Itinerary just changed - anyone visited Helsinki?

[rritter25]

We just got notified that the itinerary changed on our trip departing Sunday, August 21st on Voyager of the Seas. We were supposed to visit Kotka and they just substituted Helsinki Finland. That is OK, however that doesn't leave me any time to research before we leave the U.S. on Wednesday. If anyone has recommendations of "must-see" places or things to do while there, please let me know. TIA 😃

[Another_Critic]

Maybe ask on your roll call?

 

 

[njkruzer]

26 minutes ago, rritter25 said:

We just got notified that the itinerary changed on our trip departing Sunday, August 21st on Voyager of the Seas. We were supposed to visit Kotka and they just substituted Helsinki Finland. That is OK, however that doesn't leave me any time to research before we leave the U.S. on Wednesday. If anyone has recommendations of "must-see" places or things to do while there, please let me know. TIA 😃

We did a walking tour from Rick Steve's tour book. Also went to synagogue, for which we should have contacted them in advance.  One of their staff gave us a tour.

[Maria63]

There are no real "must sees" in Helsinki, though some regard the Rock Church as such. I'd say the best way to visit as a cruise guest is to take the shuttle into town, which would land you at the main Market Square. Walk around the stalls and check out the Market Hall. If you stroll north along one of the side streets from the Square, you can take in the main Lutheran cathedral, and also the orthodox Uspenski cathedral.

 

If the weather is nice and you are into history, I would also strongly recommend a trip to the Suomenlinna fortress. Take the ferry from the Market Square opposite the presidential residence, it's inexpensive and part of the public transport network. The ferry ride takes 15-20 mins, and once you get there you can either walk around yourself or take a guided tour, which are offered in English twice daily and cost about 12 euros pp. (you can google "Suomenlinna fortress" for more info if you are interested). There are also a couple of museums and several restaurants at the fortress-island.

[flamingos]

5 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Maybe ask on your roll call?

 

 

We all just found out.  🙂   The cruise planner has switched to Helsinki, but thy don't have any excursions yet.  We're looking to find out where the ship docks.

 

[Maria63]

2 minutes ago, flamingos said:

We all just found out.  🙂   The cruise planner has switched to Helsinki, but thy don't have any excursions yet.  We're looking to find out where the ship docks.

 

 

Voyager would dock at Hernesaari. Here's a map with some info. The main places of general interest in the center of the city are around the area marked 5,6 and 7 on the map, and Voyager will be docked at location 1, 2 or 3.

 

https://www.portofhelsinki.fi/en/passengers/international-cruise-ships/cruise-quays

[flamingos]

9 minutes ago, Maria63 said:

 

Voyager would dock at Hernesaari. Here's a map with some info. The main places of general interest in the center of the city are around the area marked 5,6 and 7 on the map, and Voyager will be docked at location 1, 2 or 3.

 

https://www.portofhelsinki.fi/en/passengers/international-cruise-ships/cruise-quays

 

Thanks. We'll a brewpub somewhere nearby.

[crzndeb]

I took the HOHO (Hop on Hop off) bus when I was in Helsinki. A nice way to see the town and explore certain stops. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

39 minutes ago, Maria63 said:

There are no real "must sees" in Helsinki, though some regard the Rock Church as such. I'd say the best way to visit as a cruise guest is to take the shuttle into town, which would land you at the main Market Square. Walk around the stalls and check out the Market Hall. If you stroll north along one of the side streets from the Square, you can take in the main Lutheran cathedral, and also the orthodox Uspenski cathedral.

 

If the weather is nice and you are into history, I would also strongly recommend a trip to the Suomenlinna fortress. Take the ferry from the Market Square opposite the presidential residence, it's inexpensive and part of the public transport network. The ferry ride takes 15-20 mins, and once you get there you can either walk around yourself or take a guided tour, which are offered in English twice daily and cost about 12 euros pp. (you can google "Suomenlinna fortress" for more info if you are interested). There are also a couple of museums and several restaurants at the fortress-island.

This is good advice. I would take the HoHo bus or DIY if I were to do it again.

 

I just got off Voyager on Wednesday.  We had a stop in Helsinki.  I took a ship tour called City of Helsinki. I would not recommend it. It was OK. 

 

We visited the Rock Church and that was interesting to see. But, we were there for almost an hour. With no tour of the church that was too long. It is a very minimalist church.  

 

We stopped at the Sebelius Park and saw the pipes.  The park was interesting and the marina setting across the street was scenic.  

 

We only had a 10 minute photo op at the square in front of the Senate building.  

 

The rest of the time was driving around and pointing out buildings without much additional information.

 

It could have just been our guide.  YMMV

[Another_Critic]

delete

Edited August 16, 2022 by Another_Critic

[Ashland]

RCI will provide a ship shuttle into town...at least they did when Helsinki was a port stop for us.

[kitkat343]

2 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

This is good advice. I would take the HoHo bus or DIY if I were to do it again.

 

I just got off Voyager on Wednesday.  We had a stop in Helsinki.  I took a ship tour called City of Helsinki. I would not recommend it. It was OK. 

 

We visited the Rock Church and that was interesting to see. But, we were there for almost an hour. With no tour of the church that was too long. It is a very minimalist church.  

 

We stopped at the Sebelius Park and saw the pipes.  The park was interesting and the marina setting across the street was scenic.  

 

We only had a 10 minute photo op at the square in front of the Senate building.  

 

The rest of the time was driving around and pointing out buildings without much additional information.

 

It could have just been our guide.  YMMV

Thankfully, Helsinki is very easy to DIY, and we did it ourselves easily when I was pregnant and with a 3 year old in tow.   I'd agree with the fact hat there's nothing you absolutely have to see, but a Suomolina and the Rock church and the market stalls are nice to see.   If RC offers a shuttle to Market square, take that.  Otherwise, its a long walk or short taxi ride to Market Square.  As noted above, the ferry to Suomelinna is quite lovely, and its nice to walk around there.   The tram that used to be the  2/3 line (I travelled in 2008 so it could have changed names) is a nice way to get an overview of the city and it used to go to the Rock Church.  Check on the baltic forum or tripadvisor to confirm the route/name of the tram hasn't changed.  

 

Also, I didn't know about this before I travelled but some people have talked about visiting a reindeer farm outside of Helsinki.  Maybe someone on one of the destination forums has more info about that.

[Maria63]

The ship will most likely also offer an excursion to a small town called Porvoo as an alternative.

 

Porvoo is perfectly nice, but be warned that it's a very long and rather uninteresting drive to get there. Depending on your itinerary, and whether you will also visit for instance Visby, Gotland, Porvoo doesn't at all compare to Visby though it's kind of a similar experience.

 

Doing the HoHo can be a good alternative if you want to see the Rock Church and the Sibelius monument, but otherwise the tram system works better to get you around the city centre. A day pass will cost you around 8 euros, and includes the Suomenlinna ferry. But be warned that you can't buy tickets on the tram itself, you either download an app or buy a paper ticket from an automat. One is located at the Suomenlinna ferry terminal, but otherwise these are few and far between. You get more info about how to download the app and about the tram network, if you click the link for "tram" on the port info site i linked to in one of my earlier posts.

 

Don't worry about getting lost if you DIY, the locals do generally speak at least rudimentary English and you will always find someone to ask for directions.

[TLG40]

I made a list from different reviews of unique souvenirs to the areas we visited- here is what I have for Finland- enjoy your trip!

 

Finland--lingonberry jam, Anything that's reindeer-related (from reindeer skins to etched crystal to magnets), anything from Marimekko, wooden butter knives.

Helsinki’s famous Kauppatori Market Square, a colorful way to begin exploration of Helsinki. Once there, we purchased a one-day City Card, which gave us free access to sights, museums and public transport, including the Tourist Tram 3T, which makes a 60-minute round trip from Market Square and passes most of the city’s “must-see” sights, including the Senate Square and its beautiful cathedral. 

[Teeara]

19 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

This is good advice. I would take the HoHo bus or DIY if I were to do it again.

 

I just got off Voyager on Wednesday.  We had a stop in Helsinki.  I took a ship tour called City of Helsinki. I would not recommend it. It was OK. 

 

We visited the Rock Church and that was interesting to see. But, we were there for almost an hour. With no tour of the church that was too long. It is a very minimalist church.  

 

We stopped at the Sebelius Park and saw the pipes.  The park was interesting and the marina setting across the street was scenic.  

 

We only had a 10 minute photo op at the square in front of the Senate building.  

 

The rest of the time was driving around and pointing out buildings without much additional information.

 

It could have just been our guide.  YMMV

Sounds like the tour I did on Star Princess back in 2008.

[flamingos]

19 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

This is good advice. I would take the HoHo bus or DIY if I were to do it again.

 

I just got off Voyager on Wednesday.  We had a stop in Helsinki.  I took a ship tour called City of Helsinki. I would not recommend it. It was OK. 

 

We visited the Rock Church and that was interesting to see. But, we were there for almost an hour. With no tour of the church that was too long. It is a very minimalist church.  

 

We stopped at the Sebelius Park and saw the pipes.  The park was interesting and the marina setting across the street was scenic.  

 

We only had a 10 minute photo op at the square in front of the Senate building.  

 

The rest of the time was driving around and pointing out buildings without much additional information.

 

It could have just been our guide.  YMMV

Thanks, I went back and checked your review as soon as we got the itinerary change.  🙂

 

Did you notice any good brewpubs, or bakeries?  Those are my passion.

[Maria63]

17 minutes ago, flamingos said:

Thanks, I went back and checked your review as soon as we got the itinerary change.  🙂

 

Did you notice any good brewpubs, or bakeries?  Those are my passion.

 

I know nothing of beers myself, so I can't promise that this list is useful, but anyway hope it helps:

 

https://www.ratebeer.com/Places/Country/Cities/helsinki/71.htm

 

And here's info on bakeries that could be worth a visit - btw, make sure to try the Karelia pirogs. It's the traditional Finnish savory pastry that you don't find anywhere else:

 

https://www.nordicexperience.com/best-bakeries-candy-stores-helsinki-true-foodies/

 

 

[flamingos]

5 minutes ago, Maria63 said:

 

I know nothing of beers myself, so I can't promise that this list is useful, but anyway hope it helps:

 

https://www.ratebeer.com/Places/Country/Cities/helsinki/71.htm

 

And here's info on bakeries that could be worth a visit - btw, make sure to try the Karelia pirogs. It's the traditional Finnish savory pastry that you don't find anywhere else:

 

https://www.nordicexperience.com/best-bakeries-candy-stores-helsinki-true-foodies/

 

 

Thank you!!

[DCPIV]

Helsinki really is a good city.  It's not very touristy, but that's actually one of its assets as far as I'm concerned.  We had a great time going around there a while back, but we also had a native friend showing us around.

 

If you're thinking about DIY, then a city card almost always is a grat option.  Not only will it identify good places to go, you get a great deal on doing so.

 

I love brewpubs, too.  I don't know about great brewpubs there (it's been a little while since we were there), but we did have some very good and interesting local beers.

[Ourusualbeach]

Royal did offer a shuttle yesterday.  $12pp or 10 Euros.

 

There are 2 different HOHO busses that you can purchase passes from right outside the port.  I eould avoid City sightseeing as their last bus leaves at 4pm, they run every 30 minutes.  The other one runs every 20 minutes and runs till 6:30.

 

 

[Zach1213]

I am going to echo some other statements - Helsinki is nice, but it's not a "wow" destination. I have been there a few times and always enjoyed myself - good food, good drink, nice people. Like many of its peer cities, walking and public transit are incredibly user friendly in the urban core and even outside of the urban core. There are a few very lovely, interesting churches from an architectural standpoint, and some great squares on the water with lovely local food options. 

 

Is there as much to do as, say, Stockholm, or Copenhagen? No...but you're not there for long, and you will enjoy the time that you are there. 

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, flamingos said:

Thanks, I went back and checked your review as soon as we got the itinerary change.  🙂

 

Did you notice any good brewpubs, or bakeries?  Those are my passion.

 

Forgot to address this. If you like good beer...and I mean truly good beer...Helsinki's city center is a bit lacking here. There are breweries, but most are...okay. Sori Brewing's taproom is probably the best in the city center. 

 

There's an awesome beer store called Pien Shop in the city center too. It's a really great place to try some various Finnish (and non-Finnish) beers - it's a shop that also allows you to drink there, and has a few taps too.  

[Maria63]

10 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

Helsinki really is a good city.  It's not very touristy, but that's actually one of its assets as far as I'm concerned.  We had a great time going around there a while back, but we also had a native friend showing us around.

 

If you're thinking about DIY, then a city card almost always is a grat option.  Not only will it identify good places to go, you get a great deal on doing so.

 

I love brewpubs, too.  I don't know about great brewpubs there (it's been a little while since we were there), but we did have some very good and interesting local beers.

 I'm glad you enjoyed Helsinki! I think one reason many cruise guests are disappointed is the "City Highlight" etc bus tours that you usually do in a cruise port on your first visit. It's a good way to see a city with many major interest points spread around a wider area. But in Helsinki there aren't any great "must-sees" of general interest, esp. not outside the very centre of the city. It's more a place where you can do and discover things on your own at a relaxed pace, in a fairly compact and manageable area without having to rush around not to miss anything. 

[zebra]

We visited Church on the Rock which was great ......  As others have said the Hop On Hop Off bus is a fabulous way to visit any big city for the first time.  Hop off when you see something that appeals to you. We enjoyed the market as well.  We did a Scandinavia and Russia cruise and have got to say Russia and Estonia were our favorites, Sweden, Denmark and Finland were OK.  To each his own ........ we still had an enjoyable day, just not Wow .....

[kjunea]

We were just in Helsinki this past June.  Wonderful city.  We did the HOHO bus.  My son loved the Olympic Stadium, and the Rock Church.  We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and shopped a bit. The HOHO bus took us straight back to the ship.