Getaway misses its first two Batic ports

On the ship now and due to "weather" we have been circling trying to dock in Warmamunde...for about 24 hours! We were suppoesed to dock early on the 13th, but the captain said there were "southerly" winds not allowing us to get into port. As the day wore on, it became evident that we would not be able to get in. The decision was made around 5 to call it a night and "official" docking time would be 7am. We are now due to be in port from 7am-2pm. This is so that all the people who were suppose to get off yesterday can disembark and all the people who were to embark yesterday can now do so.

For those of all who boarded in Copenhagen, this means no excursions to Berlin - or really anywhere as we are not scheduled to be in Warmamunde today, but of course will be. We will hopefully be in port for five hours or so on what was supposed to be our sea day. Because of this we will now miss the port of Talinn, Estonia. A huge bummer.

So far this has been an expensive trip to nowhere - but hopefully the rest of itinerary will go smoothly! Water is calm, and winds not that high, but something is making it really hard to get into port.

We feel for you. NCL doesn't seem to think things through, they need a cynic to look at changes they make. Why did they ever add Warnemunde as an embark/debark port? Doing that has fouled up the cruise for everyone on board one way or another. If there is a chance of not getting in to a port that port should not be used as an embark/debark port in the middle of a cruise.

This itinerary seemed doomed to me...such a big ship for many of the ports. For example, have they docked in Stockholm yet?

Hope your cruise improves.

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Yeah, it pretty much sucks to miss ports...that's why you never sail "for" the ports! Hopefully, you're having fun on the ship!

that's why you never sail "for" the ports!

Every time I read this it sounds as utterly ridiculous as it did the first time I saw it. While it's absolutely prudent to remember that s\ happens, ignoring the ports when booking a cruise is absurd.

NCL should have ordered better weather.

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If you do get off, a nice trip by train to Schwerin to see the castle and gardens is always nice. Walk along the river in Warnemuende to the lighthouse, and then on towards the public beach. Its a really nice beach. Rostock has a nice old center, also a quick tram ride.

Why did they ever add Warnemunde as an embark/debark port? Doing that has fouled up the cruise for everyone on board one way or another. If there is a chance of not getting in to a port that port should not be used as an embark/debark port in the middle of a cruise.

We are looking at a Baltic cruise and from these reviews!!! Would a smaller ship be better? We love the getaway but if we are traveling overseas it is for the ports, not the ship.

Personally we prefer the smaller ships but even then we didn't get into Stockholm; I would thing getting in there with a large ship may well be difficult. There was a TV programme in NZ about a large ship getting into Stockholm in calm weather, very, very difficult!!

Because the Baltic Capitals is such an intensive cruise one really doesn't have a lot of time to enjoy all the ship amenities. They are long days on excursions (Berlin is a 3 hour trip just to get to the city) so really the ship doesn't matter as much as doing the Bahamas.

Many cruisers are exhausted on this cruise, and will schedule down time in one port just to regenerate.

Because the Baltic Capitals is such an intensive cruise one really doesn't have a lot of time to enjoy all the ship amenities. They are long days on excursions (Berlin is a 3 hour trip just to get to the city) so really the ship doesn't matter as much as doing the Bahamas.

 

 

 

Many cruisers are exhausted on this cruise, and will schedule down time in one port just to regenerate.

So true. I was 35 when I sailed the Baltic (with HAL) in 2008, and bedtime was a blessing.

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When I was 35 bedtime was always a blessing; now I am nearly 75 it still is but for a different reason.

When I was 35 bedtime was always a blessing; now I am nearly 75 it still is but for a different reason.

Not at all creepy.

You've got to understand that I've always been the night owl in the family. If I turn out the light at 2 AM on a weeknight, I'm being exceptionally good [emoji23]

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That was very unfortunate to have missed Warnemunde and Talinn.

I hope weather will cooperate on your next ports for you to enjoy!

Because the Baltic Capitals is such an intensive cruise one really doesn't have a lot of time to enjoy all the ship amenities. They are long days on excursions (Berlin is a 3 hour trip just to get to the city) so really the ship doesn't matter as much as doing the Bahamas.

 

Many cruisers are exhausted on this cruise, and will schedule down time in one port just to regenerate.

I agree completely. It was a very intensive cruise. Not enough at sea days, but I am glad the ship made all the scheduled ports and All Tours provided excellent guides for the ports.

Howl At The Moon and Million Dollar Quartet were my favorite shows on the ship.

Schwerin would be my first choice, but if you can't get there (or love trains) there is also the Molli Steam train which you can reach independently by train.

So sorry about Tallinn and Berlin.

Because the Baltic Capitals is such an intensive cruise one really doesn't have a lot of time to enjoy all the ship amenities. They are long days on excursions (Berlin is a 3 hour trip just to get to the city) so really the ship doesn't matter as much as doing the Bahamas.

 

Many cruisers are exhausted on this cruise, and will schedule down time in one port just to regenerate.

I agree with you that for many the Baltic Capitals in an intensive cruise and many are probably exhausted on that cruise but some people have a completely different perspective. I may stay on the ship in Nassau but except for that every port in the Caribbean is more interesting than every port in the Baltic Sea for me.

If NCL had a ship in Stockholm doing roundtrips on the Baltic Sea I should book it and probably I should stay on the ship the whole cruise. For me a Baltic Sea cruise shouldn't be intensive at all.

Every time I read this it sounds as utterly ridiculous as it did the first time I saw it. While it's absolutely prudent to remember that s\ happens, ignoring the ports when booking a cruise is absurd.

I think that it sounds ridiculous when people ask how late they embark and how to get off as quick is possible when the cruise ends. Why book a cruise if you want to spend as little time as possible on the ship? (I have some understanding for doing it because of late or early flights but that's not always the reason.)

For me the ship is more important than the ports but I prefer a nice ship AND some interesting ports.

I think that it's good that people are different so I don't mind that many will disagree with me but that's my opinion.

Soooo, back to the original post....thank you for the updates. If possible, please let us know how it goes continually. Getaway has yet to get to Stockholm so that'll be interesting.

Yeah, it pretty much sucks to miss ports...that's why you never sail "for" the ports! Hopefully, you're having fun on the ship!

That is crazy talk. People do sail for the ports. I imagine the OP, who is from Texas as I understand, decided to travel all the way to Europe to go on the GA just because she likes the ship?

The Baltics route IS for the ports.

So we were able to be in W. for 5 hours - not long enough to go to Schwerin which was my plan (as we docked at 7 and S. castle opens at 10. We were told to be at the ship at 1:30. So we come back and there is a line that you cannot imagine! We have been waiting an hour now to get back on ship!

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This is the most poorly run cruise of the 10 I have been only. Gets worse and worse truly. The ship is not suited for the Baltics - DO NOT BOOK THIS SHIP FOR THIS ITINERARY!!!! It is too large and the amenities are not good for colder weather - abhorrent

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Every time I read this it sounds as utterly ridiculous as it did the first time I saw it. While it's absolutely prudent to remember that s\ happens, ignoring the ports when booking a cruise is absurd.

Absurd is the word. Why fly to Europe to cruise on a ship which has similar ships sailing out of the USA? Plus the Getaway shall return at the end of the season.