LIVE from Scandinavia on the Voyager of the Seas July 31-August 10, 2022 with Dragon of the Seas

[adam7392]

2 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

I hope both of you will add any thoughts regarding your experiences on the cruise--especially about what you did in the ports.  There were so many things to see and do that no one could do them all. 

 

 

A quick summary:

Stockholm - arrived Friday, did the Ice Bar which was cool, Presidents Palace well worth the money and time (caught the changing the guard with the band playing an Abba medley which was amusing), Vasa museum was fab, Skansen museum was okay and walk around Gamla Stan which wasn't as olde worlde and quaint as I imagined

 

Riga - First day the  bus into Riga and a long self guided walk around Riga including the art nouveau district, second day ship tour to the two castles which was rushed - only 15 minutes at the first castle!

 

Tallin - For us the best stop, another self guided tour taking in the sights.  Tallin is fabulous

 

Helsinki - Being the only wet day didn't help.  Was going to go to Suomenlina island fort but put off by the weather so a walk around the centre and the Rock Church, then decided to cut the day short and return to ship rather than do the Sibelius monument.  This stop vyes with Ronne at the bottom of the list.

 

Visby - Close second to Tallin.  Walked into Visby for a wander around the town.  Didn't do the medieval market but walked around the perimeter of it.  Was great being there during the festival with visitors all dressed up.   Visby is very photogenic and well worth a visit.

 

Ronne - Not the best stop, down there with Helsinki at the bottom of the list  Ronne itself has very little to see, you are forced to go further afield.  We rented electric bikes and went North of the island.  In retrospect hiring a car would have been best.

 

Aarhus - surprise of the tour,  Nice town to walk around.  Highlight was the Salling department store with the rooftop garden which was free.  It has a staircase to nowhere giving great views and an extending platform over the street with a glass floor to the street several floors below.  We spent about an hour up there

 

Copenhagen - Had a single night here so did a self guided walking  tour around most of the sights but not the little mermaid as wife had seen it before and was totally underwhelmed by it.  Did the presidential palace that, like Stockholm, was well worth visiting.

 

Comments on ship - Thought it was in great shape.  Food in MDR and windjammer was good, service excellent. 

 

Entertainment in theatre - Left after 5 mins of Tony Tillman, the circus type act was just about ok, the magician was excellent and I thought the 4 male singers were good (The Bohemian Rhapsody we both thought was  the highlight).  While on entertainment, we did 3 films in the evening around the pool which was good but disappointed in the number of films, they where constantly recycling the same 4 or 5 films

[lauraapp]

7 hours ago, adam7392 said:

 

A quick summary:

Stockholm - arrived Friday, did the Ice Bar which was cool, Presidents Palace well worth the money and time (caught the changing the guard with the band playing an Abba medley which was amusing), Vasa museum was fab, Skansen museum was okay and walk around Gamla Stan which wasn't as olde worlde and quaint as I imagined

 

Riga - First day the  bus into Riga and a long self guided walk around Riga including the art nouveau district, second day ship tour to the two castles which was rushed - only 15 minutes at the first castle!

 

Tallin - For us the best stop, another self guided tour taking in the sights.  Tallin is fabulous

 

Helsinki - Being the only wet day didn't help.  Was going to go to Suomenlina island fort but put off by the weather so a walk around the centre and the Rock Church, then decided to cut the day short and return to ship rather than do the Sibelius monument.  This stop vyes with Ronne at the bottom of the list.

 

Visby - Close second to Tallin.  Walked into Visby for a wander around the town.  Didn't do the medieval market but walked around the perimeter of it.  Was great being there during the festival with visitors all dressed up.   Visby is very photogenic and well worth a visit.

 

Ronne - Not the best stop, down there with Helsinki at the bottom of the list  Ronne itself has very little to see, you are forced to go further afield.  We rented electric bikes and went North of the island.  In retrospect hiring a car would have been best.

 

Aarhus - surprise of the tour,  Nice town to walk around.  Highlight was the Salling department store with the rooftop garden which was free.  It has a staircase to nowhere giving great views and an extending platform over the street with a glass floor to the street several floors below.  We spent about an hour up there

 

Copenhagen - Had a single night here so did a self guided walking  tour around most of the sights but not the little mermaid as wife had seen it before and was totally underwhelmed by it.  Did the presidential palace that, like Stockholm, was well worth visiting.

 

Comments on ship - Thought it was in great shape.  Food in MDR and windjammer was good, service excellent. 

 

Entertainment in theatre - Left after 5 mins of Tony Tillman, the circus type act was just about ok, the magician was excellent and I thought the 4 male singers were good (The Bohemian Rhapsody we both thought was  the highlight).  While on entertainment, we did 3 films in the evening around the pool which was good but disappointed in the number of films, they where constantly recycling the same 4 or 5 films

What did you think of the cruise director?

[adam7392]

4 hours ago, lauraapp said:

What did you think of the cruise director?

 

She (laura ?), a fellow Brit, seemed okay.  Only saw her at 3 of the 4 theatre shows and when she hosted the Mr and Mrs gameshow (can't remember the actual title but that is how we'd know it in the UK).  I think she did a reasonable job, jokes a bit lame but  she was enthusiastic and competent.

[Another_Critic]

3 hours ago, adam7392 said:

she hosted the Mr and Mrs gameshow (can't remember the actual title but that is how we'd know it in the UK).  

Love and Marriage

[colsky]

3 hours ago, adam7392 said:

 

She (laura ?), a fellow Brit, seemed okay.  Only saw her at 3 of the 4 theatre shows and when she hosted the Mr and Mrs gameshow (can't remember the actual title but that is how we'd know it in the UK).  I think she did a reasonable job, jokes a bit lame but  she was enthusiastic and competent.

Yes, we thought she was good and energetic. But with a couple of annoying catchphrases, which my kids thought were really funny and kept repeating throughout the cruise!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Sorry it has taken me so long—here are comments on the rest of the ports.

 

Riga, Latvia—We had two days here after St Petersburg was removed from the itinerary.  I did a HOHO bus tour of the city.  The route and commentary provided a good overview of the city.  However, they were not that dependable.  I would not recommend them to others.  In fact, the Latvian young women that manned the shuttle stop said they do not recommend them either.

 

Some other cruisers I spoke with took a ship tour to an interior valley.  [[I don’t know the exact name] I wish I had done that or taken a river/canal cruise on the second day. I felt this port had less to offer than others.  I would have preferred one day here and two in Tallin.

 

Tallin, Estonia—This was my favorite port.  There was so much to see.  I could have spent another day here and not seen all the things I wanted.  The historic old town is relatively compact but challenging to tour.  I followed my strategy of start the tour high and then low and I felt I got a good overview of the city. I was just so tired of walking on cobblestones by the time I reached lower town I did not do it justice. 

 

I don’t think I would have liked a tour [even a walking tour] of the city.  One of my favorite things was walking into the various streets to see random things. They were not always must-see sites.  I enjoyed resting on benches [or propped on a wall] just being in the city.

 

If I ever go back to the Baltics/Scandinavia I want to revisit Tallin.

 

Helsinki, Finland—This was not one of my favorite ports.  Part of that was it was a rainy day which made touring less pleasant.  However, we have had other rainy experiences when cruising.  [We spent 4 excellent and soggy pre-cruise days in Rome.]  I think the other part was our ship tour/guide was not very good. It would have been so much better if we could have visited the waterfront and/or visited the market.  We knew we could ride the shuttle back to the ship rather than take the bus at the waterfront.  But since we did not know exactly where the stop was--it was too iffy for me to choose that.

 

Roone, Demark—This was my least favorite port.  There just was not that much to see or do in Ronne itself.  I walked pretty much around the whole city.  I sat in the park, went into several shops and visited the church.  None of the ship tours really appealed to me.  When I was researching my cruise people told me Roone is a much-visited vacation spot.  However, I feel this is due to the quiet ambiance and rustic beaches that are more appropriate to land vacations than cruise ports. JMHO

 

Aarhus, Denmark—I enjoyed visiting Aarhus and would like to revisit this city.  I liked the places we visited and the ethos of the city.  I found Denmark in general to be proactive about the welfare of their citizens and the planet.  By the time I had finished touring Dem Gamle By and walked on more cobblestones I was ready to put my feet up.  I hope I get to go back some day.

 

Copenhagen, Denmark—I can’t say I really got more than a glimpse of this city with our canal tour.  What I saw makes we want to go back.  However, I was so tired. Our hotel was across the street from the Tivoli Garden, yet I did not visit.  I am sure I was in the pre-covid stage at this point. 

 

I am sure this will join several other cruises that I consider my favorites. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

14 hours ago, lauraapp said:

What did you think of the cruise director?

 

5 hours ago, colsky said:

Yes, we thought she was good and energetic. But with a couple of annoying catchphrases, which my kids thought were really funny and kept repeating throughout the cruise!

She was new and trying very hard.  We saw her at the shows and at the Top Tier Party. That was it. 

 

Colsy is right--she had a few phrases she repeated. I just rolled my eyes and decided I did not have a proper British sense of humor. Haha  

 

But hey! Anyone that can wear those ankle--breaker heels she wore on a cruise ship has my respect. 🙄

[hal2008]

Found it 

 

Somehow I missed this thread 

 

Was checking roll call and your planning thread. 

 

I have just read first 2 pages and can't wait to go over the rest 

 

You have done such a wonderful job 

Feels like I am doing trip all over again.

:)))

 

 

[hal2008]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:33 AM, DragonOfTheSeas said:

 

 

For those of you on the next cruise.  It might be worth a taxi ride after you get off the Arlanda Express depending on where your hotel is located.  I still think the transportation ticket is the way to go to get around for sightseeing.  But luggage and escalators do not mix.  

 

 

 

 

 

Second that 

 

We, from USA/Canada don't have much experience dragging luggage outside airports in city streets 

 

Europeans seem to be so comfortable with that 

 

The alternate to your suggestion is to get a hotel close to train station.  There are so many right at it adjacent to the train station of varying budget 

 

It may not be useful advice for future cruisers this season but cruising out of Stockholm is going to continue for many years to come and your wonderful LIVE report might be referred to in future years 

[hal2008]

On 8/2/2022 at 7:46 AM, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Someone on the other social media site we can not mention says there are 1356 passengers. [thank you Kim Fridstrom].

 

I can't tell you the capacity.  But I know that is less than 50%.

 

This has been about the average count for this route this year.

 

It will be so difficult to go back to "normal".

[hal2008]

On 8/10/2022 at 9:04 AM, Another_Critic said:

It was great having a contactless card on my May trip to France and England.  So much better than chip + signature.

 

I think every credit card I have is now contactless (Chase, Citi, BoA, AMEX, Discover, Barclays).

 

It's still a challenge with some kiosks that require chip + PIN, since very few US issued cards have PIN capability, and of those, very few are PIN priority (most are signature priority).

 

Join UNFCU

 

Their chip+pin  priority card is a godesend on European trips 

[hal2008]

On 8/13/2022 at 1:26 PM, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Sorry--I know I did not give you any final thoughts.  However, DH and I brought home an unwelcome trip souvenir.  Covid 19.  Yes, we are vax and boosted. I am not sure where we got it, but I have a couple of thoughts on that.  

 

We are ok and isolating at home.  The symptoms are getting a little better.   So, this too shall pass. 

 

I will check in tomorrow and give final thoughts on the cruise and the various ports. 

Bummer 

 

Hope yours is mild case and you recover quickly 

[Another_Critic]

9 hours ago, hal2008 said:

 

Join UNFCU

 

Their chip+pin  priority card is a godesend on European trips 

I had looked into that several years ago, but for some reason I decided not to pursue it.

 

I have a Barclays Arrival card that is Chip + PIN but it only works with PIN if the card reader is set to "unattended".  It did save me at an unattended petrol station in France, as no other card would work.

 

Contactless is now pretty widespread overseas, so it's not as big of an issue as it had been in prior years.

[Stuart Suss]

I have a slightly different opinion about the Voyager of the Seas Cruise from Stockholm to Copenhagen from July 31 to August 10.

 

Agnes ("Dragon") reported that the "furniture in our suite looked very clean and the upholstery looked new."  However, I was in a standard, inside cabin.  My carpet was stained and the sink had scratches and a small gouge.  Perhaps there is an ongoing refurbishment effort which has started with the suites.  Perhaps it will reach ordinary staterooms someday.

 

My stateroom rattled along with the motion of the ship.  When I reported the problem, maintenance workers used double sided tape to do something that I do not fully understand.  It was almost as if my stateroom was taped to the skeleton of the ship.  That ended the rattling.  To the staff's credit, the response by the maintenance workers was prompt and effective.

 

I thought the main dining room entrees were bland/flavorless/unseasoned.  The better tasting food was in the Windjammer.  The food was not bad, merely average.

 

I thought the entertainment was also average.  The exception was the ice show which was very good.

 

I agree that the service by concierge lounge waitresses was slow.  I had the same issue in the Diamond Lounge.  On the other hand, the Diamond Concierge, Matty, was quite helpful in resolving miscellaneous minor issues.

 

I had been onboard the Oasis for 14 days in December of 2021.  Perhaps I was spoiled by the grandeur and quality of that ship.  This ship was not of Oasis level quality.  I missed not having a Central Park, a Park Cafe, and a Solarium Bistro, especially for breakfast.

 

That said, even an "average" cruise ship experience is still enjoyable, particularly given the destinations.

 

 

[Hezu]

On 7/30/2022 at 11:01 PM, DragonOfTheSeas said:

OK, the server seems to be working tonight so I will go back and post some pictures from the boat tour.  

 

There were lots of other boats of all sizes in the harbor and the canals.  I thought they sometimes came pretty close to one another.  You had 2 cruise lines:  Viking and Mein Schiff. 

 

 

Then you had all the ferries going back and forth all day. 

I'm late in commenting, but I have to note that Viking Line ship in your picture might not be true cruise ship since it is one of these cruise ferries that shuttle between Finland and Sweden.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

4 hours ago, Hezu said:

I'm late in commenting, but I have to note that Viking Line ship in your picture might not be true cruise ship since it is one of these cruise ferries that shuttle between Finland and Sweden.

Thank you for letting me know.  Is it the same company as the ocean/river cruise line.  Or is it just a similar name? 

[Maria63]

6 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Thank you for letting me know.  Is it the same company as the ocean/river cruise line.  Or is it just a similar name? 

It's just a similar name, the companies have nothing to do with each other. Here's some more trivia about the ferries that run between Finland and Sweden: The promenade concept that we now have on all the newer Royal ships, was first invented by a Finnish ship designer already in the late 1980s, and was first introduced in 1990 on the Finland-Sweden line, by a company then called Silja Line, on its ship M/S Silja Serenade. It was considered revolutionary back then, and was later taken up by Royal. If I'm not mistaken, Royal hired the designer to create the promenade-design for them as well.🙂

[hal2008]

Silja line ferry ship appears in one of the interesting photo taken by Agnes in Stockholm archipelago.  Two ships appear to be perpendicular to each other 

 

Coincidentally, my travel mate took almost same photo at same spot few weeks earlier.

 

Archipelago sailing is the real highlight of Stockholm port.  Those birthing at Nyanashan are missing out on it 

Edited August 24, 2022 by hal2008