Can't decide which Baltic cruise! RCCL vs. Celebrity

Hi All! Coming out of "lurkdom" to get opinions.

I am planning a Baltic cruise in July 2017 (family of 4, incl. DDs 18&13). Going back and forth between RCCL Vision of the Seas and Celebrity Silhouette. Both are 12-nights, but itineraries and cost are different:

Celebrity: Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Tallin, At Sea, Warnemunde, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, At Sea, Oslo, At Sea, Amsterdam.

RCCL: Amsterdam, At Sea, Skagen, At Sea, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Tallin, Stockholm, At Sea, Copenhagen, At Sea, Amsterdam.

I am leaning toward the Celebrity cruise because of its itinerary, specifically Oslo and the two days in Copenhagen. However, there is an almost $2500 price difference (similar staterooms), and I am questioning whether it is worth it since most of the ports are the same. I am also wondering if RCCL would be a better fit for DD13 than Celebrity.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

Starting in Stockholm is nice since you can fly in early, and have some extra time in this lovely city. I'd check the times of docking and leaving Stockholm for the RCCL cruise, since it takes a long time to safely enter the beautiful archipelago of Stockholm and that can cut down on the total amount of time you have in port. Stockholm was one of my favorite cities on this cruise, and certainly one in which I would have liked more time there. Ultimately, it's your call since you are the only one who understands your overall financial situation, but hopefully that and other's experiences will help you make the right decision for your family. It's a great cruise to take with kids, and I hope you have a wonderful time.

Hi All! Coming out of "lurkdom" to get opinions.

 

I am planning a Baltic cruise in July 2017 (family of 4, incl. DDs 18&13). Going back and forth between RCCL Vision of the Seas and Celebrity Silhouette. Both are 12-nights, but itineraries and cost are different:

 

Celebrity: Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Tallin, At Sea, Warnemunde, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, At Sea, Oslo, At Sea, Amsterdam.

 

RCCL: Amsterdam, At Sea, Skagen, At Sea, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Tallin, Stockholm, At Sea, Copenhagen, At Sea, Amsterdam.

 

I am leaning toward the Celebrity cruise because of its itinerary, specifically Oslo and the two days in Copenhagen. However, there is an almost $2500 price difference (similar staterooms), and I am questioning whether it is worth it since most of the ports are the same. I am also wondering if RCCL would be a better fit for DD13 than Celebrity.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

At sea days: Celebrity (3) and RCCL (4)

Different starting and ending ports: Celebrity

Overnight ports: St. Petersburg (Celebrity and RCCL)

Copenhagen (Celebrity)

Teen appeal destinations: ABBA Museum in Stockholm; Anne Frank House (both)

Put these differences together and I'd choose the Celebrity itinerary.

:) If your budget allows : Celebrity by a huge margin. The ship is far superior. But you are privileged no matter what you choose ( we did Celebrity last year). As a previous poster said, the sail in/out of Stockholm thru the archipelago is magnificent - plan to be on deck or on your balcony.

The money may seem like a lot, but after all, it is probably a once in a lifetime event as a family.

K

Since we have no idea of your financial situation, but to ME, $2500 difference is a lot for this cruise. As you said, there are a lot of similarities.

If this is that "once in a lifetime thing" and money isn't the deciding factor, then go with which you think you would enjoy the most, but myself, that $2500 could be put to use on another cruise, almost anywhere.

Cheers

Len

Have you considered Princess? They have an 11 day cruise starting/ending in Copenhagen. I flew in a couple of days early to explore Copenhagen and the nearby area and wish I had gone in even earlier. Pretty much the same ports with the exception of Amsterdam

I would advise against Princess due to their mishandling of Stockholm.

Either you will be forced to do an one hour+ transfer from Nynäshamn to Stockholm and this also mean that you will miss the 5-6 hour long journey through the archipelago.

Or you could be berthing in central Stockholm but in the same time be faced with a very short port time.

We did the Baltic cruise last year with Princess. We enjoyed.

Our friends did the Baltic with Celebrity last May. They loved it too!

Each one has its own perspective.

Princess is a great line, but Stockholm has been an issue for them since they brought in the Regal/Royal. Last year, passengers had booked tours since they were scheduled to dock at Nynäshamn and found out while they were on the ship they would actually be docking in Stockholm. While that was a very nice bonus, Stockholm is a really easy city to DIY, and some of the passengers who paid for tours reported on the Princess forums that they would not have chosen a tour if they had known ahead of time they were docking directly in Stockholm (I think they booked private tours so they weren't able to cancel them like ship tours without losing a deposit). Also, the cruises I looked at this season (which isn't all of them since I'm not conducting thorough research on this - I was just curious of what the previous poster had said about the Regal spending less time in Stockholm than other cruises) it looked like their ship docks at 7 am and leaves at 2 pm. Other cruises dock later and leave later, which is better since a lot of tourist attractions aren't going to be open before 8:30 when the Vasa opens. There is a lot to balance on a Baltic cruise - the year we went Princess was only docking in Nynäshamn, and our option was that or NCL star, which would arrive in Germany on a Monday knocking out the Schwerin castle. Ultimately, we decided that with a 3 year old we'd be better off on the star since we thought our son would love Stockholm, and didn't want to risk being an hour away from the ship if he melted down. Some of the Princess sailings are still scheduled to dock at Nynäshamn, and that is a deciding factor for many cruisers since they don't want to miss the sail-in to Stockholm.

Princess is a great line, but Stockholm has been an issue for them since they brought in the Regal/Royal. Last year, passengers had booked tours since they were scheduled to dock at Nynäshamn and found out while they were on the ship they would actually be docking in Stockholm. While that was a very nice bonus, Stockholm is a really easy city to DIY, and some of the passengers who paid for tours reported on the Princess forums that they would not have chosen a tour if they had known ahead of time they were docking directly in Stockholm (I think they booked private tours so they weren't able to cancel them like ship tours without losing a deposit). Also, the cruises I looked at this season (which isn't all of them since I'm not conducting thorough research on this - I was just curious of what the previous poster had said about the Regal spending less time in Stockholm than other cruises) it looked like their ship docks at 7 am and leaves at 2 pm. Other cruises dock later and leave later, which is better since a lot of tourist attractions aren't going to be open before 8:30 when the Vasa opens. There is a lot to balance on a Baltic cruise - the year we went Princess was only docking in Nynäshamn, and our option was that or NCL star, which would arrive in Germany on a Monday knocking out the Schwerin castle. Ultimately, we decided that with a 3 year old we'd be better off on the star since we thought our son would love Stockholm, and didn't want to risk being an hour away from the ship if he melted down. Some of the Princess sailings are still scheduled to dock at Nynäshamn, and that is a deciding factor for many cruisers since they don't want to miss the sail-in to Stockholm.

I have also read on a Swedish maritime forum that the Regal on some occasions have been scheduled for Stockholm but then berthed in Nynäshamn anyway.

Luckily Nynäshamn is no longer a tender port and the commuter trains should be up and running from Monday next week.

Still getting from/to Stockholm and the ship will take 1.5-2 hours so regardless where the ship berths you will loose time in Stockholm compared to other cruise lines.

Last year on the Regal Princess, we were tendered at Nynashamn. It was a hassle for us in getting to Stockholm. Good to know it won't be a tender port anymore.

I am planning a Baltic cruise in July 2017 (family of 4, incl. DDs 18&13). Going back and forth between RCCL Vision of the Seas and Celebrity Silhouette. Both are 12-nights, but itineraries and cost are different:

Celebrity: Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Tallin, At Sea, Warnemunde, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, At Sea, Oslo, At Sea, Amsterdam.

I am leaning toward the Celebrity cruise because of its itinerary, specifically Oslo and the two days in Copenhagen. However, there is an almost $2500 price difference (similar staterooms), and I am questioning whether it is worth it since most of the ports are the same.

Welcome to these Cruise Critic boards. Lots of smart and helpful people here. As Len wisely raises, we cannot speak to your financial situation and how major of difference would the $2500 make. BUT, I can speak loudly and provide "photo evidence" for having the two days in Copenhagen and seeing Oslo. I would also note that if you start your cruise in Stockholm, you can get there earlier and have added time before your cruise in this historic and interesting Swedish capital.

Tell us more on your personal interests and travel style!! How much are you seeking history, nature, culture, art, museums, shopping, etc.??

For these Solstice-class ship by Celebrity, they are very nice. Below is some of my "proof". Is a picture worth a thousand words? Need more on these classy ships? See: “Solstice: Visuals, Highlights Shared!” summary from two different adventures on these types of ships with many pictures and other details on its many options. This includes our recent Australia to New Zealand sailing. Check it out, including these early 2014 updates, at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

Now at 38,694 views for this posting

For “Copenhagen: Love, Pix's, etc.”, check:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2356372

Let us know any added questions, info needs!

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 201,746 views.

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

The Solarium on these Solstice-class ships is one of our most favorite areas. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design with this facility. Wonderful setting for relaxing and watching the outside water/shore views, enjoying subtle inside action, etc.:

This picture shows the main, historic fortress next to where many cruise ships dock in Oslo. The fortress construction started around the late 1290’s. The very interesting Norwegian Resistance museum can be visited there. Norwegian Royalty have been buried in the Royal Mausoleum in the castle. A portion of this fortress was replicated at the Norway pavilion at Disney’s Epcot Center.:

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

Copenhagen's City Hall and its large Square are in the heart of the main downtown, near Tivoli and the central train station. Completed in 1905, it was designed in the "National Romantic" style with inspiration from the Siena City Hall. Dominated by its richly-ornamented front wth the gilded statue of Absalon just above the balcony, its tall, slim clock tower is 345.6 feet or 105.6 meters tall. It is one of the tallest buildings in Denmark.:

At the Vasa Museum with this large salvaged ship from the 1600’s. This is their website: http://vasamuseet.se/en/ Taking almost two years (1626-1627) to build Vasa, carpenters, sawyers, smiths, ropelayers, sailmakers, painters, carvers, gun carriage makers and other specialists struggled to complete the navy’s great, new ship. The king, Gustav II Adolf, visited the shipyard to inspect the work. With a hull built of more than a thousand oak trees with 64 cannon, masts over 50 meters high and hundreds of painted and gilded sculptures, this was a spectacular ship. BUT, it was too heavy and sunk sailing out from the harbor.:

From the harbor in Stockholm, here is a view of the Royal Palace, the historic Saint Nicolaus Church, or as commonly known Storkyrkan. To the left in the picture is where the historic Gamia Stan area starts. Walking around in the Gamia Stan is wonderful as you soak up its history, charm and interesting architecture. Lots of fun outdoor dining places there for lunch, etc.:

Nice pics.

We just did the 13 night on the Serenade with ONE sea day. For as much time as we spent awake on the ship we could have been on a tug boat! :D

I like the Celebrity itinerary better but am not sure if that's the best line for your daughter(s). There weren't many younger kids on our cruise but there were some teenagers. If it's a make or break point for you check out what Celebrity offers for teens. If the money, IS a concern, I'd go with RCI. The ports are all so great, you'll have a great cruise no matter what.

Whatever you decide, try to allow extra time in starting/ending ports.

We booked the RCI cruise. Starting in Amsterdam and ending in Stockholm. Did this as it fell into the school holidays. Have 2 daughters aged 8 and 12.

Celebrity because Warnemunde is also a good port for kids. It's a seaside town