Baltic Cruise on NCL Getaway - September 2017

I will be on the September 28th Baltic cruise from Copenhagen and have a few questions:

1. How far is the port from the airport; best mode of transportation from airport to port?

2. On disembarkation day, the ship arrives in Copenhagen at 7am, wondering if a 10am flight is possible to make?

2. Any hotel recommendations close to the port?

3. Excursions booked through the ship are really expensive. Are the tour companies at each port that offer excursions?

4. When we arrive in Berlin, I understand that there is a train station very close to port. Anyone ever take the train not booked with a tour/excursion, straight into Berlin and do your own tour or hop on/off bus?

5. I'll probably book a tour for St. Petersburg, any tour recommendations or book through cruise?

You will find all the answers to your questions over on the EUROPE ports of call boards. on the Northern Europe & Baltic Capitals sub-forum.

As for Berlin, the trains for DIY could be delayed as they are doing track work this summer. You are better off renting a car.....BUT Schwerin, the Molli train and Warndemunde itself are wonderful things to do without the 3 hour trip to Berlin.

Don't book St. Petersburg through the ship, you're better off with private companies.

Join your roll call !!! There might be others who have booked independent tours and need to fill seats in a mini-van saving even more money!!

We were able to tour independently easily in most cities thanks to the excellent public transportation system even with our 3 year old in tow. The only exceptions were Berlin (didn't go since we didn't want to take a preschooler that far) and St. Petersburg (booked a private excursion). The Baltic board describes the many reputable private tours you can take, which will cost les than the ship tours and let you see the city in a much smaller group (the maximum is usually 16).

If you personally prefer to be on a tour, most major spb tour companies offer a discount if you sign up for additional cities through their service, so they will be able to take you to Berlin (you can do this independently but some people prefer a tour given the travel time).

My signature line describes the independent touring we did, but it was 3 years ago and some things have changed - unfortunately it is no longer possible to take a hoho boat directly to vasa prior to 10 am in Stockholm.

Also, some of the cruises on your ship have been diverted to nynasham, about an hour from Stockholm since the getaway is a larger ship. Even if your ship is scheduled to dock in stockholms city center, please note that if there are any adverse weather conditions, you will be diverted. So please either research how to get to Stockholm (there's a train station close to the port) or consider an independent tour.

5. I'll probably book a tour for St. Petersburg, any tour recommendations or book through cruise?

We used SPB Tours for their 2-day Deluxe St. Petersburg tour. Very responsive to email inquiries and professional tour guide. Rate a lot cheaper than the ship's and discount on group booking or inclusive of Berlin tour.

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We're on the September 1 sailing and have booked with SPB Tours for SPB two day Deluxe, Berlin and Stockholm (fingers crossed we'll actually dock in Stockholm!) They've been very responsive and offer great discounts if you ask for the CC discount.

We're planning on taking free walking tours in Copenhagen and Tallin, and DIY in Helsinki.

With regard to flights and hotels, I believe the recommendation is not to book a departure flight before noon. We're taking a late flight (using air luggage.dk) and stopping in Iceland. We're staying at AC Sky Marriott with points, but if we hadn't, would have booked at Hotel Bethel in Nyhavn - reasonably priced and very nice area.

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I took this cruise on May 16th and here is what I found out:

1. How far is the port from the airport; best mode of transportation from airport to port? Copenhagen airport is pretty far from the city and port. We took a cab to our hotel and then a cab to the dock which was expensive. I am not sure about public transportation. I did see people with Norwegian transfers from the airport on our way home. You could look into that. Going back to the airport after the cruise we took the NCL provided bus transfers which was reasonable. We were told that cabs were scarce by NCL but that was not true.

2. On disembarkation day, the ship arrives in Copenhagen at 7am, wondering if a 10am flight is possible to make? You might just make it if you do self disembarking, keep your luggage and go but why would you stress yourself worrying if you are going to make your flight? its not worth it. It takes at least 30 minutes to get to the airport from the ship not waiting for the bus to be loaded. Take a later flight.

2. Any hotel recommendations close to the port? Nyhaven is closest to the dock. The dock is past the Opera House and the Little Mermaid statue if that helps. Btw if you are spending time in Copenhagen check out the free walking tour. It was wonderful.

3. Excursions booked through the ship are really expensive. Are the tour companies at each port that offer excursions? Yes there are. We used Alla and they were great for Russia and Stockholm and ok for Rossock and Schwerin and Helsinki. We chose not to take the 3 hour ride to Berlin and enjoyed a more leisurely day in Germany. I heard positive things about SPB as well. You have to take a tour to get the visa in St. Petersburg unless you applied directly to Russia for a visa. If you don't take a tour or have a visa before boarding, you cannot get off the ship. The Russians are very strict and their is line to get through their customs into Russia. They will examine your passport and tour reservation closely.

4. When we arrive in Berlin, I understand that there is a train station very close to port. Anyone ever take the train not booked with a tour/excursion, straight into Berlin and do your own tour or hop on/off bus? No and I would be very reluctant to do that. Three hours each way is a long time and you don't want to miss the ship if you have a travel hiccup. The train station is right at the port. Frankly, I don't know what is so great about Berlin that it is worth 6 hours of traveling. We loved St. Petersburg and Tallin.

5. I'll probably book a tour for St. Petersburg, any tour recommendations or book through cruise? Dont go through NCL. Alla and SPB are highly regarded. They are much cheaper and do a great job in St. Petersburg. Two days in St. Petersburg isn't enough. Decide if you want to see the Faberge Museum. There are also evening options too however we considered seeing Swan lake but when we realized we would not be back to the ship until midnight we reluctantly decided against it because we didnt want to exhausted on day 2.

I hope this is helpful..Other tips. I would recommend walking Helsinki yourself. There is a nice market area by the harbor and if you hit the Rock Church you will see the major sites. We also walked Tallin ourselves using the walking tour from the Stevens Guide book and had a great time. On the right side of the ship when you leave St. Petersburg you will pass the Russian naval base of Kronstadt that has an interesting history if you look it up. You will also sail pass the locks that can shut off the Baltic Sea from flooding St Petersburg. We really enjoyed the Cirque show. Not as good as Cirque De Soleil but very entertaining. Unfortunately the dinner is served before the show is only fair. We loved the cruise I hope you do as well.

Eric

I will be on the September 28th Baltic cruise from Copenhagen and have a few questions:

1. How far is the port from the airport; best mode of transportation from airport to port?

2. On disembarkation day, the ship arrives in Copenhagen at 7am, wondering if a 10am flight is possible to make?

2. Any hotel recommendations close to the port?

3. Excursions booked through the ship are really expensive. Are the tour companies at each port that offer excursions?

4. When we arrive in Berlin, I understand that there is a train station very close to port. Anyone ever take the train not booked with a tour/excursion, straight into Berlin and do your own tour or hop on/off bus?

5. I'll probably book a tour for St. Petersburg, any tour recommendations or book through cruise?

I did this cruise on May 26th of this year. Here are my thoughts on your questions:

1. The port seems somewhat far from the airport (I stayed overnight in CPH and took a taxi from port to hotel then hotel to airport the next day). The taxi was expensive but since I was solo, it was the best option for me and my luggage. FYI, rolling luggage and cobblestone streets do NOT make a good combination.

2. I would NOT take an early flight, nothing before noon. From what I have read, sometimes there are plenty of taxis and some weeks not, Also, CPH seems to have a lot of activities going on, making for traffic congestion. Relax and take a later flight. For my overnight, I stayed at Hotel Bethel and it was one of the best decisions I made on the trip. Fabulous location, very clean, basic hotel with awesome staff.

3. We had people in our roll call that booked a private tour to Berlin via car...it only took them 2 hours each way via autobahn. I would not do a DIY train...we boarded in Warnemunde from Berlin and, due to track repairs, it took us 3 hours and 3 changes of trains. Enjoy the day in the area. Tallinn and Helsinki are very easy DIY (go to Cafe Esplanade in Helsinki and get the cinnamon bun with the cream cheese frosting...divine!).

4. See above about Berlin.

5. I used TJ Travel in SPB and they were wonderful. Plan your own tour (we had 9 in our group, all from the roll call) and saw everything on our list. I also did a night tour/vodka tasting that did get us back at midnight but worth every minute of lost sleep.

Also, as someone mentioned above, go to the Baltic Ports of Call forum on this board...there is a wealth of information available, from both locals and those that have cruised these ports. Have a great time!

 

1. How far is the port from the airport; best mode of transportation from airport to port? Copenhagen airport is pretty far from the city and port. We took a cab to our hotel and then a cab to the dock which was expensive. I am not sure about public transportation. I did see people with Norwegian transfers from the airport on our way home. You could look into that. Going back to the airport after the cruise we took the NCL provided bus transfers which was reasonable. We were told that cabs were scarce by NCL but that was not true.

 

2. On disembarkation day, the ship arrives in Copenhagen at 7am, wondering if a 10am flight is possible to make? You might just make it if you do self disembarking, keep your luggage and go but why would you stress yourself worrying if you are going to make your flight? its not worth it. It takes at least 30 minutes to get to the airport from the ship not waiting for the bus to be loaded. Take a later flight.

We were on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas departing from Copenhagen a couple of weeks ago and this was our experience in response to questions 1 and 2:

1. We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel (next to Tivoli Garden) ($44.50 US) and from our hotel to the pier ($32.52 US).

We were also told on our ship about the shortage of taxis upon debarkation so we took the ship's shuttle to CPH ($54 for 2). However, when we got to the cruise terminal where you pick up your luggage there was someone there (from the ship) asking people if they needed a taxi and then a taxi was summoned. The taxis happened to be outside the terminal, not on the street, but in a lot next to the terminal. I assume they were there waiting to be summoned to pick people up from the ship.

2. A 10am flight might be a little tight. And FYI, we were on the ship's transfer to CPH and everyone was let off at Terminal 2. Since we were flying direct to San Francisco we needed Terminal 3 (which is the SAS terminal), so we had to walk to Terminal 3, luggage and one person with a walker, in tow. If we had had a taxi, we could have been let off at Terminal 3 and not had to walk so far.

Again, this was our experience on Royal Caribbean. By the way, go over to the Europe ports of call boards and look at the Northern Europe & Baltic Capitals section. Look for the author Danish Viking. He has invaluable information about Copenhagen.

I took this cruise on May 16th and here is what I found out:

 

1. How far is the port from the airport; best mode of transportation from airport to port? Copenhagen airport is pretty far from the city and port. We took a cab to our hotel and then a cab to the dock which was expensive. I am not sure about public transportation. I did see people with Norwegian transfers from the airport on our way home. You could look into that. Going back to the airport after the cruise we took the NCL provided bus transfers which was reasonable. We were told that cabs were scarce by NCL but that was not true.

 

2. On disembarkation day, the ship arrives in Copenhagen at 7am, wondering if a 10am flight is possible to make? You might just make it if you do self disembarking, keep your luggage and go but why would you stress yourself worrying if you are going to make your flight? its not worth it. It takes at least 30 minutes to get to the airport from the ship not waiting for the bus to be loaded. Take a later flight.

 

2. Any hotel recommendations close to the port? Nyhaven is closest to the dock. The dock is past the Opera House and the Little Mermaid statue if that helps. Btw if you are spending time in Copenhagen check out the free walking tour. It was wonderful.

 

3. Excursions booked through the ship are really expensive. Are the tour companies at each port that offer excursions? Yes there are. We used Alla and they were great for Russia and Stockholm and ok for Rossock and Schwerin and Helsinki. We chose not to take the 3 hour ride to Berlin and enjoyed a more leisurely day in Germany. I heard positive things about SPB as well. You have to take a tour to get the visa in St. Petersburg unless you applied directly to Russia for a visa. If you don't take a tour or have a visa before boarding, you cannot get off the ship. The Russians are very strict and their is line to get through their customs into Russia. They will examine your passport and tour reservation closely.

4. When we arrive in Berlin, I understand that there is a train station very close to port. Anyone ever take the train not booked with a tour/excursion, straight into Berlin and do your own tour or hop on/off bus? No and I would be very reluctant to do that. Three hours each way is a long time and you don't want to miss the ship if you have a travel hiccup. The train station is right at the port. Frankly, I don't know what is so great about Berlin that it is worth 6 hours of traveling. We loved St. Petersburg and Tallin.

5. I'll probably book a tour for St. Petersburg, any tour recommendations or book through cruise? Dont go through NCL. Alla and SPB are highly regarded. They are much cheaper and do a great job in St. Petersburg. Two days in St. Petersburg isn't enough. Decide if you want to see the Faberge Museum. There are also evening options too however we considered seeing Swan lake but when we realized we would not be back to the ship until midnight we reluctantly decided against it because we didnt want to exhausted on day 2.

 

I hope this is helpful..Other tips. I would recommend walking Helsinki yourself. There is a nice market area by the harbor and if you hit the Rock Church you will see the major sites. We also walked Tallin ourselves using the walking tour from the Stevens Guide book and had a great time. On the right side of the ship when you leave St. Petersburg you will pass the Russian naval base of Kronstadt that has an interesting history if you look it up. You will also sail pass the locks that can shut off the Baltic Sea from flooding St Petersburg. We really enjoyed the Cirque show. Not as good as Cirque De Soleil but very entertaining. Unfortunately the dinner is served before the show is only fair. We loved the cruise I hope you do as well.

 

Eric

Thanks Eric!

We did the Baltic cruise May 25th used public transportation in Denmark to get to the airport (8 of us were travelling together) if need more exact details let me know.

Russia- Used Best Guides for 2 day tour Very happy with them and they were better priced.

Also it took us 45 minutes the 1st day to get through immigrations! Second day breezed right through.

We could have used Best Guides for Wandemunde to go into Berlin for around $125 pp for all day, but we were travelling with a 9 month old and being in a carseat for 6 hrs would have been torture for her.

I would have been nervous trying the public trains for that big distance!

All ports besides Russia we did on our own.

We had a 2 o'clock flight and had over 3 hours wait but would not risk a 10 o'clock flight! Don't most flights require you to be 2 hrs before hand and 3 international?

We used Alla Tours in St. Petersburg and also Warnemunde and Helsinki. There is a discount if you book more than one city. Also, ask for a Cruise Critic discount. Everyone on our roll call got one. We were very happy with their service and communication ahead of time was easy.

Our Warnemunde tour took us to Rostock on the train. While we did enjoy the tour, we found Warnemunde to be such a charming little town that if we returned, we would just spend the day on our own.

We used Alla Tours in St. Petersburg and also Warnemunde and Helsinki. There is a discount if you book more than one city. Also, ask for a Cruise Critic discount. Everyone on our roll call got one. We were very happy with their service and communication ahead of time was easy.

 

Our Warnemunde tour took us to Rostock on the train. While we did enjoy the tour, we found Warnemunde to be such a charming little town that if we returned, we would just spend the day on our own.

Which St. Petersburg and Helsinki tour did you choose?

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Taking my kids to Berlin was important to me as I had not been since going through Checkpoint Charlie when I was 13 to visit East Berlin. Seeing the integrated city was fascinating to me and I wanted them to see. We did a private tour that included a van pick up and drop off and I concur it was only about 2 hours each way, with 6 hours in the city. It wasn’t the long, grueling day the kids expected at all - the drive flew by and it was one of our favorite days. The van took us to a prearranged meet with our guide, and so we hit the ground running/touring as soon as got to the city. If Berlin is important to you, there are better ways than taking the train.

Another vote for Alla here, too - we did the 2-day Grand tour and our only regret was not adding in the evening ballet. Again, we had been advised about the long days, but it really seemed to speed by.

If you do spend an extra day ahead of time in Copenhagen, would recommend staying in the city to make touring easy. Staying by the port will only make the cab ride to the port shorter, and there’s not much to visit right in the port area. There’s an airport train that goes straight into the main station that is very low $$ - then we bag dragged the short distance to our hotel. We were ideally positioned for walking the city, canal tours, palace tours, etc.

Have a wonderful trip!

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Thx. Great insight. Much appreciated !

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