Northern European ferries: these innovative vessels offer enticing point-to-point cruises for independent travelers - Cruise Roundup

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2003 by Theodore W. Scull

* Helsinki-Tallinn-Rostock (Silja Line)

When the Finnjet entered service in 1977, she was a marvel of high speed--a 30-knot ferry that could link Finland with Germany in less than 24 hours while other ships took two nights and a day. Standing at the stem and watching her wide wake stretch to the horizon is a favorite pastime. The Finn jet offers nightclub cabaret, dancing, and karaoke, plus the same types of restaurants as the Finland-Sweden ships.

Today the Silja-owned speedster takes up to 1,781 passengers on a summer-only Baltic Sea run from Helsinki with a stop at Tallinn, the Estonian capital with an enchanting medieval center, then onto Rostock, a thriving German port on the Baltic Sea that offers rail access to Hamburg and Berlin.

When touring Northern Europe independently or prior to a deep-sea cruise, it is easy to fit a short sea adventure into any itinerary, making for a delightful and moderately priced alternative to routine intra-European air travel. For more information contact:

DFDS Seaways (USA) Inc./Silja Line/Sea Europe Holidays Inc. (Cruise Travel Magazine), 6801 Lake Worth Rd./Suite 103, Lake Worth, FL 33467: phone 800-533-3755; or log on to www.dfdsusa.com or www.silja.us or www.seaeurope.com.

Viking Line/Borton Overseas (Cruise Travel Magazine), 5412 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55419; phone 800-843-0602; or log on to www.vikingline.fi or www. bortonoverseas.com.