Helsinki eyes busy cruise season this summer

More cruise ships than ever will be arriving in Helsinki this summer, according to the Helsinki Port.

About 300 ships and as many as 540,000 passengers are expected to arrive in the city, said a press release.

The cruise season opens on April 24 with the arrival of the five-star cruiser MS Hanseatic in the South Harbour.

The busiest cruise day of the upcoming summer will probably be July 2 on which, in addition to the regular liner traffic, as many as six international cruisers will be docking in Helsinki simultaneously, carrying close to 10,000 passengers.

A total of eight cruise ships will be making their maiden call to Helsinki this cruise season. They are the Theare Variety Voyager arriving on May 10, the Zenith on May 12, the Norwegian Breakaway on May 17, the Mein Schiff 1 on June 6, the Star BREEZE on June 10, the AIDA Cara on June 13, the Seabourn Ovation on June 29, and the MSC Meraviglia on September 10.

This summer will be the last one for international cruisers docking in the West Harbour’s Melkki quay.

Once the season ends, the Port of Helsinki will release the Melkki quay area to the city for housing construction.

Next summer, the largest international cruisers will be welcomed at the cruise harbour in Hernesaari, where the port is currently building its new LHD quay to complement the existing cruise quays.

Focusing on the largest cruise vessels, the Hernesaari harbour under construction will aim at making the passenger and crew services even more efficient.