11 – 13 Jan 2011
At only 196 SEK (about SGD40) for a window cabin which can accommodate a maximum of 4 passengers, the cruises to Helsinki are ridiculously cheap and too good an offer to pass up. However there is a catch. There is always a catch isn’t it? These are last minute prices, meaning usually you can only book 2 weeks in advance and are usually not available in the summer and available places are quickly snap up. However if you do have time to spare and have some flexibility in your itinerary, such cruises are definitely worth it.
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So what do you actually get for paying 196 SEK? Mind you, 196 SEK is for the price of the cabin alone, food is not included. The cabin can accommodate up to a maximum of 4 and has 4 fold down beds. The ship takes 1 night to reach Helsinki, and you have about 6 to 8 hours to explore Helsinki before travelling back to Stockholm. You will reach Stockholm at about late morning or early afternoon. Effectively you get 2 nights of accommodation for up to a maximum of 4 persons at only 196 SEK. You can even go lower than that if you opt for a lower deck room or an inside room without window. If you find the prices for hotels in Stockholm too high to stomach, such cruises may be the way to go. Some travelers going to Helsinki or other destinations such as Riga or Tallinn, will also buy such cruise packages since one-way tickets are surprisingly charged at the normal rate and hence more expensive.
How is the cruise operator, in this case Viking Line, able to offer such low prices for passengers? It is my belief that the ship not only carries passengers, but other cargo as well. In the winter, the number of cruise passengers drops significantly but the amount of cargo transported remains the same. Since the ship has to sail, it makes sense to carry passengers at the same time as well. Therefore to attract more cruise passengers, such packages are priced very low. The ship also has a large duty free shop to encourage passengers to spend onboard. No idea if Viking Line makes a profit on such cruises but the low prices definitely benefit lots of budget travelers out there.
I had booked my cruise package online with Viking Line and encountered no problems. The website accepted my overseas credit card. Since the website is in Swedish, it took a longer time to book since I have to painfully translate some of the words. The ship is named Gabriella and is set to leave Stockholm at 1645. We checked in about an hour earlier at the Viking Terminal in Stockholm and once we had our cabin cards, we boarded the ship. There were no security checks so it was a breeze to board.
The cabin was reasonably furnished and frankly for the price, I wasn’t expecting much. Everything was clean and functional. There was WIFI Internet access available but only in certain areas and the network did not extend to the cabins. The ship did not have many facilities available but there are some arcade game and also slot machines to occupy your time. The duty free shop onboard was huge and I saw lots of passengers snapping up alcohol since heavy duties are imposed on alcohol in Sweden. There was a café which sold hot food at very reasonable prices considering passengers did not have much of a choice.
You can spot the chimney of the ship behind the Viking Terminal.
Gabriella is by no means a small ship.
Shopping cart provided for the large duty free shop onboard.
The pub enjoying brisk business.
The cafe also has a karaoke if you are feeling adventurous.
Our cabin with a window. A4 type, which is an outside cabin on deck 5 or 6.
We didn’t have the time to do much research on Helsinki so we took a bus tour with the only single operator in town, which is Helsinki Expert. Our research on Helsinki and Finland in general mostly relates to Moomin, the cute comic character, which I suppose is fast becoming the icon for Finland. We booked our tour onboard our ship at a supposedly preferential price of 45 Euros for 2 persons.
The bus brought us to various areas of interest in the city however there was only a single break at the Sibelius monument for passengers to alight and take photos. An audio commentary in various languages was included. However, sometimes we were quite lost and didn’t quite know which building the commentary was referring to. Beside the driver, there was a guide who controlled the running of the commentary and I was sure the experience could be improved if the guide pointed out the points of interest. In my opinion, bus tours are only suitable for people in a hurry and wanting to cover lots of places in a short time. The tour lasted about an hour and a half. We explored the streets of Helsinki before walking back to the terminal.
We arrived at this terminal in Helsinki.
There are a couple of ATMs or cash machines in this terminal. Useful for withdrawing some euros.
Behind this distinctive facade is the main train station for Helsinki.
The Sibelius Monument
This effigy of Jean Sibelius was later included.
Thats the Lutheran Cathedral in the background.
We tracked down the Moomin Shop in Helsinki.
We left Helsinki in the late afternoon.
Our ship cuts across the frozen Baltic leaving a clear path behind.
See more photos of Helsinki on our Globe Nomads Facebook photo album.
Cruising to Helsinki in the Baltic Sea with Viking Line
11 – 13 Jan 2011
At only 196 SEK (about SGD40) for a window cabin which can accommodate a maximum of 4 passengers, the cruises to Helsinki are ridiculously cheap and too good an offer to pass up. However there is a catch. There is always a catch isn’t it? These are last minute prices, meaning usually you can only book 2 weeks in advance and are usually not available in the summer and available places are quickly snap up. However if you do have time to spare and have some flexibility in your itinerary, such cruises are definitely worth it.
View Globe Nomads Travel Blog in a larger map
So what do you actually get for paying 196 SEK? Mind you, 196 SEK is for the price of the cabin alone, food is not included. The cabin can accommodate up to a maximum of 4 and has 4 fold down beds. The ship takes 1 night to reach Helsinki, and you have about 6 to 8 hours to explore Helsinki before travelling back to Stockholm. You will reach Stockholm at about late morning or early afternoon. Effectively you get 2 nights of accommodation for up to a maximum of 4 persons at only 196 SEK. You can even go lower than that if you opt for a lower deck room or an inside room without window. If you find the prices for hotels in Stockholm too high to stomach, such cruises may be the way to go. Some travelers going to Helsinki or other destinations such as Riga or Tallinn, will also buy such cruise packages since one-way tickets are surprisingly charged at the normal rate and hence more expensive.
How is the cruise operator, in this case Viking Line, able to offer such low prices for passengers? It is my belief that the ship not only carries passengers, but other cargo as well. In the winter, the number of cruise passengers drops significantly but the amount of cargo transported remains the same. Since the ship has to sail, it makes sense to carry passengers at the same time as well. Therefore to attract more cruise passengers, such packages are priced very low. The ship also has a large duty free shop to encourage passengers to spend onboard. No idea if Viking Line makes a profit on such cruises but the low prices definitely benefit lots of budget travelers out there.
I had booked my cruise package online with Viking Line and encountered no problems. The website accepted my overseas credit card. Since the website is in Swedish, it took a longer time to book since I have to painfully translate some of the words. The ship is named Gabriella and is set to leave Stockholm at 1645. We checked in about an hour earlier at the Viking Terminal in Stockholm and once we had our cabin cards, we boarded the ship. There were no security checks so it was a breeze to board.
The cabin was reasonably furnished and frankly for the price, I wasn’t expecting much. Everything was clean and functional. There was WIFI Internet access available but only in certain areas and the network did not extend to the cabins. The ship did not have many facilities available but there are some arcade game and also slot machines to occupy your time. The duty free shop onboard was huge and I saw lots of passengers snapping up alcohol since heavy duties are imposed on alcohol in Sweden. There was a café which sold hot food at very reasonable prices considering passengers did not have much of a choice.
You can spot the chimney of the ship behind the Viking Terminal.
Gabriella is by no means a small ship.
Shopping cart provided for the large duty free shop onboard.
The pub enjoying brisk business.
The cafe also has a karaoke if you are feeling adventurous.
Our cabin with a window. A4 type, which is an outside cabin on deck 5 or 6.
We didn’t have the time to do much research on Helsinki so we took a bus tour with the only single operator in town, which is Helsinki Expert. Our research on Helsinki and Finland in general mostly relates to Moomin, the cute comic character, which I suppose is fast becoming the icon for Finland. We booked our tour onboard our ship at a supposedly preferential price of 45 Euros for 2 persons.
The bus brought us to various areas of interest in the city however there was only a single break at the Sibelius monument for passengers to alight and take photos. An audio commentary in various languages was included. However, sometimes we were quite lost and didn’t quite know which building the commentary was referring to. Beside the driver, there was a guide who controlled the running of the commentary and I was sure the experience could be improved if the guide pointed out the points of interest. In my opinion, bus tours are only suitable for people in a hurry and wanting to cover lots of places in a short time. The tour lasted about an hour and a half. We explored the streets of Helsinki before walking back to the terminal.
We arrived at this terminal in Helsinki.
There are a couple of ATMs or cash machines in this terminal. Useful for withdrawing some euros.
Behind this distinctive facade is the main train station for Helsinki.
The Sibelius Monument
This effigy of Jean Sibelius was later included.
Thats the Lutheran Cathedral in the background.
We tracked down the Moomin Shop in Helsinki.
We left Helsinki in the late afternoon.
Our ship cuts across the frozen Baltic leaving a clear path behind.
See more photos of Helsinki on our Globe Nomads Facebook photo album.