Helsinki with six ships in port

Some background:

We'll be on a cruise that will make a port call in Helsinki along with five other ships. I don't know all of the ships, but I'm guessing that three of the ships are in the small to medium-small category (Silver Cloud, Nautica, and Azores). Three of the ships are at least large size (Costa Luminosa, Serenade of the Seas, and Eurodam). I don't know if any ship in the large category is actually a super-large capacity.

Our ship won't arrive until 11:00 AM. We depart at 6:00 PM. Definitely not a long port call!

Out of curiosity, I checked on the arrival time of two of the larger ships and learned the Serenade of the Seas also arrives at 11:00 AM. The Eurodam arrives at 8:00 AM.

So here's my question: What sites should we plan on seeing during our relatively short port call considering our late arrival and many other arriving cruisers? Is there a recommended order for seeing these sites?

Thanks.

Does your cruiseline offer a shuttle directly to Market Square? If it isn't too expensive, that would put you in a good location to visit many of the historic sites in Helsinki (the 2/3 tram which stops in Market Square can take you to most of the more distant sites). In Helsinki, it is a little bit more challenging getting to the city center via public transportation than in the other cities (still possible, but not as easy, and we took a cab).

I'd defer to someone who is more of an expert, but my assumption would be that you would be much worse off if there were a lot of ships in Stockholm at the same time (the Vasa gets very crowded), or in Tallinn since everyone is in a relatively small historic area and it is harder to appreciate the town's medieval beauty when it is really crowded, or in St. Petersburg if one of your days there is a Monday, since the Hermitage will be closed and it will be really crowded on the other day.

Our ship (Norwegian Star) got in early and departed earlier than 6, so hopefully you will have some time in the late afternoon in which there are many fewer boats in port. The ferries will run back and forth to Suomenlinna past your boat's departure time, and according to the visit helsinki site the Temppeliaukio rock church is open until 17:00 and sometimes 17:45 so those might be options later in the afternoon to avoid crowds.

My assumption would be that you would be much worse off if there were a lot of ships in Stockholm at the same time (the Vasa gets very crowded), or in Tallinn since everyone is in a relatively small historic area and it is harder to appreciate the town's medieval beauty when it is really crowded.

That's correct. The tourists will be more spread out in Helsinki with no specific place that is "a must" like "Vasa" in Stockholm that creates long queues. The ferry to the fortress might be a problem on sunny summer days but I think in this case there is no time for visiting the fortress anyway. Also the rock church might be crowdy now and then but should rather be a bit inconvenient than a major problem. I do recommend a shuttle bus to and from the ship to downtown if you are on one of the larger ships.

A lot of great info has already been said, but I will try to add some more.

Six ships in port is in general not a problem. Helsinki, like other ports on a Baltic cruise, is a fairly large city. That means that the city will not feel crowded because of the cruise ships visiting, but certain attractions could be pretty packed. One thing to note is that Hop-on Hop-off busses have a route that serves all the berths so they are pretty directly affected by the total amount of visiting cruise ship passengers whereas public transport and ship’s shuttles are not.

None of these ships is huge. Serenade of the Seas is the largest with about 2500 passengers. The other extreme is the Silver Cloud with less than 300. In total the maximum capacity of those six ships is about 8500. The Port of Helsinki has not yet published the berth schedules for summer 2015 so the assigned berths are not yet known. This year that information was published in mid-January. However due to size limitations it can be fairly well said that the three large ones will be in West Harbor. Two likely on the Hernesaari side (LHB and LHC) and one on the Jätkäsaari side (LMA). The three smaller ones are likely in South Harbor. Of course there is still space for at least one more large ship in West Harbor and a couple of small ones in the South Harbor. Public transport may be crowded if you have two ships at LHB and LHC arriving/leaving at the same time and a significant proportion of DIY passengers as the area is served by a single bus line currently at 10 minute intervals. If your ships is on LMA you might experience crowded trams returning to the ship as there is a daily 6.30pm cruise ferry departure from the West Terminal.

I would also suggest reading the few newest pages of the Helsinki thread (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1606720) for examples of the sites and order in which people have visited them.

Were you able to figure out where your ship dicks? If so, how did you find out?

I used this site, but I only booked my cruise a month in advance so it was immediately available. I don't think they have posted the schedule for next summer yet. We were at Hernesaari, which isn't particularly close to Market Square. South Harbor has room for 3 ships, and is in the city center. The West Harbor houses larger ships, and is either a 10 or 15 minute taxi ride away.

http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/passengers/expected_cruise_ships

Thanks!

Were you able to figure out where your ship dicks? If so, how did you find out?

When you asked back in November, the summer schedule wasn't loaded into the Port of Helsinki web site. It is loaded now.

You can use Kitkat43's link from an earlier post or simply do a Google search on Port of Helsinki.

That's correct. The tourists will be more spread out in Helsinki with no specific place that is "a must" like "Vasa" in Stockholm that creates long queues... Also the rock church might be crowdy now and then but should rather be a bit inconvenient than a major problem. I do recommend a shuttle bus to and from the ship to downtown if you are on one of the larger ships.

We're doing to be docking on the east side of Katajanokka Quay (EKL).

Looking at the map in the link below, it appears that the Russian Orthodox Church is at/close to the end of the Quay. The Lutheran Cathedral is only a short distance away on the north side of Senate Square. Can you give me an estimate of the walking distances involved?

How far away is the train station from the Lutheran Cathedral?

I'm a huge fan of Finnish design. (If you'll permit a brief walk down memory lane: When we were first married, our first set of dinnerware was Ruska by Arabia and the typical way to inexpensively decorate our apartments was to stretch a piece of Marimekko fabric like a painting and hang it on the walls.) I know there's a Marimekko store on the Esplanade. Again, using the map I've linked there are some numbers along the parallel road, the Pohjoisesplanadi. Do those numbers refer to stores? something else? If they're store numbers, which one is the Marimekko store? Any other stores featuring Finnish design?

Finally, how far away is the Rock Church? How could we go there if there's time?

Thanks in advance.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=helsinki+center+map&view=detailv2&&&id=919B4933C5FCB2695FBB54AFCC44CE8757B34407&selectedIndex=25&ccid=YIr%2f08Wm&simid=608047325298884672&thid=HN.608047325298884672&ajaxhist=0

Thank you. I did figure it out, and now am trying to decide between walking into town or taking the #9(I think that is it). We are fine with walking but want to be sure we know the route. If it us raining, we will need a plan B.

We're doing to be docking on the east side of Katajanokka Quay (EKL).

Thats an ideal position! You will be able to see the Market Square from the ship.

Looking at the map in the link below, it appears that the Russian Orthodox Church is at/close to the end of the Quay. The Lutheran Cathedral is only a short distance away on the north side of Senate Square. Can you give me an estimate of the walking distances involved

Yes, the Orthodox Church would be very close, some 400m (a quarter of a mile) away with the Lutheran Cathedral a further 600m (0.4 miles) away ( a bit longer if you go through the Market Square).

The Orthodox Church is on the top of the hill and the fastest way down is along a winding path with a lot of steps but for those who don't like that there as a longer alternative route through the park.

How far away is the train station from the Lutheran Cathedral?

600m (0.4 miles)

Again, using the map I've linked there are some numbers along the parallel road, the Pohjoisesplanadi. Do those numbers refer to stores? something else? If they're store numbers, which one is the Marimekko store? Any other stores featuring Finnish design?

I think they refer to stores and Marimekko might be #3 on that map. Anyway, the address is Pohjoisesplanadi 33. And yes, there are several design store on the Pohjoisesplanadi (Northen Esplanade) including Iittala glass on Pohjoisesplanadi 25 (might be #9 on your map).

Finally, how far away is the Rock Church? How could we go there if there's time?

Depends on from where you start. 2.4 km (1.5 miles) from the ship, 1.4 km (0,9 miles) from Marimekko or 1 km (0.6 miles) from the railway station. You can either take tram 2 (exit at stop "Kauppakorkeakoulut") or walk through the town center. (Esplanade-Mannerheim Road-Arcadia Street-Fredrik Street). Or perhaps walk and then take the tram back to the Market.

Thats an ideal position! You will be able to see the Market Square from the ship... Or perhaps walk and then take the tram back to the Market.

Thanks for this wonderful information!

Within the area from the Russian Orthodox Church to the Esplanade, can you recommend a place for lunch? Traditional cuisine? Innovative cuisine? Although I'll pass on gjetost and lutefisk -- I think those are Norwegian -- my husband and I are adventuresome eaters.

Thanks for this wonderful information!

 

Within the area from the Russian Orthodox Church to the Esplanade, can you recommend a place for lunch?

A salmon soup at the Market Square perhaps??

Where is a quite nice video that might give you a feeling for the area:

Hi Ultima Thule, I would appreciate your help with this if you can and thank you so much for all your help on this topic. We arrive in Helsinki on July 19 on Celebrity Eclipse and I can see we dock at Western Harbour, but can't find out at which number dock1-4, can you help please?? If so can you tell us the buses/ trams that are most convenient to get to Market Square so we can visit Soumenllina . Many many thanks, David and Wendy

We arrive in Helsinki on July 19 on Celebrity Eclipse and I can see we dock at Western Harbour, but can't find out at which number dock1-4, can you help please?? If so can you tell us the buses/ trams that are most convenient to get to Market Square so we can visit Suomenlinna.

Its quay LMA i.e #4 on this map:

http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/passengers/international_cruise

No public transport buses from there I'm afraid. Tram #9 starts a bit away (about 0.4 miles) and will take you to the railway station. Either walk from there (2/3 of a mile) or change to tram #2, going in the same direction, to the Market Square.

Or then take a shuttle bus to the city center. Don't know exactly where the bus will stop this year but it should be about half a mile walk along the Esplanade park to the Market from the bus stop,

My family and friends are arriving in Helsinki on the Eurodam on July 13th, as well as at a number of other ports (Kiel, Stockholm, Rostock, Copenhagen) which we plan on exploring on our own. I have seen mention of cruise ships' shuttle service on a number of occasions, but have never been able to find out specifics, i.e. which of the ports are serviced by a ship's shuttle and what the cost is. From my research it seems that in Helsinki, in particular, it is quite easy and economical to use public transportation. But I see from the post above that Tram #9 is quite far from our LMA berth in the West Harbour. So, I would appreciate any advice from others who have done any of the Baltic ports on their own and if they have used their cruise ship's shuttle to transport them into town, and what the cost was. Thank you.

It depends on your cruise line. Ours (Norwegian) did not offer any shuttles last year. We checked with the shore excursion desk, and they confirmed that this is not a service they offer. If you tell us which line you are sailing, others may be able to confirm if shuttles to the city center is a service they are offering or have offered in the past. The shuttle might be listed under shore excursions you can purchase ahead of time.

We docked very close to the main cities or public transportation everywhere except for Helsinki. In Helsinki we took a cab to Market Square, and the HOHO buses also stopped there (which you don't really need since a taxi to/from port and public transportation is cheaper). Once we got to Market Square, public transportation was very good to all the main tourist sites (we purchased an all day pass and took the #2 tram around a loop to see all the sites).

Thank you for your quick response. We are on the Eurodam (Holland America Line). I did check their shore excursions, but none mentioned anything about a shuttle. So, perhaps they do not offer this service. I just wondered because I had seen mention of a shuttle on several Cruise Critic posts. We don't plan to take the ship's excursions and were looking for more reasonable priced options. We did book a group tour in St. Petersburg with one of the licenced operators there that have been recommended on some Cruise Critic posts.

It might be hard to get an answer in the bottom of this thread; you might want to start a new thread either in the Baltic forum and/or on the HAL board to ask people who have completed the HAL Baltic cruise if their ships offered shuttles into town. Good luck and have a great cruise!

Does your cruiseline offer a shuttle directly to Market Square? If it isn't too expensive, that would put you in a good location to visit many of the historic sites in Helsinki (the 2/3 tram which stops in Market Square can take you to most of the more distant sites). In Helsinki, it is a little bit more challenging getting to the city center via public transportation than in the other cities (still possible, but not as easy, and we took a cab).

 

 

HI

Can I ask how much was the cab charge into the Market Square ?

 

Thanks

HI

Can I ask how much was the cab charge into the Market Square ?

 

Thanks

Hi Ultima Thule, we are on the Celebrity Silhouette docking at the LMA quay at 10 am on May 30. Celebrity had a shuttle into town last year but can't find any info for this year. My questions are as follows:

- is there a local shuttle service from the docks to the Market Square?

- can I have the contacts for a taxi service into town, how much would this cost?

Once in town we plan on getting a day pass for the tram/bus. Thanks in advance for all your help:)

- is there a local shuttle service from the docks to the Market Square?

- can I have the contacts for a taxi service into town, how much would this cost?

I cannot give any guarantees but in my experience there always seems to be shuttle buses taking passengers into town and back when cruise ships are in West Harbour. Especially from quay LMA it should be foolish not to have some kind of service. Buses always show a sign with name of ship or line and a consecutive number (like Celebrity #1, Celebrity #2 etc). I think some local company might be providing the service for the cruise lines but I don't know any details.

Regarding taxi the trip to the market should be something like 4 km so it would be somewhere between 12 and 15 Euro, depending on time and number of persons.

http://www.taksihelsinki.fi/en

I cannot give any guarantees but in my experience there always seems to be shuttle buses taking passengers into town and back when cruise ships are in West Harbour. Especially from quay LMA it should be foolish not to have some kind of service. Buses always show a sign with name of ship or line and a consecutive number (like Celebrity #1, Celebrity #2 etc). I think some local company might be providing the service for the cruise lines but I don't know any details.

 

Regarding taxi the trip to the market should be something like 4 km so it would be somewhere between 12 and 15 Euro, depending on time and number of persons.

 

http://www.taksihelsinki.fi/en

Thanks a lot Ultima, will it be easy to find a taxi when we get off the ship, also on the way back from town? Or do I need to book it in advance?

Will it be easy to find a taxi when we get off the ship, also on the way back from town? Or do I need to book it in advance?

Of course the taxi drivers know where to find potential customers. For example, each morning lots of taxis are lining up when the ferries from Sweden or Estonia arrive. So there will surely be taxis at the cruise ships as well but of course I cannot say how many. regarding LMA there is also a taxi stand in front of nearby ferry terminal.

I don't think there should be any problem finding a taxi for the return trip. Good places to look are for example at the Senate Square, on the Northern Esplanade and at the Railway Station.

Here is a full list of taxi stands here with map links in alphabetical order

http://www.taksihelsinki.fi/en/taxi-stands.

Picking from the list, those in downtown that might be of interest for a tourist would be:

Annankatu, Asema-aukio, Coach Station, Eliel Square, Erottaja, Hietalahti market place, Kämp Hotel, Kamppi Metro Station, Kapteenikatu, Klaus K Hotel, Marki Hotel, Presidentti Hotel, Radizon Blue Plaza, Senate Square, Simonkenttä Hotel, Viiskulma, West Harbor.

Thanks a ton Ultima, you're the best!