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Viking line ferries. Viking Line

The review of travel on Viking Line ferries consists of 5 round trips on the route Turku - Stockholm. The first trip took place in 2008 as part of a bus tour for the May holidays. This was our first foreign trip together.

For all the remaining trips we took a car package and drove our own car. We always took a cabin without a window and a buffet on the ferry. Our last trip on board Viking Line was 07/22/2014. We sailed on the Grace and Amorella ferries; previously, instead of the new Grace ship, Isabella operated flights, but now it has already been written off as having fallen into disrepair.

Ferry pier in Turku, queue for loading

In the background is Turku Castle, one of the main attractions of the city, which can be visited on a guided tour. The castle closes at 18-00 and it is usually recommended to allocate at least 2 hours to explore it. The place is very beautiful, if you arrive early you can take a walk there.

Check-in for the flight begins 2 hours before departure. The ferry arrives an hour before departure and has time to unload and load; the ferry staff works very efficiently and harmoniously.

In the following video you can appreciate the scale of the ferry's car deck and see how loading takes place.

At check-in, your ticket will be exchanged for stateroom key cards that will indicate your seat at 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 is posted in front of the reception desk, also in Russian. No one will check your trunk; compliance with this requirement is up to the conscience of each driver.

Gas cylinders of campers and caravan trailers are sealed when loading onto the ferry.

When loading, the workers indicate with their hands which lane to go in and when to stop, the cars are packed very tightly, you have to get out carefully so as not to hit the neighboring car. You need to take all the necessary things with you at once, the car deck will be closed 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

The cabins are divided into Inside, which means internal, i.e. without window and Seaside, i.e. external with window. Left. in the photo below., all Seaside cabins, on the right all Inside cabins (without windows). 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 Grace ferry is naturally more pleasant and modern. On the Grace ferry, each cabin has a TV and upon entering, the screen displays the personalized greeting of all passengers in that cabin, a small thing, but a nice touch. TV programs are only in foreign languages, but there are much more interesting things to do on the ferry than watch TV. There is no TV on older ferries.

Daily schedule on the Viking Line ferry

The ferry takes 10 hours on the route Turku - Stockholm, which is not long at all, since you need to have time to have dinner, visit Duty Free and get a good night's sleep. The latter never works. 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 difficult thing to predict. As a result, there is no more than 6 hours 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 is turned on and broadcasting begins in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Very important announcements can even be made in Russian: “The ferry arrives in 15 minutes, please proceed to the car deck immediately.” But you can try to sleep for another half an hour, but the wake-ups on the radio or TV will continue and they will be completed by several visits from the deck duty officer, 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 over the speakerphone.

Dinner begins almost immediately after the ferry departs. And immediately on the ferry the time becomes Swedish, i.e. 1 hour earlier.

Restaurant visitors dress in a variety of ways - from a T-shirt with shorts to evening dresses with full makeup, but the air conditioning is strong, 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.

Review of dinner on the Viking Line ferry - buffet

Dinner on the ferry is always incredible, one 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 are 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 and cream, ice cream, cakes.

There is a children's table - there are French fries, hamburgers, in general, everything unhealthy 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.

Menu may vary slightly depending on ship. This year we went to Stockholm on the new ship Viking Grace, it is certainly more luxurious than Amorella, but not fundamentally. Dinner on the Viking Grace ferry was simply superb, but on the Amorella it was just a little less superb, they didn’t serve macaroni (these are cakes, our eldest daughter is a big fan of them).

In addition, if you consider a buffet to be a very expensive pleasure, there are other buffets where you can take just a portion of food, it will cost less. Those who are really thrifty can dine in the cabin with something they bring with them.

Duty Free on Viking Line ferry

Duty Free shops are available on all ferries; the new ship Viking Grace has a larger shop. The affordability of prices is a rather controversial issue. In the Duty Free store on the Russian border, prices are lower than on the ferry, but for Finns and Swedes the ferry prices are favorable. A 0.33 liter bottle of water costs 1.5 euros - this is definitely not humane. Clothes and shoes sold on the ferry may just be the wrong size and simply not to your taste; the choice is quite limited. I definitely don’t 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 strict rules with alcohol as in Scandinavia and prices are lower. You can check some prices in stores by following the link.

The atmosphere on the ferry can be characterized by words - holiday, celebration... There is a disco, live music, but we do not use these benefits simply for the reason - we have little 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 flight Turku - Stockholm. You can watch the entire dinner out the window. The views of granite islands covered with pine trees passing by 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 during the New Year 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 the ice floes hitting the sides.

Next, the cabin is chosen for you; the stern can be noisy when mooring in the Åland Islands, but it depends on your luck. At Amorella we were unlucky and we all woke up at night and listened to the terrible iron grinding of the gates opening. The vibration from the operation of the thrusters was also quite strong. But this was the only time in 10 trips.

Buying tickets

We tried to buy tickets at the ferry center and on the Internet, but we didn’t notice any difference. Very often, ferry companies offer coupons for their cruises on the website frendi.ru. Check out the website and maybe you will be lucky enough to go on a cruise at a reduced cost. The site frendi.ru is a former groupon. If you don’t want to waste time visiting the ferry center, you can use online booking. Tickets for day ferries are cheaper, but night ferries save travel time and include an overnight stay, so taking these factors into account, night ferries are more profitable for us.

Alcohol testing for drivers

Out of 5 times, 3 times when unloading from the ferry in Turku, all drivers were checked for alcohol. The blood alcohol limit in Finland is 0.5 ppm. The fine for excess is from 400 euros. In Stockholm we have never encountered an inspection. The blood alcohol limit in Sweden is 0.2 ppm. Announcements are made on the ferry before dinner to warn drivers.

This story - a “methodological guide” on “using Viking Line ferries” :) - will be included in the author’s own series "My Guides". It is intended to orient you to 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)

The fundamental choice of ferry to Stockholm (from Helsinki).
For the New Year we decided to take a ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm, and naturally the question of choice arose. We thought for a long time - what to sail on - on the “Viking Line” or on the “Silja Line”?
And we definitely chose “Viking”.

Our arguments in his favor were as follows:
Firstly, Viking is owned by a Swedish company, and Silja, after she changed the Finnish owner to an Estonian one (Tallink), was immediately hit with many service complaints. The Finns themselves, who are extreme conservatives by nature, unanimously and en masse showed Silje 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 is a 20-minute walk to the historical center (Gamla Stan), and Silja docks somewhere in the North Port, from where it takes a little longer to get to the center by metro (~ 4 metro stops). And it’s 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, from which you can already guess the direction of travel in advance.

"Mariella" And "Gabriella"- go along the route (round trip): 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 (round trip):
(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 - Kappelskär, (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 shipyards in 2008. (length 185m, number of passengers - 2500).
“Gabriella”, year of construction - 1992, length 171m, 2420 people.
“Cinderella” - 1989 (191m, 2560 people), “Isabella” - 1989 (171m, 2480 people), “Amorella” - 1988 (169m, 2480 people)
“Mariella” was built in 1985. (176m, 2500 people).
The oldest and smallest is “Rosella” - 1980, length 136m, 1700 passengers.

FERRIES “MARIELLA” AND “GABRIELLA” (“VIKING LINE”)
FINLAND/HELSINKI - SWEDEN/STOCKHOLM (and back)
travel time - ~17 hours

Choice of cabin and deck. Tickets.
We find out (at the agency, about it below) that on our dates we are sailing there on the Mariella, and back on the Gabriella.
This is our first time sailing on such a large ferry, and with a child at that, so we decided to take a nice, large cabin with a window. We meticulously examined everything on the Viking Line websiteproposed options , and settled on the Lux-LXR cabin (large bed, two windows, hairdryer, refrigerator, TV, 5th deck). On the way back(cabin There was Lux-LXB, exactly the same.
The better the cabin, the higher the deck it is located. Let me note for a clear example that on our 5th deck we had difficulty falling asleep to the sounds of cracking ice and the roar of the engine. Therefore, draw your own conclusion about the comfort of more economical options.
Budget options, for example without a window, but on decks 5-6 are quite acceptable. Below it is really scary, and the cabins look like compartments on a train.

Please note that the cost of ferry tickets varies, and depends on what day of the week your departure is: Sat-Tue - the lowest, Fri - average, Wed-Thu - the highest. For New Year and Christmas, Viking does not have a holiday coefficient (unlike Silla), in addition, the company offers 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 - the “deck” type. And the rest of the time (September-May) they buy a mandatory package: “cabin+deck/passenger ticket.” That is, this same deck ticket is added to the price indicated on the website for the cabin you have chosen - 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):. For which there are no complaints, except for one thing :) - the amount was calculated incorrectly for us, naturally not in a smaller direction. Since we financiers never allow ourselves to relax :), we carefully calculated the cost of tickets long ago, and we had to politely point out the “accidental” mistake to the girl. “Oh,” said the authorized agent, “I’ll look on another computer.” In which, of course, the price was already calculated correctly :).

Ticket registration. Boarding the ferry.
We got almost to the Viking Terminal on tram 4 (you can use 4B). We were worried, but when we saw people pulling suitcases in one direction, we lined up behind them. Walking past the parking lot at the Marina Hotel, we were very impressed by the number of cars with Russian license plates. We walked and calculated the region using them: Moscow, Moscow, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Moscow again...
It is advisable to arrive at the ferry boarding check-in in advance: for passengers - at least 1 hour in advance, for car passengers - at least 45 minutes in advance. 10 minutes before departure, landing is strictly stopped. Those who didn't have time are late.
Our tickets received in Moscow are not tickets yet, but A4 pieces of paper. We line up in a huge line at the ticket office (several windows), show our passports, and exchange papers for cardboard tickets. We go up the escalator and through electronic machines (like in the subway, we put in tickets) into a echoing transparent plastic pipe corridor, which is “sucked” to the side of the ferry. It’s good that we were warned that somewhere around the bend “a bird would 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 correct behavior, because somehow suddenly we pass through some kind of frame, where we scold from a sudden outbreak. The photo (5€) can then be purchased at the exit from 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. You're in a New Year's mood, looking forward to something festive.
At the entrance, you should immediately look at the signs - they sort the flow by deck. As is usual with Russians, those who are taller immediately begin to look contemptuously at those who are shorter:(. We somehow very quickly taxi along a narrow, long pink corridor straight to our cabin.
Here she is.
The first feeling is small. The second feeling is cool.
We were right, the photos somewhat exaggerate the size of the cabin (we had a suite), and, indeed, it was very cool inside, literally at the lower limit of comfort. If you wash your hair, you must immediately turn on the hairdryer, otherwise you may become covered with frost. The tiny toilet contains branded travel kits. And caramel candies near the mirror. And so no frills.

Here is Mariella's internal structure:
Deck 8 - conference room, open observation deck
7 deck - restaurants, night club, wc
6 deck - reception (Information desk), Duty Free store, cabins
5 deck - cabins
4 deck - cabins, luggage
3 deck, 1st tier - auto platform
3rd deck, 2nd tier - auto platform
2nd deck - anchor compartment

Orientation in space. Observation deck. Duty Free.
Despite some initial confusion, we began to understand the nooks and crannies of the ferry quite quickly, connecting all our senses to this process as 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: “Hurry, hurry to the upper deck.” We mirrored the actions, grabbed the camera and, zipping up as we ran, rushed up the stairs.
It should be noted that in January it is very cold, slippery and scary on the upper open observation platform. I held our Makonai man by the hood, and my husband held me from behind. But the sight of the twinkling lights of Helsinki at night from the height of a seagull's flight was unforgettable. We tried to capture these shots, but we needed a tripod prepared in advance, otherwise, of course, everything would be blurry. And in the summer here, undoubtedly, you get a hundred times our pleasure.

There was no tripod, so I had to use my imagination. We are sailing from Helsinki. (Winter 2010)

They returned, undressed, exchanged the camera for a wallet and moved - well, where? - in Duty Free, of course. It is pleasantly large, but unpleasantly filled with people, 95% of which are our people (more on that later). The amount of alcohol in the carts was terrifying. As are the queues at the box office.
The grocery department has a very good selection of sweets and chocolate (mainly Finnish Fazer). There was a tasting of white wine, which we tasted without pleasure (very sour) and after which I had an unbearable sore throat (very cold). Quite an interesting assortment of Finnish haberdashery in the form of Arabia tableware, Aalto vases, and Marimmekko fabric small items.
Quite a varied Parfume, I even found organic brands there - Weleda and Dr. Andrew. There are clothes and shoes that at this time (the first week after New Year's Eve) were 30-50% discounted. There are silver jewelry.
Duty free prices on ferries are really attractive. To illustrate with the example of perfume, Dior for men in Sokose costs ~70€. Here - a little more than 40 €.

Meals on the ferry. Al a Carte restaurant, Viking buffet or sandwiches.
The cost of meals (which includes dinner and breakfast) is not included in your ticket package.
All restaurants are on the same deck and 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.
In fact, we had no doubt that we would use the buffet, but fortunately, my friend, who took a ferry trip in the fall, categorically advised against “wasting money” on completely “standard tasteless” food and drinking wine, which “colors the tongue” .
It turns out that on any Viking there are several more restaurants where you can invest those euros more productively. This is presentable “Food Garden”, a little more democratic “Wine&Tapas”(European cuisine) and "Ellas"(American-Italian cuisine) and beer hall "Pub"(they have different names on different ferries “Arcade”, “Pamir”, “Captain’s Correr” and etc.).

The first place where we (dressed up) and went received special recommendations. The Food Garden has a very sophisticated interior, there are bouquets of fresh flowers on the tables, a pianist plays softly, tailcoats and evening dresses are welcome, ski pants and sweaters must be left for direct use.

Restaurant "Food Garden"

Public in a restaurant

Restaurant "Food Garden"

It offers a buffet of appetizers and desserts, as well as a la carte dishes. The payment scheme is tricky:
Buffet (snack) or dessert) + main course (price separately) - 10€
Buffet (snack) And dessert) + main course (price separately) - 15€
Buffet only (appetizer + dessert) without main course - 27 €.
*Main course is meat or fish from 17€ (chicken) to 26€ (veal entrecote, deer fillet).
Accordingly, for the option you choose, you choose a main dish from the menu (then the buffet serves you either as an appetizer, or a dessert, or both), or generally order everything from the menu (instead of a buffet, you choose an appetizer and/or dessert from the menu ).
I just wrote about a buffet for adults, but there is children's - 10€.
Adult - excellent selection of hams, rolls, shrimp, salads, cheeses, desserts. Children's - terrible selection of tough chicken, mini-burgers, fries, red ketchup, vague vegetables and no sweets.
Very tasty and worthy. Members of the Viking Club - 10%. Having left a 9€ tip (we rounded up the amount we ate to the nearest hundred euros), we put the waitress in a state of slight shock; she even looked at us disapprovingly. In fact, dinner for three with wine is more than worth the money.
And by the way, here you can order dietary dishes; they are marked on the menu with signs - G/gluten-free, L/lactose-free, LL/low-lactose, V/vegetarian. And in the summer (06/17-07/21) they have Strawberry Weeks!!! Which turn into Lobster... ... (22.07-22.08).

Offers a delicious and original selection of snacks “Wine&Tapas”- in fact, the name translates like this: Wine and Snacks. You can have a snack with various small sandwiches (for example, with shrimp paste), mini-kebabs, slices of meat and artichokes, asparagus in a ham wrap, etc. Their prices 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. From them, for 8 € you can get the same delicious (large portions) Caesar salad - you choose 3 fillings yourself (they are included in the price: chicken, shrimp, boiled eggs, smoked salmon, olives, cheese, ham, etc.) , and each next (optional) costs 1€.

Snacks-tapas at "Wine&Tapas"

In the morning you can also have breakfast at the “Food Garden”. Breakfast, prepayment/payment on board: adult - 14€/15.50€, children 6-17 years old - 7€/7.50€. But we really enjoyed it Sea Side Cafe(on Mariella there is, on Gabriella there is no). We got up very early (forgetting about the time difference), and had a great snack there against the backdrop of the dawn rising over the Swedish sea. Tea, coffee, cocoa, milk, juices + sandwiches, salads, meatballs + excellent pastries + excellent souvenirs. You can also have a simple dinner in this cafe.

"Sea Side Cafe"

We have breakfast in a cafe, and outside the window it’s dawn... - already Swedish

January 3. Morning photos - Stockholm is coming soon

Entertainment on the ferry for adults and children.
This is a Night Club - where they dance and sing on stage, and drink and eat on the tables surrounding the stage. In principle, it’s fun for those who are fond of nightlife, dancing, and dizziness from drinking. I personally give up. I don’t like it, I can hardly stand it for 5 minutes, at one time I danced on tables in Spanish discos.
Children have fun in children's rooms, filled with toys and even computer screens with simple games. Shoes must be taken off.
You can kill time (and money) on slot machines - there are a large number and variety of them.

Children's playroom at “Mariella”

Our Maconanian did not leave the porthole

Our people on the ferry.
The global inappropriate behavior of our compatriots, of course, is the reason that many Finns, knowing the peak influx of Russian neighbors to visit them, try to reduce tourist contact with us to a minimum. Therefore, in the days after New Year's, i.e. during our winter holidays, Finns and Swedes on the ferry - ~5%, Russians - 95%. What does this mean? :). a crumpled T-shirt + a can of beer, madly spraying yourself with perfume in duty-free, pushing, grabbing, being unkind to each other, etc., etc., these are the most innocent manifestations of our “soviet” mentality.
I always write “ours,” because the very rare Russian human specimen lacks proletarian habits.

Money exchange. Bus tickets to the metro.
Euros/dollars can be exchanged for Swedish krona at the reception. A minimum cache is, of course, necessary to get started. They also sell tickets (4€) for the City Bus freight bus, which you need to board after getting off the ferry to get either to the nearest metro station Slussen or to the final one - T-Centralen.

This is an information desk where they change currency and take out various booklets and maps.

The bus stop is located right next to the ferry exit. Identifiable by the huge queue (we stood for 15 minutes).

Queue to board the bus to Schlussen metro station

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 it is a stone's throw to Gamla Stan. And with the euros you save, buy a souvenir :).
!And don’t forget to buy your photos on the way out as a souvenir of the Viking! :)
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

Swimming on ice chips

And outside the window (porthole) is already Stockholm

Mini-guide to Viking Line ferries (Finland - Åland Islands - Sweden) No. 2- soon

Stories about Finland and Sweden:
Story “Lady Northern Lights - Finland. Helsinki"
Story “Stockholm and Helsinki. The Young Lady and the Peasant"
*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 air conditioner 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 doesn’t work, the reception desk should take action, including providing another cabin, if available.

The choice between Viking and Silja has already begun to resemble the “religious” choice between Canon and Nikon. :) That is, the pros and cons are very balanced.
In fact, the service on Silje is adequate to any Scandinavian one. It is hardly possible to distinguish from the outside the affiliation of the company - a common Northern European standard. And the size and possibilities of leisure are so much greater than on Viking that after the promenade with a variety of restaurants, shops, a spa with a jacuzzi overlooking the sunset on the glazed upper deck, the brighter clubs and programs that are offered on Silje - on Viking it’s really boring.

However, there are things that make the Viking a really convenient means of transport for a trip to Stockholm - the Viking Club membership card gives discounts that are much better than the Silja Club. During the December Christmas season we ride in a cabin with a window for about 0 euros. We only order food for a fee. In a typical “low” season, a cabin costs an average of 20 euros. Another fundamental convenience for us is that on Viking they accept a simple debit bank card (Finnish, I don’t know about Russian ones), but on Silje neither Finnish nor Estonian debit cards are accepted, only a credit card.

The place of arrival in the city is also a matter of relative convenience. From Silja the metro takes 1 stop, not much longer 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 this 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. On any option and in any season. Each has its own positive sides.

Tatyana, thanks for the clarification.
As for the air conditioner, we tried to turn it on, but there were no shifts in the direction of the ice age, so we stopped there :).
I can't compare the merits of both ferries as we have (so far) only used the Viking. Therefore, I carefully (sort of) in order to avoid dangerous comparative debates :) touched only on our conclusions regarding preferences.
I don’t like to be unfounded, and for now I can give Silje only one real plus - when booking tickets, we found out that, unlike Viking, there is no intermediary agent, and you can choose a cabin on the website and pay immediately by card.
I was surprised to read about “1 metro stop from Silla”. I don’t understand why? To T-Centralen? On the map, the distance from the Silla terminal to the center seemed more significant to me.
In general, of course, you are absolutely right. The question “which is better” Viking or Silja is secondary, the main thing is to go 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.
Why are there intermediaries on the Viking website? We always book and pay directly. Or is this for overseas armor?
From Silla there is one stop to the city center, on the side where the approach to Djurgården is (where the Vasa ship museum, ethnographic Skansen is), and to Gamla Stan there is another one or two, I don’t remember - it takes five minutes there, it’s also high-speed.
I understand that this is not at all up for discussion; I myself cannot give a clear preference. Just for additional information. :)

In Moscow, tickets for the Viking can only be purchased 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, since it involves unnecessary body movements and a waste of time.

Your “additional” information is priceless :). This experience is the most important “baggage” when traveling. Without it, there are a lot of problems out of the blue :).

iriina
_the main thing is more often
go to Stockholm :), even on a goat :)))_
YES YES YES!!! It needs to be in gold - on marble!! :-))

Shhh, a secret just for you:
My first cruise to Stockholm was in 1998, and then 2-3 times a year...
But only a couple of years ago I figured out to set the regulator to a warmer temperature before going to bed, and before that I was always freezing in the cabin at night, feeling for it in the morning 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 Viking Line ferries based on their color) is the joy of Finnish and Swedish pensioners, and, it turns out, also Russian tourists :-)
The commentary above has already mentioned the incomparability of the volume and variety of cultural and entertainment programs in Viking and Silje - pianist, bard, shows, games-competitions, etc.
Those. comparing them is like comparing generally incomparable things, for example, a hostel and a good hotel. Each option has its own advantages. Viking's budget is unrivaled.
2) On the Helsinki-Stockholm line, the Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony remain the most impressive ferries, even compared to the much newer Victoria I and Baltic Queen on the Tallinn-Stockholm line.
3) Internal cabins (without a window) and external ones (with a window) are exactly the same in equipment, i.e. comfort. Sometimes the internal ones are a couple of square meters smaller in area. But in winter - when it gets light late and 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 - more travel! - good and different! :-))

iirina
Nata, links to your guidebook that you just started should be placed as widely as possible, because the practical information in it will certainly help many people navigate the specifics of “what-how-where-how much?” :-)
How your guide to Amsterdam helped me in the spring... :-)

mediadima
Why not compare Silja and Viking?
They are quite comparable. I have been on both lines regularly since the 80s,
transit St. Petersburg-Copenhagen and I can compare based on personal impressions.
About the so-called cultural and entertainment program, all kinds of animation nonsense
(pianist, bard, shows, competition games) - I didn’t see any fundamental difference.
All these pleasures for people who are bored and bored with life do not amuse me.
And in general, these ferries were originally 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 switched 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 rode the ESTONIAN Silja only once and swore off forever.
The ship slowly began to fall apart (here and there you see clear signs of this destruction,
Some areas look like they started renovations and forgot about them. Or maybe they haven’t forgotten, but are simply pumping out profits from ships in need of repair until the last minute, until they sink.
The service has become disgusting, Soviet-style. In our cabin, these workers simply managed not to clean up after the previous ones, in particular, there was some long hair, a dirty towel, etc. left in the shower, which I had never seen on a Viking. And the faces of the sellers in the shops on board surprised us with their incomprehensible proud impudence.
I haven’t seen anything like this on Viking.
...the last time I talked to Silja was a couple of years ago. I was traveling to St. Petersburg, found out online the price of a ferry in the cabin,
but when I arrived at the Silla 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... I received a shocking answer that they didn’t know about this at all... It was a good time, I got to the center, found the Viking terminal - everything is in order, the prices are as promised. I bought a Viking ticket for a cabin (at the price of a “deck without a seat” in Silla) and went to return the ticket to Silla.
There they quickly reduced me to 30% of the ticket price (!!!).
In response, I loudly announced the queues where tickets were sold at half (!) cheaper, after which a couple of people immediately left the queue and left to get them.
And this is an indicator of Estonian service and their mentality in general.
No “bard” will brighten up this feeling.
If people get into such a business without any concept at all, just to make money, this is a natural result.
...in general, it seems that you personally work in Silje.
In any case, there is no need to mislead people.
Because Viking and Silja are not fundamentally different in anything (or rather, they were not different before the change of owner from Silja) except PRICE.
And when 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; Europe is already quite old and shabby. The last time we traveled from Turku to Stockholm was on February 13, and back to Galaxy. Galaxy is a much nicer and newer ferry, but a couple of “living” decks lower than Europe, so you shouldn’t go after size. We chose class B2 cabins because... In winter there is no point in having a 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 just B, where there are normal beds, a larger cabin and for the same price everything shines, without the smell of old age or shabbyness , and the design is generally more modern.

To tell the truth, this was not my first experience of sailing on ships. Last December I had the opportunity to swim 20 minutes to 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 my third experience of sailing on one or another ship. 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... Next I’ll tell you a little about how we ended up on the Viking Line ferry in the first place. So... it all started with a proposal from the bus operator Lux Express, who offered to organize a short trip for us to Finland and Estonia in a bus + ferry format.

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 free breakfast. As Al Pacino said in The Godfather, it was an offer you couldn't refuse. In the end, I answered: “Yes,” and some time later Tanya and I were in full swing preparing for a trip to Finnish Helsinki and Estonian Parnu. You can read about our journey through these cities using the links below. And I won’t dwell on this for now. In the end, this article is about something completely different...

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 spot a Finn at the Tallinn Maritime Station? Almost all of them carry large quantities of alcohol of one kind or another.

Some in boxes, some in themselves. You know, I live in, and therefore I have always considered myself a seasoned fighter of shopping tour battles... I have seen everything: drunk people in minibuses, and Yeltsin vodka, which is poured into one and a half liter bottles of ordinary water... But such pictures as in I saw it for the first time at Tallinn Station. You look in one direction - and there is a grandmother (God's dandelion) carrying a cart of cognac to Helsinki.

You look at the other - and there are young girls (each about 18 years old) carrying two Somersby boxes with them. I’m generally silent about guys. Although even when drunk, Finns still do not lose their charm. Not people - but plush Moomins (albeit a little drunk)...

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 walk a little further along Sadama Street (there will be many signs saying “Port”).

To avoid getting lost in an unfamiliar city, be sure to download the Maps.me application and download a map of Tallinn. This program also works offline. You set the desired point on the map and you follow the arrows. Nothing complicated. Even my sister could handle it.

View of the old town from Terminal A of the Tallinn port. Evening.

Check-in for the Viking Line flight begins 1.5 hours before the ferry departure. In order to print out boarding passes, we used these red counters with the inscription “Check-in self service”.

You can register using the barcode on the order form or using your reservation 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 is the reservation code. Enter it in the registration terminal and you will receive a card like this with your first and last name. If you get confused about something, there is a window next to it with a smiling Estonian who will explain to you everything you need to know in four languages.

The tickets themselves look like this...

Without them, you will not get on the ship, so I recommend that you come to the sea station in advance to have time to do everything without unnecessary haste. So that you don’t get bored here while waiting for your flight, there are several shops near the sea terminal, 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 start time of boarding 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, you will go through a strip of turnstiles (using those same printed Viking Line cards) and you will find yourself in another waiting room - in front of the security barrier. When the ship is ready, it will be removed. Next, just walk forward along the long metal corridor of the boarding ramp.

No ticket or passport checks. Just find your cabin and hit the road.

On board

Inside, the ship itself looks like an ordinary chain hotel. Carpets on the floor, stairs, elevators, plus long lines of corridors with many identical doors. By the way, entrance to the rooms (cabins) is also carried out using the same cards. It malfunctioned for me a couple of times, so be careful and do not store it next to your mobile phone, otherwise you will have to tinker with the door of your room.

Inside, the cabin looks quite simple, but cozy. I like it. The only negative is the small amount of space. Although it was probably difficult to expect anything else here. Having filled half the room with bags, we constantly bumped into each other. I can’t even imagine how you can accommodate four people in such a cabin. Although... I don’t know... This trick somehow works on tens of thousands of trains...

In general, despite the size of the cabin, there is a very pleasant atmosphere inside the ship, filled with the aromas of wood, duty-free perfume and the anticipation of a quick vacation. After 12 hours of wandering around Tallinn, it was almost paradise for me. I even regretted that we stayed on the ship so short. Warm shower in the rooms... Soft and clean beds... Some kind of boat outside the window (orange like the Dutch national football team). What else does?

In addition to four folding beds, the cabins also have a shower, toilet, hangers, telephone, mini-table and a TV hanging above the mirror. Next to them are brochures describing upcoming events, restaurant menus and some valuable instructions 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 being very tired, 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 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 (for example, M/S Viking FSTR).

You will spend the longest time on board if you choose a route with an overnight stay (it is listed in a separate category on the carrier’s website). In fact, such a ship sails for the same 2.5 hours. However, before that, he simply spends the night in the port, essentially serving as a huge hotel. You go into the cabin, settle down and go to bed. And in the very morning you hear a barely audible rumble and understand that the ship has set off.

Where can I buy tickets for the ship, and how much do they cost?

In general, the Viking Line company has cruises to several different countries - to Finland, Sweden, Estonia, as well as to the Åland Islands (this is a special administrative territory that is part of the country of Suomi, but populated mainly by Finnish Swedes). The complete route map is as follows.

In addition, I will also note that the travel format may be slightly different. Check out the Viking Line website - they have both cruises and regular scheduled flights. In the first case, the emphasis will be on staying on the ship (with plenty of entertainment and relatively short stops at certain points). In another, the ferry is used primarily as a means of transporting passengers from point A to point B. However, even 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 view 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 like outside of the passenger cabins? In fact, it 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 examine every nook and cranny here. But in principle, even a short walk around the ship was enough for me to form a first impression about it. You walk and just watch how the restaurant flows into an area with slot machines, and that in turn flows into another restaurant.

As for the prices, they are quite steep here. Probably normal for Finns. But for a citizen of the most stable and most prosperous country in the world, it’s somehow a little expensive. Coffee with a croissant plus some kind of burger – that’s already 10-15 euros. For the same amount, it is much more logical to order a buffet breakfast in advance (on the website). It costs €10.50 and includes both food and drinks. Really, this is a total badass. This buffet is worth every penny. Believe me, I have something to compare with (such “buffets” are also different). But breakfast on Viking Line ships is truly top notch. Well, look... The world should know what I eat. So...

Sliced sausage…

Several types of cheeses (including expensive blue cheeses)…

Omelet and bacon...

Fruits and berries…

In a separate line, I’ll tell you about the large selection of fish, which, unfortunately, remained behind the scenes in this report. I think it’s not difficult to understand me here... At that moment I wanted more and more to sit down and eat, and less and less wanted to run around the hall with a camera and take pictures of something... That’s why there are no pictures of fish here. Aim sorry. Believe me, she was a real prima at this breakfast. Like Cristiano in Real or Hugh Lorre in the TV series House. 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. Dastish 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 your mouth water, I am also attaching here a print screen listing the dishes that are served as part of that same breakfast.

By the way, look at how many dishes on this menu are for show-offs. Gluten-free bread, lactose-free yogurt, rye crisp (what is that anyway?), crushed lingonberries, fitness cereal... In Shabany you would be beaten for saying such things. Ew... Sick perverts. Here, like a normal person, I ate bacon with salmon and snacked on meatballs. And they have rye crisp here... Although, seriously speaking, I would even live in this restaurant...

Just like this dude. I ate... I slept... I ate again... Until you leave the restaurant territory, you have unlimited food. If only it were like this in Euroopt.

Concluding the conversation about food, I will also write that as part of dinner, you can also pour unlimited wine and beer into yourself. But such a local “all inclusive” costs much more – usually around 30 euros. Take it or not - think for yourself.

On deck

I won’t write anything special here. I’ll just post a few photos here that will tell you about this trip much better than I can. There are tables in front overlooking the sea...