Rostock / Warnemünde confusion.

Although this information has also been posted on another thread the subject probably needs one to itself as it seems to cause a lot of confusion, mainly due to the way in which cruise companies advertise the Baltic Ports of Call.

In every other Port of Call the ship docks directly in or within one hour of the City but Berlin is over 200 klms inland from Rostock/Warnemünde, the nearest port.

Rostock/Warnemünde is one place. Warnemünde is a seaside suburb of the City of Rostock and the site of the Cruise Terminal which can accommodate two large and one small cruise ships at the same time. When there are more ships due on one day then one or more must berth in the commercial Port of Rostock on the other side of the river.

Berths P1-4, P7 and P8 are in Warnemünde. Berths LP41 and LP31 are in the Port of Rostock.

In Warnemünde the ships dock right alongside the train station and the local train direct to Rostock Hbf (main station) from where you can catch trains to other places within easy reach but from the Port of Rostock you need to take the shuttle service run by some cruise lines, a taxi or bus/train to reach Rostock Hbf.

From either Warnemünde or the Port of Rostock the travel time to Berlin by private car or a tour company's chartered train or coach is roughly the same, 2-3 hours. If using public transport the trip from Warnemünde is slightly shorter, 3-4 hours than from the Port of Rostock, 4hours plus, as it is more direct.

The ICE express train no longer runs direct from Warnemünde, you still need to catch the local train to Rostock and the departure is too early for cruise passengers, 6:03am. The only direct train, the InterConnex departs in the afternoon.

The RE regional train service departs every two hours from Rostock Hbf. but the timetable does not fit well with the schedules of most ships and valuable time is wasted at both ends of the day.

Berlin is 200klms from the sea! For shipping lines to advertise it as either a port of call or departure is blatant false advertising! Cruises advertised with Berlin as the port of departure actually sail from the Cruise Terminal in Warnemünde. Cruise companies do offer a transfer from the airport in Berlin to the ship but as an extra cost (highly inflated), not as part of the fare. However, many passengers are using this as a start/finish port, flying into/out of Berlin and spending a few days there prior/post cruise. A much better alternative to a rushed (and expensive) day trip from Rostock/Warnemünde.

I hope this helps to clear the confusion a little. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Great post, Anni.

By car, Warnemuende is actually closer to Hamburg than to Berlin. It seems completely random to advertise it as port of Berlin.

Great post, Anni.

 

By car, Warnemuende is actually closer to Hamburg than to Berlin. It seems completely random to advertise it as port of Berlin.

Hi Alex,

I agree. You never see cruises which have Hamburg as a port of call advertised as 'Berlin' although the distance by road or rail is nearly the same (Hamburg - Berlin 290klms, Warnemünde - Berlin 230 klms). The cruise lines advertise the port as Hamburg with excursions to Berlin. Where is the difference ?

They seem determined to ignore Rostock/Warnemünde as a destination in itself and imply that the only thing to do when docked there is to go to Berlin with a ship's tour. Could this be because with more publicity, on CC and otherwise, about the interesting things to see and do in the area around Rostock/Warnemünde more passengers are choosing not to go to Berlin at all; or if they do go to Berlin they choose to do so with a private tour company rather than using the ships tours. It would be interesting to see the stats! Just from my experience talking to passengers I would guess that the percentage using ships tours to Berlin has declined over the past five years.

Anni

Anni,

What do you suggest for time in Rostock? I think the Constellation docks there instead of Warnemunde - July 20 sailing. Is there enough to do for the day and is transportation between the two towns easy? We were considering going to the castle in Schwerin with a tour that also includes some time seeing Rostock. How do you feel about that trip or is there a better alternative? We would like to see as much as possible in our day there but do not want to rent a car but would like to see some countryside if an option.

Anni,

What do you suggest for time in Rostock? I think the Constellation docks there instead of Warnemunde - July 20 sailing. Is there enough to do for the day and is transportation between the two towns easy? We were considering going to the castle in Schwerin with a tour that also includes some time seeing Rostock. How do you feel about that trip or is there a better alternative? We would like to see as much as possible in our day there but do not want to rent a car but would like to see some countryside if an option.

Hi, I believe that you posted the same question on the above thread on July 7th. There are five very detailed and helpful replies, one of which is mine, all posted within 24hrs or so of your query.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Anni

Thanks for such a great post! I wish you could rewrite Rick Steve's guide for this port for him....he really blew it.

His information on what to do in the general port area is sketchy. He really encourages people to make the long trek to Berlin, where it's something that must be careful consideration since it's so far. My guess, it's because Northeast Germany is an area that he pretty much ignored in his country books for land travelers and he's not familiar with it - so in the Northern Europe port guide, he doesn't give the area full justice.

Anni

While I agree 100% with you about Berlin, Berlin is the place people know as a true world capital, and that is what will lure them in. Isn't it the same as Rome? No ship docks anywhere near Rome, but in a small port quite a distance away, but when people want to book a cruise and want to see exciting places, their interest peeks a lot more when Berlin is mentioned, rather than Rostock. Berlin holds that magical something, same as so many other world capitals. I've yet to meet or even hear from anyone who took that trip to Berlin and regretted it.

In theory you are absolutely correct but the way business is done, people want to go and see exciting places, that's why Berlin is the destination, rather than Hamburg or any other German City.

Cheers

Len

Anni

 

Thanks for such a great post! I wish you could rewrite Rick Steve's guide for this port for him....he really blew it.

 

His information on what to do in the general port area is sketchy. He really encourages people to make the long trek to Berlin, where it's something that must be careful consideration since it's so far. My guess, it's because Northeast Germany is an area that he pretty much ignored in his country books for land travelers and he's not familiar with it - so in the Northern Europe port guide, he doesn't give the area full justice.

Hi, thanks for your appreciation. It was the lack of information about this area which prompted me to create my website but thanks in no small part to the contributors to this forum NE Germany is now getting the recognition it deserves.

Anni

Anni

 

While I agree 100% with you about Berlin, Berlin is the place people know as a true world capital, and that is what will lure them in. Isn't it the same as Rome? No ship docks anywhere near Rome, but in a small port quite a distance away, but when people want to book a cruise and want to see exciting places, their interest peeks a lot more when Berlin is mentioned, rather than Rostock. Berlin holds that magical something, same as so many other world capitals. I've yet to meet or even hear from anyone who took that trip to Berlin and regretted it.

 

In theory you are absolutely correct but the way business is done, people want to go and see exciting places, that's why Berlin is the destination, rather than Hamburg or any other German City.

 

Cheers

 

Len

Hi Len, I agree entirely with you about why people want to go to Berlin and it was never my intention to knock that decision or to imply that the number of people visiting the city from cruise ships has declined, only the percentage using the ship's tours.

Berlin is an interesting, exciting and vibrant city with a wealth of history and great buildings, deserving of far more than a fleeting visit. The city of my childhood and still my favourite city.

My argument is with the cruise lines describing Berlin as the 'port of call' rather than the city to which they run excursions from the actual port of call, Rostock. I recognise the business thinking behind this, peaking the customers interest with the word Berlin, but the cruise lines which call in Hamburg and offer excursions to Berlin manage to attract passengers and fill their excursion trains without advertising the port of call as Berlin.

It is rather like advertising the port of call as Washington when the ship is docking in New York or advertising the port of call as Canberra when the ship is docking in Sydney simply because Washington and Canberra are capitals and a day excursion is offered. The distances involved are about the same as Rostock to Berlin.

BTW the distance between Civitavecchia and Rome is only 76klms, under one hour travel time (similar to Nynashamn and Stockholm) so it does not really compare. Civitavecchia is also a commercial port known officially as the Port of Rome whereas Rostock is the Port of Rostock not Berlin.

Regards,

Anni

In preparing for our upcoming Baltic sailing (Aug. 1)...I have read thru many posts about the various ports on this sailing in preparation and thank you very much for your generous postings full of very helpful information.

Betty

Hello Anni,

Your website is beautiful and very informative.

Our cruise docks at Terminal P8 on July 20 and we are in port from 7 am – 9 pm. We plan on buying the local day ticket ($6?) and go to Rostock by train. When arriving we will take tram 5 or 6 – go 3 stops to Neuer Market;tour St. Mary’s Church;walk to University Square; Go to Braugasthaus – Zum alten Fritz;visit Stasi Info Center;return to Warnemunde via train again.There we will visit the harbor & beach also lighthouse & Teepott bldg. Does this seem possible or is it too much? Do you suggest any other sites/activities not to be missed?

Vielen dank!

Hello Anni,

 

Your website is beautiful and very informative.

Our cruise docks at Terminal P8 on July 20 and we are in port from 7 am – 9 pm. We plan on buying the local day ticket ($6?) and go to Rostock by train. When arriving we will take tram 5 or 6 – go 3 stops to Neuer Market;tour St. Mary’s Church;walk to University Square; Go to Braugasthaus – Zum alten Fritz;visit Stasi Info Center;return to Warnemunde via train again.There we will visit the harbor & beach also lighthouse & Teepott bldg. Does this seem possible or is it too much? Do you suggest any other sites/activities not to be missed?

Vielen dank!

July 20 is a Sunday. You might run into the same thing we did. On the Documentation Center's website they show the Stasi Center as closed on Sunday. It was on our list too, but unfortunately it was a Sunday. Anni will probably confirm:).

BTW the German movie about the Stasi (forget the name) that Rick Steve's recommends in his book is very good.

July 20 is a Sunday. You might run into the same thing we did. On the Documentation Center's website they show the Stasi Center as closed on Sunday. It was on our list too, but unfortunately it was a Sunday. Anni will probably confirm:).

 

BTW the German movie about the Stasi (forget the name) that Rick Steve's recommends in his book is very good.

Thanks so much for the heads up, Buggins. That was definitely a detail I missed.

Hello Anni,

 

Your website is beautiful and very informative.

Our cruise docks at Terminal P8 on July 20 and we are in port from 7 am – 9 pm. We plan on buying the local day ticket ($6?) and go to Rostock by train. When arriving we will take tram 5 or 6 – go 3 stops to Neuer Market;tour St. Mary’s Church;walk to University Square; Go to Braugasthaus – Zum alten Fritz;visit Stasi Info Center;return to Warnemunde via train again.There we will visit the harbor & beach also lighthouse & Teepott bldg. Does this seem possible or is it too much? Do you suggest any other sites/activities not to be missed?

Vielen dank!

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

Your plan sounds good but I will offer a couple of suggestions.

Firstly, if you are only planning to take public transport into the city and out again you do not need a day ticket. A single ticket, €1.90, will take you from Warnemünde to the Neuer Markt, same ticket for both the train and the tram. There is no such thing as a return ticket, you will need to buy another single for the return journey. A day ticket is only a saving if you intend to make three or more trips in one day. Two single tickets €3.80 - one Day Ticket €4.70

The Braugasthaus is a very nice restaurant on the riverside but it is not a brewery if that is what you were looking for. The owners do brew their own beer but not on the premises.

Buggins' info is quite correct, the Stasi Documentation Centre is only open Tuesday to Saturday, closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays.

Two other places worth visiting.

The Cultural Museum (free entry) in the former Convent of the Holy Ghost, the entrance is in the left hand corner of University Square. The building alone, dating from 14th century, is worth a look. You could then walk through the Convent Garden, alongside the best preserved section of the city wall to

The Kröpeliner Tor - the biggest and most important of the 22 city gates and the only one of the 4 remaining gates which has public access. There is usually an English speaker on duty inside who can tell you about the city history, the gate itself and the city wall. The gate is on the way to the Braugasthaus.

In Warnemünde, on the way back from the beach it is worthwhile to walk along the street one back from the harbourside. There are quaint old fishermen's cottages, now holiday apartments, and a bronze fountain depicting a traditional, 19th century wedding procession which is re-enacted every May at the beginning of the holiday season.

Enjoy your day,

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

Your plan sounds good but I will offer a couple of suggestions.

Firstly, if you are only planning to take public transport into the city and out again you do not need a day ticket. A single ticket, €1.90, will take you from Warnemünde to the Neuer Markt, same ticket for both the train and the tram. There is no such thing as a return ticket, you will need to buy another single for the return journey. A day ticket is only a saving if you intend to make three or more trips in one day. Two single tickets €3.80 - one Day Ticket €4.70

 

The Braugasthaus is a very nice restaurant on the riverside but it is not a brewery if that is what you were looking for. The owners do brew their own beer but not on the premises.

 

Buggins' info is quite correct, the Stasi Documentation Centre is only open Tuesday to Saturday, closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays.

 

Two other places worth visiting.

The Cultural Museum (free entry) in the former Convent of the Holy Ghost, the entrance is in the left hand corner of University Square. The building alone, dating from 14th century, is worth a look. You could then walk through the Convent Garden, alongside the best preserved section of the city wall to

The Kröpeliner Tor - the biggest and most important of the 22 city gates and the only one of the 4 remaining gates which has public access. There is usually an English speaker on duty inside who can tell you about the city history, the gate itself and the city wall. The gate is on the way to the Braugasthaus.

 

In Warnemünde, on the way back from the beach it is worthwhile to walk along the street one back from the harbourside. There are quaint old fishermen's cottages, now holiday apartments, and a bronze fountain depicting a traditional, 19th century wedding procession which is re-enacted every May at the beginning of the holiday season.

 

Enjoy your day,

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Thank you, Anni. We need to take the train from Warnemunde to Rostock then tram to Neuer Market, then train back to Warnemunde. Would two single tickets still be enough for that?

Do you know of any breweries that might be open the day we are in Rostock or Warnemunde?

We'll include the two sites you mentioned in your posting on our visit.

Again, thanks so much for all of your help.

Thank you, Anni. We need to take the train from Warnemunde to Rostock then tram to Neuer Market, then train back to Warnemunde. Would two single tickets still be enough for that?

Do you know of any breweries that might be open the day we are in Rostock or Warnemunde?

We'll include the two sites you mentioned in your posting on our visit.

Again, thanks so much for all of your help.

Hi, The single journey ticket costing €1.90 per person covers the whole of the journey from Warnemünde train station to any tram stop in Rostock City eg Neuer Markt. The fact that you start on the train and complete the journey on the tram makes absolutely no difference, it is one single journey. You need to buy another ticket for the return journey, any tram stop in the City to Warnemünde, only because there is no such thing as a return ticket. Tickets can be bought from the machines on the train/tram platforms or inside the tram.

There are only two breweries in Rostock. The Rostocker brewery is a huge commercial brewery which does do guided group tours but not on Sunday. The Brauhaus Trotzenberg is a restaurant and small brewery on the outskirts of the city, end of tram line #6. They brew on the premises but I'm not sure if the brewery is open to the public although the restaurant would be open on a Sunday.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Can't argue with anything you said Anni, nor will I try. I agree.

Cheers

Len

Hi, The single journey ticket costing €1.90 per person covers the whole of the journey from Warnemünde train station to any tram stop in Rostock City eg Neuer Markt. The fact that you start on the train and complete the journey on the tram makes absolutely no difference, it is one single journey. You need to buy another ticket for the return journey, any tram stop in the City to Warnemünde, only because there is no such thing as a return ticket. Tickets can be bought from the machines on the train/tram platforms or inside the tram.

 

There are only two breweries in Rostock. The Rostocker brewery is a huge commercial brewery which does do guided group tours but not on Sunday. The Brauhaus Trotzenberg is a restaurant and small brewery on the outskirts of the city, end of tram line #6. They brew on the premises but I'm not sure if the brewery is open to the public although the restaurant would be open on a Sunday.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Wonderful information, Anni. Vielen dank.

What is the route a train would take from Rostock to Berlin? I am thinking of booking NCL's Berlin train excursion.

I'd add that we went to Alter Fritz brewery/restaurant in Rostock as a part of an excursion from our Princess cruise. The Rostock excursion also included a walking tour of the city and free time. The tour included seeing St. Mary's Church.

What is the route a train would take from Rostock to Berlin? I am thinking of booking NCL's Berlin train excursion.

The cruise lines charter old train carriages without A/C and they will go slower than the regular Deutsche Bundesbahn trains. On Anni's website you'll find the information on how to get to Berlin on the public train. http://www.travelanni.webs.com