Detailed Review and Journal - NCL Star Baltic Cruise July 27-Aug 5

Intro

I have taken a lot of valuable advice from the various boards at Cruise Critic and my way to pay it back is to contribute information that I have gathered and my thoughts on the whole experience. I hope you will find some of the information useful.

This is my eighth cruise, third time with Norwegian and first time sailing solo on Norwegian. It is also my first time visiting all of the ports on this itinerary. I cruise mainly for the ports. The food, shows, etc. are only secondary. I toured all the ports on my own with the exception of St. Petersburg where I joined a local tour with SPb Tours.

I have broken my review down to individual sections so you may just read what you are interested in. I will be happy to answer any questions.

I got to Copenhagen two days before sail date and had one full day in Copenhagen. I stayed at Hotel Bethel and I love the location. From the airport, I took Metro 2 to Kongens Nytorv and from there it was a short walk, do-able even with luggage. The map on the hotel's website was accurate and very helpful. Taxi to the cruise terminal was DKK180. I have posted a full review on TripAdvisor.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g189541-d237647-Reviews-Somandshjemmet_Bethel-Copenhagen_Zealand.html

For a full day of sightseeing, I got the 24-hr Copenhagen Card. I visited the Rosenborg Castle, Christiansborg Palace (palace only, the ruins were closed,) Thorvalden’s Museum, Ny Carlsberg Glytotek and took the Canal Tour boarding near the Christiansborg Palace. I was trying to squeeze in as many covered sights into one day as possible and felt rushed at times. If I had to do it again, I would not buy the Copenhagen Card and tour the sights at a more leisurely pace, even if it means I visit fewer of them.

Eating in Copenhagen is expensive. I had lunch at Riz-Raz, which is diagonally from Copenhagen University near the Stroget. Salad bar looks like a good value but I ordered rack of lamb which was cooked perfectly, with salad bar just as an add-on.

I checked out of Hotel Bethel at 11am and headed straight to the ship. A lot of people have arrived already but there was no line at check-in. I booked a guaranteed inside cabin and there must have been a last minute change because there was some confusion as to the correct cabin number. The check-in staff was meticulous but resolved the problem efficiently. Even though I did not complain at all, they were quite apologetic. When I went to my cabin, the key card did't work so I went to guest services and again the staff resolved the issue expeditiously. This is the first time I encountered such problem and I was secretly worried about some double-booked cabin. I was very pleased to see that all the people that I dealt with seemed genuinely care about fixing the problem and it did not turn out to be a nightmare for me.

As I said, I booked a guaranteed inside cabin and took my chances. I was delighted to find that I got a cabin with balcony on port side, deck 11. The downside (there is always one) is that it is right below Market Cafe and close to the elevators. But it was really nice to have a balcony when sailing through the Stockholm archipelago.

When I board a ship I like to just walk around and familiarize myself with the layout of the ship. Although there are generally many similarities, each ship is unique in its layout. I find the Star easy to navigate with the exception of the Versailles dining room which can only be reached by the rear staircase.

Based upon information previously posted here, I booked the Viva Vino immediately. There were reservation tables on Deck 12 by the pool as well as Deck 7 in the main atrium. I noticed the menu has changed a little bit from the one that I found here on CC. Fortunately I followed the advice of trying some of the listed wines at home first and I was able to make a somewhat informed selection. I have attached a picture of the Viva Vino wine list.

Based on previous postings, there appears to be some inconsistencies in how Viva Vino works. Here is how it worked for me. At the time of the booking, I was asked which bottle I would like to have with dinner the first night. I was given a slip with the name of that wine which I presented to the waitstaff at the restaurant where I had dinner. If you don't finish, you have a choice of bringing it back to your stateroom or leaving it at the restaurant, in which case they will give you a slip with your wine and the restaurant name. You do not have to go back to the same restaurant in order to enjoy your remaining wine. The restaurant name is for the staff to know where to find your wine if you go to a different restaurant. As for the rest of your Viva Vino order, they are delivered to your stateroom some time during the second day of the cruise. Thereafter, you need to bring your wine to the restaurant if you want to open a new bottle. The in-room refrigerator can hold 3 bottles at a time if you remove all the mini-bar items. They also provide a Norwegian wine-opener when they delivered the wine so you may enjoy it in your own cabin too. However, wine glasses are not provided but you can easily ask for one at one of the bars or restaurants.

I decided to save Berlin on a future trip when I can spend several days there. Instead I took the train/tram to Rostock and was quite happy with my cheap do-it-yourself excursion. To go to Rostock on your own, just take a train from across the ship. Those on starboard side can see the train station from their balconies. Get off the train at Holbeinplatz, go down the stairs on the right to the tram stop. Cross to the other side of the platform and take tram# 1 or 5. You may either get off at Kropeliner Tor, which is the 6-storey tower gate, or at Neuer Markt, which is right next to Marienkirche. From Neuer Markt, follow signs to the Tourist Information center for a free map. I followed the self-guided walk in Michelin's guide. I also spent 2 Euros climbing the 6-storey tower gate. I was quite disappointed that the windows from the tower were very small so I didn't get a panoramic view of the city and there were wires which make it impossible to take a good, unobstructed picture. In short, skip the climb. However, you may want to pop into the shop and pick up a free English pamphlet that gives a brief history of the gate, the city walls and a self-guided walking tour. The town itself is delightful and all the sights are within walking distances.

In Rostock, I was not able to find the ferry that gets me back to Warnemunde. So I simply took the same tram/train back. When I got back to Warnemunde, I saw a river boat tour to Rostock. I took a picture of their schedule. If anyone is interested, just let me know. Later in the trip, I met a couple who took the boat ride and they were quite pleased with it.

I had planned to walk around Warnemunde after coming back from Rostock. But it was so hot that day that I gave up on it. There was not much in terms of entertainment in the evening since a lot of people went to Berlin and expected to be back late. But to my surprise the restaurants filled up quickly nonetheless.

Tallinn Old Town is so close to the cruise ship port that it is the easiest to do it on your own. Being one of the first ones to get off the ship is the best way to avoid the crowds. I followed Rick Steves' self-guided walk and finished just in time for lunch. I had lunch at Vanaema Juures, one of RS recommended restaurants. It was half a block down from the Wheel Well. I had pork roast with sauerkraut and horseradish.The food is decent and there is still enough people watching despite not being right on the main square. With a whole afternoon left, I took bus #67 to Kumu Art Museum at Kadriorg Park to see some Estonian art, set in a way to illustrate how it evolved through the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The building is a sight in and of itself, with its modern architecture built into the limestone hill and a limestone façade.

To return to the ship, I walked through Kadriorg Park, passing by the Estonian President's residence and the Kadriorg Art Museum, to the tram stop and took #1 tram back to Linnahall, which is just outside the city walls at the bottom of Old Town. Tallinn is really charming and is my favorite port on this itinerary.

As a general rule I avoid tours. I prefer the flexibility of touring on my own. I signed up with SPb Tours primarily to avoid obtaining a visa from Russia and secondarily for safety reasons. With that said, I was quite happy with my choice of the 2-day Deluxe Tour. As far as tours go, this was one of the better ones that I have gone with.

The itinerary is ambitious and our tour guide Tatiana kept us moving at a brisk pace. At times I felt like I was rushed. If I stop to take a picture, I run the risk of losing sight of my tour guide. And I lost her a few times. The only way to find her again was to spot others on the same tour and follow them instead. But I would rather hurry up at times than to waste valuable time in port not seeing the signts.

I think lunches are authentic (my boyfriend is Russian) but portions are not big. I suggest having a good breakfast in the morning because lunch is not until 12:30 or 1pm. Bring some snacks to munch on the van if you have a big appetite.

Tatiana is an experienced tour guide who seems to know everything by heart. She gave detailed explanations and historical perspectives to our sights. She answered questions satisfactorily. The only thing I would have liked is to have the SPb brochure at the beginning of the tour as opposed to at the end of the tour. The brochure has a neat family tree of the Russian Monarchy and would have been extremely handy during the tour. It was a bit of a challenge to keep in mind who favored whom, who killed whom, who had 15,000 dresses and who abdicated when and whose blood was spilled at the Church of the Spilled Blood, etc. If your Russian history is as rusty as mine, I suggest either doing some homework beforehand or ask for that SPb brochure at the beginning of the tour.

There was a canal boat tour at the beginning of the second day. For the boat tour we had a different guide, Elena. She is really knowledgeable too. It is similar to other canal or river tours that you get in Paris or Copenhagen.

Our driver Andrew is safe and courteous. I heard horror stories about drivers in Moscow and witnessed some crazy drivers in St. Petersburg. But Andrew was careful and I feel safe in his van.

The tour said that there is a "subway ride." The reality is that it is only if time permits. And it is really a visit to the world's deepest underground subway station at Admiralty. We were given tokens to go into the station, rode what is probably the longest escalator underground, watched a train arrive at the platform, and then turn around and head back up on top. We did not ride on a subway train. It was a really fun experience, and a welcomed break from the churches, palaces and museums.

In summary I would recommend SPb Tours in St. Petersburg if this is your first visit. It is an efficient way to get the highlights under professional care and guidance.

The cruise ship terminal in Helsinki is a bit of a hike to the city center. While there is a wealth of information on how to navigate the public transportation system, the Hop-On Hop-Off is too convenient to pass up. They were lining up right outside the ship and staff is only too eager to help. I took the Green one, as opposed to the Red one. I see no difference as they seem to run similar routes, at the same frequency and for the same advertised price, which is 25 euros but for some reason I was only charged 20 euros. It may have been a special price for cruise ship passengers or it could have been the fact that it was really early and they needed to fill the bus. Whatever the reason, I am not complaining. Compared to a day pass for trams and buses at 8 euros, I consider 20 euros to be quite reasonable.

I got off at Market Square and followed Rick Steves' self-guided walk, from Market Square to the Rock Church, stoppng at Ateneum museum to admire some Finnish art. Had a fun and delicious brunch picking out pastries at the Deli at Stockmann Department Stores' basement. The Hop-On Hop-Off is also useful for visiting the Sibelius Monument which would have been too far to walk to.

A few things to note on the Hop-On Hop-Offs:

1. Buses are 30 minutes apart. Schedules are posted at each stop so you can plan your time accordingly.

2. Not all of them go to the cruise ships. If you are getting back to the ship, ask the driver. You may need to transfer to another bus at Senate Square, which is Stop #1.

3. Last bus to go to the cruise ship leaves Senate Square at 4pm. (Confirm with driver and/or Hop-On Hop-Off staff.) Obviously, the later the bus, the more crowded it would be.

I started my day in Stockholm by getting up half an hour before sunrise (4am, or 5am if you consider that we had to set our clocks back by one hour.) We were already sailing through the archipelago. I got bundled up and went up to the sun deck to watch the sunrise. Only a few other passengers had the same idea and it was tranquil on the deck. It was really beautiful and well worth the effort. From then on, we kept sailing by various islands, big and small, rock barren or covered with lush green trees, with or without houses, with a lighthouse every once in awhile. This is the one day on the cruise that is worth getting up early for.

When the ship docked, I was so excited that I finally got a good view from my port side cabin! I could see the churches in Gamla Stan, the Tivoli Grona Lund in Djurgarden, and of course all the ferries shuttling back and forth.

As usual I wasted no time in getting off the ship. I went on the Hop-On Hop-Off Boat for SEK120. Before 10 am, the boat runs as a shuttle in that it makes a beeline to Vasa Museum and then goes for the Royal Palace. Our boat made it to Vasa at 8:35. I didn't go to Vasa but seems to me this must be the fastest way to get there first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds. They sell single ride tickets for SEK 40. In hindsight perhaps I should have jumped off the ship and see the Vasa. Instead I got off at the Royal Palace and followed Rick Steves' self-guided walk in Gamla Stan. After the walk I went into the Nobel Museum which I found to be quite disappointing. Perhaps I should have spent that hour in the Royal Palace instead. I then had some Swedish meatballs at Cafe Sten Sture, which is between the Stortorget and the German Church. It was delicious and filling. After lunch, I decided to take the Hop-On Hop-Off to Djurgarden. But the boats were so full I couldn't get on the first one and had to wait another 20 minutes for the next one. There is no system for lining up and if am not careful I could have missed the second one too. At the next stop (Nybroplan,) one man shouted "I have been waiting for an hour!" A lot of people could not get on and were angry. But at the next stop which is Vasa, more people got off than got on. The next two stops, Skeppsholmen (Modern Museum) and Tivoli Grona Lund, appear to be much less popular. I don't know if they run special shuttles in the afternoon to ferry large number of passengers back to the cruise ship. I suggest asking to make sure. If they don't, then certain passengers may run the risk of not making it back to the ship if they cannot elbow their way onto one of these boats.

I am again very grateful for the upgrade to a port-side balcony stateroom. I got to witness an amazing sunset right from my balcony. The only imperfection was I had smokers as my neighbor and I was pretty much forced to get back into my stateroom with the doors tightly shut as soon as they discovered the fabulous view and decided to enjoy it too with a few cigarettes. By the way, if you missed the archipelago in the morning, you can always view it in the afternoon/evening when the ship sails away from Stockholm.

If I were to do this again and have the flexibility, I would consider ending my cruise and disembark at Stockholm and spend a few days here on my own post cruise. Stockholm deserves at least two full days.

I shall also note that this is the only port where I did not get some local currency, the Swedish Kroner. I had no problem using my U.S. non-chip & pin credit card. At other times I simply used my Euros.

On the last night of the cruise, there was an internet special of 15 minutes for $8.25. If you have been on the pay-as-you-go plan, you should note that you cannot purchase any more minutes on the day of disembarkation. A prepaid plan is the only way to access the internet should you need that in the morning of disembarkation.

I purchased the airport transfer because I stayed at the Airport Hilton post cruise. I was placed with the group with flights after 2:30pm and my estimated disembarkation time was 9:15am. We were called by 9am and I got all checked in at the Hilton by 10am. It was really efficient and convenient.

You may stay in your stateroom till 9am. I recommend staying in your stateroom for as long as you can. I noticed that a lot of the public restrooms on decks 7 & 8 were not working on the morning of disembarkation.

Check-in: Despite confusion regarding cabin number, problem resolved expeditiously. Room key didn't work and Guest Services also resolved issue immediately.

Cabin Steward - Gutsi: Kept room clean and neat. Ice bucket always refilled. Also helped me check on my laundry when it did not arrive by 6pm as promised. Always greet me in the hallway and ask how my day was.

Guest Services - I dropped off my airport transfer order in the Shore Excursions Box by mistake (my fault). Received a call that they need my signature to process the order. Stopped by Guest Services and it got taken care of right away.

Waitstaff in Versailles – Ivy is my favorite: Never let me wait too long before taking my order. Always kept my water and wine filled. Always ask how my food was as soon as I tasted it. All the staff at Versaille are attentive but Ivy definitely stands a notch above the rest.

Hand-sanitizer "police" – Violeta: Everybody who goes into Market Cafe must first have some hand-sanitizer sprayed on their hands. In addition to the automatic dispensers placed outside the door, there is someone guarding each entrance during peak hours and will personally spray your hands. It is a very thankless job but there is one person, Violeta, who always does it with a smile (sometimes with a shake of her butt too) and you can hear her say "washy washy!" as you walk up the stairs. How can you not let her spray your hands?

Restaurant Hostess at Versailles - Rose: Remembers my name by the third night and the fact that I like to sit in Ivy's section. Considering how many guests they have to serve I am quite impressed.

There was an incident that one night, while I had the "Do Not Disturb" sign outside my stateroom, a room service delivery staff knocked on my door. I told her I did not order any room service. She showed me the slip on which the room number was written and it became apparent she read the room number incorrectly. It was for another cabin. I wrote up the incident on a comment card and dropped it off at Guest Services. The next evening, one of the managers, Theresa, stopped by my table at Versailles to personally apologize. The next afternoon, while I was having lunch, another manager stopped by my table again to apologize, and I was sent some chocolate dipped strawberries in my stateroom. While the incident annoyed me, I was not expecting any special treatment as a result. I think it is important to give positive and constructive feedback and all I wanted is to help them with staff evaluation and training. But it is clear that while not all staff is perfect, they do take service and customer feedback very seriously.

They now have a monitor that shows available reservation times at each restaurant for the day. This is my first time cruising solo on Free-Style Norwegian. I am surprised that they will give me a table for one. I tend to have dinner before 6:30 so I have never had a problem getting a table.

I mainly have my meals at Versailles. The food is very inconsistent. I have only dined in the complimentary restaurants and I start to wonder if they let the quality of the food slide in order to drive passengers to the specialty restaurants. I feel bad for the waitstaff because they are all very attentive and constantly ask how the food is. It is not their fault if the food is no good. But it is the waitstaff who apologize if I express any dissatisfaction about the food. I agree with most previous reviews that food is not served piping hot and tends to be more cooked. Buffet at the Market Cafe is definitely cold by the time you make it to your table. After two bad experiences I decided to just have fresh fruit and yogurt. If I want something hot I get a made-to-order omelet. For lunch they have a pasta station that is also cooked-to-order.

Only about 10% of the passengers dress up for the first Nights Out (known as Formal Nights on other cruise lines) and pretty much 0% by the second time. The first Night Out was the first Sea Day. The second one was the sail-away from Stockholm. You would not have even noticed it if not for the photo stations set up in the Atrium. Next time I sail NCL I will not bother to bring a nice outfit at all.

I only attended a few entertainment programs in the evening. The audience is certainly more reserved than those on a Caribbean cruise but the Cruise Director, Archie, and the performers tried very hard to get them more engaged.

My favorite is Scottish singer Brenda Cochrane, who performed on the night we sailed away from Stockholm. She has a powerful voice and is very likable on stage. She received a standing ovation at the end of her performance. For the first night we had a mix of perfomances by the production cast on the ship and some juggling + stand-up comedy by Steve Rawlings. While I am not impressed by his juggling skills, I thoroughly enjoyed his jokes. For the grand finale (i.e. last night of the cruise,) the production cast, the magicians and the acrobats put together a Cirque de Soleil-like show that was quite good. Apparently there were high expectations as the Stardust Theater was the most packed that I have ever seen. I suggest getting there at least 20 minutes before showtime if you want to get a good seat.

Laundry specials were on days 4 (Tallinn) and 7 (Helsinki). The price was $24.95 for everything you can stuff in one bag. Of course they provide the bag, which isn't very big. You leave the stuffed bag on your bed by noon that day and get your laundry back by the next day evening. For example, if you leave the bag on your bed in the morning before you go tour Tallinn, you get your clothes back by the time you are done with your first day in St. Petersburg. I have a picture of the complete price list for laundry and dry clean if anyone is interested.

I stayed at the airport Hilton using my HHonors points. It is what you would expect from a Hilton. I find the location quite convenient. It is a short walk to the Departures Hall. It is right next to the Metro and going into the city center takes only about 20 minutes. After checking in, I bought an All-Zone Day Pass and went to Frederiksborg Castle. From the Metro, I transferred to the B-Line S-Tog at Norreport towards Hillerod. It took about an hour to get there. It is the Danish Versailles, though much smaller than The Versailles and of course not as grandeur as the Peterhof. But there were no crowds and no tour groups. It sits on a lake. The Chapel is beautiful, with organ music being played. The museum takes you through Danish history and includes paintings of the Royal Family that are quite decent.

For dinner I went to Tight, one of the restaurants mentioned in Rick Steves' guidebook. The ambiance feels trendy and hip. It is on one of the side streets from the Stroget. Staff speaks fluent English and they have English menus. But it is not a tourist trap. I ordered the Pork Schnitzel that comes with scalloped potatoes at the bottom and vegetables cooked like a ratatouille on top. Compared with the food on the Star, this was superb! The pork was cooked just right, tender but still hot on the inside. The breaded crust was still crispy. The salad on top was really fresh and the overall flavoring and texture were very well balanced. I devoured the entire dish so quickly they probably think I just got off of a boat from Ethiopia. The portion was quite substantial. That was all I had and I was very satisfied.

For the second day, I bought a 24-hour City Pass for DEK 75 to go into the city and had a whole day of sightseeing paying only DEK 25 in admission fees. I started by taking the S-Tog to Osterport, walked to the Little Mermaid statue, which by 9:30am is already swamped with tourists arriving by the busloads. I then proceeded to walk towards the Amalienborg Palace, passing by the now being destructed Danish Resistance Museum. No idea if it is being relocated elsewhere. So I just went straight to Amalienborg Palace just to take a few pictures. Too many tourists again. The Marble Church is just across the street so I popped in for a quick look. The Russian Orthodox Church is just a few doors down from the Marble Church. It was closed so I just took a few pictures from the outside. Next I climbed the Round Tower for DEK25. The view on top is somewhat obstructed since we were fenced off from the edge. From the Round Tower it was a short walk to the Cathedral of Our Lady (Von Frue Kirche) and Copenhagen University. The Copenhagen University is not a tourist attraction but the doors are not locked and no one stopped me from going in to take a quick look and snap a few pics. Riz-Raz is half a block away so I had their vegetarian salad bar lunch buffet. It was fine. I then walked to the National Museum which is free. It is very well laid out with detailed English descriptions for all the exhibits. The biggest drawback was there was no air-con with the exception of a few rooms and it was a really hot day. I did not finish and left, going uptown to the National Gallery, which is also free. It is mostly to showcase Danish Art, but there is also a decent French Art Collection with Picassos and lots of Matisse's. After that I was really tired of walking so I did my own Hop-On Hop-Off making use of my Day Pass. From the National Gallery, I hopped onto Bus 6A to the Central Train Station, took some pics of the station and the outside of the Tivoli Gardens. From there I connected to Bus 26 which took me back to Kongens Nytorv after passing by the Christiansborg Palace.

For dinner I went back to Tight and had mussels cooked in white wine garlic sauce, with toasted garlic bread for dipping. It was again excellent. After dinner it was a short walk through the Stroget back to the Metro and a 20-minute train ride back to the Hilton, where there is air-conditioning, finally!

Thank you so much! We are going on this cruise August 23rd and your review was very helpful!

You're welcome! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did! Since this is a 9-night cruise, please note that the day of the week differs from cruise to cruise. For example, I was in Rostock on a Sunday and it was pretty quiet, especially early in the morning. You may find more stores open and earlier! You are going to be in Tallinn on a Monday and museums and sights are typically closed on Mondays. Unfortunately the Kumu Art Museum is one of them.

We did this cruise in June and had the same food issues you did. So much so that I had to file a complaint.

We loved Helsinki, Stockholm and Talinn! Just beautiful cities. :)

To anyone going to St. Petersburg, avoid the hermitage unless you really, really love paintings and crowds. The girl at the excursion desk was pretty useless and led us to believe it was a palace. There is no escaping this place unless you have a visa. 12 of 14 people on the tour were begging the guide to let us go outside or leave, but no dice. (We all got the same useless excursion desk girl)

When it comes to the food, I think it is all about expectations. If you just want to be fed, you will not go hungry on the Star. However, I have cruised with NCL twice before and I remember that I used to like the food. It simply fell short of my expectations.

As for St. Petersburg, the issue you mentioned is one of the main reasons why I don't like to join tours - you cannot avoid the crowds. I found the crowds at Peterhof more exhausting than those at the Hermitage. Our tour supposedly got an "early entry" and perhaps that helped. I think the visa requirement is just a conspiracy of the Russian government to drive businesses towards its local tour companies and quite frankly is a discrimination against the independent traveler. But if you want to go then you must play by the rules. I read on the Lonely Planet guidebook that, for the Hermitage, you can pre-order your tickets online. Just bring the printout and your ID and you can skip the ticket line. Obviously I did not try it and cannot vouch for it. But for anyone who wants to try, here is the website:

http://www.hermitageshop.org/page.php?pagename=tickets

And to be fair, the Hermitage used to be a palace.

aleeturk:

Thanks for all the information. It will be very helpful on the cruise we are taking on September 1st. I would appreciate getting the river boat tour schedule you offered. Also the laundry list so we can plan on what to take. Is there a tour that avoids the Hermitage that you know of and can recommend?

We will no doubt have additional questions as we further review your helpful information but will appreciate getting what we are requesting here.

funguy bob

Photo of schedule attached. Notice there is a website at the bottom of the sign on the right. You might want to check that out too! I have also attached a picture of the boat.

The photos represent regular prices. Make sure you read the fine print at the bottom. Same day express service costs 50% more! The scanned document is the fliers for the specials that I mentioned.

Is there a tour that avoids the Hermitage that you know of and can recommend?

I haven't done enough research to recommend any other tours. I see that SPb will customize a tour for you. Worth an inquiry. Perhaps others who have done that can recommend something for you. Sorry I can't be of much help here.

This is very helpful. I will be on this cruise leaving September 1st.

Great review! Since you were not in a suite I'd like to know about your experience disembarking in St Petersburg in terms of time it took, immigration, ease of finding your tour, etc on both days. Considering this cruise in 2014 and am most nervous about this port.