Travelanni
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Thank you very much for the info.We took the hi-speed train from Rome to Florence and found it very nice. Are you trying to say on the German trains we will be served Champagne and Bon-Bons?? LOL
Thank you for your appreciation.
Re the Italian trains..... Your mention just brought back the memory of the discomfort, unfriendly staff, chaos and missed trains through lack of info/signage that I have experienced every time I have made the journey from Genoa to Zurich (roughly once a year) but I am sure that others have had good experiences. I was wrong to generalise!
DB does not exactly do the 'champagne and bonbons' bit but at least the signage on both the train and the station is good, the trains arrive on and depart from the advertised platform and the staff are friendly and helpful; on main line trains most announcements are made in several languages and the staff are generally at least bi-lingual.
Hope you will not be disappointed :),
Anni
Hope you will not be disapointed :)
Anni
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I think this link is broken. On second thought, I see the problem. Too many n's in anni.
JoAnn
How embarrassing :mad: Can't even spell my own name ! I blame old age :confused:
Thanks, JoAnn. Of course it should be http://www.travelanni.webs.com
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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We(6 of us) will be in Warnemunde on May 21 from 0700-2130 and were wondering if possibly there is a private tour to the Schwerin Palace. If not what would be involved in doing it ourselves. We have done some travel in Italy by train in the past. Would train and palace tickets need to be purchased in advance? Any info would greatly be appreciated. Thank You
The major tour operators offer private tours which include the Palace in Schwerin. Maybe someone who has done one of these tours can be of more help.
However, Schwerin is very easy to DIY. For details on how to get from Warnemünde to Schwerin and from the station to the palace please see the Schwerin page on my web site.
The Mecklenburg Lander ticket will cover the whole day's travel from Rostock but if you wish to take the 9:03 from Rostock you will need single tickets for the s-bahn from Warnemünde to Rostock Hbf as this leg of the journey is before 9:00. Cost of the Lander ticket is 23 euros for 1 person + 4 euros for each additional person (max 4 persons on one ticket); single tickets from Warnemünde to Rostock Hbf 1.90 euros pp.
The Lander tickets can be bought on-line but it is just as easy to buy from a machine or the ticket office on the station. Tickets for the Palace cannot be bought in advance.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
http://www.travelanni.webs.com
BTW. In my experience, if you have travelled on Italian trains you will find German trains very different; in comfort, efficiency, service, signage, announcements...............in fact in every way like a taste of Paradise compared to their southern counterparts :rolleyes:
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ThNk you for your informTive post. I read the negative here on CC but you have opened my eyes. I can't thNk you enough. How do we get from the ship to this area? Thank you again
I thank you for your appreciation.
You already asked this question in your post of 25th March on the thread 'Train from Waremunde to Rostock'
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaboochi
I read online that there is a train station at the cruise port that trVels from WRnemunde to Rostock every 15 minutes and the cost is 1.90 euro. Has anyone here taken this train? Can I use a credit card to purchase a ticket or do I need euros? Any help and I formation is greatly appreciated.
and several people, including myself, posted replies, but here is my reply again.
Quote:
Just about everyone who has ever gone into Rostock from a cruise ship travelled on the train.
You can use a credit card in the ticket machine as long as it has a chip but it is much simpler to use cash. You will need cash for other things eg. restrooms, snacks, street stalls etc. so it is always as well to have a small amount of the local currency in any country.
The train goes to the main station then you need to catch a #5 or #6 tram into the city centre. The 1.90 euro ticket covers the whole journey, valid for both the train and the tram. Be sure to validate the ticket in the little orange box on the platform before you board the train. The fine for not doing so is 40 euros!
For more detailed information on how to get from Warnemünde to Rostock City centre please see the Rostock page of my web site
http://www.travelannni.webs.com
Happy cruising :)
Anni.
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What is there to see in Rostock? Trying to plan a day near cruise port. Help is appreciated
With reference to your recent post in the thread Warndmunde- Schwerin and Wismar in 1 Day?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaboochi
Warnemunde seems to be a quaint place to explore. I researched Rostock and From what I have read it's an industrial town.
Not sure where you got the idea that Rostock is an industrial town but that is far from the case!
Over the past 30 years I have travelled the world and lived in or visited many different places . 10 years ago, by choice, I settled in Rostock and can assure visitors that it is one of the cleanest, most pleasant, interesting and least industrialised small cities that I know.
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It is the most important and busiest Cruise Ship port in Germany.
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Warnemünde is part of Rostock and one of the most popular holiday destinations for Germans in their own country.
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The city has a long history, dating from 1160, and boasts many fine medieval buildings, good museums, a church with an anstronomical clock dating from 1492, a completely pedestrianised city centre within the city walls and many green spaces.
The main 'industry' is tourism, followed by shipping, especially the roll-on-roll-off ferries which are a vital link between Europe and Scandanavia. There are other industries, but on a very small scale, concentrated in the port area on the other side of the river to the city - every city around the world which relies heavily on seasonal tourism has to have some industry.
True, Rostock cannot compare with St Petersburg or Copenhagen or Stockholm but it does not aspire to. Rostock is itself - a typical, small German port city with a rich history, ancient buildings and the bonus of a wonderful beachside suburb; catering for the tourist but also giving a good picture of everyday life - well worth a visit.
For official details on what the city and its seaside suburb have to offer please visit (as advised in my previous post)
http://www.rostock.de/en/sightseeing.html
I would be interested to hear the impressions of some of the many cruisers who have chosen to visit Rostock.
Anni
http://www.travelanni.webs.com
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It is the most important and busiest Cruise Ship port in Germany.
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Warnemunde seems to be a quaint place to explore. I researched Rostock and From what I have read it's an industrial town.
Not sure where you got the idea that Rostock is an industrial town but that is far from the case!
I have travelled the world and lived in or visited many different places over the past 30 years. 10 years ago, by choice, I settled in Rostock and can assure visitors that it is one of the most pleasant and interesting small cities I know.
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It is the most important and busiest Cruise Ship port in Germany.
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Warnemünde is part of Rostock and one of the most popular holiday destinations for Germans in their own country.
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The city has a long history, dating from 1160, and boasts many fine medieval buildings, good museums, a church with an anstronomical clock dating from 1492, a completely pedestrianised city centre within the city walls and many green spaces.
The main 'industry' is tourism, followed by the roll-on-roll-off ferries which are a vital link between Europe and Scandanavia. There are other industries but on a very small scale - even a city which relies mostly on tourism has to live through the winter months.
True, Rostock cannot compare with St Petersburg or Copenhagen or Stockholm but it does not aspire to. Rostock is itself -a typical, small German city with a rich history, some ancient buildings and the bonus of a wonderful beachside suburb, well worth a visit.
For official details on what the city and its seaside suburb have to offer please visit (as advised in answer to your previous question 'Is it worth it..Rostock?)
http://www.rostock.de/en/sightseeing.html
Anni
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It is the most important and busiest Cruise Ship port in Germany.
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My ship is docking at Warnemunde at 7:30AM on May 12 and leaving at 10PM.
Will that be enough time to go to Schwerin and Wismar DIY on that day? I look at the cruise excursions, and I don't see any that does this which makes me question if its possible. The cruise excursions either go to Berlin, Warnemunde and Rodstock, or Warnemunde and Schwerin.
And, I look at the Rick Steves cruises guidebook, and he doesn't mention that trip either- instead he either talks about going from Warnemunde to Berlin or Warnemunde and Rodstock.
If it is possible, what route and itineary would you suggest? Should I go to Schwerin or Wismar first?
Hi,
Visiting both Schwerin and Wismar is possible in one day with 3-4 hours in each town. It does not really matter which town you visit first but I would recommend Schwerin-Wismar-Rostock as the best possible use of time in view of the train schedules.
Given your ships arrival time you could take the s-bahn leaving Warnemünde at either 8:02 or 8:17, then the 9:07 from Rostock Hbf to Schwerin, arriving Schwerin 10:03.
Trains depart Schwerin to Wismar every hour, at 46 mins past the hour, throughout the day. Travel time 35 mins. I would suggest taking the 13:46.
Trains depart Wismar to Rostock every hour, at 42 mins past the hour, throughout the day. Change in Rostock for Warnemünde. Travel time 1hour 39 mins.
Given a sailing time of 22:00, I would presume a boarding time of 21:00 so the last possible train from Wismar would be 18:42 arriving Warnemünde 20:24
The Mecklenburg Lander ticket will cover the whole day's travel from Rostock but you will need single tickets for the s-bahn from Warnemünde to Rostock Hbf as this leg of the journey is before 9:00. Cost of the Lander ticket is 23 euros for 1 person + 4 euros for each additional person (max 4 persons on one ticket).
Please see my web site for more details.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Instead of taking the train back, we took the public ferry, which was docked right by our cruise ship.
Please note the boat on which the OP returned to Warnemünde is not a public ferry and the Rostock public transport day ticket is not valid on this boat.
It is a privately owned pleasure boat which makes sightseeing trips between Warnemünde and Rostock and return. It does stop in Rostock and you can make the one-way journey if there is enough room but this is sometimes not possible as most of the passengers are German tourists staying in Warnemünde and do not get off in Rostock, they make the complete round trip to see the sights along the river.
The fare, one way, is 10euros and the last boat leaves Rostock at 3:30pm.
Anni
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Easier is to book ahead on www.bahn.de, which is the web site for train bookings in Germany.
German efficiency shows as they show the track number, the minutes to walk from one track to the other, etc.
However, entering commuter trains or buses with lots of luggage is not for the weak or faint hearted! Or pulling the luggage from the cruise terminal to the station.
The query was for information about the s-bahn train from Warnmünde to Rostock which cruise ship passengers use to get into the city for a day excursion. Booking ahead is not possible on the s-bahn !
If you wish to book ahead on a long distance train ( eg Berlin to Warnmünde ) the address for the web site in English is http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
All the information on my web site is taken from the DB web site but we have tried to simplify it for the benefit of cruisers, eg only quoting the trains which would be within the time the ships are in port and including instructions on how to navigate through the station in Rostock.
Anni
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Hi all
We are planning to tour this village rather than travelingg to Berlin. Does anyone have sugeestions of the must sees, the must do, quaint restaurants and do forth? All suggestions are so appreciated because this is our first visit to this port.
As explained several times on this forum, Warnemünde is not a village. It is a seaside suburb of Rostock and the site of the Cruise Terminal. The ships dock alongside the railway station, just 5-10mins walk from the main tourist street and about 15mins walk from the beach. This site gives a few deas of what to see and do in Warnemünde as well as Rostock.
http://www.rostock.de/en/sightseeing.html
You will find port reviews by other cruisers here
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/ports/berlin-warnemunde-cruises/
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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What is there to see in Rostock? Trying to plan a day near cruise port. Help is appreciated
This site, along with the threads previously quoted and my web site, should answer all your queries.
http://www.rostock.de/en/sightseeing.html
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Thanks Desdichado, I have answered this question on several threads and the info is on my web site but here it is again.
I read online that there is a train station at the cruise port that trVels from WRnemunde to Rostock every 15 minutes and the cost is 1.90 euro. Has anyone here taken this train? Can I use a credit card to purchase a ticket or do I need euros? Any help and I formation is greatly appreciated.Just about everyone who has ever gone into Rostock from a cruise ship travelled on the train.
You can use a credit card in the ticket machine as long as it has a chip but it is much simpler to use cash. You will need cash for other things eg. restrooms, snacks, street stalls etc. so it is always as well to have a small amount of the local currency in any country.
The train goes to the main station then you need to catch a #5 or #6 tram into the city centre. The 1.90 euro ticket covers the whole journey, valid for both the train and the tram. Be sure to validate the ticket in the little orange box on the platform before you board the train. The fine for not doing so is 40 euros!
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Travelanni who is a resident expert for the Port of Rostock has a spectacular website
She has travel information for DYI trips from the port for those who choose not to go to Berlin.
Also she has a very long thread here on CC http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1963750&highlight=ne+germany
Thanks again :D
Have just finished updating everything for 2015 and have pages on Kiel and car rental under construction.
Cheers, :)
Anni
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Hello,
We are coming this summer on a Princess cruise that begins in Warnemunde. I would like to get a car rental to drive ourselves one way from TXL and take our time driving down since our ship leaves at 9pm. We want to do the same backwards on arrival and spend a few extra days in Berlin. My issue is that getting there it appears the dock rental companies closes either early or don't open at all on Sunday. I really want to rent a car since we will have suitcases and a family of 5. Please advise if anyone has done this or..We can do a drop off at the dock? Thank you in advance
Hi,
There are several car rental companies which have pick up-drop off facilities at the Warnemünde Cruise Terminal during the cruise season, with opening hours timed to coincide with the arrival and departure of the ships. At least three of the bigger, most reliable will do one-way rentals to/from Berlin and have English web sites with on-line booking.
https://www.europcar.com/location/germany/rostock-warnemuende/rostock-cruise-terminal-warnemuende
http://www.sixt.com/car-rental/germany/rostock/rostock-warnemunde-cruise-ctr
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/location/RLGN70?targetPage=locationDetail&eoag=RLGN70
Maybe another cruiser can add their personal experience.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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What is the best way to spend time in Kiel? We'll from the ms Eurodam arriving at Kiel on 5/21/15 and seems like a train ride to Lubeck is what's recommended. If we're only there from 7am-5pm, can we also go to Hamburg? Any know which train will be the best to take? We have 6 all together in our group. Thanks
Hi
It is possible to visit either Lübeck or Hamburg in your time frame but not both.
You will already have seen the train times etc. for Lübeck further back on this thread. They still apply in 2015.
For Hamburg - direct trains.
Dep Kiel 7:21 arr Hamburg 8:37; dep 8:21 arr 9:37 etc. through the day.
Depart Hamburg 13:21 arr Kiel 14:28; dep 14:21 arr 15:28 etc.
There is also a train requiring one change
Dep Hamburg 13:43 arr Kiel 15:05; dep 14:43 arr 16:05
For what to see and do in Kiel a good web site is http://www.kiel-sailing-city.de/en.html
There is also more information on the thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2068385
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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PNW Traveler
I think refilling your coffee cup as many times as you wish is a north American thing. Also, if you had unlimited refills of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese etc coffees you'd be hyper all day and probably wouldn't sleep for a week.
European coffee tends to be much stronger than north American, so one will normally suffice.
Also, remember, we tend to drink milky coffee for breakfast and a strong black coffee after lunch or dinner. With our lunch or dinner we have water or wine.
The only place in Europe I have ever come across refilling as many times as you wish is Ikea, where the coffee is very weak. London Towner is right about our coffee being stronger. In fact, some people ask for half-strength if they want to drink more than one cup.
Just a tip when ordering. If you are having lunch or dinner and want to drink coffee afterwards, never order your coffee at the same time as other drinks as they will be served while you are waiting for the meal. The waiter will ask if you want coffee when clearing the plates.
Enjoy :)
Anni
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We'll be on the Viking Star, in Warnemunde, on Sunday, June 7.
While the "free" tour is a bus trip to Berlin (and back!), with our visit being on a Sunday is it worth the time involved to travel the three hours each way to visit Berlin--or will so much be closed that it'd be a better use of time to do the port area (train to Rostock, etc.) instead? Again, the bus trip to from Berlin is at no cost (other than the lost time!).
Hi,
The museums and all the tourist attractions are open in Berlin on Sunday. In general, if museums etc. are not open 7 days their closing day will be Monday.
Normal shops are closed on Sundays but tourist type shops are open, as are the shops within the railway stations and airports.
This applies to all the other towns in the area except Warnemünde where the shops are allowed to open on Sundays.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Okay, admittedly an odd question perhaps, but, we do love our coffee. And after a couple of Med cruises, especially to Italy, coffee (North American style), is not their thing!
If you have experienced the Baltics, do you remember if coffee places (whatever the equivalent to Starbucks might be), had larger sizes for sale? I seem to remember reading somewhere that Scandinavians love their coffee.
Is it very expensive? We'll be going to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St.Petersburg, Tallin and Warnemunde, and I hope to be able to get something more than an espresso-sized cup!
We will also be spending a couple of days in Copenhagen, in a hotel with a kitchenette. Is it worth bringing a bag of coffee from home to make in the room, or is the price of a package of coffee there not that bad?
Thanks from any like minded 'java junkies' out there!
Hi, I can only speak for NE Germany but the people here are also very fond of their coffee.
There are no actual Starbucks in the Warnemünde area but one place in the centre of Rostock, 'Meyerbeer' in Breite Str, is very similar. In fact if you google 'Starbucks Rostock' it comes up so maybe they have a connection.
In general you will find that in table-service restaurants and higher-end cafes coffee will be served in small cups. In counter-service cafes and bakeries you will generally get a choice of straight-black, milk coffee, coffee-crema, cappuchino, latte macchiato and variations of these with a choice of small, standard or large size cups. Cream, milk and sugar are freely available, you just help yourself. There will also be the choice of take-away containers in the three sizes. Prices vary but in my favourite bakery a large straight black is 2.50 and a standard latte macchiato 3.20. The standard also varies but not much as the coffee is usually made by a machine. It is only in up-market coffee shops that you will find a barista showing off his skill.
Enjoy :)
Happy cruising,
Anni
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Hi,
I am certainly not a scare-monger or a timid traveller. I do just about everything DIY, the only time I have done a group tour was in SPB. I travel mostly on cargo ships, docking in non-tourist ports with very little signage etc. and absolutely no organised tours but I go ashore in every port. Ashore you are on your own and if you are not back on time the ship will not wait, even for crew members.
These are my reasons why Berlin DIY is one trip which, given my local knowledge, I would not try.
Quote TravelAni warns against the bahn train because the ICE train may be occasionally late but the ICE train is scheduled to be in Warnemunde by 7:43PM and the ship leaves at 10PM.
She says the ICE train isn't late often, but even if it was the one of the few times it was late, shouldn't that be enough time? Worst case sceanrio, if it was late 1 hour and it got back to Warnemunde by 8:43PM, wouldn't that still be enough time?
That would certainly be enough time and, as stated, this does not happen often but I have known a long distance train to be over 1 hour late at it's destination! That one time would cost you a hell of a lot of money and possibly a missed port.
Another point to consider. Berlin is a big city. Traffic jams, hold ups on the s-bahn etc. also happen. When you are not familiar with the city, frequency of buses and trains etc., it can be hard to estimate the time it will take to get back to the station. With all my knowledge and experience of Berlin I have missed a train for both these reasons but I didn't have a ship to catch. If you miss your train the next one does not get into Rostock until 9.24 then you still have to get to Warnemünde. Not a hope of making sail-away!
Quote TravelAni says you'll save additional time because you can leave right away at 7:30 whereas you'll need to wait till 8:03 for the bahn train. But, don't you have to factor in the time it'll take to get off the boat? That's why I was asking if there was even enough time to reach the 8:03AM ship if the ship docks at 7:30AM?
If you get off promptly and hurry you should make the 8.03am train as long as you have bought your ticket on-line beforehand. The time allowed for the change of trains in Rostock is 10mins. Plenty as long as you are confident about finding your way from platform 1 to platform 8 in a busy station.
If the ship is late docking then you will not make the 8.03 and you will have to go through all the drama of getting a refund on your ticket at the Rostock main station where there is rarely an English-speaking clerk!
The coaches leave as soon as possible and you are conveyed straight from the ship to the centre of Berlin - no hurry to the train, changing trains or finding the right transport from the station to the centre of Berlin. Same goes for the return journey.
Quote Finally, does anybody know what time the cruise ship's excursions and private excursions would leave Berlin in order to make it back on time? It seems like they'd leave early too to have enough time to get back to the cruise ship even if something happened.
I don't know the exact answer to this but imagine it is somewhere between 6pm and 7pm. They will wait a few minutes at the pick-up point (they know from experience that there will always be one in a group who is late) and have plans B and C in case of hold-ups on the way back.
I am not trying to put anyone off going to Berlin DIY, I am just pointing out why I would not risk it myself when there are other, less stressful, alternatives at very little extra cost.
I hope this answers your doubts on my advice,
Happy cruising, :)
Anni
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Hi Anni,
I bookmarked your website to use when planning our visit to Rostock/Warnemuende. But, could you tell me exactly where our ship will dock? We are on the Eurodam arriving on Friday, July 17th.
Thank you.
Hi, unfortunately most of the info relates to ships docking at the cruise terminal in Warnemuende but Eurodam will dock at berth LP 41 in the Commercial Port of Rostock. However, as soon as I return from holidays I will add some info for cruisers docking in the Commercial Port as this seems to be happening more frequently.
On July 17th there will be an unprecedented five ships in port.
Eurodam LP41 and Empress LP31 in the Commercial Port.
Viking Star P1-P4, AIDAdiva P7 and Costa Favorosa P8 at the Warnemuende Cruise Terminal
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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Our ship is docking in Rostock. Is it worth the time to also go to Warnemunde? I don't think we would want to take the canal cruise, after all the days we will be on the ship.
For those of you who have seen both, what do you think?
Thank you.
Hi, Warnemünde is a suburb of Rostock and the site of the Cruise Ship Terminal. Occasionally ships do dock in the Commercial Port of Rostock which is on the other side of the river to the City. If you let us have your ship's name and date of arrival then we can advise where you will dock.
Not sure what you mean by 'canal cruise' as there are no canals in either Rostock or Warnemünde :confused:
For details on what there is to do and see and how to get there please see my web site and the others recommended there or have a look at the thread 'Welcome to NE Germany etc., plenty of other cruisers questions and answers about Rostock/Warnemünde there.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
http://www.travelanni.webs.com
Happy cruising
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I've got to be honest, in all the years In all the years I have been on this site, this is the first time this question has been asked. Sorry, but I have not heard of any. I'm sure some one may know of one, maybe Anni.
Cheers
Len
Same here, Len. Sorry but I have only heard of ships tours as most people do Rostock DIY, its so easy. But as the next poster says, there must be someone.
Anni
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Hi Anni
We are going to be in Travemunde for 1 day during regatta week in July. We have two kids aged 13 & 11. Could you tell me what goes on that week? Is there anything in particular we should do? We are not sailors ourselves but quite happy to take in the atmosphere and experience something new!
Many thanks
Dee
Hi, I have no personal experience of Travemünde Regatta week but if it is anything like Warnemünde Week then the whole place buzzes. As far as I can see from the advertisments, apart from the sailing there are markets, bands, shanty choirs and a fun fair. I'm sure the whole family can find something to enjoy. And of course there is the beautiful, long, sandy beach where you can sit and watch the boats racing! Hope you have fun.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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We will be doing a June Baltic cruise with Princess and wanted to try and get train tickets leaving Warnemunde 0803 and arriving back from Berlin 1943. Our ship departs at 2100. The Berlin on your Own option costs $160 p/p for party of four, on bahn.com, we're $70 p/p. However, there are posts about trains being undependable. What are some comments about those who have taken the trains, is this too narrow of a time slot to catch the ship? The train back is a two hour direct.... Should we pony up the money to do the 'on your own option'? Any advice is greatly appreciated, bahn.com starts ticketing 90 days out and we're 101 days out.
Hi, on the schedule I can see three arrivals for Regal Princess in June, on a Sunday, a Monday and a Thursday. This makes a difference as the direct ICE arriving in Warnemünde 19:43 does not operate on Sunday. It terminates in Rostock at 21:34
In any case, although I usually prefer trains and DIY, in the case of Berlin I would advise taking the 'Berlin on your own' option for the following reasons.
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shorter distance trains eg. Rostock to Berlin, are very dependable but the ICE is a long distance train and these are sometimes late at the final destination due to having to wait for connections along the way. Does not happen often but a big risk
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By train you would have over an hour less time in Berlin. The outward travel time is three hours, starting at 8:03 arriving 11:12, whereas by road the travel time is around two and a half hours and the coach would probably start at 7:30 getting you into Berlin by 10:00. The coach will drop-off and pick-up in the centre of the tourist area but by train you have to get from the station to the centre and back which takes about 20mins, not much of a time saving but very significant on such a short day.
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you have no control over the time you get back. The timing is very tight and if you miss the train or it is delayed you are too far away for a plan B. Although the ship will wait for the tour bus it will not wait for the train.
BTW the prices you quoted do not agree with the prices on the DB web site. They quote 90.60pp standard fare and 85.60pp special fare. This is because the return leg of the journey is by ICE and special fares do not cover the premier trains. I would be inclined, in this situation, to pay the extra for the guarantee that I would not not miss the ship.
If you have not already done so it might be worth investigating whether any of the tour companies - SPB, Alla etc - offer 'transport only' to Berlin, they are usually less expensive than the ships tours and very reliable, it is not in their interest for passengers to miss the ship.
Hope this helps with your planning.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
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shorter distance trains eg. Rostock to Berlin, are very dependable but the ICE is a long distance train and these are sometimes late at the final destination due to having to wait for connections along the way. Does not happen often but a big risk
Rostock 6 to 8pm AND Kiel 7-5
in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea
Posted · Edited by Travelanni
forgot web site
Thank you for your appreciation.
If you are arriving Rostock/Warnemünde on 17/07 then you will dock in the commercial port, otherwise your berth will be P7 at the Cruise Terminal in Warnemünde.
It is easier to visit Lübeck from Kiel. The train service is direct, every half hour and the journey time is around 1 hour. For timetable and fares see
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Car rental is easier from Warnemünde. Using Europcar, Sixt or Hertz you can order on-line and the car will be waiting when your ship docks.
https://www.europcar.com/location/germany/rostock-warnemuende/rostock-cruise-terminal-warnemuende
http://www.sixt.com/car-rental/germany/rostock/rostock-warnemunde-cruise-ctr
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/location/RLGN70?targetPage=locationDetail&eoag=RLGN70
By car from Warnemünde it would be possible to see the castles in both Schwerin and Ludwigslust, explore the many lakes in the Schwerin area and visit Wismar and Bad Doberan too. There are many other small castles and interesting sites in the area which are not accessible by public transport.
As long as you do not go into Rostock it would be possible to spend the whole day on minor roads with very little traffic. Parking in Schwerin and Wismar is not usually problem. Other places (castles etc.) which are open to the public usually have their own car parking facilities.
Web sites with good info.
http://www.mecklenburg-vorpommern.eu/cms2/Landesportal_prod/Landesportal/content/en/Our_State_for/Tourists/index.jsp
http://www.germany.travel/en/travel-information/federal-states/bundeslaender_1/mecklenburg-western-pomerania/mecklenburg-vorpommern.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_castles_and_palaces_in_Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Hope this helps with your planning
Happy cruising :)
Anni
http://www.travelanni.webs.com