Cruise Lines Bypass Russia for Stunning Alternative Ports

A standard Baltic Sea cruise typically includes stops at several Scandinavian cities, along with possible visits to Tallinn, Estonia, or Gdansk, Poland. The charm of historic cities like Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki is certainly appealing, but St. Petersburg, Russia, often serves as the main attraction, featuring extended stays for tours of the Hermitage's vast art collection and the opulent palaces of the czars.

However, that won't be the case this year.

"We advocate for peace," stated Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival, Princess, Holland America Line, and Seabourn, when they declared on February 26 that they would cease all port calls in Russia following the nation's invasion of Ukraine.

The ongoing conflict has prompted various cruise lines to eliminate both Russia and Ukraine from their schedules this year, encouraging them to innovate with alternative port options. Consequently, Baltic Sea cruises will now feature intriguing and lesser-known destinations.

Teijo Niemelä, editor and publisher of the cruise industry magazine Cruise Business, notes that these changes present an exciting chance for travelers to explore lesser-known destinations in Scandinavia.

"While you won’t encounter anything akin to St. Petersburg, you'll discover ports that you might never have imagined visiting," Niemelä explains. "It's a fresh experience."

New port options span from Kotka (Finland) to Kuressaare (Estonia)

As cruise lines revise their itineraries, they are incorporating smaller ports that offer genuine experiences in areas less crowded by tourists, Niemelä observes.

For example, Atlas Ocean Voyages has changed the route of its 196-passenger World Navigator to include a stop in Mariehamn, Finland, during August and September, departing from Hamburg and Kiel, Germany. Also new to their itineraries are Kotka, Finland (approximately two hours from Helsinki), and the Estonian island of Saaremaa, where the World Navigator will dock beside the medieval castle in Kuressaare.

“The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our top priority,” stated Alberto Aliberti, president of the cruise line. “Given the unrest in Eastern Europe, we have modified our voyages and substituted our calls in Russia with equally captivating and charming destinations in Finland and Estonia.”

Kotka has a rich maritime history that visitors can explore at the Merikeskus Vellamo museum. It also features a good aquarium and offers activities such as kayaking, rafting, and salmon fishing, according to Royal Caribbean, which had already planned visits to the city on select sailings from Stockholm before the invasion.

Mariehamn, with a population of about 11,000 in the Åland Islands archipelago, located midway between Finland and Sweden, boasts the world’s largest fleet of ocean sailing ships and a notable maritime museum. Named in the 19th century after Russian Empress Marie Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, when it was part of Russia, it remains a popular holiday spot for Swedes, Niemelä mentions.

Saaremaa, an island in Estonia, is home to the previously mentioned castle that dates back to the 14th century, along with inviting beaches and relaxing spas.

Cruise lines like Holland America Line are replacing St. Petersburg with extended stays in Stockholm, allowing more time to delve into the history of the pop group ABBA at the ABBA museum, explore contemporary photography at Fotografiska, and enjoy the Swedish coffee tradition known as fika.

The small-ship line Windstar Cruises has canceled its sailings and tours in the Black Sea area and redirected one of its vessels to Greece and Turkey instead.

Windstar’s Baltic itineraries have been revamped to include the German resort town of Sassnitz and Wismar, known for its Hanseatic architecture (the historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site), while spending extra time in Tallinn and Helsinki. A sailing on June 13, named Baltic Delights, will overnight in Helsinki and stop in Mariehamn, bypassing a previously planned visit to St. Petersburg.

Luxury cruise line Seabourn, which originally had itineraries featuring three days in St. Petersburg between Stockholm and Copenhagen, has completely revamped its Baltic routes. Consequently, two departures from Copenhagen in July will first visit Gothenburg, Sweden's second-largest city, before venturing into coastal Norway. Another cruise will make stops at Arendal, a favored watersports spot on Norway’s southern coast, as well as Oslo and Helsingborg, Sweden, which is the narrowest stretch between Sweden and Denmark.

This year, Wismar and Rønne, Denmark—a beach destination popular with locals—have been added to Seabourn's itinerary.

A few of Seabourn's itineraries in August and September will entirely bypass the Baltics, sailing instead from Copenhagen to Dover with an overnight stay in Amsterdam, plus stops in Zeebrugge (near Bruges, Belgium) and Cherbourg (a gateway for exploring Normandy) in France.

Should more cruise passengers opt out of the Baltic Sea this year, we may witness additional cruise lines diverting away from the Baltics and repositioning their ships to other regions altogether.

In addition to the Baltic route adjustments, a Holland America Line vessel that was set to dock in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East will now make a stop in Busan, South Korea, located approximately 573 miles away across the Sea of Japan.