Fully booked

Going to Tallinn or Helsinki and the ferry is fully booked? No worry, there is still hope! Ask if you can have a järjekorranumber, and remember to tell how many you need (usually one per person). 

About half an hour before the ship leaves, there will be kuulutus in the terminal loudspeakers about the possible available places*. Be sure to have your passport & means of payment ready as time is of the essence now! The queue numbers will be lower than those in the picture for sure, but still -  it is always a good idea to book your journey in advance. Then you are guaranteed a place and at a (more) reasonable price as well.

*Most terminals have this type of system.

sanasto = sõnastik = vocabulary
etukäteen = ette, enne (midagi, kedagi) = in advance
Haluatteko jonotusnumeron? = Kas te soovite järjekorranumbrit? = Would you like to have a queue number?
jono = järjekord = queue
jonotusnumero  = järjekorranumber = queue number
kohtuuhintaan = mõistliku hinna eest, vastuvõetava hinnaga = at a reasonable price
kovaääniset = valjuhääldi = loudspeakers
kuulutus = kuulutus = announcement
kuvassa =  pildis = in the picture
Laiva on loppuunmyyty = Laev on väljamüüdud  = The ship is fully booked
loppuunmyyty = väljamüüdud = sold out, fully booked, booked solid
maksuvälineet = maksmisvahendid = means of payment
matkan varaaminen = reisi broneerimine = booking a trip
Meillä ei ole vapaita paikkoja = Meil ei ole koht = We don't have any places vacant
paikka = koht = place, vacancy
puolisen tuntia ennen = umbes pool tundi enne =  about half an hour before
Varatkaa matkanne mielellään etukäteen = Palun tehke broneering varem valmis = Please, do book your trip in advance
varata matka = reisi broneerida = to book a journey
Vielä on toivoa = Veel on lootust  = There is still hope

Onboard & offboard



Port side of the M/S Tallink Star

Let's get familiar - in the three blog languages - with ships! Do you know for example what the front of a ship is called - or the right side (seen from the rear)?

You might also want to know that at night, the port (left) side of a vessel is indicated with a red navigation light and the starboard (right) side (yes, there's your answer!) with a green one. This is of course to indicate for other ships how the ship lies, but may also be of interest for anyone standing on deck at night looking out at the sea - which everybody should do at least once in a lifetime!


Autokansi - Autotekk - Car deck

Car deck is of course to transport cars and other vehicles aboard the ship. "Other vehicles" mean e.g. trucks, trailers, lorries, buses, vans, motorbikes and bicycles. Some car decks provide electrical outlets. Passengers need of course to vacate the car deck  during the voyage, but you can usually leave your pet in the car if the trip is short enough - summertime with a window open, and a water bowl nearby.

 

This picture was taken from inside the bow of  M/S Superstar just entering the Port of Tallinn. Port here means of course the harbor area and not the ship's port, i.e. its left side. The port of Tallinn consists of several harbors, one of which is the D-terminal where this particular ship enters. Read more about the harbors here.

A passenger ship has cabins of all sorts and sizes. Cabin is a must with overnight trips, and handy on a shorter trip, especially returning home from a day-cruise.
 


Last but not the least - the first part of a ship that touches the water as the ship moves forward - the bulb. Sometimes submerged and unseen. It is there to reduce the ship's drag, and thus increase speed, fuel efficiency and stability. It does of course break the ice a bit as well, but that is not its primary function. Bon voyage!

 

 

laivasanasto = laevasõnastik = ship vocabulary
bulbi, keulapaksunnos = bulb, bulbous bow
hytti = kajut = cabin
kansi = tekk = deck
keskiosa = midships
keula = bow (the forward part of the hull of a ship)
keula = prow (the part of the bow above the waterline)
laita = parras = board
laiva = laev = ship, ferry
paapuuri (aluksen perästä eteenpäin katsoen vasen laita) = pakpoord = port
perä (ulkoa katsottuna) = pära = stern (the rearmost part of a ship seen from outside, i.e. offboard)
perä (sisältä katsottuna) = ahter = aft (the rearmost part of a ship seen from outside, i.e. onboard)
potkuri = sõukruvi, laevakruvi = propeller
runko = kere = hull
tyyrpuuri (aluksen perästä eteenpäin katsoen oikea laita) = tüürpoord = starboard

Silja Europa to Helsinki-Tallinn route

Muutama viikko after the entrance of Eckerö Line's M/S Finlandia, a new ferry enters the Helsinki West Harbor as Silja Europa and Baltic Princess swap routes at Tallink Silja. With the bigger Silja Europa the Tallink cruise passengers are in for a new experience! It is bigger, but is it better? Some will definitely say so. But as you know, there is no accounting for taste. 

So what will you say - try and see for yourself! The ship sails out like always daily at 6.30 p.m. and takes you back to Helsinki at 4.30 p.m. the following day. And as always, you have a few hours to spend in Tallinn as well. Head reisi!

sanasto = sõnastik = vocabulary 
elämys = elamus = experience
Hyvää matkaa! = Head reisi! = Have a pleasant journey!
kuten aina = nagu alati = as always, like always
kuten tiedät = nagu sa tead = as you know
laiva = laev = ship, ferry
makuasioista ei sovi kiistellä = maitse üle ei vaielda = there is no accounting for taste
muutama viikko = mõned nädalat = a few weeks
Onko se parempi? = Kas see on rohkem? = Is it better?
päivittäin, joka päivä = iga päev = daily
reitti = marsruut = route
risteily = ristlus = cruise
risteilyalus, risteilijä = ristluslaev, ristleja = cruise ship, cruiser
risteilymatkustaja, risteilijä = ristlusreisija = cruise passenger
Se on suurempi/isompi = See on suurem =  It is bigger
vaihtaa = vahetada = to swap

Eckerö Line's new ferry

The Finnish based Eckerö Line is one among the few ferry companies arranging transportation between Helsinki and Tallinn, in this case between Länsiterminaali in Helsinki and the A-terminal in Tallinn. The company has recently acquired a new ferry on the route, M/S Finlandia which makes the trip in two and a half hours (instead of the earlier 3.5h). If you think it resembles  Tallink's Superstar, sul on täiesti õigus: the two ships are sister ships - Superstar built in Italy in 2007 and Finlandia in South Korea in 2001 (overhauled in Sweden last year). To confuse you even more, the earlier ferry called M/S Finlandia is the now St. Peter Line owned M/S Princess Maria, which used to sail under the name Finlandia between  Helsinki and Stockholm before Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony took over in the early 90's. To clear any confusion about ship names, ownerships and history, we have the IMO-ship identification system. Anyway, this new ferry is a welcome addition to the busy route between the two cities. So however you get there - enjoy your trip!

PS. Next ferry you can read about in this blog will be M/S Silja Europa, which will be cruising between Helsinki and Tallinn under the name Tallink Europa - jo tässä kuussa!

sanasto = sõnastik = vocabulary 
entisestään = veelgi = even more
hämmennys, sekaannus = hämmeldus, segadus = confusion

jo tässä kuussa = juba sel kuul = already this month
joka tapauksessa = igal juhul = anyway, in any case
laiva = laev = ship, ferry
laivayhtiö = laevandusettevõte= ferry company
olet aivan oikeassa = sul on täiesti õigus = you are quite right
omistajuus = omandus = ownership
näiden kahden kaupungin välillä = nende kahe linna vahel = between the two cities
peruskorjattu = kapitaalremonditud = overhauled, completely renovated
reitti = marsruut = route
sisaralus = sõsarlaev = sister ship
tervetullut lisä = teretulnud täiendus = a welcome addition
tässä tapauksessa = sel juhul = in this case
vilkas reitti = a busy route
vilkasliikenteinen = elava liiklusega = with busy traffic