Aurora Baltic December

We are booked on the Aurora on 10th December 2018 visiting Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo and overnight in Amsterdam, can't wait. Reading previous reviews, it seems last year the ship was unable to dock in Amsterdam and diverted to Brugge. We had planned to book an excursion with P&O to visit Anne Frank's house etc. Does anybody know what happens if you can't get to the port? Can you transfer the excursion to something in Brugge, do you get a refund or do you just lose your money? Also, any advice on the other ports would be much appreciated, such as, can you walk in to the towns etc without booking excursions? Our main interest is the Christmas Markets. Any advice would be very helpful.

If your excursion is cancelled, your money will be refunded. If the ship is diverted elsewhere at short notice, you might find that PandO are not able to organise much in the way of excursions for that port.

We have been to your other ports and DIYed at each of them - although the PandO shuttle bus came in handy at times.

ps There is a dedicated area on this forum that gives information about the various ports of call, it might be worth having a look there.

If your excursion is cancelled, your money will be refunded. If the ship is diverted elsewhere at short notice, you might find that PandO are not able to organise much in the way of excursions for that port.

 

We have been to your other ports and DIYed at each of them - although the PandO shuttle bus came in handy at times.

 

ps There is a dedicated area on this forum that gives information about the various ports of call, it might be worth having a look there.

Great advice, thank you

Last time we went to Amsterdam, we did the Anne Frank house very easily on our own. The queues were quite long but it wasn't in December.

Last time we went to Amsterdam, we did the Anne Frank house very easily on our own. The queues were quite long but it wasn't in December.

Thank you Jean

Especially as you are there overnight, no worry about getting back on time. Hope you get in. The AF House was marvellous and very sad of course.

We were on this cruise last year and really enjoyed it. We will probably do it again this year if the price is right. All the ports are easy to do on your own. We were disappointed to miss Amsterdam as we had pre booked the Anne Frank house. P&O gave us some free internet time in order to cancel. It took some time to do because the internet is so slow but they did give us a refund. Maybe staying overnight will give them the flexibility to dock in Rotterdam if the weather is bad and shuttle in to Amsterdam.

The markets were nice but we felt that the Christmas markets in the UK were bigger and better. We booked a shuttle into Bruges which was much cheaper and offered more flexibility time wise.

We were on this cruise last year and really enjoyed it. We will probably do it again this year if the price is right. All the ports are easy to do on your own. We were disappointed to miss Amsterdam as we had pre booked the Anne Frank house. P&O gave us some free internet time in order to cancel. It took some time to do because the internet is so slow but they did give us a refund. Maybe staying overnight will give them the flexibility to dock in Rotterdam if the weather is bad and shuttle in to Amsterdam.

The markets were nice but we felt that the Christmas markets in the UK were bigger and better. We booked a shuttle into Bruges which was much cheaper and offered more flexibility time wise.

Thank you for the advice. We only booked this cruise because the price had dropped drastically, although it seems to have creeped back up a bit now, but keep watching. I have been to Christmas markets in Germany (not Hamburg) and found them so much better than the UK? As long as I get a Bratwurst and Gluvein, I will be happy. What you said about the overnight stop in Amsterdam makes sense, hopefully we will get to AF house.

We did the Anne Frank house and pre-booked tickets via their own website, so you have an allocated time slot and queue in a separate queue. This made it really efficient, even in busy December! It's amazing to look round, really hope you enjoy it!

We did the Anne Frank house and pre-booked tickets via their own website, so you have an allocated time slot and queue in a separate queue. This made it really efficient, even in busy December! It's amazing to look round, really hope you enjoy it!

Thank you, really looking forward to it. Just hope the ship makes it to Amsterdam.

In Copenhagen, you should go to the Tivoli Gardens, which has a Christmas market and is lovely with all the decorations. There won’t be a Christmas market in Amsterdam probably. We were there last December and they said it only happened a couple of days before Christmas. I have only been to Oslo in summer, but you dock right in the city centre, by the castle.

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In Copenhagen, you should go to the Tivoli Gardens, which has a Christmas market and is lovely with all the decorations. There won’t be a Christmas market in Amsterdam probably. We were there last December and they said it only happened a couple of days before Christmas. I have only been to Oslo in summer, but you dock right in the city centre, by the Castle

 

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Great advice,thank you.

We were unsure about Tivoli Gardens as it is described as a theme park, wasn’t sure it was for us?

Great advice,thank you.

We were unsure about Tivoli Gardens as it is described as a theme park, wasn’t sure it was for us?

It is a combination of gardens and funfair rides. You can just pay for admission only, not including the rides, which sounds like what you would want. If you then do fancy any of the rides, you can pay individually for them. The Hans Anderson ride, ‘the Flying Trunk’ is good and not in the slightest bit scary. You can adjust the voiceover to English on it. There are many restaurants inside too. My husband likes the German biergarten one!

We did a Cruise to Zeebrugge on Aurora last October but, thanks to Storm Brian, we never got there, nor was a substitute port provided, and we spent the day cruising up the East Anglian coast and back. It was a Cruise to nowhere! No compensation was offered, which I think was shortsighted on P&O’s part as we spoke to a number of first time cruisers who said ‘never again’.

We have (successfully) been to Zeebrugge and Amsterdam on Ventura. I recommend Martins Taxis from Zeebrugge to Bruges. I think it was €50 or €60 each way (total) there was just two of us but we still thought it was good value as they drop you adjacent to the central square, which buses can’t do and the bus and train station is a bit of a walk. Taxis must be pre booked as they cannot meet you at the ship. You get the free port shuttle (red from memory) to the port gates, not the P&O shuttle, which doesn’t go to Bruges- it goes to a seaside resort called Blankenberge.

As for Amsterdam, no shuttle bus needed as it’s a flat 10 minute walk to the centre. Very easy - and I was pushing a wheelchair.

One thing that I really enjoyed was the sail away from Amsterdam as you are going alongside lots of offices and apartments, all lit up and you see everyone having meetings, dinner etc. It reminded me of the Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window. Also, there is a sea lock between the canal and ocean, which was really interesting to watch our transit through.

In Hamburg, there are several cruise terminals. You will need to check (google) the port schedule to see where you will be docking. However you will probably need a shuttle bus into the centre. We went to the Hamburg Christmas market last year on a Fred Olsen cruise, and thought it was excellent. We also went to the Miniatur Wunderland there which is simply amazing. You either need to book a time slot online several weeks before or else take a ship tour. It is so very popular.

We did a Cruise to Zeebrugge on Aurora last October but, thanks to Storm Brian, we never got there, nor was a substitute port provided, and we spent the day cruising up the East Anglian coast and back. It was a Cruise to nowhere! No compensation was offered, which I think was shortsighted on P&O’s part as we spoke to a number of first time cruisers who said ‘never again’.

 

We have (successfully) been to Zeebrugge and Amsterdam on Ventura. I recommend Martins Taxis from Zeebrugge to Bruges. I think it was €50 or €60 each way (total) there was just two of us but we still thought it was good value as they drop you adjacent to the central square, which buses can’t do and the bus and train station is a bit of a walk. Taxis must be pre booked as they cannot meet you at the ship. You get the free port shuttle (red from memory) to the port gates, not the P&O shuttle, which doesn’t go to Bruges- it goes to a seaside resort called Blankenberge.

 

As for Amsterdam, no shuttle bus needed as it’s a flat 10 minute walk to the centre. Very easy - and I was pushing a wheelchair.

 

One thing that I really enjoyed was the sail away from Amsterdam as you are going alongside lots of offices and apartments, all lit up and you see everyone having meetings, dinner etc. It reminded me of the Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window. Also, there is a sea lock between the canal and ocean, which was really interesting to watch our transit through.

Thank you for the advice.

Shame about your cruise to nowhere, we would be gutted as seeing different places is the main attraction for us.

Hopefully we will get in to Amsterdam, but I won’t be too disappointed if we divert to Brugge as have been before many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

In Hamburg, there are several cruise terminals. You will need to check (google) the port schedule to see where you will be docking. However you will probably need a shuttle bus into the centre. We went to the Hamburg Christmas market last year on a Fred Olsen cruise, and thought it was excellent. We also went to the Miniatur Wunderland there which is simply amazing. You either need to book a time slot online several weeks before or else take a ship tour. It is so very popular.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the miniature village, we will definitely try it now.

Thanks again.