MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2020) Estonia's Tallink Silja shipping company announced on Monday the temporary suspension of ticket sales for trips from the Swedish capital of Stockholm on the Baltic Princess cruise liner starting August 7 over the coronavirus pandemic, with customers being able to depart only from the Finnish city of Turku.
Sweden remains the worst-hit country among the Nordic states, with over 80,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,743 deaths, according to the country's health authorities.
"From Friday, 7 August 2020 until further notice from the company, Tallink Silja will sell Baltic Princess cruise tickets only in Finland. Until further notice Baltic Princess 23-hour cruise and Archipelago cruise cannot be started from Stockholm but only from Turku. Tallink Silja's decision to make the above temporary changes to ticket sales on the Turku-Stockholm route is based on the ongoing travel restrictions between Finland and Sweden due to the Covid-19 pandemic," the company said in a press release.
At the same time, Finnish passengers returning to their homeland, as well as those traveling between Finland and Sweden due to work or other unavoidable reasons, will be able to buy single tickets from Stockholm to Turku, the company added.
"In addition, the company has made the decision to continue selling tickets for its vessels only up to 75% of the vessels' total capacity, thus further ensuring there is plenty of space on board at all times for social distancing," the press release read.
The company also said that the conditions on all its vessels complied with rigorous cleaning and disinfecting protocols, adding that all passengers are required to sign a health declaration before embarking on a vessel, proving they have no illness symptoms before traveling.
