khank

Thanks everyone for the responses.  I appreciate the help.

We are sailing on the Ascent in December.  This will be our first Celebrity cruise; however, we are seasoned Royal Caribbean cruisers.  We are interested in booking Chef's Table as we have enjoyed it so much on Royal.  When we called to inquire we were informed that while we can book now, we won't know the date until after we are onboard the ship.  Did we receive the correct information?  I'm so surprised they don't provide this information in advance.  What if it conflicts with something we already have planned?  We are a party of 6 and are concerned that if we don't book in advance there won't be slots for 6 people.  Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

On 5/16/2022 at 4:17 PM, DogMama77 said:

We just got back from our cruise and we did whale watching with Hoonah Travel Adventures. Highly recommend! Saw quite a few whales and a bear on shore. Also, one of the places at the port has the best fish and chips I’ve ever had, make sure to get the halibut fish and chips.

Do you recall the name of the restaurant?  Thanks!

Henry Saxby is on Adventure of the Seas through Dec. 2013. Just sailed with him last month. We also had him on Oasis in 2010. He is absolutely the best. He has a very wide repetoire. Not only will he play standards from Neil Diamond, Billy Joel and Elton John but dont be surprised to hear Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody among others), the Rolling Stones, and even Pink Floyd. I mean how many times do you want to hear Sweet Caroline and Piano Man?

 

He is very engaging and funny without being over the top silly. The Schooner Bar was packed every night and we spent a lot of time there. I hope we run into him again!

 

By the way, Henry is Australian. Might be the same guy as in the picture posted earlier but can't tell.

Lee,

Who's on the Brilliance now? And will they be on our May 1 sailing? Thanks!

Karen

Thanks everyone! We will definitely walk back to the ship from Nyhavn; however, thought we may take the bus to City Hall to begin the walk.

Danish Viking - We will be docking at Langelinie on Sunday, May 13. What is the best way for us to get to Radhuspladsen? We want to do the Rick Steves walk to Nyhavn. Thanks so much for the info!

Our ship is docking at West Harbor. Is there a cruise shuttle to downtown to start the Rick Steves walk? Or should we take the tram? Thanks in advance for the advice.

Netto Bådene and Stromma´s canal tours has gotten a upscale competitor.

 

Hey Captain runs small 12 person boats (the others seats around 100) and they offer 1 free drink on the tour and else you can buy some more.

 

http://www.heycaptain.dk/

 

 

https://www.stromma.dk/en/copenhagen/

 

 

https://www.havnerundfart.dk/canaltours/index.php?page=forside.php

Thank you so much for the info regarding Hey Captain. My group has booked them for our day in Copenhagen. We'd MUCH prefer the smaller group!

I'm so glad I saw this thread. I recently purchased this https://www.amazon.com/Ceptics-World-Travel-Adapter-Kit/dp/B06XSJ14CX/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1522066313&sr=8-3&keywords=ceptics+world+travel+adapter+kit+-+2+usb+%2B+2+us+outlets&dpID=41Blbm55FPL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch to use for our days precruise in Amsterdam. The description states that it has built in surge protection so does this mean it will be an issue to have it in my luggage when we board the cruise ship (wasn't planning to use it on the ship, just in Amsterdam)? Thanks in advance for the help!

Check details on this Keukenhof site as there are a few options. One option is indeed the combiticket to/from Amsterdam incl. transportation both ways and entrance to the garden.

With Bus 397 (Connexxion) from Amsterdam city centre to Schiphol Airport where you transfer to the Keukenhof Express (Bus 858) to Keukenhof

Adults: €29,50

4-17 years old: €12,50

0-3 years old: free of charge

Other options: https://keukenhof.nl/en/plan-your-visit/how-to-get-there/#Combi Tickets

 

I assume you are aware the park is open only in spring.

Thanks, Ine. Yes, we are going in April. Thanks for your help - I was very confused as to exactly what transportation was included with the ticket as in one place I read only the return trip, and then another round trip.

We will be traveling to Keukenhof after visiting the Rijksmuseum. I know that we will need to take bus 397 to Schiphol Airport and then transfer to bus 858 to Keukenhof. I'm confused as to whether or not the Combi Ticket covers transportation both to and from Keukenhof, as well as entrance to the park. Or is it only the return transport and we would need to purchase our bus tickets separately to get to Keukenhof? I plan to purchase the tickets online before our trip. Thanks in advance for any info!

Karen

Thank you all for your quick responses. On our last cruise in December to Asia, we met a couple from Israel who will be travelling with us to the Baltics. They would like to go in August and leave from Amsterdam. We were thinking about booking Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas. Anyone been on that ship?

 

I am going to check the itinerary especially Stockholm and see where the ship docks.

We are on a Baltic cruise on the Brilliance that departs May 1. I haven't sailed the Brilliance, but I have sailed her sister ships in that class & I can tell you they are absolutely my favorite class of the Royal Caribbean ships. Lots of glass looking out to the sea!

ship's transport, bus #76 or taxi. See first posts for more detailed information.

Thank you. I didn't know if there had been any changes that I should be aware of.

Hello! We arrive in Stockholm on the Brilliance of the Seas on Thursday, May 10 docking at Frihamnen638. We are in port from 8 am - 4 pm. Our plans are to head directly to the Vasa Museum and from there we will go to Gamla Stan for the remainder of our time before returning to the ship. What would be our best means of transportation for this itinerary? Thanks so much for the help!

Karen

http://www.portsofstockholm.com/vessel-calls/ also see the threads linked in my signature.

Vessel calls for next season haven't been published yet you will berth at either Frihamnen F638 or Stadsgården S167.

Thank you!

Is there a way to find out in advance where your ship will be berthed in Stockholm? We are on the Brilliance of the Seas arriving May 10, 2018. We plan to head directly to the Vasa Museum and I'm hoping to know in advance where we are berthed so I can plan how we will get there. Thanks in advance!

Karen

Thank you both so much for the info! We have 12 total now in our group. 9 of us are going to Somerset WS and then on the caves/Swizzle Inn, the other 3 will be meeting us at the caves. We planned to spend our 2nd day with an early start going to Warwick Long Bay and enjoying the walk to Horseshoe Bay and spending some time at the beach. The thought was to go early to avoid the heat of late afternoon and crowds, and also to stay closer to the ship.

We are a group sailing on the Anthem of the Seas, arriving in Bermuda (King's Wharf) on Monday, Sept. 25 @ 9 am. We have booked Boston Whaler rentals from Somerset Bridge Watersports from 10:30 - 2:30. After this we plan to go to Crystal Caves and the original Swizzle Inn. What is the best way for us to get to and from these spots? We were thinking we may just take a taxi to Somerset Bridge Watersports (especially after reading the thread regarding the bus issues). I would greatly appreciate any advice on the best means of transport to these spots and back to the ship. Thanks in advance!

Karen

Hi Diane and Peter,

Alla will discount other tours in other ports if there is something you are interested in.

I've done a lot of reading about all our ports and I am going to explore all of them with the exception of St. Petersburg, on our own. Our plans, with the exception of St. Petersburg, is to DIY on all other ports:

Skagen: we are planning to rent bikes near the cruise port and ride to Grenen (4.7km) once there, walk or take a ride on the Sanorman (sand worm: a trolley pull) on the sand dunes to the beach where two seas meet. Climb the grey lighthouse. Ride back to the town and explore and have lunch. Take a ride to sand covered church (4km) ride back to town and have ice cream, shop, etc...

Helsinki: dock Hernescaai LHC berth..take RCI shuttle into town. Explore Market Square, shop, eat salmon and vegetables from a vender. Explore Esplanade park, Senate Square, Lutheran Cathedral, Uspenski Cathedral. Rent bikes from there or walk to Rock Church. If time...take ferry to Suomentlinna Sea Fortress.

Tallinn: walk 15 min to old town. Explore wall and towers, climb Nun's towers for a picturesque view of the red-tiled roofs of old town, Toompea Castle, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and upper town. Eat and shop in the charming old town.

Stockholm: dock Frihammen berth F634..take RCI shuttle. Walk along the water and cross bridge (2k..25 min) o (take bus #76) to Djurgarden to Vasa museum $15 credit card. Take ferry from Djurgarden to Gamla Stan (Slussan)$4-$5..Explore old town, Royal Palace and the many pedestrian streets.

Copenhagen: dock Ocean Quay 331 take RCI Shuttle

Take a canal cruise from Nyhavn

Hang out in Nyhavn and check out the Copenhagen street food market. Travel down Storget the longest pedestrian no car street in Europe. Roam around City Hall Square and Tivoli Gardens. Will try for a photo op at little mermaid.

Amsterdam: 2 days following the cruise. Planning a canal cruise renting bikes and pedal boats. Anne Frank House, explore Jordan. Rijksmuseum, red light district, a coffee house or two, ice bar, Dam Square, floating flower markets and more.

Check Vision of the Seas July 9 Roll Call if you are still interested in other port tours and sign up for meet and mingle.

Glad to have you in my St.Petersburg group!

-Sheri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheri

Sheri,

I'm hoping you will write a review after you return. We are on the Brilliance sailing May 1, 2018 and plan to do some of the same things you have mentioned. I'm especially interested in your Skagen experience as so little is posted about Skagen. Hope you have having a wonderful trip!

Karen

Thanks everyone for all the help!

That's a lot of people. Contact these folks to see what they could offer you. This is more of a no frills service.

Independent driver - 888-816-0973

inde.drvr@gmail.com

 

Country Inns would be a good choice for such a large group because as you pointed out, the Jersey Gardens Mall area offers food, shopping, and movies. If you have any folks with more than 4 people, you might want to call the hotel to see what they can offer you that isn't available online. I once got upgraded to a mini suite that had three queen beds - one in the entry way room and 2 in the back room.

Thanks 138east! You are a wealth of information in this area. I will contact the independent driver. If we decided to break up into groups and Uber or take a cab, do you have an idea of the cost? 5 in our group will be in the car parking at the port most likely; therefore, we are down to 9 needing transportation.

We are a group of 14 people sailing on the Anthem of the Seas Saturday, September 23. Most of us will be flying into Newark, and one group will be driving. I'm looking for a hotel for our group for Friday, September 22. We do not plan to go into NYC and since most of us will not have transportation, I'm thinking it would be best to stay near the mall where we can walk to food, etc. Considering the Country Inns & Suites as they appear to have the best rate. I know they have a paid shuttle to the cruise port; however, I've read that it can be a long wait for the shuttle as so many use it. Should we use just Uber or taxi, or is there another transport service recommended to get us to the port? Also, what would be the best means to get from the port to the airport after the cruise on Thursday, September 28? Thanks for the advice!

Karen

Which side of the ship do you recommend? Port or starboard?

Yes, you have 60 days from the original booking to transfer.

Thank you - you are always so helpful. And will that apply if I use an open booking number? I didn't have a TA assigned to that on purpose so I would have options.

If I book with Royal now, can I transfer to a TA for possible perks later?