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#1
November 14th, 2009, 08:03 PM
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Just started planning and I have questions
We are hoping to do a cruise in this area for our 30th anniversary. It will be in 2011. We have been on many cruises but not to Europe yet. I have just starting to do my research on what my options will be. We need to be sure we include St. Petersburg. I know that there are many cruise lines to choose from. Princess, RCCI, and Celebrity just to name a few. I also know that the embarking ports vary. This is however all I have figured out so far.
What other cruise lines should I look into? What is the best port to leave from and why? Some itineraries include Oslo while others Berlin. What was your favorite? We have cruised the Caribbean and South Pacific, what great differences do I need to consider (packing, types of clothes, baggage allowances, customs)? I am a planner, and a researcher. I need to get all of the info before we make a decision. Any suggestions or opinions welcome. Please help me make some informed decision.
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Terri  
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#2
November 14th, 2009, 10:11 PM
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Past cruises: RCCL Independence of the Seas-Transatlantic - April 2009 Carnival Freedom - Eastern Mediterranean-Oct 2008 RCCL Jewel of the Seas - Transatlantic - March 2008 RCCL Brilliance of the Seas - Transatlantic 2007 Celebrity Constellation - Transatlantic 2007 Celebrity Constellation - Baltic 2006 Celebrity Constellation - Transatlantic 2005 RCCL Jewel of the Seas - Baltic 2004 Princess Star Princess - Alaska 2003 Carnival Celebration - Carribbean 1988 Carnival Holiday - Carribbean 1987 RCCL Sun Viking - Southern Carribbean 1985 NCL Sunward - Bahamas 1986 NCL Starward - Carribbean 1974 NCL Skyward - Carribbean 1971 Ariadne - Mexico 1970 MV Freeport - Bahamas 1969 Future Cruises: RCCL Independence of the Seas-Transatlantic-November 2009 Celebrity Eclipse- Baltic - May 2010 Last edited by tally10; November 14th, 2009 at 10:13 PM.
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#3
November 14th, 2009, 10:46 PM
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Our Baltic cruise continues to be our favourite. We sailed Holland America Copenhagen r/t. I would choose an embarkation port where you are attracted to precruise. Copenhagen is a common embarkation port with so much to see.
I would try to include Oslo if you can primarily so you can see all of the Scandanavian countries. Its a great stop and easily done DIY. No visas are needed except in St. Petersburg if you do not take a ship tour. If you use a private tour operator there they will arrange the visa as well. Clothing wise, depending on the time of year, you will not need shorts so much but also you won't need coats during the typical sailing months.
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HAL(18)  Rotterdam V - Caribbean, Rotterdam VI (3)- Panama, South America, Black Sea/Egypt, Noordam (6) - Caribbean(4), Baltic, Mediterranean, Statendam(2) - Alaska, NZ/Oz, Westerdam(2) - Caribbean(2), Zuiderdam(2) - Caribbean(2), Maasdam - North Atlantic (Voyage of the Vikings), Eurodam - Canada/NECelebrity(2) Constellation - Caribbean, Horizon - BermudaSun Cruises(2) Carousel - Mediterranean, Sunbird - Caribbean Windstar(1) Wind Surf - MediterraneanRoyal Caribbean(2) Splendour(2) Eastern Mediterranean Disney(2) Magic - Caribbean, Wonder - CaribbeanPrincess(1) Golden Princess - Caribbean NCL(1)  Norwegian Sun - HawaiiAzamara (1) - Quest - Caribbean Orient Royal (1) - East King - Yangtze CroisiEurope (1) MS Monet - Rhine "If a man is talking in the woods and no woman is around, is he still wrong?"
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#4
November 14th, 2009, 10:55 PM
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tally10, thanks for taking the time to respond. I know about opinions, I am hoping that if all who voice one will explain why they think what they think or feel what they feel so I may draw my own opinion from their experience. Just like I will from yours. It's nice to know what you thought about Oslo, and the weather in June. Our anniversary is in August and I was thinking that it might be great to be in St Petersburg on that day. Maybe August will be warmer. I also thought I may need to bring pants and no shorts. I have heard that the Europeans don't wear shorts like we Americans do. True? Or not?
I have just found an Azamara cruise that stays 3 days in St Petersburg and two in Berlin (Warnemunde) and Stockholm, with one day in Estonia. I can't wait to see what itineraries will still be offered in 2011.
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Terri
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#5
November 14th, 2009, 11:00 PM
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Terri
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#6
November 15th, 2009, 08:49 AM
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We cruised the Baltic in May/June 2008 on the Crown Princess. It was a wonderful cruise. The airfare to Copenhagen was reasonable, but you have to monitor that for awhile and know when to pounce on a good rate.
About the clothing, you may find yourself going into a lot of churches and for that reason, wearing lighter weight long pants/capri length is a good choice. There were a couple of jacket days(St. Petersburg), but overall it was beautiful springtime weather and it only rained for a half day in St.P. Copenhagen is a beautiful city and you can do it on your own with ease. What you choose to see is based on your personal interests, but a canal ride, and a stroll down the Stroeget should be on your list. The boards are full of recommendations for tour operators in St. Petersburg. We joined 8 folks that we met on roll call, and had a wonderful tour guide(Angie) from Alla tours. She gave us a whirlwind tour of churches, palaces, museums, meals, a hydrofoil ride and even the subway(which is really something to see). Our group of 10 was just the right size for a private tour. Our cruise made the Oslo stop and as a previous poster said, the Berlin stop is really a long ride, so you can't maximize your time as much. Oslo was wonderful, and Viglund Park is a memorable stop. Tallin is a remarkable walled city, well preserved and full of charm. Gdansk was a delight, and if you like amber, Mariacka Street is THE place for beautiful amber pieces (but give yourself a couple of hours to shop). You can visit Malbork Castle or a concentration camp, if you care to venture outside the tri city area. I truly enjoyed every port of call: Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallin, Gdynia/Gdansk, Oslo. Enjoy the planning and have a great cruise.
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Caribbean Princess, Bermuda/Eastern Caribbean 10/24/2009 Ruby Princess, Grand Meditteranean - 5/28/2009 Crown Princess, Scandinavia/Baltic - 5/30/2008 Diamond Princess, Hawaii - 11/18/2007 Dawn Princess, Alaska - 6/2001
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#7
November 15th, 2009, 12:37 PM
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Your Personal Priorities? Order of Importance?
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From our experience cruising in these Baltic areas last summer and doing lots and lots of pre and post postings on this website, here would be my quick, key suggestions on your priorities to narrow your choices: 1. St. Petersburg Timing: On most of the cruise lines, you will have either two or three days in St. Petersburg. This is clearly THE HIGHLIGHT of cruising in this area. Three days there would be best, but those lines that offer three days there tend to be the higher-end, more-costly cruises such as Crystal, Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, etc. If you do three days in St. Petersburg, you could do (as we did) a one-day trip to Moscow. That's another discussion topic with a number of postings done on this website about Moscow. How important is that added day in St. Petersburg? That's question number one! 2. Budget/Travel Style: The "better" cruise lines tend to be smaller in the 200-900 passenger size range. But, "better" costs more, offers more personal service and nicer food, etc., offerings. Some of the larger ships (1000-3000 passengers) could be more affordable, but they can be a little more of a "mass/cattle-call" type of approach. "Better" is not always the "best" as that is a personal choice and in this area, it is more port focused. If you are focused on the port stops, then maybe the nicer, smaller ship with added room does not matter as much. Either size/style ship direction can work, but it gets back to your needs, interests and budget flexibility. 3. Other Stops: After the super highlights of St. Petersburg and Moscow, we loved Copenhagen, Stockholm and Tallinn next best in their order of priority. All four of these Batlics capitals have great history, charm and architectural character. Helsinki and Oslo were nice and enjoyable, but not up in the league of these top four "best of the best" stops. We have not been to Berlin, yet. As a cruise stop, it takes some significant time to cover the distance from the port stop to getting into Berlin and back. That German capital deserves more time than a few hours there. BUT, maybe a short sampling in Berlin is better than not being able to visit there. You cannot do it "ALL" in one cruise. 4. Where to Start?: There are many options. We started in Dover, England (and were able to do five days in the historic and charming areas of Kent prior to our cruise). We finished in Stockholm. Some of the cruises start and finish in Copenhagen. Some in Amsterdam (that requires added sailing time getting to the Baltics). If you do your air ticket "open jaw", you can fly into one port city and fly out of another. The cost difference can be small for split your air arrangements on where you start and finish your cruise. This splitting of where you start and finish will allow more flexibility and time efficiency. 5. Later Worries/Issues: Don't worry much right now on clothing, baggage, etc. These are secondary questions that you can easier work out once you have figured out these first three factors. Tell us more on your personal travel interests and style of touring you seek and can afford. What are your priorities for what you most want to see and do in these areas? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio
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#8
November 15th, 2009, 04:59 PM
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First, everyone has different criteria and standards, different priorities and different budgets...So, opinions will vary...
Here's mine... I am doing my third Baltic cruise this coming July on Celebrity Eclipse...I have cruised the Baltic on the old Crown Princess and on Celebrity Constellation...I have also cruised Europe on Celebrity (British Isles/Norwegian Fjords and Mediterranean) and on Oceania (twice to the Mediterranean)... For the Baltic, I was not very impressed with Princess...they squeezed the route into an ill-fitting 10 night cruise RT Copenhagen...I love Copenhagen and we did an extended pre-cruise there on that one, but I would much rather do a more leisurely 14 night pace...Our Celebrity itinerary last year, with a 14-nighter starting in Stockholm and ending in Harwich was much better designed... Oceania and Azamara give you the advantage of that extended 3 day stay in St. Petersburg...There is a lot to see in St. Petersburg and you will no doubt feel pressed for time there whether it's 2 days or 3 days...The other advantage to these ships are no formal nights and open dinner seating (which works well on the small ships--but doesn't on the large Princess ships)...The drawbacks to these ships are lesser entertainment and higher prices... IMHO, the best overall value--what you actually get for the price--can be found with Celebrity...The prices tend to be very reasonable and the itineraries very well designed...and I love the food and service and the ships are very spacious and uncrowded for large ships... As to Oslo versus Berlin, here is my take: I've visited Oslo twice now and have not been really impressed by it...It's a nice town, but not as enchanting as the other Scandinavian capitals (Copenhagen and Stockholm) and not as much to do there...All of the ship tours are combinations of the same 4 options--Ski jump, open air museum, sculpture park, ship museum ... Berlin, OTOH, is a fascinating city with a rich history--the problem is that it is nowhere near the sea ports...So, any tour to Berlin (usually from Warnemunde) requires a long bus or train ride in each direction...and tour costs are high due to the travel...The travel and cost notwithstanding, I'd take Berlin over Oslo...There are other options for Warnemunde as well--other German cities closer to port... Shorts? I wear knee-length cargo shorts everywhere in Europe--never had a problem...They know I'm a tourist--the camera and the fact I'm either holding a map or tour book and pointing a lot or following a tour guide around is a dead giveaway...I'd wear whatever you are comfortable in... Finding guides for St. Petersburg (or elsewhere)? Just check out the recommendations here. In St. Petersburg, I don't think you can go wrong with Red October, Denrus, SPB, Alla or Anastasia...We hired Red October for our last cruise, this time we're going with SPB...for both St. Petersburg and Berlin...Try hooking up with others on the Roll Call board for whichever cruise you book to try and form a group for these... Port to leave from? I like "one-ways" if I can find them--like my Stockholm to Harwich last year--allows you to spend some time pre-cruise and post-cruise in to different cities...But most of the Baltic cruises will leave from one of the English ports (Dover, Harwich, Southampton)...which are nice if you want to spend some time in London or elsewhere in Britain...They also work out very well for air transportation as there are so many flights from the US to Heathrow...But, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm are also nice cities to spend extra time in... I will agree with TLCOhio that Oslo and Helsinki are not quite in the league of most of the other stops...Tallinn and Gdansk are surprise gems...St. Petersburg is obviously a highlight...Copenhagen and Stockholm are charming...Our cruise this coming summer also visits Bruges--which is one of my favorite cities in Europe--absolutely incredible... Good luck...
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Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas 1/3/2010 - 7 night Mexican Riviera Celebrity Eclipse 7/10/2010 - 14 night Baltic Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas 1/2/2011 - 7 night Western Caribbean Past cruises: Oceania Nautica, 14 night Mediterranean/Egypt/Israel 6/2009---RCCL Mariner of the Seas, 1 night Pre-Inaugural 2/2009---Sapphire Princess, 7 night Mexican Riviera 12/2008-9---Celebrity Constellation, 14 night Baltic 7/2008---RCCL Vision of the Seas, 7 night Mexican Riviera 3/2008---Carnival Liberty, 8 night Panama 7/2007---RCCL Liberty of the Seas, 7 night Western Caribbean 6/2007---RCCL Monarch of the Seas, 5 night Baja 1/2007---Oceania Nautica, 14 night Mediterranean 7/2006---RCCL Monarch of the Seas, 3 night Baja 4/2006---Celebrity Constellation, 14 night No. Europe 7/2005---Celebrity Constellation, 7 night So. Caribbean 3/2005---Celebrity Summit, 13 night Alaska Cruisetour 7/2004---RCCL Monarch of the Seas, 3 night Baja 1/2004---Celebrity Millennium, 13 night Mediterranean 8/2003---RCCL Grandeur of the Seas, 7 night Mexican Riviera 7/2002---Crown Princess, 10 night Baltic/Russia 8/2001---Carnival Elation, 7 night Mexican Riviera 8/2000---RCCL Grandeur of the Seas, 7 night Eastern Caribbean 8/1999---Carnival Jubilee, 7 night Mexican Riviera 7/1997---RCCL Viking Serenade, 4 night Baja 7/1996---RCCL Viking Serenade, 3 night Baja 6/1994---Norwegian Southward, 3 night Baja 12/1992---Premier Big Red Boat Atlantic-Disney cruise 3/1989---others I've likely forgotten
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#9
November 15th, 2009, 06:13 PM
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WOW, so many thoughts. Thanks so much.
Ok, Terri in Ohio asked for more on our travel style This Baltic cruise will be our 15th cruise. We started cruising in 2002. We do cruises because it allows us to make the most of our travel time as we are still both working full time. Not to mention all of the things that make cruising great (that would be a post for another thread). We usually do very active excursions and are interested in participating in local culture and the history of any port we visit. I like the idea of the overnight or two days in Berlin Azamara is offering. I was wondering if the cruise line would allow you to spend the night in Berlin instead of returning to the ship the same day. This is the first I have read of SPC or Alla. I am intrigued by the fact that you can use the same company for St. Petersburg and Berlin. I was on the DenRus site last night and the 2010 site is under construction. I can't wait until the 2011 itineraries ready and out. I have been reading so many reviews and posts. I am really excited about planning this cruise. I never even considered the Eclipse. The 14 days seems a bit more relaxed. All of the ports with time to rest our feet and enjoy the countryside in between. So much to learn and consider. Thanks for the help. Keep the ideas coming. Sovereign of the Seas 4/2002 Majesty of the Seas 11/2002 Grandeur of the Seas 3/2003 Sovereign of the Seas 12/2003 Splendour of the Seas 04/2004 Empress of the Seas 01/2005 Empress of the Seas 08/2005 Tahitian Princess 08/2006 Serenade of the Seas 01/2007 Ecstasy 03/2007 Navigator of the Seas 02/2008 Celebrity Solstice 03/2009 Celebrity Equinox 03/2010 Navigator of the Seas 11/2010
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Terri
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#10
November 17th, 2009, 09:18 PM
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Since no one mentioned NCL, I will. We sailed the Jewel last August, leaving form Dover.
If you have never been to Europe before, as we had, we wanted to fly into London and stay a few days there. London is an amazing city. From there, we were able to see Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehege. We also did the eurostar for a quick stopover in Paris. We figured, if we are going to do it, let's see as much as we can. Plus the airfare to London is much cheaper than to Copenhagen. I understand Copenhagen is a beautiful city, we loved our stop over there, but it just doens't compare to London, at least that's MVHO.
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#11
November 17th, 2009, 09:48 PM
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Getting a Good Start! Keep Researching!
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Bruin Steve outlines some excellent points to consider. Keep up the good work. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio
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#12
November 17th, 2009, 10:45 PM
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"I like the idea of the overnight or two days in Berlin Azamara is offering. I was wondering if the cruise line would allow you to spend the night in Berlin instead of returning to the ship the same day."
It's your cruise - you can do whatever you want. It's a good idea to spend one night in Berlin and a way better introduction to the city than taking the long train trip for only one day. We are on Azamara in Asia in January and are spending one night at a hotel in Bangkok. We are docked pretty close to town but with the notorious Bangkok traffic, it just makes more sense to stay in town. Several other people are skipping 2 nights to see other cities, etc. That's one night thing about Azamara, Oceania and others that offer 2 or 3 days in ports. You get to see so much more.
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#13
November 18th, 2009, 01:03 PM
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Terry in Ohio, I will definitely be asking more questions. You are right, we have done a lot of the Caribbean. Being so close to Chicago we see to much of city and no ocean or palm trees, the tropics do have a certain attraction. We did Tahiti for our 25th and that was an unbelievable difference when compared to the Caribbean. Many here on CC told me it would be, and I could not see how it would be. I thought palm tress and beach was pretty much the same. I was really wrong. I could have stayed forever. We will be doing Central America and a quick stop in South America (Columbia) in March on board the Celebrity Eclipse in March and a short cruise with our 2 sons and my hopefully future daughter in law in November. This will be the end of our beachy cruises for a while. We are looking forward to the Baltic, Med and Alaska for the time following.
I think the idea of an overnight in Berlin sounds like fun. I have read that if you are not planning to return to the cruise ship for the night you are supposed to let the ship know your plans. Do you just tell them at Guest Relations before leaving that day or maybe the night before? I went to Borders the other day and bought books on Europe cruises, Berlin, and St Petersburg so I can start figuring out what our "must sees" are. I think if I can figure out that list it will help me to decide just how much time I need to be in each place. That in turn will help me decide on the right itinerary.
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Terri
Last edited by Kevin's girl; November 18th, 2009 at 01:04 PM.
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#14
November 18th, 2009, 01:18 PM
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Longer Inland Trips/Options?
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Do that reading on St. Petersburg and let us know your follow-up questions. Be patience, you will not learn and grasp it "ALL" in just one reading. Lots to consider!!! That is BOTH, the blessing and curse with St. Petersburg. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio
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#15
Yesterday, 04:00 AM
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Avoid Nynashamn (Stockholm)
Please, when choosing a cruise line do yourself a favor and consider if they are stopping at Nynashamn and calling it Stockholm. Nynashamn is the industrial port located over an hour away from Stockholm. You usually have to tender into the dock and you also miss the unforgettable sail-in through the Stockholm archipelago.
Good luck Al
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Al FrescoeNorwegian Jade - 01-04-09 - 12 day Med  Celebrity Century - 09-23-05 - 10 night Med. NCL Norwegian Dream - 04-24-05 - 7 night Western Carib. Festival Azur - Aug, 2001 - 7 night Euro Med.  Azure Seas - mid 1980's - 4 night Baja Calif.
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#16
Today, 01:48 AM
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Thanks Al, I will keep that in mind and look closely at the fine print.
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Terri
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