Hi - New on board! Rotterdam (June 07)

[IrishSmiley]

:) Hi there! :)

 

I am new to this board and wanted to say hi!

 

Completely new cruiser as well! Fiance and I are planning our honeymoon, and fell in love with the 24 night Baltic Fantasy on Rotterdam.

 

We are currenlty checking out prices and I have been reading as many posts as possible.

 

But, if you have any tips, feel free to share them!!! :)

 

I want to make sure to mention and ask the right things to our TA, so if you can think of anything, give me a shout!!

[grannynurse]

:) Hi there! :)

 

I am new to this board and wanted to say hi!

 

Completely new cruiser as well! Fiance and I are planning our honeymoon, and fell in love with the 24 night Baltic Fantasy on Rotterdam.

 

We are currenlty checking out prices and I have been reading as many posts as possible.

 

But, if you have any tips, feel free to share them!!! :)

 

I want to make sure to mention and ask the right things to our TA, so if you can think of anything, give me a shout!!

 

Irishsmiley,

What a wonderful itinerary. We've spent 60+ days on Rotterdam and love her.

Please consider flying in the day before you sail. This avoids so much pressure, apprehension, and gives you the chance to acclimate to the time zone changes which might add up to 6 hours or more.

Plan to exchange money at ATM's in port rather than use the ship's currency exchange which has a moderately high service charge. Let your bank know how long you'll be gone and where you're going. Make sure your card will work in Europe (check network). Also let your credit card company know that you'll be using the card on a HAL ship. Plan for a $60 pp per day hold on the card. You won't be charged till you disembark but the funds will be held.

Ask any questions, we're here to help.

Congratulations,

GN

[VernaF7449]

Hi Irishsmiley:

 

Congratulations! I am in the process of booking the first half of the cruise you are looking at - June 11-23 2007. I would love to be able to do the entire 24 day cruise, but I don't have enough vacation time!

 

I have been wanting to take a Norwegian Fjords cruise for a while, and I have a "milestone" birthday during this cruise, so I will also have something to celebrate!

 

I was on the Volendam in March 2006, and I really enjoyed my HAL experience. I have heard wonderful things about the Rotterdam, as well

 

I will be keeping a close watch on these boards for any news and tips. I love to plan!

[traveller123]

I will be disembarking the Rotterdam the morning that you are embarking! The Rotterdam is a beautiful ship with a lot of "old world charm". I cruised on her for 20 days in January 2006 and I'm really looking forward to my Baltic cruise on her in early June 2007. I have posted a review of the ship in the "Reviews" section of this website. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful cruise!

[BRUCENLYNN]

We are going on the Rotterdam in May 2007 for the European Capitals 16-day cruise. Has anyone been on this?

 

We did the 14-day Baltic cruise on Celebrity Constellation in June this year and it was fabulous. I hope HAL is as nice because I love Celebrity.

 

Thanks,

Lynn

[IrishSmiley]

I will be disembarking the Rotterdam the morning that you are embarking! The Rotterdam is a beautiful ship with a lot of "old world charm". I cruised on her for 20 days in January 2006 and I'm really looking forward to my Baltic cruise on her in early June 2007. I have posted a review of the ship in the "Reviews" section of this website. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful cruise!

 

will you be on the 12 or 24 nights in June?

 

:)

 

Thanks for welcome and replies!!! :D

[traveller123]

I will be on the 12 night Baltic cruise that leaves London on May 30, 2007 and ends in Copenhagen on the morning of June 11th. I'm really looking forward to my cruise... planning is so much fun!

[estebofarr]

IrishSmiley

Congratulations from us, too! What a fabulous way to spend your honeymoon. And new to cruising, as well. The hint of getting in a day early is most important. There are some threads regarding money on the Baltic ports and most seem to think Credit cards and ATMS are the way to go. On our recent Med cruise we took 500 euros charged most everything else and also hit the atms for another 500. We ended up coming home with cash, used very little of our $$$. I haven't been to Norway in 14 years but then it was all Kroner and CC. Look forward to exchanging more information.

Janis and Joe

[jcrandle]

DW and I were on the August 8, 2006 Baltic cruise of the Rotterdam, Copenhagen to Rotterdam. We loved the itinerary, the ship, the crew, and the service. I echo the suggestion to arive (at least) one day early. We spent the night before boarding in Copenhagen, and enjoyed both the sightseeing and the opportunity to recover from the overseas flight. Another obvious consideration if you are booking your own transportation is not to forget that you will likely arrive the day AFTER you leave the USA, as most flights are overnight. Sounds silly, but my neighbor makes multiple trips to Europe on business and has gotten caught on this nuance a couple of time, making hotel reservations for the night that he leaves, not the night he arrives (not as bad as trips across the international date line, but still confusing).

 

Our cruise was very port intensive, and we were kept busy. Most of the ports were conducive to walking tours, and we only took excursions on St. Petersburg and Berlin. Rick Steves books are very helpful, and for most of the ports you can do it yourself. We used the public transport systems in several of the ports to do some sightseeing.

 

And it's easy to believe that the EEC has simplified the currency issues in Europe, but Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Norway, and Russia are not on the Euro. We used credit card for most purchases, and exchanged USA cash for small amounts of local currency when we planned to ride the public transportation systems. That said, we aren't big spenders, and probably didn't spend more than $50 per port, for food, drinks, and transport.

 

Enjoy this itinerary, as it is so different from the Alaskan & Caribbean & Mexican ones.

[IrishSmiley]

DW and I were on the August 8, 2006 Baltic cruise of the Rotterdam, Copenhagen to Rotterdam. We loved the itinerary, the ship, the crew, and the service. I echo the suggestion to arive (at least) one day early. We spent the night before boarding in Copenhagen, and enjoyed both the sightseeing and the opportunity to recover from the overseas flight. Another obvious consideration if you are booking your own transportation is not to forget that you will likely arrive the day AFTER you leave the USA, as most flights are overnight. Sounds silly, but my neighbor makes multiple trips to Europe on business and has gotten caught on this nuance a couple of time, making hotel reservations for the night that he leaves, not the night he arrives (not as bad as trips across the international date line, but still confusing).

 

Our cruise was very port intensive, and we were kept busy. Most of the ports were conducive to walking tours, and we only took excursions on St. Petersburg and Berlin. Rick Steves books are very helpful, and for most of the ports you can do it yourself. We used the public transport systems in several of the ports to do some sightseeing.

 

And it's easy to believe that the EEC has simplified the currency issues in Europe, but Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Norway, and Russia are not on the Euro. We used credit card for most purchases, and exchanged USA cash for small amounts of local currency when we planned to ride the public transportation systems. That said, we aren't big spenders, and probably didn't spend more than $50 per port, for food, drinks, and transport.

 

Enjoy this itinerary, as it is so different from the Alaskan & Caribbean & Mexican ones.

 

thanks a lot, for all this info! :)