Constellation Baltics Trip Report and Lots of Pictures!

[Cindy]

I have a fairly decent camera and will take that on the cruise. When in Aperture mode what opening did you set for either indoor or outdoor?

 

Don, honestly on this trip I probably shot in Auto 90-95% of the time. For the most part, my picture taking was of the "in a hurry" variety, and I went with Auto because I didn't want to hold up a group. I switched to AV when I was taking a close-up and I wanted to make sure I got the shallow depth of field, but for the most part my DSLR was a fancy Point & Shoot with the capability to change lenses!:rolleyes:

 

I also never changed lenses, even though I took a wide-angle lens with me and there were shots where it would have helped. I was either just too hurried or the weather was too bad to be standing outside changing lenses.

 

 

Excellent review...great photos, items of interest and commentary...love your point of view!

 

Thanks for taking time to share with all of us!

 

Where are you cruising next?

 

Thanks! I'm itching to finish now, and hopefully I'll be able to get it done in the next couple days. The next cruise is something completely different...we're going on Oasis in November, and our destination is the ship!:D

[Cruising89143]

Don, honestly on this trip I probably shot in Auto 90-95% of the time. For the most part, my picture taking was of the "in a hurry" variety, and I went with Auto because I didn't want to hold up a group. I switched to AV when I was taking a close-up and I wanted to make sure I got the shallow depth of field, but for the most part my DSLR was a fancy Point & Shoot with the capability to change lenses!:rolleyes:

 

I also never changed lenses, even though I took a wide-angle lens with me and there were shots where it would have helped. I was either just too hurried or the weather was too bad to be standing outside changing lenses.

 

 

 

 

Thanks! I'm itching to finish now, and hopefully I'll be able to get it done in the next couple days. The next cruise is something completely different...we're going on Oasis in November, and our destination is the ship!:D

 

Loving the review Cindy. Thanks for taking the time to post all the great photos and comments. You will love the Oasis. She is a beautiful ship and she is the destination.

[Don P]

You did an excellent job. I've not seen many professional shots better than those you have posted.

 

My wife and I have sailed on the Oasis twice; her maiden voyage and then again this past March. She's a stunningly beautiful ship. Great martini bar (try the chocolate martini....my wife said it was awesome).

 

My favorite restaurant is 150 Central Park.

 

I'm going to practice what you've taught me! My camera does not have changeable lenses but it does have a Carl Zeiss lens which can zoom from 50 optical to 100 digital with excellent clarity.

[Cindy]

Loving the review Cindy. Thanks for taking the time to post all the great photos and comments. You will love the Oasis. She is a beautiful ship and she is the destination.

 

You did an excellent job. I've not seen many professional shots better than those you have posted.

 

My wife and I have sailed on the Oasis twice; her maiden voyage and then again this past March. She's a stunningly beautiful ship. Great martini bar (try the chocolate martini....my wife said it was awesome).

 

My favorite restaurant is 150 Central Park.

 

I'm going to practice what you've taught me! My camera does not have changeable lenses but it does have a Carl Zeiss lens which can zoom from 50 optical to 100 digital with excellent clarity.

 

We're really looking forward to the Oasis...we're really not planning anything in the ports, and are truly looking at the ship as our destination. We have reservations for Giovanni's Table, Chops, 150 Central Park, and the Chef's Table, and we'll probably try something different for lunch each day. We also got drink packages, even though we have access to the CL and DL...I got addicted to the convenience on the Constellation!:o

[Cindy]

After lunch we walked back towards the canal for the “sea” part of our tour.

 

 

 

 

 

No wonder people decorate their bikes...that's the only way they can find them in the crowd!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way, we stopped to admire these underwater statues, and heard the Danish folktale of Agnete and the Merman. Agnete, a human, went to the bottom of the sea to make a life with the Merman. They had many children, and were happy for a long time until Agnete heard the chiming of a church bell and asked the merman if she could go to church on land. He agreed on the condition that she didn’t unbind her hair in the churchyard, didn’t sit with her mother in the church and didn’t kneel in the church. Agnete (of course) did all of those things and never returned to her family under the sea. The underwater sculptures are of Agnete’s family looking up and reaching out to land because they miss her.

 

What a sad story! Most of the folktales we heard in the Baltic were about love and loss, and the sea creatures always seemed to be on the losing end.

[Cindy]

We ended our great day in Copenhagen with a leisurely canal boat ride back to the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many old warehouses have been converted to retail space and housing.

 

 

The Standard is home to a jazz club, an Indian restaurant, two Danish/Nordic restaurants and two bars. It is located in the heart of Copenhagen's harbor area.

[Cindy]

I thought Nyhavn was just as charming from the sea as from land!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of the canals are lined with colorful buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

Some canals are lined with converted dwellings.

 

 

 

 

We also saw cottages...

 

 

luxurious yachts (this one belongs to the queen)...

 

 

ramshackle houseboats...

 

 

and royal palace compounds!

[Cindy]

Sadly, our time in Copenhagen and on this wonderful cruise was drawing to a close.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved that our boat tour brought us back to the ship -- no bus necessary!

[Cindy]

Once at sea, we engaged in our usual routine of gawking at the scenery, Martini Bar, gawking at the scenery, dinner, show, and other entertainment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main attraction that night was the Liar’s Club -- very, very funny! Don’t miss that if you have the opportunity to see it, especially if you’re on a ship with Captain Tasos at the helm!

 

 

 

 

 

As I drifted off to sleep, it was hard to believe we only had one more sea day and one day in the Netherlands before we headed home!

[Cindy]

Sunday, June 1 – At Sea, en route to Amsterdam

 

We were moving slowly and lacking motivation on Sunday, so we decided to skip breakfast in lieu of a little time in the shops, casino, photo gallery, etc. We chose Bistro on Five for lunch because we hadn't been. Why didn’t somebody warn us? We ordered a ton of food expecting little tiny crepes, and we got MOUNTAINS of food. We ended up taking tastes of everything and sending a lot back. I really enjoyed it, but I hardly ever saw anybody in there or in Cellar Masters, so I fear those areas will soon be repurposed in the interests of generating revenue.

 

I kicked Jim out of the cabin (I needed space!) and spent a couple hours of the afternoon packing – UGH – we hugely overpacked! I know we had to pack for questionable and changeable weather, but that still doesn't excuse me taking many items on a European tour that spent the entire trip inside a cupboard or a closet.:rolleyes:

 

We met, as usual, in the Martini Bar, and then onto BLU for our last supper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner we went to the show.

 

Jess with the Cruise Director, JC.

 

 

Once the show was over and we said our good-byes to our favorite staff and new friends, I began the long, slow, frustrating process of retrieving my pictures. They were just absolutely borderline incompetent in the photo gallery!

 

My pictures weren’t on the kiosk (they hadn't been for the whole cruise). One person said it wasn't a problem, the next person asked why I hadn't told them earlier (I had...almost daily!), another person told me my pictures would be ready right before the show, then I was told right after the show...you get the idea. I finally got everything at almost 11. Mind you, discs and packages were supposed to be ready for pick-up at 6:00 Sunday.

 

While I was waiting (and waiting, and waiting), we were hanging out in the casino where I was continuing to lose money on the stingy slots, and Jim won the raffle! He got a shirt, a couple insignificant things, and $300!

 

This helped take a little of the sting out of my slot ineptitude and the photo gallery frustration!

[england1]

That Çağlar, what a flirt. We just loved him, Metin and Dodik. They were so much fun and made great Martinis. We are looking forward to seeing Çağlar in January on the Silhouette.

Your pictures of Copehhagen from the canal are spectacular. I guess we will have to go back again and see it for ourselves. Thanks for letting us relive our Baltic cruise through your wonderful review.

Mary Jo

[Cindy]

That Çağlar, what a flirt. We just loved him, Metin and Dodik. They were so much fun and made great Martinis. We are looking forward to seeing Çağlar in January on the Silhouette.

Your pictures of Copehhagen from the canal are spectacular. I guess we will have to go back again and see it for ourselves. Thanks for letting us relive our Baltic cruise through your wonderful review.

Mary Jo

 

We just loved the guys in the Martini Bar! They were just as great with my mom as they were with my niece. They are the reason we never used any of our Elite vouchers!:rolleyes:

[Cindy]

Monday, June 2 – Back in Amsterdam

 

 

 

We docked about 4:30.

 

 

 

Rooftop gardens on the buildings at the port.

 

 

After one last breakfast in BLU and a quick check to make sure we had all our worldly goods, we headed for the gangway about 8:15. Disembarkation was super simple. It literally took all of 10 minutes…there was no immigration and no customs. We got off the ship so quickly we were too early for our scheduled tour!

 

None of us can resist the temptation of jumping in a giant wooden shoe!

 

 

Marius Hovius of De Dagtoertaxi (I found him on Cruise Critic!) picked us up at the port around 9:00 and we took a private 6+ hour taxi tour of Marken, Monnickendam, Volendam, Edam, Schemerhorn (The Windmill Museum) and a scenic ride on the back roads around Amsterdam. We toured until 3:30, when we pleaded exhaustion and had Marius take us to the hotel!

 

 

 

The total cost was 150 Euros plus extra for the Windmill Museum and lunch at the Dam Hotel Edam. All four of us fit very comfortably in Marius’ van, although we did make a quick stop at the hotel in the morning to drop off our luggage.

 

We thought the small villages we saw were charming! Most of our cruise was major European capitals, so we really enjoyed seeing a different aspect of Dutch life. I would take the tour again and recommend him highly.

 

[Cindy]

We went through many tiny towns and villages on our way to our first stop.

 

 

 

 

 

Our first visit was to the fishing village of Marken.

 

 

This town just oozed charm!

 

 

It was everything you would expect a picturesque Dutch village to be!

 

 

One of my favorites from the trip!

[Cindy]

The town is very neat, tidy, and loaded with history.

 

 

I don't think I saw any houses that weren't on some type of water. These are on a tiny canal.

 

 

These are ocean front.

 

 

Flowers and gardens are everywhere you look!

 

 

Only residents are permitted to drive in Marken, so there's little to remind you that this is 2014 and it's a busy world out there!

[Coolcruise02]

Great review and pics!

[Iamthesea]

It was a great trip! :)

 

I finished going through my Copenhagen photos last night. Sadly, that was the end of our port stops, except for the airport in Amsterdam. :rolleyes:

 

I am jealous that you were able to stay on and view the charming villages around Amsterdam. Your photographs are so pretty, and real to life, that I feel I was also there. ;)

 

Thank you again for the review. :)

 

PS - We somehow missed the "sea statues." What a sad story! Somewhere, some time ago, I have heard of that haunting story. :(

Edited August 4, 2014 by Iamthesea

[dwhe]

Fantastic review, I'm doing it on the Eclipse next year and have picked up a few tips, thanks.

[Cindy]

After we left Marken, we made a quick stop in the cute and tiny town of Monnickendam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we were off to Volendam, the biggest town we would visit on our tour. Volendam is a very popular coastal resort town with a boardwalk and many restaurants and bars. It was quite a contrast to the rural calm of Marken or the small town pace of Monnickendam.

 

 

 

 

 

"Wafels" are very popular. Eating one at the coast would be the Dutch equivalent of strolling along a US boardwalk or through a fairgrounds eating a funnel cake.

[Cindy]

Like the other towns we saw, everything was very tidy and well-kept.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fitting in a little play time!

[Cindy]

From Volendam we went to Edam where we enjoyed a fantastic lunch outside at the Dam Hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

More Edam...it was just beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We reluctantly got in the car and headed to our next destination. If we wanted to see windmills we had to get moving, so we were off to Schermerhorn!

 

[Cindy]

Schermerhorn was a fantastic place to go see windmills. They have a museum with very interesting displays, and a working windmill that you're welcome to climb in...if you can handle the steep ladders!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

When we were finished touring the windmill and museum, it was time to head back to Amsterdam. There was still plenty to see on the way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back at the hotel, we got in our rooms with no drama this time, and our luggage was waiting for us! I repacked (a necessity), and then we went to a local place, NeL, for dinner. We stumbled across this restaurant because again, the staff at the Amsterdam Canal Hotel were no help at all when it came to a recommendation. We were tired, had an early airport pick-up in the morning, and wanted something casual and close to our hotel. In that respect, NeL fit the bill. The restaurant is in a lovely and quiet canal location with a large patio, and there was plenty of outside seating for us to enjoy the evening.

 

 

 

Our server was very pleasant, but it was her first day and she struggled with both the food descriptions and the orders.

 

Unfortunately the quality of our food didn't match the beautiful location. I wanted something simple and ordered a burger, which came out burned on the outside and raw on the inside. Yuck! My husband's meal had been described as spaghetti in some type of red sauce, and instead he got spaghetti in a clear broth with mussels! Out of four dinners, my mom's meal was the only one that was as expected, and she was the big winner -- hers was very tasty!

 

We didn’t linger long when we finished…we were beat! It was a fairly quick walk back to the hotel, and we enjoyed the twilight views as we strolled through Amsterdam and reflected on a fantastic trip.

 

 

 

Once we got back to the hotel, it didn't take long for everyone to be sound asleep. I think Jess and I were the last ones to doze off…before 9:30!