Star Princess Baltics review

[blondie1234]

We recently returned from the Star Princess cruise of the Baltics. If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

 

The Boat: One would not even know there had been a fire on the ship. There was no smell, and the damaged cabins looked completely normal. We had a balcony on this ship. The Caribe balconies are the largest, as they are half covered, half not. The Caribe balcony is almost double the size of the regular balcony. You mostly are in industrial areas of the ports, although the journey from Oslo is quite scenic. Also coming out of St. Petersburg, on the starboard side, you see the old Russian naval base which is quite interesting. Other than that, you probably don't use the balcony too much.

 

The Star Princess is nice, it looks just like your standard cruise boat. The elevators are a bit crowded. Food was pretty good - standard Princess fare. Anytime dining is great. You can make reservations in one of the dining rooms if you want to make sure you have a certain table, though even if you did not make reservations you would probably get your choice. The shop had 4 stores, which sell many Russian souvenirs. Weather in May was quite chilly - 55-60 degrees everyday with rain intermittent. People were swimming though in the pools!

 

Wide variety of people onboard, though a little less people in the late 70s,80s than say Alaska I suppose due to the grueling iterniary. There were some small children though not a whole lot of children around 10-11.

 

 

Ports: This cruise is very intense and tiring though very interesting. Expect rain at any time!

 

Stockholm: We did the Walking through Swedish History tour. The ship is docked about an hour away from Stockholm. The ride through the countryside was nice. We first did a walking tour through the old town, and got about 30 minutes on our own to shop. We then went to a smorgasbord for lunch. It was mostly all fish and if you don't like salmon, etc. there wasn't much to eat there. Then we went to Skansen the outdoor museum. I was kinda disappointed in Skansen - I thought there would be more there. In all, if I had to do it over again, I probably would take one of the tours where you have more independent time since this tour left virtually no time for shopping and you wasted an hour at the lunch.

 

Helsinki: We did the City and Countryside tour, which was the only tour "sold out" before the cruise sailed. We first went to see Helsinki and went to Senate Square and the church. You had about 45 minutes to go to the church, souvenir shop in the 1 store or go to the craft market down the street. We then went to Porvoo where we had about 1.5 hours to walk around. The town is literally two streets, and there wasn't really too much in the 10 or so shops in the town. Then we went to a horse farm where they showed us the horses and we had lunch inside the estate home. Again this was fish, so if you don't like fish, there was no other option. Both the Stockholm and Helsinki tours were very expensive compared to what you got and what you saw. I would have preferred having lunch on your own.

 

St. Petersburg: We went on the Grand Tour, which seemed very popular. They had over 30 buses just for the Grand Tour alone! On the first day we first took a canal cruise. Then we went to the Hermitage for 2 hours and were lucky enough to be one of the few groups there so we got to see everything well (HINT: Try to go to St. Petersburg on one of the days when the museums are officially closed like on a Monday - Princess has a special deal to get you in so you avoid the crowds). We then went to a lunch place in a palace which was quite nice. The shop in the lunch place however tried to rip you off by selling things much more expensive than the street vendors. Then after lunch we went to Yuposav's palace and then we went to a souvenir shop where we had 30 minutes to shop. Russia was the only place I have ever been to where the street merchants meet the buses and bother you as soon as you come off the bus! It can be quite annoying. Traffic in St. Petersburg is atrocious - worse then New York or LA! The tours must start so early to avoid traffic. One thing I noticed about St. Petersburg is that it looks like a lost world - like it is stuck in the 1950s with the old cars, etc. Very sad. Anyway, by the end of the day we were exhausted and were glad that we had cancelled the evening tour since that would have been too much. They had singers on the ship in the evening. They were not the cossack dancers but a musical group from a nightclub in St. Petersburg. On the second day, we started at 7 and went to Peterhof. You see the Grand Palace, but because we were there so early did not see all of the working fountains. The fountains start at 10:30. There is a small craft bazaar outside Peterhof with stolls for shopping. It then took us 2 hours to get back to St. Petersburg because of the traffic (it should have taken an hour). We went to lunch at a restaurant where they had Russian singing and dancing. Then we went to the Peter and Paul Fortress for about 30 minutes, then to the Church of the Spilled Blood and finally to St. Isaac's. It was very hurried so there was not a whole lot of time for shopping (just in between for 10 minutes or so at the outside bazaars). Everyone in Russia will accept U.S. currency or euros. In fact the prices aren't even in rubles! We then went back to the ship after a dizzying day. The ship was delayed an hour because 1,000 people were still caught in traffic coming back from the tours! When the ship sailed it passed by the old russian navy base where they gave interesting commentary.

 

Estonia: The stop here was short but they packed alot in. We took the Best of Tallin tour which was quite popular as there were over 10-15 buses just for that. You could walk to the old town if you wanted to but it is about a mile. Princess doesn't tell you this until the day before but there is also a shuttle that takes you to the old town for about $5-10. The Best of Tallin tour allowed you to see alot. You first went to see some of the countryside. You heard alot of stories about the Soviet occupation and you go to see the Festival Grounds as well as the spot where they had rowing during the 1980s Olympics. You then go to the Upper Town where you see the church and have about 25 minutes to shop. You basically have a choice between going to the bathroom and shopping because there is literally one bathroom for all of the people from many tours and going to the shop! After that, we went to the Lower Town where we went to a coffee shop and had danish and coffee (there is a bathroom at the restaurant which I think if people would have been aware they wouldn't have wasted time standing in line in the Upper town), then to a organ concert (which took 20 minutes) and then we had about 25 minutes to shop. I would have preferred they skip the organ thing and give you more time on your own. In all while this tour was very interesting, I wished that you had more time on your own to shop and look around this beautiful town.

 

Gdask: We went on the City Sampler, which was quite popular as there were over 10 buses for just this one. The drive into Gdasnk took about 45 minutes, though in between you pass by Sopot, Oliwa Cathedral and Gdynia and they provide commentary on those. You get a short walking tour and go to St. Mary's Church. Then you have about 2 hours of free time to go into the shops and have lunch. The only nice souvenir they had here was amber - tons and tons of shops of amber. On the way back you pass by the beach area.

 

Oslo: I was quite surpised how clean and nice Oslo was. It was definitely the cleanest and richest city we were in. We took the Viking Museum and Oslo Highlights tour which was a quite popular tour. Oslo is very spreadout so while people say you can do it on your own, I don't think you would see nearly as much in the limited time provided. This is the only port where Princess docks right in town, next to the fortress. There are about 8 shops at the dock. The Viking Museum is about 30 minutes away and you see about 2-3 ships. We then went to the Vigeland Park which we walked through for about 45 minutes. Then we went to the ski jump where we stayed for about 25 minutes. Seeing the countryside is quite nice. Also on the way out of Oslo the ship spends about 3-4 hours sailing through the fjord - this was the only really scenic part of the ship.

 

Copenhagen: You could start leaving from the ship at 6:30 or 6:45. They tried to tell people that there were limited taxis available and you might have to wait an hour in line to get a taxi in order to get people to purchase the transfers. In effect, we left at 8 and there were tons of taxis available and no wait. We had stayed two days in Copenhagen, went to Tivoli and took tours of Copenhagen and the one to Helsingor and the Danish Riveria (which is quite beautiful if you get the chance to go).

[Shelby Cruiser]

Thanks for your review. We are booked for next July 1, 2007 on the Star. Can you tell us where you stayed at in Copenhagen for your 2 day pre-cruise stay? Did you feel you made a good choice after seeing other places on your touring of the city? Were there any restaurants that were especially good that you would recommend? It looks like you booked all your tours through Princess. Did you talk with others on your cruise who did private tours or tours on their own that really sounded as though they had a more interesting tour with time for shopping & or lunching. choose. Thanks for any additional info.

[Danish viking]

I have a Question.

What is that you call the Danish Riveria, the coast between Helsingør, Hornbæk, Gillleleje, tisvildeleje and Hundested (Nordkysten/North Coast), or was is the Beach Road (strandvejen) between Copenhagen, Rungsted and Helsingør.

 

If anyone is in doubt the different between the 2 places is that the Beach Road almost follow the Coast all the time and the view is scenic, its changing from big houses (were the Rich people are living) to fishing villages and small towns.

 

Along the road there are 2 museums that are worth a visit, the first are the Karen Blixen Museum and the other is the Louisiana Museum of modern art.

 

The North Coast is also beautiful but here there is more nature because of the huge beach and the forests (tisvilde hegn and Hornbæk Plantage), there is also many Summer Cottages in this area

you will also find many scenic fishing villages here.

[Sea42]

We were on the May 15th sailing of the Star. I thought I would add our trip notes. Sorry we don't do a lot of shopping so I can't help out there.

 

Copenhagen - We stayed at the Admiral Hotel for 2 nights prior to the cruise. It was a nice hotel on the water and we were given an upgrade to a lofted suite which was very nice! It was about a 1/2 block from the Amalienborg Palace and Marble Church. In the other direction Nyhavn Canal was about 3 blocks away. We enjoyed the canal tour and just sitting at the cafes that line the canal watching people go by. If you do the canal tour make sure you use the one that is located about midpoint along the canal. They charge half the price as the one at the end of the canal located by the big anchor. There are restrooms by the anchor that were very clean and very pretty but they did charge 2 DKR. If you sit at one of the cafes they all have restrooms and won't charge you to use them but the prices for food and drinks were quite high here. We had a couple of days here so we were able to take our time. We walked form the canal to Tivoli one evening. It was very pretty at night and there was a small classical concert while we were there. We walked back to the hotel, at about midnight, through the Stroget area. There were many people out and about and police patrolling. We felt perfectly comfortable. It was about a 45 minute walk so I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have a lot of time or the ability to walk for long periods of time.

 

We took a cab to the ferry terminal at check out time on the day of our sailing. It cost about 25 USD. All of the cabs take credit cards, USD, DKR or Euros. Embarkation took about 30 minutes and was a very efficent process We too noticed no lingering effects from the fire. We were in A416.

 

Stockholm - We took the full day Stockholm on your Own tour. The bus ride was just under an hour. Drop off and pick up were in the same location and were very centrally located. We went to the Vasa musuem and Skansen. We spent 2 hours at Vasa and found it very interesting. Great English signage. It might be more history than some people are interested in but we thought it was definitely worth a 1/2 hour to anyone with a casual interest. We enjoyed Skansen. There were many visitors there wearing traditional Swedish dress. At first I thought they were employees but then I noticed some were in family groups, others were couples and there were children also. I spoke with one of the women and she told me it was a kind of tradition in her family to come out once a year. She had a beautiful embroidered dress and shawl. I left my Skansen guide book in the lending library on the Star if you're interested. The only disappointment for me was that many of the buildings had not yet opened for the season. If you're travelling with young children I think this would be a great place for them to learn about Sweden and have fun too.

 

Helsinki - We took the city bus into town. We bought an all day pass on the bus with Euros. It was an easy place to get around. We got off the bus at the outdoor market and visited the Uspenski Cathedral, Seante Square and the Lutheran Cathedral. These were all within easy walking distance of each other. We then took the bus to the Temppeliaukio Church (Church in the Rock). I wasn't really overwhelmed by it but it was kind of interesting. We took the bus back to the market, did a little shopping and then went to the Cafe Kappeli which is located right near the outdoor market and is in a park which runs up the middle of a street that offers a ton of shopping. We ran into another couple we had met on the ship and sat on the patio and listened to a band that was playing. They had a great open faced shrimp sandwich there!

 

St. Petersburg - We went with the DenRus 2 day tour with 2 other couples that we hooked up with here on CC. We were fortunate that both of the other couples were nice people that were easy to get along with. We had worked out our itinerary ahead of time and things went smoothly. In hindsight I would have skipped Catherine's Palace and toured Peter and Paul Fortress instead. Too much time spent in traffic. We did the Folkloric show in the evening. While I enjoyed the performance very much I was disappointed in the setting. It was in the Nickolai Palace but the show was in an auditorium. I was hoping for a prettier setting. My favorites were St. Issac's and the Church on the Spilled Blood. Just breathtaking! If you're on the port side of the ship you will see Peterhof as you are sailing away from St. Petersburg. Binoculars helped, but you could see it without them.

 

Tallin - We walked into town. It took about 15 minutes at a strolling pace. It's a very cute little town but was way too crowded for my liking. I believe there were two other ships in port and the town was just packed with groups.

 

Gdansk - We took a cab to the train station, about 5 dollars, and then the train Gdansk. It wasn't a terribly attractive train journey but I must say they have elevated graffiti to an artform here! Gdansk has beautiful architecture and it was a great place if you love to shop! Many musuems that we wanted to see were closed though so that was a bit disappointing. We were there on a Monday. There were several lovely churches here but again the tour groups could be overwhelming. At St. Mary's there was a group of men singing. It sounded beautiful. I tried jsut sitting in a pew and listening but 3 times a tour guide stopped right next to me with their group and started talking. Very annoying! I finally just went and stood in the front of the church to listen.

 

Oslo - We walked around for awhile. Stopped at the City Hall which had wonderful woodcuttings depicting various scenes from Norweign mythology. We then took the ferry over to the Viking ship musuem. It was about a 10 minute walk (uphill) from the ferry landing. Again great signage in English describing how the ships were found and what they contained. After returning to the harbor we visited the Norweign Resistance Muesuem. It was both inspiring and sad. I had the sail away time wrong for this port so we went back to the ship then but it turned out we had another hour before departure. We sat on our balcony and watched the many boats out on the water. This was by far the most scenic of the ports that we visited and we really enjoyed sailing through this area.

 

We left the ship at about 8 am and had no trouble getting a cab. We went to the airport and dropped off our luggage and took the train back into the city. Most people who were leaving later in the day took a cab to the main train station and left their luggage there and took the train to the airport later in the day. This is much less expensive and probably the way to go. I just didn't want to lug my suitcase around the station and on the train. Just laziness on my part.

I hope this info helps some. We had a great time and I hope you do too!

Carol

[Juliadlf]

blondie1234 and Carol thanks for posting your reviews. We sail in August and your information is helpful.

 

Julia

[chuly]

I have a Question.

What is that you call the Danish Riveria, the coast between Helsingør, Hornbæk, Gillleleje, tisvildeleje and Hundested (Nordkysten/North Coast), or was is the Beach Road (strandvejen) between Copenhagen, Rungsted and Helsingør.

 

If anyone is in doubt the different between the 2 places is that the Beach Road almost follow the Coast all the time and the view is scenic, its changing from big houses (were the Rich people are living) to fishing villages and small towns.

 

Along the road there are 2 museums that are worth a visit, the first are the Karen Blixen Museum and the other is the Louisiana Museum of modern art.

 

The North Coast is also beautiful but here there is more nature because of the huge beach and the forests (tisvilde hegn and Hornbæk Plantage), there is also many Summer Cottages in this area

you will also find many scenic fishing villages here.

 

Hello:

 

We have good friends who live in Copenhagen and we would like to invite them to a nice dinner in Tivoli Gardens during our 1 day stop there in two weeks. Can you recommend a really nice restaurant in Tivoli Gardens?

Thank you in advance!:)

[mmmmm]

What fabulous reports - thanks so much! Carol, I wondered if you felt you had enough time in Stockholm taking the Princess transportation. We were considering getting a taxi in order to be able to leave earlier, or did you feel you got there about the right time. Where does the bus leave you? Do you have to take another bus from there to get to anything? Thanks!

[Sea42]

I do wish we had more time in Stockholm. We arrived in Stockholm at about 10 am and left at about 3:30 pm. If you took a taxi the drive would probably take the same amount of time but you would be able to leave earlier in the morning. While almost everything you may wish to visit doesn't open until 10 am you could use the extra hour or so to do a walking tour around the old town area and be at an attraction for the 10am opening times. The bus left us off and picked us up right across the river from the Royal Palace and in front of the Opera. So it was a good location. From there it was about a two block walk to the Gamla Stan area. If you work your way through the Gamla Stan you will end up at the ferry pier that will take you over to the island of Djurgarden which is where you will find the Vasa museum, Skansen and the Nordic museum.

When we got off the bus we went right to the ferry. By the time we were done at Vasa and Skansen and had returned on the ferry we only had about a 1/2 hour to get back to the bus. We didn't have enough time for a nice easy stroll throught he old town. To me it felt pretty rushed, but we probably could have managed our time better. Maybe only 1 1/2 hours at each and then we would have had more time to explore the Gamla Stan area.

I guess for you, you would have to weigh the price difference between the taxi and the bus and decide whether or not the extra hour or so would be worth it to you. I don't remember the taxi cost but I know they're on this board somewhere.

Carol

[mrsdoc]

Thanks to Blondie and Carol for all the information they have provided about their cruises. I do hope that they had a great time and enjoyed themselves. I would ask them if they talked to anyone who took the train into Stockholm, or did there seem to be many that chose to go that way.I had received info previously from Julia re hiring a van, but am worried that the roads may be small or crowded,etc. making it a problem getting back to the ship on time. I have been leaning toward the train, getting off the ship early and possibly having then more time in the city. Also, were there sightseeing buses available that actually would bring you around to all the places to see so that there would be more time to see Gamla Stan( I think there are)? Another question--- Did you tip the guide and driver in St.Pete? I have seen on some thread about tipping and the appropriate amount but I can't seem to find it anymore. Carol, I like the info about the canal tour. I will be travelling on the June 24th cruise with seven other people, four of them teenagers. We will arrive a day early in Copenhagen and plan to take tours on both land and the canal. Our hotel is next to the train station and Tivoli, so we plan to take the train in from the airport and go to Tivoli that night. I have been watching the boards for your report and again I thank you both. Anne

[Danish viking]

Att Chuly

 

Tivoli has 3 kinds of restaurants in 3 different price group sorted by main dishes, so i will make a top 3 :) in every price group.

 

Under 100 Kroner.

 

Italia - La Vecchia Signora (Italian)

Den Røde Pimpernel (danish meals and Dancing!!!!)

Viften (all kind of food)

 

Between 100 and 175 Kroner.

 

A Hereford Beefstouw (alot of Beef)

Færgekroen Bryghus (Also Danish meals but they have homebrewed beer)

Hercegovina ( Balkan style food)

 

Over 175 Kroner.

 

The Paul ( 1 Michelin star)

Divan 2 (the menu follows the time of the year)

La Crevette (only if you like fish, i don´t :))

 

 

 

[Sea42]

Hi Anne,

Many people did take the train into Stockholm and it seemed to work out just fine for them. The last train back was a little crowded. John Lawerence, Cruise Director, gives really good information in his talks on each port for people doing independent tours. He explained exactly how to get to the train station from the tender (using photo slides) so you had landmarks to follow. These talks are available in person or on the TV in your cabin in the evening (listed in the Patter). After this port we used his info to do all of the ports on our own. Having pictures of the streets, bus stops and train stations was a big help!

There were six of us in our group in St. Petersburg and we tipped the guide about $50 per day for the group and I think the driver was $20. My husband and I paid for the lunches of both the guide and driver each day and the other two couples split the costs of the tips.

I know there is a hop on hop off boat that connected Djurgarden, Gamla Stan (2 stops) and Nybroviken. It was about 50 minutes to do the loop of 5 stops. There are also H/O/H/O buses or you can get combo tickets. This is their website http://www.stockholmsightseeing.com/EN/STOCKHOLM/land-tours/hop-on-hop-off-bus.htm

 

Carol

[gointostpete]

We took the train from Nynashamn to Stockholm and it worked out very well. It was not a bad walk from the ship to the train station and I think there was also a shuttle bus that dropped you off there. Round trip tickets for 2 were only 120 SEK (about $16-17 total, I think). We caught the 8:07 train to Stockholm, arrived there somewhere around 9am. We wandered around a bit and eventually made our way to the Vasa Museum right when it opened at 10, which was nice because the tours didn't show up for maybe another hour. We took the 1:52 train back because we were getting tired, but we could have taken a train as late as 2:52. It wasn't that crowded, maybe a few people standing, but we had seats. Judging by the number of people that got off in Nynashamn, I guess a lot did the train on their own.

 

We also walked to the train station in Gdynia and took the train to Gdansk. That was a little more of an adventure but we still managed.

[chuly]

Att Chuly

 

Tivoli has 3 kinds of restaurants in 3 different price group sorted by main dishes, so i will make a top 3 :) in every price group.

 

Under 100 Kroner.

 

Italia - La Vecchia Signora (Italian)

Den Røde Pimpernel (danish meals and Dancing!!!!)

Viften (all kind of food)

 

Between 100 and 175 Kroner.

 

A Hereford Beefstouw (alot of Beef)

Færgekroen Bryghus (Also Danish meals but they have homebrewed beer)

Hercegovina ( Balkan style food)

 

Over 175 Kroner.

 

The Paul ( 1 Michelin star)

Divan 2 (the menu follows the time of the year)

La Crevette (only if you like fish, i don´t :))

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for the information!! We really appreciate it.:D

[swdke]

What is that you call the Danish Riveria, the coast between Helsingør, Hornbæk, Gillleleje, tisvildeleje and Hundested (Nordkysten/North Coast), or was is the Beach Road (strandvejen) between Copenhagen, Rungsted and Helsingør.

 

If anyone is in doubt the different between the 2 places is that the Beach Road almost follow the Coast all the time and the view is scenic, its changing from big houses (were the Rich people are living) to fishing villages and small towns.

 

Along the road there are 2 museums that are worth a visit, the first are the Karen Blixen Museum and the other is the Louisiana Museum of modern art.

 

The North Coast is also beautiful but here there is more nature because of the huge beach and the forests (tisvilde hegn and Hornbæk Plantage), there is also many Summer Cottages in this area

you will also find many scenic fishing villages here.

 

I take the Danish Riveria to be the beach road, Strandvejen. I have a friend who was living on Standvej, but it became too expensive and he moved to Gentofte. We did Strandvej last summer from Helsingor to Kobenhavn, it was a beautiful drive.

[Al_Frescoe]

We took the train from Nynashamn to Stockholm and it worked out very well. It was not a bad walk from the ship to the train station and I think there was also a shuttle bus that dropped you off there. Round trip tickets for 2 were only 120 SEK (about $16-17 total, I think).

I thought this thread might shed some light on the train situation for Princess cruisers in Stockholm. New fares this summer.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=336501&highlight=Train+nynashamn

 

Skål

[Danish viking]

@ swdke

I never heard about that before, but okay i come from the south.

[mmmmm]

Carol, thanks so much for your information about the Princess bus and the timing. The taxi is cheaper if you have four people, so I hope we can find someone to share. My main fear is that the taxi might not be there. I figure if we leave Stockholm at the same time the Princess bus does, we'll either both be caught in traffic or we'll both be on time.

[mrsdoc]

Just posting again my thanks for the information supplied from all you posters answering my questions. They have all been very helpful in planning all our stops.I have looked on cruisecal.com and find that we will have lots of other cruise ships at our calls at Helsinki, St. Pete and Tallinn, so we will have to be prepared for crowds. Thamks again. Anne

[grabbit97]

We were on the May 25 sailing of the Star Princess.

Here is a review that I wrote after being on the ship.

If anyone has any questions.. please ask.....

 

1..5/23

OUR PLANE TOOK OFF AT 10 PM ON SAS AIRLINES. SMOOTH FLIGHT ALL THE WAY, TAKING AMBIEN WAS A GOOD IDEA, WE SLEPT FOR 4 HOURS, AND FELT RESTED UPON ARRIVING IN COPENHAGEN. WE CLAIMED OUR BAGS AND TOOK THE TRAIN TO THE HOTEL DU NORD. WE WALKED ABOUT 2 BLOCKS TO THE HOTEL. THE HOTEL DU NORD IS SO CENTRALLY LOCATED WE WOULD RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY. TWO BLOCKS FROM THE TRAIN STATION, TWO BLOCKS FROM THE TIVOLI AND TRANSPORTATION, BUS OR TRAIN, MADE IT AN IDEAL PLACE TO STAY. WE WALKED TO CITY SQUARE. WE WAITED A LONG TIME-FOR. A TABLE AT A RESTAURANT THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY RICK STEVES, BUT THE MAN WAS VERY RUDE AND IGNORED US WHEN WE REFUSED TO TAKE A TABLE BY THE DOOR, THAT HE TOLD US IT WOULD BE AN HOUR WAIT, AFTER 10 MINUTES WE LEFT, AND WANDERED AROUND UNTIL WE FOUND A DELIGHTFUL RESTAURANT ABOUT 2 BLOCKS AWAY.

FINALLY ATE AT CITY ROCK CAFE. WE HAD A SEAFOOD PLATE THAT WAS VERY GOOD. TIRED, WE WALKED BACK TO THE HOTEL DU NORD AND FELL ASLEEP EXHAUSTED.

 

5/24 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

DAY 2

BREAKFAST BUFFET WAS DELIGHTFUL, MORE THAN ADEQUATE AT THE HOTEL DU NORD (STAY HERE, IT WAS GREAT, LARGE ROOMS AND EXCELLENT SERVICE.. EVEN FREE INTERNET IN EACH ROOM).

WE TOOK A LOCAL BUS TO ROSENBORG CASTLE. WE WERE SUPPOSE TO MEET RICHARD DRESSED UP AS HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN BUT HE NEVER SHOWED. WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE TOUR OURSELVES OF THE ROSENBORG CASTLE. VERY EASY TO DO. WE SAW THE

TREASURY ROOM AND. CASTLE AND WALKED THRU CASTLE GARDEN TO NYHAVN -CAUGHT THE NETTO CANAL BOAT TOUR WHICH WAS WONDERFUL, 30.00 DANISH KROWNS (1/2 PRICE OF THE OTHER TOUR BOAT AND THEN HAD LUNCH ON NYHAVN WITH JUDY & JERRY. I HAD A GREAT ONION SOUP AND CHICKEN SALAD. IT WAS RAINING AND A BIT ON THE COOL SIDE SO WE ATE INSIDE. THERE ARE MANY LOVELY OUTDOOR RESTAURANTS ON THE NYHAVN AND IF YOU HAD A CHANCE, DO ENJOY EATING ON THE CANAL.

DINNER WAS ACROSS STREET FROM HOTEL DU NORD - HAD WEINERSNITZEL & BEEF STEW / BAKED POTATO

TIRED FROM THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES, WE WENT TO BED.

 

5/25 - TOOK BUS 26 TO LITTLE MERMAID. WALKED ALONG WATER TO PALACE. SAW CHANGING OF GUARDS. ATE LUNCH ON NYHAVEN OUTSIDE UNTIL IT STARTED TO RAIN. MOVED INSIDE AND FINISHED LUNCH. HAD SALMON & CHICKEN SALAD. PILSNER BEER TO DRINK.

BACK TO HOTEL TO TAKE TAXI TO CRUISE TERMINAL. BOARDED STAR PRINCESS AT 3 PM AND FOUND ROOM- BAJA DECK INSIDE ROOM NICE LOCATION. SANDRA IS OUR ROOM STEWARD. SPENT MOST OF DAY LEARNING SHIP AND RELAXING.

DINNER AT 7 IN PORTOFINO RESTAURANT. TABLE OF 8. HAD CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY BAG FOR DESSERT FOR MEL'S BIRTHDAY. DIDN'T LIKE WAITER. WILL MOVE TO ANOTHER TABLE TOMORROW NIGHT.

 

5/26 AT SEA. SPENT MOST OF DAY RELAXING. TONIGHT IS FORMAL NIGHT. CHANGED TABLES TO 166 JEFF & SHERWIN. PERSONAL CHOICE DINING. HAD ANOTHER B.D. CHOCOLATE BAG FOR MEL'S B.D.

SAW ENTERTAINMENT.

 

5/27 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN

 

AFTER BREAKFAST WE BOARDED BUS WITH JUDY & JERRY FOR OUR 8 HOUR TOUR OF VASA MUSEUM - CITY TOUR. AFTER THE MUSEUM WE WERE TAKEN TO A SMORGSBORD FOR A SWEDISH LUNCH. MANY TYPES OF HERRING WERE ON THE BUFFET AS WELL AS SWEDISH MEATBALLS. AFTER LUNCH, WE TOOK A 2 HOUR BOAT RIDE VIEWING STOCKHOLM.

DINNER AT 6:30 FOLLOWED BY ENTERTAINMENT. GOOD DAY

 

5/28 HELSINKI FINLAND

 

TODAY WE DO HELSINKI ON OUR OWN. WE HAD BREAKFAST UP IN THE HORIZON COURT WHICH IS A BUFFET. AFTER BREAKFAST WE HEADED OUT ON OUR OWN. WE CAUGHT A BUS THAT TOOK US TO THE MARKET PLACE. THERE WE SAW THE "WEDDING CAKE" CHURCH AND THE "ROCK" CHURCH. WE TOOK A FERRY OVER TO THE OLD FORT WHICH WAS ON AN ISLAND AND THEN CAME BACK TO DO SOME SHOPPING IN THE MARKET PLACE. WE BOUGHT MATTHEW A TSHIRT FROM HELSINKI AND HEADED BACK ON THE BUS TO THE SHIP.

TONIGHT AFTER DINNER, WE ENJOYED SOME MORE OF THE SHIP'S ENTERTAINMENT.

 

5/29 SAINT PETERSBURG

 

ALLA... WOW WHAT AN EXPERIENCE... WE BOOKED HER ON THE INTERNET AND PRAYED SHE WOULD TURN OUT.. WOW, DID SHE EVER... A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

WE MET ALLA OUTSIDE THE SHIP AT 9 AM. WE HAD TO PROVIDE THE VISA THAT SHE HAD EMAILED US AND A COPY OF OUR PASSPORT AND OUR PASSPORT FOR THE RUSSIAN IMMIGRATION. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL PASS THRU THEIR IMMIGRATION, WE FOUND ALLA. SHE HAD A 15 PASSENGER VAN WAITING FOR US.

OUR FIRST STOP WAS CATHERINE'S PALACE, WHICH WE WERE NOT SUPPOSE TO SEE, BUT SHE MANAGED TO GET US TICKETS. CATHERINE'S PALACE IS CLOSED THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AND EVERY MONDAY. TODAY IS MONDAY. THE PRICE OF THE TOUR WENT UP A BIT, BUT IT WAS WELL WORTH THER ENTRANCE TO THE PALACE. AFTER TOURING THE PALACE, WE WENT TO THE METRO, WHICH WAS CLOSED, SO WE THEN WENT TO A LOCAL GROCERY STORE WHERE WE SAW HOW FOOD WAS SOLD IN RUSSIA. EACH STALL IS OWNED BY A PRIVATE PERSON, AND SELLS A DIFFERENT THING. ONE WILL SELL FRUIT, OTHERS WILL SELL CHEESE, MEAT, VEGETABLES.. ETC. VERY INTERESTING. THE MEAT DEPARTMENT HAS THE RAW BONES LAYING ON A PALATE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AISLE. THE PEOPLE DID NOT WEAR GLOVES WHEN CUTTING UP THE MEAT. WE FOUND THAT STRANGE... YET THE MARKET ITSELF WAS VERY CLEAN.

WE ATE LUNCH IN THE VAN, SOME TASTY "PANCAKE" AS SHE CALLED IT WITH CHICKEN AND A CUCUMBER SAUCE IN IT. IN THE AFTERNOON WE WENT TO "ST ISSAC'S" CHURCH. AFTER THE CHURCH, WE WENT TO A RUSSIAN RESTAURANT FOR DINNER. WE HAD A GREAT MUSHROOM SOUP, FOLLOWED BY A NOT SO GOOD VEAL DISH. AFTER DINNER, WE WENT TO A RUSSIAN FOLKLORE SHOW. VERY GOOD. ENJOYED IT. RAINING OUTSIDE, WE RAN TO THE VAN WHICH TOOK US BACK TO THE SHIP. DAY ONE IN SAINT PETERSBURG WAS GREAT.

 

5/30 SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA DAY 2

 

ALLA MET US OUTSIDE AT 8 AM, AFTER BREAKFAST. FIRST STOP WAS THE CHORAL SYNOGOGUE BUILT IN 1890'S. NEXT WE WENT TO PETERHOF'S PALACE TO SEE THE GROUNDS AND PALACE OF PETER THE GREAT. THE GROUNDS ARE MAGNIFICENT. THE WATERFALL IS FED BY GRAVITY, FROM A RIVER 14 MILES AWAY. NO PUMPS, ALL NATURAL, BY GRAVITY ALONE. AFTER SPENDING 2 HOURS TOURING THE PETERHOF, WE HEADED TO A LOCAL SHOPPING STORE, EATING OUR LUNCH IN THE VAN ONCE MORE, THIS TIME A "PANCAKE" FILLED WITH GROUND MEAT AND PICKLE SAUCE.. VERY TASTY AGAIN. WE SHOPPED AT A STORE CALLED NORTHWAY, AND FOUND SOME BLACK LAQUER BOXES THAT WE GAVE AS GIFTS AND KEPT A COUPLE OURSELVES. WE STOPPED AT YUSIKOV'S PALACE WHERE RASSPUTAN WAS KILLED. OUR LAST STOP WAS THE "HERMITAGE" WHICH WAS A BEAUTIFUL MUSEUM. WE WERE THERE ABOUT 2 HOURS, DOING A WHIRLWIND TOUR AND JUST TOUCHED UPON SOME OF THE PAINTINGS. DAVINCI, REMBRANDT TO NAME A FEW. WE PASSED BY PETER AND PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

OUR TRIP BACK TO THE SHIP WAS INTERESTING.. A BIG TRAFFIC JAM CAUSED THE SHIP TO BE AN HOUR LATE LEAVING RUSSIA. OUR VAN WAS AN HOUR LATE, AND WE WERE ALL NERVOUS THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE SHIP. WE WERE NOT THE ONLY "LATE" PEOPLE.. 20 PRINCESS CRUISE TOUR BUSES WERE ALSO LATE... SO WE RELAXED KNOWING WE WOULD NOT BE THE ONLY ONES THAT WOULD BE LATE.

ON BOARD AT 6:15, WE WENT TO DINNER, FOLLLOWED BY THE ENTERTAINMENT OFFERED THAT EVENING. WE WERE VERY TIRED.. BUT HAPPY. ALLA MADE THE TOUR OF RUSSIA TRUE SUCCESS.

$351 PER PERSON WAS WELL WORTH IT.

 

5/31 TALLINN, ESTONIA

 

TODAY WE ARE IN ESTONIA FOR 1/2 A DAY. TALLINN WE DID ON OUR OWN. AFTER BREAKFAST, WE WALKED OFF THE SHIP, CAUGHT THE SHIP'S SHUTTLE BUS FOR $4.00 A PERSON WHICH TOOK US INTO TOWN. WE WALKED UP THE COBBLESTONE STREETS TO THE CHURCH ON THE HILL. WE STOPPED INTO A SOUVENIR SHOP AND BOUGHT 2 GLASS DOGS, ONE FOR US AND ONE FOR SHERI AND AARON.

WE STOPPED TO BUY AN ICE CREAM CONE AT MCDONALD'S BUT THEY WOULD ONLY TAKE LOCAL CURRENCY SO WE CONTINUED WALKING ABOUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE. WE TOOK A TAXI BACK TO THE SHIP (MY KNEE WAS HURTING) AND AT 1 PM THE SHIP SAILED FOR GDANSK POLAND.

DINNER AT 6:30 FOLLOWED AGAIN BY THE ENTERTAINMENT ON THE SHIP.

 

6/1 GDANSK, POLAND

 

TODAY WE ATE BREAKFAST UP IN THE HORIZON COURT AND GOT READY TO TAKE OUR ALL DAY TOUR OF POLAND.

WE MET THE TOUR OUTSIDE AT 9 AND BOARDED THE BUS HEADING TO THE MALBORG MIDEVIL CASTLE. THE CASTLE WAS BUILT IN THE 1300'S . VERY GLAD WE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THIS CASTLE. AFTER THIS WE WERE TAKEN TO A RESTAURANT FOR AN AUTHENTIC POLISH LUNCH. WE WERE SERVED BEEF SOUP WITH AN EGG IN IT..FOLLOWED BY A ROLLED BEEF DISH WITH CARROTS AND CABBAGE SALAD AND BUCKWHEAT. FOR DESSERT WE WERE SERVED WHAT LOOKED LIKE A JELLY FILLED DONUT. BEER, WATER, AND COFFEE WERE ALSO SERVED.

AFTER LUNCH WE WENT TO THE OLD TOWN OF GDANSK WHERE WE WERE TAKEN TO A CHURCH, AND GOT BORED WITH THE GUIDE AND LEFT TO DO SOME EXPLORING OF THE TOWN ON OUR OWN.. MEETING THE BUS IN ONE HOUR. WE BOUGHT A ICE CREAM FOR 40 CENTS AND WALKED DOWN THE STREET TOWARDS THE BUS. A NICE DAY WAS HAD BY ALL.. THE GUIDE WE HAD IN GDANSK WAS NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS WE HAVE HAD ON PAST TOURS, BUT SHE WAS KNOWLEDGABLE.

DINNER AND ENTERTAINMENT, FOLLOWED BY SLEEP, AND TOMORROW AT SEA.. YEA.. A REST DAY!!!

 

6/2 AT SEA

 

TODAY WE ATE BREAKFAST A BIT LATER, FOLLOWED BY A SHOW GIVEN BY THE DINING ROOM STAFF, THE MATRE D'S SHOWED SOME COOKING TECHNIQUES FOLLOWED BY A TOUR OF THE GALLEY. THE LINES WERE SO LONG THAT WE BAILED OUT OF THE TOUR AND WENT TO THE INTERNET, FOLLOWED BY LUNCH AND SOME RELAXATION DURING THE DAY. TONIGHT WAS FORMAL NIGHT. LOBSTER WAS SERVED.. YUM.

WE WENT TO THE ENTERTAINMENT FOLLOWED BY SLEEP.

 

6/3 OSLO, NORWAY

 

TODAY WE ARE HERE FOR 1/2 A DAY AND CHOSE A TOUR OF THE VIKING MUSEUM FOLLOWED BY THE SKI JUMP AND THE SCULPTURE PARK.

AFTER BREAKFAST, WE BOARDED THE BUS AND HEADED TO THE SKI JUMP BEFORE THE CROWDS ARRIVED. OUR GUIDE WAS A JAPANESE BORN DANE... SHE WAS DELIGHTFUL AND VERY KNOWLEDGABLE. I WENT INSIDE TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH A DIET COKE WAS IN THEIR COFFEE SHOP, $5.00 SHE SAYS, AND I SAID "THANKS" AND WALKED OUT.

NEXT CAME THE SCULPTURE PARK. THE WALK FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER WAS A 1/2 MILE, SO I GOT OUT, AND SAW THE OBLISK, AND GOT BACK ON THE BUS, WHILE OTHERS WALKED TO THE OTHER END OF THE PARK, THE BUS DROVE THERE, AND I STAYED WITH THE BUS... MEETING THE OTHERS AT THE OPPOSITE END. THE DAY WAS SUNNY AND I SAT ON A BENCH WAITING, ENJOYING THE NICE WEATHER. AFTER THE PARK, WE HEADED FOR THE "VIKING" MUSEUM TO SEE THE SHIPS USED 1000 YEARS AGO BY THE VIKINGS.

WE RETURNED TO THE SHIP AT 12:30 AND MEL WENT TO THE RESISTANCE MUSEUM WHILE I WENT UPSTAIRS AND PACKED.

THE REST OF TODAY WAS SPEND RELAXING AND PACKING.. 10 DAYS HAVE GONE BY, HARD TO BELIEVE.

DINNER FOR THE LAST NIGHT WAS PRIME RIB, EXCELLENT. THE ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WAS FAIR, SO WE OPTED TO CHECK OUR EMAIL, BUT THE INTERNET HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN. OFF TO BED, AFTER DOING SOME FINAL PACKING.

 

6/4 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

 

WE AWOKE AT 7, SHOWERED AND MET THE OTHERS FOR BREAKFAST UPSTAIRS IN THE HORIZON FOOD COURT. WE ARE TRAVELING INDEPENDENTLY SO WE DID NOT HAVE TO GET OFF THE SHIP UNTIL 9:45, ALTHO WE DID GET OFF AT 8:30. DISEMBARKATION WENT VERY SMOOTHLY, WE FOUND OUR LUGGAGE, AND CAUGHT A TAXI TO THE AIRPORT. NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. THE TAXI WAS 40.00 WHICH INCLUDED THE TIP IN THEIR FEE.

WE CHECKED OUR BAGS, AND HEADED FOR THE SAS BUSINESS LOUNGE WHERE WE SPENT THE NEXT 5 HOURS READING AND USING THE INTERNET BEFORE BOARDING THE PLANE AT 3:30. THE PLANE WAS LATE TAKING OFF, WE WERE ONLY ABOUT 40 MINUTES LATE ARRIVING INTO CHICAGO.

 

CONCLUSIONS...

THE BALTIC IS A GREAT CRUISE. VERY PORT INTENSIVE BUT WELL WORTH THE TIME SPENT GETTING LITTLE SLEEP. THE STAR PRINCESS IS A GREAT SHIP. THE SERVICE IN THE ROOM BY SANDRA, AND THE SERVICE IN THE DINING ROOM BY JEFF AND SHERWIN WERE WONDERFUL. THE FOOD WAS GOOD.. THE ENTREES WERE OK, THE SOUPS WERE NOT VERY GOOD, THE APPETIZERS AND SALADS WERE VERY GOOD. ON PRIME RIB NIGHT (1ST AND LAST NIGHTS), THE KING CRAB LEG NIGHT AND THE LOBSTER NIGHT, WERE OUTSTANDING. THE BEEF WE FOUND WAS NOT VERY GOOD. THEIR FISH WAS LIKE BY ALL THAT HAD IT.

THE ENTERTAINMENT ON THE WHOLE WAS VERY GOOD. THE SINGERS WERE GOOD.

THE CASINO IS SMALL, AND THE SLOT MACHINES STINGY... NOT MANY PEOPLE IN THERE MOST OF THE TIME, PROBABLY DUE TO THE FACT WE HAD TO GET TO BED MOST NIGHTS AS THERE WERE SO MANY PORTS TO VISIT, NO ONE STAYED UP VERY LATE.

THE INTERNET WAS SPOTTY, 35 CENTS PER MINUTE AND MANY WERE VERY UPSET, COULDN'T CONNECT. WE HAD FREE INTERNET BEING PLATINUM MEMBERS (SAILING WITH PRINCESS OVER 5X) SO WE JUST WAITED FOR THE CONNECTIONS (NOT HAVING TO PAY) .. NICE PERK WE HAD TO ADMIT. WIFI WAS 35 CENTS A MINUTE SO WE DID NOT USE THAT.. GIVEN FREE INTERNET ON THEIR COMPUTERS.

EMBARKATION WENT SMOOTHLY, AND DISEMBARKATION WAS JUST AS SMOOTH.

WE GIVE THE STAR PRINCESS 4 STARS OUT OF FIVE...

A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

[swdke]

Great review, thanks for sharing.

[cs1]

What a great thread, thanks to all who have posted since their return.

Grabit97, do you recall how much the taxi was from Tallin back to the ship and do you remember how long it took to get from the ship to Marborg and then to Gdansk after viewing the castle? We are not sure if we should just see Gdansk for the day or go out to the castle. thanks

[CamelliaCity]

Wonderful reviews.

 

Have been impatiently;) waiting for you all to get back and post. I'm glad to hear that so many took the train in Stockholm and it worked out.

 

Did any of you do the Princess evening tour -Imperial Evening at Catherine's Palace? Curious to know if it's worth it.

 

Thanks so much.

[M&T]

We did it last summer, and it was a highlight of the trip. Seeing the amber room in the palace is unbelievable. Seeing the costumes and hearing the music in various rooms was wonderful. There were a lot more people who did it than I expected since it was so expensive. It was warm and humid when we were there. For most of our cruise, it was rainy and gray, but that night it didn't rain. We had a spectacular sunset around 11 PM on the way back to the ship. If it is your only chance to see Catherine's Palace, I'd say it is worth it. If you want to know more, let me know. I haven't been back to these boards for a long time, but I'll check back. Marlyne

[sglenc]

Enjoyed your review but had a question. How much luggage did you have and how was it getting to and traveling on the train from the Copenhagen Airport to center city. We're staying at the Square which is very near the train station but I wasn't sure I wanted to "lug" the luggage on the train?

Thanks, Steve

[MTemple212]

If you can walk at all, you don't need a taxi back to the ship from Tallin. It is about a 15min walk from the pier to the Old town area of Tallin and fat Margarets gate. We did the Rick Steve's walking tour recommended in his 2006 Scandinavia guide, went into some churches, did some shopping, taking video, pics,etc and were back on the ship at 10:15am.