Oct 24 - Helsinki to Tallinn Estonia via Viking XPRS cruise ship

October 24, 2026

Oct 24 - Helsinki to Tallinn Estonia via Viking XPRS cruise ship

Wow what a hassle of a travel day at the start… I figured alarm at 8, leave at 9, the transport travel app says 35 minutes so should leave me plenty of time right ? Forget the golden rule always allow at least 30 extra minutes…

Well I’m having breakfast 830 and I realize what if that isn’t allowing enough extra time ? I might get in a bind here… so rush rush to get finished, do dishes clean up the apartment and then take out the trash and recycle to the trash room outside in the courtyard (opens with the door key I’m told).

Ok everything ready still just 850 I take the trash out but no the trash room door doesn’t open with it… so I leave the stuff aside the door and head back, grab my bags and go out to the tram stop, just in time to see the #7 has passed about a minute ago… geez, look up it’s 12 minutes til the next one, which I ride for 4 stops then transfer to the 5 to the port terminal… ok well what’s that, the sole on my left heel is flapping lol… geez.. these are nice Italian leather boots but I haven’t worn them in 22 years since virginia, I did try them on and shined them up nice..

but oh hell with it I pick up the sole and figure not to wait 12 mins I’ll walk 3 mins down to the Hakaniemi stop get something quicker there it’s a bigger stop, halfway down the block… no lie… the right sole comes off.. geez and it’s wet but I don’t have time to stop and open up the big suitcase dig out my air walks and besides they are full of stuff to make everything fit.. so soles in hand I press on and yes here comes the 3 in 2 minutes, so take that down to where it connects with the 5 and get off.

Here comes a 5T in 6 minutes but wait, 5T ? What about the 5 ? Look on the map the 5T goes to the other cruise port not the one I want… luckily an English speaking person is nearby can you help me ? Yes... she gets on her app and says yes the 5T will take you there, oh good… but which direction will it be going ? To my cruise port or the other one ? I came this way so I must want to go the other way.. ok yes that’s right… go down the platform to where you can cross and cross and here 2 minutes is a 5T going the other way and most of the people on the platform have suitcases or travel bags… so yes a packed tram all the way to the cruise port where everyone gets off and walk over, about 2500 people take this ferry it’s a busy Saturday…

get in there to check in there’s big lines by now it’s past 930 the email said check in and boarding close at 10:00 I’m worried… finally find my confirmation email and get my boarding card and rush up to the XPRS (name of the ship) boarding gate, and wait… everyone is standing there or having a coffee or a drink or a smoke no rush at all, I get in line it’s supposed to close for boarding at 10? Wait 10 til, 5 til, I ask someone if they speak English, they ignore me look straight ahead… dumpy little guy girl can’t tell poor thing… ask the people behind me is it always like this ? Yes she says, but my email says it closes at 10 ? Well no they open the doors at 10 you have to be checked in by 10 is all….

So great 10:03 the glass doors open and everyone rushes on, up the escalator but no luggage I have to go up an elevator, get there is it level 3 or 4 ? Lol… I go to the top and get on the ship, there’s nobody checking passports or boarding cards as I was told and I’m on… but where now is the luggage room ? I have a big bag and my knapsack follow the sign that says luggage but nothing there… anyway.. find a seat and open my bag, take off my shoes put them in the mixed trash garbage, put on my air walks… never did find a luggage room… so now find a place to sit down no they are all filled with people but here and there at the various cafes and bars there’s an empty seat… after a while I decide go outside lugging this bag around is no good…. Outside there’s plenty of room tho everything is wet to sit on since the rain last night and now we are at sea…. Take the video and send it, walkback in find the lounge a nice seat there, rock band playing California dreaming but in a different language… but then they get too loud so in search of a quiet place to sit down and here is some luggage lockers… but all the big ones are full… shoot… keep walking here’s another set of luggage lockers and big ones open, use your boarding pass it scans the rf id then put in your credit card 5€ for 4 hours and #28 open the door ? Yes... so all good there now I’ll find a quiet place to sit and update the blog… and I do right by the window but somehow my laptop is hot and won’t start… search for a place to charge it and find an open seat by the window between a bunch of video slots, by the luggage so open up my luggage locker and get out my charging equip type e, c, or f I’m not sure which these ones are but now I’m plugged in with a padded seat by the window and all is good… lol… what a morning…

Well the boots are handmade Italian and very comfy and nice looking but I bought them for snow and cold in virginia so after storage at Florida and Arizona all those years the glue let go, yes I thought about saving the soles get them repaired but no hell no where I’m going things should be cheap I’ll get something new those things let me down when I needed them now they are just a bad memory and my feet are still cold…

Now I can hear the band down the hall singing country road take me home in English and all the people are singing along… wow they all speak English… lol lol…. I’m just having a dark chocolate bar still have cashews and cranberries and soft apricots from Lidl… places to eat everywhere here but… 34€ for the buffet ? I don’t think so 6.50€ for a hot dog… anyway, it’s only another hour we will be there by 130 I’ll eat when I get to Tallinn, Hyatt didn’t give me early check in they say 3:00 but I’m sure there will be plenty of places to eat between the cruise port and the hotel.

Ok you are all caught up lesson for the day ALWAYS ALWAYS allow a bunch of extra time there’s no better feeling that getting there and have a hour to wait…

Now once we docked it got a whole lot better... take off walking don't know which way to go but taxi drivers all over trying to hustle a ride... no i looked on the map before it's gotta be pretty close i just follow the crowd.. half went to the right, half went to the left...

so i go to the left. lol and of course by the time i get to clear space and check the google map my hotel is to the right but only about 8 minutes walk, Hyatt Place, my old favorite chain from business travel, always a great hot shower and king bed, and free breakfast, tho they say this breakfast isn't free, anyway... i get there and well yes breakfast is free for members they just don't advertise it to regular customers... so i'm here for 3 nights and nice clean new hotel, i get changed and go walk around the old town, find the info center and the bike rental shop who will rent a bike for any number of days and come pick me up if i want...

so maybe i'll stay here longer, or go to tartu, the 2nd largest city in Estonia, where the University is... cuz prices are sooooo cheap you can't believe it... my room in a brand new Hyatt is $60 a night... i didn't get lunch on the ship so went into a little mini grocery for baked goods well a cheese danish, cream puff, and a cinnamon roll came to 2.43€ for real ?

The old town is cool and well preserved parts are from the 1400's that i saw and i think maybe even older than that tho i don't know the history yet... History museum is likely on a rain day which is forecast for Monday, reminds me of Cahors France or Ljubljana Slovenia or some of the towns in Italy big wide rock pavers in the streets old turrety looking buildings, well see the pics i got a few today... feels like a magical kind of place, tho very touristy it was crowded today being Saturday the cruise ships like mine bring thousands so it's pricey to eat or shop in that area, more to come on that.

After a while walking there i decided come back and have dinner in the hotel i'm tired my feet are tired and you know i can't decide hunt around for ever for the perfect place, well this new hotel has a restaurant in the lobby i looked on the menu vegan bowl and other stuff appealed to me so that would leave me time to do a load of laundry yet before call it a day... here on day 6 of the adventure socks and underwear getting low... so the vegan bowl was great, vegan sausage over curry millet and mixed greens with sliced pomegranate in it... no bread or crackers so i ordered the crisp garlic bread thot it wouldn't be enough well... they serve big portions here like chicago size... huge bowl but then the garlic bread was thick heavy black bread toasted and cut into strips and slathered in garlic + butter it was soooo rich and garlicky i'm in bed now 4 hours later still urpy from it lol.... anyway... so i had to order a na beer to wash that down and i had a new trainee waiter first, asked him a question about the salad and he didn't know disapeared, then another guy Yaraslov showed up, asked him a question he admit he didn't know he'll go ask the chef... come back he says well i'm new my last job was KFC but this is much better lol.... anyway he acted so nervous i said man you don't smile much, you better practice on that some... lol he says yeah i hear that a lot...

anyway, after dinner well i forget before dinner i go to the fitness room and work out shoulders again with weights about 15 mins again, decided every other day i'll do that and alternate days cardio walking or biking...

so then i gather up all the laundry oh i bought a transit card at the info center too and took a tram ride so there's a laundry 3 stops over from here i go do laundry 7€ a load which includes soap and hope the video comes through that thing was spinning like a rocket ship, it took 31 mins right next door is a supermarket called RIMI i go in there prices are super cheap again, at least 12 different types of seltzer of course i get the cheapest .59€ a bottle and 2 bottles of na beer they had about 10 different kinds of that... and 2 protein bars all told 5.43€ wow this is great. Finish up the laundry and by now it's past 9 and trams are few and far between but here comes one as i get out there i race over and catch it and only 2 stops later find a shortcut to the Hyatt place and now i am abed all clean clothes put away and seltzer and na beer chilling in the frig and i have finished my blog work for the day it's 1130 by the time i get the pics uploaded it will be midnight but i sleep til 830 and free breakfast and another day of adventure awaits !

Cool old building

Oh i forgot, the jerk guy that ignored me in the line, saw him on the ship he was playing the video games around where i was sitting by the window and he was drunk and loud and speaking perfect english ! he went to cash in some money and dropped his drink glass on the floor breaking glass and spilling liquor everywhere and just walked off and left it like that lol lol... wheee... and there was another guy from Gabon there cashed in 2000€ playing the roulette ... i didn't play anything but lots of people did put in 10 20 50€ at a time...