Stockholm to Helsinki

A few years back (2019) Friend and I took the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki. Left Stockholm late afternoon, about 4:00 PM. Arrived in Helsinki mid morning the next day, about 10:00 AM. Friend and I were on the Silva ship. We had a small cabin. Nothing luxurious but adequate, comfortable. Private bath with a shower. Numerous restaurants on board, in addition to the buffet. Most people went to the buffet for dinner. Looked good, but crowded. Friend and I opted for one of the nicer restaurants - there are several. We chose the Italian restaurant. . Food and ambiance were very nice. Quiet compared with the buffet room. Reservations were advised. A good choice, we agreed. Also, shops and casino on the board. Like you, we aren’t into loud partying. Even though the ship had some of that, it was easily avoided. The upper deck tended to be quiet - mostly people simply enjoying the beauty we passed. Small bar offering drinks. The party people, I guess, stayed down below deck.

The sail from Stockholm takes you through the archipelago. Absolutely stunning. The islands are beautiful. Passing ships. Sunset. Except for dinner, we seldom left the top deck the scenery wasn’t to be missed. I arose early and had morning coffee on the upper deck as dawn was breaking.

While I cannot compare the Silja and the Viking ships, or the cost difference, I cannot say anything but good about the Silja. I would have no reservation recommending it.

Thanks so much for your response, Jim - sounds like it's very much worthwhile! I would appreciate other perspectives as well.

Checked my pictures - we were on the Silja Serenade.

I would definitely choose the overnight ferry over the flight.

I’ve taken both Viking and Silja multiple times over the years, although my last trip was 10 years ago. The Silja ships have a slightly more impressive interior design with a central promenade. Otherwise, the services are comparable.

I’d recommend avoiding the C cabins which are below the car deck. I have only traveled in A (window) or B cabins (interior) and have always slept fine. The A and B cabins are quite basic with fold down beds and a very small bathroom. There are larger, more expensive cabins. I generally just go with whichever company has the better deal; my last trip was on Viking.

I prefer the restaurants over the buffet. Some people like the buffet because it is an opportunity to taste a variety of Nordic specialties like herring and gravlax. I think the quality of the food in the restaurants is better. I’d recommend making a reservation.

In Stockholm, Viking docks at the Stadsgården port which is more central than the port that Silja uses, but I would not use that as criteria to decide which line. They both can be reached by public transit.

I've taken the overnight Viking ferry from Stockholm to Turku (not Helsinki) twice, and it was fine. Be warned, though, that the cost may rise rather steeply as the sailing date approaches, and the least expensive cabins can sell out, pushing you into a higher category than you want.

There are daily flights between Berlin and Stockholm in the summer, although not always that frequent. In addition there are two overnight trains between Berlin and Stockholm so there are other options.

Both Viking and Silja are good options across the Baltic sea, they are a bit different but I can't say that one is better than the other. You will usually find a bit of party atmosphere on both of them, but it's usually limited to the night club(s). The ships are huge and it's easy to get away from that if you want. And the view of the archipelago as you leave Stockholm is great.

Follow up questions: Is there any benefit to taking the cruise round trip other than enjoying more time on board? In other words, do you see anything new or extra by doing the round trip? If we do round trip Helsinki to Stockholm, is that single day in Stockholm enough to do it justice? We would rather spend more time in Stockholm, but our air fares from Berlin are about half if we fly into Helsinki instead of Stockholm. Also, our return to the US is from Helsinki. Someone had suggested taking the night train from Berlin to Stockholm, but from what I can tell online it will not be running on our dates. So, do we bite the bullet and pay more to fly into Stockholm, stay 2 nights, and take the one way cruise to Helsinki? Or, we we fly to Helsinki and do the round trip cruise for 2 nights? Also, if we also want to do a day trip to Tallin, do either of the ferry cruise lines offer a combination offering? Thanks for any advice!

Stockholm is a spread-out city, being located on a bunch of islands. To me, a one-day visit would be excruciating. You have so little total time available that you really cannot give adequate time to all the places you've mentioned. Overnight ferries are great for preserving daylight hours for sightseeing, but if you end up with just one day in a city like Stockholm...

Given that Berlin is even larger and arguably more sight-rich than Stockholm, I wouldn't try to squeeze both Stockholm and Tallinn into this trip. The most I'd attempt would be Berlin, Helsinki and Tallinn. Although I liked Helsinki a lot for its art museums and Art Nouveau architecture, most people are more wowed by Tallinn.

Looks like we'll be going on the Silja Serenade from Stockholm to Helsinki. I want to book a restaurant for dinner per some of the suggestions here, but is there a particular recommendation? I was thinking of dinner at Bon Vivant. Also, is worth spending the extra 5.50 euros to upgrade from regular breakfast to the special breakfast? Since they are both buffets, is there any real difference? Or, it it about being in a nicer, less crowded space for the special breakfast? Also, is it recommended to book their bus transfer in Stockholm for 9 euros each, and is there any point in buying Ship Money? I know this is very specific, but this will help me complete the booking online.

Stockholm is a spread-out city, being located on a bunch of islands. To me, a one-day visit would be excruciating.

Much as I generally dislike the "X days in City isn't enough" narrative, this hits the nail on the head. Stockholm feels less like a single big city than a collection of towns separated by water, each with a distinct personality. We love the place.

What are you trying to achieve? Have you just booked a trip to and from two random cities and is trying to find something to do with the time available, or is there any particular reason you've chosen this trip?

If we do round trip Helsinki to Stockholm, is that single day in
Stockholm enough to do it justice?

No, nowhere near enough.

Someone had suggested taking the night train from Berlin to Stockholm,
but from what I can tell online it will not be running on our dates.

Where are you looking? There are two daily overnight trains from Berlin to Stockholm in the summer.

I want to book a restaurant for dinner per some of the suggestions
here, but is there a particular recommendation? I was thinking of
dinner at Bon Vivant.

It all depends on what kind of dinner you prefer. While I don't think they will win any Michelin stars, I don't think there are any bad options.

Also, is worth spending the extra 5.50 euros to upgrade from regular
breakfast to the special breakfast?

Depends very much on what you're looking for. In my opinion not really, but others might have different opinions.

Also, is it recommended to book their bus transfer in Stockholm for 9
euros each

Depends on many factors. It's not hard to get to the ship by metro, but Silja's buses are not a bad option either.