Scottishclover

Enjoy your day In Warnemuende. I worked and lived in Rostock in the early 90s when the area looked a bit different. Of course there was no cruise port back then, it was all very industrial. I actually wrote my final dissertation about the development of tourism in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern but did not foresee the way the area would be used as a cruise hub. I’ve been back many times since and it has been interesting to see how things have changed. In Rostock the buildings have been beautifully restored and there is a nice walk you can do around the city gates. I love the different architecture there - even that from GDR times, as it all tells a story. Thanks for the morning view of Warnemuende 😀 The iconic Hotel Neptun brings back many memories but the Ferris wheel is new since my last visit. I can’t wait to see some more photos of your day there.

Thanks for doing this review - we are on the next Baltic Cruise out of Amsterdam so excited to hear what you think of the ship and ports. Our cruise looks like it will have the same low occupancy judging by the number of available rooms. With things being so quiet is there enough atmosphere on the ship? Enjoy the rest of the cruise 😀

Thanks so much for this info. My husband did exactly what you suggested and it was validated instantly. One less thing to worry about.

I contacted our tour guide last night and he said he has experience of meeting groups outside the main gates, in fact he did this yesterday with some people from Voyager of the Seas. He has suggested that he drops us back off at the shuttle point at the end of the day. He said shuttles in the morning are a problem due to traffic jams so picking up at KS terminal is better. I’m just a bit concerned about finding the main gates - a bit of a walk does not bother us as we are going on a hike in a national park. Our tour guide is great with communication so I’m sure he can give a rough idea of timings.

Madeira is one of our favourite holiday destinations. Funchal ( the area near the cruise port ) is still quite authentic for a tourist destination. An easy trip would be up on the cable car to Monte then another one over to the Botanic Gardens. This could be done independently and then you could have a stroll around Funchal afterwards. If you are doing a tour, one which includes “ The Valley of the Nuns” would get my vote. You can actually get there by public bus from Funchal but there are lots of tours there too. If you like walking, many companies do half or full day levada walks, which gets you out in some lovely scenery. We have also done the hoho bus which takes you out of Funchal to Cabo Do Girao and Camera do Lobos. In terms of Island tours the west coast is prettier than the east. I hope this helps. BTW the cruise port is directly in the town centre. It couldn’t be better located.

We did a land trip 2 years ago to Iceland at the end of July and managed to see puffins. If you are doing a shore excursion along the south coast there are some cliffs next to the famous black sand beach at Vik. We saw puffins there, it must be a popular spot as birdwatchers were there with seats and binoculars but we just really stumbled across them while we were out for a short hike. It was cool to see the puffins but unless you are a keen birdwatcher, I’d say there’s lots of other amazing natural sights to see in Iceland instead.

Due to this thread I realised that our ship Celebrity Apex will be docking at KS terminal so thank you Cruise Wonderland for finding and posting the schedule. We have a tour booked through a private operator and I’m wondering if anyone knows where pick up for this port would be? We like a walk so would not bother us to walk to the facility entrance if allowed (I’ve had a look at some images and it does look very industrial.) I am pondering whether it would be best to get the shuttle and arrange pick up from Riga itself. I got in touch with our tour guide today to see if he can advise and am waiting on a reply but would appreciate anybody’s input who has had some experience with this.

We also had problems. Odd thing is mine and my two daughter’s records were validated after a few weeks but my husband was asked to resubmit. We have all had 2 vaccinations and one booster and I uploaded the same photo for us all - just the front page of the app which has a record of all 3 vaccinations and how long ago they were administered. I’m pretty sure you have to show your app at the pier anyway so I’m not going to worry about it.

We are only asked to remove boots very occasionally when we go through security. Last week we flew from Edinburgh to Munich for a hiking trip to Austria and did not have to remove boots at either airport. They obviously knew the stink coming from my daughter’s boots would knock them out😂

I would have other arrangements in place to get from Munich to Stockholm. I travelled through Munich Airport last week and the place was a disaster. Very different to the normal German efficiency pre-pandemic. 1) The queues to get through passport control were huge. It took much longer than normal ( although in the past we just glided through but not so now due to Brexit). We were going on to Austria and had to provide documentation of train tickets and documentation. Also row 6 will not matter as normally you are bussed to the terminal building and they wait till all busses are filled before moving. Another factor is the flight in before you - if it’s from EU then fine, if it’s not then expect delays. They are very thorough at border control. There may be a separate queue for those transiting, I’ve never noticed in all the years I’ve flown into Munich. 2) This will not apply to you but normally your luggage is already on the carousel when you come through but we had a long wait this time and ended up in a mad dash to catch our train. I read a news article that said they are really short of baggage handlers there just now. You may make the connecting flight - not sure about your luggage. 3) I was shocked at the state of the toilets and the area at the gates. Everything is normally so spotless and things were a mess, bins overflowing etc. They must be short of cleaning staff. Not up to normal standards. 4) Lots of flight cancellations by Lufthansa. I would have another flight ready to book to Stockholm just in case. It was interesting eavesdropping at the gates and listening to people’s travel tales of woes. One woman waited 5 hours in a queue to see a Lufthansa rep. The issue is ( as others have stated ) that so many flights are already full, but I would be proactive and have something ready, even on another airline. We were caught out by a cancellation in April and the next available flight on that route was not for 6 days and we were left on our own to sort something out. I’m telling you all this not to stress you out, but to encourage you to plan for the eventuality you may miss your connecting flight. I would certainly have other flights in mind and not assume that Lufthansa will sort you out as mentioned by another poster. Unfortunately this is the reality of travelling just now. Fingers crossed your flights run smoothly and you have an amazing trip. We are also going on a Baltic Cruisein July and leave from Amsterdam. Schipol Airport also in a mess by all accounts……

I’ve just got off a regional train from Kufstein in Austria to Munich on a €9 ticket. While the train was busier than usual, there were still seats so it probably depends on the route. It would be a long stand to Berlin from Warnemunde mind you but €9 is a real bargain.

You need to be in quick if you want to do the 30 minute museum talk beforehand. On the morning tickets came out, I forgot all about it and when I came home after work tickets for all of July were all sold out. We still managed to get tickets for a visit to the house though.

Yes there was shampoo and conditioner in the showers. Cannot stress enough, put on the conditioner beforehand AND clip it up. That means you’re not worrying about your hair and can relax and enjoy the experience.

I agree. We spent a week in Iceland and were never out our hiking boots and that was a week of fabulous weather. Much of the terrain is rocky and dusty, something more supportive than a trainer is needed. We too always travel in our hiking boots to help with suitcase space. Have a great trip - Iceland is such a unique place and probably our favourite place from all our travels.

Wismar is quite similar to Rostock, only smaller. The molli is fun. There is a lovely castle/palace in Schwerin, if that’s your thing. Ahrenshoop is a pretty artist’s colony on Fischland- Darss- Zingst peninsula but might be difficult on public transport. I love the island of Ruegen and you can get a train to the main town of Binz. There are some stunning beaches in the area for windswept walks or sunbathing. It’s worth looking into M-V ticket from Deutsche Bahn if you are using the train. A tip for Rostock: you can get a leaflet from the tourist info on University Square and walk round the old town walls ( only some parts remain). I worked as a language assistant 25 years ago and have been back a few times to visit friends, most recently in 2018. Each time there’s more to discover and experience and it’s very easy to get around.

We used Sandemans New Europe Tours and the meeting place was outside Starbucks at the Brandenburg Gate, so very central. I think the quality depends on the individual guides, but our tour had a lot of historical background and was so interesting.

We went on a Norway cruise in summer 2016. The weather was very similar to a Scottish summer. One day we had lovely sunshine and temperatures in low 20s, the next day the mist was down and there was heavy showers. Pack for all eventualities as you never know what you’re getting. You might get lucky and get a week of sun but I would not expect that. I would expect the changeable weather we’ve had in Scotland the last week or so, after all the west coast of Norway is plagued by the same Atlantic weather systems as we are. Bottom line, don’t let the weather spoil your holiday, Norway is beautiful.

Agree with the above. We travel in Germany a lot and you can often get a good savings fare on long distance travel if you book far enough in advance. You cannot miss the train station, you will be getting on at the very first stop, with the trains only going in one direction ( other direction is the sea😂). When we visited Berlin we did an excellent free walking tour, starting from the Brandenburg Gate as an alternative to HOHO. I used to live in Rostock and have friends in Warnemunde so can help if you have any more questions.

For more value than Amsterdam, try Haarlem. We are staying there for 3 nights before our cruise. Hotels were much cheaper and it’s just 20 mins to Amsterdam by train. My sister was there in March and so I have it on good authority it’s a good option. She said much quieter than Amsterdam with lots of great restaurants and it is very pretty.

We spent a week in Iceland at the end of July 2020 and don’t recall the midges being bad at all. Perhaps just once early evening when we were on a hike to the hot river in Hveragerdi and then another time at the Fontana Spa at Laugarvatn. Certainly nothing like here in Scotland where you can get bitten alive in 5 minutes by the wee pests. I find midges are worse near trees, water and after rain and to be fair we had a great week of weather when we were in Iceland. I took “Smidge” spray ( our go to) and we didn’t use it. While the nets stop you from being bitten, I find the midges just swarm around them. Agree that midges/flies are a total annoyance and they can really spoil a good walk.

We weren’t there on a cruise but Villefranche is a tender port. It is not a big place and everywhere is walkable from the harbour/pier, where the tenders would dock. It’s about 10 mins from Nice on the public bus.

Yes it would be feasible, depending on where you dock but would feel quite rushed. I think you might be clock watching all day. You need a couple of hours for the castle ( buy tickets beforehand to avoid the queues ) and then a hour or so to do the Royal Mile and take in the atmosphere. There is of course a lot more to Edinburgh than these two attractions. Be aware that there’s a a lot of roadworks just now in Edinburgh due to tram construction so traffic could be an issue. Also, Edinburgh has grown in popularity the last few years so please expect it to be very busy. St Andrews is about an hour and 15 mins away but depends on the traffic on “the bridge”. Things much better now that there is the new Queensferry Crossing. The three bridges over the Firth of Forth are an added bonus if you decide to go to St Andrews. St Andrews is not big and is nice for a stroll. An afternoon would do it to look at the Old Course, University, castle , beach etc. Lots of nice coffee shops and book shops if that’s your thing. Another tip is to check for important events at the university, graduations, freshers, start of term. This can really affect your enjoyment of the town as it will be overrun by students and their families. If you do go to St Andrews, there are some very pretty fishing villages in the vicinity such as Craig, which merit a look. Sorry but I can’t help you with a tour guide. I would look at all the usual sites for listings. Enjoy your trip.

We spent a week in Nice over Easter so here’s my views on that stop. Villefranche is really pretty with lots of waterfront cafes. It’s a stunning port. The must do, is the hilltop village of Eze. I cannot stress this enough, go there as early as possible. We were there at a quiet time and loved it but I did say to my husband that it would be horrible in the summer once all the cruise ship tours descend. The streets are so narrow, as you would expect from a medieval town. If you like to hike and fancy something different, you can walk around the Cap Ferat directly from Villefranche. It’s a flat coastal walk and you walk by fancy villas and end up in the lovely village of St Jean Cap Ferat. I did not care for Monaco - it’s full of ugly high rises and I have no interest in designer shops or yachts. However others may like it. Nice is a better choice. There’s an old town, the promenade, lots of big squares and it feels authentic. The public transport along the coast is so cheap, €1,50 a journey but the buses are crowded, especially the Monaco bus which is number 100 Nice to Menton. Menton is also lovely btw, just at the Italian border. Have a great trip.

Agree with above. We were there in summer 2020 after things had just opened up. We were the only foreigners amongst a lot of locals. Nobody bothers. Let’s face it, you will never see anybody there again. Just shrug off your inhibitions and go for it!

“Are you being punished?” 😂😂😂 There is a friendly rivalry between the two cities. IMO if you want a good day out, go to Edinburgh, but for a good NIGHT out, go to Glasgow. Luckily for me, I live equidistant to both.