Helsinki looking forward to record-breaking summer cruise season

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Almost 300,000 cruise passengers are expected to visit Helsinki over the current cruise season. Some 60 cruise ships have already reserved a berth, while 14 of them will visit the Finnish capital for the first time. A total of 275 calls have been reserved so far.
      Cruise liners are expected to dock in Helsinki almost daily until the end of September. The best days will see five cruisers at the same time.
      The first cruise ship to call on Helsinki since the summer cruise season started was the Norwegian MS Fram.
     
The first large cruiser, MSC Opera, carrying more than 2,000 passengers, docked at the Hernesaari cruiser quay in Helsinki’s West Harbour on Wednesday morning, coming from Stockholm and leaving for St. Petersburg in the evening.
     
In the current summer season, the number of so-called exchange calls will amount to 18. An exchange call means that passengers either start or finish their cruise in Helsinki.
      ”Such exchange calls were launched a couple of years ago, when we exchanged some 600 to 700 passengers during a few calls. Now the number of exchange passengers will be more than 1,000”, reports Eeva Oittinen, the Communications Manager of the Port of Helsinki.
     
Since the beginning of May, the City of Helsinki has been setting up a new terminal in Hernesaari to serve cruise passengers.
      The terminal will house only a check-in for luggage as well as a number of toilets. In addition, cruise passengers will have a chance to have some coffee and to do a bit of last-minute shopping in the quay area.
     
”One of Helsinki’s main attractions is its location close to St. Petersburg, while an increasing number of travellers have become interested in the entire Baltic region as a popular cruise destination”, notes Tourist Director Pirkko Nyman from the Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau.
      ”In the Baltic region, there are several cultures and cities with entirely different histories, and a passenger can see a lot during a single trip. The best things about Helsinki are the beauty of the city itself and the friendly people. Another feature to distinguish Helsinki from other cities is its cleanliness”, Nyman concludes.
      Among the cities in the Baltic area, St. Petersburg was regarded as the most interesting destination last year, while Helsinki was ranked as the second best. Stockholm was ranked third, Copenhagen fourth, and Tallinn fifth.
      The states in the Baltic Sea area have been cooperating, having common marketing and goals for the region. Moreover, funding has been sought from the European Union even for the current year.
     
International cruise ships bring revenue for both the state and the capital itself.
      Last year the income amounted to EUR 32 million, including various fees relating to routing, piloting, and wharfage.
      In 2007, a cruise passenger spent an average of EUR 128 during his or her visit to Helsinki.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  New giant cruise liner will initially operate in European waters (11.4.2008)
  Helsinki cruise summer gets off to busy start (28.5.2007)

Links:
  Port of Helsinki
  Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau

Helsingin Sanomat