Dream - Baltic Cruise

[Westaussie]

Very close to booking this cruise on June 4. Would appreciate any advice on shore excursions especially St Petersburg and the best/easiest way to get from London to Dover.

 

Calmac read your comments on the Dream and that you are contemplating this cruise too! Have had two cruises on the Wind - Alaska and Hawaii loved the ship and all ports of call.

[calmac]

Hi Westaussie, yes we are planning on doing this trip, probably the 10th July sailing. Thought I might phone for prices today as, for some strange reason, the UK prices are not available on the website (seem to be for other countries).

 

I suggest having a look at the Baltics Port of Call boards. From what I've read there two companies are preferred for tours of St Petersburg - Red October and DenRus. My husband originally thought of doing the trip to Moscow but now think we would be more likely to stay in St Petersburg. Although we live fairly "close" we haven't been to any of the ports except for my husband visiting Helsinki through work.

 

For info on the journey from London to Dover it would be worth checking out both the Britain Port of Call board and the Europe Port of Call board which has a separate thread for Britain. We'll probably just opt for the NCL internal flight and transfer as there are limited routes between Edinburgh and London!!

 

I looked at other cruise lines for their Baltic cruises for next summer but have decided we just couldn't give up Freestyle and the journey through the canal is quite unique unless you move to very small ships.

[Goldryder]

Calmac I have the new brochure, which cabin are you thinking of and I can tell you the cost :)

 

They run from a 'K' inside at £899 to Owners Suite at £3869.

[Westaussie]

Hi Calmac

 

Thanks for your quick reply and advice which I will take up. Pity you're not going 4 June!

 

Have been reading the pros and cons for a balcony cabin. We didn't have one in Alaska - it was so cold we enjoyed the view more from indoors. However a balcony was terrific in the warm Hawaiian waters (we were there this past June)

 

Vera

[calmac]

They run from a 'K' inside at £899 to Owners Suite at £3869.

 

Thanks for the kind offer Goldryder. I do have a copy of the latest brochure but am wary of their "from" and "to" prices!! However much we might like the Owners Suite it is somewhat over budget. We'll opt for a BA again which are the only cabins with a balcony other than the Owners Suites.

 

Westaussie, we found having the balcony a real bonus on our trip to Alaska and not too cold but then we are from Scotland where it's not as hot as in Australia. The only problem was in the evening after turn down and in the morning when the settee was folded out for our son's bed as we had then to climb over the bed to get to the balcony. After a few days we decided just to fold the bed away in the mornings to give us more room. Not sure whether the room steward made the bed in the morning or in the evening - she never commented.

[Goldryder]

I have thought about going on the Dream Baltic too but being a solo cruiser, its just not feasible unfortunately. The itinerary looks really good though. Maybe one day I might be able to manage it.

[calmac]

I must admit I haven't looked but are there no "single" cabins on the Dream? I know there are on some ships.

[Goldryder]

I must admit I haven't looked but are there no "single" cabins on the Dream? I know there are on some ships.

 

There are but its cost prohibitive for me. My Christmas/New Year cruise (and the Jewel 2 night) are/were one-offs thanks to a Gov. Dept cock-up that allowed me to take a holiday this year, the first since 1981. The inside singles start at around £1700 which is out of the question.

[Host CMLA]

Very close to booking this cruise on June 4. Would appreciate any advice on shore excursions especially St Petersburg and the best/easiest way to get from London to Dover.

Hi there. I did this cruise solo in 2001 and loved it. For shore excursions, check out the Baltics board. There's a lot of good information there. I did the ship's tour to Moscow. I personally don't think a balcony is mandatory for this trip because it's so port intensive and you wouldn't spend a lot of time out there.

[merry]

For anyone wanting to sail on the Dream you better do it before the end of 2006 as it is being taken out of NCL's fleet and being sold after next year.

 

Merry

[electricron]

Is the Dream departing NCL service in 2007 official?

From what I've heard, and this is offical, NCL has already sold (or transfered ownership) to the parent corporation Star Cruises the Crown, Dream, Majesty, and the Wind. They did so early this year, just prior to NCL ordering two more Jewels.

So far, the Sea has left, but I haven't heard exactly when the others will be going. :confused:

[merry]

You heard correctly. The Dream will be leaving NCL service at the end of 2006.

 

Merry

[Westaussie]

Hope Star Cruises fix faulty engine due to be repaired this month! Sad to see the lovely older ships go - have been on a couple of the mega ships they're too big and glitzy!

 

Have pretty well decided on the Baltic Cruise and now have friends interested in joining us. Keep our minds off our cancelled trip to Bali next week. Have been there many times but this time feel uneasy about going so soon. We have many friends who will suffer - no job no food (there's no social security there).

[chip brady]

We were on the dream last may through the baltics. We had a balcony, but used it only when coming into ports. Too cold otherwise.

We talked to Red October in St Pete, however they were quite high so we booked 4 excursions through the ship. Two a day in St pete. That is the only place where we bought shore excursions. In Helsinki and Stockholm, you can baord tour buses, right by the gangplank for 19.00 each. Nice city tour.

In Copenhagen, the shore excursion desk on the ship wanted 34.00 each for city tour and The amusement park which is right in the center of downtown. We got off the ship and walked about three blocks to the little statue of the mermaid and we walked about 5 blocks and caught a city bus at a bus stop on the street. The bus took us past the royal palace and downtown to the pedestrian shopping center and then with a transfer we got back on in about 2 hours and rode to tivoli gardens. The bus cost 1.00 each each way!! I think it was 15.00 to get in tivoli gardens.. Much cheaper than a shore excursion.

We made our own reservations to fly into London, but then we took the ncl bus from The Thistle Marble Arch hotel on oxford street. I think it was 50.00 each and they dropped us off at Heathrow airport.

 

If I can help you feel free to ask. However we leave tomorrow nite,oct.6, for LA to catch the ncl star to mexico for 8 days, but i will be glad to answere you after the 17th. cb2052@earthlink.net be sure and identify what you are looking for or my spam protecter will block it out.

The best excursion we took in russia was "through the eyes of the russian people". They took us downtown and we rode the subways. They are unbelievable! We also took the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was also great. The river cruise on the river neva was great also.

 

chip brady

[Goldryder]

Well, I have been in touch with my TA about the cruise in early June. An inside gty with flights from/to Leeds and transfers from/to Heathrow/Dover will be £1800 for me. I would love to go as it is over my birthday and the itinerary is a good one too.

 

I have asked if it would be OK to hang fire on the decision til I get back from my Crown cruise, I will have a better idea on finances by then.

 

At the moment I am 60/40 going.

 

:)

[calmac]

Hi Goldryder, like you I've checked the prices out. I thought it might be ever so slightly cheaper for us to go on 28th June but it was the same price as 10th July which is the more likely date for us. I asked about availability - think there's still lots available from the comment received. Shame we can't make it on the same sailing but then if you manage to go before us you can pass on all the useful hints and tips :D

[Cruising Ken]

Hi Goldryder & Calmac.

 

I think it may pay you to hang on before booking. Last year we sailed Dream from Rome to Dover, 12 nights outside cabin for £399.

Just after we got back, May/June I saw the Baltic trip advertised on text for under £450.

[Goldryder]

I am making my decision after I get back from my Crown cruise..I may not go over my birthday, its not essential that I do so a later date may well fall into place for me. It all depends on how things go with the old piggy bank ;)

[calmac]

As we are restricted to travelling during school holidays we're not keen to wait until the last minute - if the prices don't drop or maybe even increase we could be hard pushed to find an alternative holiday.

 

With trying to find accommodation at the last minute for this coming weekend and having no success :mad: (only trying to find a decent hotel with availability in Sheffield) I wouldn't like the same thing to happen for our main holiday.

[Goldryder]

Calmac, I am on the Transatlantic now...its cheaper than the Baltic cruise and longer too :)

 

Dover to Miami via France, Spain and Madeira.

[GregInCharlotte]

We've been on a Baltic Cruise and I can't reccomend Red October highly enough.

Our guide was 100% amazing. She had everything organized. We never waited in a line. She explained everything. We saw SO much!

 

Then there were the cruiseline shore excursions... Some of our table mates took regular shore excursions. Their description was driving around then stop at a souvenir store then driving around then 2 hour lunch and more souvenir shopping. They were told no tour is allowed inside the 'Church on the Spilled Blood'. It was so untrue. They were dissapointed. We couldn't tell how elighted we were - it would have sounded like gloating.

 

St. Peterburg is an amazing place. Our guide while RUSHING us through lunch said, "I'm sorry to hurry you but there is much I want you to see of my beautiful city."

 

Peterhof. Catherine's Palace. Painting by painting at the Hermitage. Please consider Red October. It was the best VALUE I have EVER received from a tour company. Five Stars.

[Westaussie]

GregInCharlotte

 

Looks like there will be four of us on June 4 Baltic Cruise. I will look into Red October but would appreciate more info from you as to what sort of tours, vehicles, minimum number on tour, etc. (My friend broke her ankle last year so being a 'private' tour can walking/standing be paced to suit her?)

 

Many thanks

[sjbdtz]

On my recent (last month) cruise on the Jewel to the Baltics, I hired Red October for day 2.

 

Having planned for Moscow on day 1, and being surprised by its cancellation, the ShoreEx manager on-board booked us a private car (for 3) on Day 1 as well.

 

Day 1's tour was with a company called the Baltic Travel Company www.baltictravel.com and they were excellent. Very pleasant people. $800 usd for 8 hours, including admissions and camera charges at the various stops (Hermitage, Peter & Paul Fortress, Smolny, Church on Spilled Blood (do NOT miss this!), Yusupov Palace (which is well-worth seeing)). The downside is we were 3 adults sandwiched in the back seat of a Mercedes S500

 

Day 2 (Red October), we paid $900 usd for 9 hours. This included a Mercedes van with lots of seating. We went to St. Nicolas Cathedral, St Isaac's Cathedral, Catherine Palace (amber room is spectacular), Pederhof (and lower gardens). We also went to the flea market near Church on Spilled Blood, and both days they took us to their own private souvenir shops (expensive).

 

On day 1, their tour shop stop included a free shot of russian vodka!

 

Though the destinations on Day 2 were spectacular, the service on Day 1 was better. Red October charged us extra for camera charges (even though their email had said they would be included), and only backed down after I argued with them.

 

 

Of the two, I would recommend Baltic Travel Co. $800 / 4 people is only $200 each, for the full day. That's got to be less than 2 shore excursions, and you have full control of the itinerary!

 

Stephen

[calmac]

Thanks for recommending this company. I'll look into them. It's also good to have a "ball park" figure to work on. I've already got 2 guide books on St Petersburg - and we still haven't booked! :D

[sjbdtz]

Don't forget www.saint-petersburg.com where you can SEE photos of the sites. On the left, click Sightseeing, then click Virtual Tour, and you'll see a listing of all the primo spots from which to pick.

 

Stephen