Ferry cruise Tallinn-Stockholm-Tallinn
The ferry "Victoria 1" of Tallink belongs to Estonia, but I decided to include it in the "Swedish reviews", because there are still few reviews in this part of the site, and the passengers of this ferry are mostly Swedish pensioners : ) So the ferry "Victoria I" of Tallink runs on the route Tallinn-Stockholm and back. It is a comfortable 9-deck ship. For two of us, we got a 4-bed small cabin on the 5th deck, unfortunately the cabin was without a window (although we counted on it). The cabin is a small room, slightly larger than a railway compartment, with three bunk beds and a sofa. The "room" has a small TV, a mirror that replaces the window, and a tiny bathroom.
If you decide to travel by ferry, but can't stand the crowding, I advise you not to be stingy and pay extra for double-single occupancy.
The two of us in a four-seater cabin were quite comfortable, but our fellow travelers who were accommodated in the same cabin with a "full complement" (4 people) experienced discomfort. The ferry itself certainly makes an impression. There are two large "concert halls" on the ferry, guests of the ferry are offered a free show program and "discotheques" with karaoke until the morning : ) So, in principle, you can not spend the night in a cabin; ) There is one small supermarket and a perfume shop at duty free prices. Girls! Attention! Perfumes on the ferry are cheaper than similar perfumes in the "duty free" at Tallinn Airport! : ) So if you see something suitable - take it without hesitation: ) On the ferry, Swedish and Estonian kroner, euros and credit cards are accepted for payment. currency can be changed at the reception. The course was acceptable (for one euro they gave a little more than 9 Swedish kronor).
We arrived in Stockholm on Sunday and those who hoped to change currency on the shore were severely disappointed, as most banks and exchange offices were closed, and in the few working exchangers the euro exchange rate was lower than on the ship : (
The food is very good at the Tallink Buffet - just a chic buffet, everything you want - from shrimp to ice cream and a lot of everything: meat, fish, and vegetables. So if you make an advance payment for food, you will not regret it : ) In principle, you can also eat "non-centrally", that is, in a cafe, bistro, pub or bar - these establishments work almost until the morning, or you can eat "tourist style" at himself in the room, having bought food in the shop. By the way, ferry guests can bring their own drinks and food to the show bar, so you can enjoy the variety show sitting in an easy chair, leisurely sipping your own beer.
Unfortunately, we found out about this after the trip and how cultured people bought drinks at a local bar (a cup of coffee 2 euros, a glass of white wine - 51 Swedish kronor) : ) On the ferry you can communicate with the staff in English (everyone speaks) and in Russian (they speak with difficulty and not all).
As I said above, most of the guests of the ferry are elderly Swedes, respectively, the entertainment program is compiled for the most part according to their interests. The so-called disco just killed me: an Italian jazz band played on the stage for several hours with an elderly soloist who sang hits of the 50s-60s, Armstrong, Sinatra and even the Beatles! : ) But how foreign grandparents danced! It just needs to be seen! Well done!
And when the Viennese waltz started playing - there was no free place left on the site at all - graceful couples were circling everywhere : ) I had high hopes for the performance of the variety show, but a cruel "bummer" awaited me, because the "show" lasted only half an hour (from 0 o'clock to 0.30 ) and was a vague medley based on popular musicals with a very loose arrangement and mediocre performance. In general, not impressed. After the "show", a jazz band and an old man crawled onto the stage again - the soloist cheerfully performed several songs from the repertoire of Madonna and Christina Aguilera - it looked funny : ) In general, you will not be bored on the ferry, Sweden will meet you with picturesque landscapes and you will want to you can stay longer on the open deck of the ship, despite the cold wind : ) The capital of Sweden is Stockholm, an unusually beautiful, modern large metropolis, with a beautiful historical center.
It is impossible to see everything in one day, what can we say about those miserable 6 hours (of which 2 hours were spent on a very mediocre excursion) allotted for us to visit? Of course, this is insanely small! I wish you all a pleasant journey and bright impressions : )
