Baltic Cruise July 25 Emerald Princess review

[Maksim]

This is a summary of our July 25 Emerald Princess Baltic cruise for future cruisers use. I will try to be as brief as possible and provide useful information that can hopefully help future cruisers and answer some of their questions. Please understand that everyone has their opinions, which can be very different, so you will need to use your best judgment.

Cruise ship: is beautiful, but I find Royal Carribean new ships more attractive. We had a balcony cabin on Aloha deck and it was nice, but no couch. The service was really good, we got everything we needed, room was always well taken care of. We used adult pool and jacuzzi by the spa, because there are lockers that can be used for the most part even if you don't have spa services. Cruise director was great, however, we didn't go to all the shows and entertainements, simply not enough time for everything, considering the itenerary.

Food was very good, much better than we exerienced in the past. This includes the dining room and the buffet. We had assigned seating, but after we met our CC members and became friends, we switched to anytime dining and ended up with the same group of 10, requested the same table where we found the waiter we loved. We had most wonderful experience meeting cc members, had lot's of chemistry and it made a huge difference. Went to Sabatini's once, excellent quality and service, just too much food.

Ports of call and excursions:
Stockholm did on our own. Took HOHO boat right from the pier by the ship and went to Gamla Stan first, walked around old town, then to Royal palace, watched the change of the guards, after that used the same HOHO boat to Vasa, and back to the ship. Very easy to do, although, didn't have a chance to go to City Hall due to the time limitation. Even though we planned to go to Vasa first, our route worked out well because by the time we got there, it was not crowded. Either way is good. Important warning: there are 2 HOHO boat companies, green and yellow. We didn't know and used yellow as it came first, but suggest to use green, because it is more efficient (goes every 15 minutes as opposed to yellow every 1/2 hour), the boats are nicer and larger, and their piers are more visible.
Helsinki did on our own. Thanks to one of our cc members, Brenda, we took a city bus (all day pass good for all other transport), then transferred to the tram that took us to the Stone Church. After that visited the market, 2 more main churches, walked the Esplanade, had beer, and took the same bus to the ship. We were very impressed with this city, regardless of what others were saying on this website. It's beautiful.
St. Petersburg. We booked a 2-day private tour with SPB (Viktoria). We had 4 groups of 14 arranged by one of our cc members (thank you, Brenda!). We had the most wonderful experience. All 4 guides were great. I am sure others will agree. As to the getting off the ship, we met with our groups on the 5th floor, but it was crowded and the lines were not moving, so we checked the 6th floor by the casino and saw people moving towards the exit. We joined the crowd and got off very quickly. The passport control took only a few minutes and we started our tour as planned. It doesn't mean that the situation will be exactly the same every time. Suggest to be flexible and explore different areas of exiting the ship. The main thing is not to listen to any directions from the cruise ship as they can not tell you when and where to exit. Don't ask any questions, don't try to have any conversations with the crew, just keep moving.
Tallin is very easy to do on your own. Just walk around town and visit all the points of interest. We took shuttle from the ship to town ($10 round trip pp) and then walked, but some people just walked from the ship. It is about 25 - 30 minutes walk, so if you want to save time, take the shuttle. Up to you. Visit the market with local knitted stuff, which is not cheap.
Gdansk - we booked a tour from the ship (tour A, City tour) because some people said that the traffic and roads are not so good there, but we felt it was a mistake. The old town is so beautiful, you need some time to spend on your own to walk around and enjoy it, which we didn't have. We felt rushed, as we only were allowed 25 minutes for that. What a joke! In additioin, cruise ship people didn't handle the organization part very well. We felt that we were treated as cattle. Some people took cruise ship's tour "Easy Gdansk", or "On your own" and they were much happier. Those who took private tours and those who took taxi were also in better shape. We goofed there. So, the suggestion is to either book another tour, or, better yet, get a group of 4 and hire a taxi. You will enjoy it. If you are in that port on the week day, allow extra time for getting back. Our lesson learned is never go with the cruise ship tours. Or, if this is the only choice, take the one that says "on your own", or "easy".
Warnemunde: we booked SPB tour to Berlin. It was not as great as St. Petersburg, but I think still better than Cruise Ship tour. It was also arranged by one of our cc members (Thank you, Nancy!) Our group was not very lucky with the tour guide as he was not very personable, but with perfect English and had good knowledge base. Also the bus we were on. For some reason the driver didn't turn the air condition to the needed level and it was a very hot day. So, at the end, we were miserable and exhausted, but at least we had a general idea what Berlin looks like and we hit the main tourist spots. Other groups reported they had better luck.
Helsinborg: did on our own. Took ferry to Helsingor (Denmark), which turned out to be a cute little town. Explored it and returned back. You don't really need to do it, if you don't want to. You can just walk around town close to the ship and explore that area. Both towns look very nice.
General Comments (in no specific order): Overall, it was a great cruise, one of the best trips we ever took. People we met made a huge difference, as well as the ports of call. We were also lucky with the weather, it was warmer than we expected. Only rained once. Like everyone says, layers are needed and umbrella, just in case. If you want to buy something, the best place to do it is in Poland. If you want russian souvenuirs, you can get them in St. Petersburg, but time is very limited there if you are on a tour. Other ports are very expensive as the currency exchance is not favorable for us. There are some nice things on the cruise ship, like amber and other jewelry (which is more pricy than in Poland), but you need to know your prices and also make sure you are buying a real thing. When going to port, unless you are planning on buying lunch or snack there, it 's good to pack a sandwich and whatever else you would like using breakfast buffet. We did it several times and it worked well. We brought a small cooler, sandwich and freezer bags and dry ice from home and it was very handy. Don't listen to those that say you can't bring food from the ship. Nobody really checks and nobody cares what you have in your bags. We always had water and fruit, no matter what. But, it's up to you. By the way, all fruits are very expensive in ports, especially berries. Money exchange is not favorable on the ship. Better to use ATM in ports. Some people had local currency prepared in advance, but then the exchange is not very favorable if you do it in US. You do, however, need some small money for incidentals, like ice cream, water, beer, small souvenirs, or whatever. Both embarkation and disembarkation was very smooth and relaxed. Even though it says in the documents that embarkation starts after 1, there were a lot of us that came earlier and were able to got on the ship as early as 11:30 - 12:00. We were already in our cabin by 12:30, which gave us headstart as opposed to those that got there at 3 or 4.

I hope this helps the future cruisers to plan their trip accordingly and not repeat our mistakes. Enjoy ! It's a wonderful cruise!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maksim]

I need to make a correction to the important note on Stockholm. The HOHO boat info is in reverse: you want to use the yellow one, and not the green. Apologize for the confusion.

[MikeJennings]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. It sounds like you had a great time!!

[acruisinprincess]

We are on the Emerald Princess, Sept. 13, cruise that includes Oslo. A few questions:

Were formal night the sea days?

Did people wear jeans at the ports you visited? Some in our group are wanting to wear jeans but I'm not sure if it's appropriate in that part of Europe.

At debarkation, did you use taxi to airport? Do you know the cost versus Princess Transfers?

Thanks for all the advise.

[orchid72]

Originally Posted by Maksim

Don't listen to those that say you can't bring food from the ship. Nobody really checks and nobody cares what you have in your bags. We always had water and fruit, no matter what. But, it's up to you. By the way, all fruits are very expensive in ports, especially berries.

Thanks for your review.

Not to be nit-picky, but I would advise that people *do not* bring fruit on shore even if no one is checking. Bringing foreign fruits into another country is a risk to that country's bio-security. You could potentially be bringing in unwanted crop, pests and diseases that may harm that country's ecosystem and economy, among other things.

[taxatty]

Thanks for your review. Glad to see that you also had no trouble getting food off the Emerald, as was our recent experience, which saves you lots of $. When I mentioned that on the Princess CC board recently, a few said you'd go to jail for doing it. I agree with the comment about fresh fruit above, but no problems with sandwiches, chips, cookies, etc.

Les

[msmoger]

Originally Posted by acruisinprincess

We are on the Emerald Princess, Sept. 13, cruise that includes Oslo. A few questions:

Were formal night the sea days?

Did people wear jeans at the ports you visited? Some in our group are wanting to wear jeans but I'm not sure if it's appropriate in that part of Europe.

At debarkation, did you use taxi to airport? Do you know the cost versus Princess Transfers?

Thanks for all the advise.

We are also on the 9/13 sailing. I asked the same question of someone who had taken out itinerary and was told the formal nights were the 2 sea days (2nd and 9th nights).

[zipcode]

Originally Posted by orchid72

Thanks for your review.

Not to be nit-picky, but I would advise that people *do not* bring fruit on shore even if no one is checking. Bringing foreign fruits into another country is a risk to that country's bio-security. You could potentially be bringing in unwanted crop, pests and diseases that may harm that country's ecosystem and economy, among other things.

Being from the "Bread-basket of the World", the central valley of California, I can tell you the extreme danger of taking fruit and vegetables off the ship into other countries. You are risking the Agricultural economy of the country you visit. An introduced pest from another country will completely obliterate that crop until a natural enemy or pesticide spray can/might mitigate the problem. This has happened time and again in California and threatens the USA Agriculture every day. Please don't do it to save a few bucks!

[Maksim]

Originally Posted by zipcode

Being from the "Bread-basket of the World", the central valley of California, I can tell you the extreme danger of taking fruit and vegetables off the ship into other countries. You are risking the Agricultural economy of the country you visit. An introduced pest from another country will completely obliterate that crop until a natural enemy or pesticide spray can/might mitigate the problem. This has happened time and again in California and threatens the USA Agriculture every day. Please don't do it to save a few bucks!

As far as I know a lot of people were bringing a banana or an apple to be eaten during the day, not for the cultivation purposes. First of all, I am sure that the cruise ship passes the agricultural inspection, and on top of that, the fruits and vegetables are coming from the country of embarkation. So, how is the banana from Denmark damages the agriculture of Sweden? In addition, this was done by passengers not exactly to save the $$, but for convenience. I think you are confused with the situation when you are bringing some fruit and vegetables on a place to another continent, or something in that nature. But, again, suit yourself. I was just sharing my experience as well as my observations. Take it or leave it. Enjoy your cruise with or without the food from the ship!

[beepongo]

Thanks for your review. It's nice to hear you had such a great time as we are leaving in 2 days and are very excited. Sounds like we've planned to do the same types of things as you in the ports so I'm glad to hear it worked well. We are doing the Gdansk "On Your Own" so now I'm even more excited about that. Thanks again!!

[orchid72]

Originally Posted by Maksim

As far as I know a lot of people were bringing a banana or an apple to be eaten during the day, not for the cultivation purposes. First of all, I am sure that the cruise ship passes the agricultural inspection, and on top of that, the fruits and vegetables are coming from the country of embarkation. So, how is the banana from Denmark damages the agriculture of Sweden? In addition, this was done by passengers not exactly to save the $$, but for convenience. I think you are confused with the situation when you are bringing some fruit and vegetables on a place to another continent, or something in that nature. But, again, suit yourself. I was just sharing my experience as well as my observations. Take it or leave it. Enjoy your cruise with or without the food from the ship!

I am sorry to keep bringing up the issue, but I really have to say something here.

As a traveller - or a tourist - one has to be respectful of the rules. You may not think it is a big deal to bring fruit on shore, but rules are in place for reasons that have previously been mentioned. You may not understand the whole concept of bio-security and the consequences of your actions to a country's agricultural economy, but suffice to say, there is a whole body of knowledge on the subject that is why these are rules are in place.

You may think Denmark's fruits are not harming Sweden's agriculture, but it could possibly. Let me put it in ways you may be able to relate to better: why do you think there are restrictions in place when bringing fruits and veg into the US from Canada and vice-versa? In the US, there are even some states that will not allow you to bring fruit in from another neighbouring state. Example: there are restrictions in place for bringing in chestnuts to CA except when it is from AZ; restrictions are also in place for Cherries from OR, UT, and WA...and the list goes on and on.

Convenient or not, do not even risk damaging a country's agricultural economy by blatantly ignoring the rules. It is irresponsible.

[Maksim]

Dear Orchid72,

I am glad you understand all the rules and regulations, especially on the agriculture of Europe, US, and Canada. Nobody forces you to bring anything anywhere. Please continue following the rules and do everything by the book. Perhaps it will improve the overall atmosphere of this planet. Best regards!

[orchid72]

Originally Posted by Maksim

Dear Orchid72,

I am glad you understand all the rules and regulations, especially on the agriculture of Europe, US, and Canada. Nobody forces you to bring anything anywhere. Please continue following the rules and do everything by the book. Perhaps it will improve the overall atmosphere of this planet. Best regards!

If I were a betting man, I'd say this comment is just rife with sarcasm. So...Thanks for the dig!

I am by no means trying to come across as a saint.

I just want to be able to educate readers of this thread on the potential consequences of what may seem to be innocuous actions.

So let's make this crystal clear for everyone reading this: Please do not bring fruits and veg on shore if you have been asked not to. It may seem inconvenient to you, but you may very well risk harming an entire country's economy and environment by doing so.

Maksim, bringing fruits and veg on shore may have seemed harmless to you at the time because "a lot of people" were also doing it, but it certainly does not make it okay. That said, it was almost forgivable because you probably did not know why these rules are in place.

Now that you are a little bit more informed, please do not keep implying that no one should be forced to abide by the rules if they do not want to. Doing so is very irresponsible especially on a forum where people go to for advise. And it is still irresponsible even if you preface it/justify it/rationalize it by saying "take it or leave it", or saying that you are not forcing anybody to follow your advice, or implying that it is just your opinion.

It may seem that I am belabouring the issue, but I feel I need to counter the message implied in your posts: "To each their own. Do whatever you feel like doing, even if you know you are blatantly disregarding the rules".

Our world is in the state it is in right now because some people just do not care about anything else or anybody else but themselves. We need to realize that we do not live in a cocoon; our actions will almost always affect those around us and everything around us.

We are a few of the lucky ones who can tour/travel the world. With that privilege comes the responsibility and obligation to show respect for the country we are visiting by following their rules and being considerate of what potential harm we could be bringing to their country and their citizens.

[uppitycats]

Rules are indeed very inconvenient, and sometimes cause us to have to spend $$ when we'd rather not. But we're jeopardizing entire agricultural -- and by extension -- economics of a country, by our thoughtless actions.

Sure, one banana doesn't seem like a big deal. But one fruit fly or one spot of mold or disease on that banana peel can cause ENORMOUS damaage to the next fruit crop it encounters.

Arrogant Americans who don't understand..or choose to not obey..these simple guidelines are the epitome of "Ugly Americans".

Don't do it. If you can afford to cruise you can afford to buy some fruit or a sandwich in a port, somewhere.

[lionheart]

Originally Posted by uppitycats

Rules are indeed very inconvenient, and sometimes cause us to have to spend $$ when we'd rather not. But we're jeopardizing entire agricultural -- and by extension -- economics of a country, by our thoughtless actions.

Sure, one banana doesn't seem like a big deal. But one fruit fly or one spot of mold or disease on that banana peel can cause ENORMOUS damaage to the next fruit crop it encounters.

Arrogant Americans who don't understand..or choose to not obey..these simple guidelines are the epitome of "Ugly Americans".

Don't do it. If you can afford to cruise you can afford to buy some fruit or a sandwich in a port, somewhere.

I see we have a America hater. Plenty of arrogant people outside of America too. Plus the Ugly America term is from the 1950's, things have change and so have people. Much more of a global environment than in the 1950's. Besides I have seen plenty of loud, arrogant etc. people who are not Americans. But thanks anyway for your stereotypical comments

[uppitycats]

Originally Posted by lionheart

I see we have a America hater. Plenty of arrogant people outside of America too. Plus the Ugly America term is from the 1950's, things have change and so have people. Much more of a global environment than in the 1950's. Besides I have seen plenty of loud, arrogant etc. people who are not Americans. But thanks anyway for your stereotypical comments

I can't even begin to fathom how you have decided I'm an "America hater" by my comments. Indeed, there are plenty of loud, arrogant people who are not Americans. But plenty who are..and I think I'm talking to one.

The original poster is an American. And assumes that rules don't apply to her. Why aren't you calling her an "America hater"??

[Dave and Micha]

Wow people... such leaps which get made on an internet forum... to term someone an America hater. Paranoid much?

I am an American, and I also have lived overseas for a very long time. I have seen the best and worst of Americans when they come for a visit. Guess what? It isn't that unique. Germans and French and Italians etc are just as airheadedly ignorant on vacation as anyone else. However, that said, we Americans talk an awful lot about how others should act when they visit or move to America... but very very few follow their own advice when travelling abroad. If you want to term me an American hater for that...well... go on... be a little foolish and we can all have a laugh at your expense.

One of the thing that I continually find amazing as I watch all of you come over here is how friggin LOUD we Americans are. I include myself in that, for even though I know I am 100 times quieter than I used to be, I am still louder than the average European when he is out in public. But you Ami folk...LAUGH! It is AMAZING how loud the trains can get when full of Amis and Brits on vacation.

As for the rules... here is a unique concept. Instead of acting like cattle... why don't you use this lovely little thing called the internet and actually find out what the rules are in the countries you are visiting. While at it... let me suggest you also learn to say PLEASE, THANK YOU, and GOOD DAY in the languages of the places you are visiting.

Any of you who have ever uttered the phrase..."This is America... learn English..." well... that last reference is for you.

[uppitycats]

I think it also annoying when we Americans, many of whom only know English, go abroad (or even just across our borders, north into Quebec or south) and complain that everyone is speaking a foreign language. Well, yes. And be grateful that many of them know English, and will speak English to you if you're polite and ask! Cruise lines that are multicultural will have announcements in a variety of languages, and if English isn't spoken first, Americans are often the first to complain. I was reading a review the other day about Hurtigruten cruise line (where I'm taking my next cruise) and the poster was complaining that the "food was Norwegian". Well, yes, Hurtigruten is a Norwegian cruise line, and in fact a ferry along the Norwegian coast.

Many Americans take the position that "we are the center of our universe" and what we do must be perfect. Sorry, not so.

[orchid72]

Originally Posted by Dave and Micha

As for the rules... here is a unique concept. Instead of acting like cattle... why don't you use this lovely little thing called the internet and actually find out what the rules are in the countries you are visiting. While at it... let me suggest you also learn to say PLEASE, THANK YOU, and GOOD DAY in the languages of the places you are visiting.

It is amazing how learning a few simple phrases can go a loooong way. I find that people will tend to warm up to you faster if you at least try.

I have heard so many people slam the French for being arrogant, but my experience has been that, for the most part, the people of France have been receptive to me. I think it is largely due to me at least trying to speak their language. The moment they see me struggling, they, in turn, start speaking to me in their broken English. Quite heart-warming, actually.

Originally Posted by Dave and Micha

Any of you who have ever uttered the phrase..."This is America... learn English..." well... that last reference is for you.

LOL! Thanks for that. I can't remember how many times I have heard that from Canadians (I am Canadian) when I choose to speak in my mother tongue in public.

Originally Posted by uppitycats

Many Americans take the position that "we are the center of our universe" and what we do must be perfect. Sorry, not so.

Reminds me of someone who asked me what the forecasted max temperature is for the day. I said x degrees Celsius. To which she responded: "What's that in American?" LOL! I didn't know that the unit of temperature "Farenheit" also goes by the name "American".

Just a light-hearted story. Please do not call me an American hater.

[uppitycats]

Orchid, I have a question for you:

When we (hateful Americans ) are responding to a question, and using Celsius, do we say something like

30 point 5 degrees Celsius, or
30 - 1/2 degrees
or ...

what? My husband is pretty adept at converting Fahrenheit to Celsius, but always stumbles over the little stuff.