jiminyC_fan

Itinerary is number one. Size of staterooms is next.

Bottom, all inclusive (tips and booze) Pampering is not for us. Less pampering the better.

Staff, food, quality for your $$ is subjective so I don't take others reviews into consideration.

Thanks Nancy!

I assume you've read on the DIS that the Disney Magic looks as though it will be doing Baltic and Norway cruises in 2015? However, you know those prices will be high!

 

I am on an 11-night Legend of the Seas Baltic cruise in June from Copenhagen to Stockholm. It has a great itinerary, and spends 3 days in St. Petersburg. In 2015 that cruise will be on Serenade of the Seas. However, having sailed on Celebrity Silhouette in the Med - that would also be a lovely ship to sail through the Baltic or Fjords.

I did read that on the DIS, Nancy. Just like in Alaska, I figure it's better to go with a cruise line that continually sails the Baltic area. That's one of the reasons I didn't go the first time DCL cruised there. I'm Platinum wth them but sail wisely, also, LOL. Your 11 night sounds good. I just wonder if we need 3 days in St Petersburg since our Viking River Cruise was church, palace and castle heavy in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Slovakia and Hungary. My DH is just done with that. (not me though)

I was concerned over the proper attire for dinner on our first Vking cruise this past Nov. We attended a Viking meeting one day before we cruised, held by a Viking representative and she said that jeans are most certainly accepted. I then read on here that they were not accepted. I brought dress slacks just in case. I ended up in jeans for most dinners and so did my husband. Many guests did the same. I think just a nicer top and jeans is all that is required. There are a couple of nights where dressier attire is appropriate.

Thanks for all the replies. We, too, aren't "foodies" so food is the bottom of our requirements. Seems like there is a huge market for Baltic Cruises.

You definitely want to take a Norway cruise, not one that goes to St. Petersburg Russia then. Because SPB, is 90% looking at churches and palaces for two days!

THANK YOU!!!

Fantastic review. Brought back so many wonderful memories of our Grand European Cruise on the Magni in November.

JiminyC

 

Have a look at Fred Olsen. They are a Norwegian company, but cater mainly for the British market. We did a fantastic Baltic cruise with them last September, but they offer a few different itineraries. We departed from Southampton.

 

Their ships tend to be smallish, which we prefer and are often in port when the big cruise ships are not, which makes sightseeing easier.

Thank you very much. I will definitely check it out. We fell in love with the smaller ships when we were on the Viking Longships. They hold a little over 150.

Wow, thanks everyone. Ports are definitely important. I really would like one out of England because we have a friend there that I want to visit. We've been to Amsterdam (loved it) on a 15 day Viking River Cruise so we really don't need to do that. On that cruise we saw many glorious churches and palaces. My husband doesn't want that to be a priority. I'm thinking maybe more fjords and scenery intense. I'm 50% Norwegian and 50% Swedish so I am really interested in those two countries for sure.

Hey neighbor, thanks so much for everything. Lots of info. Stay warm and dry this weekend. The cold and snow is back again.

Please forgive me if I am in the wrong location to post this.

I am just starting to look at booking a Baltic cruise. I don't know what cruiselines do it. I heard that maybe Princess and Royal Caribbean? I have cruised in Alaska and I know it makes a difference which line you choose for the better itineraries like for instance Glacier Bay. Not all lines go there.

I was really interested in the Viking ship but it is booked until 2016.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Looks nice but I don't think it would be for us.

I've only been on one Viking cruise but we absolutely loved it. We have taken numerous ocean cruises. Viking's bed was MUCH more comfortable. Size of stateroom perfect. Lots of storage. Heated bathroom floors was a huge plus. Shower pressure was perfect. All the guests got to know one another and were friendly. Food great. Staff very attentive. Much more relaxing than ocean cruisiing. Tours included was a plus. We absolutely loved the size of the ship. So intimate. No hoards of people pushing and shoving to eat or get of the ship like in ocean cruising. We have a booked ocean cruise and I really think we will just cancel it. River Cruising is addicting! Not sure if any of my points will help you persuade her but I hope so. Good luck!

I kind of like leaving as is. I feel too many sub categories causes confusion and cross posting. I am on another board that is MUCH more active and it is structured like it is currently here.

We have only cruised with Viking but we were completely satisfied. Everything was perfect. Not one complaint. Food was great. Remember food is very subjective so what one likes others may not. Staff very attentive. Room well appointed. Heated bathroom floors were fantastic!! Tours were great. Audiovox worked perfectly. Size of groups were great. Never a down time with internet. All of our staff spoke English. Not sure if we would want the all inclusive style since we aren't drinkers and in the long run with all inclusive, you pay for it. Tipping at the end is not a big problem and it wouldn't be a deal breaker to us.

Thanks! Enjoyed the pictures.

Great review! Well put together. Made me miss our cruise! I'm having withdrawl and your report didn't help, LOL.

I guess we are all different. I love not having a top sheet. Husband, not so much.

We were on the Magni in Nov for the Grand European tour. We loved the whole experience and had no complaints. If you bump into Karyzma and Pam in the dining room, please, tell them that Ted and Sandy miss them. Thanks!

Hi Oysterdam, in my wild and impestuous youth I booked everything on my own and had some wonderful and exciting adventures! But, I am older and wiser now and quite frankly prefer living in a stress free environment....so I have booked my pre and post trip extensions with the river cruise company. This is the same reason I usually book my air through them as well. I like not having to change hotels; worry about transfers or late flights and the first day is usually spent on a city tour which gives me a good idea of where things are and what I want to go back to during the free full or half-day that is built in. I also like not having to worry about transferring my bags from the hotel to the ship and while I do pay more, the hotels and tours have always been worth the price paid IMHO. As an added bonus (but low on the list of importance) is that I get to meet fellow cruise mates in a smaller group and it's fun getting on board and already knowing some of my traveling companions. Of course, that only works on pre-trip extensions.

I agree whole heartedly! Use to do it on my own but now loving the stress free approach. Also agree about meeting a few people before boarding the ship makes it fun.

This whole situation is an example of an unfortunate confluence of events, both within and without the OPs control, and there are some useful lessons here.

 

1. Regardless of if you have email notifications, particularly for an international trip, always keep checking your flight plans via the website. The OP states the flight was canceled before they even got to the airport. Emails go awry, but if they had known before they showed up for the flight, they might have gotten more help from the airline and Viking.

 

2. In this day and age, international cell phones are a good idea if you are traveling internationally. I never thought I would want a smart phone until I planned a trip to France. My Windows phone came in very handy for a variety of reasons. I got one that works on the global network with Verizon and you can get international roaming and data plans prorated for the time you need. We used it to call taxis, a tour operator, and when I discovered my 3-prong AC plug for my netbook didn't work with my 2-prong european adapter, internet.

 

3. Always keep moving toward your destination. Any cruise, river or otherwise, isn't going to wait for you. You have to be brave, and try to find the best path forward even if it means taking a train to catch up. Most places in western Europe you can find someone to help you if you don't speak the language. Think of it as an adventure.

 

4. Check your credit cards, most have trip interuption insurance. Once the Air Canada flight failed I would have been looking for a flight on any line towards my destination and worked out who pays later. I wonder if the tickets were non-endorsable to another airline which is why they didn't get much help.

 

5. I have been on Viking and enjoy their cruises. I will say that it appears they dropped the ball for the OP, however, there is only one side presented here and it is a bit reactive and emotional. I've never done air with a cruise, but I think most t&c's state that they don't guarantee the routes will work out and aren't responsible if the airline has issues, only that they will do their best. That said, the OP mentions that they were given the option to try to fly to Budapest and catch up from there. I wonder if they were presented with other options that were glossed over because it wasn't want they wanted to hear or were too panicked and upset to really understand what the agent was saying.

Great post!

Amsterdam is very easy to do on your own. Buy a tram pass and go wherever you want. Like others have said, the station is right by the dock. You can buy your passes there or on the trams themselves. We bought the advanced tickets to Anne Frank's house which was the best thing ever! We avoided a HUGE line. Almost felt guilty because it was raining and we just walked right in front of the people who had been waiting for hours. Dam Square is fun to experience. Of course, they are well known for their museums. Our friends took a canal tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Do your research before you get there so you know what YOU want to see. Sometimes group tours don't touch your interests.

Carry on is becoming a huge hastle these days. On our recent river cruise we saw two people come very near to a fist fight when trying to find space for their carry on. One couple decided not to obey the one in storage and one underneath the seat concept which took from other passengers. I didn't blame the guy at all for being upset. Also, remember that European airports weigh and sometimes measure your carry on. I wish the US did that!!

As far as Australia or UK marketing guidelines, I can’t comment on those as I live in the U.S. where 2-for-1 marketing is used in advertising all the time. I can do the math and comparison shop and figure out if I’m getting a good deal or not. As far as having to pay up front at time of booking for the cruise (another complaint of Viking mentioned often on these pages), we do it all the time for airline flights, theatre tickets, etc., and don’t book unless we have the money to do so at the time of booking so this “supposed” issue doesn’t make a difference for us either. I'm sure if bookings begin to fall as a result of either of these marketing tactics, they will be changed.

 

As far as “bleeding” Viking blood, we’ve been on four Viking River cruises with our fifth scheduled this month. For us the pricing, product, our experience and at this point familiarity, keeps us going back to Viking, and we’ve not been given a reason to try another river cruise line. I’ve been reading and posting on CC for 7 years and only have 600+ posts as I only post on what I experience, not what I presume or think to be true, and hope that others can benefit from it. I don’t believe I’ve ever written anything negative about a vendor I haven’t experienced and am sure there are other good river cruise products out there. Believe me, if I have a bad Viking (or any vendor for that matter) experience, I’ll post it. Should there be an itinerary offered we want to take that Viking doesn’t provide, or should Viking’s level of service deteriorate in the future, we would look a choosing someone else for our river cruises.

Well stated.

I got the same thing last month but I felt better checking in online 24 hours before.

I guess that's why there are options for everyone. Viking suits my needs and expectations.