Norwegian Getaway - Baltic Capitals in September 2017

[norhel]

Hey everyone. :)

 

Just looking to get some feedback.

A couple of days back we booked for the Norwegian Getaway to the Baltic Capitals in September next year. I've been doing som research online and on CC, and the ships looks nice. I just have a few questions that I hope someone can answer.

 

First off all, what do you people think of the ship and the itinerary (Warnemunde, Tallin, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. On and off in Copenhagen.) We'we been to Copenhagen and Stockholm many times before, so we are familiar there, and one time at Warnemunde. What do people think of Tallin, St. Petersburg and Helsinki?

 

We've booked tours through NCL in St. Petersburg, and my understanding is that as long as we have booked tours through them, visas for Russia is included in the tour? Am I understanding that correct?

 

Have anyone parked their car near the Oceankaj port in Copenhagen?

I see that there is a public car par there. We are planning to drive down to Copenhagen from Norway.

 

And is it so that there is a bowling alley in O'Sheehans?

And that it's no more Carlo's Bakery on board?

 

Thanks in advance for the help :)

Edited November 19, 2016 by norhel

[KeithJenner]

The ports are fantastic. Tallinn is one of my favourite cities in the world. Helsinki is also nice, although there isn't as much there as in other places.

 

We went into Rostock when in Warnemunde and also walked around near the port. Both very nice.

 

You are correct about not needing a visa in St Petersburg if you do a NCL tour. However, be aware that you also don't need one if you have a private tour booked. I would suggest that you look into them. We used TJ Travel and they were excellent.

 

The bowling alley in o'Sheehans on the Getaway is some sort of "mini bowling". It's hidden round the corner, and I didn't look at it, so can't really say what it's like.

 

Correct, no more Carlos.

 

The Getaway is a great ship and this is a great itinerary.

[norhel]

Thanks for the reply.

Appreciate it.

Just a another quick question.

When we booked, we got the ultimate drink package included.

I see that soda and beers is included in that package, but non-alcoholic daiquiri's aren't mention. I assume that non-alcoholic also is included in that package?

[dexddd]

We did that route years back on the Star. All of the ports are great. We went to Berlin and despite the trip (went on private van tour) length, it was a fantastic and once in a lifetime experience.

 

For Russia, as other poster said. Do a private tour - when we went we'd run into the NCL tours and they were waiting in lines, long line with people in the back not hearing guide. On the private tours most places they get you right in other than the summer palace.

 

Note soda in the package won't be cans, it is either gun soda or poured from large bottles. NCL serves pepsi.

[BirdTravels]

The ship is great. The itinerary is great. NCL has always done this with small ships. It remains to be seen how well the megaship will work in these ports.

 

You are correct about visas if you are a US Citizen. If you hold any other passport, you need to check.

 

The "bowling alley" on the Getaway is more of an arcade game than real bowling alley like on the Epic. It's even back with the arcade games.

 

Carlos is no longer associated with the bakery. The bakery still exists and sells baked goods.

[easyboy]

We've booked tours through NCL in St. Petersburg, and my understanding is that as long as we have booked tours through them, visas for Russia is included in the tour? Am I understanding that correct?

We had the 2-day deluxe tour with SPB Tours and enjoyed it. Prior to cruise, passport information was given to them. The printed voucher emailed by SPB served as the visa at Russian immigration and presented together with the passport.

[norhel]

Thanks for the input everyone.

At the moment I think we'll stick to the ships tour.

[kitkat343]

There's a lot of info in my signature line, plus the Baltic board is really active and knowledgable if you have any questions that haven't been answered here. One thing to consider - you get priority disembarkation in St. Petersburg if you stay in a suite (if you can afford it that might save you time on the first day in long custom lines). The private tours are much less expensive than the ship tours, and you can avoid the crowds. We booked a private tour for just our family, and it was a wonderful experience. There are a number of very well respected tour companies that have been established for many years, and you will be safe booking with them (Alla, SPB and others). We were waived right past the lines of cruise ship passengers at all the major museums. There is a thread on the Baltic board about difficulties and long lines at Catherine's Palace in 2016 (we went during a previous year so I can't comment). The smaller tours were able to bypass the lines.

 

Also, please note that Stockholm is amazing, but there will be a ton of people trying to disembark at the earliest possible time. This makes it a bit difficult to get breakfast, since the buffet will be really crowded (or it was on the Star; maybe the larger ships can handle this better). If you can, consider disembarking as early as possible and going straight to Vasa (the HOHO boats will take you directly there.) Vasa limits the number of visitors to protect the ship, so if you get there later in the morning you might have to wait outside until people leave. It was empty first thing in the morning, and got crowded fast. People on the baltic board reported that it is empty again late in the afternoon (I don't personally have any experience with this, but did find that to be the case with NYC museums.)

 

Tallin is fabulous, and walking around the old town is amazing. Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour was surprisingly good and had really interesting hands on military exhibits, including a plane simulation you could fly.

 

It's a wonderful itinerary and a great trip!

[norhel]

There's a lot of info in my signature line, plus the Baltic board is really active and knowledgable if you have any questions that haven't been answered here. One thing to consider - you get priority disembarkation in St. Petersburg if you stay in a suite (if you can afford it that might save you time on the first day in long custom lines). The private tours are much less expensive than the ship tours, and you can avoid the crowds. We booked a private tour for just our family, and it was a wonderful experience. There are a number of very well respected tour companies that have been established for many years, and you will be safe booking with them (Alla, SPB and others). We were waived right past the lines of cruise ship passengers at all the major museums. There is a thread on the Baltic board about difficulties and long lines at Catherine's Palace in 2016 (we went during a previous year so I can't comment). The smaller tours were able to bypass the lines.

 

Also, please note that Stockholm is amazing, but there will be a ton of people trying to disembark at the earliest possible time. This makes it a bit difficult to get breakfast, since the buffet will be really crowded (or it was on the Star; maybe the larger ships can handle this better). If you can, consider disembarking as early as possible and going straight to Vasa (the HOHO boats will take you directly there.) Vasa limits the number of visitors to protect the ship, so if you get there later in the morning you might have to wait outside until people leave. It was empty first thing in the morning, and got crowded fast. People on the baltic board reported that it is empty again late in the afternoon (I don't personally have any experience with this, but did find that to be the case with NYC museums.)

 

Tallin is fabulous, and walking around the old town is amazing. Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour was surprisingly good and had really interesting hands on military exhibits, including a plane simulation you could fly.

 

It's a wonderful itinerary and a great trip!

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll have a look at your reviews.

We have been to Stockholm many times before, so we won't stress that much to get off. At least we won't make any big plans there.

 

Regarding St. Petersburg, we'll stick to the ships tours. We like that better.

We found a couple of tours through NCL that seems to fit us.

[denatravels]

 

 

 

Regarding St. Petersburg, we'll stick to the ships tours. We like that better.

 

 

 

You'd rather spend more money to be in a larger group and spend more time in line?

 

 

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[norhel]

You'd rather spend more money to be in a larger group and spend more time in line?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

We don't have any problems by being in a bus group, and with all the ships tours we've taken in the years we've been cruising, we haven't had any problems with waiting in line.

[hawkeyetlse]

You have plenty of time before your cruise, I would suggest at least having a look at what the private companies in St Petersburg offer you. All of the major companies will arrange the Russian visa for you as part of the price of the tour (and that price will likely be much lower than what NCL is asking). The cruise lines try very hard to make you believe that they are the only ones that can get a visa for you, but that is completely false.

 

One thing that the ship does have control over, however, is who gets off the ship first in St Petersburg, and they understandably give priority to people who have bought their tours. So that's one advantage of sticking with the ship's excursions, and for a ship as large as the Getaway, it could mean that the ship's tours get underway an hour or more before everyone on independent tours finally gets off the ship. On the other hand, the independent tour operators are well aware of this, and they are good at working around it. (Keep in mind that the ship overnights in St Petersburg, and many tours are spread over both days, so that leaves plenty of room for flexibility.)

[norhel]

You have plenty of time before your cruise, I would suggest at least having a look at what the private companies in St Petersburg offer you. All of the major companies will arrange the Russian visa for you as part of the price of the tour (and that price will likely be much lower than what NCL is asking). The cruise lines try very hard to make you believe that they are the only ones that can get a visa for you, but that is completely false.

 

One thing that the ship does have control over, however, is who gets off the ship first in St Petersburg, and they understandably give priority to people who have bought their tours. So that's one advantage of sticking with the ship's excursions, and for a ship as large as the Getaway, it could mean that the ship's tours get underway an hour or more before everyone on independent tours finally gets off the ship. On the other hand, the independent tour operators are well aware of this, and they are good at working around it. (Keep in mind that the ship overnights in St Petersburg, and many tours are spread over both days, so that leaves plenty of room for flexibility.)

 

We don't want to deal with private tour operators.

For us, that's not something to discuss, to be honest.

I am 100% sure that there are some good benefits to use private companies.

[KeithJenner]

You have plenty of time before your cruise, I would suggest at least having a look at what the private companies in St Petersburg offer you. All of the major companies will arrange the Russian visa for you as part of the price of the tour (and that price will likely be much lower than what NCL is asking). The cruise lines try very hard to make you believe that they are the only ones that can get a visa for you, but that is completely false.

 

One thing that the ship does have control over, however, is who gets off the ship first in St Petersburg, and they understandably give priority to people who have bought their tours. So that's one advantage of sticking with the ship's excursions, and for a ship as large as the Getaway, it could mean that the ship's tours get underway an hour or more before everyone on independent tours finally gets off the ship. On the other hand, the independent tour operators are well aware of this, and they are good at working around it. (Keep in mind that the ship overnights in St Petersburg, and many tours are spread over both days, so that leaves plenty of room for flexibility.)

 

 

 

To be fair to NCL, when we were on the Star in August, they were very clear that you didn't need a visa with independent tours and also they let us off the ship at about the same time as those with NCL tours. We saw the first few people from NCL tours start walking over and then we also went.

 

There were lots of people round us on the lines for immigration.

 

Given the larger size of the Getaway compared to the Star then that may change in the future of course.

 

Not saying this to influence the OP. The choice is theirs.

[norhel]

There were lots of people round us on the lines for immigration.

 

Can I ask how long the lines was? How long did you wait?

[KeithJenner]

Can I ask how long the lines was? How long did you wait?

 

 

 

We were all done about 15 minutes after the posted arrival time.

 

We were quite near the front of the queue though. I'd imagine it could be longer if you arrived later.

 

Obviously, if you are on a tour then you can only leave when the last person has arrived. I'd expect that to take a while.

[rocklinmom]

We are doing this same cruise next July and I also prefer to use NCL shore excursions, especially in St. Petersburg. I'm glad that lots of others prefer to use private ones because that spreads the crowds out. Thanks for the tip about getting off early in Stockholm for the Vasa. There is an excursion that would take us there in the afternoon so I will probably go with that one now and let the crowds get off first. Yes it will be interesting to see how this itinerary is with a megaship.

[norhel]

We were all done about 15 minutes after the posted arrival time.

 

We were quite near the front of the queue though. I'd imagine it could be longer if you arrived later.

 

Obviously, if you are on a tour then you can only leave when the last person has arrived. I'd expect that to take a while.

 

Not too bad for you then.

I think we just have to take things as it happens.

[hawkeyetlse]

To be fair to NCL, when we were on the Star in August, they were very clear that you didn't need a visa with independent tours and also they let us off the ship at about the same time as those with NCL tours. We saw the first few people from NCL tours start walking over and then we also went.

But did you hear any announcements to get off the ship? We found where the line was forming, and from where we were, we had a great view of the pier when the NCL tour participants starting streaming off the ship. Meanwhile, the cruise director was on the PA system telling everyone else that the ship was not yet cleared for anyone to get off and that we should all sit tight and stay well away from the gangway. :mad: So the NCL excursions definitely had a head start, and I think you were lucky/clever to slip off the ship with them.

 

It wasn't too bad for us, because we were near the front of the line, but people who actually waited for the cruise director's instructions ended up stuck behind hundreds of other passengers, and their tours were delayed by an hour or more. As far as I can tell, immigration was working at maximum capacity, with all lanes in both halls in operation. So I really wonder how they will handle the much larger passenger load on the Getaway (hopefully they have a larger terminal).

[KeithJenner]

I was in the queue for general guests to leave. No sneaking off.

 

I'm not saying that it is always like that, but on our cruise they let us off a few seconds after the tour groups started leaving.

[hawkeyetlse]

There were a couple people around us who were angrily videoing the passengers leaving the ship to the sound of the announcements saying that no one could leave the ship. Maybe people complained and they actually stopped that nonsense for your sailing (which I believe was just after ours) :)

 

To be clear, I think it's fair enough for NCL to give their own tours priority. In our case it was maybe 15-20 minutes, which would not have been a huge deal, if they had simply said that they were doing that. (That's exactly what they did last week in Miami, for example.) Instead they chose to be completely dishonest about it.

[Zynga]

Ncl cannot delay your leaving of the ship. When the ships passengers are cleared they are all cleared.

They can give priority to suites etc by using a dedicated gangway.

Get to the departure deck early , you will have to wait for your stragglers anyhow.

We are using SPB and they are old pros at this and with a max of 12 pax we will be away before the 40 seat buses that ncl uses.

[disneygal94]

Zynga is correct. The ship cannot stop you from disembarking once it is cleared. Carnival tried to pull that stunt with us in STP a few years ago. We ignored the announcements and walked off the ship with everyone else. The cruise director was even standing on the pier and trying to direct us to different immigration lines! We ignored him and just walked around him. He didn't try to stop us because he knew he couldn't. Cruise lines love using scare/intimidation tactics in Russia to sell their own tours.

[Ergates The Ant]

Tallinn was wonderful. Didn't know what to expect, and was so pleasantly surprised. Quaint, charming, friendly people. A small, very walkable old town, if you can manage cobbles and a quite steep climb to the top of the town. Lots of nice crafts to buy too, including in the little market just off the ship. I'd go back there by plane for a weekend some time.

 

We did a ships excursion in St Petersburg through Celebrity a few years ago. Thoroughly enjoyed it. We had an excellent guide and saw all the sights we hoped to. No problems with bathroom breaks or stragglers, the guide kept us all organised and informed, and apart from the usual stop at a tourist souvenir place, it was all fine.

I also felt very comfortable knowing I could blame the cruise line if anything went wrong, especially in Russia. I too wouldn't have felt wildly comfortable having to deal directly with a local tour company, even with a smattering of Russian language from school.

No shame in that, I didn't feel I'd missed out at all, each to their own preference. Let those who prefer to use local companies direct, do so, but don't worry, you will have a good time on a ships excursion as well.