Any advice on places to visit during my Baltic cruise?

Hi,

Now that I've gotten great advice on Stockholm, I'll throw out a few other places that I was planning on visiting during my cruise next summer and perhaps get some additional ideas from some of you :)

I'm already booked with Alla's 3-day SPB tour so that is a big relief since the ship excursions for SPB make up probably half of the shore excursion book. I might use Alla for some of the other ports as well.

Here is what I have in mind to do -

Helsinki - city tour plus Seurasaari open-air museum. I've read that the Rock Church and the Sibelius monument are worth a visit also

Klaipeda - a tour that includes Juodkrante, Stone Sculptures, Nida, and the Curonian Spit National Park. Also something that sounds interesting is Witches Hill

Warnemunde - tour of Warnemunde and Rostock. I originally planned the long trip to Berlin but decided against it in favor of staying closer to port and doing something shorter. This cruise is going to be full of long enough touring days as it is.

Fredericia - a tour that goes to Ribe and the Viking Center

Copenhagen - a tour that visits Frederiksborg Castle, Kronborg Palace, Hermitage Palace, and city sights

Tallinn - walking tour that also includes a concert

Riga - city tour that includes an organ concert in Dome Cathedral

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Look at Travelanni's blog about the Warnemunde area, also Northeast Germany thread. You'll get lots of ideas there, reports on what others have done and usually up to date train fares and schedules.

Can you please give me some details of the Tallin walking tour and concert? Thanks:)

There are 2 of them that the ship offers - one is TL25 - Best of Tallinn with Concert and Coffee Break (but the way it reads it does include lunch) and the other is TL07 - Best of Tallinn with Concert and Lunch.

TL07 visits Tallinn's upper town and sees the town hall and palace square, Toompea castle, song festival grounds, Nevsky Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral, as well as several other places, and a traditional music concert in the courtyard of the Dominican Monastery, lunch at an old town restaurant. Then Catherine's Passage. Browse artisan's workshops for traditionally crafted glass, etc. It also mentions some free time for shopping. It is a 6-hr. tour offered at either 7:30 or 8:00.

TL25 is 5 hours and leaves at 8:30 a.m. It reads as basically the same tour.

Are you going there as part of a RCCL cruise?

Hi,

 

Now that I've gotten great advice on Stockholm, I'll throw out a few other places that I was planning on visiting during my cruise next summer and perhaps get some additional ideas from some of you :)

 

I'm already booked with Alla's 3-day SPB tour so that is a big relief since the ship excursions for SPB make up probably half of the shore excursion book. I might use Alla for some of the other ports as well.

 

Here is what I have in mind to do -

 

Helsinki - city tour plus Seurasaari open-air museum. I've read that the Rock Church and the Sibelius monument are worth a visit also

 

Klaipeda - a tour that includes Juodkrante, Stone Sculptures, Nida, and the Curonian Spit National Park. Also something that sounds interesting is Witches Hill

 

Warnemunde - tour of Warnemunde and Rostock. I originally planned the long trip to Berlin but decided against it in favor of staying closer to port and doing something shorter. This cruise is going to be full of long enough touring days as it is.

 

Fredericia - a tour that goes to Ribe and the Viking Center

 

Copenhagen - a tour that visits Frederiksborg Castle, Kronborg Palace, Hermitage Palace, and city sights

 

Tallinn - walking tour that also includes a concert

 

Riga - city tour that includes an organ concert in Dome Cathedral

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Rick Steve's has written a guide book for Northern European cruise ports. You might want to get a copy. Most of your ports are covered and might help you determine what can be easily done on your own, what is better doing on ship tour and what should be done privately. He does a good job of explaining option. However, unless he's updated his Northern Germany section is a bit weak....I would look to Travelanni's website.

There are 2 of them that the ship offers - one is TL25 - Best of Tallinn with Concert and Coffee Break (but the way it reads it does include lunch) and the other is TL07 - Best of Tallinn with Concert and Lunch.

 

TL07 visits Tallinn's upper town and sees the town hall and palace square, Toompea castle, song festival grounds, Nevsky Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral, as well as several other places, and a traditional music concert in the courtyard of the Dominican Monastery, lunch at an old town restaurant. Then Catherine's Passage. Browse artisan's workshops for traditionally crafted glass, etc. It also mentions some free time for shopping. It is a 6-hr. tour offered at either 7:30 or 8:00.

 

TL25 is 5 hours and leaves at 8:30 a.m. It reads as basically the same tour.

 

Are you going there as part of a RCCL cruise?

No three4rd, won't be on RCCL, we're on the Celebrity next May/June. I've heard about a free walking tour offered by the Tallin city council or tourism board and wondered if you were referring to that one. I did see a link to this a couple of months back, need to try and find it:D

It really does depend upon your personal interests. To add to what you have listed:

Helsinki: We did find the rock church quite interesting. Suomenlinna is a lovely park where you can explore remnants of its fortress past. But if you prefer music to a park, a concert might be a better choice.

I used Rick Steve's guidebook, and would like to recommend that its users please consider this museum in Tallinn: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274958-d3214593-Reviews-Lennusadam_Seaplane_Harbour-Tallinn_Harju_County.html . This is a really interesting military museum, which includes a submarine you can explore, cold war relics of explosives, and an aircraft simulator that lets you fly a plane. If you are interested in the Cold War or in military equipment it is really interesting. I'm not actually that interested in military history, but went for my 3 year old son, and still had a very good time.

No three4rd, won't be on RCCL, we're on the Celebrity next May/June. I've heard about a free walking tour offered by the Tallin city council or tourism board and wondered if you were referring to that one. I did see a link to this a couple of months back, need to try and find it:D

Prish....I have one for Tallinn. If you want it, email me at ladyntx4937@gmail.com & I'll send it to you. It came highly recommended by folks on the Tallinn board.