BakedAlaska7751

I am surprised you are able to find cheaper, similar itineraries on other ships. Do you have an example?

Wait, what's your question? I was just looking at the HAL website for the dates we wanted and noted the price difference between other ships in the fleet and this one. I'm not sure I said what you think I said...

We were looking at some itineraries and were seeing that the Prinsendam is consistently a lot more expensive than the others. I know she's much smaller than the rest, but aside from her size, what makes the price difference worth it? We're four star and have been on each of the other class-ships ships except the Koningsdam. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

(PS: yes, I know how to use the search feature. I have found that fresh threads yield more robust information than a search alone would.)

Baked Alaska -I am doing the Zuiderdam Fjords and Highlands in June -I would love to hear any advice, comments you have to give. We are doing a night in Copenhagen pre and post cruise

 

Thanks!!

Let's see...

1. Fjord Safari and Cheese Tasting: Don't let the rib boat and thermal suits steer you away from this one. A locally born and raised guide took us on an incredible boat trip through the fjords, getting us deep into the UNESCO-designated fjord, sharing stories of the local culture and lore, history and his own childhood along the way. He also slowed down to give us time to watch wildlife and snap shots of waterfalls and little villages. Unlike the regular fjord safari, our private excursion included a stop at Undredal (not sure of spelling) which is an adorable little village nestled in the fjord. We then sampled several different kinds of cheeses, served with some meat, several preserved fruits (try the cloudberry), Lefse (Norwegian flatbread), and hot red currant tea. Best part is that we had a three hour excursion and returned to the dock to be able to have a leisurely afternoon to either rest, hike or take the Flam Railway. Beautiful trip. If you want to reserve it privately, they ask that you have a minimum of ten guests sign up and they will take up to 12. They handle all the payments so you don't need to go collecting from other passengers. http://www.fjordsafari.com

2. Shetland Islands: The most amazing tour guide. We hired Robina Barton, who is a university-trained archaeologist who has worked on projects in the shetlands, including as the coordinator of the Shetland Geopark (a UNESCO site). She's also involved in the historical society. She was truly fantastic. Kept us away from the large bus tours, gave us a brilliant variety of nicely-paced sites to see, and showed us everything from an incredible archaeological site, castle, maritime museum, and nature--breaking for non-crowded, clean restrooms and a lovely lunch at a local tea and sandwich shop. She also made sure we saw plenty of wildlife: puffins, other sea birds, lots of seals, and even some domestics like shetland ponies and sheep. At the end, even after our tour was scheduled to end, she helped me find a local bookstore (sort of a travel passion of mine) and walked us back to the tender. Total A-plus. So much so, that I plan to return to the shetlands. She can fit up to eight passengers but is comfortable taking two or four. http://www.selkieventures.co.uk

3. Inverness: We went with Wendy from Iona Highland Tours. She's the owner, and she also had trainee Eddy with her. We saw everything you'd want to see and then some. The tour busses were all pulling off at other lookout points to see the castle on Loch Ness, but she found us just the right smaller one. We saw the cathedral, Cowdor Castle, an ancient burial with mysteriously placed stones (that doubled as a sundial--very neat), a fort with tremendous history and the battlefield that changed Scottish history forever. Her van has wifi and she had chargers for us too (but the wifi ran out of data early on--don't think it is a regular occurrence though). Wendy was fantastic but if you go with her, you should know that she's expanded her business and the other two guides working with her are very new (and at least one has a very strong Glasgow accent) so be sure to request her specifically. Eddy seems very nice and warm, but she's putting him into the field too soon after not enough training (in my opinion). I don't know who the other one is. http://www.ionahighlandtours.com/abo...ighland-tours/

4. Newcastle: Since this was our last day, we really wanted to do something special and relaxed because we knew we'd be "over" all the touring by then. If you enjoy finer restaurants and want to truly taste the UK's countryside and waters, the Three Michelin Star rated House of Tides is the perfect venue for a lovely lunch, right on the river. We had local oysters, Shetland mussels, beautiful English produce and lamb... They have a regular and a vegetarian price-fixed tasting menu with optional wine pairings that usually books up for dinner at least a month in advance (but you may be luckier with lunch). They also accommodate allergies and food preferences. If you'll be there on a Saturday, there will be a bazaar in the metro station with some neat finds. You simply take the metro into Newcastle like everyone else and then walk down the hill half a mile to House of Tides. On the way, you'll pass all sorts of historical buildings including one that proudly proclaims the historical Earl Grey (and his namesake tea). Our recommendation is to see sights before lunch, walk down the hill to the restaurant, and then take a taxi back to the ship from the restaurant because it's quicker than she shuttle and less of a hassle than walking back up the hill. http://houseoftides.co.uk

4. In Flam, the Edvard Munch (famous for The Scream) museum is brilliantly curated and not to be missed, rain or shine. We did that one independently via the subway/tube.

5. In Bergen, we did the ship's excursion to Edvard Grieg's home and the Grieg Museum with private piano recital. This was also very worth it to us but if you can arrange it privately, you can probably get the price down. Just contact the museum and ask.

Another fun thing we did (but it's not for everyone): We decided to take the train from Inverness to Edinburgh and stay overnight at an Air BNB with a castle view so we could see it lit up at night and get an early start the next day. You have to fill out some paperwork with the ship but it was truly worth it to get a feel for the evenings there and to see the castle in the evening. The Hop On/Hop Off there is superb (unlike Oslo's which was a disaster). The ghost tours are wonderful because you can see the history of the Black Plague and all the walled-off underground chambers. The national museum was free and it was excellent--be sure to wait near the incredible clock inside at the hour so you can see all the bizarre sculptures move and light up.

Copenhagen! I shouldn't forget this. If you're not too jet-lagged, head to Tivoli if the weather is nice and the Black Diamond Library if it's rainy. Both are well worth the visit.

Okay here's the bad:

Portree: Avoid GoSkye tours at all costs. They overfill their vans, the guide was incredibly sour and cold, and there was minimal information about the island's culture, sites or anything else. We did have a lovely time walking around Portree, though, and soaking up the local culture at a cafe over some haggis and free wifi was the perfect redemption.

Sedestal Mineral Park: This was one of the excursions at one of the Norwegian ports. Avoid at all costs. 3 hour tour on a (very hot) bus. The ride is an hour each way, there's only a one-stall per gender restroom for all 60 of you when you get there, it's not a real cavern, and the collection is unremarkable.

Oh, if you're Le Cirque fans, know that this is the last year that the Pinnacle will be hosting "An Evening at Le Cirque" so you should really try and get in. From now on, the special different-menu night will just be of the line's other specialty place, featured on the Koningsdam.

My friend who lives in Malmo finds it very safe. Just stay out of Rosengard, as mentioned above.

I'd spend the day at Tivoli. It isn't just an amusement park; it's a beautifully manicured garden, dining venue and more. Eat at Kaher i Tivoli and don't miss the Hans Christian Andersen ride. It isn't really a ride so much as a leisurely exhibit of wooden, moving renditions of all of his incredible fairy tales. The classier cousin of "It's a Small World" with no music, just a soothing narrator as you sit in a comfortable couch inside a treasure chest and get toured through each little vista.

Alternatively, especially if there's inclement weather, the Black Diamond Library is a wonderful place to spend a day. We went to see a historic collection of books that were saved from **** burnings by some passionate librarians during WWII, but the whole building, and everything within, is truly an architectural marvel and incredible venue. Plus, there are a cafe and lovely restaurant within, and an incredible view of the canal. The wifi is solid, the restrooms are clean, and you won't feel crowded with your luggage if you can't check it.

As an aside, we just got off the Zuiderdam on Monday morning. Are you doing the Baltic or the Norway/Scotland itinerary? I'd be happy to share some gems either way (we did the Baltic last year and the Norway/Scotland itinerary in May this year.

Oh, and if you're flying out of Amsterdam to go home, do find a Dutch pancake stand in the airport and have some pofferjets, mini pancakes dusted with butter and sugar and topped with fresh berries.

IF you haven't already committed, the Best Western called "Hebron" has suites with plenty of space. Plus, they have cupcakes, a stellar breakfast, and they're just down the street from Tivoli. Highly recommended.

When it asks for cost of trip, put $0.

Brilliant!!! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I recently learned that my credit card company automatically gives me insurance for costs of cancelled trips and re-routed travel. After a traveling partner broke a tooth on a recent cruise, we've decided to get travel insurance. However, we haven't found one that does (and charges for) medical only. What about anyone else? If you have a Citi card and have travel protection, how do you cover the rest?

I've only had one offer in the mail for one of those "cheap" casino cruises. Not something we would book, so thanks but no thanks.

 

BUT, for my upcoming cruises, I received the casino discount for both 2017 and 2018. I usually go to the casino on my cruises, but what I "donated to them" is a whole lot less than the discount we got.

 

It doesn't seem to be the same percentage on each cruise and I have no idea why I am getting it now when I didn't before, but I will happily take it ;)

 

And yes, I will be back in the casino with 8 days at sea ;)

I'm confused about your post. There aren't any casino-only itineraries. A casino cruise is just a cruise we book at steeply discounted rates because it's a promotion we got for going to the casino. As four-star mariners, we enjoy cruises and love to take them when there's a promotion.

Who here goes on the casino promotion cruises? We did one a year ago December (Canary Islands and Madiera, Mainland Portugal and Spain, and Rotterdam, from Southampton) and enjoyed being given the opportunity. The inside cabin would have been free but we upgraded to a suite. (why not?) We're also signed up for one in May, to Scotland and Norway out of Copenhagen. We just got another mailer for even more, with options to sail all over the caribbean for next to nothing besides the flight.

Do you know how much time or money we had to spend in the casino to get these? Is there a minimum or do they send these to everyone who stopped in once or twice on a cruise?

The station is clearly not made with border control in mind so the procedure is like this.

 

The train stops at the first half of the platform

Then all people leave the train and walk up the stairs to Terminal 3.

Then they walk down the second pair of stairs where the id control takes place.

In the meantime the train has moved to the front end of the platform (its a long one) where it takes up passengers against.

Then it goes to Sweden :D

Thanks for that! It makes much more sense now!

Does anyone else like to mix things up and not just do the typical "port tour" thing? We enjoy the arts in various ports and love to see historic venues. For example, we took in a symphony jazz concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam after our Baltic cruise last year and are planning to see Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf this year at King's Theatre in Edinburgh during an evening in port.

Which venues and shows have you found especially memorable?

The train runs every 20th minute but remember that you have to get off at Kastrup train station to do the ID check.

 

Any approved photo ID will do like drivers license or passport.

 

 

This is of course because of the immigration crisis.

Is it an obvious stop, and will we need to wait another 20 minutes thereafter for the next one?

It's worth the trip just to go over the Oresund bridge which is spectacular (also very famous) in Europe. Malmo is a lovely town with an attractive old part. I believe trains run approx every 30 mins and the journey takes approx 40 mins.

Is that the bridge the train comes in on, or a different bridge?

Wonderful! The friend we're meeting there lives in Verberod and she's going to take the train in to meet us. It seems like a great place to just explore on our own without a tour, but we'd be open to one. Thanks for the encouragement!

Has anyone taken the train out to Malmo, in southern Sweden, for the day? I'm meeting a friend there after we arrive in Copenhagen a day or two before our cruise leaves.

We saw Stockholm last year on our Baltic cruise, and also spent a lot of time in Copenhagen, and are excited to see Malmo this time when we fly in early.

There's not much on Viator or TripAdvisor and we'd love to know what's good.

Thanks!

We'll be on a cruise around Norway and Scotland this summer and are all set for small (4 person) tours the Shetland Islands and the Inverness, and we have arrangements for Edinburgh. However, we haven't had much success with the Isle of Skye.

We looked into a few companies for tours, but their itineraries are pretty set, with requirements of at least eight people and it seems like it's just bus load after bus load all going around together, at prices similar to the cruise ship's.

We like the idea of going to Donvegan castle and gardens (and the boat to see the seals) but we might also like to see the fairy pools. Also, we don't want to go to have super-rigid plans for the castle if it's heavily raining because we'd mostly want to go for the garden and wouldn't want to paint ourselves into a corner.

Does anyone know if this port is doable on our own? Perhaps by hiring a taxi or renting a car? Yes, we know it will likely be stick shift and with the wheel on the right.

Thanks for your help!

Another option might be to eat a late afternoon burger or pizza to tide you over to a late dinner somewhere. Or, if you have a balcony, order room service that night.

Do you know how late the scenic cruising goes? We might just eat later. That's a great point!

All your other postings re your cruise have been on the Britain forum, so why have you posted this here,your more likely to get replies from people who stay in Scotland

Terribly, terribly sorry. My next cruise goes to both Norway and Scotland (as you can see from my signature), so I must have made a mistake in where I posted. Nice to have a fan and though! Thanks for catching my mistake. ;)

There are very nice tables for 4 on the windows (no obstructions) and a row back, with just an aisle in between, are tables for 2.

 

Enjoy!

So the tables for two aren't by the window? We can make friends on board then! :)

Thanks for your help!

What should we eat and drink while in Scotland? We're visiting the Shetland Islands, Isle of Skye, Inverness, and Edinburgh. One of the tour guides suggested fish and chips for lunch but one of us isn't big into chips. It doesn't have to be weird or wacky or traditional for that matter. We want to try whatever is fresh and local in late May. Thanks!

We're going on the Zuiderdam in May and there will be scenic cruising during dinner time. We have a two-top in MDR for early dining so we decided that, since none of those are by a window, to do specialty that night so we can have a view. We know that Canaletto has great window views (obviously, as it's the lido deck) but couldn't remember if the Pinnacle's windows were obstructed/buffered or if we'd have views there too (obviously, we'd eat right at opening at either to ensure said view). We'd prefer the Pinnacle if they have the views but couldn't remember if they did.

We've been on the other three ships of this make but just can't remember about the Pinnacle! :roll eyes: Thanks for helping us out so we can make the reservation we need.

Well, we're planning to do both, but rib boat and then train, and we were told it would be fine. Do report back after your trip and let us know!

Which port are you in before or after Wernemunde? We did the Baltic cruise last year and, the next pot was a overnight visit to Copenhagen. We thought the train ride was simply too long to just go to Berlin and back in one day. So, we got off the ship in Wernemunde, took the train into Berlin, and stayed overnight in the city. We truly enjoyed experiencing a full day in Berlin, seeing the city at night and in the morning, and found that it was both easy and inexpensive to catch a 20 minute flight to Copenhagen the next day our of Tiegel Airport and meet up with the ship.

It made the trip truly memorable and very special, as no one else on the ship got to experience Berlin at night or release their worry about being in the city for such a short time before catching the train back to Wernemunde.

Maybe it's because we live in Arizona, but we found the parks and scenery around the Vasa Museum exceptionally beautiful, perhaps as magnificent as the museum!