Kristina Cruises (formerly, Rannikkolinjat) is a Finnish shipping company. It acquired its present name in 1985. The company has been in cruise business for over fifty years and now successfully operates in both the domestic and the foreign cruise markets. It offers high-quality cruise programs to numerous destinations that include more than seventy ports now. Kristina Cruises now owns two vessels.
The oldest and smallest of the Kristina Cruises ships, the Kristina Brahe, was acquired immediately after the company was established in 1985. The ship was built in 1943 in the US and first was a military boat. It was rebuilt to a passenger ferry when it was sold to Norway. When Finland bought the ship in 1971, it was reconstructed to a cruise vessel by building more cabins and restaurant facilities. Despite several reconstructions, the ship's original style was retained. Now the vessel is primarily used for cruises inside the country (especially the famous Saimaa area that includes Lake Saimaa and the Saimaa Canal) and to the ports located at Gulf of Finland, mainly Vyborg and the ship's home port Kotka. The size of the Kristina Brahe also more specific ports of call possible as well as a possibility to sail overnight. The Kristina Brahe is an excellent choice for a charter cruise. The vessel is not very large; it can host up to 176 passengers in 48 outside and 9 inside cabins. Its size makes it best suited for short-distance travels.
The other of the Kristina Cruises ships, the Kristina Regina, is an originally steam passenger boat. The vessel was built in 1960 and retains the genuine atmosphere. The ship was completely modernized by the beginning of the 1989 cruising season. As the result of the 1992 renovation mini-suite cabins were built. Due to all the reconstructions, the vessel can now host up to 245 passengers and offers 129 cabins, which makes it the biggest and the most modern of the two Kristina Cruises ships. The ship serves for all international and some of the home long-distance routes. Most frequent destinations are located at the Baltic. They include such unique historic places as St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga, etc. The company also offers cruises to Iceland and Norwegian fjords as well as to a number of key destinations in Western Europe and the Mediterranean, Western Africa and the Canary Islands. Size and specificity of the Kristina Regina, combined with the up-to-date conveniences it offers, make it a comfortable and secure expedition-style ship. Both the vessels are suited for relatively short-distance voyages in the Baltic area. The company's attempt to keep "the good old days" in the ships' design makes travelers feel they are really sailing an old steamboat.
The Kristina Cruises ships are the best option if you want to travel Finland. If you are willing to follow the Czars Route or explore the calm beauty of the Finnish landscape Kristina Cruises ships will create all the conditions instrumental to making you voyage extremely rewarding.