Wasaline

About Wasaline

Wasaline is the brand name of the Finnish ferry operator NLC Ferry Ab Oy, based in Vaasa, which runs the only ferry link across the Kvarken between Umeå and Vaasa. The route has an eventful history: until 2011 it was run by RG Line, which filed for insolvency in November 2011. In January 2012 the city of Vaasa and the municipality of Umeå jointly founded NLC Ferry, took over the Wasaline brand rights and restarted the service in 2013 with Wasa Express. The two cities each held half of the company through their joint venture Kvarken Link. In November 2025 Stena Line announced it was taking over NLC Ferry, and the purchase was completed in February 2026; the Wasaline brand remains, and the ship still belongs to Kvarken Link. Wasaline has since traded as a Stena Line company, and Stena Line calls it the northernmost ferry operator in the world.

Fleet

Wasaline sails with a single ship, Aurora Botnia. She was built by Rauma Marine Constructions in Finland, with more than 80 per cent domestic content, and made her maiden voyage between Vaasa and Umeå on 28 August 2021, replacing Wasa Express, which had worked the route since 2013. Aurora Botnia is 150 m long and 26 m wide, sails at 20 knots and has room for 935 passengers in 68 cabins plus 1,500 lane metres for lorries and cars. The engines run on LNG, biogas or biodiesel as required, backed by a 12.6 MWh battery pack, which lets the ship sail carbon-neutral on a regular basis. Deck 7 holds the restaurants, a bar and pub, the onboard shop, the Business Lounge, a children’s area and the conference rooms; deck 8 has the cabins, the buffet restaurant, a bistro and the cafeteria.

Route to Finland

The only route is Umeå - Vaasa: from the terminal in Holmsund, around 20 kilometres south-east of Umeå, across the Kvarken to the port of Vaasa close to the centre. Depending on the departure the crossing takes about four hours, and the route runs all year round with two to four sailings a day in both directions combined. For travellers in northern Sweden this is the shortest way into western Finland and on towards the Lakeland; a transfer bus runs to both ports from the city centre.

Check-in, vehicles and pets

With a vehicle you have to be checked in at least 60 minutes before departure, as a foot passenger 30 minutes is enough; boarding closes 20 minutes before the ship leaves. Only one vehicle can be entered per booking, so that automatic check-in works. Carry a valid identity document, as there may be an identity check.

Cars, motorhomes, car-and-caravan combinations, motorcycles and bicycles are all carried; longer vehicles fall into a higher fare band, and you enter the dimensions and the number plate when you book. There is more on this in the guide Taking a motorhome to Finland. Pets travel for a fee and have to be booked in advance: in the Pet Lounge on deck 7 with its door onto the open deck, in a pet-friendly cabin or in your vehicle. What applies when you enter Finland is covered in the guide Taking your dog to Finland.

Tickets

Wasaline sells the crossing as a one-way trip, as a day cruise returning the same day and as a hotel package; children under six travel free, and frequent travellers use the Frequent Traveller programme. An environmental and fuel surcharge applies to every ticket. On board you pay by card in euros or Swedish kronor; cash is only accepted at the port of Vaasa. The timetable shows the sailings, the booking window on the route page shows the price for your date, and the price overview explains how to compare like with like.