Hostel and Museum Ship s/s Bore — Hotel in Turku sub-region

✌Glutenfree Options✌Some contamination risk! Confusing 3 star stay at Bore Hostel but anyway an overall 5 star due to it's run by students in the hotel- and restaurant industry.

I booked Bore Hostel for two reasons - GPS says it's just a 3 minutes walk to where I was going, when visiting Turku/Åbo. Very convenient indeed I thought, but boy was a wrong!

Second reason was because the historical ship Bore plays a huge part of my childhood, traveling between Sweden and Finland and I would love to explore the ship how I remembered it back then.

To begin with, I entered Bore and followed the reception signs but it was obviously closed. A bummer as I was promised I can leave my heavy bag in their luggage storage upon arrival to Turku, some hours before check-in at 3pm.

So I left the ship with the heavy bag on my shoulder and headed the direction GPS was showing, where I was going, just a 3 minutes walk from Bore but ended up in a dead end instead, by the long fence at the quayside.

I turned back, passing by Bore and after a long walk by and around the fence I finally found the right track which now was the right 3 minutes walk to my destination.

Later, when I was back at Bore a while earlier than check-in, I went up the gangway to explore the boat deck and valla - there was the reception!

Surprise surprise

No signs anywhere outside by the two entrances, nothing at all!

Bummer, annoying, disappointing as I didn't have to carry my bag for hours if there was a proper reception sign, correctly placed on the right place, showing the way. But nope.

Also signs informing about the direction outside the ship and also around the fence so you don't have to wander around in a completely unnecessary detour.

But wait, the real trap is on the way back where it's so easy to get lost, inside the fence, as the opening on the opposite side is so wide so you don't realize entering the huge area.

Well, Finland is known for being the country without information so it is like it is! 🤷‍♀️

Lesson learned.

I stayed for two night and the cabin was really confusing - no side table by the bed, no chairs or a little stool, only one outlet for charging and it was placed high up on the wall by the cabin door, the adapter and tablet was overheating after a while so I must take it out to cool down, lot of curtains and a painting in glass and frame, the bed was so narrow I expected to fall to the floor in my sleep but of course, that's how the cabin beds looked like back then.

Also there are other more spacious cabin options available, no prob to upgrade if one want a bigger bed.

The shower room in the cabin was extremely tiny but ok, 5 big hooks altogether. The bathroom cabinet was designed for rocking boat rides as there were no stabilizers in those days.

I remember stormy seas very well, everyone was seasick up except me. Thought it was so boring when everyone was sick in their cabins as it was so exciting swaying around in the long corridors, a thrill being tossed there and back to the sides, rocked up and down.

The bed and night sleep was after all surprisingly good, I slept very good.

The dining room was beautiful and the breakfast buffet was ok, nothing special but ok. It was also ok I brought my own glutenfree bun and not their glutenfree option.

I checked out at 5.50am and they prepared a take away breakfast for me, to be picked up in the 24/7 reception. It was a filling breakfast and I really appreciated the smoothie made of only Finnish berries.👍

The fridge in the common kitchen was clean and fresh and can be used for your food items, tape and marking pen on the counter beside the fridge. A kettle and other things for your needs is provided and also a book shelf with lots of books, magazines and board games as well.

Enjoy the Finnish English dictionary!

The sustainability concept is obvious, the bins are made separately for different kind of trash to be recycled.

The staff was positive and helpful, the students are doing a good job.

Should I stay there next time I'm back in Turku/Åbo? Maybe, maybe not....

⚓🚢 S/S Bore 🌊🏛️

Anchored in Turku, the hostel and museum ship S/S Bore stands as a maritime time capsule, weaving a colorful tapestry of history and nostalgia that spans oceans and decades.

The journey of S/S Bore commenced in 1960 in Oskarshamn, Sweden, marking the beginning of a seafaring odyssey that would traverse the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. From its maiden voyage to the many ports it graced, the ship's history is a testament to the maritime heritage it carries.

For 17 years, the ship sailed the Turku - Mariehamn - Stockholm route, endearing itself to the people of Turku who affectionately dubbed it "Nolla-Bore." The ship became more than a vessel; it became a part of the city's identity, forging a connection with the hearts of those who embraced it.

S/S Bore's adventures extended beyond Turku, making guest appearances on the Helsinki - Stockholm route. Each voyage added a chapter to the ship's storied history, creating memories for passengers and crew alike.

The ship's presence in Turku evokes a sense of nostalgia, echoing the laughter of passengers, the creaking of the wooden deck, and the tales of the sea. As a hostel and museum, S/S Bore becomes a living link between the past and the present, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the maritime heritage it embodies.

S/S Bore isn't just a ship; it's a floating heritage, carrying the echoes of seafaring adventures and the memories of a bygone era. Anchored in Turku, it becomes a beacon of maritime nostalgia, a place where history and the sea converge in a timeless embrace. ⚓🚢 #SSBoreMaritimeLegacy...

This hostel is a bit of a mixed bag. It was really interesting and unusual to stay on an old cruise ship....but the stay was far from comfortable. Everything on the ship is extremely dated. The room was pretty rubbish- really small and cramped, there was no way to control the temperature so the room was draughty and cold. My porthole flap was stuck open so it was extra draughty and light at night. The walls were so incredibly thin that I could hear every time the person next door got a text. There was a sink in my room (shared bathroom) but the drain smelled horrible. There was a breakfast included which was very disappointing, there was ham, cheese, museli and not much else (toast would have been nice and not too hard to add). ||It was clean and the location is OK, it's right opposite the castle and is a nice half hour or so walk along the river into town, there are not really many restaurants or supermarkets too close by. ||I thought it was expensive (42 euro a night) for what you got. It is a cheaper option for Turku....but you can pay less than that in other cities and get a proper hotel. If I had got this room in a normal hotel I would have been very unhappy and would be giving 1 star, but it is cool to stay on an old ship, although you couldn't go on most of the decks. If you've never been on one it might be worth staying, but after 2 nights the novelty had definitely worn off. If you do stay, only stay 1 or maybe 2 nights. If I visit Turku again I wouldn't...