My focus normally is on longer, cruise style ferry experiences or at least overnight crossings, and it hast been a long time since I took a day trip. This was the second stage our 2025 summer holiday on the Baltic Sea and took us from Stockholm to the Åland Isles. It is a very popular route – partly because of the scenic setting and particularly because of the low price of alcohol and the availability of ‘real’ duty-free on board of one of Europe’s last ‘booze cruises’ made possible by the islands’ status outside the EU tax area.
Passengers also use the ferries for excursions to Finland or Sweden respectively. Viking Line and Tallink/Silja Line daily offer up to six departures each way with Viking operating the majority of sailings.
Given the high availability of sailings and the focus on ancillary revenue from passengers through bars and duty free shops, passenger tickets for our trip to Mariehamn on the Åland Isles came in pretty cheap. Viking Line charged us just 41 Euros for the deck passage (2 adults, 1 youth) on the Viking Gabriella. Good value for a 6 ½ hour / 80 nm crossing.
Check in can be done easily online or at kiosks in the terminal. I couldn’t make it work on the Viking Line app, however. Boarding is via the 1st floor where passengers assemble in a dreary holding area that looks very much like a low-cost airport.
The disembarking passengers seemed rather pale-faced at this early hour – maybe due to too extensive use of the duty-free drinking opportunities.
The M/V Viking Grace is an impressive Ro/Pax-ferry. On board there is a focus on entertainment, gambling, as well as comprehensive children’s programs – and of course a huge duty-free shop.
She joined the fleet of Viking Line in 1997, where here sister ships Isabella and Amorella already served. Why the ‘national’ shipping company of the Åland Isles names their ships like fairies in a children’s cartoon remains a bit of a mystery though.
Boarding was rather shambolic as everyone was eager to find good seats for the crossing, and I regretted not having booked a day cabin a bit.
Whilehe the ship’s indoor areas offer plenty of comfortable options, most seating areas are attached to bar or café, so you are required to order food and drinks there and can’t eat or drink anything you brought with you. The rules are strictly policed by stern matrons. Given the low ticket prices I get that Viking needs to protect their revenue, but huge stretches of seats and tables were off-limits and in fact, some twelve lounge chairs next to the lockers on Deck 9 were the only free seating places we could identify. Head there fast upon boarding when you travel with luggage or want to bring your own snacks.
That said, the offerings on board seemed to be quite good value for money. The grand breakfast in the Aurora Buffet looked nice at 23 Euros but we didn’t bother given the early departure and just had some delicious Kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) and coffee from the Sweet and & Salty café on Deck 10.
A nice open-faced salmon and egg sandwich with a slice of apple tart with custard were a nice light lunch later at 15 Euros. A beer on the sundeck was 7.50 Euros
There where plenty of entertainments options during the crossing and of course a lot of drinking was going on. Given how heavy those ferries are used and how many passengers use them every day, the indoor and outdoor spaces where in a pretty good shape. At times, however, the cleaning staff had a hard time with all the empty cans and glasses.
All the accessories from blinky bars to the enormous and well-stocked duty-free shop couldn’t distract us from the main event: the crossing as this has got to be one of the most interesting ferry crossings landscape-wise.
After leaving Stadsgården harbour, passengers are treated to scenic views of Stockholm’s old town before the ferry enters the Stochholm archipelago, a fascinating area of the Baltic sea with more than 24,000 islands. On winding waterways the ferries to Gotland, Finland, and the Åland Isles cruise through this fascinating “garden” of islands, coves, and skerries offering ever-changing scenery.
During summer ferry traffic is heavy and a lot of ship-spotting can be done.
The following stretch of open water offers some welcome downtime.
Before you know it, the Marhällan Lighthouse announces the upcoming stop in Mariehamn.
We disembarked there together with quite a few others headed for the lovely islands, while most passengers either continued to Finland – or took the oncoming ferry right back to Stockholm.
All things considered the scenic landscape of the Stockholm archipelago makes for a memorable experience despite the ship’s busy nature. If you want to get away from the booze cruise feel, perhaps get one of the moderately prized day cabins.
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