Visit to Helsinki versus More Time in Sweden?

Take the ferry to Helsinki, the scenery along the archipelago outside of Stockholm is stunning; it will be the highlight of your trip. There's lot of fun thing to do inside the ship as well. http://tinyurl.com/3n6mj27

I don't how long you have for Stockholm, but I second the recommendation to go to Helsinki. Even if it's just for the day and you return on the ferry that evening. You can see the highlights of central Helsinki in one day but the extra night would be more than enough. And the ferry itself (more like a cruise ship) is an amazing experience. The scenery is outstanding, the food great, and lots of fun things to do late into the night. Helsinki has a wonderful harbor to walk around. The Lutheran Cathedral is nice, also a Russian church. And the Church in the Rock is stunning. Have lunch in the old market hall at a food stall and sweet treat/coffee at the glass pavillion in the main park. Lots of significant architecture and a couple good museum too. PS - If you go avoid the weekend. It will be calmer on the boat during the week.

Go to Helsinki. It's a very interesting city, and quite a bit different than the rest of Scandanavia, due to the Russian influence. If your time is limited, you could do the overnight cruise over and the overnight cruise back. You can see the major sights in Helsinki in one day.

Thanks for your advice. We have decided to take the overnight cruise to Helsinki, spend an additional night in Helsinki, and then fly back to Copenhagen to catch our return flight to the US. I was amazed to find that we can fly from Helsinki to Copenhagen for only $63 (each).

Good plan and yet one more example of how economical Scandanavia can be.

I was very glad I did the side trip to Helsinki, as Rick suggests in his Scandinavia guidebook. Gives a taste of Helsinki (pretty and very pleasent city) and the views of the islands from the deck are beautiful. Fun time, on board, too. The smorgasboard dinner, the spa (several saunas, whirpools, steam, etc. and paid a bit extra to treat myself to a massage), the casino, the on-board bar/pub; all make for a fun evening. And it's not expensive at all. The lines (I took the Silja line) make most of their revenue from the duty free shops that Swedes frequent heavily), so that keeps the cabin and food prices down. I wouldn't, personally, take THAT much time away from Sweden for Helsinki, but the ferry excursion makes it so easy, enjoyable and fun, that I think makes it worth the time.

Everything these people are telling you about the cruise & the islands & how much you will enjoy visting Helsinki is true. BUT you would have a shorter cruise, stay among the islands the entire time and visit a much older and every iota as fascinating city if you cruised to Finland's original capitol city instead: go to Turku!
There is a huge castle right next to where the ships dock and it just keeps getting better. A Wonderful place & a beautiful old seaside city. http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.aspx?nodeid=8133&culture=en-US&contentlan=2 Helsinki is a bit off the beaten path for standard European travel, but LOTS of folks have been there. Maybe you will make it back there too, even on a business trip or stopover. Turku isn't on everyones' travelogue and all those folks have really missed out.

Thanks, Lawrence and Sam, for your advice. I looked at the website for Turku, and it is tempting to go there, visit, then take the train to Helsinki (an itinerary mentioned in Rick's book). Turku does sound interesting and off the beaten track. But we've decided that there just isn't enough time. Maybe we'll try for Turku in a later trip to Scandinavia.

same thing happened to me re: Turku. I remember reading about it and thinking it sounded cool, but just did not have the time. Fact is, even the overnight ferry trip to Helsinki was sort of spur of moment for me. My trip was mainly to Sweden (Stockholm, then island of Marstand, where my Swdish cousins have a vacation home) and then into Norway (Oslo, Norway in a Nutsell excursion, Bergen, then back to Oslo for return flight to NY). Turku remains on my "To Do" travel list!