Live from Serenade of the Seas (May 20, 2017 to May 27, 2017 - Baltic Cruise)

Sail away

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Dinner - I forgot to take a picture of the regular menu - sorry

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Looking forward to more of your trip. Thank you for taking us along, since I doubt I'll ever get to go.

 

But, I do know that I want to go anywhere a cruise ship will take me!

 

 

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I agree.

Very interesting reporting--- thanks. I've been on the "S", and it brings back lovely memories.

Looking forward to your continuing posts.

Windjammer 20 minutes before clearance was ... terrifying. I couldn't find a silverware roll up ... so I ate everything with a spoon. Anyway - off to Tallinn

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Tallin was awesome. As you exit the boat, you go through a set of markets with the typical magnets, sweaters, pot holders, wooden thingies, etc that they have all over town.

The Old Town is quite near the cruise dock, although some more signs would have been appreciated. We did most of the Rick Steve's walking tour, skipping the upper Old Town for lack of accessibility.

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I climbed the 234 terrifying steps to the top of St. Olaf's - it was worth every narrow, twisty, crumbling one of them for the views of the city.

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We got lunch at Kompressor - including the local specialty of garlic fried rye bread. Also pictured are pancakes with maple syrup ans pancakes with strawberry jam and ice cream. Just off the main square.

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Great pictures! I appreciate your observations regarding accessibility as you tour. That first hand information may influence our plans.

Enjoying the thread and love the pictures!

Really enjoying your thread. We were on this cruise on the Serenade one year and one week ago. Really bringing back memories. Really loved Tallinn and the sailing into and out of Stockholm through the archipelago.

Looking forward to the next installment!

Great pictures! I appreciate your observations regarding accessibility as you tour. That first hand information may influence our plans.

If you have accessibility questions feel free to ask here or PM me.

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If you have accessibility questions feel free to ask here or PM me.

 

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Thank you. We are very familiar with the features of the ship, so your comments on the ports and sights as you share your experiences are most welcome.

Loving your posts! My daughters and I will be on this ship beginning on June 25. It is also our first cruise! All of your info is very much appreciated!!! Can't wait to hear more!!!

I really appreciate everyone's kind words. Just woke up St. Petersburg. Two ship excursions planned.

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Thank you for taking the time and effort to write all of these posts! We're on the Serenade in July and this thread has been so informative and helpful. I really look forward to checking out your updates-

Rubyfisch, love this thread, its really getting us in the mood for next week.

Can I ask which two tours you took in St Petersburg?

Hi Ruby! My husband and I will be on the Serenade July 2 out of Stockholm. Can't wait! Can you tell me which port (west or south) you docked in Tallinn? According to Rick Steves, you can walk from one but not the other. How are the temperatures? I"m planning to wear layers, so I appreciate any advice you have. We have cruised the Mediterranean on the Brilliance and look forward to having a great experience on the Serenade. Thanks for giving a preview, and happy cruising!

Rubyfisch, love this thread, its really getting us in the mood for next week.

Can I ask which two tours you took in St Petersburg?

We did the Panoramic St. Petersburg with Peter and Paul Fortress and then the Nevosky Prospekt. I'll write a fuller summary later.

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Hi Ruby! My husband and I will be on the Serenade July 2 out of Stockholm. Can't wait! Can you tell me which port (west or south) you docked in Tallinn? According to Rick Steves, you can walk from one but not the other. How are the temperatures? I"m planning to wear layers, so I appreciate any advice you have. We have cruised the Mediterranean on the Brilliance and look forward to having a great experience on the Serenade. Thanks for giving a preview, and happy cruising!

We walked from the port. It was the Old City Harbor Cruise Ship Terminal. I'm pretty sure it was the C terminal. The temps have been in the high 50s to high 60s during the day and 40s at night.

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Thank you for the information! I just realized I asked about Tallin instead of Helsinki. If you have the opportunity, please let me know about the port there. Glad you are having a great trip!

Thank you for the information! I just realized I asked about Tallin instead of Helsinki. If you have the opportunity, please let me know about the port there. Glad you are having a great trip!

West ... of course. I'll let you about how getting into town goes.

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The interwebs are being a bit slow for pictures - I hope I can get it to work tomorrow. As such, things will be a bit out of order.

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As you may know, Americans (and most others) cannot enter Russia without a visa. If you do a tour (either through the ship or with a registered company, it is taken care of for you. As you also know, Russia is not known for handicapped accessibility.

First, disembarking was a bit hectic (through no fault of anyone). We got into port maybe 20 minutes early, but it probably took an hour for clearance. They had us all in the theater and called us out by group numbers. Russian passport control was slow and vaugely unsettling. I wasn't asked any questions, but several other people were. The terminal is brand new and has shops that sell the same kind of crappy souvenirs everyone else does.

I'm falling asleep ... more tomorrow.

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