This ferry between Sweden and Latvia is apparently mostly for commercial traffic. When I look at the website for it, the only options available are a deck chair or a shared cabin. A photo of the vessel seems to show very little, if any, outdoor public space. Anyone have experience taking this trip? I’d be very interested in a brief review. It usually goes once during the day and once overnight, about 9 hours duration. I’ve already read about the fire they had onboard a few years ago. TIA!
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6969 posts
Where are you looking? The options are a seat, a shared cabin or a private cabin. I've never taken the route myself, but from what I can tell there is enough outdoor public space. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ngvDvuirIk
Posted by
Lake District, England
7831 posts
I know those ferries- the Stena Baltica and the Stena Scandica. Until the new route ferries arrived there were the former ro-pax Norse Merchant ferries on the Liverpool to Belfast route.
They absolutely have plenty of deck space and were nice ferries over here. While their replacements were a step change upwards in terms of being cruise ferries the Stena product is quite standard across Europe. They are nice ships, as long as you aren't expecting the Queen Mary or Tallink/Silja or Viking to Finland (those two lines are very much cruise ferries). The funny thing is the new Belfast ferries are much more Scandinavian than this pair unless the refit gave them more Swedish internal fittings.
Unless the private cabins are sold out on your travel dates I have just made a trial booking in August- you can choose to share or you can have a 2 or 4 berth cabin for sole use.
Deck chairs gives the wrong impression to me, these reclining seats are in an inside lounge which is a separate room sectioned off from the rest of the ship. Perfectly adequate for a 9 hour voyage if that is all your budget can stretch to.
Yes they were built mainly for freight use, and that is probably the big traffic to Latvia. However that does not mean that they are freighters. Their passenger accommodation is good and quite stylish. Most Stena ships have a separate area for the freight drivers (with cheaper food, but also an area they can relax in).
I would not hesitate personally to travel on this route on these vessels.
Even cruise ships have fires (there have been a few this year)- that was a minor fire which was brought quickly under control.
Posted by
OP
Paris
43 posts
Thank you, Badger. I had been looking on ferryhopper.com, which shows only shared cabins. I realize now that’s not the best site to use. That video was interesting; thanks.
Posted by
OP
Paris
43 posts
Thank you, isn31c. Your comprehensive reply was just what I needed! I will take this route on the Stena “Sciatica" some time next summer. Seems to me to be a good way to do a multi-city itinerary, Helsinki->Tallinn->Riga->Vilnius->Klaipeda-> Ventspils->Stockholm using ferry/bus/train transit. After Stockholm, maybe we’ll head over to Cumbria and the Lake District. Thanks!
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6969 posts
Avoid Ferryhopper, Directferries and other third parties. Always go direct to the company that actually operates the route, which in this case is https://www.stenalinetravel.com
Posted by
Lake District, England
7831 posts
A very interesting sounding itinerary. I know the Lux Express bus is the "best" transport from Tallinn to Riga, but there is now also the train.
I was just looking and I see there is actually a bus from Klaipeda to Ventspils, a useful cross border link.
DFDS also run a ferry from Klaipeda to Karlshamn, Sweden as well for trains to Stockholm, Gothenburg and Copenhagen. Two ro-pax ships on that route- the 2 year old Luna Seaways and the 14 year old Regina Seaways on alternate nights.
https://www.dfds.com/en/passenger-ferries/onboard/klaipeda-karlshamn/ship-overview
The Luna Seaways is all cabin accommodation- no seats like on most other overnight ships.
Karlshamn is a lot further south in Sweden.