Giantfan13

I know, Al, but that is what we will have to do if we want to catch the changing of the guard. We won't be able to fit the two museums into BEFORE the changing of the guard or AFTER the changing of the guard since we are only in port from 8:30-16:30. My husband loves taking photos and this changing of the guard ceremony appears to be especially colorful according to Terry in Ohio's photos. Between the changing of the guard and the English film and tour times in the Vasa Museum, we are going to have to make some sacrifices. We would appreciate your opinion on all of this.

(To make our schedule even worse, we may try to use the hour before the Vasa opens at 10:00 to do a quick trip up the Katarinahissen. THEN back to Vasa, THEN over to Gamla Stan, THEN back to Nordic. Obviously we will need to be flexible and we do realize that we may well have to give up something. I hope it is not our sanity.)

The sensible thing to do is to go to the Katarinahissen, then do Gamla Stan, then go to Djurgarden for one or both museums. This would mean missing one of the museums OR the changing of the guard. Tough decision. What do you recommend?

Paula

Paula

You will simply love the Changing of the guard ceremony. It runs about an hour, with full marching band and many ceremonies. You do not have to stay for the entire thing, as the band does play for a while. Try and get there a bit early, as they start lining up maybe an hour before. When we were there, the guards along the ropes didn't even let kids sit on the floor by the rope, they made them stand up to watch. If you want pix, get there a bit early to secure a front row place.

Here are a couple of short video's I took of some of the ceremony

http://s834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/?action=view&current=europemaster1366.mp4

http://s834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/?action=view&current=europemaster1373.flv

Cheers

Len

How was the Vasa, worth the trip?

The Vasa Museum is truly one of the 'can't miss' places in all of Europe. Even if you are not museum people, as we are really not, we went there to take a few pix, see what was there to see and move on, and we ended up being there for over 2 hours. The Vasa is remarkable experience and definitely not to be missed. You should do the movie when you go in, either in English or with sub titles, and then roam around on your own or go with one of the escorted tours.

Just remember, the lighting in Vasa is very very low and pix taking is very tricky.

Cheers

Len

How does turnaround day work when on a back to back cruise? We will be in the same cabin, so I know we won't be packing and disembarking.

 

But we will want to get off the ship and go and do something in Honolulu. Are we able to return to and board the ship anytime we like?

 

Hoping someone here knows so I can save an international phone call to find out!

We did a B2B on Carnival a couple of yrs ago. I'm sure all crusie lines work the same.

On debarkation day, we were told to stay on the ship, and meet at the info desk or purser's desk. After everyone had left, we we personally escorted off the ship and right back on. Yes we had to get a new card and new picture, establish a new on board account, but this was done way before any of the new passengers were allowed to board. Once we were on the ship again,. we had the ship to ourselves except for the crew. We were NOT allowed near our cabin as they close the halls to do all the rooms, but we were allowed in all the public areas. Once they start letting new passengers on board, you can then go eat once again and your new crusie has started.

Cheers

Len

Thanks, Len. I was wondering how that worked. I've looked at all the tours offered and they all seem fairly similar. I'm leaning to Anastasia.

They've guaranteed the price even though they only have 8 at this point and it seems to cover everything I want to see.

Harry

As has been said many times here, ALL the independent tour groups do a fantastic job helping all of us see St Petersburg. Each one has it's own merits and that is waht you should focus on. We chose SPB because of Viktoria and her personal touch. From some of the others, we got basic form emails,and we hated that. SPB also included several things in their tour package that others did not like free lunches and a free canal boat tour. When We asked if we could add something to the itinerary, like the Choral Synagogue, Viktoria immediately said, no problem. That I liked. I spent 30 years in a 'service' type of business, and know waht good customer relations means. A personal touch always gets better results. With SPB and Viktoria, I always received that. For us it wasn't about money.

Anyway, you will enjoy your time in St Petersburg, no matter which group you use. Have fun.

Cheers

Len

I have a question for the folks that have used SPB. I note that the prices on the standart 2-day tours depend on how many people sign up. Do you just wing it and see what happens or do they tell you upfront how much it'll be?

Harry

When we went last year, we booked the Standard Baltic Pearl package. We were given an approximate price depending on how many were in the group. As I have said several times, I got busy on our roll call and enlisted several others to fill out our group. In fact we had too many, where Viktoria had to form another group on another bus.

There isn't a big difference in the price, but the more there are usually brings the price down to about $300pp. If you want a smaller group, you will pay more.

Cheers

Len

In my cruise's roll call, I currently have a max cutoff of 12 people for our tour since people didn't want to be overwhelmed by group size. Now I have more people wishing to join our group rather than start their own, if possible.

 

If I increased the group to 20, would Viktoria be able to break everyone up into small vans instead of one big bus with one tour guide? How does that work?

From our roll call from last year, we had about 35 sign up for the SPB tour. They ended up using two different tour buses as Viktoria always has a max of 20 on any tour.

In your case, I guess it would depend on what else is doing that particular day, and if you make the request to Viktoria that you would prefer just whatever amount you would like on your tour. The more people, the cheaper it would probably be, but if you want just 10, I would definitely make that known to SPB. as was said, so many times, most of the major tour groups are very accommodating.

Cheers

Len

One member of our party is a student, and has an ISIC card. For the 2-day St. Petersburg tour, would there be a discount for that individual?

 

Thanks...

Just email SPB (Viktoria) and ask. She will bend over backwards to try and accommodate everyone and every possibility.

Cherrs

Len

My husband and I would like to do that tooo. I read that you have to take the boat or train. Train is shorter , Hope to meet you at the meet and greet, I just got on this site last week and Im not doing my packing.

If you email me I hope I get to see the message. thanks.Joan

You have a couple of options. We did the ferry back and forth but be aware that the last ferry back to Warnemunde from Rostock is about 3:30 or so. We liked that as we also wanted time to explore Warnemunde. Several people take the ferry to Rostock and do the train coming back so you can have a lot more time in Rostock.

We enjoyed the ferry ride. it is about 35-40 minutes, but not really much to see.

Cheers

Len

As was said so many times, the weather is unpredictable. That said, May would not be the best time to travel to the Baltics if you don't like cool, cool weather. yes, you may get lucky and it will be warmer, but if you have the time and don't mind a bit higher price, why not make sure the weather will be warmer by going a bit later. Cruise lines advertise those May rates as teases. They are very low but you may just suffer with bad weather. A Baltic cruise is a once in a lifetime event, so I would wait another month until some warmth settles over the area.

Cheers

Len

to those who asked about an order in how to see things. You definitely should try to get to Vasa as early as possible. it does tend to get very crowded as the day moves on. Wahtever time it opens, you should try and be there then. From there you can head out towards the rest of the city. They Changing of the Guard usually takes place about noon, but from Vasa to Gamla Stan should take abouty 15-20 minutes.

Cheers

Len

Re: touring St. Petersburg. Was the tour for 2 very expensive? We would like to join a larger group with thids company but if not able to there may only be 2-4 of us in our group. Did you go by car? QWe are going to be in St Petersburg on a cruise in Sept 2010.

Hi Greenlaker

First of all, did you check the roll call for your cruise. You can always post something there asking if anyone else is interested in joining your group.

Obviously, the more people on each particular tour, the cheaper it will become. SPB tours usually limits it to 20 people, and, at that, you should be paying aobut $300 PP (last years rates). If you only have 2-3 couples, you will probably be paying more. Viktoria does a great job in trying to get more people on each tour if so desired. There may be other ships in port that day to try and get more people. Many people like the idea of just 2-3 couples as you get more info and a lot more personalized service.

For that small of a group, I'm not sure what the transportation is, but of average groups, they have these small mini buses that are A/C and very comfortable.

Cheers

Len

If it's the one I'm looking at, I have asked about doing an evening tour by itself and Viktoria says it's doable. Problem is I think you need a group to go with. She is trying to see if any of her clients for that date are interested and I am going to try to drum up interest on my cruise, who knows how that will go.

That is EXACTLY what you have to do. Before we went, I went to our roll call, and no one was really doing much of anything. Well, I sort of took the bull by the horn, as they say, and started telling everyone about SPB tours. before long, i had about everyone on the roll call signing up with SPB. As I have said before, we had enough to almost fill two buses, and they ALL had a marvelous time.

Go to the roll call, and try and drum up some business.

Cheers

Len

Depends on how much time you have there.

For us, this was our shortest post, but the one we liked the best. Just wish we had a lot more time to explore this fascinating city.

Cheers

Len

You should try and get to Vasa first. Most people try and get there as arly as possible, before the crowds start to fill the place up. from there youcan do a boat ride to the Palace and the Changing of the Guard, and after that, Gamla Stan is a short walk from the Palace.

Cheers

Len

Thank you so much for the advise and pictures. Since the last ferry is so early, if we are having a good time in Rostock we may just take the train back!!!!!!

Thanks for the kind word on the pix.

To be honest, I'm not sure. I know we bought a round trip ticket on the ferry when we were going to Rostock. They sort of come around once you are on board, to pay for the trip.

I wouldn't want to steer you the wrong way about the train, as I just do not know.

I'm sure some one will be able to give you more info on that.

Cheers

Len

I asked this question on my roll call but I am not sure if the person I asked is allowed to answer. So here, goes:

 

We have decided just to take the boat ride from Warnemunde to Rostock and back. We want to visit the Old Town in Rostock. Can you tell me how far that is from the pier? Any good pubs you would recommend near Old Town or the market for lunch and a couple of brews? We have heard here on Cruise Critic that Zur Kogge is a nice old pub by the water, true?

 

Thanks for any help you might provide,

 

Tom

Tom

Glad you asked. sorry I cannot recommend a pub, but we did do the ferry from Warnemunde to Rostock and back. The ferry is not very far from where the ship docks. the exact directions I cannot give you, but if you see Heinblod anywhere around on these boards, he can give exact directions. He did it for me. In all reality you will not get lost as the ferries leave right from the harbor area, so follow the crowd and you will find it. Not all the boats are those ferries, just look for the sign for the one going to Rostock.

The ride is nice, not the best of scenery, but it is pleasant. about 1/2 hour to 40 minutes each way. One one leg they did a running commentary of what we were passing, but it was all in German, so we spent the time admiring the views. We did pick up that they were making a lot of sarcastic comments about our ship (the Jewel) when they past it, as many of the Germans were snickering.

Warnemunde is an OK town.

after we returned on the ferry (be sure to check the last times the ferry returns,as it was fairly early {like 3 ish}) we walked down to the beach area and hung around the lighthouse area.

Rostock is a nice little town. Very European in look, and quite a few nice shops. As for attractions, there were some, but we spent the day walking around, stopping for some delicious pastries, and doing some shopping. They have quite a few book stores where we bought some great German calendars as gifts.

Here are a few or my pix of Warnemunde and Rostock to give you an idea of what's there

Rostock's main area

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe381.jpg

Town Square in Rostock where you can just sit and relax, get a brew, or something to eat

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe407.jpg

Interesting shoe store in Rostock, shoes put on the steps to sell

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe387.jpg

Some of the more interesting buildings in Rostock

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe391.jpg

In Warnemunde along the main waterfront area

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster422.jpg

Down by the beach area, with the lighthouse and center

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe446.jpg

Just a tip. When we were in rostock, we stopped in for a beer. they served it in this great sort of glass mug. We asked if we could buy a couple for souvenirs. they sold us TWO for 4 euro's and it WAS a great souvenir.

You'll have a great time there.

Cheers

Len

I mentioned this in another thread, but has anyone thought of getting, even the young children, their own camera's???. You have to pay a few dollars more for each camera brought into certain museums, but it might be worth it. You can get a very inexpensive point and shoot digital camera for each child and let them snap away. Being digital, they can see what they have taken right away.

When my kids were young, they all had their own camera's. Even if their pictures weren't that good, they loved the fact that they took them themselves and were able to take pictures of what THEY wanted to. It could keep children occupied for many hours, instead of listening to long lectures about museum objects or Russian history.

Len

Giantfan, are you a fan of the SF Giants, the NY Giants or just a fan of really big things?

 

As of this moment, sorry to say, a NY Giants football fan.

NCL Jewel at dock in St Petersburg, Russia

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe631.jpg

Don't know if this will help either. We used SPB for St Pete and we were thrilled with them. I had contact with Viktoria many times before we booked and she was just wonderful. We did not do the Berlin tour, as I had been to Berlin while I was in the service, and, for the reasons you have already said, it is a LONG day to see something that I had already seen.

On our St Pete tour though, we had almost 2 van loads booked with SPB, 16 on one and 12 on the other,and I know several did the Berlin tour also. On speaking to them afterwards, everyone, and I mean everyone was happy they did it and no one had any bad comments about SPB. In fact there were only raves. SPB is a professional tour group and I guess there will always be one bad apple along the way, but they are as professional as the next and they were simply a pleasure to have been with. They went out of their way to accommodate things, took us to several places that weren't even on our agenda and did all they could to make our St Petersburg experience the best ever. NO one had any complaints. I woud HIGHLY recommend them to anyone,and I already have.

Funny, but we didn't see ANY begging children while we were there in August.

I know you cannot predict the weather, but we also had a gorgeous, sunny day to visit Peteroff, and that alone make the desicion easy, Peteroff. It is just spectacular. Catherine's Palace is also a study in grandure, but for us, Peteroff's was the highlite of that day

I know Terry's pictures are great, but if I may add a few of my own

Catherine's Palace

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe714.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe669.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe685.jpg

As you can see, a Giants fan, even in Russia

Peteroff

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe718.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe721.jpg

(water goes right out to the Sea of Finland)

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe730.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe742.jpg

As I said, we had just a spectacular day, and that helps make any picture great.

You can park your car at my house, here on Long Island, and I'll drive you in and pick you up for about 1/2 that. LOL

Thank you for the great info. Where can we buy the '24 hour travel card'? Is there a machine by the port that accepts credit cards??, Is there a tourist info booth near by??> I know we must have a ticket in order to ride the buses, but can we buy this all day card near the dock??

Do any of the HoHo lines come anywhere near Frihamnen on a Sunday. I was told there was a sort of link up at 10 AM to Frihamnen. Is this so??

And one last question (I hope) besides the Stochholm card, are there any sort of discounts for the Vasa Museum??

Thank you for the great info. Where can we buy the '24 hour travel card'? Is there a machine by the port that accepts credit cards??, Is there a tourist info booth near by??> I know we must have a ticket in order to ride the buses, but can we buy this all day card near the dock??

Do any of the HoHo lines come anywhere near Frihamnen on a Sunday. I was told there was a sort of link up at 10 AM to Frihamnen. Is this so??

And one last question (I hope) besides the Stochholm card, are there any sort of discounts for the Vasa Museum??