Mrs Booboo

Well we got shut out of the Virgin excursion for the El Yunque Rainforest; sold out the first day excursions were available for booking!  Does anybody have any recommendations for independent tour operators that will pick up at the cruise port?

I know I saw a video about these somewhere, but can't find it now - does anyone know where the self-service soda dispensers are located? These are for use with a drink card; just swipe your card and dispense. Also, is there a dispenser for juices that aren't part of the free ones you find at the buffet?

Has anyone done this trip recently (through the cruise ship, not independently)?  I'm trying to find out how many people they generally take.  I would normally do an independent excursion (because they are usually smaller groups), but we have $500 of OBC that I'm trying to burn (our gratuities, drinks, and transfers are already included as part of a promotion).

The general description for this tour is:

• Tour briefing and board a custom marine vessel designed for wildlife viewing and photography

• Cruise to Glacier Point

• Drive through the rainforest, don rubber boots & life vests

• Hike over glacier's terminal moraine

• Paddle & motor canoe across iceberg studded lake

• Hike back through the rainforest

• Return drive through rainforest

• Cruise back to Skagway

• Arrive in Skagway & walk back to cruise ship pier

Has anyone done this trip recently (through the cruise ship, not independently)?  I'm trying to find out how many people they generally take.  I would normally do an independent excursion (because they are usually smaller groups), but we have $500 of OBC that I'm trying to burn (our gratuities, drinks, and transfers are already included as part of a promotion).

He was there in June on our Baltics cruise.

Yes, you can use the dining package there, but there is the small upcharge. Otherwise, the cost is $47.99 pp. For what it's worth, I thought the show was really good considering the space they had to work in. The dinner was good; beef tenderloin and lemon pepper shrimp, potato wedges, and broccoli. Trilogy of sweets for dessert.

We had a bunch of OBC to use, so we used our 3 specialty dining options elsewhere and just paid the full price for this show. But note that if you want to use OBC, you can't book the show until you get on board (cannot pre-book with the website).

For those of you that have done Tallin, Stockholm, or Helsinki on your own (i.e., no organized tour), how did you make your way around? Did you have maps (maybe from Google, an official map from tourist information booth, maps in Rick Steves book)? Or could you manage to get to the major sites without them?

Just don't want to spend the time we have in port wandering around lost ;)

They had already adjusted the time by 2 hours when they switched us to Nynashamn (originally 8-4; switched to 7-5 to accommodate driving time). These new extra 2 hours were added to "enhance the guest experience".

For those that got an extension on time (depart @ 7:00 PM instead of 5:00 PM), did NCL extend the time of their excursions? For instance, we're booked on the City Highlights and Leisure Time Excursion which is scheduled for 8:15 AM – 4:15 PM and it says we will have about 4 hours of free time. Wondered if they would extend our free time (or time at the Vasa) and return at 6:15 instead. If they aren't extending excursion times, what's the point of giving us 2 hours of extra time?

Anybody have experience with the complimentary transfers to/from Stockholm?

We were originally scheduled to dock in Stockholm, but when they switched us to Nynashamn, they gave us two more hours for the extra travel time needed (I think we were originally 8-4, they switched it to 7-5). These new 2 hours seem to just be more time. Maybe just trying to appease the people that were supremely ticked off about booking the cruise based on the advertised port of Stockholm and that meaning you would sail through the archipelago.

But if they don't adjust excursion times, then it's pointless to give us the extra 2 hours.

I just got an email from NCL saying "In an effort to enhance the guest experience, Norwegian Breakaway will now remain in Nynashamn, Sweden until 7:00 pm on the previously mentioned dates." (we're on the June 16th sailing on Breakaway).

We're booked on the City Highlights and Leisure Time Excursion which is scheduled for 8:15 AM – 4:15PM and it says we will have about 4 hours of free time.

Anybody think that they would now extend the excursion by the 2 hours that they're giving us? Return at 6:15 instead of 4:15? If they don't, then they haven't really "enhanced my guest experience" since it won't be any different than it was before.

Does anybody know which terminal Breakaway usually docks at in Tallinn? My Rick Steves book mentions 5 different ones: Linnahall terminal, and A, B, C, and D terminals.

For Stockholm https://www.google.se/search?safe=off&client=firefox-b&dcr=0&q=bankomat+stockholm&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=59323891,18065925,990&tbm=lcl&ved=0ahUKEwin9vP66J7aAhVEDSwKHZlmAc0QjGoIVA&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:3&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m3!1d1918.5552339564117!2d18.07050075474342!3d59.33040751818658!3m2!1i1500!2i724!4f13.1

 

I think you will be dropped off at Gustav Adolfs torg, next to the Royal Opera.

Thanks! Looks like there is one right by the Royal Palace.

Can anyone tell me where the nearest ATMs are for:

1) Copenhagen - airport and/or Copenhagen Central Station (would the rate for the airport ATM be worse than for other ATMs?)

2) Tallinn cruise port

3) Nynashamn cruise port or in Stockholm (I think we're getting dropped off near the Royal Palace)

Thanks Danish Viking! Once I translated what I was seeing, the calculator was very easy to use!

I'm looking for the price of a taxi from the Central Station area (Annex Copenhagen Hotel) to the Oceankaj port (Quay c331, Terminal 1). Lots of people suggest public transportation, but that won't work for us as I admit that I am an overpacker Need to know prices for a Saturday afternoon (around 1:00 PM) and a Monday morning (around 10:00 AM).

I've done several internet searches and the prices seem all over the place, so I'm hoping somebody can give first-hand experience.

We're using the 24-hour Copenhagen Card to get from the airport to Central Station for the day we arrive, but I'm trying to figure out how much it will cost us for the day we leave (since it's over a week later and we're not going to buy another card just for this).

 

Does 36 DKK sound right?

Also looking for the price of a taxi from the Central Station area (Annex Copenhagen Hotel) to the port. Lots of people suggest public transportation, but that won't work for us as I admit that I am an overpacker ;)

We're using the 24-hour Copenhagen Card to get from the airport to Central Station for the day we arrive, but I'm trying to figure out how much it will cost us for the day we leave (since it's over a week later and we're not going to buy another card just for this).

Does 36 DKK sound right?

We are on the Breakaway in June. Our stop in Stockholm will be porting at Nynashamm.

We have booked the NCL excursion “City Highlights and Leisure Time.” Part of the description says: "Leaving the Vasa, drive through the modern downtown and business areas before being dropped off in a central location for free time before your coach picks you up for the return drive to Nynashamn."

Has anyone done this tour recently that can tell me where the "central location" is?

Thanks anthonyy7 - great information!! We are also in port from 7:00 - 4:00. According to the Port of Helsinki web page, we are arriving at West Harbor and Hernesaari; Berth LMA. That's a little confusing because according to Rick Steves book, LMA is at the West Terminal of West Harbor (LHB and LHC are at Hernesaari Terminal of West Harbor).

Your description seems to match his for the West Terminal (Lansiterminaali). Based on his description of this (even though there is no mention of LMU and the blue line apparently is now a green line).

He says the Lansiterminaali building has ATMs, WCs, and a newsstand and automated machines where you can by the tram tickets. Does that seem right?

And yes, I had already discovered the change in tram numbers; Tram 7 will take you from West Harbor to Senate Square. I also found that starting February 2018, the tram drivers will no longer sell tickets.

Hey anthonyy7 - I posted a question in reply to one of your post over in the Northern Europe & Baltic Sea board that I wasn't sure you would see. It's in the HOHO bus in Helsinki thread (I'm Mrs Booboo):

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/show....php?t=2598318

Hey anthonyy7 - I posted a question in reply to one of your post over in the Northern Europe & Baltic Sea board that I wasn't sure you would see. It's in the HOHO bus in Helsinki thread (I'm Mrs Booboo):

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2598318

We didn't take the HOHO. We got a transit pass (Tram & Bus) for €8 from a kiosk outside the nearby terminal where Tram#9 turns around. We used our chip cc and didn't ask for a pin. It's about a 5-10 min walk. We took the tram a few stops and walked to the Rock Church and then we did the Rick Steves walk from there back to Senate Sq. We took the tram out to the Sebelius monument and the bus back to the city centre and the tram back to the ship. Once your in the city centre it's very walkable. I highly recommend Cafe Esplande for a lunch break. The coffee and Finlandia cin buns are A+ The sail away is very nice leaving Helsinki when passing by all the islands esp on the port side

Am I reading your post correctly? You took the tram to the Rock Church, did the Rick Steves walk to Senate Square, and then took the tram from Senate Square all the way back out to Sebelius? Then bus from Sibelius to city center and tram back to ship? Was there some reason you didn't continue on from the Rock Church out to Sibelius and then work your way back via the Rick Steves walk?

What time did you dock? I wanted to go to the furthest point and work our way back, but the Rock Church doesn't open until 10:00 and we dock at 7:00.

Just an FYI for anybody else that might have had this question. Spoke to someone at NCL - you can only use OBC for this if you book it on board. She did say that it shouldn't be a problem doing this because they only release so many spots for online booking.

I booked the excursion online, so I called and got the same answer as other people - if I take the excursion, the $50 shore excursion credit will be applied to my account as OBC. If I don't use it, I will get a refund at the end of the cruise.