Winter cruise to Finland - Christmas atmosphere on board the Finnsirius

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We have made a winter cruise to Finland, with Finnline's new fine cruise ship Finnsirius. In December there is a Christmas atmosphere on board, and we also chose to spend a day in the beautiful city of Turku.

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Winter cruise to Finland - with Finnsirius from Kapellskär to Naantali

Our winter cruise to Finland took place on the brand new ship Finnsirius, from Kapellskär north of Stockholm to Naantali, about 20 minutes from Turku by car.

Finnlines ships depart from Kapellskär twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening. So far, it is on the evening departure that you can travel on the new exclusive vessel Finnsirius. An equally luxurious sister ship (Finncanopus) is under construction, so sometime in the first quarter of 2024, the morning departure will also be operated by a state-of-the-art cruise ship.

We travelled with the Finnsirius on its maiden voyage in September this year, and fell in love with this elegant, modern, beautifully designed and peaceful ship. You can read more about the ship and our experience here:

Now it was time to travel with Finnsirius again! We did this winter cruise to Finland together with Peter's brother Micke and his wife Nilla, and we took a car with us to easily get to Turku.

Christmas spirit at Finnsirius

Right now, during December and until 6 January 2023, passengers on board Finnsirius are offered both Christmas menus and Christmas spirit. Large poinsettias hang in the large windows (you have a great view everywhere!) and the ship has been decorated with Christmas trees and wreaths here and there.

Our cabin on Finnsirius

This time we stayed in standard cabins with windows. The standard cabins are of course smaller than the slightly more exclusive cabin categories, but they have not skimped on design. We like the thoughtful execution that goes into everything, from materials and colours to practical details like hooks, hangers and electrical plugs.

Dinner at Micke's Wine & Dine

The evening departure is relatively late in the evening (21:45), but you can go a little earlier, so we hurried directly to the restaurant Micke's Wine & Dine, where we had a booked 3-course "Christmas à la carte" waiting for us.

The meal began with us picking starters from the restaurant's small mini Christmas table with small exciting selected cold dishes, such as whitefish roe, graved whitefish, whitefish, smoked shrimp, cold cuts and cheeses with fig jam. Very tasty!

For the main course we had a choice of cod or duck, and regardless of the choice, everyone was very satisfied. Finally, we were served a fantastic crème brûlée, which was accompanied by a chestnut chocolate cream. What a start to the trip!

Hang out in the Barrel Bay bar

Before it was time to sleep, we also had a drink at the Barrel Bay bar. We must say that we like the environment here. It's quiet and cosy, a bit like a hotel bar, and the staff are fantastically service-minded and friendly.

Breakfast on board the Finnsirius

It was not so many hours of sleep, but who wants to miss breakfast? This is served in the large ship's buffet called the "Cargo Buffet". Here is most of what is usually found on a buffet breakfast including, Karelian pies with egg butter. These are a favourite for me (Helena) so I never miss these when the opportunity arises.

After breakfast it was time for us to get off in Naantali, travelling to Turku. The visit to Turku is covered in a separate report (link below), but first we will tell you about the journey back with Finnsirius.

Return journey from Finland - from Naantali to Kapellskär

After a day in Turku, which we will tell you more about soon, it was time to travel back to Sweden, after our winter cruise to Finland. We drove the 20 minutes from Turku to Naantali and waited in the beautiful and cold (minus 17 degrees!) morning, until we were waved on board.

It was an incredibly beautiful journey home. The water was almost mirror-like, the smoke was cold and the sun was gently penetrating the haze. We were glad that the Finnsirius has such large panoramic windows, so we could sit inside in the warmth and enjoy the spectacle.

Lots of places to discover - shop, lounge, cafes and animal and children's areas

We had around two hours to spend before it was time for a buffet lunch. Fortunately, there is a lot to discover and enjoy on board. There is a very nice duty-free shop, where in addition to alcohol, cigarettes and sweets, there are also clothes.

There's also a wide variety of eateries and cafes, and we chose to hang out for a while at Höyry Spabar. This bar is located right next to the spa area and, as well as having a great view, is very cosily decorated with wooden details and hanging rocking chairs.

Another thing we have to tell you about is the Stellar Lounge. This lounge can be used for conferences - there are nice conference rooms right next door - but it can also be used much like an airport lounge.

For SEK 750 per person, you can hang out here for the entire trip, which includes not only privacy and comfortable seating, but also drinks and various food items such as breakfast and snacks.

We can also mention, although it was not relevant to us on this trip, that there are nice areas both for those travelling with animals and those travelling with children. For example, there is a "Kids Corner" with a ball pit, a "Pet Zone" where the animals are allowed to stay, and dog parks on the deck.

This is how it works on the bridge

But what happens on the bridge? We had the opportunity to check out the spacious bridge, where the captain welcomed us, showed us around and answered all our questions.

Among other things, he said that there are always two of them at the front, much like pilots who always have a co-pilot, except at night when there are three of them. The ship is travelling at around 16 knots. It can go at 21 knots, but they deliberately keep a lower speed because it is more energy efficient and therefore better for the environment.

The master also explained that the ship is a hybrid ship, which means, among other things, that it uses shore power when in harbour and has a large battery capacity.

While travelling, you can partially drive on autopilot, but when going out or into port, everything has to be done manually. This is also when you use the slightly smaller stations on the right and left side of the bridge.

Overall, we can say that a visit to the pier was fascinating (what a view they have!) and at the same time made us even more impressed, and feel even more safe, than before.

Christmas table in Cargo Buffet

Then it was time for Christmas dinner! On board Finnsirius, an archipelago buffet is also usually served in the Cargo Buffet restaurant. Now at Christmas time, this has been given a slightly more festive touch.

We did not feel that all dishes were so typical for a Christmas table, but there were a lot of Christmas flavours such as herring, gravad salmon, liver paste, Christmas ham with mustard and sauce with mulled wine spices. There were also a lot of other goodies such as prawns, mussels, canapés with reindeer meat, various stews and salads.

Afterwards, you could enjoy everything from cheeses to lussekatter, gingerbread-flavoured pastries and ice cream. A nice meal with a great view!

Spa on board the Finnsirius

After the long relaxed lunch, it was time for even more relaxation, in the form of a spa. We peeked into the spa area already during the premiere tour with Finnsirius, but this was the first time we got the chance to enjoy it for real.

It was just us, and for a short time another couple, so it was also very quiet and cosy. We think very about this spa, where you'll find three whirlpools, cosy hanging swings where you can sit with your feet in the water, and several different saunas.

From both the pools and the large sauna you have a fantastic view of the sea. This is one of the best things about Finnsirius - great views everywhere!

Tapas in the Barrel Bay bar

After enjoying the spa and resting a little while in the cabin, there was not much time left of the trip. Then we took the opportunity to go to the Barrel Bay bar and order some small tapas. These are ready behind a counter and cost 5 euros each. Perfect when you just want something small!

A delightful winter cruise to Finland with Finnlines and Finnsirius

At 18:30 we arrived at the harbour in Kapellskär, and it was time to drive home. We must say that this was a fantastic and pleasant winter cruise to Finland with Finnlines and Finnsirius. There is something about the environment on board - the stylish design together with the peaceful environment - that makes you want to spend a lot of time on board. We would love to travel with Finnsirius again, or with Finncanopus when she premieres.

You might also like:

Finnlines' new vessel to Åland and Naantali - the state-of-the-art Finnsirius Finncanopus to Finland - premiere of new vessel Things to do in Föglö, Åland - our top 10 tips What to do in Närpes - 12 tips for the tomato town in Finland Things to do in Oravais, Ostrobothnia - 10 tips Visiting Kalajoki Camping - lovely sand dunes in Finland