Baltic Cruise

[BigB0882]

We are booked on the June Baltic. When we booked in February the prices were down, then they swung way up (our cabin increased by $1100) and just the last two days they have come back down and even lower than we booked for in February. Am assuming it is because there are still a lot of cabins available. It's all a guessing game and a gamble what fares will be next year. There was another thread recently about trying to figure out the pricing and it can drive you crazy.

 

 

Please come back and share a review! I really want to do this itinerary but I also hope the cruise ship is great, food and service is good, etc. We are in our younger 30s so also curious what the average age is on that itinerary in June. Will we fit in? We aren't partiers, at all. Very laid back. Have fun and thanks for the replies! I think I am calling tomorrow to begin asking questions and see about payment options. Does anyone know what the deposit typically is? A set amount or percent?

[Colo Cruiser]

We are booked on the June Baltic. When we booked in February the prices were down, then they swung way up (our cabin increased by $1100) and just the last two days they have come back down and even lower than we booked for in February. Am assuming it is because there are still a lot of cabins available. It's all a guessing game and a gamble what fares will be next year. There was another thread recently about trying to figure out the pricing and it can drive you crazy.

 

 

You will love it! :)

[Wehwalt]

I did the Ocean Princess's Baltic last July. I found some ports very crowded, especially St. Petersburg, Stockholm, and Tallinn. I'm going again on the September 8 sailing this year. I would advise off season. It was a great convenience being docked almost across from the Old Town in Stockholm. Glad not to be on the Regal!

[Ready to Sail!]

I did the Ocean Princess's Baltic last July. I found some ports very crowded, especially St. Petersburg, Stockholm, and Tallinn. I'm going again on the September 8 sailing this year. I would advise off season. It was a great convenience being docked almost across from the Old Town in Stockholm. Glad not to be on the Regal!

 

We've been to Europe 4 times over the last 8 years, either April/May or September/October and it has been crowded in all touristy areas, so can only imagine how July and August can be. We are hoping mid June will give us decent weather, but maybe smaller crowds. It really is difficult to avoid anymore, no matter when, but certainly shoulder seasons are better.

 

I did not realize the Royal would not be able to dock in Stockholm until after we booked, and that the approach through the Archipelago is one of highlights on this itinerary. Guess we will have to do like you and go again, but on a smaller ship. Our main interest is St. Petersburg and to experience the Royal so I'm sure we will enjoy.

[kitkat343]

Ready to Sail, we booked a private tour (just our family) in St. Petersburg and therefore were able to avoid most of the crowds at many of the sites. If St. Petersburg is your main interest, I would recommend considering a private tour for just your family since it was very helpful to be able to customize the itinerary and chose when and where we would stop to eat if your financial situation will allow you to pay extra for a private tour.

 

If you are looking for fewer crowds, you might also want to consider early admission to the Hermitage (all of the exhibits will not be open, but it was nearly empty when we arrived when we sailed in August).

 

Please also note that disembarkation on the first day of St. Petersburg can be quite challenging with long lines, since customs very carefully inspects everyone's documents on the first time they enter Russia. At least one of the major tour companies we contacted (Alla) recommended starting touring at 10 am on the first day, and earlier on the second to avoid the worst of the custom lines. That is an option to consider if you don't have priority disembarkation, or don't want to get on line really early to be one of the first off the ship.

[srpilo]

I agree about John Lawrence. He was our cruise director when we did a Baltic cruise on the Star Princess for our 30th anniversary in 2007. It was especially wonderful that he did not just cover the Princess sponsored excursions, but as you said, let you know how to do things on your own.

 

Other than St. Petersburg, everything is pretty much doable on your own. I would highly recommend a private tour for St. Petersburg. We did one with Alla set up in our roll call. Our guide was Viktoria, who know owns SPB tours.

 

Two ports that we really enjoyed that have not been mentioned in this thread are Talinn, Estonia and Oslo, Norway.

 

I agree about John Lawerence, he was fantastic and a wealth of Baltic information while onboard..

 

We had a private tour of St Petersburg also, for just us (2 couples), and though pricey, arranged for Alla herself to be our guide.. Wonderful experience !

 

No doubt a Baltic's cruise is the "crown jewel" of Europe cruises .. YMMV

Srpilo

Edited April 20, 2015 by srpilo

[Ready to Sail!]

Ready to Sail, we booked a private tour (just our family) in St. Petersburg and therefore were able to avoid most of the crowds at many of the sites. If St. Petersburg is your main interest, I would recommend considering a private tour for just your family since it was very helpful to be able to customize the itinerary and chose when and where we would stop to eat if your financial situation will allow you to pay extra for a private tour.

 

If you are looking for fewer crowds, you might also want to consider early admission to the Hermitage (all of the exhibits will not be open, but it was nearly empty when we arrived when we sailed in August).

 

Please also note that disembarkation on the first day of St. Petersburg can be quite challenging with long lines, since customs very carefully inspects everyone's documents on the first time they enter Russia. At least one of the major tour companies we contacted (Alla) recommended starting touring at 10 am on the first day, and earlier on the second to avoid the worst of the custom lines. That is an option to consider if you don't have priority disembarkation, or don't want to get on line really early to be one of the first off the ship.

 

Thanks for the input. We are already set up with SPB for the 2 days in St. Pete along with Stockholm and Helsinki so think we will go with that. I'm not worried about crowds so much as saying that no matter where, and what time of year, seeing any major destinations without crowds in pretty much impossible. I think I'm more worried about the crowd on the Royal! Never been on such a big ship before, and the thought of 3500 people getting off at one time sounds overwhelming.

[Wehwalt]

I have booked a private tour, two mornings, in Saint Petersburg. Probably go to the Peterhof one morning and somewhere else the second. This is my third trip there, although it was called Leningrad on my 1986 student trip. I did SPB tours last year and they are driving me in September as well.

 

The island approach to Stockholm is marvelous. I was on the Royal over Christmas. I really felt it was too big and crowded, though I enjoyed myself very much.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Wehwalt

[Ready to Sail!]

I have booked a private tour, two mornings, in Saint Petersburg. Probably go to the Peterhof one morning and somewhere else the second. This is my third trip there, although it was called Leningrad on my 1986 student trip. I did SPB tours last year and they are driving me in September as well.

 

The island approach to Stockholm is marvelous. I was on the Royal over Christmas. I really felt it was too big and crowded, though I enjoyed myself very much.

 

How great to have seen Leningrad way back when. It's funny but we go back to the cold war days and would never have thought Russia would be a travel destination. We would love to see Moscow also-maybe!

 

Well, as I said, if I had done better research we probably would have booked this on a smaller ship but missing the cruise into Stockholm is not a deal breaker-just a disappointment, and reason to return.

[Wehwalt]

How great to have seen Leningrad way back when. It's funny but we go back to the cold war days and would never have thought Russia would be a travel destination. We would love to see Moscow also-maybe!

 

Well, as I said, if I had done better research we probably would have booked this on a smaller ship but missing the cruise into Stockholm is not a deal breaker-just a disappointment, and reason to return.

 

It will still work out. The Royal probably offers an on your own bus if you don't care to take the tour, and of course there is the train.

 

I did go to Moscow in 1986 and 2009. The major difference was the apartment buildings all had shops on the ground floor in 2009!

[jagsfan]

St Petersburg was worth the cost of our whole cruise. We went with Denrus, which has offices in the US. We picked the itinerary and even ride the subway to see the beautiful stations. Took a Hovercraft from Peterhof to the Hermitage Museum.

Every minute of our Baltic cruise was fabulous.

[BigB0882]

I don't want to ask questions that are too personal but could someone give me a range of what you could expect to pay for a decent tour in St. Petersburg? Trying to budget out this cruise and decide whether I should book 2016 or wait another year but my fear is something crazy will happen and the itinerary wont be offered or Russia will start WWIII or something crazy. :p

[kitkat343]

I also participate on the Baltic board, and wanted to note that two people there have posted that the earliest shuttle from the Royal/Regal into Stockholm leaves at 9:45, despite the fact that the ship docks much earlier than that. I obviously have no idea if the shuttle timing is the same across all sailings, but would encourage you to please check the timing of the earliest transfer from Princess into Stockholm prior to sailing so you know what your options are. The commuter train into Stockholm is within walking distance of the port, but I would imagine the first train will be quite crowded if everyone is trying to avoid a later shuttle. It is possible to purchase train tickets in advance through a mobile phone, but the phone needs to be a Swedish account so I don't know that this will help many people.

 

I hope the late timing of the shuttle was just on their sailing (or that maybe if Princess gets enough complaints, they'll change it?) but wanted to let you know so you would be aware of your options prior to arriving in Stockholm.

[Kinkacruiser]

Thinking of taking a Baltic Cruise. Any recommendations?

 

 

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Check that the itinerary has 2 days in St Petersburg ( take a trip out to Peterhof there) and as for cites, Tallinn is "to die for". It really stood out from all the other Baltic ports.

Enjoy!

[Wehwalt]

I also participate on the Baltic board, and wanted to note that two people there have posted that the earliest shuttle from the Royal/Regal into Stockholm leaves at 9:45, despite the fact that the ship docks much earlier than that. I obviously have no idea if the shuttle timing is the same across all sailings, but would encourage you to please check the timing of the earliest transfer from Princess into Stockholm prior to sailing so you know what your options are. The commuter train into Stockholm is within walking distance of the port, but I would imagine the first train will be quite crowded if everyone is trying to avoid a later shuttle. It is possible to purchase train tickets in advance through a mobile phone, but the phone needs to be a Swedish account so I don't know that this will help many people.

 

I hope the late timing of the shuttle was just on their sailing (or that maybe if Princess gets enough complaints, they'll change it?) but wanted to let you know so you would be aware of your options prior to arriving in Stockholm.

 

If they tender in, I don't think the first train will be necessarily crowded, as the 100 odd people will not all go to the train, and even if they did, it's probably a drop in the bucket with the commuter traffic. If you plan to take the train, I would research in advance the schedule, how you pay for the ticket, and anything else you need to know for a successful trip. You may need small denomination kroner, and so you might need to stop both at an ATM and a 7-11 to buy some small item. Try not to schedule yourself tightly to get that train or you'll be frustrated all the way until you get on the train. If you plan on paying by card, ensure that the ticket machine will take your card. Does it need a chip and PIN?

 

Check that the itinerary has 2 days in St Petersburg ( take a trip out to Peterhof there) and as for cites, Tallinn is "to die for". It really stood out from all the other Baltic ports.

Enjoy!

 

Tallinn is small enough to do independently. The port is walking distance from the old town (and the new for that matter). Schedule your day to go to the upper part of the old town either very early or very late as by midmorning it will be mobbed with cruise tours, who will then migrate downhill. Do things in the opposite direction.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Wehwalt

[IECalCruiser]

I don't want to ask questions that are too personal but could someone give me a range of what you could expect to pay for a decent tour in St. Petersburg? Trying to budget out this cruise and decide whether I should book 2016 or wait another year but my fear is something crazy will happen and the itinerary wont be offered or Russia will start WWIII or something crazy. :p

Check out some of the private tour websites such as Alla, Denrus and SPb. I would suggest one of the deluxe tours which should be $300 or less. You can spend closer to $200 but you will not see as much and your lunches may not be included. You will probably not be back so why try to save a few dollars??

[IECalCruiser]

Check that the itinerary has 2 days in St Petersburg ( take a trip out to Peterhof there) and as for cites, Tallinn is "to die for". It really stood out from all the other Baltic ports.

 

Enjoy!

We did Tallinn on our own using info from Rick Steeves, Liar Bear and Tom's Port Guides. We left the ship before the tours left and avoided crowds except for in front of the Parliament building where there appeared to be 50 or more tour guides calling to their groups to keep them together in the mass confusion. We stopped in the town square for drinks and snacks and watched some performers on stage, You won't get to do that on a tour. We also did the old town in Stockholm on our own and it was great just exploring the shops and making purchases. I would suggest any ship other than the Royal or Regal. Consider one of the 14 day cruises from England. The Ocean (not for long [emoji26]), Pacific, Caribbean and Emerald can all sail up the Stockholm Archipelago, a sight not to be missed IMHO

[Alaskanb]

We were on the same Baltic cruise on the Emerald Princess as IECalCruiser. It was a phenomenal trip and we were blessed with mostly good weather. My husband's favorite port of any we have ever visited is Tallinn--we did a short tour that provided transport up the hill. I'm still amazed at the art in the Hermitage and what the Russians have done to restore World War 2 damage. Vassa in Stockholm was a "Wow" -- quite a sight! Agree --try not to miss the Stockholm archipelago.

I would recommend doing lots of reading / research. It really enhances your visit and especially puts what you will see in St Petersburg in context. Somewhere on CC is a good reading list.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Alaskanb

[sweetsleep]

We did our Baltic cruise on the Emerald before the Princess whales arrived(Royal and Regal). Great ship for that itinerary and yes, John Lawrence was on our ship and he was the absolute best.

But docking in Stockholm and sailing out of that archipelago was a close second to the wonderful overnight in St. Petersburg with a privat tour company-SP-B tours. We were in a group of only 4 and the extra cost was worth it-we never had to wait in any lines,our driver stayed with the minivan and kept it locked so we could leave valuables with it and him. We got to the Hermitage so early that we were the first to enter several of the rooms as they opened up sequentially. I would never do a Princess excursion in St. Petersburg and the local tour companies are well known on this website and are so much better.

We embarked and disembarked in Copenhagen but some passengers embarked and disembarked in Warnemunde(Berlin). Again,SP-B tours did a great day tour from that port to Berlin and we had a comfortable and air conditioned motor coach instead of a hot sweaty train with Princess-for less money!!! We made it back before the Princess crowd did and didn't have to wait to eat.

That itinerary was very intense and most people just went straight to the MDR from their tours!! It was a an early to bed and early to rise trip but it was wonderful.

I would look to see if the Emerald is still doing any Baltic cruises from England? I would not sacrifice docking in Stockholm to go on the Royal or Regal and would cruise on a different line if necessary. Celebrity has some very nice Baltic trips too

[BigB0882]

Emerald is still doing Baltic from England (Southampton). There is one in June and July 2016 for sure, I am hoping to book the June 2016. Going to save money and see what we can get saved by December, if we hit our goal then we are booking! I am beyond excited reading everything on here. I have so much to learn and it is overwhelming right now but I am going to jump in and see what I can find out by December.

Edited April 21, 2015 by BigB0882

[IECalCruiser]

Emerald is still doing Baltic from England (Southampton). There is one in June and July 2016 for sure, I am hoping to book the June 2016. Going to save money and see what we can get saved by December, if we hit our goal then we are booking! I am beyond excited reading everything on here. I have so much to learn and it is overwhelming right now but I am going to jump in and see what I can find out by December.

It's significantly more expensive, but the Pacific is doing a Baltic cruise in July of 2016 from Dover and that itinerary also includes the Kiel Canal.

[cheeseclan]

If you do a tour with a local company in St. Petersburg, do you have to get a VISA before you go? I know that if you do one with Princess, it is included.

 

Thanks

[Marigold252]

If you do a tour with a local company in St. Petersburg, do you have to get a VISA before you go? I know that if you do one with Princess, it is included.

 

Thanks

 

If you use Alla (who we used - fabulous!) or SPB they get the same tourist visa, included in your fee, that the cruise line shore excursion dept gets. Much smaller group, smaller vehicle, more sites included and less expensive.

[Wehwalt]

If you use Alla (who we used - fabulous!) or SPB they get the same tourist visa, included in your fee, that the cruise line shore excursion dept gets. Much smaller group, smaller vehicle, more sites included and less expensive.

 

I strongly recommend SPB as well. The vans have wifi.

[latebloomer56]

If you do a tour with a local company in St. Petersburg, do you have to get a VISA before you go? I know that if you do one with Princess, it is included.

 

Thanks

Now this would make a difference. Princess gets your visa if you have a shore excursion with them? Didn't find this on the other Baltic board nice to hear. Wasn't sure if the visa hassle would be worth it but after these posts thinking otherwise. Maybe the South Pacific will wait until 2017 and the Baltic for 2016 after all.

Thanks folk's