dnylla

Thank you for such detailed and amazing review!I really enjoyed it!

Glad you enjoyed it cansas.piligrim

Thank you so much for a wonderful and informative review. We are a couple of young at heart seniors and you have managed to put a few things into perspective for us which has put our minds at rest about a few little 'niggles' we previously had. We are really looking forward to our cruise!

I’m happy to be of help Essexlass2. I poured over the trip reports here before we sailed and I’m glad others can benefit from our trip

Please explain about how many other currencies and about how much I should ask for? I have Euros and am paying for other tours with my credit card. I am more concerned about arriving at the Copenhagen airport & how much to have for dinner and sightseeing there? And, for tips in St Petersburg, Oslo, Stockholm, Gotenburg,

& Copenhagen??? How much in tips and about how much for small souvenirs in their money please??? I have no idea of what to get??

Bjrose, the amount of currency you want to take will probably depend on what you want to do. In most of the cities if you go to a larger restaurant they will often take credit cards and the tourist sites may as well. If you buy each country’s currency you will need the Danish Kroner, Norwegian Kroner, Russian Rubles, and Swedish Kroner.

In Copenhagen I think we spent around 600 DKK each. The tips and small souvenirs will depend. Tips can be very subjective. We tended to tip less when it was a big group and/or we did not feel like the guide put in as much effort. I think that Euros would probably work as a fallback for tips if you do not have the local currency.

Small souvenirs could range from the equivalent of $10 or less and up, depending on what you buy and the quality. Sorry I can’t help be more specific. More tourist oriented shops may also accept credit cards (look for the logos posted somewhere) and street vendors will likely prefer cash.

We are doing the same trip as you did except it will be on the Royal Princess leaving Copenhagen on the 23 May. Could you please tell us what you did about currency in each country. I believe they all have Kroner, but all are different for each country. Did you get some cash for each country before you left home? your thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

I must tell you that your information on Cruise critic about your trip has been fantastic, I have read and re-read it many time. Thank you for taking so much time to do that for us all.

Hi Dote, sorry for the late reply (you may already be on your way over to Europe – yay!) but for some reason I haven’t been getting the email notices when someone comments. I hope you have a great cruise!

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all have kroner, but they are different like you suspected. For each location with a different currency My sister researched what the menu prices were and I researched what the admission costs were for places we were interested in. We added in a little extra for food/souvenirs (this will vary depending on who is traveling) and then I ordered the currency from my bank and had it delivered before we left. We did get some cash for each county although I had the euros). For Russia it was not necessary, everywhere we went they were willing to take dollars. Many of the bigger tourist places would at least take a credit card, we like to have the cash though because it gives some flexibility and limits the fees. Plus then we could shop or eat at smaller spots without worrying if they took credit cards or not. Princess does have currency machines onboard. It wasn’t the best rate and both of them seemed to be out of order at the same time, but it is an option.

My sister and I cruised late May/early June last year. I'd second everyone else's suggestion to pack layers. We had everything from cool rainy weather to unusually warm mid-70s in St. Petersburg. And the day we were in Stockholm we had both rain and sun. I'd say the high probably averaged around the low/mid 60s F.

And like everyone else, I'd highly recommend shoes that you have already broken in and that you know will be comfortable to wear for lots of walking multiple days in a row.

It is definitely walkable. My sister and I did it a couple times last year during our pre-cruise stay in Copenhagen. Its level paved sidewalks so if everyone can walk the 1.3 miles, there should be no problem. There are stores on the Strøget, which may be a good distraction if your twins get tired of walking part of the way there (there are also places to get some refreshments too, since you will have toddlers :))

You've given us a great detailed summary which has helped us plan our cruise. We're going in May , same time you guys went.

one question-on (almost) all the cruises and trips we've taken to foreign countries, they take USD (with change in the local currency). Do you remember if this was the case on this trip? Ditto with CC. MOST vendors take CC.

Thanks again for all the work you put into your journal!

I'm glad you enjoyed reading it jimmyboots68. I don't have an answer regarding USD, because we had ordered local currencies before leaving the states. I think that they said on the cruise that the more touristy areas in St. Petersburg took dollars without any issues (but not always credit cards, as one of the people on our shore excursion discovered). In other cities USD might be accepted in tourist stores, but I have heard the exchange rate is not the best. We did not have any issues with our American (non-chip and pin) credit cards. Enjoy your cruise, it's coming up soon!

Must add my thanks to your wonderful review. We are taking the B2B TA and Baltic cruise on the new Royal next April/May and your review has provided a wealth of information. Thanks again and again!!

You're welcome WineAlongWithMe, I'm glad that you were able to gather some helpful information for next year.

Thank you so much!! Packed and ready... only two days to wait...

You're going to have a great time. Enjoy your cruise :)

Your posts have been incredible and I'm planning my Aug. 8th cruise excursions around many of your tips. As I'm starting to pack, do you have any recommendations about the dress code while on land? Are shorts appropriate? Would the locals treat us better if slightly more dressed up? (skirt/capris) I can only find info about the ship dress code, and not the cultural norms while on land. I know the ballet is dressy... Thanks so much!

Thanks for reading Betsynh! My observations, from our cruise in May and other trips, is that there is less difference in dress between the locals and "average" Americans then there used to be (due to tv shows, the internet, proliferation of international clothing chains, cheaper flights, etc) especially among the younger generations. Some things that used to scream "American tourist", like jeans, no longer do. That said, I do not think that shorts are very common in the Baltic countries, unless they are experiencing a heat wave. So capris or skirts would probably blend in better. Hopefully this helps.

I followed your post from the Baltic thread and have enjoyed reading your trip review so far. It's great to see everyone's different experiences :)

Thanks Dnylla for the great cruise review. We are going on this cruise in about a year and I've been waiting for the reviews from this years Baltic cruises to get posted. Loved the pics intermingled with the review.

Thanks for reading thmom. I hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did :)

DNYLLA - I very much enjoyed your travelogue and pictures (and good to know that there's a chance my very automatic digital point and shoot will suffice and take good pics too!) I wish I read it sooner as I am planning our outings for an August Baltic cruise on the Eclipse and the details in your post are very helpful.

I have a question on Helsinki - you mentioned you walked to the Olympic Stadium and I was surprised as I thought one would need to take the tram. Could you give me an idea how far it is and how long it would take from town on a leisurely stroll? Also, would the Rock Church and/or the Sibelius Park and Monument be close enough to walk from town or would you suggest taking the tram?

Thank you for your help and again for the wonderful post.

Thanks CruzPotato, I'm glad you enjoyed everything! I think that it may take 30 to 40 minutes to walk there leisurely from where the bus dropped us off/near Stockmann's (a little longer if you walk along the lake like we did instead of staying on Mannerheiminte - a main road - and obviously the leisurely pace varies person to person :D) I'm not sure about the Sibelius Monument or the Rock Church since we did not go to either, but I think it may be about the same for Sibelius Monument, maybe a little less time for the Rock Church.

As to whether I suggest walking or taking the tram, that would depend on your physical level and if Helsinki is an earlier or later port in the cruise for you. The walk was pretty level, no real hills, but probably around 1.5 miles, nothing for us but it may be challenging for others.

Good luck with your cruise planning (and the pictures ;))

Thanks dnylla for the great trip report. How can I view the Princess patter? I tried clicking it & other ways to select it to no avail.

--Sam

Sam, I posted the princess patters like I did the regular pictures. Unfortunately I'm not sure how to make them show up if they were not appearing on your screen

Thank you for a wonderful report.

Me and my friend are supposed to start our cruise on Emerald on August 8-th and because of your report we will be able to schedule our tours and activities much better.

I would like to ask you one question. Do you happen to remember who was the Assistant Maitre'd, the one in charge for the Horizon Court buffet and all the other alternative dining venues. I could see in the Patter that the Maitre'd was Silvio Zampieri but I'm hoping that the Assistant Maitre'd is somebody we know as well from our past cruises. We always loved to have most of our meals in the Horizon Court.

If you remember his name or nationality please let me know.

Thank you very much once again.

Thanks dani79! Unfortunately I don't remember who the Assistant Maitre'd was :o, and neither did my sister. It would be nice if you were pleasantly surprised and it was someone from a previous cruise.

Don't know how to thank you. All the information you have provided has been invaluable. My Mom and I will take the same cruise in August. Want you to know that all the time and trouble you have taken to put into this is so very much appreciated. A question-did you book the air and hotel through Princess? We did not, so we have to find our own transportation from the airport to the Marriott and then from the Marriott to the cruise line pier. Would have preferred being taken care of by Princess as you described.

I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report Hye Seas! We booked the flights on our own, but booked the hotel and transfer from/to the airport through Princess. I usually travel with carry-on size bags only, but have traveled with larger bags on public transportation before and it can be tricky, so we decided just to rely on Princess. Being on Long Island I figure you've probably dealt with the NYC subway at least time or two, but if you are not used to navigating unfamiliar public transit systems a taxi might be a good option (and the roll call for your cruise might be a good place to see if anyone wants to share a taxi, at least from the ship to the airport)

Thanks so much for this informative review and great pictures. We are sailing in August on Princess and visiting most of the same ports.

Thanks NJLissa! I hope you enjoy your cruise (both the same ports and the different ones you visit)

Love, love, love your posts. Thanks so much for all the detail you included! We are taking this cruise next May on the Royal Princess so all of this information will be so needed! I love the pictures and also your picks for excursions. I am looking forward to Germany and St. Pete!!

Thanks Weekender76! I'm glad you enjoyed the novella ;)

I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate this review. My sister and I (mid/late 20s) are going with our parents (...older than late twenties) on this cruise in August and as the voted travel guide, this has been a gold mine of information. I finished reading Rick Steves' and am glad to see a recent comparison as well. Not to mention your additions of DIY and the Princess Patters! While our port days are in a different sequence and hence All Aboards will be altered, this has been a tremendous help on how much I think I can get done (and how many books to pack!)

 

I have a couple of questions, though. I know you said your sister and yourself were fairly active, and my sister and I should have little problem with that, but my parents are more sedentary and have some bothersome knees, etc. with too much stress from running or standing all day. Do you think your DIY schedules (such as Oslo and Tallinn) were hectic, or was the time indoors, eating, etc. enough of a break not to feel much strain? While I am a history nerd and want to see as much as possible, I do not want to wear them out and force the next day to be shortened or painful, and I wonder if my sister and I should separate or skip places or try to include them. I feel like your itineraries seem to match my planned paths rather well, so I was wondering on your insight. We also scheduled the two palace tour in St. Petersburg via Princess against the negative reviews on this site for a few reasons, and I was hoping it was not too crowded and exhausting- I'm glad to see you enjoyed it.

 

Also, previous reviewers have mentioned leaving passports in the safe and either taking photocopies or just the ship card in many ports (excluding SPB, of course). The Patters you so wonderfully posted dictated bringing them to each port, though the only time you mentioned them were SPB. You also returned to the ship for lunch before, so I wondered if you brought them all day, at the beginning of the day only for customs, or if it wasn't very necessary?

 

Thank you again for your wonderful and honest review!

Thanks melsterchaos, I’m glad my trip report has helped you in planning :D

As to your questions, I felt like our DIY days were not too hectic for us (although we were getting tired towards the end of the cruise because it is so long and port intensive) and the breaks we took would be enough if your parents are feeling energetic. Looking at it if I were traveling with my mom and/or grandma (like your parents, both ...older than late twenties ;)) I would say that my sister and I walked a bit faster and covered more ground than would have been comfortable for them. In each of the places we did DIY I expect they would have skipped some of the places my sister and I went to, especially in the afternoon. Even if they went everywhere with us they likely would have moved at a slower pace.

In Oslo, if my Mom/Grandma were with us they probably would have been fine with the museum. After lunch, I think that although it isn’t level ground, Akershus probably would have been done at a slightly slower pace, then they may or may not have gone with us to walk along Karl Johan’s Gate. If they went, it would have been at their own pace while Sis and I went on ahead. We went at a faster pace because we wanted to make to the Ice Bar and then back to the ship for our early seating dinner. If you did not have those time limiters I think that what we did in Oslo would be do-able for your parents.

We also retraced our path in Oslo a time or two, in ways that could be cut to limit the amount of walking (things in Oslo are close, but I know from traveling with Grandma that sometimes those close distances add up) For example, after returning from the ship museum, skip the City Hall (for now) and go back to the ship for lunch, because we walked by the city hall entrance on our way to Karl Johan's Gate after seeing Askerhus, which would have been another good opportunity to go inside. We also walked down Karl Johan's Gate towards the train station and cathedral to start the part of the Rick Steve's walking tour we did (which then had us walking back up Karl Johan's Gate). Instead another option could be to take one of the streets that would bring you out by the cathedral and only walk up Karl Johan's Gate once (I think if you looked at his walking tour map you could find one that worked)

I would say the same in Tallinn. The walk we used in Rick Steves could be done at a slower pace than we took, but Tallinn has many cobblestones and it is not always level. I expect my Mom would have been okay doing everything we did. With the cobblestones and the incline up to Toompea, my grandma would have wanted to spend more time at the café and may have just looked at the shops by the ship instead of returning to town after lunch like we did. I think that my mom may have been up for the wall and towers, but if my grandma had done everything we did (at a slower pace) she probably would have skipped the city wall. There is a shuttle that takes people from the ship to the city wall near the sweater wall in Tallinn, as an option if your parents don’t want to become too tired too early in the cruise (or if it is later in the cruise, since you said your itinerary is different)

I know you didn’t ask about Helsinki, but there I expect that my Mom and Grandma would have been more worn out then us because it was getting later in the cruise. If they had gone on the walk it would have been slower and more leisurely, or they may have done their own thing to see Helsinki, perhaps a shore excursion to limit walking. Obviously this varies based on the person, but hopefully this (long) response gives you some better ideas for the ports. It's a great location to cruise and hopefully you, your sister, and your parents all enjoy it as much as we did.

For passports, I think that the only place we needed them at all was St. Petersburg, anytime we were off the ship. I can’t remember for sure, but I think that most of the other ports we also left our passports in the safe and just had photocopies.

Did anyone happen to see if the Hop-On Hop-Off buses stopped at the pier in Copenhagen?

Thanks, Voltdoc

Voltdoc, I did not see the Hop-On Hop-Off buses at the pier in Copenhagen where the Emerald Princess was docked. I can’t remember if John Lawrence mentioned them in his port lecture or not.

I'm doing a Baltic cruise on the Royal next spring so I won't be going to the exact same ports, but I learned a lot about the cities that we'll be visiting. As many others have commented, your photos are beautiful, and definitely add to the commentary. ;)

Thanks heretodaygonetomorrow! I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures I posted. The Baltics are bound to be an excellent place to cruise, no matter which line sailed on, there are some beautiful places to visit there. I know it is a ways away but I hope you enjoy your cruise when it comes around

Hi dnylla,

 

thank you so much for the information!! :)

The 9th of July we will be on the same cruise - can't wait!!

 

Sadly the time in Stockholm is soo short - but I look forward to the archipelago!! :cool:

I'm glad you found some of the info from my trip report useful celebrity_fan! July 9th is coming up so quickly :) I hope you enjoy your cruise (even the limited time in Stockholm ;)) The archipelago was beautiful (especially when we passed through in the morning with the sun shining)

I just got a copy of Rick Steves Scandinavia. Best buy I ever made. It is a gold mine of info. He has walking tours for every port we will be visiting. We have to decided to cancel most of our pricey ship tours and go DIY. The only ship tour we are keeping is in Warnemunde as we are doing the Lake Schwerin tour. We have a private tour booked for St Pete's so we are all set. This time next month I will be on board. I can hardly wait! I am so excited!

I agree Tropical Anne, Rick Steves Scandinavia is a great guidebook. I originally got it because it was the only Scandinavia one I saw that included Tallinn, but after reading it and posts here on the forum I was glad I did. Less than 1 month to go, how exciting! :) Enjoy your cruise!

all you you need is a good to new tennis shoes and that should do it. Lol...

Lol! Very true, but make sure they're broken in before you go ;) this is not a cruise I'd want to get blisters on :D

Amazing! Thank you for taking the time to do that. So many of us will enjoy reading it. The details will help us all plan accordingly and help us get excited about upcoming cruises!!!

Thanks juh18! I'm glad to be of help :) especially since I also spent many hours on the forums here researching before our cruise

Your travel diary has been great reading!! We sail end of July, and are getting more excited as each day passes.

Thanks again.

Michele

Thanks Michele! I'm glad you enjoyed reading my trip report. Enjoy your cruise!

Great review,we are headed out on the 25th and look forward to seeing the sites

Thanks bigpaluka! Enjoy your cruise

Thanks so much for your wonderful review! I'll be visiting some of the same ports later this summer, and your information and pictures have gotten me even more excited for my trip.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to do this, and for telling both the good and the bad from your point of view.

I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report disneygal94. The Baltics were a fantastic place to cruise, so I'm sure you will enjoy your cruise as much as we did ours!

I was referring to getting off the ship in St Petersburg. Did they issue you any sort of tickets to say when you can leave the ship?

 

Are you in Colorado?

 

My brother is a long time resident in Durango, and we've been out there many times? Just magnificent country (when it isn't burning ;););))

 

Cheers

 

 

Len

yeah, we get a lot of wildfires out here, especially in the past few years :(. But it is beautiful :)

In St. Petersburg we met onboard in the morning because we were doing the Princess shore excursions. At the time I did not notice anything about independent tours being told to wait to disembark, but looking back over the Patters I see that they were "supposed to" go to the Michelangelo dining room before disembarking. I didn't hear how much this was enforced though.

I'm not sure if I missed it or just forgot, but where are you from?

I am curious about one thing though. Another cruiser on Princess mentioned that they had to get tickets or something like that to disembark the ship. I didn't see you mentioning that. Did you have this occur also?

Great review. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks mycruise2000! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it

Thank you so much for all your information and posts!! We are sailing on the Emerald later this month and booked rather last minute. It sounds like the port talks were rather helpful. Would you say that some decisions about options in ports (except St Pete) can still be made once we've heard the port talk if we don't have much time to research ahead? Many Thanks!

love4cruisin, I think that for most of the ports (except St Pete, as you noted) you could decide what to do after the port talk. And they were informative, even for my sister and I who often knew what we planned to do in port. John Lawrence usually gave ideas on how to get to the points of interest and he was also available throughout the cruise to answer any questions you might have (I think his table was by the Wheelhouse Bar).

Warnemunde might be the only port that you may want to research ahead of time, just because there are options that range from Warnemunde/Rostock to locations that are not too far away, like Schwerin, to making the journey to Berlin. Because of all the options the port talk for Warnemunde also felt like it was not quite as in-depth as others. If we were not on the shore excursion I would've liked to have had at least some ideas and information about how to get around before the port talk, (but I’m also somewhat OCD and like to know as much as possible before hand). From what I remember reading in the Patters, shore excursions can be booked up to the last minute as long as they are not sold out, so if nothing in John Lawrence’s port talks appealed to you that is always an option.

Thank you so much for your review and detail of the various Baltic ports. We will be going to many of these ports next year and this information was really helpful.

you're welcome mj_holiday! have fun with planning (then taking) your cruise next year

I noticed in your review your steward was named Jonathan. What cabin were you in? We were in C423 and he was our steward for 27 days. I always saw him with a smile and loved that he was always available but without being intrusive. Great steward!

Grammyluvs, we were in C415, so I'm sure it was the same Jonathan. I agree, he did a fantastic job