AS Tallink Grupp says the Tallinn-Helsinki route`s cruise ferry Silja Europa will start sailing to the Southern Harbour, Olympiaterminal in central Helsinki as from 23rd of April 2016. Due to the change of terminal, also the ship`s current schedule will undergo slight changes.
The Sales and Marketing Director of AS Tallink Grupp, Mr. Margus Hunt said that using the Olympiaterminal in the heart of Helsinki will diversify the options for the passengers in terms of schedules as well as exact location of arrival. „Our Helsinki-Stockholm vessels also operate from this terminal in Helsinki and its location is very good for direct access to central city. While designing the time schedule, we had to take into account the availability of berths and the traffic times of other vessels, but we hope the new departure and arrival times are perfect for spring and summer season“, added Hunt.
From 23rd of April, Silja Europa will start departing daily at 8.00 from Helsinki, Olympiaterminal, arriving in Tallinn D-terminal at 11.30. Departures from Tallinn will take place daily at 17.30, arriving in Helsinki at 21.00. The time schedule offers a pleasant opportunity for day cruises from Helsinki with onboard cabin availability. There are only passenger vehicles and small scale cargo units on board and all trucks and trailers will be carried with other vessels on that route – the cargo vessel Sea Wind, fast ferries Star and Superstar and the cruise ferry Baltic Queen through Vuosaari and Western Harbour in Finland.
Silja Europa started operating on Tallinn-Helsinki route on 13th of March 2016, after a more than a year-long charter period in Australia. At the moment the vessel operates to the D-terminal in Tallinn and Western Terminal in Helsinki. Until the return of the cruise ferry Baltic Queen to the route on 22nd of April, Silja Europa departs daily at 12.30 from D-terminal Tallinn and 18.30 from Western Terminal in Helsinki.
Silja Europa will also operate the 6 special cruises to Visby, Gotland during the summer, starting in June.
Before returning to the route in March, numerous reconstruction works were carried out on the 7th and 8th deck, were the shops, restaurants and bars are situated. The Tax Free Superstore as well as perfume shop both received a totally new look, which required taking down even some walls. From restaurants, a full make-over was done to the self service restaurant Fast Lane and the former Taurus a la carte restaurant now turned into the Italian restaurant Tavolata already very popular on Silja Line branded vessels. Also the discothèque and show bar were renewed.
Silja Europa is built in 1993 in Germany. She is worlds one of the largest ferries by the number of cabins with the length of 202 meters, width of 33 meters and passenger capacity of over 3000 people. There are 6 different cabin classes available on board, as well as 5 restaurants, 2 bars and nightclubs, a beauty salon, sauna and 4 shops. She has the highest ice class of 1A Super and her maximum speed is 21.5 knots. Her car deck accommodates 932 lane meters of vehicles and cargo.