Happy New Year everyone! Today we'll be taking an awesome overnight ferry that I've , wanted to try out for a while now, it's really just like a mini-cruise... so let's go and check it out it together! Hello & welcome back to Helsinki. . We're in Finland's stunning capital city today for an exciting trip across to . Sweden, the Nordic neighbour to the west. It's nice to still see so . much support for Ukraine :-) First we need to jump on one of the fast & . frequent Line 2 trams, which will take us all the way to the ferry terminal that we'll be leaving . from today, which is just outside the city centre. If you're in Helsinki for a while, I'd recommend . getting the HSL app where you can plan your routes, and buy unlimited city passes for the , trams, metro, buses, and even the airport train. These are valid from 1 day to 2 weeks and are MUCH more cost effective than single tickets. And here we are, arriving at the Olympia Ferry Terminal. Be aware the ferries to Tallinn, , Estonia go from a different port, which is around a 20 minute tram ride from the centre. If you just cross the road from the tram stop, , it's just a 30 second walk to our ferry terminal. Our ship today, is the MS Silja Symphony, a 58,000 , gross ton, 203m (666ft) long Cruise Ferry which has been plying this route since 1991. I'll . give you more information once we get onboard. There is a handy map of the whole Helsinki city centre, bay and ports area just outside, which is a great reference if you're just arriving . and need orienting, or don't have data yet. There is also a lovely café within the ferry terminal, with a nice outdoor seating area to grab a drink and snack if you arrive early, like I did today. Before we head inside, let me just take a moment . to tell you about today's video sponsor, Level8. Level8 is going to be Luggage of the Year for . 2024, with their wide variety of exquisite, sleek and practical cases, so get a great . start to the year, and grab yours today! All cases glide effortlessly across the floor , and they are packed full of useful features, like integrated USB charging, laptop pockets, water resistance, and TSA-approved combination locks. Be sure to Follow Level8 on Instagram too for their Amazing Giveaways! Click my link in the description below and , use Code: NONSTOP10 for 10% OFF all Luggage Once again, a big thanks to , Level8 for sponsoring this video! Upon entry to the ferry terminal, . you'll be greeted with a small convenience store and waiting area to the left. And directly ahead is the check-in area, with both staffed counters and self check-in machines, which I'll be using today. Just scan the QR code on your booking confirmation email, and you'll be issued with a boarding pass, . which also doubles as your room key card. Then just take a seat, and , wait until boarding is called. This commences around 1 hour . before scheduled departure. There is a long gangway connected from the terminal to the ferry, but lifts are available to make , the entire route step-free. Before we get onboard, let's take a moment to check out tonight's route , from Helsinki to Stockholm. When you enter the main promenade, just look for your cabin number on this , big display, and follow the signs to it. At both ends of promenade are 4 lifts which . provide step-free access to every deck. We're on deck 9 tonight, cabin 9404, so let's have a quick peek inside and drop off our bags before departure. This is one of the 2-berth A-class sea view , cabin. It comes with 2 single beds which can be set up as a double, as we'll do later on. . There are also 4-berth versions of this cabin. There are many many different types, it would take all day to explain them individually, so I'll leave a link below so you can . explore which one is best for you. Anyway, let's head up to the , top deck for our departure. We set sail exactly on-time at 5pm. Our route from Helsinki to Stockholm is 445km in distance and is scheduled to take 18 hours of travel time arriving , at 10am tomorrow morning. There's a 1 hour time difference between Finland and Sweden. I thought the price was exceptionally good. .

I paid just €158 (£137, $174) for my private sea-view cabin, including breakfast. This can be excluded saving €17, however I'd recommend it as , we'll see tomorrow morning. You can get this price down even more, with B, C and Promenade cabins , starting from just €89 per person! The top speed of the Silja Symphony is 23 knots, and we will be making just one stop en-route, in , the early hours of tomorrow morning in Mariehamn, in the Finnish autonomous . region of the Åland islands. If you want AD-FREE early access to every , video, great perks and to help me to do BIGGER & BETTER reviews, then become a . Channel Member from just £1.99 per month. Just click the link above now, or the , JOIN button in every video. Thank you! I love the departure from Helsinki bay, whether on a large ship like this, or one of the many small ferries or , sightseeing boats that operate these routes. There are 300 plus islands in the immediate , bay area. Many are inhabited and have hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions that . are the perfect day trips from Helsinki city. My favourite by far, is Suomenlinna, which is home to hundreds of people and an 18th century fortress where you can explore the walls, . ramparts and tunnels, and then stroll down the cobblestone streets and refresh yourself . at the brewery or one of the many cafés. The ferry here from the city , centre takes 20 minutes, and runs 4 times an hour, and it's included . on the aforementioned city travel cards. OK, let's head back inside and check out our cabin. As mentioned, just insert your boarding pass in to the door to access the room. It can be locked from the inside in 2 places. I've now set both beds up , in to a double formation. They're pretty comfy, with nice thick mattresses and fluffy pillows. Four standard European-style power . sockets can be found behind the beds. Along with various lights switches for the room. There is a small desk and dressing table area, with a large litter bin . underneath, along with a Pouffe. On the desk are a hairdryer, 2 more power sockets and a phone. A TV is mounted just above it. A suitcase shelf and clothes hangers , and hooks are also available. The en-suite bathroom is compact, but it does . the job. It was clean, and had a separate shower cubicle with good water pressure, and , there was all-in-one shampoo and body wash. The towels were nice and fluffy, and the . sink and toilet both worked well. The hand wash and toilet paper were stocked . up completing a very good bathroom. The main reason I chose this cabin over an inside, or promenade one was of course, the view. But it was an excellent cabin, perfect for the 18 hours I'll be spending , on-board, and at a good price! OK, now let's go an explore the rest of , the ship and all passenger facilities. Most amenities are based , off this central promenade, with shops and restaurants , lining it from end to end. At the stern is a large English-style pub, with a wide range of alcoholic and no-alcoholic drinks available. I went for the Karjala Draft Beer, which , was a not unreasonable €6.90 for a pint. At the bow, is a large café and . bar, serving similar drinks, and light meals and snacks to go with these excellent views! There are also a few speciality restaurants too, like this Italian. The prices are reasonable, . and you can just turn up to dine, but you're best to make a reservation in advance , to guarantee your preferred time slot. On one of the lower decks, the mainstay of . a ferry, boat or ship, the duty-free shop, is also present, with a large selection of alcohol, tobacco and perfumes available. On the top deck there is also a spa facility, with Jacuzzis, small kids pools and saunas. Entry costs €15 for adults for a 1.5 hour session. As the sun is beginning to set, let's . spend a few moments appreciating the #BoatDeckViews before we head inside to . check out the evening's entertainments. At the bow of the boat, is a small casino, , with slot machines and staffed gaming tables. There is also an amusement arcade with a . variety of driving and shooting games to play. And finally, there's the theatre area, which .

at this time is doing kids entertainment, but later on there is a , show, and a disco for adults. Anyway, I've had a long day, so I'm going to . go back to my cabin and watch some YouTube. Free WiFi is available onboard, and the password is on your boarding pass. Good morning! I wake up as around 4am, as we are approaching Mariehamn, in the autonomous region of the Åland islands, which makes up just , 0.5% of the land mass and population of Finland. The 30,000 people live mainly on Fasta Åland, where we'll dock, but there are also another 75 inhabited islands in the archipelago. These ferries provides a daily service from here to both Helsinki and Stockholm, albeit at not very nice times of the day! After around a 20 minute stop . here, we're back on the road, or sea, in this case, and I'm going to . grab another couple of hours of sleep... Good morning, again! It's now a much more respectable 7.30am, and we are already winding our way through , the breath-taking eastern Swedish Fjords. I'm going to go and grab some food, and then come , back up here for the best bits of the scenery! The Grand Buffet is where you'll find breakfast. I , paid €17 on top of my fare when booking my ticket. Although quite expensive, , there's a very good selection, and it is all-you-can-eat. Challenge accepted... There is a vast array of hot and cold options, including unlimited smoked . salmon, so I was very happy! Drinks and breakfast deserts , are also included in the price. I won't show you everything I ate, , but let's just say that I didn't have any lunch that day. And that's , a very good thing at Swedish prices! OK, back up to the top deck! I have muchos respect for the bridge . crew on this boat. They are traversing some really narrow waterways, but I'm . sure they're well versed at doing so. Sweden has a total of over 267,000 islands , around its shores, many of which exist along Stockholm's western coast. However only . around 1000 of these are actually inhabited. Many small passenger and vehicle ferries . ply these waterways transporting locals and tourists alike between the , many islands, and the mainland. And the views are just stunning. Probably the most scenic boat ride I've ever been on. I was more than happy to just sit up here with a drink, and appreciate them to the max. Here we see the Cruiseferry 'Viking Grace,' . which operates the daily Turku-Långnäs-Stockholm, also between Finland and Sweden. Let me know down below if you'd like to see a , video onboard this crossing? So we are now approaching the end of , today's trip, so let me summarise this overnight voyage from Helsinki to Stockholm onboard the Silja Symphony Cruiseferry. Firstly, the ship was in great condition, . very well appointed and clean throughout. I thought the facilities onboard were excellent with a wide variety of shops, restaurants and activities for all ages. My cabin was also top notch. Plenty of space, a comfortable bed, good amenities and again very clean. I'd definitely recommend paying a bit more for one of the sea view or more . premier rooms for a little more luxury. I was also impressed with the value. The cabin , cost no more than a decent hotel room in Stockholm or Helsinki, and you get the travel thrown . in for free. Onboard prices also weren't too bad. Just remember you're in Scandinavia, and , on a boat and temper your expectations a bit. Overall, I really enjoyed the trip, and would recommend to anyone. We dock about 5 minutes early, and proceed to disembark right on-time. It's a bit of a scrum, but there , are no passport or customs checks, as both Finland and Sweden are both in the EU, and Schengen border-free zone. Buses and taxis can be found outside the ferry . terminal, or its a 10 minute walk to the nearest metro station, which will get you to the city . centre or central station in about 15 minutes. Have you been on any overnight ferry trips before? Which route did you do, and how did you find it? Let . me know in the comments below! By the way, I'm always open to new . video ideas, so send me a DM on Instagram or Twitter if there's anything , you really want to see on the channel... Don't forget to subscribe as I , publish a new review every Friday, thanks for watching and I'll see you next week!

Helsinki to Stockholm on this FABULOUS Overnight Ferry!