Jonza

Thanks for the fact check. I didn't check what we were told; I must have missed a clarifier about SPB latitude.

A lot of great info has already been said, but I will try to add some more.

Six ships in port is in general not a problem. Helsinki, like other ports on a Baltic cruise, is a fairly large city. That means that the city will not feel crowded because of the cruise ships visiting, but certain attractions could be pretty packed. One thing to note is that Hop-on Hop-off busses have a route that serves all the berths so they are pretty directly affected by the total amount of visiting cruise ship passengers whereas public transport and ship’s shuttles are not.

None of these ships is huge. Serenade of the Seas is the largest with about 2500 passengers. The other extreme is the Silver Cloud with less than 300. In total the maximum capacity of those six ships is about 8500. The Port of Helsinki has not yet published the berth schedules for summer 2015 so the assigned berths are not yet known. This year that information was published in mid-January. However due to size limitations it can be fairly well said that the three large ones will be in West Harbor. Two likely on the Hernesaari side (LHB and LHC) and one on the Jätkäsaari side (LMA). The three smaller ones are likely in South Harbor. Of course there is still space for at least one more large ship in West Harbor and a couple of small ones in the South Harbor. Public transport may be crowded if you have two ships at LHB and LHC arriving/leaving at the same time and a significant proportion of DIY passengers as the area is served by a single bus line currently at 10 minute intervals. If your ships is on LMA you might experience crowded trams returning to the ship as there is a daily 6.30pm cruise ferry departure from the West Terminal.

I would also suggest reading the few newest pages of the Helsinki thread (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1606720) for examples of the sites and order in which people have visited them.

Euro is Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Germany

St. Peterburg is Rubles

Lithuania is Litas

Kroner is Denmark Sweden and Norway (but all different and different value)

Think I got all 'cruise countries' round Baltic Sea .

And for those planning for next year: Lithuania is adopting the euro on January 1st 2015.

Not disagreeing, just asking cos I don't know .........

Is there a minimum sum to withdraw from ATMs in the ports?

And if not, is there a minimum service charge which screws-up vfm on small sums like 20 or30 dollars-worth?

 

JB :)

The minimum withdraw from ATMs is the smallest domination carried by the ATM. For example here in Finland ATMs carry only 20 and 50 euro notes, so 20 is the minimum withdrawal and you can withdraw either 20, 40 ,50 ,60, 70... In other euro countries ATMs do carry other notes. For example in Germany I have gotten 5 € notes from an ATM so I would suppose that 5 € to be the minimum withdrawal available.

The service charge you pay is typically set by your own bank and not the ATM provider. These are typically set up either as a fixed fee, a fixed fee plus a percentage of the withdrawal, or a percentage of the withdrawal with a minimum. The rate may very well vary from county to country. For example my bank charges about 0.5 € fixed fee inside the euro zone and about 2€+2% for other currencies. With fixed fees or minimums smaller withdrawals will cost you more than larger ones.

I've flown Icelandair twice recently, both flights with layovers in Reykjavik (Keflavik airport.) I have had less than 1 hour layover time on both flights. There were no issues. The airport is small and easy to navigate. You will have no trouble with your layover time. It is helpful to research the airport map and layout before your trip. From your arrival gate you will proceed up an escalator (or elevator or stairs, your choice) to passport control. This is because you are entering an EU country (Iceland is EU.) From there your passport will be stamped and you will go to your departure gate. The gates don't have a lot of seating, so it is good the wait time is short between flights.

We choose to fly Icelandair over some of the others - great service and less stressful international travel.

Replace EU with Schengen and this is correct. Iceland is not a member of the European Union, but is part of the Schengen Area.

Though many of the members of the EU and the Schengen Agreement are the same, there are also differences. First there are non-EU members of the "borderless" Schengen Area: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Then there are microstates of Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City that have not signed the treaty, but have open borders with the surrounding member states. There are also EU members that are not part of the Schengen Area. Of the old EU members United Kingdom and Ireland have not joined the area. In addition there are new EU members that have not yet met the requirements to join Schengen: Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus.

Nearly all aspects of the question have already been well addressed, but I will try to add something.

Roads and paths on the islands are mainly gravel, but there are some cobble stone sections. If your stroller has large wheels you will have no problems at all with it and if it has small ones you might have a couple of difficult segments, but nothing horrible.

The fort is spread around all of the islands, but the best tunnels, views, and the canons are located close to the southern end of Suomenlinna. Map with symbols for canons and tunnels: http://frantic.s3.amazonaws.com/suomenlinna/2014/06/Matkailijankartta_EN.pdf

There are two ways to get to Suomenlinna: the public ferry that is part of the Helsinki region public transit system and the JT Line water bus.

The public ferry runs every 20 minutes (every 15 Sat and Sun) from Market Square to the main quay at Suomenlinna (map #1). The travel time is about 15 minutes. The JT Line water bus runs every 30 minutes during the day and every hour in the morning and evening to the center quay (map #20) and King's Gate (map #43). Travel time to center quay is 20 minutes and as the boat waits for the departure time there the travel time to Kings Gate is about 30 min.

The walking route from the main quay is about one mile.

HSL's prices for public transport can be found here: https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares

A day ticket valid also on the public ferry costs 8€. Single fare from a ticket machine costs 2.50€ and there are ticket machines at both terminals of the ferry. Tickets are not sold on board. The Suomenlinna return ticket at 5€ is a convenience only as there is no discount compared to two single tickets. One adult travels for free with a stroller and child in all Helsinki region public transit.

JT Line has return at 7€ and one way at 4.50€. Children 6 and under travel for free on both.

I'm sorry - I've read conflicting information as to how to arrive at Market Square from Hernesaari. Rick Steves suggested bus 14, but others have suggested bus 16. Do you know the best way to arrive via public transport? We also want to see the Esplanade so if it is easier to get off near there, and walk to market square we'd be happy to do that. Thanks so much.

The #16 suggestion is outdated as bus lines in central Helsinki have been altered in the past few years. Nowadays #14 is the only bus runing to Hernesaari and does not go to Market Square (map of line 14). However it is easy to transfer from #14 to tram #1A or #3 to get to Market Square. See the route suggestion in Journey Planner. You would take #14 from Hernesaari to stop Tehtaanpuisto and take the tram from stop Eiran sairaala across the intersection. (Streetview, bus stop front right and the tram stop across the intersection on the same side of the street. Note that 1A only runs weekday rush hours. #3 runs all day. On the way from Eiran sairaala to Kauppatori (Market Square) #3 terminate and immediately continue on as #2.

If you want to get to the other end of the Esplanade you could just stay onboard #14 until stop Bulevardi and walk 3 blocks along Bulevardi to the western end of the Esplanade (route map)

Hi,

 

We will be arriving on Wed Aug 27th at West Harbor LMA at 7am till 4pm. We are planning to visit the Suomenlinna, Rock Church, Market Square, Helsinki Cathedral & Senate Square.

 

As you explained in previous post Suomenlinna is by ferry at Market Square. So the question is what's the best route to link all these together.

 

Should we start by taking Tram #9 to Market Square, take the shuttle bus to the major shopping point or take the HOHO bus (not sure if they start at West Terminal)?

 

Thanks for all your help.

As the Market Square and Senate Square are one block apart and the Suomenlinna ferry departs from Market Square, the Rock Church is the only one of your destinations that is not in close proximity. As the church opens at 10am you probably do not want to make that your first destination.

The LMA berth and West Terminal are not the same thing. LMA is the cruise berth and the West Terminal is the terminal building serving berths LJ3-LJ6 that are mainly used by ferries and cruiseferries to Tallinn and St. Petersburg. It takes about 5 minutes to walk from the cruise berth to the West Terminal. There is a green line painted on the ground to follow. Tram #9 has its terminus right in front of the West Terminal. Tram 9 does not go to Market Square directly. You either have to transfer to line #2 or walk about 10 minutes. (map of line 9) Tram #2 does run by Market Square as well as the Rock Church (map).

The shuttle will likely drop you off at the western end of the Esplanade (map). That is about two blocks south of the Railway Station where #9 would get you.

The HOHOs will come to the ship at LMA not the West Terminal.

Which one is the best depends on what you prioritize. Public transport is least expensive and the HOHOs most expensive. Trams #2 and #9 run every 10 minutes, #9 every 8 minutes during rush hours. The HOHOs say on their websites that they run every 30 minutes. So depending on how often your ship shuttle runs, that or the tram will be the fastest one. However your ship shuttle will not get you to the Rock Church so you would either have to walk or take the tram there.

I vaguely recall that some ships (Celeb Eclipse?) were just a few feet under the max length to be permitted to sail the archipelago, and some Princess ships were just a few feet too long & therefore had to berth at Nynashamn.

So your post does make sense.

Fingers crossed ;)

 

JB :)

The official info that I was able to find is here: http://www.sjofartsverket.se/en/Maritime-services/Pilotage/Pilot-Areas/Stockholm-Pilot-Area/Standards--Procedures/Fairway-Standards/Stockholm/Ships-not-Tanker-Stockholm/

Every ship exceeding 200 meters in length is addressed individually. Those exceeding 245 meters in length or 32 meters in width are also simulated and/or tested. It comes down to how maneuverable the ship is and not just to how large it is.

If you don't want to use the shuttle the alternative would be tram 9 that will take you to the railway station, half a mile from the Market Square. The tram starts from the ferry terminal located approx. at the last "R" in the text "WEST HARBOUR" on the map.

There is a green line painted on the pavement from the cruise terminal at LMA to the tram stop. The walk is about 600 meters or 1/3 miles.

The walk from to Market Square is a bit shorter from the next stop after the railway station. The stop is called Kaisaniemi. The route in journey planner. That route does however include stairs and the route from the railway station stop (Rautatieasema) is flatter.

You can also transfer from the tram 9 to tram 2 along the way at either Simonkatu or Rautatieasema. Tram 2 then goes to the very edge of Market Square (Kauppatori). The route in journey planner.

Hello,

 

Thank you for offering Helsinki advice, your help is very much appreciated!

 

We will be stopping in Helsinki as part of our upcoming cruise. We are scheduled to be in port from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm which means we will probably get off the boat around 7:30 and I would like to be back on the boat by 3:00. In the course of my research, I would like to see the Suomenlinna Fortress, National Museum of Finland, Senate Square / Cathedral and Market Square.

 

We would like to begin our day at Suomenlinna Fortress and work our way back to the ship. Can you please suggest the order in which we should view the other locations, and how we might get there using public transportation/ferry’s? Also, is there anything on the list that we should pass on or is there anything that is not on the list that is a must see location? Thank you in advance for any help that you can provide.

 

Jason and Millie

Suomenlinna is accessed by a ferry from Market Square. Senate Square and the cathedral are one block from Market Square. The National Museum of Finland is located on Mannerheimintie on the other side of the downtown core. From Senate Square trams 4 and 7 take you directly to the museum in less than ten minutes: http://www.reittiopas.fi/en/?showsearchformsaved=hide&from_in=senaatintori&from=&via_in=&via=&via_time=0&to_in=kansallismuseo&to=&hour=12&minute=45&timetype=departure&date_cb=on&day=8&month=7&year=2014&cmargin=3&wspeed=70&method=1&stz=0&mc1=0&mc2=0&mc3=0&mc4=0&mc5=0&mc6=0&mc0=1&nroutes=3&gotoHash=

If you want to add something to your list, the Temppeliaukio Church (Church of the Rock) is visited by very many tourist. It is located a couple of blocks from the National Museum. As to anything to pass, do not go to any place just because it is on a list or because others go. Do not go to the museum if it does not seem interesting and skip Suomenlinna if it is raining heavily as it is mainly outdoor areas.

To give you better directions we would need to know which berth you will docking (http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/passengers/expected_cruise_ships) as some berths are right by Market Square and others do require transportation to downtown.

The diversion of tram routes 1A, 2, and 3 is now over.

HSL did also publish the info about public transport over Midsummer: https://www.hsl.fi/en/traffic-bulletins/2014/public-transport-over-midsummer-weekend-4991

Very odd question here. We are heading to the Baltics in July 2015 with our then 9 and 11 year old sons. My youngest is obsessed with going to Finland, but in particular with Finnish hockey. Obviously I don't expect any games to be on in July, but are there any arenas that are nearby to some of the sites that might be open? Also, anywhere you could recommend to purchase kid size Finnish hockey jerseys?

 

Thanks!

There are no games is July. Three national level teams play in the Helsinki area. Jokerit and HIFK in Helsinki and Blues in Espoo. Next season Jokerit will be playing in KHL instead of the national league.

The HIFK arena Old Helsinki Ice Hall is closest to downtown. Trams 2 and 7 travel by it. The nearest stop is Kansaneläkelaitos. There is a fan store open 10am-4pm Mon-Fri.

Jokerit plays at Hartwall Arena a little further north. Hartwall arena is reached by taking any commuter train from the central station to the next stop (Pasila) and walking about 800 meters. The arena service center sells team merchandize 10am-4pm on weekdays.

Some Jokerit and HIFK merchandize are also sold at Stockmann department store at the corner of the Esplanade and Mannerheimintie. The Blues arena is probably too far away in Espoo and only served by bus.

If you plan to use local transport then its tram 9. Exit at stop "Kamppi". Go up to the corner and turn left. You'll be able to see the church on the hill at the end of the street (Fredrik street), 650 yards away. A bit further on the way on right side of the street is a stop for tram "2" and still a bit further on a stop for buses 14, 18 or 39. One can use them, getting off at the next stop, to get marginally closer to the church if the tram and bus happen to pass by but in my mind its not worth waiting for them.

 

 

 

 

Correct. Downhill from the church along Fredrik street, then turn to the right at Arkadia street and the tram stop is at the end of the block , opposite side of the street.

 

 

 

Yes, ferry is at the east side of the Market Square (the side closest to the red cathedral) and it is included in a one day local transport ticket. There are also boats going from the west side of the Market Square but you need separate tickets for those.

 

 

 

Tram 9 again. I recommend going through downtown to the railway station (1000 yards walk or take tram 2) and take tram 9 from there (The platform closer to the railway station).

Additional note: 6/21 is Midsummer Day. Nearly all stores will be closed and many attractions have limited opening hours.

Public transit schedules are not out yet, but last year all lines started running Sunday service at 11am. Tram #9 and the Suomenlinna ferry did run all day last year and based on the journey planner are expected to do so also this year.

And one correction: the tram #9 stop for Church of the Rock is named "Kampintori". Line 9 does not have a stop named Kamppi.

Please also note that if you are coming to Helsinki before June 16th, the 2/3 route is currently diverted because of road work. The southeastern section of the route is currently replaced by bus 3X as 2 terminates at Market Square and 3 in Eira. Map of the current diversion can be found here: https://www.hsl.fi/liikennetiedotteet/2014/raitiolinjat-1-2-ja-3-poikkeusreiteilla-55-156-4703 The diversion is in effect until June 15th.

Hello,

 

Husband and I are currently debating on whether or not to do a hoho tour of Helsinki or make our own using directions from Rick Steves for the 2/3 tram tour. I was wondering if anyone had done the 2/3 tram tour and could attest to how easy it is and how much time it actually takes. Basically is it worth it just to pay more for the convenience of the Ho Ho bus or not? TIA

As a local I am not able to reliably tell how easy it seems for a visitor, but I will comment on other aspects.

The route of the 2/3 is very different from the HOHO. The tram route is longer and takes you to parts of Helsinki the HOHO does not go to so you will be seeing more of "regular city" instead of just the typical tourist attractions. To compare here are

HSL's 2/3 brochure with map: https://www.hsl.fi/sites/default/files/uploads/helsinki_sightseeing.pdf

One of the HOHO routes: http://www.redbuses.com/img/helsinki-map.jpg

The whole figure-8 onboard 2/3 would take just under one hour. The HOHO route is somewhat shorter. Trams run about every 10 minutes which is more frequent than the HOHOs that may have even 30 or 45 minute intervals. The cost of the day ticket for public transport is 8 euros and HOHOs are 25 euros.

The 2/3 runs by only the EPL berth whereas the HOHOs visit pretty much every port with a ship in port. However you can get to the 2/3 relatively easily from all berths by other public transport. Tram #9 from LMA berth, bus #14 from LHB and LHC, and tram #4/4T from Katajanokka berths. The longest walk required is from LMA to tram #9 which is nearly 600 meters.

I have no idea on what to see in Helsinki

you could advise me what to do and how to do it on time to stop 08-13

please

Check out what others have done and pick what interests you. Depending on weather you would like to try to hit as many spots as possible or just relax and stroll around the perfect plan would be completely different. You want to get to the area aroundMarket Square, Esplanade, and Senate Square. You might also do the Church of the Rock and/or Suomenlinna sea fortress (ferry from Market Square).

Is the Design Area in a specific section of Helsinki? How would we get there from the port(West Harbor)>

Thank you

Carole

There is the Desing District which is a marketing collaboration between many stores and other establishments featuring Finnish design. The Eclipse will be at berth LMA which is on the Jätkäsaari side of the West Harbor. Tram #9 will you get to the northern edge of the area. You can find more info and the map of the Desing District here: http://www.designdistrict.fi/map and all public transport info at https://www.hsl.fi/en

Does the Helsinki City Hall offer tours of the building and chambers? When we were in Glasgow, Scotland we took in a free tour of their City Hall. very beautiful building and very informative. Thanks,

 

Kevin

I will be in Helisinki July 17, 2014 Pacific Coast 08-13 stop West Harbour

given the short time available, could you recommend a route and the bus or tram to take, the type of ticket, etc.

we will be 4 adults and 2 children aged 6 and 9 years

thanks

To recommend a route would need some info on what you want to see and do. Costa Pacifica is scheduled to dock at berth LMA. The closest public transport options to LMA are tram 9 at the West Terminal and 8 at Saukonpaasi. Both are about a 600 meter walk from the LMA berth. The walking route to the tram 9 stop is marked on the ground by a green line. The route to the line 8 stop is also fairly easy. Both walks are very uninteresting as the area is a huge construction zone of a former freight harbor being turned into a part of the city.

Tram 9 takes you downtown to Central Railway Station, which is about 600 meters from the main tourist area around Senate Square and Market Square. You could also transfer to tram 2 which will take you right into the area.

Tram 8 would take you directly to the Rock Church closest stop being about 400 meters from the church. Tram 2 runs from the Rock Church to the Market Square.

In addition to public transport hop-on hop-off buses do run to the ship. Also there may be a cruise line provided shuttle.

Ticket prices as well as more route information can be found at the transport authority website: https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares Children under the age of 7 travel for free on public transport.

The tram route diversions around the Olympia Terminal have been extended until June 15th as the road work is taking longer than expected. The diversion routes and timetables can still be found in the original document: https://www.hsl.fi/en/traffic-bulletins/2014/tram-routes-1-2-and-3-diverted-5-may-1-june-4705. The article containing the info about the delay: https://www.hsl.fi/en/news/2014/allow-extra-time-if-traveling-olympia-terminal-4759

Thanks for the information and if the traffic light phasing is a problem I'm surprised they don't rephase it or provide traffic officers to better facilitate the flow of traffic. Hopefully they'll implement one (or both) of these measures to minimize the lengthy delays being experienced. Other ports are capable of handling large crowds without gridlock so hopefully something can be done to alleviate these delays in Copenhagen.

I would suppose that the location of the intersection is too central to heavily prioritize the cruise traffic coming from the port especially during the morning rush hours. I would hope that Copenhagen authorities looking at what they can do to the intersection, but Danish Viking is definitely the expert on all things Copenhagen and how fast and what their city might do to ease the problem.

To put it simply the Oceankaj is too centrally located, the intersection to the port area being about 2 miles from downtown Copenhagen, for it to be possible to add great spike in traffic without causing delays. On the other hand the actual berths are so remote (almost 2 miles from the port entrance) that it is not walkable and public transportation is sparse.

Here is the map link of the intersection I suspect of being the bottleneck in the long format, as the forum's security understandably destroyed the shortened url: https://www.google.com/maps/@55.7090905,12.589524,191m/data=!3m1!1e3

In our personal experience, the chip and signature was treated no differently than a regular magnetic strip card. Some would accept it, some would not. It seems to come down to the technology in the card readers.

In most cases, a regular card will be accepted whether it has a chip or not.

Very true. I have not come across a manned point of sales terminal that did not have the magnetic stripe reader in them. Even the newest ones featuring NFC that are currently rolling out here have the reader for the magnetic stripe. Many stores still utilize the magnetic stripe for their loyalty cards etc.

Just be prepared to show a government issued photo ID when paying without a PIN especially if the sum is large.

See my map in post 21. It would be over a two mile walk through an industrial port area with uneven walking surfaces. It was just as bad at the old dock last year. Nothing will change until they make the access road two lanes. Check Danish viking's Wonderful Copenhagen thread for updates but I highly doubt there will be any changes or improvements this year

The number of lanes does not really matter in this type of a situation. The queue is caused by something stopping the traffic flow of the single lane - most likely the first traffic signal coming out from the port area. The signal which seems to be at the intersection of the main road O2 and the road to the port (map: https://*******/maps/XPuWu) if the satellite images and street view are still accurate, the fact that there is only a single left turn lane might lower the throughput of that intersection for cruise traffic.

As the O2 has two lanes per direction, having two left turn lanes that are long enough to feed the O2 with vehicles for the entire green phase given to the port road would probably do more good than converting the entire port road to two lanes per direction. The theoretical capacity for a single lane is over 2000 vehicles per hour, the capacity at the limiting intersection is likely a lot less.

Speaking of numbers, the worst case situation for Oceankaj is three large ships doing simultaneous turnarounds. That would mean about 10,000 people exiting the port, another 10,000 coming in later in the day and all the deliveries for the ships being made. 10,000 people leaving the ships could translate to about 200 buses or 5,000 taxis or to anything in between. As a result offering public good public transport or even an additional port shuttle between the cruise terminal and the nearest train station would likely help a lot. Currently the options are the expensive cruise line transfers, twice an hour public bus only on weekdays, and taxis. It is no wonder there are significant delays.

Naturally some delays have to be accepted as transporting 10k people from the port to the airport and multiple different places around the city is not trivial. Especially you have to keep in mind that the cruise season in Northern Europe is fairly short meaning that for most of the year the port will not see any cruise traffic. During the 2014 cruise season the Oceankaj will have three ships in port on seven days and two ships in port on 20 days.

Below are some of my visual samples to prove why certain of these options are worth it. If docked near the Oslo fortress, that makes your logistics fairly easy. But in Helsinki, most ships are docked farther away, which requires more logistical help. Also in Oslo, their City Hall has some interesting art and design, inside and out. That's close and handy to the fortress. In Helsinki, their main market/shopping area is nice for walking around and soaking up the town's nice style and character.

All berths are accessible by public transportation. The closest most central berths in South Harbor are about 5 min walk from the Market Square and the furthest West Harbor berths are about 30 minutes away by public transport. A little faster (no walking from the ship to the closest stop) are often provided (for a fee) by the cruise line from the West Harbor berths. Also HOHO buses typically swing by the ships.

This is not Russian authorities, but more likely due to Schengen visa rules.

Not 100% sure but it might be, that they needs to have a multi entry Schengen visa since the cruise ship leaves and re-enters the Schengen zone by stopping in Saint Petersburg.

Yes this is very likely the case. The ship leaves the Schengen zone in Tallinn and then was supposed to re-enter in Helsinki, but if fact did in Stockholm. According to the Schengen Borders Code annex IV section 3.2.3 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:105:0001:0032:EN:PDF) exit and entry checks are done if a ship leaves the Schengen area and later returns.

Post trip feedback:

 

Silja departs at 5 and Viking at 5:30 (last check-in 4:30 for Silja and 5:15 for Viking)

 

My plane landed at 3:25. Was at 615 bus stop at 3:55 (in spite of stupid long walk on outer perimeter of airport terminal). Was at Railway station at 4:30. Could have mad Viking but played it safe and instead took Europa to Talinn . Was at their checkin (using tram 9) at 4:50 and had to wait until 5:15 when they start boarding.

 

Next day, going from West harbor to Viking terminal was pain (took almost an hour with no convenient transfer point between tram 9 and tram 4/4T)

 

Walking from tram 4 was bit inconvenient with luggage. Should have waited 7 more minutes for tram 4T. Thought of switching to tram 2 and then to 4T to avoid rolling bags for quarter mile or so but trams were crowded and hence avoided double transfer.

 

Thanks for all the info. It was very helpful.

 

(BTW, tram 2/3 are not doing figure 8 loop as there is construction going on near Olympia harbor)

Good to hear it worked out!

An hour from West Terminal to Katajanokka Terminal sounds bad. It should go in under 40 minutes even with the transfer between 9 and 4/4T not being the easiest as you will have to walk about 300 m no matter between which two stops around their intersection you decide to transfer. I am also sorry that I had the wrong distance from the Vyökatu stop on 4 to the Viking terminal. That one is also about 300 m not 150. I still think that if your luggage has wheels or you have fairly little of it, it is faster to take the 4 than wait for the 4T. Also probably less people heading for the ship and hence more space.