Giantfan13

Glad to hear you have a grand time on your cruise and your tour in St Petersburg. Most here know that SPB tours is a class outfit and will do everything possible to ensure that you and your party has the best time possible.

Any pics??

Cheers

Len

Thanks for the info. I may have to play it by ear. Doesn't really sound like it would be of interest to them. It is really hard to find something Warnemuende for tweens. My teens are going to Berlin with my husband. I would rather not go to far with my girls. We are considering a tour that does Rostock and Warnemuende but really, what the ideal thing would be is, just a walking tour of Warnemuende to get familiar with the area, then the rest of the day to explore and go to the beach. All tour seem to inlude Warnemuende and something. Anyone know of just a walking tour of Warnemuende? I like to learn a little bit about an area this way.

 

Also, are taxis near the dock in case we do decide on Karl's?

WG

Not to sound silly here, but a walking tour of Warnemunde would take an hour, maybe two, if you stopped for a snack.:D:D:D:D. The town is just a few blocks. The walk to the beach is about 10-15 minutes and you can spend a good part of the day over there. You have the lighthouse to climb up if you wish, but overall, you would be hard pressed to spend an exciting day in Warnmunde. It is a very attractive town, but most people usually venture to some where else, like Rostock, if you don't want to make the trek to Berlin.

Cheers

Len

Funny, but I get the same thing. I really do not understand why. this walking tour has been mentioned on thissite for a few years now.

Ifyou want to find it, just google Tallinn walking tours and it should come up under

www. B-r-e-n-t-j-e-s

Cheers

Len

Globaliser is correct in that if you don't know the main sights of London, you had better head on down to the local library for some research.

London is amass with wonderful sights that are world known. Now, if you have some special interests and would like some info on them, say WWII sites, or museums, or theaters, many here can help.

Since you do ahve a few days in London, I would also suggest you buy a pass on the HoHo buses, as was mentioned either the Big Bus tour, or the Original Bus Tour. One ride on them will take you around London, see most of the main sites and give you an idea as to what you might want to visit.

Also do not miss some of the London Walks http://www.walks.com/, just a marvelous way to see London and some of the best deals around. The Ghost tour or the Jack The ripper Tours are world famous and are truly good.

If you want to ride the London Eye, you can pre book a set time and pay on line, so you can avoid the very long queues that will be there.

Here are a few of my pics to help get you around London

Buckingham Palace--if you are there mid summer you can tour the Palace.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1421.jpg

Most every day they ahve the Changing of the Guard ceremony which attracts thousands every day

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1466.jpg

Big Ben and Parliment

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe125.jpg

St Paul's Cathedral-Make sure you visit the basement also

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2098.jpg

Tower Bridge--try to do the Tower Bridge Experience

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2128.jpg

Tower of London-Do the Beefeaters tour

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2127.jpg

There is just so much, much more.

Do some research and you will have a blast there

Cheers

Len

I know this is a thread for the NCL Master Card, but many pages back, they were discussing other options for better deals on credit cards for travel.

Here may be the best deal out there:

a Chase Sapphire Card. If you spend $3000 during the first 3 months you get enough points to get (ready for this) $625 back, either cash or towards travel.

http://www.chasesapphire.com/?CELL=6RRW&MSC=IQ35084228&jp_cmp=cc/03BRSapphireExact/sea/na/Chase&Sapphire

We have gotten it, and used it, and there are no gimmicks.

There is a annual fee of $95, but the first year is waived, so you can get it and cancel after the first year.

Cheers

Len

Here are a few of my pix from our crusie last year

On the Road to Emerald Lake

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/new%20alaska/alaskamain397-1.jpg

Sailing the Inside Passage

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/new%20alaska/alaskamain315.jpg

Sailing into Glacier Bay

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/new%20alaska/alaskamain479.jpg

Still in Glacier Bay

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/new%20alaska/alaskamain484.jpg

Still more of Glacier Bay

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/new%20alaska/alaskamain499-1.jpg

Eagles in Ketchikan

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/new%20alaska/alaskamain593.jpg

And our last night on board, a full moon

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/new%20alaska/alaskamain622.jpg

Cheers

Len

another couple of 'one post' wonders. After being on this board for 3 years, all of a sudden we get TWO, count them, TWO new posters who just happened to have used a tour company no one has ever heard of.

WOW

Now you know how Trip Advisors rankings can get a bit off kiltered.

Again, it's your choice, but like I said before, at least get quotes from some of the reputable companies who you KNOW will make it their business that you have a great time in St Petersberg..

Cheers

Len

PS maybe the Mods can do something about these tour people (one post wonders) who come here to push their agenda.

Frankly, in the few years I have posted here, I have never heard of this company. That is not saying they aren't reputable, but why take that chance??> Did you read the thread about tour comapnies in St Petersberg, where one poster complained about the company really ruining their stay there. Another tourist trying to save a few pennies, but at what expense??

As was said, ALL the independent tour companies in St Petersburg will tailor a tour to exactly what you want to see and what you do not. They ALL do it.

I just do not understand the fascination of using companies no one has heard of, but some one on TA said they were good. That could be the owner of the company, and their 5 employees.

Take the advice, or not, at least contact some of the major players in St Petersberg, tell them what you want and get some quotes. it is probably your one time there, so make the best of it. With companies like SPB Tours, you know for sure you will have the best time possible, so that's the way you should go.

Cheers

Len

I didn't use TJ Travel, but I also concur that you were not ill spoken to. The Russians have a way of speaking that is direct and to the point, with no frills attached.

I didn't do the ballet, so I will not comment on it, but the part about the guide was told just the way it is. You sign up for a tour and they use people who they believe to be highly professional. Sure some may be better than others and there is always a chance that you might not like your guide, but what would you like them to do about it??> They simply cannot change guides because you didn't like her and maybe the rest of the group does. They cannot put you on another tour with another guide as all guides are probably doing tours themselves.

I really think you are over thinking this entire thing. We very rarely hear from some one, back from St Petersberg, who said that their guide wasn't very good. Almost to a man and woman, everyone thinks their guides were 'the best', so you are fretting before you even start. Relax and I'll bet my bottom dollar than you will have a great time.

Cheers

Len

There you go.

As the Beatles once said, "It's getting better all the time'.

You will have a ball.

Cheers

Len

Just to add something. We did the ferry from Warnemunde to Rostock a couple of years ago. We docked in Warnemunde early and the ferry wasn't running yet, so we wandered about to town until it was time to get onboard. The ferry is about 35-40 minutes. it is a nice ride, but be aware it does not pass any interesting scenery, just shipyards and mostly industrial things. Also, be aware that the last ferry back from Rostock to Warnemunde was 3:30PM. If you miss that, you will have to take the train.

So that really makes it simply. Get to Rostock early since if you are using the ferry, you will be back in Warnemunde a bit after 4. We then, used that time to explore Warnemunde, walking to the beach, the lighthouse and such. A nice town, but, not all that much to do.

Cheers

Len

:D:D:D:D:D:D

Elaine

Those of us who post here, trying to help others who are thinking of going to the Baltics, or who have already booked a cruise, always say that you should ask questions. Even silly questions are valuable. If you are not sure of something and want to see if something like that has been covered already, do a SEARCH for a particular thing and you will find that it usually will have been covered already.

As for your questions. Depending on where your ship docks, how capable you are of walking (physically) weather outside and length of time in Stockholm, these are all things that need to be considered before some one can answer that question. If you are in good shape and can walk a couple of miles rather briskly, you can maneuver around Stockholm without any public transportation. Things are not close together, but they aren't miles apart either. Most people's time in Stockholm is short, so most opt for public transportation to get them from place to place as quickly as possible. Like a walk from the Vasa Museum to Gamla Stan is about a 20-25 minute brisk walk. On a HoHo boat or bus it would take 1/2 that and you won't be as tired.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Len

Hi - I saw your post on Swedish currency being SEK but will they take US $$ or Euros??

 

Thanks so much

Almost every country will accept Euros or US Dollars, but in the final say, it is up to the place you are trying to use them. That said, it is nice to have the currency of the country you will be visiting, and it makes it so much easier to buy things. Plus, if you do use US Dollars or euros, more than likely you will get Swedish Krona's back in return and get the worst possible exchange rate to boot. If you have to, charge most things.

Cheers

Len

The Vasa Museum opens at 8:30 AM June through August daily. UACruiser, will the Stockholm part of your late May cruise be in June?

Ah, I knew the old memory wasn't failing me. All that brain food is helping:D:D:D:D:D

Cheers

Len

Maybe Al; can get you some better info, as I really don't want to reread all the pages of this thread, but if my memory holds, and that is a shaky thing, I thought I read somewhere that the Vasa Museum opens earlier in the summer months??. They say 10AM, but I thought it was about 9AM during certain months. How about that Al???

We also had a short day in Stockholm (not as short as yours) and we originally planned on popping into the Vasa Museum, take a few pix, see what's all the fuss was about, and move on to our next stop.We are really not museum people but those thoughts went out the window the second we entered the Museum. We got hooked. We decided to watch the movie ( A MUST SEE). That is about 1/2 hour, and then we didn't want to wait for a guided tour, so we explored on our own. But, as we were exploring, we sort of listened in on other tours,and got more and more involved in this just fabulous place. We ended up being there about 2 hours (gift shop included). yes, it put a crimp in our day, but let me tell you, this was one of the best experiences I had, and did a lot to make Stockholm our favorite port on the entire cruise. It is a facinating Museum and you must hear the story and see what all the fuss is about.

Here is a very short video as to waht to expect in the Vasa Museum

http://s834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/?action=view&current=europemaster1357.mp4

Cheers

Len

I'll find out about that in a month or so. We are expecting our first grandbaby in January.

Another way to get more miles and points

Cheers

Len

Add us to the list that loved our time in Rostock. We took the ferry back and forth.

While on the ferry, I bought a beer and it was served in this big glass mug with the Rostock insignia on it. I asked the waitress if I could buy one and she said sure for 4 euros. I bought it and it made a great souvenir.

After getting back to Warnemunde, I thought I should buy another one for my son. I walked all over town, asking each restaurant, if they might sell me a mug, and they all refused. I finally went to a souvenir shop where they also sold food. There was a young man working there, and I asked him if I could purchase a mug like I already had. He went to find out and came back with a brand new one, 2 euros. I was thrilled and still use this mug most every day.

Cheers

Len

she was on full scholarship

God's be praised, you ARE the lucky one:):):):):)

Cheers

Len

Yes that really was the best program ever. At least I got to crusie paying for the kids college.:D:D:D:D

We started using the CapitalOne card when we did a Baltic cruise in 2009. They were one of the only cards that did not charge a transaction fee for any foreign purchases and we used that card extensively. Now that they have added a 2 points for every dollar spent, we use the card a lot more. But again, if you search around and are willing to use several cards you can get a few really decent deals. Especially if you pay off balances each month, so any interests rate mean nothing.

Cheers

Len

I don't know if things like this have been mentioned already, but there are several cards out there right now that you can do much better than these World Points programs.

I was part of this thread way back when we had the old NCL card and we were able to get great deals on cruises for points, but it just seems ridiculous to work to get 40,000 points to get a mere $400 off a cruise.

I have been using this card from Fidelity where you get 2 points cash for every dollar spent. Capital One has basically the same thing. With that in mind, if you spend that same 40,000 points you will get $800 back.

And if you want to play around with several cards, Chase has a Freedom card that gives you 5% back on several categories that change every 3 months with no fee. This quarter it is for Department stores, grocery stores and something else. 5% back when we shop for groceries and gifts isn't too bad. Chase also has a Slate card where you earn 3% back on most purchases till the end of this year and I am hoping they will continue it into next year.

None of these cards has any annual fee with them. I just have to try and remember which card to use for which purpose.:D:D:D

Oh, and BTW, Chase WAS offering $200 cash back when you made $1000 in purchases on that Freedom card. I'm not sure if that promo is still going but I did see an ad for $125 back on one of their cards.

Things are out there, you just have to look.

Cheers

Len

:eek:

 

That's debatable Len ... LOL, nice pic though. :)

 

Cheers

 

Al

We liked it Al. It is pretty touristy though. Probably made more for tourists than really old time pagentry

Cheers

len

So the visa required when "On your Own" applies only to St. Petersburg?

Yes, the only place you need a visa is St Petersburg. If you do a ships tour or an independent tour, your temporary visa is already supplied. Several people were thinking about getting their own visas for St Peterburg, and trying to DIY, but that really isn't the easiest thing to do.

As we all ahve already said, almost all the ports you will stop at are very easy to do yourself. Do some good research, buy a couple of books, Rick Stevens is very good, and ask all the questions you can think of. More than likely those same questions ahve already been asked and answered, so do a quick search and you will find the answer to many of them. if not just ask away.

Here are a few more pix to help get you, sort of, in the mood

Copenhagen has so many wonderful architectural styles and it all blends together beautifully

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster285.jpg

Walking around Tallinn, you never know who or waht you might run into

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe627.jpg

In St Petersburg, there is jsut so much to see and limited time to do it. We used SPB tours and they were simply marvelous. We saw so much and they treated us like royalty.

At Peterhof, the fountains are simply amazing

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster734.jpg

Church of the Spilled Blood

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe764.jpg

In Helsinki, one of the main sites is the

Church in the Rock, Not much from the outside, but inside it is like another world.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1103.jpg

Stockholm's Changing of the Guard is a wonderful ceremony, with a large marching band and an age old ceremony

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1306.jpg

Hope you enjoy

Cheers

Len

Two adults and two teens seeking advice on see these three ports. We have splurged on St. Petersburg and Berlin and need a good value for these ports. Stockholm is from Nynashamn.

Hi and welcome to our little corner of the boards. You have asked a great question and many here will give you basically the same advice.

ALL three of the cities that you asked about you can do all on your own. They are very easy to do and very cost effective.

#1--Tallinn. One of our posters put up a great walking tour of Tallinn that many, many on these boards have followed including myself.

http://www.*****.com/tallinnwalk.html

Tallinn is just a marvelous town to wander around in, finding little streets to explore on your own. You will have plenty of time to do this, or any walking tour, and to eat, visit anything that catches your eye.

#2--Helsinki another city that is pretty easy to do on your own. Most of the sights center around Market Square. You will need some sort of public transportation or taxi to get you from where the ship docks to Market Square, but from there, you can catch a tram (trolley) that sort of does a loop thru out Helsinki covering most of the main sights. With a pass you can get on and off at will and see most of the things.

#3--Stockholm--This was our favorite port. Since you said you are docking outside of Stockholm, you need to either do a ship shuttle into Stockholm, or take the train. some people mentioned that there were buses there, to take people to Stockholm, but I cannot guarantee that. You are about an hour away. Once you get to Stockholm, many of the main things people want to see are sort of spread out. It is easy to do it yourselves just by using a HoHo bus or boat. Most people try to get to the Vasa Museum ASAP. From there you can head towards Gamla Stan, the Palace and the changing of the guard. Gamla Stan is a remarkable area, with narrow cobblestone streets that just beg to be explored. It is crowded but you can always find small streets where there aren;t many people. We loved it and found several wonderful shops.

You can do private tours from each city also. If you go to each cities web site, them will inform you of several options to sue private tours giving you a good view of each city, but beleive me, you can do them all very easily, on your own and get to see everything there is to see.

Here are a few of my pix of the towns you mentioned to get you acquainated with them

In Tallinn, you will just love to explore the town, the old walls and all they hold.

Entering Tallinn thru Fat Margret Gate

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster511.jpg

When you get to the top of the hill, you have a marvelous view out over the rooftops towards the harbor and your ship

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe543.jpg

In Helsinki, as I said, Market Square is the main hub, and just a wonderful place to shop, eat or jsut get the feel of life in Helsinki

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster1150.jpg

Not far from Market Square is the Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1135.jpg

In Stockholm, a truly amazing place is the Vasa Museum, on every one's NOT TO BE MISSED list

Here is a short video of the Vasa

http://s834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/?action=view&current=europemaster1357.flv

From there, head towards Gamla Stan. As I said just a wonderful area to spend time and explore the narrow streets

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1262.jpg

Hope this helps. We have several posters who live in these cities and can give you specific info if you desire. Just ask away.

Cheers

Len

Hey Jane

Never say never.:D:D:D:D

Cheers

Len

Tallinn is just a wonderful city to walk around in. One of our regular posters put together just a magnificent walking tour of Tallinn, that many, many of us used last year, including myself. I haven't seen Rick Stevens walking tour, but it is probably about the same as this one

http://www.*****.com/tallinnwalk.html

It will save you money to buy his book or whatever. Just print it out and away you go.

But more than that, some of the real fun of walking around this city, is exploring things on your own. yes the walking tour is the outline, and gives you the places to see and visit, but you should take some time and wander around on your own. We did this several times, and found some really quaint little shops where we bought some things that we never saw anywhere else. You simply cannot get lost in this city, as you either go to the top of the hill and see the rest of the town, or follow the wall till you find an entrance or exit.

Here are a few more pix of Tallinn and some of the more unusual things to find and explore.

IN the summer, many wild flower grow and are in a stark contrast to the stone walls and towers

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe531.jpg

Some of the cobblestone, narrow streets, just itching to be explored

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe518.jpg

One of the many Russian influences on this city

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe566.jpg

Tallinn's main square, a great place to jsut sit and relax, have something to eat and just enjoy the entire experience

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster602.jpg

Old Hansa, where so many stop to eat. This IS the place

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster591.jpg

All along the outside of the town walls are these vendors selling remarkable stuff. You can get anything woolen, sweaters hats, gloves etc. it is easy to bargain with them and their wares are great.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe622.jpg

Cheers

Len