jerseygrl828

Agree with all of the above--worth the trip, just book on your own. Have a great trip!

I was in the same situation. I was traveling with my mom who had already done a Russian river cruise that visited St. Petersburg. We too opted for the private tour so we could tailor the tour to our interests. We added a canal cruise, which I recommend. It was interesting to see the city from the water.

I took enjoyed staying at the Radisson Blu Waterfront and agree with the other posters. I was there for Viking's pre-trip before the Homelands cruise. Another benefit is that you can walk to City Hall and tour where the Nobel Prize banquet is held. The ferry to Drottningholm Palace leaves from City Hall as well. Recommend visiting both!

I will be visiting Iceland (Reykjavik) in June on a cruise pre-trip. My dates overlap with the "Summer Solstice" outdoor concert event. How busy does the city get during this event? I just want to be prepared. Unfortunately the artists performing aren't my style, otherwise I'd try to get tickets!

I am interested in the helicopter tour in Geiranger...anyone do this or know someone that did?

Thanks all for the input so far. Has anyone actually done the Viking pre-cruise excursion to Iceland? Is the tour itself of high quality? Or just a sightseeing bus ride? Thanks again.

I'm going the Iceland extension in June before my Midnight Sun trip (I did the Homelands in 2016). So, I can let you know then! Based on my reading of the description, we'll get a full day Golden Circle trip and a half day at the Blue Lagoon included. I'm working out what else I want to do on arrival day and the other half of the Blue Lagoon day.

Elizabetho55--If you go to the roll calls section, you can select Viking Ocean. Then you'll need to select the specific ship to see the roll calls for the various sailings. In 2017, the Star and Sea sailed the Midnight Sun itinerary (not sure if any others did). There were also sailings in 2016, but the itinerary has changed a bit. Don't forget to sign up for your trip's roll call!

LaRenardrouge--thanks for mentioning Skara Brae. I'm interested in the optional tour that Viking is offering.

Richard2--thanks for the info on the bird safari in North Cape. As much as I want my picture at the globe, I'm leaning toward seeing the birds.

Anyone do the Halholmen: A Viking Experience in Molde?

I'm heading Into the Midnight Sun in June and would like to know the same--the good, the bad & the so-so excursions. I've looked at prior roll calls and some blogs, but it's still tough deciding when you want to do everything!!

I too did the included tour in Helsinki. I did not return to the ship, but stayed in town and visited the Uspenski & Helsinki Cathedrals on my own. I then walked down to the Market Square and took the ferry to Suomenlinna Island. I caught the Viking shuttle back to the ship after I returned from the island. I do recommend Suomenlinna Island if you have time.

Our original excursion in Tallinn was cancelled and I ended up going on the tour + chocolate factory. If you like chocolates & marzipan, I definitely recommend it! Had pizza in the main square for lunch (on my own).

Used Insider Tours for St. Petersburg. Did a customized 2 day tour for just my mom & I. We did a canal cruise as our "evening" entertainment--it was really at the end of day 1 and then back to the ship. We had the whole canal boat to ourselves!

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks everyone for the replies. I thought it was too early, but I'm glad to have confirmation. I will be contacting United shortly to change the flight. I did read that there won't be a fee since the change is more than a half hour. :D

According to my trip itinerary, we're supposed to dock at 8am.

I received notification this morning that United moved up the time of my post-cruise return flight and now I'm not sure I'll make it. I had originally booked an 11:50am flight and now it's 10:10am. Do I have any chance of making it? Here are the details--sailing out of Miami on the Carnival Vista & cruise ends on 12/24. Looks like 5 ships in port that day. I have Faster to the Fun (this might help, not sure). If I do the "Express Debark Program" do I stand any chance of making this flight? If everything has to go like clockwork, I'll have to see about moving to the next flight...not until 2pm.

I purchased sweaters in Stockholm, Bergen and Tallinn (at the sweater wall). The one from Tallinn was by far the least expensive (60 euros). In Helsinki, you can buy all kinds of items made from reindeer antlers. Your granddaughter might like a dala horse from Stockholm. They are handcrafted wooden horses with various designs painted on them. They're not a toy and can be pricey. I purchased one for my nephew (he's 2) and now I have a niece--guess I have to go back to Sweden to get her one too!

It sounds nice. I will hate touring in the rain but it sounds like they have more rain than sun! What did you do in Stockholm? Do you recommend anything for us to do or not do? 😮

I too recommend the Vasa Museum. On the same island (and all within walking distance) you'll find the Nordic Museum and Skansen, the open air museum. The Nordic museum displays Swedish life so it's different than looking at paintings. If you are looking to purchase Dala horses, the shop at Skansen has a wide selection that are authentic.

Thanks for the info. This helps. Did you remember any feed back about another option in Berlin

Bad Doberan Minster & the Molli Railway. we are trying to pick we have also been to Russia and Germany before

I don't recall speaking with anyone that went on that particular excursion, however, I think there are some reviews on this board. I would suggest using the search function and see if anything comes up.

Hi Texastraveler555! I will do my best to help you out. I think if you can get in and out of a bus you should be fine on any included tour. If you do any fjord tours (like going to Pulpit Rock in Stavanger) you'll need to be able to get on and off the ferry boat. I don't recall any issues with inclines or hills in St. Petersburg (private tour), Gdansk (Stutthof camp trip), Lubeck/Wismar (optional trip instead of Berlin), Copenhagen (fishing village optional trip/Tivoli), and Aalborg. In Stavanger you do have to go up to see the historic wood houses. My trip included Flam, which I believe is a different port this year. My mom ended up using a cane for the duration of the trip and she did get better each day. There were times when we stopped on a bus tour where she didn't get off. Since we had a private tour (just the 2 of us) in St. Petersburg, we had a bit more flexibility. She had been there before, so didn't get out of the car for some stops plus our guide got us a wheelchair in the Russian museum and at the Hermitage. I hope this helps a little!

Have a wonderful time! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures when you return!!

I used Insider Tours for a private, 2 day tour. Visa taken care of by Insider Tours. We customized our tour and they were very easy to work with. We did add the evening canal tour and I do recommend it. Great way to see the city from a different perspective.

I second the Rick Steves Northern European Cruise Ports book along with all of the Cruise Critic resources Peregrina mentioned. I did a little of everything on my Homelands trip--included & optional excursions, private, and DIY. I did some general research on each of the ports to know what there was to do and see and then based on our interests made decisions about how to spend our time. I take into consideration how much time we have in port, pricing of excursions, options outside of Viking offerings and ease of transportation. I like to plan so I don't miss out on my "must sees" but I like to leave a little room for something spontaneous or unexpected!

Glad you find the information helpful, jiminyC! Just trying to pay it forward since the forum was so helpful to me. Now I'm waiting on the reviews from this year's Into the Midnight Sun to help me prepare for my trip next year. :D

I took the included tour last May. My original plan was to do Helsinki on our own, but after my mom hurt her knee on day 2 we had to make some adjustments. We did stop and get off at the Rock Church and the Sibelius Monument. The tour ended at Senate Square. I went on my own into the Helsinki Cathedral and Uspenski Cathedral. Then I walked down to Market Square and picked up the ferry to Suomenlinna. I walked to the other side of the island and back. There are some shops--I picked up some baked goods and licorice. I took the ferry back and had some time to look at the stalls in Market Square and then took the shuttle back to the ship. I saw the sights I had hoped to see and had a beautiful day to do it!

jiminyC-I booked the Pulpit Rock cruise with Rodne and did the afternoon sailing. We were back in plenty of time--in fact, there was a Viking excursion group on the same ferry (I just paid less!). The ferry leaves/returns just steps away from where we docked.

jiminyC & mnjewel--the weather!! My sailing was May 15 and the weather was all over the place. We had days in the low 70s and some in the 40s. Overall it was better than I expected. I was more prepared for the cooler temps and ended up buying a lightweight tunic top along the way! To give you an example, our day in Copenhagen was gorgeous--blue sky, sun and about 70. The following day in Aalborg, it was about 40 with wind and pelting rain at times. St. Petersburg was cool and gray, Tallinn and Gdansk sunny and warm. Layers and pieces you can mix and match are best.

As for the ship, I only at in the World Cafe and Manfredi's and found the temperatures to be comfortable. I didn't need to bring an extra sweater when we ate (we were able to eat outside on some of the warmer days which I was not expecting at all). Hope this helps!

I enjoyed all of the excursions I went on in May. I was prepared for some that weren't so good, but I can't complain about anything. Here's what I did through Viking:

Helsinki-included tour. The guide was knowledgeable and we saw the highlights. After the tour, I went in the Uspenski Cathedral and the Helsinki Cathedral on my own as well as taking the ferry to Soumenlinna.

Tallinn-Optional Tour with Chocolate Factory. This was a last minute substitution due to our original tour being cancelled. I got the lay of the land making it easier to return in the afternoon. Had fun meeting others and making chocolate.

Gdansk-Optional Stutthof Camp tour-recommend, just know you won't see any of the city as the tour takes the whole port time (at least in the Stockholm-Bergen direction).

Germany-Optional to Lubeck and Wismar-recommend if you have been to Berlin and want to see another part of Germany.

Copenhagen-Optional Charming Coastal Copenhagen-loved this excursion. See thatched roof homes and live outside the city. Came back and took a cab to Tivoli. Took the evening jazz cruise as well. It was such a gorgeous day when we were there--everyone was outside along the canals eating and just enjoying the day.

Aalborg-Included tour. Informative guide but cold, rainy and windy weather.

Did a private tour with Insider Tours in St. Petersburg and walked around on our own in Stavanger and Bergen. I did purchase cruise tickets to Pulpit Rock ahead of time (Stavanger).

I hope you have a great trip!

Hi. I stayed at the Radisson Blu Waterfront in May on a pre-cruise stay. The location is nice. It's across the street (literally) from the main train station. It's less than a 10 minute walk to City Hall and a little farther to Gamla Stan. The breakfast was great--so many choices and it was all tasty. We also had dinner in the restaurant and enjoyed that as well. Rooms were clean and modern. Employees that I had contact with were pleasant and helpful. I don't have any experience with the other hotels you mentioned as this was my first trip to Stockholm. Enjoy!

Ditto on Little French Key. Highlight of my cruise!