Travelanni

It would depend of which ports your original itinerary are visiting.

But for our Constellation cruise Celebrity could use Visby, Sweden....Klaipeda, Lithuania....Riga, Latvia....Gdansk, Polen.

There are a few...

Agreed, there are plenty of ports around the Baltic but as I said earlier with around 250 berths booked in St Petersburg for 2014 the cruise ship companies would be flat out finding alternative berths in an area where berths are booked months, or even years, in advance and demand is rapidly outstripping supply.

The other problem is that there are only a few ports, SPB is one of them, which can handle more than one or two ships at a time or have the capacity to handle the bigger ships at all. Many of those booked into SPB are the larger ships whose alternatives are limited because of their size and most of them are already scheduled to call at the ports which can handle ships of their size.

In the event of having to cancel SPB the chances are extra sea days or extending the time in existing ports of call by tendering on the second day may be the alternative.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Hi Anni, want to go to Laboe but can't find out how far the ferry is from the cruise port dock and what the name is.

I see bahnhoff but is the train station near the port? Also a recommended spot for lunch ***** Laboe?

Thanks for your help.

Hi, just to be quite clear I presume that you are docking in Kiel.

There is a ferry stop right alongside the cruise ship terminal, it is called Seegarten, You can find all the ferry details, timetables, prices etc. at

http://www.sfk-kiel.de/en/ferries/fjord/index.php.

The train station is a bus ride or 20min walk from the cruise terminal.

I ate at the cafe in the memorial but there are lots of cafes and restaurants in the little town of Laboe including one at the pier.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Anni, quick question. Friday in July. Ship departs Warnemunde at 11:59 pm. What is the latest you would feel comfortable leaving Berlin with a hired driver?

Hi,

If I were driving I would be leaving at least three hours before on-board time but if you are hiring a local, professional driver he/she will know how much time to allow, where all the possible trouble spots may be and be listening to the radio for traffic reports with a route B in mind if needed. They know how important it is not to miss the ship and their reputation, and therefore future business with cruise ship passengers, depends on getting you back in time.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Gosh, I haven't driven on the Autobahn in 45 years, since my days in the service in Germany. I'm sure things have changed and Anni can help us with this, but back then, the mortality rate for people driving the Autobahn was highest in the world. People are NUT's driving those roads.

Are there still no speed limits on most of the roads (or close to no speed limits).

 

Personally, while the thrill of driving may be great, since you still have to take the train to get into Berlin, I would just opt for the train all the way, or book a tour. A whole lot safer and relaxing.

 

Cheers

 

Len

Hi Len,

Yes, things have changed. :D There is still no speed limit on most of the autobahns but I am continually amazed how low the fatal accident rate is here in the North (I can't speak for the rest of the country), especially compared to Australia where there is a speed limit.

The speed limit on other roads varies between 70k and 100k depending on the road but it is always 30k through villages and towns.

I do not drive here (too old a dog to teach new tricks - like swapping sides of the road) but travel frequently as a passenger and I have to admit that I feel far safer here than the motorways in either England or Australia where I do drive. Although they drive very fast, drivers on the autobahn are very disciplined and stick to the rule which leaves the far right lane free for fast, overtaking traffic. No trucks allowed in that lane and you must get back to the left immediately after overtaking. In fact I would much rather travel at 150k on the autobahn with overtaking cars leaving you feeling like you were standing still than travel at 70k on minor roads with idiots who think they are on the autobahn overtaking in dangerous situations.

It is more relaxing to go by train to Berlin but unfortunately the schedules do not fit in well with the arrival and departure times of the cruise ships and the actual journey takes up to 1 hour longer. From a cruise ship docking at 7am, by the time you get to Berlin by train you could have been sightseeing in the city for two hours if you had travelled by coach or car.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

As one who often rents cars in Europe (on both cruises and extended driving trips) we would offer one important caveat. It is a long way (nearly 200 miles) between Warnemunde and Berlin. When driving that kind of distance during a port day one should always have a good "Plan B" which is what to do in the event you would miss the ship. Depending on your ship's itinerary this can be a major problem (especially if the following port is St Petersburg). We would only consider a rental car (at this port) if we could catch the ship the following day.

 

It is not that we are alarmists, but just experienced independent travelers (and cruisers) with over forty years experience. Most of the time independent travel is wonderful. But there are times that things can go horribly wrong (like getting stuck on the Autobahn because of a major accident) and one needs to be prepared.

 

Hank

I agree. You have said what I tried to say but done it so very much better, thanks. :)

Just a small point - the distance is 201 kilometers or 125 miles, travel time on the autobahn about 2 to 2.5 hours.

Anni

When I'm in need of help, a credit card is more use than a passport. All a passport will do is get me across borders, and if I'm in Germany that won't be an insurmountable problem. As for being unidentifiable, the only way that's likely to happen is if I've been mugged and robbed of everything I possess (including my diary) - so I won't have a passport either way.

 

Possibly I'm breaching German law by not having official government ID - I'll take the risk. I hate that law anyway.

As a visitor to Germany you are not breaching German law. I clearly said (quote) German citizens are required to carry identification at all times, they have a card for this purpose. As a resident non-citizen in Germany I am advised to carry my passport for the same purpose.

Most Germans regard this law as sensible and are quite surprised that other countries do not require their citizens to carry ID. Please note that I said surprised at another country's laws not critical of them or refusing to comply.

Neither are you breaching EU law as long as you do not cross a border between Schengen countries. When crossing from one country to another passports are rarely, if ever, checked but the law says you should carry one.

It really comes down to personal choice and your willingness to observe the laws of the countries in which you are travelling, however much you disagree with them.

thank you, Travelanni!!!! I was hoping you would respond. so you think it's a reasonable thing to do? my brothers are really into the driving so I'd like to do it this way to make them happy as long as it's not a dumb idea.

It is a reasonable thing to do as long as you are comfortable with driving in Germany. At least you are, unlike me, on the same side of the road!

The autobahn is great and the signage international so, together with a GPS, navigation is not a problem.

My advice would be not to drive into the city but to park at an s-bahn station close to the autobahn and take a train from there. If you come in on the E26 the closest s-bahn station to that road is Schulzendorf. Or if you carry on down the E55 then the 114 you have a choice between Berlin-Blankenburg and Pankow-Heinersdorf, both quite a bit closer to the city. Maybe someone who has done it can come up with a better suggestion.

As I said, just make sure you allow for unforseen delays on the way back. They do not happen often but can be real hold-ups when they do. If you understand German then a good way to avoid problems is to listen to a local radio station. Their road reports are excellent.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Sorry, Anni, but statistics prove that loss or theft of a passport ashore is actually a much much greater risk & carries greater consequences than being stranded without it - whether stranded due to accident, illness, or even simply getting back to the pier in time.

This is why cruise lines advise folk to leave their passport in the cabin safe unless they're obliged to take it ashore - such as in SPB.

Consular help is available with or without a passport, though a photocopy with passport number, place of issue, etc makes it easier.

 

But there are risks either way, and whether to carry your passport ashore is a question of what you feel most comfortable with.

Mine stays in the cabin safe.

 

BTW it is policy, certainly for most cruise lines, that if a passenger doesn't return to the ship when it's due to sail, the cabin safe will be searched & passports handed to the ship's port agent before casting-off. Not 100% guaranteed, but it greatly reduces the risk of being stranded without passport.

Port agent's contact details always in ship's daily news-sheets.

 

JB :)

Hi John,

I take your points as regards cruise ships and consular help. Never having had much experience of this kind of travel I heed what your experience is telling me.

It would be interesting to see the statistics of passport theft broken down first into areas, ie. Europe, Asia, Middle East etc. and then how many were stolen from people stupid enough to let them out of their sight. Example, one of the guys involved in the latest incident who admitted he had his passport stolen when he left it as deposit on a motorcycle rental in Thailand !

However, as you say it is a matter of being comfortable with what you do. I am used to carrying my passport at all times here in Germany and the Captains of cargo ships (my usual form of 'cruising') insist that you have your passport with you when going ashore, the same as crew members. So I think I will stick to what I am used to.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Yes to Russia, no to Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and don't know to Estonia. You'll be told in the daily newspaper if you need to carry them.

German citizens are required to carry identification at all times, they have a card for this purpose. As a resident non-citizen in Germany I am advised to carry my passport for the same purpose.

I would personally never consider travelling in a foreign country without my passport, it is a safety net in case you have an accident or anything happens to you and you need consular help. If you have it in a safe place and never let it out of your sight, theft is a smaller risk than being stranded without access to help or unable to be identified.

Anni

I'm going to be honest, I have not read through this entire thread. I just wanted to see if there is any speculation of what ports might be substituted for a 2-day SP stop IF the cruise lines decide to cancel? We will be on the NCL Star in the middle of June.

With around 250 berths booked in St Petersburg for 2014 the cruise ship companies would be flat out finding alternative berths in an area where berths are booked months, or even years, in advance and demand is rapidly outstripping supply. Many of those booked into SPB are the larger ships whose alternatives are limited because of their size and most of them already already have the ports which can handle the bigger ships in their schedule.

It would seem to be very short-sighted of Russia to stop the cruise ships coming to a city on which they have spent millions precisely to attract that part of the tourist market. 250 x an average of 2000 passengers is a lot of money to take out of the economy to say nothing of the livelihoods of the tour operators who are there solely because of their government's visa policy.

I do not intend to cancel, if there is no SPB then so be it. It will be an important part of my cruise simply because a cruise is the most convenient way to visit Russia, but certainly not the be-all and end-all.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

I was all set to go with SPB Tours in Berlin and then my brothers said they want to rent a car at the cruise terminal and drive the autobahn to Berlin instead.

 

Has anyone done this? It does not seem to be a popular option and I'm not sure it's a good idea. Would we have to wait around for the car rental place to open?and could we drop off if they were closed by the time we return? How horrible is it to try and park in Berlin? I suspect navigation would not be much of a problem due to GPS.

 

What do you think? Should I talk them out of this and go w SPB?

Hi,

There are at two car rental firms offering pick-up and drop-off at the cruise terminal in Warnemünde. As they have located depots there specifically to serve the cruise ships I assume that they tailor their hours to suit the ships schedules. Both web sites are in English.

http://www.europcar.com/car-rental-R...RNEMUENDE.html

http://www.sixt.com/car-rental/germa...nde-cruise-ctr

I do have personal experience of booking on-line and hiring from both these companies in various countries and have always been satisfied with their service.

Hiring a car would be the quickest and most comfortable way and there is a big car park near the Central Station or, if you don't want to waste time driving in the city traffic, all the suburban stations on the s-bahn line have car parking and frequent trains into the city. The only thing you have to consider carefully is allowing enough time to get back in case of traffic hold-ups. The coach drivers, who know the roads, always have a 'route B' in mind but this is difficult for someone not familiar with the area.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

PS I am not criticising other peoples web sites but please be careful to check when they were last updated. Things have changed a great deal in the last two years as the number of ships docking in Warnemünde has increased.

Probably a silly question, but what denominations would be needed to use a public restroom? I'd hate to not have small enough denominations and get ripped off. :confused:

In Germany you will need 10c,20c or 50c euro coins.

Prices range from 30 euro cents in most places (eg. shopping malls, department stores) to 50c in coin-in-the-slot or turnstile type and 1 euro (outrageous) in some of the big railway stations. The latter includes Rostock Hbf but to be fair, you do get a 50c voucher from the machine to spend in one of the station cafes!

I know it goes against the grain with non-Europeans to have to pay but personally would rather pay to use a spotlessly clean facility, and just about all public restrooms are cleaned after every user, than use a hygienically doubtful one for free

If you really don't want to pay, make use of the facilities free to customers every time you use the train, a cafe, restaurant or tourist attraction although these are sometimes unattended and not as good as public restrooms. However, hotels,restaurants and cafes where you are not a customer will charge you, usually 50c. You may find it difficult to just walk in, use their facilities and walk out again. Most hotels and restaurants like to know who is on the premises for security reasons.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Thank you, Anni. It's Royal Princess, arriving Warnemunde Thursday May 15, 7:00 am - 9:00 pm.

 

I really doubt we would take the ship's train because it costs $159 and to take a tour with SPB Tours it will cost $125. No brainer to take the tour in that case.

 

However if we could take the normal train on our own we might not only save money but get to see things we prefer. Not sure I care to just see all the buildings when what we really want to do is absorb the culture.

 

Thank you again! With a cruise like this, with 9 ports, there are so many decisions and plans to make.

Hi, you are one of the lucky ones whose ships schedule fits quite well with the trains, providing the ship is on time!

Assuming that you can be off the ship by between 7:30 and 7:45 this would be the timetable for the outward journey.

7:48 or 8:04 from Warnemünde. The former recommended as the latter gives a very short change time in Rostock.

8:33 from Rostock arriving Berlin 11:14

As you are travelling mid-week and before 9am the standard fare of 40.40euro pp. applies

The next train would involve two changes and arrival in Berlin at 12.52

For the return journey, assuming an 'onboard' time of 8:30pm, the latest train would be

4.44pm from Berlin arriving Rostock 7.23pm

7.36pm from Rostock arriving Warnemünde at 7.57pm

Once again standard fare of 40.40euro pp.

The other alternative is to take the ICE (top of the range train) from Berlin at 5.23pm direct to Warnemünde arriving 7.45pm. The standard fare for this train is 56euro pp.

The next later trains would not get you back in time for the ships sailing.

This schedule gives a maximum of 6 hours in Berlin.

Hope this helps with your planning.

Anni

PS Reading another thread I notice that you have heard that the train is hot and uncomfortable. I can assure you that this only applies to the rolling stock no longer in regular service which is chartered by the ships tours. The regular RE trains are modern double-deckers with very comfortable, open-plan seating and air-conditioning.

yes, definitely going to make it to Berlin, just not sure if we should do it on our own or with a tour. I think either way is good, no wrong answer!

 

Pluto_Fan, was it truly easy enough to do the train into town and see the major sites on your own?? We are fairly savvy travelers... but don't want to blow the opportunity to make the best use of our time.

Hi, if you would care to tell me your ship and your day of arrival I can give you some possible choices for trains to Berlin and the amount of time you will have there.

Although the train is a good option for we residents the schedules do not always fit well with the ships arrival and departure times which results in wasted time whereas the tours, both ship and private, leave as soon as possible after arrival and get back as near as possible to departure giving the maximum time in Berlin.

I am not a fan of organised tours myself but in this case I would certainly consider the transport only option if it is offered by your ship.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

Two Questions regarding travel options for mode and length of time between origins and destinations.

 

Question 1:Our Hurtigruten voyage will end September 10, 2014 in Bergen. We plan to spend the balance of the day in Bergen and take a train to Oslo that evening where we will spend the night the next full day and evening. The morning of the next day we will travel by train and a ship (ferry?) to Copenhagen. How long is the voyage from Oslo to Copenhagen?

 

Question 2: Upon our arrival in Copenhagen we will stay the afternoon/evening and night following our arrival, and the next full day and night. The next day we will depart Copenhagen for Warnemünde. What is the best way to get from Copenhagen to Warnemünde and how long does it take. We need to be in Warnemünde several hours before we board another ship at 7:00 pm for a 10 day repositioning cruise ending in Genoa, Italy.

 

In summary, what (if any) options do we have for Oslo-Copenhagen and Copenhagen-Warnemünde?

Hi,

I understood from the above that you would be staying in Copenhagen and travelling direct from there to Warnemünde on 14/9/2014

Danish Viking's timetable is correct but travelling via Güstrow has the same problems as via Bad Kleinen, no elevators or escalators, and does not offer the reduced fares. To me, whilst the train-bus-ferry trip is scenic, and on the face of it shorter, it is a messy way to get from A to B with luggage and offers a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong, eg the ferries are often late and disembarkation takes at least 20mins. Just a personal opinion, I love this trip but not if I have time constraints.

The direct route would be to take one of two trains from Copenhagen Hbf.

7:42 ICE to Hamburg Hbf arr. 12:16

12.25 RE to Rostock Hbf arr. 14.52

15.03 S-bahn to Warnemünde arr. 15.24

9:42 ICE to Hamburg Hbf arr. 14:16

14:25 RE to Rostock Hbf arr. 16:51

17:03 S-bahn to Warnemünde arr. 17:24

The 9 min transfer in Hamburg is plenty, just a matter of up from one platform with an escalator or elevator and down onto another platform. Same with the change over in Rostock. The ship is a five minute walk from the train station in Warnemünde. On both these options the special fares which I mentioned before will be available.

I am not trying to disagree with Danish Viking, he does a fantastic job here, just pointing out another alternative.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

There are no direct trains between Oslo and Copenhagen.

You can get a train to Gothenberg and the change to a train to Copenhagen, but we are talking about a 7-8 hour train journey if not longer.

But there is a direct cruise ferry (DFDS Seaways) deparding at 16:30 from Oslo that arrives in Copenhagen at 10:30.

 

From Copenhagen there are several options.

 

1) take the train to Lübeck or Hamburg, The train will board the Rødby Puttgarden ferry.

 

Then you either change to a train to Rostock from either Lübeck or Hamburg.

 

From Rostock you take the S-Bahn to Warnemunde a few 100 metres from the terminal.

 

Or you take a train to Nykøbing F, the above train to Hamburg also stops here.

 

Then take a bus to Gedser and here get the Gedser Rostock ferry.

 

In Rostock you will end on the wring side of the river, you will most likely pass the cruise ship when entering the harbour.

 

From the ferry terminal the cheapest thing to do is to take the shuttle into Rostock and then take the S-bahn to Warnemunde.

 

There is a tunnel crossing the river a little bit south of the ferry terminal so its perhaps better to take a taxi from there.

Hi, Danish Vikings directions are spot on but I would add one small thing.

As I assume you will be travelling with luggage it would be better to take the train to Hamburg main station and change there to a direct train to Rostock. If you go via Lübeck you need to change in Bad Kleinen which is simply a change-over halt and has neither elevators nor escalators. The two platforms are at opposite sides of the station (two flights of stairs and a tunnel) and the change over is sometimes a bit tight. Just a small point but worth considering.

If you require help with train times etc. please ask. The best site for up to date information on trains from Copenhagen is

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

There will be very good fare deals for Copenhagen - Warnemünde available for your travel dates on the above site from 10th June 2014. (the present offer for a ticket booked three months in advance is 39euro if booked on-line as against the standard fare of 101euro).

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Oh I didn't see that on the website! Its not listed there at all about group size although it does say there is a limit on how many can be on the tour, however , for the public tour there is no minimum listed at all.

 

Öffentliche Brauereiführung

 

Termine: Mai bis Oktober, jeden Do. um 11:00 Uhr (mit Ausnahme der gesetzlichen Feiertage)

Dauer: ca. 90 Minuten

Sprache: Deutsch (Infomaterial in Englisch vorhanden)

Preis pro Person: 6 Euro, RostockCard-Besitzer: 5 Euro, bis 3 Kinder unter 12 Jahren in Begleitung Erwachsener kostenfrei

Teilnehmerzahl ist begrenzt!

Kartenverkauf: Tourist-Information, Restkarten vor Ort erhältlich

Treffpunkt: Hanseatische Brauerei Rostock, Eingangstor, Doberaner Straße 27

Ausschank: ab 16 Jahren

You are quite right about the tours in German, any number is OK and the cost is 6euro but I was thinking of the tours in English

• Termine: ganzjährig, jeden Mi. 8:00–14:00 Uhr und Do. 8:00–11:00 Uhr und 12:30–14:00 Uhr
  
• Dauer: ca. 90 Minuten
  
• Sprache: Deutsch oder Englisch
  
• Gruppengröße: 10 bis 25 Personen
  
• Mindestalter 16 Jahre
  
• Preis pro Person: 6 Euro (Deutsch), 9 Euro (Englisch)
  

Anni.

Hi Anni. It is so kind of you to offer your help to all of us planning our vacations. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts or advice about visiting local breweries. We're docking in Warnemunde this July and will be there for almost 15 hours. Unlike many people, we are not planning to go to Berlin. We thought it might be fun to visit different breweries and try to sample local food - maybe even take a cooking class. Do you know of anyone who offers a tour like that? If not, do you know how easy it would be to do something like this on our own?

 

I know this is a bit of an odd question so no worries if it's not something you know much about. You seem to know a lot about the area though so I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

 

Thanks!

Heather

Hi,

The Rostocker Brewery does indeed offer tours but only for groups of between 10 and 25 persons, booked in advance.

The only other one is a micro-brewery with a large restaurant in the forest opposite the zoo. The web site is in German only but if you put Brauhaus Trotzenburg into your search engine and hit 'translate this page' the translation is not too bad. Some of the ships tours include this one but it is easy to reach on your own by taking a #6 tram, direction 'Neuer Friedhof' - to the stop 'Zoo', from the main station or any stop in the city. The local day ticket covers this ride

I agree with Sauer Kraut as regards the local cuisine - fish it is, cooked and served in every way imaginable. All the restaurants around the Alte Strom (the Old Channel which is now a harbour) in Warnemünde have menus outside, many of them in English, so it just a case of strolling and stopping wherever takes your fancy.

If you want to eat in Rostock, Zur Kogge on the harbour has a great atmosphere and is decorated with memorabilia of the time when this was the centre of Rostocks seafaring activity. The food is good too! http://www.zur-kogge.de/en/index.html

Or you could do as the locals do and try Bratwurst in a roll, eaten standing at one of the street stalls. Enjoy.

Happy cruising, :)

Anni

As I no longer live in Rostock I am now writing as Travelanni on the thread - Welcome to NE Germany.................

Hi Anni,

 

Need your help again. I heard from another prospective guide who suggested the following for a 10 hour day: driving to Gustrow and walking through the town; scenic drive to Waren where we'd have lunch; boatcruise on Muritz Lake; drive to Basedow to visit the church and castle; and then back to Warnemunde.

 

Sounds like these are the hidden gems that are away from the more touristy towns.

 

Have you been to these places and do you have any thoughts or comments on that itinerary?

 

Thanks!

Hi, I can't be of much help here as although I am familiar with Güstrow I have not heard or seen anything of sufficient interest to make me want to visit Waren and Basedow is inaccessible by public transport.

Güstrow has a small Schloss, once the seat of a minor branch of the Mecklenburg ducal family, and a tiny but fascinating museum of nativity cribs. My feeling about the town itself is that it is a good example of a small town of the DDR era when they had just started to restore and renovate a little.

Waren - Muritz is a spa town and the centre of the Mecklenburg Lakes district. Although founded in the middle ages it has been destroyed by fire and war many times and also suffered in the 1970's when the regime of the time destroyed a lot of buildings to modernise the traffic system, so the majority of the buildings date from the 1800's and later. The biggest attraction is the biggest fresh fish aquarium and information centre in Europe. The boat cruise commentaries are in German only. The only info I can find in English is:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waren_%28M%C3%BCritz%29

Basedow is a renaissance Schloss. the gardens have been restored and are open to the public. The sheep barn and stables have been converted into a restaurant and farmers market.

http://www.alter-schafstall-basedow.de/ German only.

The schloss itself is privately owned and it was proposed to restore and open it as an hotel. I do remember that last year on the 'Day of the Open Door', when otherwise closed houses are open to the public, my friend made a special effort to go there so I assume that it is not otherwise open to the public. I may be wrong.

Sorry to sound negative but I feel that this guide is not being very imaginative or helping you to make the most of your visit, I would have classed this tour as for someone who had limited time and interests. With 10 hrs and a vehicle at your disposal there are dozens of more interesting places to go off the beaten track: little rural towns where time seems to have stood still, villages full of thatched houses and barns, monastic ruins, other great estates and hunting lodges which have been restored and are open to the public, forests like Ivanak which is famous for its huge oaks and connection with Napoleon's horse, megolithic tombs and stone circles, Slavic forts restored as living museums - the list goes on and on.

Hope this helps

Anni :).

I agree that going to Nynashamn rather than sailing right into Stockholm is a disappointment. But I can't see any reason why passengers would be leaving and joining the ship at Warnemunde and St Petersburg, if I'm reading your post correctly. I've never known Princess to do this before and I'm not sure what would be the reason. Can you quote what you've read or post a link to it, please?

According to the Port of Rostock official schedule (http://www.rostock-port.de/en/cruise-shipping/port-calls/2014-port-calls.html) 4 ships, in addition to the Aida ships which are based there, will use Warnemünde as an embarkation/disembarkation port in 2014. They are Royal Princess, Norwegian Star, MSC Poesia and Costa Fortuna.

Anni

Hi again,

 

You responded to me on your "other" thread. (Thanks again!)

 

My group of 6 has decided to hire a private guide who will have a van. Now the question becomes how best to spend our day in late August. The ship docks at 8am in Warnemunde and sets sail at 10pm. We'll have the guide for a "full" day. Not sure what "full" means yet. If we are getting along well, perhaps we can extend the day a bit.

 

The guide will have some excellent suggestions for our customized tour, but we wanted your thoughts, too. Like most travelers, we enjoy history, pretty landscapes and medieval architecture. And good food! Most of our group is north of 60 age wise and none of us mind walking. None of us has been to this part of the world.

 

I'm thinking we'll want to have a Plan A, which assumes good weather, and a Plan B in case the weather isn't particularly agreeable.

 

How would you structure our day?

 

Thanks!

Hi, given your stated interests, I would head North to the Island of Rügen - something which is not practical by public transport from a cruise ship.

1. A stop in Ribnitz-Damgarten for the Amber Museum

http://www.ostseebad-dierhagen.de/en/the_region/museums/amber_museum

2. Stralsund - medieval buildings, great museums, UNESCO listed city.

http://www.stralsundtourismus.de/en/welcome

3. Rügen itself - beautiful rural and coastal scenery, the web site is in German but the photos give you a good idea.

http://www.nationalpark-jasmund.de/

4. Königsstuhl - great visitor centre, massive chalk cliffs made famous by the artist Caspar David Friedrich, stunning walks - through ancient beech woods or along the cliff-top.

http://www.koenigsstuhl.com/startseite_11.html?&L=1

5. Kap Arkona - most easterly point in Germany. Interesting lighthouses, WWll bunkers, remains of a 12th century Slavic Fort.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Arkona This is the only web site in English.

6. Sassnitz - typical, small German seaside resort. No web site in English.

For a plan B in bad weather you need go no further than Stralsund. If you include a visit to the world class Oceanarium (which highlights life in the Baltic Sea) there is enough under cover to fill the whole day.

As to good food - any of the above places have cafes and restaurants of every standard and variety. The local speciality is fish - prepared, cooked and served in every way you can think of.

I am envious - I have no car but if I had this would be my perfect day!

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

PS Have just re-read this and noted your time in port. Bearing in mind that nothing is open before 10am I would to go to the furthest point, ie Rügen first and work back.

Hi Anni. Do you know anything about renting a car in Warnemunde? According to the link you provided, we will be arriving at P7. Is there a car rental place nearby the port, and wiil it let us return the car in the evening? Our ship leaves at 20:00. Thanks.

Hi,

There are at two car rental firms offering pick-up and drop-off at the cruise terminal in Warnemünde. As they have located depots there specifically to serve the cruise ships I assume that they tailor their hours to suit the ships schedules. Both web sites are in English.

http://www.europcar.com/car-rental-ROSTOCK_CRUISE_TERMINAL_WARNEMUENDE.html

http://www.sixt.com/car-rental/germany/rostock/rostock-warnemunde-cruise-ctr

I do have personal experience of booking on-line and hiring from both these companies in various countries and have always been satisfied with their service.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Hi Anni,

 

You are an amazing resource!

 

I have discovered toursbylocals.com and see where a Karin S offers private tours in the area. Have you heard of her and if so, would you recommend her?

 

Any other guide recommendations would be great. We are a group of 6 who will be visiting on Aug 29 via the Marina and have from 8am-10pm to explore the region, which isn't nearly enough.....

 

Thanks!

Hi, thank you for your appreciation. As I have moved away from Rostock I am now posting on a different thread - 'Welcome to NE Germany - Happy to help you enjoy'

I have not heard of the company you mention or the guide but a lot of new guides etc. have popped up in the last couple of seasons, some excellent and some not so good.

As a 'local' giving advice I am not allowed to recommend guides for obvious reasons but I hope that someone who has visited Rostock and been happy with their experience will step in with a recommendation.

Enjoy your visit to our beautiful and interesting area, I love living here.

Happy planning and cruising,:)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Hi Anni. Thanks for posting so much helpful information on your web site.

 

Our ship (Marina) docks at Warnemunde on June 30 from 7 AM until 9 PM. We're interested in seeing both Wismar and Straslund, but they are in opposite directions from Warnemunde/Rostock.

 

Do you think we have enough time to travel by train and see both towns? Would you try to see both, or choose one over the other? What is unique about each town?

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

To answer your question- trying to visit both towns would not be a good idea. When you look at the time you have in port (14 hrs) and the travel times involved (Warnemünde to Wismar 1hr:42mins, Wismar to Stralsund 2hr:13mins, Stralsund to Warnemünde 1hr:05mins) it seems feasible but once you look at the actual train schedules it becomes a nightmare!

My personal choice would be Stralsund. It has everything Wismar has and more besides. It is a bigger town which means more ancient buildings, there is a wider variety of museums and churches and in addition there is the world class Oceanarium and the German Navy sail training ship which is open to the public. It is worth the whole day with perhaps a stroll around Warnemünde in the evening.

However, a visit to Wismar could be combined with Bad Doberan, Rostock or even Schwerin.

Bear in mind that if you wish to use a Mecklenburg Lander ticket it is not valid until 9:00. There are trains departing Rostock for all the above at a few minutes past 9:00, you simply need to buy single tickets Warnemünde to Rostock in addition to the Lander ticket.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

We will be disembarking in Wamemunde Germany off the Royal Princess on May 15, 2014. We have never been to Berlin and have a few questions.

 

What is the best way to get to Berlin from Wamemunde?

 

What is a must to see while we are there?

 

We will be staying 2 nights and we are looking for a a reasonable, nice hotel, which possibly has breakfast included,that is close to things that we should see, also we have a 9:00am flight out on Saturday May 17 from TXL airport.

 

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

I agree with SauerKraut re driving from Warnemünde to Berlin though I have reservations about a car to get around if you are not familiar with the city. The public transport system is excellent and very easy to navigate.

I would recommend using the train. The latest information is that on May 15th 2014 there is only one train direct from Warnemünde to Berlin Hbf, the CONNEX (private company) dep. 14:07 arr. 16:58

The alternative is the Regional Express service, which requires taking the s-bahn to Rostock, and departs Rostock Hbf. every two hours at 03 mins past the even hour, total travel time around 3 hours.

The standard fares at present are:

CONNEX - 27 euro pp. RE - 39.10 euro pp.

Connex tickets at this price can only be bought on the train or possibly from a travel agent.

RE tickets for 15th can be bought on line, from a ticket machine or on the train. Special offers available on line after 2nd February.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/en

Sorry I can't help with hotel recommendation as I always stay with friends but if you are using public transport the area in which you stay does not really matter.

The best way to the airport from the city at that time in the morning is a taxi.

Happy planning and cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com