Tallink Grupp says it started operating a temporary regular ferry route between Helsinki and Riga from 26 June until 15 August, giving travellers in the region the unique opportunity for direct travel between Finland and Latvia by ship this summer.
Operating on the route will be one of the company’s and the Baltic sea’s most glamorous vessels, Silja Serenade, which usually operates on the Helsinki-Stockholm route. The route will have frequent departures with the vessel sailing from both capital cities every other day throughout the summer. The arrival and departure times allow travellers from both countries to enjoy a leisurely voyage onboard Silja Serenade overnight and spend the day or possibly longer exploring the local sights at the destination.
In addition to ferry tickets on the route, Tallink Grupp will be offering customers travel packages to Riga, including accommodation at the group’s conveniently located Tallink Hotel Riga and tickets to local attractions and much more. For example, Tallink Hotel Riga offers accommodation packages for 2, 4 or ore nights for a longer and more relaxed discovery of the Latvian capital.
„The Riga-Helsinki route is not completely new for us as we have provided special cruises between the Nordic and Baltic capital in previous years, always with great interest from and success among our Finnish customers,“ Paavo Nõgene, CEO of Tallink Grupp said.
„As this summer and high season are very different from any previous years and we have had to completely rethink and redesign our services in a very short timescale, we have listened to what our customers have said to us about their travel and destination preferences this summer and I am pleased that we are able to offer people in the region some great new travel opportunities close to home.“
„With regular sailings from Helsinki and Riga every other day from 26 June, Silja Serenade and her crew are looking forward to welcoming passengers on board and we are ready to ensure that, despite the recent challenging times, this summer does not have to pass without everyone having the opportunity to make some amazing travel memories in the comfort of our own Baltic sea region. The Baltic states have been able to demonstrate that we have been able to stop the spread of the unexpected visitor Covid-19 spread in our countries and therefore we are able to provide a safe destination for travellers,“ Nõgene concluded.
AS Tallink Grupp is one of the leading providers of passenger transport and cargo transport services in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region. The company owns 14 vessels and operates seven ferry routes under the brand names of Tallink and Silja Line. AS Tallink Grupp employs over 7,000 people in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Russia and Germany. In 2019, Tallink Grupp provided services to 9.8 million travellers and transported approximately 380,000 freight units of goods. The shares of Tallink Grupp are listed on the Tallinn Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange.