ABQcruiser

6 hours ago, Strenz said:

Hi, You are off on a great cruise. We have done that trip. The Surf can go up to 12 knots under sail. 

Normally the sails are always up because it helps stabilize the ship and it is beautiful. They normally cut the engines when the weather is good, the wind conditions and wind direction are correct and when time is not a factor. Make sure you go to the bridge and talk to them about your hope. 

This is a great trip, the Straits of Gibraltar is beautiful seeing the 2 continents on a clear day. Leaving Barcelona and coming into Lisbon beautiful. Sail Away is lovey with the 1492 Music playing always as the sails unfurl, we like to be at the Compass Rose, very dramatic and Barcelona is a beautiful harbor to leave from. We are on deck for every single Sail Away. Then again we are easy because we like it all. I have sailed my entire life and grew up north of Boston on the sea, I live on Cape Cod now. As for packing no time is to early! My suitcase is out, we leave for our Wind Surf trip Rome/ Malta,  10/6, third time trying due to the pandemic. Fingers Crossed. Have a glorious time, write a review so we all know how you enjoyed yourself. Happy Sailing. 

Thanks for all this! I'm so excited. If there are any excursions, WS-sponsored or otherwise or other don't miss sights, I'd love to hear about them. - I know Orleans from childhood. I remember surf and very cold water!! We used to go to Dennis. Where on the north shore were you? 

On 4/20/2022 at 5:10 AM, Strenz said:

We love the sailing ships. We have sailed on them 26 times only one time with the motor yacht which we liked but our hearts  are in the sails. This is what we love :  Huge amounts of deck space you can always find your corner, WS is elegant without being ostentatious, the crew is spectacular, small harbors, the food has great choices, great quality without, my prejudice , giant buffets, food is my hobby and passion and I am simply not a buffet person, we love the wind, when the engines stop and we are only under sail it is truly a dream come true for us, we really love the small size and in the sail boats we do not care that  there is no balcony because we love deck living.  Cabins are lovely well thought out, not huge, plenty of storage, great laundry service, the interiors are very pretty not over the top more of a sailing boat style.  It truly fits us. I hope you give WS a try and like it as much as we do. Happy Sailing

Can't talk about drink package or WI-FI, not big drinkers and when we are on we want to be in the moment so we do not use WI-FI. 

 

As an about-to-be new WS cruiser, I've been lurking, trying to gather info. Your post hit one of my key questions, about being under sail. Many years ago I used to sail on the Charles River in Boston--the boats on every iconic picture of Boston--and I've always wanted to do a sailing cruise. We are on Wind Surf Barcelona>Lisbon July 31. What is the likelihood we will actually be under sail, does it depend on travel direction, and is there really a big send-off for the sailaway? And is it too early for me to pack😉? 

Since you've been to this area quite a bit, I have another question about this time of year. We'll be going on a cruise to Italy and the Greek Isles beginning on October 12 and I'm not sure what to pack. Will it still be warm enough for capris and sandals? We'll be in Rome for a couple of nights precruise and will head south from there.

 

Hi, MartinsCruise, I think I'm on your cruise, on the Reflection. I haven't been there, but my research shows expected high 73, low 59, little to no rain. Sounds great! Have you been on the roll call? See you on board.

 

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We are in Santorini on Oct 27. i emailed one of the companies that does that boat run to Oia. His reply was that they only run when a cruise ship is in port.

We are going to try that.

Cruisemom42, you have great suggestions/knowledge ! Have you been there a lot?

N

That's encouraging. We are there on the 18th, the only ship in town.

Thanks Big Nance!

 

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After the boats to Oia still going in late October?

 

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Make that "are the boats..." Hate auto correct

 

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After the boats to Oia still going in late October?

 

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Dr. Alaok, we just did the Baltics and Keil Canal in June on Holland's Prinsendam, a small ship with <900 passengers. Because of its size it could do the Canal and visit small ports, like Visby and Turku. With Tallinn, Estonia, they became my favorite spots. Size matters!

 

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Not sure why half my message disappeared. I wanted to say the Prinsendam is <900 passengers, small, so it could do the Keil Canal and get into some smaller ports like Visby and Turku. I find those small ports most interesting and easier to appreciate the unique culture than big cities. Size matters! It also matters in time it takes to get off the boat. A friend cruised the Baltic region on Norwegian and was not happy with the limitations caused by the big ship.

 

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I am in the beginning process of finding a cruise for August 2019. When I first started this our priority was to see the Scandinavian countries. However in doing my limited research we have found a cruise that we like: It is a Holland America 21 day cruise (Norwegian Fjords and Baltic Jewels) next August. Besides Norway, it goes to St Petersburg, Russia, Stockholm, Finland, Estomia, Germany, and Estonia.

 

I have searched Norwegian, Princess, Viking, Cunard, and Celebrity cruise lines and there don't seem to be a great selection of cruises to this area (if combining Norway and the Baltic.) I would appreciate any advice as to cruise lines or any other helpful information that anyone has to offer regarding cruising to this area.

 

Thank you.

Dr. Alaok, we just did the Baltics and Keil Canal in June on Holland's Prinsendam, a small ship with <900 passengers. Because of its size it could do the Canal and visit small ports, like Visby and Turku. With Tallinn, Estonia, they became my favorite spots. Size matters!

 

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Kazu and others, wishing you a fabulous cruise. I did this cruise on Prinsendam June 2. I'm sorting on my photo book now and loving the memories. Turku, Visby, and Tallinn were best, imo. Aboa Veta and Ars Nova in Turku is a cool mix of archeological did under an art museum and restaurant--highly recommended. Also top museum is Visby's Gotlands Museum, the Forsalen section (friend's report need adjacent art museum was not stellar). St. P is great but a little overwhelming with an endless stream of ornate buildings. Have a great time!

-Alice

 

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CruiseGal999, just do it and enjoy! When working we never took more than 2 weeks at a time, but are now retired and have more freedom. We just returned from our longest trip--a 2 week Baltic cruise followed immediately by 2 week drive around Ireland. The Ireland part was something my daughter and I had talked about for a long time, and the planets aligned so we had to go. No escorted trips visited Wexford, my goal for genealogical interest, so it had to be self-drive, but it was not a problem. The escorted tour and cruise will be totally easy! All the people we met were beyond friendly and helpful. Study up, enjoy the excitement of research and anticipation, pack light (wash easy items in the sink when you have 2-3 days in a hotel), and have a wonderful time! Your only regret will be that you only have a month.

 

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I can only speak for Helsinki--we were there in June and took the HOHO bus. There are 2 companies, both red buses, both starting their tours at Senate Square. One costs a bit less and has more stops I think and shorter time between buses at each stop (less waiting time). We took the other only because it was leaving sooner.

 

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We used TJ Tours in June and were pleased. The city has so much to see that it's impossible not to feel overwhelmed. We avoided additional evening programs, expecting to be exhausted (correct), but if I were a serious ballet dancer I would chug an energy drink and get to a performance!

We had plenty of time for souvenirs. Our payment stop may have been the one referred to for Alla--I didn't go in but heard it had plenty of interesting stuff. We also stopped at Red October--nice amber and variety of other goods.

As for the 3-day Viking visit, I can't imagine any company would object to having you for one of their 2-day tours. They just want to be sure you have 2 days available.

 

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I used TJ Tours for our June visit, but friends used Dancing Bears and they were very pleased. I wish I could offer more details.

 

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We did the train trip from Altona to Lubeck a couple weeks ago, using the schedule info from the website. We planned to taxi to the Altona station (since we weren't 100% sure where we were going first thing in the morning) but our ship (HAL Prinsendam) provided a shuttle to/from town, so we used that and then walked to Hamburg station. The Schlesweig-Holstein ticket deal was great for our group of 4. It's an option when buying tickets thru the machine at the station. Names of all in the party must be signed in the ticket when ticket dude checks tickets on the train. The train worked great for us, and we really enjoyed Lubeck!

 

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I have just gotten back on our ship from Tallinn. We took a taxi to the start of old Town and basically followed Rick Steves walking tour (available online, no book purchase) and wandered. If you can get a cab outside the port gate, it will probably save you a lot--we paid 15euros but I'm certain it was way high.

 

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Sauer-kraut, can we expect to buy tix on the spot or should we prepurchase? After finding my preferred route/time, I don't see a button saying "purchase." Do I have to register under My Bahn to buy tix online?

Ritaly, I'll report back after our June 4 adventure!

Thanks again. We will make the decision once we are there. This will be mid October, so maybe it will not be that hot anymore.

Ine, did the speed boat work out for you in October? We will be there in mid October this year, 2018, and we're the only ship (of 3000) in port that day. I worry a bit about the late season and smallish number of passengers.

thanks in advance!

Here is the capture of the 8:11 train, as you can see the Umsteigzeit (transfer time) is 13 minutes, not 3.

...

As you can see this train leaves Hbf from track 7 between platform points A-D (these are letters that hang from the ceiling so you know where the train will be stopping -- this must be a short train).

The trains run on 11 past and 41 past the hour, so you have your pick of times. The only thing that will change is the track number so make sure you know what it is before you leave.

 

Sauer-kraut, thanks so much for you wonderful details and help. I found similar times for ~9a.m. June 6 on the bahn.de site and will rely on that. The hvv.de site is what led me astray, showing a trip at 9:21 from Altona to Hamburg at 9:31 (S31) and departure to Lubeck at 9:34 (RE80). I'll stick with bahn.de and your instructions! thanks again.

I'm trying to do the same, Altona to Lubeck on June 4. As I read the DB Bahn site, after the 10 min ride to Hamburg Hbf, we have just a 3 minute transfer time for the Lubeck train. That worries me. Is this feasible without reading signs in German, or are we 4 better off taking a 20 min taxi to Hamburg Hbf?

 

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Can anyone recommend a tour operator in St. Petersburg that would be especially good with kids? We have two 12 y.o. one 15, one 17. Thanks

I have seen comments in the reviews about various tour operators and interactions with kids. I suggest you dig thru the reviews.

 

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What companies offer discounts for Early Bird booking and/or to Cruise Critic members? Not looking to have form my own group to get a discount. Do you know what the discounts are?

TJ Travel operating in St. Petersburg and some other Baltic ports offers a Cruise Critic discount of 5% I think. They also offer an Early Bird discount of another 5%. For our June 2 cruise, the early bird window closed end of January, 4 months in advance.

 

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I want to see Delos on our October cruise and aim at DIY but I think a guide would be good her. I found www.getyourguide.com which offers 3 variations, which differ I think by departure point (hotel, new ship port, old port/town) and run about $62-70. That includes the boat, Delos admission and museum.

Sayaguru, how early/late in October were you in Santorini? We will be there October 18, the only ship in port, and I'm concerned about boats still running 1--late in the season and 2--for only one ship. Any thoughts?

We have been thinking about Viking for a Baltic cruise versus Celebrity. I like the idea of only 900 or so passengers versus 2000 plus. We have been told Viking can get closer to Estonia and St Petersburg for example, versus a Celebrity or HAL ship. Is this true? What about the shore excursions included with Viking? Are they worth it? I was disappointed with Celebrity shore excursions in Alaska. Thank you for your comments.

We will be on a Holland America cruise in the Baltic region in June on the Prinsendam, HAL's smallest, which holds only ~900 passengers, about the same as a Viking Ocean ship. Check out the Prinsendam. No free excursions, but I'm enjoying working with roll call friends and doing my own. We've been on Viking river cruises and enjoy the small ships, looking forward to experiencing the smallish ocean shop, but also look forward to Celebrity Reflection with 3,000 in the fall. It's all good!

 

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I give another vote to Thenford Grey. One of the best tours we ever took, worth every penny. Also, Mr. Grey is one of the nicest people I have met in all our travels.

Another vote for Thenford Grey from me. We enjoyed the tour with him in November. A really top quality and very intelligent guy, eager to share his love and knowledge of the island.

 

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