Finland (Helsinki)
Trip Summary
When my husband and I (and his family) took a summer 11-day Scandinavia and Russia cruise on the Regal Princess, Helsinki was the third stop on the tour. It was immediately after a two-day stay in St. Petersburg, Russia, so my husband and I decided to take it easy at this port and not book an excursion.
Instead, we decided to take the ferry to Suomenlinna. I wanted to do something different than the sightseeing we had done in the last few days, and exploring an island with an abandoned fortress on our own time seemed ideal.
After wandering around Helsinki for a bit, we stopped at Market Square where we would catch the ferry. Buying the ferry tickets was easy, too, and you could get a day pass to hop among the islands (Vallisaari, Suomenlinna, and Lonna) from a little ticket booth near the pick-up area. The water taxi had areas that were enclosed as well as a seating area where you could enjoy the sun, but this day was cold and rainy, so we elected to stay inside and watch the shoreline pass by from the window. It’s a good thing we did, too, because we met the ferry operator who was very nice and offered to teach us some Finnish on the short ride to Suomenlinna. By the time we got to the island, we had already gone through several basic phrases, and as we disembarked, the ferry operator bid us farewell, but only for a short time as she would quiz us on our Finnish on the way back!
Suomenlinna is a fun island to explore, and we really had it all to ourselves. The fortress is full of walls, towers, and tunnels, and we enjoyed walking the grounds, taking pictures, and hunkering under shelter wherever we could to avoid the rain.
The most fun places to explore were the tunnels, and although they were flooded because of the rain, we still ventured inside, walking farther and farther in until it became too dark to see. Using our phone’s light, we kept going and found all sorts of rooms and crevices hidden away in the dark (and the pitch-blackness of it lent a new sort of creepiness to exploring an abandoned fortress)!
On the other side of the fortress was a place where you could climb back out and explore the outside again, so we did that and took more pictures before heading back to the ferry station.
Our next stop was Lonna, and while it is a much smaller island, it was still a nice place to walk around. We came across a lot of wild geese, and my husband, ever the animal whisperer, thought he would attempt to befriend these geese. Needless to say, it didn’t go well! They even hissed as we got close, so we quickly booked it out of there!
On the island is a small restaurant, too, so we walked in and got some hot drinks to warm up from the cold and get out of the rain. The staff was friendly, and the place had a lot of room to sit and enjoy the scenery from the windows. It was nice to relax and enjoy a slower-paced day after the rush of the busy cruise itinerary so far.
Before long, it was time to head back to the ferry station, so we gathered our things and waited for the boat to take us back to Helsinki. Soon enough, the boat was on the horizon, and the ferry operator was there and ready to see how much Finnish we retained from that morning! We had been practicing while walking around Suomenlinna and Lonna, so we were ready and passed with flying colors! Of course, we were just given smaller phrases to remember, and then she started talking to us in complete Finnish, giving us longer phrases to work on for “next time.”
It was nice making a friend on the water taxi, and when we disembarked in Helsinki, we bid her goodbye in Finnish. And many thanks! Paljon kiitoksia!
For the ease in getting ferry tickets, the low cost for a day pass to see all the islands, and the very friendly ferry guide who even taught us Finnish, Helsinki’s water ferry gets a high score!
JT-Line Helsinki Water Ferry: A
When we returned to Helsinki, we had a little bit of time before we had to be back on our ship, so we walked along Market Square and explored the tents that were set up with various trinkets for sale along with native dishes. Using our very limited Finnish, we bought what we could only understand as a “fish thing” and a “potato thing,” but both were good, so if you are feeling adventurous and want to try the native food, it is savory!
Favorite Experiences
The entire day was nice, but I think my favorite part of it was exploring the tunnels of Suomenlinna. Without being able to see much or know if the tunnels let out anywhere, it was cool to explore the fortress and all it had underground. Having basically the entire island to ourselves made the day relaxing, too, as we could explore at our own pace and take pictures and do whatever we wanted without a schedule.
What I Wish I Knew
There isn’t much I would do differently, but I didn’t realize how cold and rainy a lot of the Baltic countries would be, even in the early summer. Estonia and Russia were cold, and so was Finland, so definitely bring a rain-proof jacket when you visit! I think I would have also brought better shoes to hike around in–I had only brought some walking shoes and ended up sliding around a bit. If the weather is cold and rainy, perhaps bring hiking shoes that can get wet and that have a grippy tread.
I also wish I learned a few phrases of the language of each country we visited. Finnish is a very different language with lots of unique sounds, so it was hard to learn the little bit we did on the ferry, but it was still fun, and I am glad that the ferry operator was patient with us! If you think you want to learn a few simple phrases, this site is pretty helpful in that it provides the written and spoken form of each phrase.
There is a lot to do in Helsinki, so if you think you will visit, there is a helpful forum here and information about the port here. It is a fun city with great people, so if you can, pay a visit!
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
TikTok: @touristyteacher
Instagram: @touristyteacher
Facebook: @touristyteacher
Happy travels!
