The Famous Finnish Baltic Booze Cruises Helsinki To Stockholm

This is not your romantic cruise! But a beer-soaked “The Love Boat” episode ala Viking style version with hard liquor and long parties.

We decided one weekend to celebrate family birthdays on the ferry trip from Helsinki-Åland-Stockholm. Two good, highly competitive lines, Viking Line and Tallink Silja, the Tallink Silja Viking Line connects Sweden’s capital with Finlands.

Traveling via Tallink Silja

We took the Silja Line Promenade for 1–4 persons plus breakfast and grande buffets for each person during the trip. The promenade room is located in the middle and offers a view of the boat’s hallway.

In my honest opinion, Tallink Silja is more upscale and Viking Line is the less expensive one but also a popular one. The Helsinki to Stockholm cruise or vice-versa has a 2-nights and 3-day cruise and is one of the popular ferry trips.

For Finnish people, having a ferry ride from Helsinki to Stockholm is just as common as having a train ride between cities. One of the most popular routes between Sweden and Finland is the Stockholm-Helsinki ferry.

Our ship, Silja Serenade, leaves from Eteläsatama, s just outside of Helsinki’s best-known market square, so getting there is (and has always been) really easy.

The rooms beside ours and across ours were already filled immediately, the cruise line seemed to be fully booked on this trip. The cruises have recently re-opened after the bat virus began.

Booze Cruise

On our first night, the party officially began. People started to crowd the Tax-free shops and bought tons of beers, literally.

I was incredibly impressed by how much people could buy at the start of the evening. That’s the most Finnish thing I’ve ever seen for the first time.

People coming to this boat are not your typical tourists, but they came here for the tax-free booze. And that's how I first learned about the booze cruise culture of Finland.

Other stories I heard, are people traveling to Tallinn, not for the cultural sites but to buy Finnish beers which are prized lower and brought back to Finland.

A Booze Cruise is a colloquial term for a brief trip to international waters to buy tax-free alcohol and tobacco and to party.

The Stockholm ferry cruise means shopping without paying any taxes, and others hop aboard just to drink a few nights out with their friends. Overnight deluxe ferries, full of saunas, buffets, and tax-free shopping, ply nightly between Stockholm and Helsinki.

EU’s most expensive country for alcohol

Getting drunk may be pricey, especially if you live in Finland. That is why, for many years, Finns have looked south to the Baltics in search of cheaper alcohol.

Alcohol in Finland costs approximately 80% of the EU average.

The dark and long winters in Finland created alcohol drinking habits. As a result, Nordic countries tend to regard alcohol consumption as a public health issue, enforcing tough alcohol prohibitions.

The sale of alcohol in Finland is monopolized by state-owned Alko. In Finland, the state-owned monopoly is called ALKO, which was founded in 1932. Alko is tasked with the retail sale of beverages containing more than 4.7 % alcohol by volume.

Back to our cruise trip

As the night fades away, we watched people get drunk and sober up, then drink again. Funny, but true! We talked about people getting passed out, more stories about this booze cruise, and of people's crazy booze haul.

People also partied in their own rooms, banging and music played until the wee hours of the morning, nights were sleepless so do not expect that you will get a good night's sleep on this trip.

Stockholm

On the second day, we reached Stockholm. We had four hours to explore the city. We took a bus ride from the port, which was affordable and brought us to the city center and back in around 8 minutes.

It was in the middle of November, and the streets are very much alive, people walking the streets as it seems that the bat-virus thingy did not happen at all, everything was already back to normal.

The city vibe already felt like Christmas, streets were decorated with lights, Christmas shopping, and kids ice skating in the Kungsträdgården (King’s Gardens ice skating ring).

We walked the Stockholm Old Town (Gamla Stan). Just upon entering, we spotted The Royal Guards marching accompanied by a band. It was a special event for me as I have never seen one before.

The street packed with cafés, restaurants, tourist shops, studios, galleries, and museums was full of hustle and bustle, people were marching up the narrow old streets and few taxis made through.

Thoughts

This is generally a cheaper way of seeing the capitals of the Baltics region since you will receive your accommodations included with the ferry ticket.

It is a perfect way to enjoy a good day at sea, enjoy a bit of Duty-Free Shopping and enjoy a nice meal. The booze cruise, despite its fame among beer and party lovers, is a great trip to be experienced.

Europe’s most leisurely sailing, the one between Stockholm and Helsinki, features dramatic views of the archipelago, the setting sun, and dinner served up in the regal style of the buffet.

One day is definitely not enough time in Stockholm. Stockholm is something I'm looking forward to visiting again, to enjoy the picturesque view of Stockholm’s streets and get a feel for this vibrant city.

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