Christmas Cruising in the Baltic

There is so much to enjoy in Northern Europe when it comes to the festive season. It was only last year when Kemi in Finland, Santa's home, first joined Cruise Baltic. Visitors can spend a weekend in Kemi in December and become acquainted with Ranua Wildlife Park and Santa Claus Village. Providing a gateway to the northern areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the Murmansk area in Russia, during the past five years Kemi has focused on the cruise market.

Cruise companies are realising the potential of the Baltic region as a Christmas cruise destination. Christmas is full of expectations and traditions, both in the Nordic and Baltic countries. In November the shops, streets and city centres start to be decorated to create the traditional, old-fashioned Christmas atmosphere unique to this part of the world.

This year Aarhus in Denmark is being visited by Fred Olsen's ship Balmoral on her Christmas Markets departure from and returning to Dover. P & O's Arcadia will also call this season at Aarhus and both she and Cunard cruise line's and her sister ship Queen Victoria will also visit Norway's capital Oslo.

Passenger ferries are also operating four Christmas transits this season - M/S Victoria and M/S Silja Festival are departing from and returning to St Petersburg and calling at Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn. The ferry passenger shipping in St. Petersburg is a very important component for the port activities, as ice-class ferry ships can operate both in summer and in winter seasons

Tallinn Christmas Market was recently selected as one of the 20 best Christmas markets in 2009 by UK website The Times' online edition and Tallinn hopes to benefit by welcoming even more visitors from abroad during this current Christmas season. Tallinn Christmas Market takes place this year from November 29th to January 7th. The Estonian capital will host its eighth Christmas market since the tradition was revived in the post-Soviet period. The Christmas market on the square has become something of a winter festival - more than just buying and selling, it features a rich cultural programme too.