored and boring in life do not amuse me.
And in general - initially these ferries were created for a different purpose,
different from the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, namely -
transport people safely and inexpensively from Helsinki to Stockholm and vice versa.
So - BEFORE Silja's transition to the Estonians, he did not feel any fundamental difference.
And AFTER the transition ... sorry, you have to be blind not to see the difference.
To be honest, I only skated on the ESTONIAN Silja once and swore forever.
The ship slowly began to fall apart (here and there you see clear signs of this destruction,
some areas look like they started repairs and forgot. Or maybe they didn’t forget, but they simply pump out profits from steamboats that require repair to the last, until they drown.
The service has become disgusting, sovdepovsky. In our cabin, these workers simply managed not to clean up after the previous ones, in particular, some long hair, a dirty towel, etc. remained in the shower, which I have never seen on the Viking. And the faces of the sellers in the stores on board surprised me with their incomprehensible proud impudence.
I have never seen anything like this on the Viking.
...the last time I talked to Silja was a couple of years ago. I went to St. Petersburg, found out on the net the price of the ferry in the cabin,
but when I arrived at the Silja terminal (by the way, located in eggs, in some cargo port along the way)
then I saw that the price was almost twice as high ... I bought this incomprehensible expensive ticket and realized that I was watching Viking online. I asked these Estonian freaks where the Viking terminal was... got a shocking answer that they don't know about this at all... It was good time, I got to the center, I found the Viking terminal - everything is in order, the prices are as promised. I bought a Viking ticket to the cabin (for the price of "deck without a seat" in Silja) and went to return the ticket to Silja.
There I was quickly lowered by 30% of the ticket price (!!!).
In response, I loudly announced the queues where tickets are sold at half (!) Cheaper, after which a couple of people immediately left the queue and left for them.
And this is an indicator of the Estonian service and their mentality in general.
No "bard" will brighten up this feeling.
If people climb into such a business without any concepts at all, just to cut down the dough, this is a natural result.
...but in general, I got the impression that you personally work in Silja.
Either way, don't mislead people.
Because Viking and Silya are fundamentally no different (or rather, they did not differ before the change of ownership with Silya) except for the PRICE.
And comparing the level of Swedish and Estonian service - Swedish is definitely more reliable and honest.
eplkv
For a positive experience, it is better to choose newer ferries, the same Europe is already quite old and shabby. The last time we went from Turku to Stockholm on February 13, and back to Galaxy. Galaxy is a much nicer and newer ferry, but a couple of "accommodation" decks lower than Europe, so don't chase the size. Cabins have chosen class B2, because. in winter there is no sense in the window. On Europe it was a cabin with beds on top of each other and a toilet / shower, but on Galaxy it turned out that there is no such class, but there is just B, where there are normal beds, the cabin is larger and for the same price everything shines, without the smell of old age, shabby and the overall design is more modern.
The Viking Line ferry review is based on 5 round trips from Turku to Stockholm. The first trip took place in 2008 as part of a bus tour for the May holidays. It was our first joint foreign trip.
For the rest of the trips, we took an auto package and drove our own car. We always took a cabin without a window and a buffet on the ferry. Our last trip aboard Viking Line was 07/22/2014. We sailed on the ferries Grace and Amorella, before, instead of the new vessel Grace, Isabella operated flights, but now she has already been written off as unusable.
Ferry terminal in Turku, queue for loading
In the background, Turku Castle, one of the main attractions of the city, can be visited with a guided tour. The castle closes at 18-00 and it is usually recommended to allocate at least 2 hours for its inspection. The place is very beautiful, if you come early you can walk there.
Check-in for the flight starts 2 hours before departure. The ferry arrives an hour before departure and manages to unload and load, the ferry staff works very quickly and smoothly.
In the next video, you can appreciate the scale of the car deck of the ferry and see how the loading takes place.
At check-in, your ticket is exchanged for cabin key cards and your seat in the restaurant for dinner, if you have paid for dinner in advance.
It is strictly forbidden to transport gasoline in cans on the ferry. This warning hangs in front of the registration desk, including in Russian. No one will check your trunk, the fulfillment of this requirement is on the conscience of every driver.
Gas cylinders of campers and caravans are sealed when loaded onto a ferry.
During loading, the workers indicate with your hand which lane to go and when to stop, the cars are packed very tightly, you need to get out carefully so as not to hurt the next car. You need to take with you all the necessary things at once, the car deck will close very quickly. Besides need to remember your car deck- it is marked with a letter, a number and a picture of an animal so that everyone can navigate.
Cabins on the Viking Line ferry
Cabins are divided into Inside, which means internal, i.e. without window and Seaside, i.e. external with a window. Left. in the photo below, all Seaside cabins, on the right are all Inside cabins (no window). All cabins have a shower and toilet, bed linen is made, towels are fastened to the beds. One of the beds is folded into a sofa.
The new ferry Grace is naturally more pleasant and modern. On the Grace ferry, each cabin has a TV and at the entrance, the personalized greeting of all the passengers of this cabin is displayed on the screen, a trifle, but nice. TV programs are only in foreign languages, but there are much more interesting things to do on the ferry than watching TV. There is no TV on the old ferries.
Daily routine on the Viking Line ferry
On the route Turku - Stockholm, the ferry takes 10 hours, which is not much at all, because you need to have time to have dinner, visit Duty Free and sleep well. The latter never succeeds. As a rule, the evening departure of the ferry at 20-55 is associated with a sleepless night the day before, since crossing the border is a poorly predictable thing. As a result, no more than 6 hours are left for sleep, after a sleepless night this is not enough.
Wake-up on the ferry is global 1.5 hours before arrival, the radio on the old ferries or the TV on the new Viking Grace ferry turns on and broadcasts in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Very important announcements can even be made in Russian: "The ferry is arriving within 15 minutes, go immediately to the car deck." But you can try to sleep for another half an hour, but the wake-up calls on the radio or TV will continue and they will be completed by several visits by the deck attendant, she will speak in Finnish or Swedish that it is time to get up and vacate the cabin.
The staff is very kind. Our child forgot a toy in the cabin, the cleaning lady brought it to the information desk and we were called on the speakerphone.
Dinner starts almost immediately after the ferry departs. And immediately on the ferry, the time becomes Swedish, i.e. 1 hour earlier.
Guests of the restaurant dress in a variety of ways - from T-shirts with shorts to evening dresses with full make-up, but the air conditioners work hard, just a summer dress may not be enough, it is better to take a blouse or stole, dress the child so as not to run to the cabin for clothes later.
Viking Line Dinner Buffet Review
Dinner on the ferry is always incomparable, one is better than the other. The menu is so varied that you will never try all the dishes, even a little. Wine - white and red, as well as beer is included in the price. Dinner lasts 2 hours.
The buffet offers delicacies whose names we don’t even know - meat, several types of fish, seafood, caviar, vegetables, several types of side dishes. A very large selection of desserts - tiramisu, pasta, strawberries with cream, ice cream, cakes.
There is a children's table - there are french fries, hamburgers, in general, everything harmful that children love so much. My children, alas, are no exception, this year the youngest ate only meatballs “from Ikea,” as he himself called them, and a piece of watermelon.
The menu may vary slightly depending on the ship. This year we went to Stockholm on the new ship Viking Grace, it is certainly more luxurious than Amorella, but not essential. Dinner on the Viking Grace ferry was just great, but on the Amorella it was only a little less great, they didn’t serve macaroni (they are such cakes, our eldest daughter is a big fan of them).
In addition, if you consider a buffet to be very expensive, there are other buffets where you can just take a portion of food, it will cost less. The most economical can dine in the cabin brought with them.
Duty Free on the Viking Line ferry
Duty Free shops are available on all ferries and the new Viking Grace has a larger shop. The cost-effectiveness of prices is a rather controversial point. In the Duty Free shop on the Russian border, prices are lower than on the ferry, but for Finns and Swedes, ferry prices turn out to be favorable. A 0.33l bottle of water costs 1.5 euros - this is definitely not humane. Clothing and shoes sold on the ferry may just not be the right size and just not to your taste, the choice is quite limited. I definitely do not recommend buying alcohol and chocolate on the ferry if you are planning a trip to Germany or France, in Central Europe there are no such strictness with alcohol as in Scandinavia and prices are lower. You can estimate some prices in stores by clicking on the link.
The atmosphere on the ferry can be described in words - a holiday, a holiday ... There is a disco, live music, but we do not use these benefits simply because there is not enough time, we need to have time to sleep.
Cabin selection
I don't see much need to take a cabin with a window on the Turku-Stockholm flight. You can watch the whole dinner through the window. The views of passing by granite islands, overgrown with pine trees, are simply amazing. The cabin on short flights is used as a bedroom. In summer, the Baltic Sea is completely calm, but in winter it can be very stormy on New Year's holidays. It is better not to take a class C cabin - below the water line, in winter it can be very noisy and scary due to ice floes breaking against the sides.
Next, the cabin is chosen for you, it can be noisy in the stern when mooring on the Åland Islands, but that's how lucky. We were unlucky on Amorella and we all woke up at night and listened to the terrible iron rattle of the gates opening. The vibration from the thrusters was also quite strong. But this was the only time in 10 trips.
Buying tickets
We tried to take tickets at the ferry center and on the Internet, we did not notice the difference. Very often, ferry companies offer coupons for their cruises on frendi.ru. Take a look at the site and you might be lucky enough to go on a cruise at a reduced cost. The site frendi.ru is a former groupon. If you do not want to waste time visiting the ferry center, you can use online booking. Tickets for daytime ferries are cheaper, but nightly ferries save travel time and include an overnight stay, so considering these factors, nightly ferries are more profitable for us.
Alcohol testing of drivers
Out of 5 times, 3 times when unloading from the ferry in Turku, all drivers were tested for alcohol. The norm of blood alcohol content in Finland is 0.5 ppm. Penalty for exceeding 400 euros. In Stockholm, they never ran into a check. The norm of blood alcohol content in Sweden is 0.2 ppm. Appropriate announcements are made on the ferry before dinner to warn drivers.
To tell the truth, this was not my first experience of sailing on ships. In December last year, I had a chance to swim for 20 minutes in Estonian. And two or three years earlier, I sailed for two minutes on a ship in the direction of the Curonian Spit from the old crossing. In short, as you understand, I am an experienced sailor. Nominally, the trip from Tallinn to Helsinki was already the third experience of sailing on these or those ships for me. But in fact, this trip became a kind of sea debut for me. After all, to be honest, all my previous voyages can hardly be taken seriously.
Okay… Then I’ll tell you a little about how we ended up on the Viking Line ferry. So... it all started with an offer from the Lux Express bus operator who offered to organize a short trip to Finland and Estonia in the bus + ferry format for us.
They have already negotiated with the Viking Line company without our participation. As a result, in addition to free bus and ferry tickets, we even got a free breakfast. As Al Pacino said in The Godfather, it was an offer you couldn't refuse. In the end, I answered: “Yes,” and already some time later, Tanya and I were preparing with might and main for a trip to Finnish Helsinki and Estonian Pärnu. You can read about how our journey through these cities went through the links below. And I won't stop there just yet. After all, this post is about something else...
At the station
So, imagine: we are in Tallinn, sitting at the sea station and swimming in the invisible waves of free and very fast Wi-Fi. There are still two and a half hours left before the ferry, but the cheerful Finns, who came to Estonia for cheap (by their standards) alcohol, do not let us get bored and are already looking forward to a quick trip home. Do you know how to identify a Finn (Finnish) at the sea station in Tallinn? Almost all of them in huge quantities pull this or that alcohol with them.
Some in boxes, some in themselves. You know, I live in, and therefore I always considered myself a seasoned fighter of shop-tour battles ... I saw everything: drunk people in minibuses, and Yeltsin vodka, which is poured into one and a half liter bottles from ordinary water ... But such pictures as on Tallinn railway station I saw for the first time. You look in one direction - and there is a grandmother (God's dandelion) carrying a cart of cognac to Helsinki.
You look into another - and there are young girls (each 18 years old) pulling two boxes of Somersby with them. I'm talking about guys in general. Although even when drunk, the Finns still do not lose their charm. Not the people - but plush Moomin trolls (albeit a little tipsy) ...
As for the station itself, it is located in Tallinn very close to the old town. You walk past the "Three Sisters" towards the Fat Margaret Tower, and then go a little further along Sadama Street (there will be many signs with the inscription "Port").
In order not to get lost in an unfamiliar city, be sure to download the Maps.me application and download a map of Tallinn for yourself. This program also works offline. You set the desired point on the map - and you walk along the arrows. Nothing complicated. Even my sister could do it.
View of the old city from the terminal "A" of the port of Tallinn. Evening.
Check-in for the Viking Line flight starts 1.5 hours before the ferry departure. In order to print boarding passes, we used these red counters with the inscription "Check-in self service".
You can register using a barcode on the order form or by booking number (they will be sent to you by e-mail immediately after you buy a ticket). The booking confirmation looks like this.
At the top is the barcode, just below the armor code. Enter it in the registration terminal and you will receive such a card with your first and last name. If you get confused about something, there is a window with a smiling Estonian nearby who will explain everything you need to know in four languages.
The cards themselves look like this...
You won’t get on the ship without them, so I recommend that you come to the maritime station in advance in order to have time to do everything without too much haste. So that you don’t get bored here while waiting for a flight, there are several shops near the sea station, there is a cafe inside the building ... Plus, there are free toilets and no less free Wi-Fi, which I already wrote about above. It works very well and fast. I even managed to watch an episode of American Gods in the middle of the night. This is an indicator.
The arrival of the ships is announced over the loudspeaker. The boarding start time is reflected on special boards (as at a regular station).
First you sit on the first floor, then (when the ship has already arrived at the port) you will go up to the second. There - go through the strip of turnstiles (with the help of the same printed Viking Line cards) and find yourself in another waiting room - in front of the protective stretch. When the ship is ready, it will be removed. Further - just step forward along the long metal corridor of the boarding ramp.
No ticket or passport checks. Just find your cabin and go.
On board
Inside, the ship itself looks like a regular chain hotel. Carpets on the floor, stairs, elevators, plus long lines of corridors with many identical doors. Entrance to the rooms (cabins), by the way, is also carried out using the same cards. I have it glitched a couple of times, so be careful and do not store it near your mobile phone, otherwise you will have to tinker with the door of the room.
Inside the cabin looks quite simple, but cozy. I like it. The only downside is the small amount of space. Although it was probably hard to expect otherwise. Having filled half the room with bags, we constantly bumped into each other. I can’t even imagine how four people can be accommodated in such a cabin. Although ... I don’t know ... In tens of thousands of trains, such a trick somehow rolls ...
In general, despite the size of the cabin, a very pleasant atmosphere reigns inside the ship, filled with the aromas of wood, duty-free perfumes and the expectation of an early rest. After 12 hours of wandering around Tallinn, it was almost heaven for me. I even regretted that we stayed on the ship for such a short time. Warm showers in the rooms ... Soft and clean beds ... Some kind of boat outside the window (orange like the Dutch football team). What else does?
In addition to four folding beds, the cabins also have a shower, toilet, hangers, a telephone, a mini-table and a TV hanging above the mirror. Next to them are brochures describing upcoming events, restaurant menus and some valuable tips in case of unforeseen situations. In general - a complete gentleman's set, mandatory for such cases.
I ran my eyes over them, took a shower and passed out. After a strong fatigue, the night always flies by in an instant.
How long does it take to sail from Tallinn to Helsinki?
A lot depends on the specific type of vessel you will be sailing on, as well as on your personal preferences. Most ships cover the distance between Finland and Estonia in 2.5 hours (or a little more). However, there are ships that spend less than two hours on the road (eg M/S Viking FSTR).
You will wake up the longest on board if you choose an overnight route (it is listed on the carrier's website in a separate category). In fact, such a ship sails all the same 2.5 hours. However, before that, he just spends the night in the port, in fact, performing the functions of a huge hotel. You enter the cabin, settle down and go to bed. And from the very morning you hear a barely perceptible rumble and understand that the ship has set off.
Where to buy ship tickets, and how much do they cost?
In general, Viking Line has cruises to several different countries - to Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and also to the Aland Islands (this is a special administrative territory that is part of the country of Suomi, but inhabited mainly by Finnish Swedes). The full route map looks like this.
In addition, I also note that the format of travel may be slightly different. Look on the Viking Line website - they have both cruises and regular scheduled flights. In the first case, the emphasis will be on staying on a ship (with an abundance of entertainment and relatively short stops at certain points). In another case, the ferry is used mainly as a means of delivering a passenger from point A to point B. However, in this case, you will still find a lot of interesting entertainment on the ship.
You can buy tickets on the Viking Line website. The cost of regular flights from Tallinn to Helsinki usually ranges from 21 to 68 euros (per passenger). But sometimes during sales, prices can drop to 11 euros. The most expensive tickets include an overnight stay on board. So, in fact, it was with us. In fact, it's even cheaper than renting a hotel in Tallinn and then buying a regular Viking Line ferry ticket. Personally, I really enjoyed spending the night on board.
You can see all the details regarding prices, cabins and current promotions on the Viking Line website. There is a lot of interesting information about this company. Be sure to check them out. I recommend.
Morning on the ship
What are Viking Line ships outside of passenger cabins? In fact, this is one assorted vinaigrette, consisting of restaurants, bars and all kinds of entertainment venues. I can’t say that in the couple of morning hours that I had at my disposal, I managed to inspect every nook and cranny here. But in principle, even a short walk around the ship was enough for me to make a first impression of it. You go and just watch how the restaurant flows into a playground with slot machines, and that, in turn, flows into another restaurant.
As for the prices, they are quite biting here. For Finns, it's probably normal. But for a citizen of the most stable and prosperous country in the world, it's somehow a bit expensive. Coffee with a croissant plus some kind of burger - that's already 10-15 euros for you. For the same amount, it is much more logical to order a buffet breakfast in advance (still on the website). It costs €10.50 and includes both food and drinks. Realistically, it's a total bummer. This buffet is worth every cent invested in it. Believe me, I have something to compare with (such "buffets" are also different). But breakfast on the Viking Line ships is really on top. Well, look ... The world should know what I eat. So...
Sausage cut…
Several types of cheeses (including expensive blue cheeses)…
Omelet and bacon...
Fruits and berries…
I’ll tell you in a separate line about a large selection of fish, which, unfortunately, remained behind the scenes in this report. I think it’s easy to understand me here ... At that moment, I wanted to sit down and eat more and more, and less and less wanted to run around the hall with a camera and take pictures of something ... Therefore, there are no pictures of fish here. Aim sorry. Believe me - as part of this breakfast, she was a real prima. Like Cristiano in Real Madrid or Hugh Lorre in House M.D. In general, I usually don’t really like fish (especially its “northern” variations such as salmon, herring and others). But here they were at their best. Dustish is fantastic, as the Germans would say in their films about housewives and plumbers. Really very tasty. Damn, I'm already drooling again ... (like my shepherd Greta). To make you drool, I am also attaching here a print screen listing the dishes that are served as part of that same breakfast.
By the way, look how many dishes for show-offs are on this menu. Gluten-free bread, lactose-free yogurt, rye crisp (what is it anyway?), crushed lingonberries, fitness cereal... In Shabany, they would have been beaten for such words. Fu... Sick perverts. Here, like a normal person, I ate bacon with salmon and snacked on meatballs. And they have a rye crisp here ... Although, seriously speaking, I would even live in this restaurant ...
That's how this dude is. I ate… I slept… I ate again… Until you left the territory of the restaurant, you have unlimited food. If only it were like this in Europe.
Concluding the conversation about food, I will also write that as part of dinner, you can also pour wine and beer into yourself unlimitedly. But such a local "all inclusive" is already much more expensive - usually around 30 euros. Take it or not - already think for yourself.
On deck
I won't write much here. I'll just post here some photos that will tell you about this trip much better than me. Sea view tables in front…
Behind mighty walls, similar to the iron backbone of a sea giant...
And around you from all sides there is an endless expanse of water, filled with strokes of the Baltic sun ...
The beauty. Especially in clear weather.
On this optimistic note, I will end my story. Damn ... I wrote this text and again I wanted to go to the sea. On some long cruise. That would be great.
Anton Borodachev and Tanya...
