Hello,
Two couples traveling together are taking either the Tallink Silja or Viking ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm in July.
Any thoughts on the differences between these two lines, which might be more appropriate for older adults. Or information on the choice of cabins? I know these can be rowdy and am wondering what cabin location might be quieter.
Thank you
Bernice
Avoid the C cabins which are below the car deck. I’d suggest an A cabin (with a window) or a B cabin (cheaper but no window). The cabins sleep up to 4 and you pay per cabin. They typically have two sets of bunks so for two older couples, I would recommend two cabins. You can sleep on the lower bunks and fold up the top bunks. The cabins are very small. You can pay more and get a nicer cabin, but I have never paid for anything better than an A cabin.
If you want a quieter time, then avoid traveling on Friday or Saturday night. However, typically the noise is in the area of the bars. Usually the cabin area is reasonably quiet.
I have taken both Silja and Viking, but my last trip was on Viking 10 years ago. I go with whichever one has the better price. I ’d also suggest making a reservation for one of the restaurants. Personally, I am not a fan of the buffet meal but some people like it for the opportunity to try a variety of Nordic dishes.
Thanks so much, Laura. This is helpful.
Don't stress too much about whether you should book with Viking or Silja, they are both good and while there certainly are differences between them I can't say that one is better than the other. In the end it is about personal preference.
Avoiding the C-cabins is a good idea, the "party crowd" tend to choose the cheapest cabins so there might be some loud drunk people in the corridors late at night. But a B-cabin or better is fine. The standard cabins have four beds as described and are not large, usually around 10 m2. But there are other options as well, including larger cabins with double beds as well as larger suites. Having a window is nice, but there are also plenty of windows on the ship as well as a sun deck so there are many opportunities to see the views.
But I'm not sure avoiding the weekend is important in July, the party crowds are more spread out in the summer in my experience. But they are also pretty easy to avoid, the ships are large.
Prebooking some food can be a good idea, no matter what option you choose. And it can save you a bit of money as well compared to paying onboard. If you don't feel like the buffet there are many other options on all ships, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, pubs and cafés.
Thanks for your comments. Our schedule does mean it'll be a weekend, but knowing a bit more about the cabin choices is helpful and makes sense. I've never traveled on a "cruise" type ship before.
Bernice
The ships on the Baltic sea are usually called cruise ferries since they combine the aspects of cruise ships and ferries. There are several online reviews about them if you want to know more.
The two lines use different terminals in Stockholm and Helsinki, though they're not far apart in Helsinki. Depending on where you're staying, one or the other of the Stockholm locations might be more convenient for you. You can go to Google Maps and look for "Stockholm Viking Terminal" and "Stockholm Tallink Terminal".
Viking line uses Stadsgårdskajen in Stockholm while Silja line uses Värtahamnen. It depends a bit on where exactly you are going, but Stadsgårdskajen is a bit more central.
