Tallink Silja has withdrawn another vessel from the Turku-Stockholm route. The vessels ordered by Finnlines will soon take twice as many passengers, but they will not stop in Mariehamn.
– Things are changing fast. I don’t think that Tallink Silja’s decision is the only decision. There are difficult times ahead for a tourism industry that has a crown behind it.
Tallink Silja is reorganising its services for the winter season after another morning boat was stranded. The evening boat will leave Turku a couple of hours earlier, leaving more time for evening entertainment.
Viking Line is now doing well on the route. With the arrival of the Glory in Turku in the spring, the company has increased the number of passengers on the Turku route. Between June and August, 740 000 passengers travelled on the route, a new record for the summer season.
The port of Mariehamn slows down
The port of Mariehamn was busy during the summer season, as a record number of foreign cruise ships arrived at the port, nearly 50.
– It was visible in the street scene, when Germans, Americans and whoever else were here, tourism director Lotta Berner Sjölund describes.
However, Lotta Berner Sjölund believes that Mariehamn will remain a lively summer city, as Åland’s tourism is not expected to take a turn for the worse. There have been more Finns than before, and Swedes have returned to the island province after the corona restrictions.
The summer that ended was good, and Berner Sjölund expects the same in the future.
Finnlines enters the competition for passengers
The shipping company Finnlines will invest in passenger traffic in the future. In the past, the shipping company has focused on transporting cargo from Finland to Åland, Sweden and Germany, but now passenger traffic has also become more interesting.
The next migration can be seen in these waters after winter. Finnlines has ordered two new vessels, one of which was launched a few days ago. The ships will start on the Naantalin route after a year in the fall.
With the new ships, the passenger capacity will double to 1,100 passengers per ship.
Finnlines’ new ships both pass through Långnäs. According to Marko Palmu, the port of Mariehamn has been tested, but Långnäs is a better port in Åland for the shipping company.
Also on foot to new ships
Finnlines operates from Naantal via Långnäs to Kapellskär in Sweden. Nowadays, you have to go to Finnlines ships through the car deck by car or other vehicle. When new ships start on the route, those traveling on foot will also be able to board the ships.
At the Naantali end, this is done so that the passengers gather at the Naantali terminal, from where a bus transports them to the ship.
On cargo ships, the pricing of the trip is usually done so that the food is included in the price of the ticket. There is usually only one place to eat. In a year’s time, the Finnlines ships arriving on the Naantali route will have five restaurants, and food will no longer be included in the ticket price.
_You can discuss the topic with the Yle ID. The discussion ends on September 14 at 11 p.m._