Helsinki Boat Cruise
Checking in to our Helsinki Boat Cruise
Our arrival and check-in were quick and painless for our Helsinki Boat Cruise. We simply went to the kiosks in the terminal and scanned our tickets through the Tallink/Silja app. The kiosk spit out our tickets and we walked to the check-in scanners and walked the rest of the way onto the boat. The ticket is used as the room key and your pass for the Grand Buffet later.
Booking the Cruise
I booked the Stockholm to Helsinki Boat Cruise through the Silja Cruise line only a few weeks in advance. There were several options for cabins, but I chose to upgrade from a basic interior room to a room overlooking the Promenade located in the center of the ship. I thought I would feel a little less claustrophobic with a window. The price of the rooms varied little unless you opted for a sea view or a suite. Not knowing the details of what the eating options were on the ship, I chose to add the Grand Buffet and the Breakfast options, both inexpensive. The price of the cruise was less than 4000 kr, about $400 or $200 a person which seemed incredibly inexpensive.
After talking to other Swedin natives, we found the price and offering were rather typical on the Silja and Viking Cruising lines. In addition, both cruise lines several other Baltic Sea destinations and will also transport your car below deck for an additional fee. This allows Scandinavians a lot of options for a quick and convenient get away for a weekend at a low price.
The Boat
Once on the boat we made our way to our room to drop our bags and made our way to the Bon Vivant Wine Bar for a glass of wine. For fun, after finishing our wine, we explored the ship a little bit. We make our way up to the Sunflower Oasis for a view of the hot tubs and a quick view of top deck, and then went down to look at shops. Eventually, we made our way to the Sea Pub for some drinks. We were able to get a small table inside overlooking the Stockholm Archipelago from the back of the ship.
The Grand Buffet
Although there are few restaurants aboard the ship, we chose to purchase the Grand Buffet when we purchased our tickets. We were easily able to move our 5pm dinner reservation to a later time which seemed to make much more sense for us. The Grand Buffet served typical buffet food with a Scandinavian flair and plenty of options. They did offer some fun options like Sushi, but it was definitley not the best. House red and white were also available at self service stations. All and all, the buffet was very filling and the food was okay. If I would choose again, though, I would probably opt to enjoy dinner at the steak or lobster restaurants.
Finishing off the Night
After dinner, we went through the Starlight Lounge the Sea View bar and lounge for sparkling pink cocktails. The Sea View bar has a trendy modern lounge with leather seating surrounding cocktail tables with views from the front of the ship. One drink at the Sea View bar was good enough and we made our way back to Sea Pub. We really enjoyed the causal atmoshpere and the performer singing Irish music.
To conclude our evening we headed back to our room overlooking the Promenade. The room was a mid-grade upgrade with beds that folded out from the wall and a small bathroom & shower. It was old, but good enough for sleeping, while the cruise ship made its way to Helsinki. All and all, for the price we paid it was worth it.
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