Travelling to Finland by a steamer a hundred years ago

Mr. Scott does not mention the name of the ship he travelled on, but it could have been the brand new SS Titania, which began sailing the route Helsingfors (Helsinki) - Hull in 1908. The 100,6m x 13,65m ship had a steam engine that produced 4000 hp. There were cabins for 98 first class and 62 second class passengers, and third class accomodation for 550 emigrants (on their way to America). The fate of the SS Titania was sad. She happened to be in Hull when World War 1 broke out and was expropriated by the Royal Navy in 1916. In 1918 she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine about 50 miles east of Aberdeen. 

Alexander Maccallum Scott (1874-1928) was an MP for the UK Parliament constituency Glasgow Bridgeton during the years 1910 - 1922. Two years before Scott began his parliamentary career, he published an excellently written travel book, "Through Finland to St. Petersburg".

The Finland Steamship Company promoted the Helsinki-Hull route using posters like this one

In the second chapter of his book Scott describes his voyage to Finland on one of the Finnish steamers. Of particular interest is Scott´s description of the "smorgasbord" meals served on board: 

"The excellent passenger steamers of the Finland Steamship Company (agents, John Good & Sons, Ltd. Hull) run weekly between Hull and Helsingfors (Helsinki in Finnish, NoNN) and Hull and Åbo (Turku in Finnish, NoNN). The Sea is crossed in a short voyage of thirty-two hous, and thenceforward the course lies along the islands-sheltered couasts of Denmark and Sweden, and across the shallow Baltic, the Northern Mediterranean. Those who desire to spend part of their holiday in Sweden, or who wish to save a day and do not mind the railway journey to Stockholm, may leave the steamer at Copenhagen and cross by ferry to Malmö. From Stockholm steamers belonging to the same company run several times weekly to Hangö, Helsingfors, and St. Petersburg, and daily to Åbo. These, of course are the summer sailings. In winter there are regular services to Åbo and Hangö, the only ports which are not closed by the ice.

All the Finland Line steamers are luxuriously fitted and most comfortable. The captains and chief officers are Finns who have served a long apprenticeship in British vessels, as so many of their compatriots have done, and who speak English with perfect fluency. In the dining-salooon the traveller, if he has not already had that pleasure, will make his first acquaintance with the Scandinavian menu. In the centre of the room is large table covered with an immense variety of dishes, chiefly cold. There are smoked salmon, pickled herring, sardines, anchovies, slices of hard-boiled egg, smoked eels, caviare, sausages, salads and pickles in great variety, custard, meatballs, cheese, butter, and great piles of cut bread (white and black), and a hard crisp cake (knäckebroa), somewhat like oat-cake. At the end of the table is a large urn with taps which yield various liqueurs. This is the smörgås bord, which precedes every Scandinavian meal. The diners choose their seats and then proceed to help themselves from the smörgås table, loading their plates with portions from a weird variety of dishes. They either eat it standing or return to their places at the table to enjoy it at their leisure. Novices have been known to take their places at the dining-table, disdaining to join the procession round the central table, and wait to be served. Minute after minute has gone by and still no sign of a ´proper´meal being served. Finally, after quarter of an hour, having exhausted their patience, they hurry to the smörgås bord and find sufficient to make an exceedingly hearty and satisfactory meal. Then just as they are thinking of going on the deck again, in march the waitresses with the first course of the real dinner!"

Compare the smörgåsbord served 100 years ago on a ship like Titania with the kind of "meal" you get on a budget flight from Helsinki to the UK nowadays! The trip of course takes a lot less time now, but If I could choose, I´d prefer the 1908 alternative any time!

The S/S Oberon was the pride of the Finland Steamship Company on the route Helsinki - Copenhagen - Hull in the beginning of the 1920s. Sadly she sunk in Kattegat in 1930 after colliding in dense feog with another of the company´s steamers, the Arcturus.

"SS v Döbeln cruising among the islands". The 55,46 x 7,96m von Döbeln was primarily used on the route Stockholm - Finland - St. Petersburg until 1914.

This photo of Helsinki is from 1892, but the view must have been almost the same when A.M. Scott arrived some years later.

If you want to enjoy a nice - and inexpensive - voyage between Stockholm and Helsinki (or Turku) it is still possible. There are a number of ferries on these, particularly in the summer season, extremely beautiful routes, although the smörgåsbord is probably not quite as fancy as in 1908.