Kemi icebreaker cruises with kids
Children usually love the noise of a ship breaking sea ice, and many families rate the day highly. The limits are about height and stamina rather than age, and they differ between the Kemi ships and the Swedish one. This guide sets out the rules and the length of the day, then how to keep everyone warm and fed.
The height limit for ice floating
On Sampo and Arktis, the two ships of Icebreaking Company in Kemi, the minimum height for ice floating is 140 cm. The rule is about the survival suit, which has to fit well enough to keep the wearer safe in the water.
On Polar Explorer, sailing from Axelsvik in Sweden, children from 125 cm may float with their parents beside them. That gap of 15 cm is the main reason some families with younger children choose the Swedish ship.
Floating also needs normal health, and staff can say no on the day. Our guide to ice floating covers the suit and the rules in full.
What smaller children can still do
A child under the limit can still come on the cruise, feel the ship break the ice and watch others float from the deck. When conditions allow, guests also leave the ship and walk on the frozen sea, though you should check with the operator how that works for small children.
The ice and the weather settle both the walk and the float on each cruise. Neither is promised, so tell children it might happen rather than that it will.
Each Kemi cruise ends with a certificate, and Polar Explorer gives a Cruise & Swim Certificate from the captain. Children who floated and children who only watched both tend to treasure that piece of paper more than adults expect.
On Sampo the ticket also includes a guided tour of the ship. Reviewers mention seeing the engine room and the bridge, and older children who like machines often rate this as highly as the ice itself.
The listings do not allow unaccompanied minors, so every child needs an adult on the trip. Icebreaking Company adds that its cruises do not suit guests with reduced mobility. A stroller is unlikely to get far out on the ice either, so check with the operator first.
How long the day runs
From Kemi, a cruise with transfers takes about 6 hours on Arktis and 6.5–7 hours on Sampo. That includes the check-in at the SnowCastle area and the short shuttle to Ajos harbor, where the ships moor.
From Rovaniemi it is a different matter. The Sampo day trip from Rovaniemi at ~$568 adds about 1 h 45 min on a bus each way, which makes a 10–11 hour day. That is a very long stretch for small children, and the price is the highest of any option.
If you are based in Rovaniemi with young kids, a night in Kemi breaks the day into two easier halves. The guide to the icebreaker from Rovaniemi sets out the options.
Sampo for families staying in Kemi
The longest cruise from Kemi, with warm lounges, a guided tour of the ship and lunch on board on the afternoon departure. Rated 4.7 by 80+ GetYourGuide reviewers, and you can cancel without charge until the day before.
Warm lounge or open deck
All three ships have heated spaces indoors. Sampo offers warm lounges around a café-restaurant, while Arktis has two indoor decks with a modern café. Polar Explorer adds seven decks and a theatre showing an 11-minute film.
Children rarely need the whole cruise on deck. The best moments are the ship ramming into new ice and the stop where people go out onto the sea, so bring them out for those and let them warm up in between.
Dress them in proper layers with mittens and a hat that covers the ears. What to wear on the frozen sea goes through it piece by piece, and the same advice works for adults.
Food and snacks
The afternoon Sampo cruise at ~$451 includes lunch on board, which takes care of the main meal. The morning Sampo cruise has no meal, and on Arktis both breakfast and lunch are extras at the seaview restaurant.
Polar Explorer sells food in its cafeteria, with hot drinks included. On any ship, a pocket of snacks helps a hungry child through the transfer and the wait at check-in.
The SnowCastle exhibitions
The Sampo ticket includes entry to the exhibitions in the SnowCastle area in Kemi, where every Icebreaking Company cruise checks in. The listing names two of them, SnowExperience365 (an indoor snow and ice attraction) and a gemstone exhibition.
For children these fill the time before or after the cruise well. On Arktis they cost extra, and what is on show can change between winters; the SnowCastle and the rest of the day in Kemi has more.
Which cruise suits which family
| Cruise | Floating from | Day with transfers | Food | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sampo, Kemi | 140 cm | 6.5–7 hours | Lunch on the afternoon cruise | ~$451 |
| Arktis, Kemi | 140 cm | About 6 hours | Extra | ~$344 |
| Polar Explorer, Sweden | 125 cm with parents | About 3–8.5 hours | Cafeteria, extra | ~$365 |
For older children over 140 cm, Sampo gives the fullest day with lunch included. Arktis from ~$344 is shorter and cheaper, which suits restless children, although everything to eat costs extra.
For a child between 125 and 140 cm who wants to float, Polar Explorer is the only option. It brings a border crossing and a 45-day cancellation window, both explained in Polar Explorer and the drive to Axelsvik.
Book early in your stay if you can, so a cancelled cruise leaves time for another try. The season month by month helps pick the weeks with the most daylight for a family trip.