Baltics ports information needed

Hi everyone

We are cruising to the Baltics on the Caribbean Princess in June. Its our first time to this area.

Could anyone please advice us- Do Princess put on shuttle buses in Bruge, docking at Zeebruge, Stockholm, Helsinki, Gdania Poland, Tallin and Copenhagen. We also have an overnight stay in St Petersburg, but looks like thats going to be an excursion.

Also any other advice welcomed

Many thanks in advance for any replies :)

Read these threads and you'll get filled up with advices. :)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1606720

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1017275

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2135935

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1042663

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1985867

For Stockholm your ship will dock at F638 FRIHAMNEN.

http://www.stockholmshamnar.se/fartygslista/#imo=9215490

In Helsinki and Tallinn you do not need any shuttle buses.

Caribbean Princess on July 3rd will dock at Helsinki West Harbour (Hernesaari), Quay LHC (#1 on this map: )

http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/passengers/international_cruise

From there it is quite a bit to go (2 miles) to town center so in this case there will be shuttle buses and its recommended you use them (unless you prefer a hop-on-hop-off bus or local buses).

The walking tours in Tallin are free of charge, just Google.

In Copenhagen your ship will docked at Oceankaj.

Its a Saturday so there is no regular busses but route 26,has a special cruise shuttle that only runs between Oceankaj and Østerport station.

From here the regular bus 26 will get you to the downtown area every 10th minute, just take the bus To Ålholm Plads.

It will get you close to all the major sites like Nyhavn, Amalienborg, the canal tours, Strøget, Rosenborg, National museum, Glyptoteket, Town Hall Square, Tivoli and even Carlsberg or the zoo. :D

A ticket costs 24 kroner and is valid for 1 hour so you can use both on the special route 26 cruise shuttle and the regular route 26.

Back to your ship you just take bus 26 towards Søndre Frihavn or Langelinie and get off at Østerport station.

But remember the cruise shuttles only goes between 08:00 and 16:00 so be back at Østerport before 16:00 (that 4 PM :D )

So yes you have to change bus one time but I'm guessing that its way cheaper than the cruise lines shuttle busses

Thank you all for your replies. I'll be looking into them all. Great advice and all much appreciated and all very helpful :):)

bochata We want to go to Tallin but all the tour go to Toompea and then you have to walk down to the Old Town. We are not good walking downhill on cobblestones with no railings. Is there anyway we can get to the Old Town without walking down rom Toompea? Any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated.

If we do a Hop on Hop Off bus, where would we get it once we get off the ship and does it take you to Toompea and the Old Town.

Thanks in advance. Iris

bochata We want to go to Tallin but all the tour go to Toompea and then you have to walk down to the Old Town. We are not good walking downhill on cobblestones with no railings. Is there anyway we can get to the Old Town without walking down rom Toompea? Any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated.

 

If we do a Hop on Hop Off bus, where would we get it once we get off the ship and does it take you to Toompea and the Old Town.

 

Thanks in advance. Iris

Iris

If you are mobile, the walk is an easy one. The walk from where your ship docks, to the main gate, Fat Margaret Tower, is an easy 10 minute walk. Once inside the old city, to get to Toompea, the top of the hill, is a gentle incline up. Yes, it is an uphill walk, but it is not exerting. I've included a few pixs of what I am talking about.

Once at the top, you can walk around and enjoy the magnificent views out over the city and out towards the harbor.

You say you have trouble walking down, well the steps that go back down DO have hand rails for you to hold onto. Yes, it is much steeper than the gentle incline going up, but it is NOT that steep and again, there are hand rails to hold on to.

Fat Margeret Tower, the entrance to the old city

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster511.jpg

The road going up to Toompea, a was said there is an incline but it is not steep at all

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster537.jpg

At the top,. the views are magnificent

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe546.jpg

This is part of the steps going down, note the hand rails to hold on to

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster584.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe579.jpg

Some of the real fun in Tallinn is getting off the main streets and exploring some of the narrow winding cobblestone streets on your own.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe518.jpg

Cheers

Len

Copenhagen was SUPER EASY to do DIY...and FUN !

You can buy your transit day pass right on the bus. Most of the bus drivers speak very good English. If not, somebody else does and is always willing to help.

The bus route coverage is GREAT, walking distances to anything from a bus stop are short.

There is a very nice tourist info office downtown, right across from Tivoli.

I loved Copenhagen...

:)

Hi, this will be our first visit to the Baltics and just a little confused with all the advice. As you have already done this cruise before can you give us your advice on which tours to do and what we can expect to pay and in what currency?

St Petersburg is obviously one we can't miss. Have looked at DENRUS tours and Alla tours not decided which one as yet.

Look forward to your reply.

Jen

Hi, this will be our first visit to the Baltics and just a little confused with all the advice. As you have already done this cruise before can you give us your advice on which tours to do and what we can expect to pay and in what currency?

St Petersburg is obviously one we can't miss. Have looked at DENRUS tours and Alla tours not decided which one as yet.

Look forward to your reply.

Jen

I see you are new to CC, so let me welcome you to our little corner of this massive site.

First of all, in regard to your question, you need to do some of the work also. You need to read a few of the pages on this forum and you will gain some great understanding of most of the ports you will be visiting. As this particular thread says, most of the ports are very easy for you to do by yourself.

As for anyone to really recommend tours for you, that is very hard. Everyone has their own interests, we know nothing about you, your age, whom you are traveling with, your mobility and, as I said, your likes and dislikes.

You need to go to a library, take out a few books on the Baltics, learn what the main attractions are in each city, see what you would want to see, you know, the must do's, and the maybe's.

It would be very difficult for myself to recommend you should do this, visit this place or that.

If you prefer tours, most of the tour companies in St Petersburg also do tours in many of the other ports you will visit. Just sign on with them for the entire package and you will, at least, assure yourself of seeing the major sights of each port. Also, regarding the tour companies in St Petersburg, again, you need to contact several, and see which one you feel most comfortable with. They are all good and there are no wrong choices, but again, you have to make that decision. We can't do it for you. Go to the roll call section of this site. Find your ship and your sailing date and introduce yourself to the other cruisers on your sailing. See what many of them are doing, maybe you can form a group or join one already formed.

Cheers

Len

Thank you Len, we have been doing some research and reading quite a few of the earlier posts. So will be making some informed decisions soon.

Hi Danish Vicking.

This is the original advice yoou gave us on my first post. We very much appreciate your time and effort you gave to us. We are now considering both options in view to taking in the sights of the Little Mermaid.

Originally you wrote that we dock on a saturday but luckily its a Tuesday so hopefully the busses will be running normal. Docking on 30.6.2015

Many thanks for your help.

Hi, this will be our first visit to the Baltics and just a little confused with all the advice. As you have already done this cruise before can you give us your advice on which tours to do and what we can expect to pay and in what currency? St Petersburg is obviously one we can't miss. Have looked at DENRUS tours and Alla tours not decided which one as yet. Look forward to your reply. Jen

Appreciate the fine responses from Len and other expert travelers. DIY can be nice and save money, but how valuable is your time? Sometimes a ship tour can speed your logistics and save "energy" in order to do and see more in these areas that are so "rich" with their wonderful sights, history, etc.

From our previous travels to these great cities/ports of Europe, here are some of my book and research tips. You might grab, maybe from your public libraries or ask for them to do a book transfer they can process for you, such super excellent visual books such as Eyewitness, Insight, etc. Rick Steves, Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet, RoughGuide, etc., can work well, too. In my opinion, no one travel book has it "ALL", perfectly and completely for all of your needs. These resources, especially the visual ones, can help you better figure out your priorities, in advance, for what you want to do and see. That early research is very important. Don't wait until you get on the ship to "GUESS" what might be of interest. I always build a "file" on my laptop computer for each port stop with highlights from that reading and then pulling up stories/articles from the travels sections of the New York Times, Telegraph of London, Wikipedia, etc. All of those help to consider your many great options. Amazon can be very good in providing such books at reduced prices, plus some used books websites. Lots of great options!!! Especially in these days of the Internet, it makes things easier to research and plan ahead. You can use Google.com for great access to various text items, plus a wide variety of visuals and maps. One option for some private tour and other local options is to contract the tourism office in each of your ports. You can use Google.com and put in the search term such as "city/port name tourism office". Then follow-up to each of those office by e-mail, ask your questions, get their suggestions, options to consider, etc.

As you pull together this info, it easier to go back to read, re-read items, pull out key highlights using the cut and paste computer features, etc. We did New Zealand and Australia in early 2014 and I pulled together over 800 pages of info, news clips, options, etc. Then, there are my photo files. I will search Google.com or Bing.com in the images section to look at visual examples for these key places we are going to visit for the first time. The visuals in both travel books and from the Internet really help get a "picture" for what to do and visit.

Then, there is the question of what and how do you want to “ENJOY" and "EXPERIENCE" things in the Baltics, etc? Rush-rush and gulp it down like soda pop or beer . . . OR . . . sip and savor the moment like fine wine, doing people watching, sensing an enjoyment of life and the humanity, the architecture, history and charm? It's your choice. I just wanted to be honest and make sure you understand your options and timing trade-offs.

Be sure to use the "SEARCH" function on these boards for each of the various cities/ports you are going to visit. There have been lots of different posts, photos, etc., posted earlier that can help you get a sense of your many options in these ports. Don't be shy! Ask questions. Lots to share and learn from previous travels to these great cities of the Baltics.

Below are few of my visuals tips, ideas and sample to help build excitement for the upcoming travels to the Baltics.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 176,940 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Helsinki’s City Hall in the main downtown overlooking the interesting and varied market area that is a must-see for walking around.:

Copenhagen's canal views and going under a bridge. YES, doing this canal tour is a must-do to allow better views of the various historic buildings from a relaxing angle in this Royal city.:

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard is one of the key highlights and is handy, close to the next-door historic old town area. And it’s free! No charge or tickets required.:

Here are some of the fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.:

As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

Dancers marching in Tallinn’s festival parade near the stone towers of the famous Viru Gate:

irismike -

With mobility issues you might want to consider some combination of the following options:

there are taxis available in the port that can take you to the top of Toompea Hill (where Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is located) and climb down. Or, you can ask the taxi to take you to Viru Gate and climb up.

There are pedicabs available in Tallinn, and you can negotiate a rate for either a short ride around town (we took a lovely 15 minute ride) or a longer ride through all of the Old Town highlights. Please note that on the date we arrived in Tallinn there were no pedicabs at 9 am in the port, at Viru gate or at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Our original plan had been to primarily use pedicabs to get around town, but it turned out that our 3 year old son could easily handle the walk through the Old Town. I don't know if the lack of pedicabs early is normal, or if this occurred because we arrived in Tallinn on Estonian Independence Day, which is a local holiday. We found a pedicab at around 11 am in the main square near Kullassepa street, and later saw pedicabs at both Viru gate and in the port.

Another option is a tourist/kid train that goes through the city streets. The train departs from departs from Kullassepa street whenever it is full and makes a 20 minute loop around the city. We were fortunate to sit in the very back, since we had a great spot to take photographs from the back of the train.

There is a HOHO bus, but Rick Steves does not recommend this since he argued it doesn't go near the main attractions in the Old Town. For my family, the pedicab/train was the best option, so I didn't personally investigate whether or not the HOHO bus was a good option, but you can look into it or ask others on cruise critic for their opinions.

Hi Danish Viking,

Is it true that there is a new bus service put on for when we dock in copenhagan. Someone on another site has said that there is now a #5 bus from the terminal to the center. We are docked at Oceankaj Terminal on 30th June. Caribbean Princess

Many thanks in advance

Hi Danish Viking,

 

Is it true that there is a new bus service put on for when we dock in copenhagan. Someone on another site has said that there is now a #5 bus from the terminal to the center. We are docked at Oceankaj Terminal on 30th June. Caribbean Princess

Many thanks in advance

Sorry this should read #25 bus not #5

Couldn't find how to edit it.

Many thanks, getting confused lol

Mrs Tex

Hi Danish Viking,

 

Is it true that there is a new bus service put on for when we dock in copenhagan. Someone on another site has said that there is now a #5 bus from the terminal to the center. We are docked at Oceankaj Terminal on 30th June. Caribbean Princess

Many thanks in advance

Sorry this should read #25 bus not #5

 

Couldn't find how to edit it.

Many thanks, getting confused lol

Mrs Tex

That seems correct:

http://www.moviatrafik.dk/Timetable%20Resources/25-0025-080515-r.pdf

http://www.moviatrafik.dk/dinrejse/koreplaner/Pages/Buslinje.aspx?direction_gid=9014200002510000&linegid=9011200002500000&line_name=25

That seems correct:

http://www.moviatrafik.dk/Timetable%20Resources/25-0025-080515-r.pdf

http://www.moviatrafik.dk/dinrejse/koreplaner/Pages/Buslinje.aspx?direction_gid=9014200002510000&linegid=9011200002500000&line_name=25

Hi and Thank you for your help. Very much appreciated.

The links are great.

I have also seen the Stockholm link and wondered if you could help.

It says we will be docking at F638 frihamnen port.. On some maps (Cruise Wikiports) this puts us up to the right of the city centre and on another (Whatsinport) it puts us below the old town. Would you know which is correct please.

We are looking to catch a local bus to visit the icebar. We are on the Caribbean Princess and dock July 2nd. As we are not sure which dock is the correct location we are not sure which way to head, although we have been told its #76 bus

Many thanks in Advance

Hi and Thank you for your help. Very much appreciated.

The links are great.

 

I have also seen the Stockholm link and wondered if you could help.

 

It says we will be docking at F638 frihamnen port.. On some maps (Cruise Wikiports) this puts us up to the right of the city centre and

on another (Whatsinport) it puts us below the old town. Would you know which is correct please.

We are looking to catch a local bus to visit the icebar. We are on the Caribbean Princess and dock July 2nd.

As we are not sure which dock is the correct location we are not sure which way to head, although we have been told its #76 bus

Many thanks in Advance

It's neither.

Frihamnen is east of the city centre and yes bus #76 (the bus destination will say Norra Hammarbyhamnen) it is.

https://www.google.se/maps/place/Frihamnspiren/@59.3379853,18.0939137,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x465f82c8bd19fccd:0x303efb9cad343466

It's neither.

 

Frihamnen is east of the city centre and yes bus #76 (the bus destination will say Norra Hammarbyhamnen) it is.

 

https://www.google.se/maps/place/Frihamnspiren/@59.3379853,18.0939137,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x465f82c8bd19fccd:0x303efb9cad343466

Thank you so much for clearing that up for us. We can now go ahead and book our slot at the icebar.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time to help us. :):D

I know about the free tours in Tallinn, but the reviews were quite contradictory and I thought the tours depended on the guide very much and the guide was always different. The guide we hired was recommended to us by a company, which we already knew could be trusted, so we were sure the guide would be nice. Also we did not want to join a group. It was our second cruise and on the first cruise we just walked in Tallinn on our own. We found the Old Town absolutely charming and on the second trip we wanted a tour to learn more about it. But we thought a group tour would not be in harmony with the character of the city. And that was true. With a private guide we were able to walk around at a comfortable paste, avoid places that were too much crowded and then return there when the big groups would leave. We liked the tour very much (especially all the stories about the ghosts in the old houses :)).

Actually I should say that after St. Petersburg Tallinn was the city we liked most.

Could you share with us the name of your private guide in Tallinn and what the cost was?

Manyhanks,

Sue

We had Maria from Traveller Tours as our private guide in Tallinn for 2 hours. She was pretty good and the price of 12 euros a person was perfect. She actually spent about 2.5 hours with us because at the end of the tour she walked us to the restaurant we spent the rest of the day at.

It's neither.

 

Frihamnen is east of the city centre and yes bus #76 (the bus destination will say Norra Hammarbyhamnen) it is.

 

https://www.google.se/maps/place/Frihamnspiren/@59.3379853,18.0939137,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x465f82c8bd19fccd:0x303efb9cad343466

Hi. We have now returned from our Baltic Cruise and would like to thank you very much for your information. We found our way quite easily to the icebar thanks to you.

May I say how lovely your country is and how friendly we found the locals. Infact a nice gentleman saw us looking at a map and stopped to ask us if we needed help. He put us in the right direction and off we went. Very impressed.

Thank you

Alene and Paul