Great video! As a finn, I've been cruising these ships (Viking and Silja both) many times in different routes. When you book your cruise, you might want to take notice, that many local people go these ships just to party. So in those cheaper cabins "below deck", life can be a bit more restless, especially in C-type cabins. But if you don't mind some drunk people (they're mostly harmless) and want a cheap trip across Baltic Sea, those cabins are much more affordable.
Yeah that is an issue my family had with a round trip we took last year on the DFDS route between Copenhagen and Oslo. The outbound trip wasn't so bad but the return trip was right as the vacation season was starting and it was just full of constant noise of people yelling, running in the halls, and loud music from other cabins. It was so bad my family demanded to be changed to a different cabin and we ended up in a smaller cabin but which was up on the high decks in the commodore section.
Me and you alike brother 😂. Being Swedish living in Stockholm I too have frequented these boats for decades. If you’re visiting from abroad to either Stockholm or Helsinki for a few days, visit both by taking the ferry across on a 30 hour return cruise with a 9 hour window to explore the other city opposite the one you’re staying in. A mini vacation within your vacation 😊. You get to spend 2 night on board. As my Finnish brother from another country mentions there are almost always partying going on so choose the higher floors to get a better sleep. There are also affordable family cabins for 4 if you’re traveling with your kids.
This ship and her older sister Silja Serenade popularized the concept of a central promenade onboard a passenger vessel. The folks at Royal Caribbean Cruise Line were so impressed by the concept so they hired the main architect behind Silja Symphony and Silja Serenade. And now several of RCCL's vessels have this concept onboard.
@@NonstopEurotrip You should really try out Viking Glory! She is on the Stockholm-Åland-Turku route and is one of the largest ferries in the world (third place i think). She was delivered in 2022 and her seaviews is simply stunning. You can see the surrounding archipelagos wherever you are onboard.
@@Markmeister1989viking glory is basically the same size as the nr 1 and nr2 ship (color magic and fantasy). She falls short on a techicallity how size is measured, so it looks on the number as she would be significantly smaller, but that is not reallt the case. The issue is that the capacity is measured as a combination of beds and line meter of roro space. Glory actually have more of both. The techicallity is that glory is catered more to trucks and fantasy/magic to cars. The later two there for have more pull down ramps, while glory have more real ramp meter (actually quite significantly more) The way its measured it don't make any diffrance from passenger cars to trucks and busses. 1 lane meter for trucks and buses is calculated the same as one for cars. Not only are cars half the hight they also fit 5 lanes where the trucks only fit 4.
Actually the promenade is an engineering marvel as the designers were able to make the ship's hull torsionally stiff enough even though it is partly hollow without having stiffening construction on upper decks. The whole concept was kept secret until the maiden voyage.
These ferries with a central promenade served as inspiration for all the modern cruise ships we have these days. Nowhere else can you find ferries like this aside from Scandinavia and Greater Baltic.
So, you're excluding Finland? As Swedes like to remind always that Finland is not part of the Scandinavia. Nordic yes but not Scandinavia. Trivia: Viking Line and Silja Line are both Finnish companies cruising between Finland and Sweden. Also Finnish companies are Eckerö Line, Finnlines...
The one thing to remember on these boats is to avoid storing your boardingpass near anything with a magnet. Those one time use magnetic information strips on the cards tend to get erased easily. The crew at the information are always helpful and kind in making a new card though.
Ooh my beloved Silja Symphony! Did the trip the other way last summer, and it's just excellent, by far my favourite sea voyage ever! After this trip I started to understand what people see in cruising, she convinced me that I have to try a true cruise ship once. It's really an unforgettable experience, one of the best ferries in the world, more a "cruise ship with garage" than a ferry. And the central promenade is iconic, she and her sister Silja Serenade were the first to have it. Their designer got a job at Royal Caribbean Cruises later on, and so the central promenade idea was transplanted into cruising world with "Voyager Class"x ships. So these two sisters are the garndmothers of modern cruise ships too, though just being "ferries". Btw a call in Mariehamn is necessary for all ships between Sweden and Finland/Estonia in order to be allowed to offer tax-free onboard, as Aland islands are tax-free zone. I recommend you to try Viking Line too. I took them back to Sweden aboard the smaller, but charming Croatian-built cruiseferry Gabriella. Not so "party ship" as Silja sisters, but really very nice.
Did this journey in Summer 2023 too. Was an amazing journey, very efficient and comfortable! Somehow impressive to see that this ship's design appears to be so modern even though it was built nearly 35 years ago already
It's a peculair feeling to see the promenade much as it were, and then trying to also see where the kid's section is where I a looooong time ago played Bubble Bobble on the NES.
I thought it was oldered than that, I am 74 now and I think first I seen it when I lived there (in Stockholm ) and I was about 30 -32 years old than, and it was a Silja and the Princess Funny to see the Americans and carabiens now go ombord of this AMUSING ships copy and believe it was build or designed by them.... Yet I was young (er) a couple of decade when I seen and traveld on it,
Silja Symphony actually has quite a history. For example, she was one of the ships that diverged from her route, to stay around Estonia's sinking location and take the survivors.
Silja Symphony and Viking Line's Isabella indeed show up, but they were far away at the time of the sinking and had very, very minor roles in the rescue effort. Viking Line's Mariella was the closest and Silja Europa was just behind (her captain ended up coordinating the rescue operation).
I did the same journey in May 2022 as part of a part of of a trip round the Baltic. Silja also operate from Tallinn, but due to ship refurbishment my sailing from Tallinn was cancelled about a month before I set out and I had to re-book from Helsink. I took a morning ferry over to Helsinki and transferred to the Olympia Terminal by tram. This required a change of trams in the city centre, but at €2 for a ticket this was a lot cheaper than a taxi. I included dinner in my booking, and reserved a table as the ship was busy. Half of one deck is taken up by the cafeteria you show in the video. The other consists of a massive duty-free supermarket, mainly selling cheap booze ( well inexpensive for the many Swedes on board). As you found ,the morning glide through the Stockholm archipelago was an unforgettable experience. Tickets for the shuttle bus from Silja's Stockholm terminal can be purchased on board from the information desk.
Hi from Ireland, it’s certainly a lot different from the ferries that cross the Irish Sea, nice to see and a different view that we normally see from train windows,
When you book ferries to Finland you should check both the English language and Finnish language websites. They might have offers and discount codes shown only in Finnish (on the principle that foreign tourists are richer and will not need a discount to encourage them to travel). I saved a lot of money on the Travemunde - Helsinki route by doing this.
I was on this ship first in 1994, for a maritime safety conference. It was one week after MS Estonia went under. All serious faces, but with an appreciation for the butterfly-design bow doors on this Finnish-made ship. External pressure on these doors makes them even tighter.
I had taken this 12 years ago, well actually the reverse trip from Stockholm to Helsinki, Silja Serenade! Wow, thanks for this video that I recall my memories. I hope to take Silja Line again, it was really fascinating!
They just done a decent revamp on silja serenade upgrading mostly the area in the bow but also the general program. And to my understanding this was finished really just a few weeks back. The new starlight area is reallt high quality and the shows have been significantly upgraded. Before you was reallt aware that you where on a cheap cruse ferry. Nothing of that is left, and there is just high quality content you might suspects on a fairly expensive crusie. What also amazes me is that some parts (like the promenad, lifts and large part of the cabins) have never been updated, that is original since 1990/1991 but still dont look out of date even today. I was down in the conference area... well its clear that it don't get much use. Most of the conference area was also original since 1991 and.. well, it was really dated (apart from the conference area entrance that look like it been revamped this year)
Great video! Many years ago when I was in my 20's I took the Newcastle ferry to Oslo & drove north through Norway to Bodo, then east (via Mo-I-Rana) across Sweden to Umea from where I caught the 4 hour ferry to Vaasa in Finland. The return journey was with Viking line Helsinki to Stockholm, ferry to Denmark (Helsingborg-Helsingor) to Copenhagen and then ferry to Germany (Rodby-Puttgarden). I believe this last ferry may soon cease once the road/rail tunnel has opened. I recal the Viking ship was fabulous, we ran alognside the Silja ship and as a direct competitor is likely to be very similar. This was well before Schengen, the Finns were thrilled to see a British passport and the ships were busy with duty free sales. Also before the Euro, with lots of different currencies, thank goodness for credit cards. You may like to show some of the ferries where the trains are transported across the seas by ferry.
WhenI rode the ferry in 2012 there was a buffet dinner where I had a good meal and the nicest chat with a Finnish couple. I took notes on Fiinland's amazing health care and educaional systems. Is the dinner still served soon after leaving Helsinki?
Thanks for the memories of this ferry, done this in the 90s, seemed to remember a sauna, plus meeting a Finnish girl on the ferry, who I met later in the trip, and also the following year in my home city of Dublin.
We took DFDS from Copenhagen to Oslo in April 2019. It very much mirrors the trip you had in this video-although your ship was a bit nicer. But like you, we got up early to see the last part of the trip through the fjord to Oslo. Wow, what views!
DFDS on the oslo-Copenhagen route (like most routes) use mostly second hand ships that is mostly from specifically the stockholm-åbo/helsinki/Tallin routes. Pre 2020 there was over 20 cruise ferry that operated this area. Worth saying that sympfoni in this video is the 4th largest in this waters, after silja Europa (that was the world's largest for like 15 years), viking grace and viking glory.
I went with DFDS once on a mini cruise between Gothenburg and Newcastle before that route was discontinued sometime after summer of 2006. I went in July 2006 and it was a really enjoyable little mini vacation of 25 hours on the ship each way and some hours in Newcastle (bus was provided for those of us who were "cruise passengers" and not just disembarking) I've been wanting to try one of the big Silja Line ships between Stockholm and Helsinki for many years, and just don't get around to it as I live close to Gothenburg and sigh at the prospect of having to sit on a train for almost 3 hours (significantly more if taking SJ regional) just to get to Stockholm. But if you're having to travel to get to the ferry and need a hotel night before departure, I can highly recommend Scandic Ariadne which is the high rise right next to the ferry terminal with a walkway between hotel and terminal so you get direct access between the two. Staying at the hotel also gives you a stunning view over the water to Lidingö, and all ships sailing in or out, or a pretty nice view towards the city itself. I've stayed at the hotel a couple of times for weekend conferences, and apart from the very tiny and too few elevators (plan your time well if you rely on them!) I truly enjoyed my stays there. Easy access to and from hotel by bus from Ropsten subway station or Kungsträdgården (latter is in itself worth a visit, especially if you're in town when the cherry trees blossom, or in summer) and from Kungsträdgården you can easily take the subway one stop to get to the train station, or just walk as it's not far and you'll pass by a common tourist destination on the way if going the overground option (that said, the Kungsträdgården subway station in itself is worth a visit as it's the deepest or second deepest subway station in Stockholm, and full of art) Both over and underground is wheelchair accessible options (though underground may be out if the elevators are borked, so keep that in mind unless ambulatory and able to use escalators, or able to sit in your chair in escalator with someone behind you keeping you safe! I wouldn't recommend doing a solo chair ride in the escalator there because it's very long!) I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user and have done both over and underground between Kungsträdgården and the central station while I've been in the city.
At 15:10 you can see Fredriksborg Fortress at Oxdjupet, a strait in the Stockholm archipelago between Rindö and Värmdö. It is a main shipping route into Stockholm. The width of the strait is about 180 meters at its narrowest point. Also: You should try Viking Glory which is a brand new ship.
@@NonstopEurotriplast summer I was working on board of that exact yellow car ferry you showed off! I'm an learning electrician and me and my boss did some electrical work on board her! I got to see the cruise ships pass by quite often!
Great video 😀 I was on a minicruise Stocholm/Turku/Stockholm in May 2023 onboard the Viking Glory. Also a fantastic ship and just a couple of years old. I can also recommend the 44 hour minicruise Oslo/Kiel/Oslo (or start in Kiel if you prefer) onboard Color lines ships Color Fantasy and Color Magic
1:33 - Port is different indeed, but there are actually 3 companies operating. Eckero and Tallink use Länsiterminaali which is away from city center, however Viking Line is operating in the center at Katajanokan
When we were briefly in Sweden in the summer, we noticed that while meat dishes in restaurants were expensive, fish and vegetarian dishes were quite reasonable, and beer much cheaper than we were expecting!
Fish dishes can be as expensive or even more expensive than meat dishes depending on location and what type of meat or fish you're comparing 😅 I'm Swedish and often see fish dishes costing the same range as the steak options if I go to some sit down dining restaurant, only really entrecote or filet will really surpass fish (unless the fish is something a lot more fancy than cod or salmon)
This takes me back to 2002 when I did a return voyage on the Symphony. I can't remeber what accomodation we went for, but I vaguely remember the bunk beds. The smorgashboard from the buffet was actually quite nice. Caned all of the available seafood. I still remember the skit that the MTV Jackass boys did, way back when, when they hit up the Gumball 3000 and did a number on one of Silja's vessels. But yes, great video once again and hit of nostalgia.
fabulous way to start off the new year! helpful to know about the Helsinki travel cards and that ferry-come-cruise-liner is awesome and beautifully designed! curious: when you set up the beds to be a double did they stay put? lol that breakfast banquet is great bang for the buck (or sterling) the islands are stunning and yes pls do the Viking crossing :) thanks for another great video!
I´ve been almost every ship that goes from Helsinki or Turku to Stockholm. I´ve also travelled from Naantali to Kapellskär, from Vaasa to Umeå, from Vaasa to Örskökdsvik, from Kokkola to Skellefteå and from Pietarsaari to Skellefteå. Those lines from Kokkola and Pietarsaari ended after Finland joining EU and you couldn´t have tax free purchases from the vessels anymore. Vaasa line has been struggled for surviving long time for same reason. But i haven´t ever got to Estonia at least yet. I sure have to try those vessels too sometime in the future. I´ve gone to Sweden many times as i have some relatives there. I have also lived in Stockholm for two years as i were child.
Great one 👌 Both the ferry as well as the views looked amazing, definitely something that I'd be interested in trying. Would love to see more ferry videos too if & when possible. Take care
The Silja and the Princess is SO BIG and it move SO FAST....! It can turn aroung 360 degree in just under a minutes.... It is INCREDIBLE TO WATCH IT WHEN IT TURNES in the STOCHOLM PORT RIGHT IN THE CITY in the BAY.
Fantastic! I did this exact same trip in March 2009 and the ship hasn't changed a bit. It was freezing cold in March with sea ice almost all the way to Stockholm. You're right, its stunning scenery. You should try the ferry from Wellington to Picton in New Zealand, its also beautiful and yes please I'd love to see the other ferry from Tarku. X
Been binging your videos lately! I took an overnight ferry once about 9.5 years ago. I did the Jadrolinija ferry (MVF Dubrovnik) from Bari, Italy to Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was fun, but being a very broke student we slept on the floor of the bar. I'd probably go back and do it again but with a cabin.
I was a kid in 91 when they were brand new and i've been a pretty regular customer since then. I've been on many booze cruises in silja serenade and symphony (sister ships, they are pretty much identical). They still look futuristic, 33 yrs later. A few years ago there was a huge storm and the ship dived like 2 stories down with every wave and shaked, that was a bit traumatizing, lol. It was interesting to walk on the center promenade (drunk of course) and you felt the motion (i've never been sea sick though). It looks like you're in a hotel on steady ground but the whole thing is like a rollercaster and it f-cks with your head, lol. It's a huge ship though so the motions are pretty soft. On another ferry (not silja) i had a semi luxury cabin at the 11th floor and that storm was even bigger. I had a balcony and the splash from the huge waves reached the balcony and soaked me, lol. There is another silja ferry that was the biggest ferry in the world when it was completed in the 90's (the europa, even more futuristic looking really). It had the only floating mcdonald's in the world, they removed it later though. The panoramic indoor elevators in serenade/symphony are cool, and the ones in the middle of the ship go all the way up to the stardust nightclub. It used to be way cooler in the 90's/2000's before they refurnished it. The ceiling had rainbow LEDs, like stars in a night sky and that was way before they became mainstream. The newer viking line boats are more contemporary and up to date (grace and glory) but i still prefer the silja experience cause they got the huge promenade deck (before royal caribbean got it a few years later). By the way the largest cruise ships in the world, yes the royal caribbean, were built in turku masayards shipyard in finland and the carnival cruise ships were built in helsinki. I saw some of them being built in the 90s in helsinki cause my grandparents lived only a few blocks from the shipyard. A friend of mine works at silja as a boss of some kind, that's kinda cool
There aren't many passengers going to or from Mariehamn, surely not enough to make the extra stop commercially profitable by itself, but it serves an important purpose: as Åland is not a part of the EU customs area, the ship is thereby allowed to sell stuff (particularly alcohol) tax free. Despite the vast majority of passengers both starting and ending their trip in EU customs area. As we see in the end of the video, there is a customs declaration point to those arriving to Sweden from Åland.
Great to see such positive video. I was conscript in Finnish navy we got to go to Sweden and Denmark to practice. Those views are amazing. I was put as look-out/steersman. Really liked it. Sunny day on sea or warm summer night has just something enjoyable aspects even that was so peaceful.
Fun fact, Aland is not part of the EUs value added tax or excise duty area. This is the reason you can have a duty free shop on board a ship travelling between two EU nations. It's also probably the main reason why both Tallinn-Stockholm and Helsinki-Stockholm ferries make a stop at Mariehamn. BTW, there are also Turku-Stockholm ferries, including daytime ferries with the journey taking around 11 hours.This means there is also a daytime connection from the Finnish mainland to Mariehamn with the trip taking around 5.5 hours.
Interesting to see people's reaction to the ferries. I am swedish but have relative in Finland too so I spent almost every year on ferries between Sweden and Finland. I am close to 50 years old so traveling on one of the ferries is more like a commute then a experience for me. The outsider perspective is interesting.
In addition to Silja Tallink, there's another ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm, called Viking Line (m/s Gabriella) Mind you, their terminals are across the water at the South harbour. Ferries other than Viking Express to Tallinn leave from the West Harbour, so, always check that you are at the correct terminal!
I saw my teacher in the video😅. Usually i prefer the buffet when you are eating dinner cause on morning when your tired its quite annoying when you wait to need a long time before your plate is ready
Nice video. There are also daytime ferries between Stockholm and Åbo/Turku stopping at Mariehamn, Åland in the middele of the day. By the way. The sailing route through the Stockholm Archipelago is not really a fjord. They are only in Norway.
It's always so intriguing to see what foreigners think of the Finland-Sweden ferries 🚢 I have been on both Viking and Silja many many times. Although these ships go back and forth every day, it's always sort of a special feeling for me once I'm onboard, like a nice adventure. 😄
Out of curiosity many years ago the predecessors (Finlandia and Silvia Regina) had sauna and swimming pools on board. Did this ship have these too? I also enjoyed the UK- Sweden (Harwich Gothenburg) ferry during the same time period. That was Tor Scandinavia. They had a buffet meal which consisted of "a thousand different ways to eat Herring" aka Smorgasbord!
DFDS had a Gothenburg-Newcastle via Kristiansand route up until after summer 2006, I went once in summer of 2006 and do wish they'd kept that route because it was a really nice mini cruise of some 25 hours each way and some hours on land before returning. Perfect option for a mini get away or for people needing to travel between the two countries and not wanting to fly and/or wanting or needing to bring a vehicle. With me going in summer, there were many caravans and camper cars on the ferry both ways as people were taking the ferry to or from the UK for vacation
Well...... I have traveled a lot between Copenhagen and Oslo..... no questions asked, no matter the season, going through Oslo Fjord in the mornings, are always very special and the most beautiful.... you REALLY should try it one day 😀
I once went to visit the engine room. I got access since i work as a design engineer of the engine manufacturer of this ship. You can actually ask for this from the info if you are into technical stuff like me. Requirement was that i come again to ask later in the evening sober.
I live in Stockholm and I’m 22, I’ve been going to these cruises since I was a little kid, I was even captured on camera on a swedish program called “färjan”, I was a kid back then haha
You really should have stopped on Åland islands. By far the most impressive during my Baltic Sea ferry trip in 2022 (Travemünde - Helsinki - Tallinn - Åland - Stockholm - Malmö - Travemünde)
I liked your review of the ferry.. Definately an interesting way to traverse water.. I'm not sure if I would be ok on a boat/ferry/ship but I'd love to try..
£17 for breakfast in a technically floating hotel is not bad and cheap. As I have paid up to £30 for breakfast in premier inn on my travels to Birmingham for Insomnia and that was before covid. So to me £17 is good especially on all you can eat to.
Ferries from Helsinki to Stockholm are popularly known as booze cruises 😂. Alcohol is severely restricted on land in both Finland and Sweden, so people tend to go a little crazy on board ferries with unlimited cheap drinks. Did you see any of it on board?
Great trip. Bit curious, is this ferry has vehicle deck onboard? I didn't see any vehicles ramp. Overall nice ship, nice food, and nice facilities onboard for 30's year old Ferry.
Regarding the multiple times mentioned ”stepless access” … Funny thing about these (and I suspect many similar) ferries is that if you want to get from one place to the next the fastest … you use the stairs. The crew and many of the frequent travelers know this, and you rarely - if ever - see them in elevators. When you see a member of the crew in an elevator, they are most likely escorting a passenger somewhere.
@@NonstopEurotrip yep, very much true. I was commenting as a non-wheelchair-bound, while obviously there are those that don’t have the option. For everyone else, though - it is an option that surprisigly few - for some reason - fail to even consider.
Neat video. If youre up for trying more cruiseferries in the Nordics then I reccomend the DFDS route from Copenhagen to Oslo, sailed by either the Crown Seaways or the Pearl Seaways. Ive been on the Pearl several times myself. Some of the trips can be really affordable, but the boat also has plenty of means to suck your wallet dry. This DFDS route is immensely popular by both Danes and Norwegians for both one way overnight journeys, or minicruise round trips, with Danes nicknaming it "Oslofærgen" and Norwegians nicknaming it "Danskebåten".
In 2002 I took a smaller ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm. I ended sharing a cabin with 3 strangers who wanted to party. One of them threatened me when I didn't join in, but didn't do anything. It came at the end of a trip London - near Stockholm (Ryanair), 2 days research meeting, an old-fashioned almost communist era ferry to Talinn, an overnight train to St. Petersburg, a local train to Zelenogorsk (a former Finnish resort), a conference there, hitching a lift on a tourist bus to Helsinki (organised by a fixer), then the ferry to Stockholm. No luxury anywhere.
Oh! If you like smoked salmond may i recomend this recipe for you at home: 1. Ingredients: fusili pasta(may be tricolor for the looks), norwegian smoked salmond the thinly sliced type without skin, arugula lettuce or field lettuce(select at preference though arugula is normally used), herb cheese like philadelphia herbs, and broth cubes flavour of preference(though i don't how the pork flavour tastes like and if it fits or not) 2. Put the broth cubes in a big pot filled with water for the pasta(add the pasta when it's boiling) 3. When thecwater is over the fire slice the salmond into a grid pattern 4. Tear the lettuce or cut it to bits 5. After the pasta is boiled to your liking remove the water and put the pasta back in the pot, then add the salmond when the pasta is still as hot as possible and blend that so the heat wil cook somewhat the salmond of the pasta 6. Add the lettuce and mix it 7. Lastly add the herb cheese and mix that in and you're done Bon apetit
Great video! As a finn, I've been cruising these ships (Viking and Silja both) many times in different routes. When you book your cruise, you might want to take notice, that many local people go these ships just to party. So in those cheaper cabins "below deck", life can be a bit more restless, especially in C-type cabins. But if you don't mind some drunk people (they're mostly harmless) and want a cheap trip across Baltic Sea, those cabins are much more affordable.
Yeah that is an issue my family had with a round trip we took last year on the DFDS route between Copenhagen and Oslo. The outbound trip wasn't so bad but the return trip was right as the vacation season was starting and it was just full of constant noise of people yelling, running in the halls, and loud music from other cabins. It was so bad my family demanded to be changed to a different cabin and we ended up in a smaller cabin but which was up on the high decks in the commodore section.
Me and you alike brother 😂. Being Swedish living in Stockholm I too have frequented these boats for decades. If you’re visiting from abroad to either Stockholm or Helsinki for a few days, visit both by taking the ferry across on a 30 hour return cruise with a 9 hour window to explore the other city opposite the one you’re staying in. A mini vacation within your vacation 😊. You get to spend 2 night on board.
As my Finnish brother from another country mentions there are almost always partying going on so choose the higher floors to get a better sleep. There are also affordable family cabins for 4 if you’re traveling with your kids.
@@drdewott9154Did you go on the M/S Pearl Seaways?
@@DarkAndVelvetNights Yeah.
This ship and her older sister Silja Serenade popularized the concept of a central promenade onboard a passenger vessel. The folks at Royal Caribbean Cruise Line were so impressed by the concept so they hired the main architect behind Silja Symphony and Silja Serenade. And now several of RCCL's vessels have this concept onboard.
Yes, and such a great job then did!
@@NonstopEurotrip You should really try out Viking Glory! She is on the Stockholm-Åland-Turku route and is one of the largest ferries in the world (third place i think). She was delivered in 2022 and her seaviews is simply stunning. You can see the surrounding archipelagos wherever you are onboard.
@@Markmeister1989viking glory is basically the same size as the nr 1 and nr2 ship (color magic and fantasy). She falls short on a techicallity how size is measured, so it looks on the number as she would be significantly smaller, but that is not reallt the case.
The issue is that the capacity is measured as a combination of beds and line meter of roro space. Glory actually have more of both.
The techicallity is that glory is catered more to trucks and fantasy/magic to cars. The later two there for have more pull down ramps, while glory have more real ramp meter (actually quite significantly more)
The way its measured it don't make any diffrance from passenger cars to trucks and busses. 1 lane meter for trucks and buses is calculated the same as one for cars.
Not only are cars half the hight they also fit 5 lanes where the trucks only fit 4.
Actually the promenade is an engineering marvel as the designers were able to make the ship's hull torsionally stiff enough even though it is partly hollow without having stiffening construction on upper decks. The whole concept was kept secret until the maiden voyage.
I recommend taking the Commodore class cabin so you can see the forward view in the Commodore lounge. Best place of the ship when entering Stockholm.
These ferries with a central promenade served as inspiration for all the modern cruise ships we have these days. Nowhere else can you find ferries like this aside from Scandinavia and Greater Baltic.
Absolutely yes 💯
So, you're excluding Finland? As Swedes like to remind always that Finland is not part of the Scandinavia. Nordic yes but not Scandinavia.
Trivia: Viking Line and Silja Line are both Finnish companies cruising between Finland and Sweden. Also Finnish companies are Eckerö Line, Finnlines...
The one thing to remember on these boats is to avoid storing your boardingpass near anything with a magnet. Those one time use magnetic information strips on the cards tend to get erased easily. The crew at the information are always helpful and kind in making a new card though.
As someone who have both travelled and worked on these ferries: It put a smile on my face.
Ooh my beloved Silja Symphony! Did the trip the other way last summer, and it's just excellent, by far my favourite sea voyage ever! After this trip I started to understand what people see in cruising, she convinced me that I have to try a true cruise ship once.
It's really an unforgettable experience, one of the best ferries in the world, more a "cruise ship with garage" than a ferry. And the central promenade is iconic, she and her sister Silja Serenade were the first to have it. Their designer got a job at Royal Caribbean Cruises later on, and so the central promenade idea was transplanted into cruising world with "Voyager Class"x ships. So these two sisters are the garndmothers of modern cruise ships too, though just being "ferries".
Btw a call in Mariehamn is necessary for all ships between Sweden and Finland/Estonia in order to be allowed to offer tax-free onboard, as Aland islands are tax-free zone.
I recommend you to try Viking Line too. I took them back to Sweden aboard the smaller, but charming Croatian-built cruiseferry Gabriella. Not so "party ship" as Silja sisters, but really very nice.
I definitely will at some point 😜
@@NonstopEurotrip Just don't go on Mariella. That one is a boat filled with vomit.
Did this journey in Summer 2023 too. Was an amazing journey, very efficient and comfortable! Somehow impressive to see that this ship's design appears to be so modern even though it was built nearly 35 years ago already
It's a peculair feeling to see the promenade much as it were, and then trying to also see where the kid's section is where I a looooong time ago played Bubble Bobble on the NES.
I know right!
Symphony and Serenade are the blueprint for most modern cruise ships.
I thought it was oldered than that, I am 74 now and I think first I seen it when I lived there (in Stockholm ) and I was about 30 -32 years old than, and it was a Silja and the Princess
Funny to see the Americans and carabiens now go ombord of this AMUSING ships copy and believe it was build or designed by them....
Yet I was young (er) a couple of decade when I seen and traveld on it,
These are great family moments - spending time on a ship and enjoying also from the beautiful pelargoes of Finland and Sweden.
Couldn't agree more!
Finally I get so excited when he does a ferry or plane.
It feels like an Easter egg.
Oh shush you 😜
Loved the change of pace with this video! I enjoyed the beautiful views of the wake and the scenery as you cruised on by.
Awesome, thank you 😁
Happy New Year and nice to see you back to doing a Eurotrip, as expected from your channel title.
Happy new year! There's plenty more coming soon 😀
Silja Symphony actually has quite a history. For example, she was one of the ships that diverged from her route, to stay around Estonia's sinking location and take the survivors.
Interesting, thanks 🙏🏻
Silja Symphony and Viking Line's Isabella indeed show up, but they were far away at the time of the sinking and had very, very minor roles in the rescue effort. Viking Line's Mariella was the closest and Silja Europa was just behind (her captain ended up coordinating the rescue operation).
I did the same journey in May 2022 as part of a part of of a trip round the Baltic. Silja also operate from Tallinn, but due to ship refurbishment my sailing from Tallinn was cancelled about a month before I set out and I had to re-book from Helsink. I took a morning ferry over to Helsinki and transferred to the Olympia Terminal by tram. This required a change of trams in the city centre, but at €2 for a ticket this was a lot cheaper than a taxi. I included dinner in my booking, and reserved a table as the ship was busy. Half of one deck is taken up by the cafeteria you show in the video. The other consists of a massive duty-free supermarket, mainly selling cheap booze ( well inexpensive for the many Swedes on board). As you found ,the morning glide through the Stockholm archipelago was an unforgettable experience. Tickets for the shuttle bus from Silja's Stockholm terminal can be purchased on board from the information desk.
Hi from Ireland, it’s certainly a lot different from the ferries that cross the Irish Sea, nice to see and a different view that we normally see from train windows,
When you book ferries to Finland you should check both the English language and Finnish language websites. They might have offers and discount codes shown only in Finnish (on the principle that foreign tourists are richer and will not need a discount to encourage them to travel). I saved a lot of money on the Travemunde - Helsinki route by doing this.
Interesting thanks 🙏🏻
Yes, especially for special 'cruise' sailings, a return ticket can actually be cheaper than a single, and nobody checks if you are coming back...
We traveled with the Ferrry from Sweden to Travemunde in Germany an the Night ship and I tuelly have a nice memory of that tips.
I was on this ship first in 1994, for a maritime safety conference. It was one week after MS Estonia went under. All serious faces, but with an appreciation for the butterfly-design bow doors on this Finnish-made ship. External pressure on these doors makes them even tighter.
I had taken this 12 years ago, well actually the reverse trip from Stockholm to Helsinki, Silja Serenade! Wow, thanks for this video that I recall my memories. I hope to take Silja Line again, it was really fascinating!
Glad you enjoyed it!
They just done a decent revamp on silja serenade upgrading mostly the area in the bow but also the general program. And to my understanding this was finished really just a few weeks back.
The new starlight area is reallt high quality and the shows have been significantly upgraded.
Before you was reallt aware that you where on a cheap cruse ferry. Nothing of that is left, and there is just high quality content you might suspects on a fairly expensive crusie.
What also amazes me is that some parts (like the promenad, lifts and large part of the cabins) have never been updated, that is original since 1990/1991 but still dont look out of date even today.
I was down in the conference area... well its clear that it don't get much use. Most of the conference area was also original since 1991 and.. well, it was really dated (apart from the conference area entrance that look like it been revamped this year)
Really stunning scenery, thanks so much. You are a truly lucky man to have a job like this.
So nice of you, and i know, amazing 😍
My goodness that breakfast buffet looked incredible!!!! I would have enjoyed that smoked salmon to the maximum!!! YUM!!!
It was soooo good 😋
Great video! Many years ago when I was in my 20's I took the Newcastle ferry to Oslo & drove north through Norway to Bodo, then east (via Mo-I-Rana) across Sweden to Umea from where I caught the 4 hour ferry to Vaasa in Finland. The return journey was with Viking line Helsinki to Stockholm, ferry to Denmark (Helsingborg-Helsingor) to Copenhagen and then ferry to Germany (Rodby-Puttgarden). I believe this last ferry may soon cease once the road/rail tunnel has opened. I recal the Viking ship was fabulous, we ran alognside the Silja ship and as a direct competitor is likely to be very similar. This was well before Schengen, the Finns were thrilled to see a British passport and the ships were busy with duty free sales. Also before the Euro, with lots of different currencies, thank goodness for credit cards. You may like to show some of the ferries where the trains are transported across the seas by ferry.
Thanks for a thorough review of the trip, with many good-to-know details added
Glad you enjoyed it!
WhenI rode the ferry in 2012 there was a buffet dinner where I had a good meal and the nicest chat with a Finnish couple. I took notes on Fiinland's amazing health care and educaional systems. Is the dinner still served soon after leaving Helsinki?
Yes there is, but I think it was €35?!
Ok.I was on a self-guided tour so I guess the meal was included in the package.@@NonstopEurotrip
@@NonstopEurotripits free alcoholic drinks, that is why its so expensive.
Haha, amazing healthcare and education system? Bwaha! 🤣🤣
Great video! I love the Silja ferries!! Greetings from Finland 👍🇫🇮
The best! 😁
Amazing video it's great to have a different mode of transport on your channel now and then
Glad you enjoyed it 😄
Thanks for the memories of this ferry, done this in the 90s, seemed to remember a sauna, plus meeting a Finnish girl on the ferry, who I met later in the trip, and also the following year in my home city of Dublin.
Loved this!! Thank you!
You're so welcome!
We took DFDS from Copenhagen to Oslo in April 2019. It very much mirrors the trip you had in this video-although your ship was a bit nicer. But like you, we got up early to see the last part of the trip through the fjord to Oslo. Wow, what views!
I'd definitely like to try that out!
DFDS on the oslo-Copenhagen route (like most routes) use mostly second hand ships that is mostly from specifically the stockholm-åbo/helsinki/Tallin routes. Pre 2020 there was over 20 cruise ferry that operated this area. Worth saying that sympfoni in this video is the 4th largest in this waters, after silja Europa (that was the world's largest for like 15 years), viking grace and viking glory.
I went with DFDS once on a mini cruise between Gothenburg and Newcastle before that route was discontinued sometime after summer of 2006. I went in July 2006 and it was a really enjoyable little mini vacation of 25 hours on the ship each way and some hours in Newcastle (bus was provided for those of us who were "cruise passengers" and not just disembarking)
I've been wanting to try one of the big Silja Line ships between Stockholm and Helsinki for many years, and just don't get around to it as I live close to Gothenburg and sigh at the prospect of having to sit on a train for almost 3 hours (significantly more if taking SJ regional) just to get to Stockholm.
But if you're having to travel to get to the ferry and need a hotel night before departure, I can highly recommend Scandic Ariadne which is the high rise right next to the ferry terminal with a walkway between hotel and terminal so you get direct access between the two. Staying at the hotel also gives you a stunning view over the water to Lidingö, and all ships sailing in or out, or a pretty nice view towards the city itself. I've stayed at the hotel a couple of times for weekend conferences, and apart from the very tiny and too few elevators (plan your time well if you rely on them!) I truly enjoyed my stays there. Easy access to and from hotel by bus from Ropsten subway station or Kungsträdgården (latter is in itself worth a visit, especially if you're in town when the cherry trees blossom, or in summer) and from Kungsträdgården you can easily take the subway one stop to get to the train station, or just walk as it's not far and you'll pass by a common tourist destination on the way if going the overground option (that said, the Kungsträdgården subway station in itself is worth a visit as it's the deepest or second deepest subway station in Stockholm, and full of art)
Both over and underground is wheelchair accessible options (though underground may be out if the elevators are borked, so keep that in mind unless ambulatory and able to use escalators, or able to sit in your chair in escalator with someone behind you keeping you safe! I wouldn't recommend doing a solo chair ride in the escalator there because it's very long!) I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user and have done both over and underground between Kungsträdgården and the central station while I've been in the city.
Thanks for sharing 🙏
Good to see this old barque still sailing proud! 👍
As a Swede, I love these ferries. You can drink with Finnish men and dance with Finnish women. Both are good at this, I promise!😀 Good video!
Thanks for the tips!
At 15:10 you can see Fredriksborg Fortress at Oxdjupet, a strait in the Stockholm archipelago between Rindö and Värmdö. It is a main shipping route into Stockholm. The width of the strait is about 180 meters at its narrowest point.
Also: You should try Viking Glory which is a brand new ship.
Very interesting, thank you 😃
@@NonstopEurotriplast summer I was working on board of that exact yellow car ferry you showed off! I'm an learning electrician and me and my boss did some electrical work on board her! I got to see the cruise ships pass by quite often!
@@SparkyFolf amazing!
Great video 😀
I was on a minicruise Stocholm/Turku/Stockholm in May 2023 onboard the Viking Glory. Also a fantastic ship and just a couple of years old.
I can also recommend the 44 hour minicruise Oslo/Kiel/Oslo (or start in Kiel if you prefer) onboard Color lines ships Color Fantasy and Color Magic
Sounds great!
Thank you for an absolutely superb video! I certainly would like to see a video covering the Turku-Stockholm trip
Noted!
I haven't been on this cruise in several years now, and this really makes me want to go again.
You definitely should 😁
1:33 - Port is different indeed, but there are actually 3 companies operating. Eckero and Tallink use Länsiterminaali which is away from city center, however Viking Line is operating in the center at Katajanokan
As mentioned in the video
When we were briefly in Sweden in the summer, we noticed that while meat dishes in restaurants were expensive, fish and vegetarian dishes were quite reasonable, and beer much cheaper than we were expecting!
Fish dishes can be as expensive or even more expensive than meat dishes depending on location and what type of meat or fish you're comparing 😅 I'm Swedish and often see fish dishes costing the same range as the steak options if I go to some sit down dining restaurant, only really entrecote or filet will really surpass fish (unless the fish is something a lot more fancy than cod or salmon)
Interesting! Can't say I'd noticed tbh
This takes me back to 2002 when I did a return voyage on the Symphony. I can't remeber what accomodation we went for, but I vaguely remember the bunk beds. The smorgashboard from the buffet was actually quite nice. Caned all of the available seafood.
I still remember the skit that the MTV Jackass boys did, way back when, when they hit up the Gumball 3000 and did a number on one of Silja's vessels. But yes, great video once again and hit of nostalgia.
fabulous way to start off the new year! helpful to know about the Helsinki travel cards and that ferry-come-cruise-liner is awesome and beautifully designed! curious: when you set up the beds to be a double did they stay put? lol that breakfast banquet is great bang for the buck (or sterling) the islands are stunning and yes pls do the Viking crossing :) thanks for another great video!
You're very welcome 🤗
Glad the cabin was top notch because the video definitely was! 😊
😂😂😂
Amazing video! Loved this ship review!
Thanks a ton!
I´ve been almost every ship that goes from Helsinki or Turku to Stockholm. I´ve also travelled from Naantali to Kapellskär, from Vaasa to Umeå, from Vaasa to Örskökdsvik, from Kokkola to Skellefteå and from Pietarsaari to Skellefteå. Those lines from Kokkola and Pietarsaari ended after Finland joining EU and you couldn´t have tax free purchases from the vessels anymore. Vaasa line has been struggled for surviving long time for same reason.
But i haven´t ever got to Estonia at least yet. I sure have to try those vessels too sometime in the future. I´ve gone to Sweden many times as i have some relatives there. I have also lived in Stockholm for two years as i were child.
I work on Viking Cinderella that goes on the Stockholm-Mariehamn route, but this spring 2024 we will start on the Stockholm-Mariehamn-Helsinki route
Ei, could you say me the price of marlboro on board? In spain it s aprox 50 eur :-)
49,95€
As a Dane, I have done the Copenhagen - Oslo trip and back many times, and I have done this trip a couple of times.
Amazing would love to take this trip one day!
You should mate 😉
Love the video. Hope you get to do more cruises soon!
I hope so too!
I freaking love that ship. I go on a round-trip about 4-6 times a year.
Amazing! I'll try Viking next time I think :)
Great video !!
Thanks!
Yeah you should try the Viking Grace. Then take the train from Turku harbour to onwards ...
Unfortunately I didn't have time this time, thanks for joining as a member btw 😄
@@NonstopEurotrip oh you noticed it. I’ll try to do my best to support this channel of yours.
Great one 👌 Both the ferry as well as the views looked amazing, definitely something that I'd be interested in trying. Would love to see more ferry videos too if & when possible. Take care
Thank you 😊👍🏻
The Silja and the Princess is SO BIG and it move SO FAST....! It can turn aroung 360 degree in just under a minutes.... It is INCREDIBLE TO WATCH IT WHEN IT TURNES in the STOCHOLM PORT RIGHT IN THE CITY in the BAY.
Wow crazy 💪🏻😁
Fantastic! I did this exact same trip in March 2009 and the ship hasn't changed a bit. It was freezing cold in March with sea ice almost all the way to Stockholm. You're right, its stunning scenery. You should try the ferry from Wellington to Picton in New Zealand, its also beautiful and yes please I'd love to see the other ferry from Tarku. X
I have done it 15 years ago, but obviously didn't film it 🤣
The first of your ship reviews I've watched, and I'm impressed. Makes me want to take a boat trip.
Glad you liked it 😁
Been binging your videos lately! I took an overnight ferry once about 9.5 years ago. I did the Jadrolinija ferry (MVF Dubrovnik) from Bari, Italy to Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was fun, but being a very broke student we slept on the floor of the bar. I'd probably go back and do it again but with a cabin.
That is awesome! Thanks for sharing 😊
I took the Gabriela and the Cinderella on the mentioned routes. I was so impressed, next year I do this again!
I plan to soon :)
I was a kid in 91 when they were brand new and i've been a pretty regular customer since then. I've been on many booze cruises in silja serenade and symphony (sister ships, they are pretty much identical). They still look futuristic, 33 yrs later. A few years ago there was a huge storm and the ship dived like 2 stories down with every wave and shaked, that was a bit traumatizing, lol. It was interesting to walk on the center promenade (drunk of course) and you felt the motion (i've never been sea sick though). It looks like you're in a hotel on steady ground but the whole thing is like a rollercaster and it f-cks with your head, lol. It's a huge ship though so the motions are pretty soft. On another ferry (not silja) i had a semi luxury cabin at the 11th floor and that storm was even bigger. I had a balcony and the splash from the huge waves reached the balcony and soaked me, lol. There is another silja ferry that was the biggest ferry in the world when it was completed in the 90's (the europa, even more futuristic looking really). It had the only floating mcdonald's in the world, they removed it later though. The panoramic indoor elevators in serenade/symphony are cool, and the ones in the middle of the ship go all the way up to the stardust nightclub. It used to be way cooler in the 90's/2000's before they refurnished it. The ceiling had rainbow LEDs, like stars in a night sky and that was way before they became mainstream. The newer viking line boats are more contemporary and up to date (grace and glory) but i still prefer the silja experience cause they got the huge promenade deck (before royal caribbean got it a few years later). By the way the largest cruise ships in the world, yes the royal caribbean, were built in turku masayards shipyard in finland and the carnival cruise ships were built in helsinki. I saw some of them being built in the 90s in helsinki cause my grandparents lived only a few blocks from the shipyard. A friend of mine works at silja as a boss of some kind, that's kinda cool
There aren't many passengers going to or from Mariehamn, surely not enough to make the extra stop commercially profitable by itself, but it serves an important purpose: as Åland is not a part of the EU customs area, the ship is thereby allowed to sell stuff (particularly alcohol) tax free. Despite the vast majority of passengers both starting and ending their trip in EU customs area.
As we see in the end of the video, there is a customs declaration point to those arriving to Sweden from Åland.
Exactly yes 😂
Awesome video! Maybe in the future you can do the celebrity beyond ship! I took a cruise on it over the past summer and it was amazing! ❤
Maybe one day!
@@NonstopEurotrip why put it off when you can do it now 🤔
I went to a day trip on Viking Grace and Glory and believe they are have beautiful interior and recommend a video about those two
Thanks for sharing!
Amazing 🤩. I did a transatlantic Cruise awhile ago and this gives me flashbacks. I should check it out
You should!
Great to see such positive video. I was conscript in Finnish navy we got to go to Sweden and Denmark to practice. Those views are amazing. I was put as look-out/steersman. Really liked it. Sunny day on sea or warm summer night has just something enjoyable aspects even that was so peaceful.
Completely agree 💯👍🏻
Fun fact, Aland is not part of the EUs value added tax or excise duty area. This is the reason you can have a duty free shop on board a ship travelling between two EU nations. It's also probably the main reason why both Tallinn-Stockholm and Helsinki-Stockholm ferries make a stop at Mariehamn. BTW, there are also Turku-Stockholm ferries, including daytime ferries with the journey taking around 11 hours.This means there is also a daytime connection from the Finnish mainland to Mariehamn with the trip taking around 5.5 hours.
Ah interesting, I never knew that about Åland 😁
Interesting to see people's reaction to the ferries. I am swedish but have relative in Finland too so I spent almost every year on ferries between Sweden and Finland. I am close to 50 years old so traveling on one of the ferries is more like a commute then a experience for me. The outsider perspective is interesting.
In addition to Silja Tallink, there's another ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm, called Viking Line (m/s Gabriella)
Mind you, their terminals are across the water at the South harbour. Ferries other than Viking Express to Tallinn leave from the West Harbour, so, always check that you are at the correct terminal!
All of which was mentioned in the video
Dinner needs to be reviewed in these kind of videos, it is essential.
I saw my teacher in the video😅. Usually i prefer the buffet when you are eating dinner cause on morning when your tired its quite annoying when you wait to need a long time before your plate is ready
🤣🤣🤣
Love this so much! First time viewer and subscribing now! YES!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome aboard!
Nice video. There are also daytime ferries between Stockholm and Åbo/Turku stopping at Mariehamn, Åland in the middele of the day. By the way. The sailing route through the Stockholm Archipelago is not really a fjord. They are only in Norway.
Thanks for the info!
Nicely done, mate 👌
Greetings from Helsinki
Thank you very much!
@@NonstopEurotrip you're welcome 😊
I go on this trip at least twice a year. Always as fun
It's always so intriguing to see what foreigners think of the Finland-Sweden ferries 🚢 I have been on both Viking and Silja many many times. Although these ships go back and forth every day, it's always sort of a special feeling for me once I'm onboard, like a nice adventure. 😄
Absolutely agree!
the buffet on the silja ferries is incredible.
Out of curiosity many years ago the predecessors (Finlandia and Silvia Regina) had sauna and swimming pools on board. Did this ship have these too? I also enjoyed the UK- Sweden (Harwich Gothenburg) ferry during the same time period. That was Tor Scandinavia. They had a buffet meal which consisted of "a thousand different ways to eat Herring" aka Smorgasbord!
DFDS had a Gothenburg-Newcastle via Kristiansand route up until after summer 2006, I went once in summer of 2006 and do wish they'd kept that route because it was a really nice mini cruise of some 25 hours each way and some hours on land before returning. Perfect option for a mini get away or for people needing to travel between the two countries and not wanting to fly and/or wanting or needing to bring a vehicle. With me going in summer, there were many caravans and camper cars on the ferry both ways as people were taking the ferry to or from the UK for vacation
Yes, as shown in the video
A sauna and swimming pool was already on the 1977 GTS FINNJET. These are always present on Finnish ships.
Viking Grace, yes please! :) Great video!
You got it!
Well...... I have traveled a lot between Copenhagen and Oslo..... no questions asked, no matter the season, going through Oslo Fjord in the mornings, are always very special and the most beautiful.... you REALLY should try it one day 😀
Interesting! I definitely will 😎😁
I once went to visit the engine room. I got access since i work as a design engineer of the engine manufacturer of this ship. You can actually ask for this from the info if you are into technical stuff like me. Requirement was that i come again to ask later in the evening sober.
Very cool 😎
I live in Stockholm and I’m 22, I’ve been going to these cruises since I was a little kid, I was even captured on camera on a swedish program called “färjan”, I was a kid back then haha
Aww amazing 😍
It's supposed to be cruise ship instead of a ferry though. Worked on both Silja and Viking Line back in the day.
You really should have stopped on Åland islands. By far the most impressive during my Baltic Sea ferry trip in 2022 (Travemünde - Helsinki - Tallinn - Åland - Stockholm - Malmö - Travemünde)
I liked your review of the ferry.. Definately an interesting way to traverse water.. I'm not sure if I would be ok on a boat/ferry/ship but I'd love to try..
Thanks for watching!
Having just done the Helsinki to Tallinn & Return on Megastar, this service to Stockholm is certainly on my 'to do' list now.
Ooh I should try that one 😁
Yeah.. few years ago you could get those cabins all for you about 20e or live there cheaper than inland
@@kimmokoo1980 no, you couldn't. I did it 5 years ago and it was still around 100€
£17 for breakfast in a technically floating hotel is not bad and cheap. As I have paid up to £30 for breakfast in premier inn on my travels to Birmingham for Insomnia and that was before covid. So to me £17 is good especially on all you can eat to.
Very true!!
Ferries from Helsinki to Stockholm are popularly known as booze cruises 😂. Alcohol is severely restricted on land in both Finland and Sweden, so people tend to go a little crazy on board ferries with unlimited cheap drinks. Did you see any of it on board?
Maybe 😏 🍻
I could easily imagine that if I was touristing in this area, getting transport and a nice hotel night both covered for one fee would be a bargain.
My thoughts exactly 💯
Great trip. Bit curious, is this ferry has vehicle deck onboard? I didn't see any vehicles ramp. Overall nice ship, nice food, and nice facilities onboard for 30's year old Ferry.
It does. Room for 450 vehicles.
It does yes!
How about internet connectivity inside the ship thorough out the journey?
Pretty much continuous
Stockholm has no fjord. VIking Graces route is Stockholm-Mariehamn-Turku-Lågnnäs-Stockholm. Långnäs is instead of Mariehamn on the night
You should edit Wikipedia then lol
Regarding the multiple times mentioned ”stepless access” … Funny thing about these (and I suspect many similar) ferries is that if you want to get from one place to the next the fastest … you use the stairs. The crew and many of the frequent travelers know this, and you rarely - if ever - see them in elevators. When you see a member of the crew in an elevator, they are most likely escorting a passenger somewhere.
That's all well, unless you're in a wheelchair!
@@NonstopEurotrip yep, very much true. I was commenting as a non-wheelchair-bound, while obviously there are those that don’t have the option. For everyone else, though - it is an option that surprisigly few - for some reason - fail to even consider.
Stop at Åland island grants the ships a right to offer duty free shopping. It’s also a popular destination for swedes
That's interesting, thanks!
Neat video. If youre up for trying more cruiseferries in the Nordics then I reccomend the DFDS route from Copenhagen to Oslo, sailed by either the Crown Seaways or the Pearl Seaways. Ive been on the Pearl several times myself. Some of the trips can be really affordable, but the boat also has plenty of means to suck your wallet dry. This DFDS route is immensely popular by both Danes and Norwegians for both one way overnight journeys, or minicruise round trips, with Danes nicknaming it "Oslofærgen" and Norwegians nicknaming it "Danskebåten".
Thank you 👍🏻
Boa viagem de navio ai gostei lindo
Just great, felicidades 🎉
remember that symphony sister ship silja europa was hero ship for ms estonia disaster
A-cabins are for allergy sufferers, animals are not allowed in the cabins. And the A-cabins have a laminate floor, compared to the other carpet.
In 2002 I took a smaller ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm. I ended sharing a cabin with 3 strangers who wanted to party. One of them threatened me when I didn't join in, but didn't do anything. It came at the end of a trip London - near Stockholm (Ryanair), 2 days research meeting, an old-fashioned almost communist era ferry to Talinn, an overnight train to St. Petersburg, a local train to Zelenogorsk (a former Finnish resort), a conference there, hitching a lift on a tourist bus to Helsinki (organised by a fixer), then the ferry to Stockholm. No luxury anywhere.
Oh dear 🙄
Have you traveled on the "Hurtigruten" that runs in Norway. It has been called "The world's most beautiful sea voyage"
Ooh I should try it 😺
Have you been on the DFDS criuse from Oslo to Copenhagen? Or Color line Oslo-Kiel (Germany)?
No, but I plan to!
I have been on dfds pearl Seaways from Copenhagen to Oslo
Are there special aircraft for night flights with suites for sleeper flights?
Oh! If you like smoked salmond may i recomend this recipe for you at home:
1. Ingredients: fusili pasta(may be tricolor for the looks), norwegian smoked salmond the thinly sliced type without skin, arugula lettuce or field lettuce(select at preference though arugula is normally used), herb cheese like philadelphia herbs, and broth cubes flavour of preference(though i don't how the pork flavour tastes like and if it fits or not)
2. Put the broth cubes in a big pot filled with water for the pasta(add the pasta when it's boiling)
3. When thecwater is over the fire slice the salmond into a grid pattern
4. Tear the lettuce or cut it to bits
5. After the pasta is boiled to your liking remove the water and put the pasta back in the pot, then add the salmond when the pasta is still as hot as possible and blend that so the heat wil cook somewhat the salmond of the pasta
6. Add the lettuce and mix it
7. Lastly add the herb cheese and mix that in and you're done
Bon apetit
Qsuites?
@@NonstopEurotrip i meant more with walls going up to the ceilings..
How expensive are the wines and other spirits? I am doing this one in a few weeks.
Pretty reasonable!
Somehow it seems the chapters/timecodes are from another video 😅
Thanks, I'll correct them later 🙂
@@NonstopEurotrip cheers and well done as always for the top-notch content!