Finncanopus to Finland - premiere of new vessel

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Guest writer: Jonathan Gharbi de Maré

Then it was time for a premiere in a double sense. Both for me to take the boat to Finland and for the boat Finncanopus to take passengers on its first maiden cruise to Finland.

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Finnlines has just purchased a modern and more environmentally friendly vessel with room for 1100 passengers. The journey across to Naantali takes about 8 hours with a short stop in Åland on the way.

The boat carries about half the number of passengers compared to the larger ships, and with fewer passengers, the pace is slower. The boat departs from Kapellskär, just north of Stockholm, and cruises to Naantali which is the home town of the Moominworld, where you can visit the beauty parlour of Snorky the Frog and get acquainted with the Hateful Nights.

For those of you who prefer to read about the Hattie Nights rather than hang out in the bar with their counterparts on a Friday night, Finncanopus is a good option. It's not a party boat so you can enjoy good food and drink instead. Their restaurant Mickes wine & dine has a menu by Finnish star chef Henry Alén.

On the maiden voyage, a menu with classic Riesling and a lovely red wine from Syria was served. Wine from Syria is really unusual but compared to many other new wine countries it was of a good standard. The wines were selected by sommelier Samuil Angelov, a well-known restaurant and wine profile in Helsinki. 

It offers fine dining with classic table settings and a cosy atmosphere. Prices are affordable, with a four-course meal costing around SEK 770. If you choose one of their menus, there are also recommended wines if you do not want to choose yourself.

For those who prefer the buffet, there is one downstairs with everything from salmon to burgers and a lovely table with desserts and ice cream. For 395 SEK you get an archipelago lunch buffet with everything from sea delicacies to wine and beer included, a real dealbreaker you won't find on land. 

You can also enjoy the sauna and whirlpool in the spa area. The Finnish sauna tradition is also present here and there is not just one sauna but several. There is also a gym next door for those who want to prepare themselves with a vigorous workout before starting their odyssey in the buffet.

The new fine cabins are available in a few different classes where you can choose everything from ordinary cabins with windows facing the sea to family rooms and more exclusive rooms with large windows and really cosy beds. 

So how was the premiere? For the boat, it was probably an easy premiere in fairly icy waters, but since the boat goes via Åland with a short stop in Långnäs, there will be no major sea swing. The fear of having to run reluctantly with your glass from one side to the other to finally stumble in the middle of the floor with the drink over you do not need to have here.

For me the evening was a success with nice people and pina colada. The staff did their best to make the first guests feel welcome and the drinks were good. There were several beers to choose from, ranging from Finnish ipa to classic karhu, a Finnish lager. 

Renowned bartender Josephine Sondlooch has developed some really good cocktails, and they cost considerably less on the boat than in the Stockholm nightlife where she normally resides. She was also recognised as the best bartender in the Nordic region in 2017. 

The live band framed the evening nicely with pleasant classics played at the bar. If they get a cold or miss the boat, there is also a big screen in one of the bars where the band can perform every night of the week. 

It was an eye-opener for me, who otherwise prefers the rough roads of Kyrgyzstan and small breweries in Eastern Europe. This was new to me and very enjoyable. A big part of the experience, of course, was meeting new people and just enjoying an evening with no obligations or routines. All this was a success and much thanks to all the nice people around me but there will probably be a trip again in the future.  

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Jonathan Gharbi De Maré

Jonathan runs the start-up abudhabibeer.com about beer both in the UAE with offshoots in neighbouring regions. Jonathan opened the first craft brewery in Burkina Faso and wrote the book Beer guide to Vietnam. He is a regular writer for the beer magazine Maltesen. In addition to beer, he has a keen interest in nature and more unusual travel destinations. He has written articles for a variety of newspapers and magazines.

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