Baltic Cruises Part I: Hopping On
If you've had your fill of Stockholm, and want to see another Baltic city for cheap, consider going by boat. An overnight cabin costs less than a hotel, free entertainment abounds, and if you've been largely dry on your trip to tax-wringing Scandinavia, note that all alcohol on board these ships is tax-free. Sound like a win-win prospect? Read on.
The liners, often called Finlandsbåt or Stockholmsbåt, depending on where they're headed, are not your typical cruise. Because most of the money is made from the bars and shopping on board, tickets are inexpensive (starting at around 20 Euros for travel, 50 Euros with a cabin, slightly more with a dinner or breakfast buffet). And because tickets are inexpensive, the crowds are diverse: from teenagers packing the disco on one deck to seniors fox-trotting on the next; from gourmands eating in restaurants to gamblers playing blackjack.
The two most popular lines are Viking and Tallink-Silja, so check out their sites and book online. Then head over to the Södermalm port and hop on!
Fact: The Baltic cruises carry a melting pot of local ethnic groups, so it is not uncommon to see Swedes, Finns, Russians, Estonians and gypsies sitting at the same bar.
Urban legend: There are two feuding clans of Finnish gypsies living in Stockholm. Every so often, they need to go home to Finland. To avoid troublesome run-ins with their rivals, they struck a deal: one clan goes by Viking Line, the other by Silja.
Stay tuned, future posts will go into detail about shopping and entertainment on board.
