On board The Star

[algaes]

We are not in a rush and have favored the included tour departures in the afternoon else the latest of the AM tours. Except for Paris, this strategy has resulted in having less than completely full buses. DW and I have had our own windows on nearly every tour, shorter bathroom breaks, and fewer people to get lost.

 

One tour we dawdled on the way out sufficiently to be placed on the overflow bus that left with eight people on the tour! There are always no shows for the included tours that either changed plans, decided to stay on the ship, or booked the included tour as a back-up.

[LadyVol1]

Could someone there please ask if any passengers took the "Berlin Your Way" included tour to Berlin?

 

--Please ask those taking the "Berlin Your Way" passengers what time they arrived in Berlin. Was travel via bus?

 

--Please ask those same pax if they had the option to be dropped off before the short "orientation" tour and skip it? Was that tour in the bus or on the ground?

 

--Where was the end of day meeting point and at what time?

 

 

Like Washashorehouse, we also took the "Berlin Your Way" included tour. We were on the last bus to leave in the morning. We were supposed to be pier side at 6:35 AM for a 6:45 AM departure. Our bus left at 7:05 AM since I'm sure there were no shows and people often don't cancel but rather just don't show up and therefore the last tour group waits to make sure the no shows aren't just stragglers. (My husband and I are fine with that and always choose the very last group since it's usually the smallest.)

 

Our bus arrived at Charlottenburg Palace around 10:15 AM where the guide got on the bus and then talked to us for 5 minutes about it before he decided we should all get out for a quick photo stop. Other buses didn't actually have their people get out here but instead simply picked up the guide and then heard about it while seeing it from the bus.

 

From there we were driven around Berlin to see the places from the bus. Our next stop was for 30 minutes at Brandenburg Gate and that was from 11:45-12:15. Then we were finally let out at Gendarmenmarkt at 12:30 and had to be back there at 2:15.

 

The tour description said we would have 3 hours on our own but we had a total of two hours and 15 minutes at two different locations. Our bus got back to the ship at 6:45 PM but was supposed to be back at 5:45 PM, 12 hours after the scheduled tour departure time of 6:45 AM.

 

Your plan is NOT feasible. Please do not attempt it. You will be disappointed and/or miss the ship if you do.

[OBX Cruisers]

So . . . Do you all think the Berlin Your Way tour was worth the long drive? Do you hear anything about the other Berlin tours? Know of anyone that arranged an independent tour of Berlin from the ship?

[LadyVol1]

My husband hadn't been to Berlin before and we had both walked around Warnemunde on a prior cruise. To us the free tour to Berlin was worth the long drive. The buses are comfortable and if you bring several bottles of water with you and put them in your seat back pocket, you'll be set for the return trip, too.

 

Don't forget to have Euros or find a passenger on the ship that will give you some for the day since there is not an ATM at the Warnemunde pier. You will need them for one or both of the rest stop bathrooms in the convenience store/gas station each way. We had to pay Euro 0.70 on the way to Berlin but not on the way back and there was not an ATM at the first rest stop convenience store/gas station. US dollars were not taken. (Somehow the bathroom turnstile took credit cards but it might have only taken "chip and pin" credit cards that aren't that common yet in the US. We had Euros.) Other buses stopped at convenience store/gas station rest stops that charged to use the toilet both directions -- to and from Berlin.

[algaes]

We took the Lubeck and Wismar tour that included a lunch. We opted out of Berlin three days before leaving on the cruise due to the long drive and limited time on your own. This tour was about 1.5 hrs each way with the return trip from Lubeck broken up by the stop at Wismar.

 

Both are Hanseatic ports however Lubeck had the good fortune to be in West Germany and Wismar the misfortune to be in East Germany. I say that because Lubeck has benefited from 70 years of on and off restoration while Wismar's buildings were largely neglected until reunification and then UNESCO designation.

 

By the time you are done with Bergen, Stavanger, and Aalborg, the German towns blur together in architecture, history, etc. If you are visiting the Scandanavian towns, I could see opting out of Lubeck and Wismar in Warnemunde. The German towns have brick construction and that the principle difference.

 

By all means, hoard your Euro coins in 20c, 50c, 1, and 2 denominations. The 70c machine at our rest stop made change for two 50c or the larger denominations. At some point we started rounding up our tips paid to guides to match paper denominations so as to save giving them coins!

 

Or you can do it the European way and hold the door for someone coming out of a pay toilet and then go in. A very well dress young woman did that in the Bergen train station.

 

As to credit cards with chips, they are rolling out in the US so call your credit card issuer weeks in advance if you don't have one to ask their plans. We got a Barclay's credit card and a Charles Schwab debit card before sailing as both have no fees overseas.

 

We've been asked to sign receipts on all uses except the Bergen train station toilets. The machines recognized issuers language and on screen instructions switched to English once the chip was read. However, paper receipts came out in either local language or receipts. If you want to be really prepared, carry a pen on you as it is so uncommon in Europe to sign that finding a pen sometimes becomes a chore for the clerk.

[OneBag]

We took the Lubeck and Wismar tour that included a lunch. We opted out of Berlin three days before leaving on the cruise due to the long drive and limited time on your own. This tour was about 1.5 hrs each way with the return trip from Lubeck broken up by the stop at Wismar.

 

Both are Hanseatic ports however Lubeck had the good fortune to be in West Germany and Wismar the misfortune to be in East Germany. I say that because Lubeck has benefited from 70 years of on and off restoration while Wismar's buildings were largely neglected until reunification and then UNESCO designation.

 

By the time you are done with Bergen, Stavanger, and Aalborg, the German towns blur together in architecture, history, etc. If you are visiting the Scandanavian towns, I could see opting out of Lubeck and Wismar in Warnemunde. The German towns have brick construction and that the principle difference.

 

By all means, hoard your Euro coins in 20c, 50c, 1, and 2 denominations. The 70c machine at our rest stop made change for two 50c or the larger denominations. At some point we started rounding up our tips paid to guides to match paper denominations so as to save giving them coins!

 

Or you can do it the European way and hold the door for someone coming out of a pay toilet and then go in. A very well dress young woman did that in the Bergen train station.

 

As to credit cards with chips, they are rolling out in the US so call your credit card issuer weeks in advance if you don't have one to ask their plans. We got a Barclay's credit card and a Charles Schwab debit card before sailing as both have no fees overseas.

 

We've been asked to sign receipts on all uses except the Bergen train station toilets. The machines recognized issuers language and on screen instructions switched to English once the chip was read. However, paper receipts came out in either local language or receipts. If you want to be really prepared, carry a pen on you as it is so uncommon in Europe to sign that finding a pen sometimes becomes a chore for the clerk.

 

Thanks for your thoughts on Lubeck & Wismar. Other than the towns sort of blurring together, do you think the excursion was done well? Were the walking tours decent? I'm booked on this excursion while my husband does something different and I'm on the fence about it. I've been to Berlin several times but other than that, I've only been to East Germany so a bit of West G might be nice. There aren't any other excursions that are competing for my attention; it's down to Lubeck/Wismar or sleeping late and hanging around the ship. What would you recommend? Sleeping late has its appeal.

 

We got the Barclay's credit and Schwab debit specifically for Europe as we stopped banking at RBC Bank which is where we got our true chip and PIN debit cards. I'm glad to hear Barclay's works as advertised--even though it defaults to chip and signature, as do all U.S.-issued credit cards, including those with EMV chips--this is what it's supposed to do unfortunately. I've heard this can result in cashiers overseas freaking out on occasion. Thanks for the pen suggestion; I almost never carry a pen so that's in my notes now.

 

If anyone is interested in getting a new credit or debt card for use overseas, this is a very good resource which shows exactly how each card works, fees, rewards, etc. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ani-u3tGk5hedGRvcE1ELVg5UmlGZk01SHZvTUMxdUE#gid=0

Edited May 25, 2015 by OneBag

[Ukalady]

Your plan is NOT feasible. Please do not attempt it. You will be disappointed and/or miss the ship if you do.

 

Thanks, LadyVol1--that's just the kind of info and feedback I was looking for about Berlin. I'm disappointed, of course; I'd rather have had more truly "on your own" time there in a single chunk. I'd envisioned it as more of the Viking River "on your own" excursions where they get you to a location, hand you a map with a little verbal background, then leave you off and tell you when/where to meet to head back. That's the kind of thing we really enjoy doing (just ask me about our plans on our own for Aalborg!).

 

So, do you think the excursion was worthwhile in light of the lack of free time and time taken to get to Berlin? We're really not interested in the Warnemunde or castle excursions from that port (we're pretty "castled out" after last year's 15-day river cruise--and, yes, I know they're all different, but still...). Was the drive there interesting (see passing countryside or just roads/suburbs?) We have oodles of stamina and a bus ride is fine with us...but I *do* want to get a "feet on the ground" feel for the vibrant city Berlin seems to be... None of the "paid" Berlin excursions fit our style, either...

 

In short, would you do it again?

 

P.S. 'Already have our euros for "necessary" stops.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Ukalady

[LadyVol1]

I would go to Berlin again although I might be tempted to just stay on the ship since I love sea days!! However, it sounds like you have the stamina so go for it.

 

The bus ride to/from Berlin isn't interesting other than you might see small (as compared to what we see in the US) deer. It's just trees and farming fields. I slept most of the way there and some on the way back so the trip didn't wear me out although my husband and I power walked during our 1:45 break at Gendarmenmarkt. I had two seats to myself and no one was behind me so I reclined and had a very comfy nap - the benefit of being on THE last bus!!

 

It's a free tour so what the heck. I had been to Berlin before so my goal was to eat currywurst and to buy kuchen at two bakeries and I did. I also had a cheese pretzel which wasn't part of my goal. My trip goal definitely was fulfilled!!

[id4elizabeth]

We took the optional "Old Town Tallinn and Manor Houses" today. While it was not a bad tour, it was not what I had expected from the description. The description talks a lot about the Old Town, and has two sentences about the manor houses, but does not mention that we'd be spending 3 hours on a bus. I guess I should have googled Lahemea National Park, as that's where the 2 manor houses were located, and then I might have seen how far out of town they were. But buyer beware - I did not. If I had known we'd be spending so much time on a bus I would not have taken this tour.

 

The Manor Houses themselves were OK and interesting in that you could easily picture real people living there. But both were from the 1700s, so not that old by Tallinn standards. The furnishings inside were not from these two houses but we're rescued from other manor houses. The furnishings were sort of a mish-mash of styles from slightly different periods.

 

We had a nice lunch in a converted peasant dormitory that belonged to the second manor house. The atmosphere was better than the food, but the various breads and homemade butter were scrumptious.

 

That left us with about 45 minutes for Tallinn Old Town which was a shame. The guide took us around a bit of the Upper Town, including two churches - one a Russian Orthodox church named after Alexander Nevsky; the other a Luther Church named the Domed Church, decorated with numerous coats of arms of various Estonian families. Next we went to an overlook where the red tiled roofs of the Lower Town spread out below us. Then that was it - back to the bus at 2:00 for our ride back to the pier.

 

The must-be-back-on-onboard time was not until 3:30. The last shuttle bus would leave a place she pointed out to us from the overlook, but I wasn't too clear about, at 3:00. I could see the ship from the overlook and felt more comfortable aiming for that. So I told the guide and left the group and explored some of the Lower Town on my own. After all, I had an hour and a half to make it back to the ship.

 

I'm so glad I did, as my impression of Tallinn was much improved by my visit to the Lower Town. It's vibrant and full of life. I made it back to the ship a little before 3:30, but I confess it was a longer walk than it had looked from the overlook.

 

Bottom line, if this is your first time in Tallinn, I would NOT recommend this tour. If you've already been to Tallinn several times before, then this might be something you'd like to do as it gets you out into the countryside. Word to Viking - update this description so that it's clear this involves a substantial bus ride.

[OneBag]

...

That left us with about 45 minutes for Tallinn Old Town which was a shame. The guide took us around a bit of the Upper Town, including two churches - one a Russian Orthodox church named after Alexander Nevsky; the other a Luther Church named the Domed Church, decorated with numerous coats of arms of various Estonian families. Next we went to an overlook where the red tiled roofs of the Lower Town spread out below us. Then that was it - back to the bus at 2:00 for our ride back to the pier.

 

The must-be-back-on-onboard time was not until 3:30. The last shuttle bus would leave a place she pointed out to us from the overlook, but I wasn't too clear about, at 3:00. I could see the ship from the overlook and felt more comfortable aiming for that. So I told the guide and left the group and explored some of the Lower Town on my own. After all, I had an hour and a half to make it back to the ship.

 

I'm so glad I did, as my impression of Tallinn was much improved by my visit to the Lower Town. It's vibrant and full of life. I made it back to the ship a little before 3:30, but I confess it was a longer walk than it had looked from the overlook...

 

Great info, Elizabeth, thanks. We're doing an audioguide walking tour I downloaded so that we will have time to fit in the Great Guild House's "11,000 Years of Estonian History" exhibition plus lunch before we have to get back to the ship (the Viking included tour is 4 hours, too long). The museum is in/near Old Town -- do you think half an hour is enough time to get back to the ship from Old Town?

[id4elizabeth]

If walking, I'd give it 45 minutes. If you take the shuttle bus in and know where to pick it up when you're done, then 30 minutes would be fine.

[avonglen]

"Or you can do it the European way and hold the door for someone coming out of a pay toilet and then go in."

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!! Many of the pay toilets in Europe are set up so that a coin in the slot opens the cubicle door only twice - once when you go in & once when you come out. If you beak that cycle you will end up being locked in - permanently - unless some kind soul comes along & puts a coin in the slot for you. I had to rescue an American lady in Paris who had gone into a cubicle in the way described above. No thanks though when I explained what had happened. Instead she asked what country I was from & when I said "Australia" her only comment was: "My! You speak English well for a second language".

I was so flabbergasted that I omitted to ask her what my first language was supposed to be!!! (She didn't offer to reimburse me either!!!)

[OneBag]

...Instead she asked what country I was from & when I said "Australia" her only comment was: "My! You speak English well for a second language".

I was so flabbergasted that I omitted to ask her what my first language was supposed to be!!!...

 

Let me guess...German? As in Austria?

[id4elizabeth]

We had a fabulous day in St Petersburg using TJ TRAVEL to provide a private guide, car and driver. This was a totally cutomized tour - filling 8 hours with whatever we wanted to do. I had preplaned our day based on what we wanted to see & do. But they were totally open to changing the itinerary based on conditions and our whims. It was paced however quickly or slowly we wanted to go.

 

We were met on time as we exited the passenger terminal and whisked away in a black Mercedes sedan. Our guide was excellent - a linguist who speaks 5 languages, spends her summers in St Petersburg guiding tourists, and her winters in Florence getting her Doctorate degree. She was born and grew up in St Petersburg and knew the answer to everything - from history, art, religion and today's politics.

 

Our driver spoke English as well and was an expert on how much everything costs. It was great being dropped off right in front of everything and then with a quick text from our guide, he'd pick us up wherever we came out. What a way to see the city! Too bad I can't afford to do this everywhere!

 

Anyway, I highly, totally recommend TJ Travel! Couldn't have asked for more.

 

They also do small group pre-set tours as well - similar to Alla, or SPB Tours, but unlike those two tour operators I found TJ TRAVEL much more willing to customize our tour.

[traveld]

My question is on the sodas provided during meals. Is there a limit to the number that will be served? Is the serving in a glass or can? Can an extra serving be requested at the end of the meal, then taken out of the dining area, to-go?

[id4elizabeth]

No limit on the number of sodas you can order at a meal, but you might get some stares from fellow passengers if you already had 6 full glasses on the table and asked for another. My husband has left the World Cafe with a glass full of diet coke, and I've left with a glass full of iced tea. In truth, I leave almost every meal with a pot of tea. They serve hot tea in various venues in cute little white pots and these have regularly found their way into my cabin. Our steward whisks these and the glasses from the World Cafe away when he cleans our room. Heard no complaints from restaurant staff or steward.

 

As far as 'to-go', lately I have seen to-go paper coffee cups, sometimes with lids even, near the coffee machine, but there's nothing like a plastic "Big Gulp" type cup around. Nor is there a self-serve soda fountain machine around - you have to ask for a soda and it comes to you in a glass. Have not seen cans given to passengers - just glass-fulls. Not to say they would not give you the can, just haven't seen it happen.

[traveld]

Thanks. My husband drinks a lot of soda so we usually bring large quantities on board and store them in the cabin. It will help a little if some of his thirst can be quenched with freebies!

[sitraveler]

I can't speak to all cabin classes, but DV or higher gets daily refills in your in suite refrig. Your steward can customize what soda is supplied.

[OBX Cruisers]

id4elizabeth. You have written some of the most helpful descriptions of the tours you've taken from Viking freebies and optional to private. You'll be gone soon though and I was thinking it would be good to copy those you've already written into a separate thread for VIKING (AND OTHER) EXCURSIONS REVIEWS

[OBX Cruisers]

Continued - Then we can continue your super work in an easy to find place.

[OBX Cruisers]

Any problem getting off the ship quickly in St Pete to meet TJ Tours?

[id4elizabeth]

OBX - I'll do that with my shore reviews - great idea! Will add some missing ones too with some recommended private tours we took on the Istanbul to Venice leg.

 

To answer your St Petersburg question - no we were the first passengers off the ship. The trick is to figure out whether the exit ramp is on deck 2, 1, or Deck A which is below deck 1. Then just go there ahead of the Viking tours which are gathering in the Star Theater or Torshavn. That way you can be first off. DO NOT go tell someone you are an independent traveller or that you're doing a private tour. Just go to the exit ramp and they will let you off as soon as they can.

 

There was also no problem with Russian immigration, either day, either coming or going. The immigration agents are a little intimidating frankly, and they don't smile, or say much - no friendly "hello" or "welcome to St Petersburg". Best bet is to just look straight at them. They didn't like it once when I looked away. It took about a minute both days - the first day we were first off, so the only ones there - the second day there was only one person ahead.

 

I don't know how Viking pulled this off, but bravo to them. There seemed to be as many Russian immigration agents processing us as there were for the MUCH larger AIDA German ship. Coming back today our Viking line was non-existent and the AIDA line was a mile long. We might have just hit it lucky, but the whole Russian immigration process was a lot less onerous than I had expected.

 

The port terminal itself is brand new and not at all dreary. Probably the best port we've docked at the whole cruise. NOTE however: it is a good 30 minutes from the port to the City Center by car or tour bus. I did not see any other public transportation options within walking distance other than private cars, mini-vans, tour buses and a few taxis.

[OBX Cruisers]

Thanks for the super info re St Pete! Makes me feel much more confident about getting off in time:). We're also using TJ Tours but for a group of 8.

Maybe the excursion threads could be broken down by segment? ie VIKING (and other) EXCURSION REVIEWS - Istanbul to Barcelona

[id4elizabeth]

TJ Travel guide was waiting for us just as we came out of the Port building with our name and TJ Travel logo on a card. Very easy to spot. Car was waiting 100 feet away. I know you'll be happy with them.

 

I'll break down the tour reviews by segment and clearly label the port of call and indicate whether private or Viking tour.

[OBX Cruisers]

And I promise to keep it going and on target:) when we board in Stockholm July 25. I have so much to "pay forward"!