Åland Opera Festival Held at an Inspiring Medieval Milieu
Åland Opera Festival celebrated its 5th anniversary with W.A.Mozart’s masterpiece the Magical Flute at Kastelholm Castle on 8-10 August. It was the first time ever that a full opera performance, with a symphony orchestra, a large choir, and room for 800 people in the audience, was held outside the castle. The medieval fortress and the […]
Discover Kotka: Finland’s Most Beautiful Summer City 2025
A gem and a vibrant coastal city on the south east coast of Finland, the charming city of Kotka has officially been crowned Finland’s Most Beautiful Summer City 2025 – and after exploring its vibrant parks, rich history, and stunning nature, it can definitely be said: the title is well deserved. The Historic Charm of Kotka Kotka has a […]
The Superyacht Ilma Made its Inaugural Call to Mariehamn
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht collection’s second luxury superyacht Ilma made its inaugural call to Mariehamn on Wednesday 30 July. There were 299 passengers onboard, mainly from North and South America, and 373 members of crew. A delegation representing the town of Mariehamn, the Port of Mariehamn, Visit Åland as well as Åland Agency went onboard to […]
A Day of Elegance and Chivalry: MS Europa Meets Medieval Turku
On July 11, 2025, the city of Turku welcomed a unique blend of maritime elegance and medieval spectacle as Hapag-Lloyd’s luxurious cruise ship MS Europa docked at the Port of Turku for the second time for this season. This time the guests onboard MS Europa were welcomed by medieval knights and their stunning horses at the Turku Castle […]
Vaasa: Top Attractions in This Vibrant Coastal City in Finland
Your journey of discovery has brought you to the Vaasa region — welcome! Are you planning to explore the unique archipelago or enrich yourself with museum visits and culinary delights? Whatever you choose, everything is close by — you won’t risk accidentally ending up on the wrong continent during your adventure. UNESCO World Heritage The […]
This year’s theme of Helsinki Pride is “Pride Without Borders.”
Helsinki Pride Week will be celebrated from June 23 to June 29, 2025. The week will culminate on June 28 with the Pride Parade and a park celebration in the city center. In recent years, the event has attracted over 100,000 participants. The tradition of Pride parades in Finland began in 1981. Helsinki Pride is […]
Jakobstad – A new coastal destination for Cruise Guests
Jakobstad (Pietarsaari in Finnish) is an emerging cruise destination on Finland’s scenic west coast, now open to international cruise calls. This picturesque seaside town offers Baltic cruise guests a unique day experience filled with maritime heritage. The town breaths Nordic culture, and small-town charm – all close to the port of Jakobstad. One of Jakobstad’s […]
AIDA Cruises Opened the Cruise Season in Port of HaminaKotka
With sunny hot weather and blue skies, Port of HaminaKotka welcomed AIDA Cruises’ AIDAbella on Sunday June 15th for her inaugural call in Hamina. The coastal charm of the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park lured hundreds of people welcoming the port on deck. The guests were welcomed warmly by the local parade girls and our […]
Inaugural Call for Finnish-Built Carnival Miracle
Carrying around 2000 guests onboard, Carnival Miracle arrived to Finland on a sunny Sunday for a day of fun. Built in 2004 in Helsinki, this Spirit-class cruise ship had over 700 guests in different tours by Next Travel around the Finnish capital and surroundings. Guests on this trip are enjoying a 12-day cruise around Scandinavia & the […]
Why Finland is a Growing Hotspot for Cruises?
Finland is steadily carving out its place as an interesting cruise destination in Northern Europe. Known for its clean cities, expansive natural beauty, rich culture, and operational reliability, Finland offers cruise lines the opportunity to add both depth and distinction to their itineraries. As traveler expectations evolve and cruise lines look to enhance guest experience […]
Cruise Baltic Conference: Take-Aways to Chew
This week the Cruise Baltic member ports and destinations gathered in Gdansk, Poland for a summit discussing topics related to the Baltic Cruise Market. My take-aways from the diverse program is related to the Baltic cruise market development and the magics of story telling increasingly important for sales. Statistics Show Positive Bounce in the Baltic […]
Cruise Europe chairman visits Turku
A very well-known person within the cruise community is Mr Simone Maraschi, the chairman of Cruise Europe and Managing Director of Cruise Gate Hamburg. On Monday 12.5.2025 Mr Maraschi took part in a high-profile panel discussion regarding Sustainable Maritime Industry alongside Tim Meyer, from Meyer Turku Shipyard, Kiki Larsen from Maersk Mc-Kinney and Niels Rytter […]