CRUISING – STOCKHOLM TO HELSINKI on  SILJA SERENADE

After spending four nights in Stockholm in a room with no windows, it was an extra special treat to have a WINDOW on my first-ever CRUISE! Given, it was only a one-night cruise, it gave me a great taste of cruise travel.

We chose to travel with Tallink Silja Line on their Silja Serenade from Stockholm to Helsinki which is a 16-hour overnight cruise. Tallink Grupp is the leading European provider of leisure and business travel and sea transportation services in the Baltic Sea region.

There were parts I loved and other parts I didn’t love so much. Cruise travel is great because it perfectly combines comfort with travel. You have the luxury and freedom to get up, move around, relax and enjoy your holiday with lots of live music, good food and entertainment while literally being on the move. The scenery is constantly changing outside the window and you get to be excited about your next destination. I loved seeing the waterside of Scandinavia which reminded me a LOT of taking the ferry to Vancouver Island from Vancouver in B.C. Canada where I grew up.

Having never cruised before, it never crossed my mind that there wouldn’t be any opening windows. Everything is sealed shut, obviously so the whole ship doesn’t get soaked and soggy!

There were parts of the ship that seemed quite stuffy and even a bit musty. When I saw a dog get into an elevator, I realized why some parts of the ship smell the way they do. The recycled air makes me feel like I’m on an airplane (not fond of flying!) and gave me a bit of a headache, luckily you can get fresh air up on the deck!

Perhaps cruising won’t be my main mode of travel, BUT I did really enjoy the concept and would definitely give it another shot. I am crazy about the idea of hopping from place to place without having to pack and unpack constantly.

For those travelling with kids, they have live entertainment, kid play areas and even Harry the Seal walking around happily taking photos. Those without kids can hit the casino and later live entertainment. Apparently it can turn into quite the party boat. No need to pack a lunch as there are plenty of food options on-board. There are buffet and à la carte menus. Something for all budgets, seasonal themes and fine dining options for people searching for culinary experiences.

The sunset over the vast waters was stunning, even the staff went out to take pictures of the sky in flames.

I left the curtains open and woke several times in the night just to look out the window. It was really cool to have almost 24/hr light.

I never saw it fully dark as the sun sets around 11:00 and rises again at 3.45.

CRUISING – HELSINKI TO TALLINN with TALLINK SUPERSTAR

After spending a fantastic few days with #TRLT member Mia from @touchse in Finland, Mom and I took the Tallink’s SUPERSTAR cruise ship from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia.

We were both thrilled to be headed towards a new country. Estonia would be my 105th country, and Mom’s 111th. This journey was just two hours, much shorter than our last with Tallink Silja Line. We were spoiled with luxury BUSINESS CLASS for the short journey and loved every moment. We got our special passes and were among the first vehicles to board the ship. Before the rest of the passengers were even loaded, Mom and I were already in the business lounge sipping wine, cappuccinos and devouring delicious food. The salmon was superb!

I actually wished this cruise was LONGER because we enjoyed it so much. Riding business class costs just an extra 30 Euros and is well worth it when you consider the comfortable lounge, express boarding and off boarding, and the quality and quantity of food available.

Time on the Tallink SUPERSTAR flies by with a lively kids area, several restaurants, lounge areas, an arcade, posh duty free shopping, and even live entertainment!

If you’re planning your Scandinavia/Baltics cruises, you can book your Tallink Silja Line cruise here and find them on facebook.

Savannah

This cruise was made in cooperation with Tallink Silja