logistical help for cruisers trying to plan their cruise

My Baltic cruise was amazing, but there are a lot of logistical details to consider prior to selecting a sail date. So I hoped to start a thread to help others in selecting a cruise since there are a lot of factors to consider. Prior to selecting a sail date, please note the following closures:

Copenhagen

National Museum is closed on Mondays

The Museum of Danish Resistance was severely damaged by a fire, and is unfortunately not scheduled to reopen until 2018. Please check http://natmus.dk/en/the-museum-of-danish-resistance/ for updates.

If your cruise originates in Copenhagen, please note that many of the hotels have been affected by the expansion of the metro (which is currently scheduled to be completed by 2018). If you are sensitive to noise, you may wish to contact the hotels you are considering directly to determine if there is construction nearby (you may also want to book with the hotels directly so you have a better cancellation policy). Please also note that you may want to check to see if the hotels have air conditioning if you are sensitive to heat.

Germany

The Schwerin castle is closed on Mondays

In Berlin, both the Gemaldegalerie and the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) are closed on Mondays.

The grounds for the Berlin Wall Memorial and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe are open on Mondays, but the visitors center for both attractions are closed on Mondays.

St Petersburg

The Hermitage is closed on Mondays

The Russian Museum and Tsarskoye Selo (Catherine's Palace) are closed Tuesdays

St. Issac's and the Church on Spilled Blood are closed Wednesday (other religious sites may also be closed on Wednesdays so please check this ahead of time if you are interested).

Disembarkation in St. Petersburg is a bit challenging, since most of the passengers are all trying to get off the ship early. We started early, and beat almost all the NCL lines, but it still took 30 minutes to clear Russian customs. The Russian custom agents are very meticulous on the first day, carefully checking each guests' visa papers prior to stamping passports. They are much faster on subsequent entries to Russia, and therefore the custom lines move much more quickly. You might want to consider either booking a suite on a cruise line that will grant you priority disembarkation off the ship, choosing a cruise line you have elite status with if they will give you priority disembarkation, or starting your tour later on the first day after most of the crowds have dissipated (we contacted a number of private tour guides in St. Petersburg, and Alla had recommended starting at 10 am to miss the crowds. You can still start your tour early on the second day when customs is much faster and tourists leave at different times).

If you can afford it, you may wish to consider consider booking a private tour in St. Petersburg, as a small group will be able to quickly move through attractions and can easily rearrange your schedule according to your interests and the weather.

Helsinki

National Museum of Finland is closed on Mondays.

If you are planning your trip using the Rick Steves book, please note that the ferry he described from the cruise ship dock to market square is no longer operational.

Stockholm

The Royal Armory is closed Mondays.

Please also note that some cruises will dock in Nynashamn, which requires a tender and approximately 45 minutes - one hour train ride (or a costly ship transfer) into Stockholm. Sailing into the archipelago of Stockholm is really spectacular and a highlight for many cruisers, and ships that dock in Nynashamn will unfortunately also miss the archipelago. Although Princess is my family's favorite cruise line, we chose not to sail with Princess because the Royal docked at Nynashamn, and I felt it would be too difficult logistically with my 3 year old son, but other cruisers may be able to handle the transfer and tender much more easily.

Please note that this list is not entirely comprehensive, and hopefully other cruisers can add information to help future cruisers plan their Baltic cruise.

Have in mind that the docking in Nynäshamn (Royal Princess) might be subject to change. I have not seen any more info regarding the matter.

However Princess cruises cruise info still have it listed as Nynäshamn for 2015 so I assume that they had a negative decision on their request to berth in central Stockholm

In most European countries museums close on a Monday, except here in UK where most remain open. Before booking any holiday I do my research beforehand so I know what there is to see. When we did our Baltic cruise last year I had done extensive research beforehand. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to do another, but with different ports of call.

Desdichado62, it is also true that not all Princess ships dock at Nynäshamn; I believe it is only the Royal and Regal Princess ships that dock at Nynäshamn, and the other Princess ships dock directly in Stockholm. People on the Princess cruise critic forums have wondered if these two new ships are too large to dock directly in Stockholm, but I have no idea if that is the cause.

The reason we couldn't chose a different Princess ship was that we needed a shorter cruise since we were traveling with my son, and the Princess cruises that docked directly in Stockholm originated from Southampton, adding a few additional sea days to the cruises. But these cruises may work out perfectly for other travelers, and in 2015 both the Caribbean and Ocean Princess cruises will dock directly in Stockholm and originate from Southampton or Dover.

KitKat, it is correct that the RP have been considered too big to get into central Stockholm.

It has been discussed in these thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43642181&highlight=royal+princess#post43642181

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=42524142#post42524142

In St Petersburg, Peterhoff palace is closed on Monday, just like the Hermitage.

Peter and Paul's fortress is closed on Wednesday.

Best time of the week to be in St Pete is Thursday to Sunday, as all the most popular sights are open.

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Best time of the week to be in St Pete is Thursday to Sunday, as all the most popular sights are open.

Appreciate this excellent original posting and summary by kitkat343. Very smart and helpful!! Great sharing. Excellent timing summary from Olga Eagle. Here would be some of my added "logistical" tips to consider as you pick your cruise, plan, etc.

1. St. Petersburg is the super star for this wonderful, port-intensive region. Don't do a cruise with only one day in this great Russian city. Two days is the minimum for being in St. Petersburg. Ideally, as we did, having three days in St. Petersburg is the best. That allows for doing a one-day trip to Moscow and/or getting more in-depth with St. Petersburg. Don't short-change and/or mis-manage your valuable time in St. Petersburg!!

2. Planning and researching ahead are very, very vital for success in the Baltics. Your options are many, excellent and varied in this region. You can't do it "ALL" during a short time in certain of these ports. You need to consider, very carefully, which of the many potentials best fit your personal needs and interests. And give you good variety during your overall trip. The Baltics are not like in some parts of the Caribbean where you just walk off of the ship, see some shops, do an old fort, have lunch and go back to the ship. Some ports can be done well DIY, others need more help for making the logistics easier, more time-efficient, etc. Great options, such as the canal boat trip in Copenhagen, can work well. BUT, don't miss "it" and find out later that you omitted wonderful things during your visit to certain of these very good Northern Europe capitals.

3. Where you start and complete your cruise in this area can be a key strategy to maximize your Baltics experience. Both Copenhagen and Stockholm have lots of great history, character, architecture, food, charm, etc. If your cruise starts and/or finishes in one of these two cities, it allows a little extra time in these cities either pre- or post-cruise. Some towns such as Tallinn can be a great surprise with its historic character, great shopping, etc.

4. On Nynäshamn, my strong advice would be to avoid any cruise with a stopping point at this distant location so far from Stockholm. Why? Stockholm is wonderful with many excellent options, sights. You hate to waste time by getting dumped at this distant location that misses the wonderful sail-in to Stockholm and being close to the exciting options in this world-class city.

5. Private, personal tours can be of special value in St. Petersburg. You don't want to waste time being in a group of 25-40 people being forced-marched around in key attractions such as the Hermitage or slowed to the pace of certain people getting off of and back on buses at an inefficient speed. We did a group of just four people and it made ALL of the difference to be able to experience St. Petersburg "our way", have continuous "conversations" with our guide, focus just on our interests, etc. With a private tour, you can arrange important logistical details such as an early admission to the Hermitage, not wasting time at long lunches, being able to stop at shops of need for our personal interests, etc.

6. Be ready for lots of work!! Most cruises in this area do not have many sea days. There will be lots and lots of walking, long days, etc. Prepare and pace yourself accordingly. Have solid, comfortable shoes. Many surfaces are varied and/or rough. Prepare ahead of your cruise for this type of "pace" if you seek to maximize all that you can see and do in this area. Lots of time zone changes, too. Many different currencies, etc. It's all doable and possible. Just prepare, be flexible, enjoy the experiences.

7. Pictures? YES!! The visual options in the Baltic are wonderful. See below just six of my examples. Plan and prepare accordingly, including having a wider angle lens to capture the wonderful sights and memories. Plus, lots of digital media, consideration for how to store your many pictures. You'll shoot lots and lots of pictures.

8. Weather? Your timing choices for when to do your cruise can seriously affect your odds in getting better weather in this region of the world. Also, it can be cooler in the mornings or evenings. Be prepared to use layers and adjust accordingly during the day.

Hope these added items are of help to consider. Below are a few of my visual "tips" to help build up excitement for this great area of the world, plus preview why this region is so popular. You'll love it, if you plan properly.

Happy to share more, answer any added questions, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 78,716 views for this fun posting.

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard is one of the key highlights and is handy, close to the next-door historic old town area. And it’s free! No charge or tickets required.:

Here are some of the fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.:

As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

Here is an overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior in St. Petersburg. It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in this historic city and was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, 1818 to 1858, under direction of a French architect. During Soviet rule, it was nearly destroyed and was made into a Museum of Scientific Atheism. It has been restored to its religious beauty/role. The cathedral's main dome tops out at 333 feet and is plated with pure gold.:

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

Private, personal tours can be worth it, especially in St. Petersburg. Here our group of four, with our guide, Jane or Zhenya from Anastasia, we are viewing and learning more about one of the two da Vinci masterpieces (Madonna Litta or Madonna and Child) at the Hermitage after an early admission. There are only 14 such paintings by this artist existing in the whole world. We did an early admission at the Hermitage, lessening the crowd battles and adding to the enjoyment in this spectacular place/set of five palaces AND museum. It is both! This Madonna and Child was probably painted in Milan, where the artist moved in 1482. The Madonna's tender gaze as she looks at her son, and the tranquillity of the distant mountainous landscape, reflect humanist dreams of Ideal Man and a Harmonious Life. Experts says the painting reveals great beauty in its coloring and composition. The painting came to the Czar's collection and museum in 1865 from the collection of Count Antonio Litta in Milan.:

The campain Openhagen (Yes pun intended) works towards more opening dates, especially during the bussy summer months and more and more museums is now open on mondays.

The Metro is now scheduled to open in July 2019 but the stations should be ready and the squares/streets reestablished sometime during 2018.

So the last cruise season with major constructions is most likely 2017.