zoomImage Courtesy: Port of Helsinki

Finnish Port of Helsinki expects the 2017 cruise season to be busier than the previous one, with 270 cruise ships carrying around 440,000 passengers.

This year’s cruise season is scheduled to commence on May 3 with the arrival of cruise ship Astor to the Katajanokka Quay and close on October 20 with the visit of AIDAvita.

“The busiest day this summer will be May 31, when no less than five cruise ships arrive in Helsinki: Norwegian Getaway at the Melkki Quay, the German cruise ship AIDAmar and the Italian cruise ship MSC Magnifica in Hernesaari, and the luxury cruise ships Le Soleal and Ocean Dream in the South Harbour. Altogether these five cruise ships will bring over 11,000 cruise visitors to Helsinki in a single day,” Jenny Taipale, Project Manager at Helsinki Marketing, said.

A total of six cruise ships will be visiting Helsinki for the first time this summer. The vessels in question are Viking Sky, MSC Magnifica, Norwegian Getaway, Seven Seas Explorer, Columbus and Mein Schiff 6.

Cruise ships will arrive at four different harbors in Helsinki: Katajanokka, the South Harbour, Hernesaari and the West Harbour (Melkki Quay). Melkki Quay for the Port of Helsinki’s cruise ship traffic will be replaced with a new quay in 2019. The new quay will be able to receive vessels up to 360 metres long.

This year, Cruise Baltic expects the number of cruise visitors to the Baltic Sea region to increase by 13 percent and the number of cruise ship visits by 15 percent.