*pr-trip with Tallink by invitation
The week began with snowstorms and I was anxious about what will happen when the new Tallink MyStar ship sets off on its maiden voyage to Tallinn. The ship was manufactured in Rauma shipyard, and it first travelled from there to Tallinn and then from Tallinn to Helsinki’s West Harbour, where the new ship MyStar was received with a water salute. By Tuesday afternoon, the snow storm had subsided, leaving behind a heavy snowfall only. And we were ready to onboard the ship for its maiden voyage from Helsinki to Tallinn.
Before I started travel blogging in 2005 traveling abroad meant for me just a ferry trip to Stockholm or Tallinn. So it was great to be involved in photographing this new way to travel from Helsinki to Tallinn, and to be on its maiden voyage when everything was brand new. Tallink MyStar offered a luxurious view for the eyes – Do watch my video of MyStar’s maiden voyage.
The ship arrived in Tallinn quickly, in just two hours, and it didn’t stay in the port for long before returning back to Helsinki. The round trip was more than necessary to get to know the new ship and to eat something. Of course, the ship’s two-story shopping paradise, Traveller Superstore, would require its own two-hour cruise to make some purchases. They had lovely Christmas decorations and handbags for sale. I managed to find my own mascara quickly as I knew what to look for. That mascara was 4 euros cheaper in this ship than onshore or on the manufacturer’s website.
In the video, you can also get a quick glimpse of MyStar’s lounge areas, which offer passengers an easy and comfortable way to travel by sea for an additional fee. In addition to the Comfort and Business Lounges, which provide comfortable and business seating areas, MyStar also had a separate Platinum Lounge. It offers a stylish and private area to sit and watch your own TV while the waiter brings you everything available on request. However, the price tag for that experience is 500 euros.
I visited quickly the Platinum Lounge, and its privacy and peace were really a content creator’s dream. You could even hide the sea view, unlike in other lounge areas, which were more suitable for travel companions and of course, solo travelers. All lounge areas, which were located on deck 8, offered food and drink, but mainly small bites in the Comfort Lounge. Drinks were also available. The tea was very good, although not organic.
Check out my earlier video of the Business Lounge lunch offerings on the other Tallink ship M/S Star.
Getting to know the MyStar’s buffet table
MyStar ship has seven restaurants, cafes, bars, and other areas. I familiarized myself with the Delight Buffet restaurant on the ship, which had a basic yet stylish interior, but which still paled slightly in comparison to the amazing Chef’s Kitchen’s interior on the same ship.
The buffet selection included typical Silja buffet foods from many different groups, and due to the time of year, the selection was Christmassy.
At the Fisherman’s Market, there were, among other things, herring, caviar, shrimp, salmon, pike, potatoes, sauces, and sour cream.
At the Christmas Market, there were, among other things, traditional herring salad and gray salted Christmas ham, vegan rosolli, salmon pie, pate, and pickles.
At the Green Market, there were, among other things, soy curry, vegetable quinoa salad, hummus, salad, cold soup, grilled vegetables, seeds, and pickled herring.
The warm vegan dishes included vegan Christmas sausage, roasted turnip, rosemary beetroot, and herb-roasted potatoes.
At the Farmer’s Market, there were, among other things, roast beef, pork belly, chicken wings, trout, cod, and carrot casserole.
At the dessert market, there were, among other things, ice cream and sauce, chocolate mousse, dark chocolate raw cake, fresh fruit salad, and pine cone cake, which I had praised in a post a year ago about Silja’s Christmas buffet.
In addition, the all-time first MyStar Delight Buffet cheese selection included blue cheese and brie cheese, fig and lingonberry jam, nuts, biscuits, and dried apricots, dates, and figs. The bread table also featured, among other things, Christmas loaves with spreads. Gluten-free bread might have been possible to arrange on request, as it was available, for example, in the Comfort Lounge selection.
The traditional cold and hot draft beverages with lemonades and mineral waters, as well as beers and wines, were served as drinks. Tea and coffee were served as dessert beverages.
The cost for this Delight Buffet lunch and dinner buffet, which is served three times a day is €32 for adults, €18 for young people, €14 for school-aged children, €4 for younger children, and children under 1 year eat for free.
Facts about the MyStar ship
The construction of the MyStar ship began in April 2020 at the Rauma Marine Construction shipyard in Rauma, Finland, and the ship was delivered on December 7, 2022, and it made its maiden voyage on December 13, 2022.
The ship has 12 decks, 46 passenger cabins, and a passenger capacity of 2800. In addition to restaurants, cafes, bars, and lounges, MyStar features a completely new area designed for families with children called Family Picnic, as well as a Lottemaa play area. On deck 7, the Traveller Superstore allows you to take selfies and other pictures with the Moomins. There is also a dog kennel on board for pets.
The new MyStar ship looks stunning, and its interior was designed by the Finnish interior design firm dSign Vertti Kivi & Co. The designer drew inspiration from the Baltic Sea region’s environment, culture, and people, and the design concept is called “Beauty of the Baltic Sea.” I was particularly impressed by the appearance of the Chef’s Kitchen restaurant, which you can see in the attached picture.
MyStar Traveller Superstore selection
As MyStar’s Traveller Superstore is like a floating department store, I’ll quote a bit from MyStar’s brochure to give you an overview –
The Traveller Superstore offers products from leading beauty, fashion, confectionery and beverage brands, as well as from small local producers and responsible brands. You can walk through the shops located on two floors, forming the largest shopping center in the Baltic Sea.
MyStar also features Kiehl’s, La Mer, and Jo Malone SHOP-in-SHOP concept stores, a Calvin Klein pop-up store, a ShiShi pop-up Christmas decor area on Deck 8, and a unique Shop-in-Shop Moomin store on Deck 7.
There are many products specially designed for MyStar. Exclusive MyStar products include a special box of Fazer chocolate confectionery, Orkla’s “Greetings from the Captain” milk chocolate bar (which by the way tasted very nice), MyStar version of Toblerone, and Tallink MyStar Detox Vitamineral vitamin drink. In addition, there are various alcoholic beverages.
Beauty, perfume, and cosmetics have their own 500m2 area, offering a wide range of cosmetics and fragrances for men from the world’s largest brands such as Estée Lauder, Dior, CHANEL, Lancôme, YSL, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Sensai, Prada, Shiseido and Rituals.
As local Baltic Sea region brands, cosmetics shelves also feature products such as Finnish Lumene, Latvian Madara, and Estonian D’Difference.
New brands at Tallink MyStar included KYLIE by Kylie Jenner, Moroccanoil, Vichy, La Roche Posay, Jo Malone London, Tilk, Luv, Magradan, and Luonkos.
Fashion and accessories on a 700m² area
MyStar offers women’s fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Gant, Esprit, Betty Barclay, and Vagabond shoes.
New brands include Valentin’s knitwear for women, 100% vegan LOCI shoes, and PAPU women’s clothing from Finland.
Children and teen fashion brands on MyStar ship include Vans, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, Jack&Jones, New Era, Moomin, and Only.
For men’s fashion brands, Gant, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Superdry, Camel Active, Vagabond, and U.S Polo men’s clothing, as well as 100% vegan LOCI shoes, can be found.
Traveller Superstore offers accessories and equipment brands such as Furla, Coccinelle, Bally, Coach, Samsonite, Victorinox, Marimekko, Swarovski, Gucci, St. Laurent, Michael Kors, Prada, Vogue, Versace, Ray-Ban, and Oakley.
New local brand products include Estonian watches, scarves, and hats, Finnish Moomin reading glasses, and Moomin pearls for girls, as well as Globe Hope products.
Candies, deli products, snacks, tobacco products, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages can be found on an 800m² area. New chocolate brands, Estonian chocolates, superfoods, lemonades, organic peanut butter, organic grain snacks, freeze-dried berries, and juices are included.
Travelers with cars can easily shop from pre-order counters located on deck 7, and large purchases will be delivered directly to their cars.
Gifts and children’s clothing are available on a 500m² area, including new local Estonian brands that have made room fragrances, handmade natural soaps, high-quality baby clothes in gift packages, reflectors, handmade puzzles, and other gifts and souvenirs.
If you are a Finnish entrepreneur and/or brand wondering how to get your products on Tallink ships, the seats are already taken on the largest floating department store in the Baltic Sea, MyStar.
The Traveller Superstore has also a special brand campaign area where customers can enjoy brand marketing and wine tasting, and brand ambassadors help customers find products that are specifically suitable for them.
In addition, on deck 7, the Nordic Corner features Nordic fashion from Marimekko, Iittala, Fiskars, Arabia, Muurla, and Globe Hope. The ship has also a pop-up fashion store.
For more information about MyStar’s services, visit the ship’s website.
You can read this post also in Finnish here.
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