Are you a Rick Steves fan? His books have come in handy many a time during my travels in Europe. It was his Scandinavia guidebook which pointed me toward overnight cruises from Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Finland.
On a whim, I called Silja Line to inquire about the cruises and managed to score last-minute discounted tickets for a two-night, one-day cruise. Total cost? About $62 USD per person for a round-trip ticket for a two-person cabin. Score! I immediately booked the tickets and told HH that I made weekend plans for us. Haha. I'm not that arbitrary. I had mentioned the possibility of a cruise, HH said he would be interested, and we agreed to go if the costs were reasonable. (Oh, whoa! I just checked to see what the going rate is for 2008, it would cost $288 for the same round-trip ticket now!!! Even back then, it would have cost $114 off-season weeknights so I totally got a deal.)
The cruise left at 5 p.m. from Stockholm, arriving the next morning in Helsinki. Normally, it leaves again around that same time, but there was a marathon that weekend in which many of the people from Stockholm were competing so our day in Helsinki extended until 9 p.m. Yay! Extra hours in a new city and country and discounted tickets.
Since Stockholm is in the middle of an archipelago, passing scenic little islands at sunset was one of the best parts of the trip. We grabbed seats on the deck to admire the view before heading inside for dinner.
