trans atlantic advice please

[Blamar]

I am thinking I should ask this elsewhere but can't think of where so I will start here. I would like to do a Russia trip next year but I was thinking this would be a great opportunity to include a trans-Atlantic sailing. So what is a good way to match a trans-Atlantic sailing with a ship that goes through Northern Europe to Russia?

 

Thanks

[LHT28]

Find a crossing that goes late April or May then look for a Baltic cruise in May

 

Oceania has a crossing the end of May that may also work for getting a Baltic cruise

[CanWeGoYet?]

I've seen some that go east bound, end in Dover & from there that ship goes on to do a Baltic cruise. Would be wonderful to be able to stay in the same cabin & not even have to pack to leave the ship.

 

If you don't have a travel agent, at least call to get help from the phone reps at each cruise line you would want to consider. They could help you find the right ship & make sure the cabin was available for both cruises. You don't need to have the cruise be on the same ship or even the same cruise line, of course, but it might be good for convenience.

[dorisis]

Working with a travel agent that specializes in cruising would make it all much easier for you.

 

~Doris~

[Krazy Kruizers]

You need to talk to a TA.

 

He/she will be able to point out which ships will be doing repositioning cruises from the states -- most from Florida -- and then begin their Baltic season.

[kazu]

The Prinsendam offers a collectors cruise - TA in May visiting 3 ports in France, Brussels & Tilbury and then starts it's cruise of the Baltics. Nice itinerary with 3 overnights :)

 

Just an example of one possibility:)

[Hlitner]

Not sure why you need a TA (many of whom are clueless) as its just a matter of doing a little research. There are some excellent online search engines (operated by some large online travel agencies) where you can search with various criteria. If you are thinking of taking a Baltic cruise (these all go to St Petersburg) it would just be a matter of taking a spring 2013 repositioning cruise from the US to a place such as Copenhagen where you either stay on that ship (back to back) for a Baltic Cruise or get off for a period of time and catch a different Baltic Cruise. For example, The Vision of the Seas does an April 17 seventeen night cruise that ends in Copenhagen and then starts its Baltic cruises. The Norwegian Star has a repo cruise to Copenhagen that also leaves the US in April. Several other cruise lines do Repo cruises to an English port and from there continue into the Baltic. The key to doing any of these cruises is having lots of time because you are talking about a minimum 3 week trip.

 

Hank

[barante]

It occurs to me that the OP may be asking about a cruise that would end up in Russia for possible land travel, instead of a mere cruise that visits Russia.

 

If so, this may be doable in a limited way.

 

In the Soviet times, there was a regular passenger service from one of the London area ports to Leningrad (today's St. Petersburg). I don't think that exists any more.

 

About the only way to do this may involve an overnight voyage on a Russian car ferry either from Stockholm or Helsinki. Google St. Peter Line.

 

I worked in Moscow for five years during the Evil Empire. Then and now, Russians discouraged independent travel. Here is an instructive story, albeit about car travel, that appeared in yesterday's NYT. BTW, one of the authors, Celestine Bohlen, is the daughter of Chip Bohlen, a legendary U.S. ambassador to Moscow.

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/driving-russias-revived-golden-ring.html?pagewanted=all

[Underwatr]

I think this is the NY Times article barante was referring to:

 

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/driving-russias-revived-golden-ring.html?ref=travel

[Blamar]

Thanks everybody for the quick responses. I don't think I will do much driving in Russia so more of the round trip plans would be better. The Holland America trip looks excellent - I am not sure about 31 days in an inside cabin, maybe some more saving is involved. I like travelling Holland America but it might be worthwhile looking at some of the other lines. I will let you know what happened.

[lamchops]

Princess has a 11 day (Aug) Baltic cruise RT Copanhagen followed by a 16 day (sept) TA to NYC.

 

Princess has combined the 2 legs and calls it the 27 day "Northern Europe Grand Adventure" on the Emerald Princess with inside rooms launching at $4149.

[RoofingPrincess]

Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas does her 15-night westbound transatlantic from Harwich (England) to Boston starting on August 31, 2013. So then I looked at Brilliance's sailings in August and found she has a 12-night Scandinavia & Russia cruise leaving August 19.

Still a HUGE chunk of cruising (27 nights). Insides on the Baltic cruise start at $2029, and the prices for the transatlantic are on the high side (this was a very popular cruise when the Jewel was assigned to that route, often sold out nearly a year in advance) at $1779.

[CanWeGoYet?]

Carnival has a baltic cruise beginning & ending in Dover June 21 2013. Balcony starts at 1849, for a 12 day. The transatlantic preceding is in April, so would not work unless you are planning for an extended time in England before the Baltic cruise.

But with the beginning & ending port Dover - arranging a transatlantic before or after the baltic might not be too hard. Queen Mary has continuous TAs, not just the fall & spring ones offered by other lines.

[kristapb]

One thing you should be aware of - one-way flights to and from Europe cost quite a bit more than round-trip (with a few carrier exceptions). So take a look at your flight options if you are planning on a transatlantic and a later flight home. We are doing a transatlantic next spring, and wound up booking RT to come home (just won't use the return) because one-ways were so expensive.

[Galveston Cruiser]

One thing you should be aware of - one-way flights to and from Europe cost quite a bit more than round-trip (with a few carrier exceptions). So take a look at your flight options if you are planning on a transatlantic and a later flight home. We are doing a transatlantic next spring, and wound up booking RT to come home (just won't use the return) because one-ways were so expensive.

 

Check prices through your cruiseline. We sail transatlantics every year. i.e.: one way to Barcelona through RCCL Choiceair - $357/each.

[lamchops]

One thing you should be aware of - one-way flights to and from Europe cost quite a bit more than round-trip (with a few carrier exceptions). So take a look at your flight options if you are planning on a transatlantic and a later flight home. We are doing a transatlantic next spring, and wound up booking RT to come home (just won't use the return) because one-ways were so expensive.

 

CanadianAffair from Vancouver to London-Gatwick 1 way was $500cdn all-in for our November TA from Southampton.

 

Air Canada from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver was $300cdn all-in.

 

British Airways & Virgin was asking $1000cdn 1-way and RT was cheaper.