Harbour20
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Posts posted by Harbour20
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We are in London for five nights staying at St. Ermis with points in August before cruising the Baltic. I chose it because of the closeness to the St. James tube station and within a ten minute walk to most of the places in the Westminster area. Also chose it for its intimate appearance and their reviews. It is different than most Marriott properties.
Good luck on your choice, you really can not go wrong.
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galliegirlie For the direct water taxi from the main port area to Vasa first thing in the morning, do you have to purchase the full HoHo boat tour ticket or do they have a one time use fee?
There is both the possibility to purchase a ticket for one stop and the full HoHo boat tour ticket but I don't know if you have to buy the full tour ticket for the direct trip to Vasa.I have been in contact with the Red Sightseeing HOHO and they state they will be at the berth early to arrive for opening of Vasa. However, I too have contacted the other company, Stromma, which also seems to own Royal Sightseeing and they stated they would be at berth at 10:00 even though I told them the ship landed at 8:00. Our cruise is in August and is in port for the same times as your ship. I would be curious to know you outcome after your visit.
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Yes there are two entrances. The closest is the western entrance called Hazeliusporten.
The closest route is to take a right turn when you exit Vasa, walk along the side of the museum, across the lawns and the across the street.
You could also go up the stairs at the side of the museum, past the Estonia memorial and through Galärvarvskyrkogården and then across the street.
Thank you, that is just the information I needed.
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Are there two entrances to Skansen, and if so which is closer to the Vasa Museum? We will be visiting the Vasa first and then want to go to Skansen.
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Desdichado62
You mentioned back a few threads about this boat service being new. Is it currently in service? I have looked on their website and I could by tickets in advance, but I am reluctant to do that without much knowledge of their service.
Any advice about purchasing tickets before arriving on a cruise ship. It would be nice not to have to wait in lines to get tickets. It also would be nice not to wait in line for tickets for the Vasa Museum and Skansen as well. Do you know how we could accomplish that?
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Hi, thank you for your appreciation.
A taxi from Warnemünde to Bad Doberan would not be a problem. There are usually taxis at the cruise terminal and the railway station. The trip would take around 25 mins. These taxis are obliged to abide by the local tariff regulations, see
http://www.hansetaxi-rostock.de/en/fares.html
Bad Doberan is just outside the Rostock area but I believe this tariff applies, if so then the cost would be approx. 25 euro.
It is not difficult to spend an hour in Heiligendam. By the time you have walked from the station through the woods to the promenade, strolled the length of the front and walked back again it will be time for the next train. This is the one place when you can see both trains together as Heiligendam is the crossover point on a single track. Great photo opportunities!
The #119 bus runs through Heiligendam to Kühlungsborn but I don't know if the timetable would suit any better than that of the Molli. The bus stop is quite close to the station.
A taxi from Kühlungsborn back to Warnemünde is, however, a different matter. It is right outside the Rostock area, 33k or about 55mins from Warnemünde so the driver does not have to stick to the above regulations. The tariff would probably be higher as he would be away from base for two hours with very little prospect of a return fare. For this trip I doubt if you could just pick up a taxi on the street so it would be advisable to book in advance and negotiate a price.
The return trip on the #119 bus is very scenic.
Difficult to suggest a wet weather alternative as it depends on your interests but the nearest indoor places of interest (ie museums etc.) and shops would be in Rostock. There is no one venue where you could spend an entire day.
Happy cruising :)
Anni
Thank you for your advice. Do I understand correctly, the bus #119 goes from Kuhlungsborn to Warnemunde ? If so what website do I see a time schedule with stops? That could be our best option.
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Hi Anni,
It is wonderful to read all your advice on CC and your website. You have helped a lot of people. Thank you for that.
We will be arriving at 9:30 am on a Tuesday and want a leisure day visiting the seaside resort areas. We want to take the Molli steam train to do this. I have looked into the bus 119 and train schedules but find we waste time waiting/rushing to meet their schedules. My thoughts to have this a more relaxing day would be to catch a taxi from the cruise port to Bad Doberan and catch the 10:30 Molli to start our journey. I realize Heiligendamm is very small and getting off the Molli would mean waiting an hour for the next, is there a bus that might be an option to take from there to Kuhlungsborn? We have then considered taking a taxi back to Warnemunde from Kuhlungsborn eliminating the return trip on the Molli.
Are taxi easily gotten in either locations, Warnemunde cruise port and Kuhlungsborn ?
What would your advice be for this day?
Also if it isn't a nice day weather wise, what alternative would you suggest?
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We did a segway tour in Warnemunde and it was fantastic. He took us all over the town, down the back streets to see the local farms and houses and then through a gorgeous walking path in the forest that overlooks the ocean. We saw more of that town than anyone else on our ship and it was one of our favorite days other than SPB. We didn't pre book or anything. Just walked across the street from the ship where we saw a sign for segway tours, jumped on a segway and got our own private tour of the town. If this is something you are physically able to do, I strongly recommend it.
How long ago had you done this Segway tour? Do they have a website? That sounds fun. Currently our plans are to get to Bad Doberan and take the Molli train then back to Warnemunde. Doing the Segway would be fun later in the day.
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We are flying Delta from the US in August and not sure what terminal we will arrive in.
Do you know how much advance time to book to get the better pricing? The currently very reasonable, but without knowing where we fly into, I couldn't commit.
From what I have found today, Delta from Atlanta will remain in terminal 4. Therefore, it would be in our best interest to take the tube. Service from terminal 4 for National Express Coach to Victoria Coach Station takes too long and the times do not coincide with our arrival and allowing time for customs.
Thanks for everyone's input, it has been very helpful.
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We chose to use National Express Coach since it means not messing with luggage and we have 3 people in our party with knee problems. They have the Heathrow Hoppa for 4£ one way, 7£ return. Worth looking into, less stress than trying to look after luggage and moving between platforms, etc. been there, done that and never again. Much more reasonably priced than the train if you have a bit of extra time.
Thank you for the advice. I have just looked into National Express and it would work if we fly into terminal 1 -3, with a drop off at Victoria Coach Station which is an hour trip. We would then take a mile cab ride to hotel. On the other hand, if we go into terminal 4, it would be over about a two hour trip and the time doesn't work with our arrival. Does't make much sense.
We are flying Delta from the US in August and not sure what terminal we will arrive in.
Do you know how much advance time to book to get the better pricing? The currently very reasonable, but without knowing where we fly into, I couldn't commit.
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Three separate lifts, with quite a long walk between two of them, I think (direct lift from ticket hall to Victoria platform area, not Picadilly). Also a couple of short ramps along the way.
I have posted this several times in the past, but the best source of access information to/from tube stations I know is the Nationwide Disabled Access Register. It has route diagrams and photos at each stage:
Thank you, that website was very helpful to actually plan the journey. It has me transferring from Hammersmith on District line or Green Park on Jubilee going to Westminster Station, depending on time getting the train. Westminster would be the best stop for us for our hotel. We are located a short distance from the station. About midway between Buckingham Place and Westminster station.
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In which case, you probably need to know that the step-free access to street level works like this: From the District Line platform, take the lift up to the ticket hall level. You then exit through the barriers. Bear left towards the stairs that lead up to street level. To the right of those stairs (between the stairs and the newsagent) there's another lift that will take you up to street level.
That is great information to know. Now from Heathrow, should I travel the Piccadilly line to South Kensington or Green Park to switch trains. I presume I need to make a switch somewhere to get to Westminster station.
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Victoria has no step-free exit either.
Are stairs a complete deal-breaker for using a particular station?
If not, then getting out at St James's Park station (note the correct name) is actually not too bad. Because the District Line is a sub-surface (shallow) line, the level change from platform to street is probably equivalent to about 1½ or 2 storeys of a building. If you can manage to get your luggage up that, then the small amount of pain doing that would be easier than getting out at some other station and getting a taxi. You want the Broadway exit from the station, which is at its eastern end (the front of the train when heading into town from Heathrow).
If stairs at a station make it impossible, then one alternative is to go on to Westminster, where there is step-free exit to street level. You can get a cab from Bridge Street right outside the station (and admire the close-up view of the Houses of Parliament while you do so). The downside of this is that getting from there to the hotel involves doubling back, and your route will be dependent on the experience, skill, honesty and chutzpah of the cab driver - some will just chuck a U-turn right there, and never mind the traffic; others will go around the block in a more sedate fashion, or over the bridge until there's a safe spot to do the U-turn before coming back again.
Thank you for your advice. My husband has bad knees and stairs are a big problem with luggage. We will get off at the Westminster station and get a taxi. It doesn't look far. Hopefully we will have a driver that will not take us all over. Anyway it will be much cheaper this way than taking a car service into town from the airport.
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St James's Park is not a step-free station - Street level to platform is by stairs only. - I suggest getting off at Victoria and taking a taxi from there.
See more at: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/stations/1000221.aspx#sthash.40ETKEIJ.dpuf
Thank you, I believe Victoria is a short distance to our hotel.
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We will be flying into Heathrow landing around 7:40 a.m. On a Monday morning. I am thinking of taking the Piccadilly Line into Cental London. We will be staying at the St. Ermins around the corner from the St. James station. I have two questions.
(1). I am assuming I have to switch at some point, which station would be the best?
(2). Does the St. James station have a lift or escalator to the street. If not what would be someone's advice as to where we should get off, where there are lifts or escalators, then maybe take a taxi.
I do not want to have to struggle with luggage we will have for a three week period of time, including a cruise. We will both have one large roll suitcase, alone with a large backpack and a large over the shoulder bag.
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Sorry, I don't know how I was under the impression you were looking at a 1 day tour! :o
We were very pleased with the SPB tour. They are very organized and have a significant presence in St Petersburg. You will see their vehicles and guides at the various venues in the city. We booked a private tour for the four of us, and there was a significant premium for that. You can see the sliding schedule on SPB's website. If I had to do it over again, I would just go with one of their regular group excursions. For the relatively minor adjustment we made in the itinerary, I just don't think it was worth the premium. We were able to see other SPB groups (16 person groups) right along side us at many of the venues, and they were getting in and out of places just as easily as our group of four.
Another consideration is that with their regular groups, you are provided a headset - through which you are able to hear your guide's commentary. In the private group, we were not provided with headsets. Even though there were just the four of us, often times it was difficult to hear our guide in the crowded venues.
I am happy to hear you came to the conclusion that group tours would be just as beneficial as private tours. I have had that feeling all along, therefore, have abandon any idea of private tours and will take a group tour and hope maybe they won't be fill.
I still haven't decided yet between the SPB Highlight Tour or TJ Standard tour, both two days.
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We are talking about different tours. We were talking about the Highlights Tour which does not include meals. The Deluxe Tour is a different tour entirely. Every company has all different offerings under different fancy headings. Some include a canal ride, a meal, a hydro ride, while others are more stream-lined and of course cost less usually too. When we went we made a conscious decision not to do it all. We knew that we would just be burnt out. It is like any other big city, NYC, Paris, even Disneyworld. Is it possible to do all? Of course. But will you enjoy yourself? You have to decide. We decided to eat small but authentic meals, and take the night time canal/vodka tour.
I am leaning toward the Highlight tour as well for the same reasons. How was the night canal ride? Did you go back on the ship after they returned you back after the day sightseeing? Didn't doing this make for a very long day and then having to get up and do sightseeing again the next day.
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We did the 2 day Deluxe tour with SPB, so I can't comment on the 1 day tour. However, we did customize the 2 day tour slightly for our group of 4 and made it a private tour. In retrospect, I don't think the premium we paid for the private tour was worth it. SPB uses mini-buses, and their usual group size is 16 people max. With the smaller buses and manageable group size, you can get around just as easily as you would on a private tour.
I agree that this cruise is port intensive, but I would encourage you to try to do something both days while in port. Perhaps consider one of the less active 2 day tour itineraries. There is so much to see and experience.
The SPB Highlight tour is a two day tour.
I am confused were you happy with SPB? Did you take a private tour or did the group tour happen to have only four people?
We have looked at T J Standard two day tour that is similar. but with one lunch and a hydrofoil to Peterhof. I have also looked at Alla comfort two day tour and they have a canal boat ride which I like. It is so difficult to decide.
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Has anyone done the Highlight tour with SPB for St. Petersburg? I am having trouble making a decision about which tour group to use while we are there for two days. After visiting four ports prior to St. Petersburg, I do not want to get overloaded while their. We want to see some of the sites but we do not feel we need to cover everything in two days. The obvious thing to do is get a private tour and have it customized to our liking but it would be too expensive for just the two of us. I have tried to get interest from my roll call but it seems everyone wants to "do it all" while they are there.
TJ travel has a two day standard tour and Alla has a comfort tour, both similiar to SBP.
What to do, any suggestion welcome.
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Has anyone experienced taxis that great passengers port side and offer four hour tours around the country side of either of these ports. We got one of these in Kotor, Montenagro and it was the our best experience on our 11 day Adriatic Sea cruise.
We are in both these ports for long days 9-11:59. It might be a good opportunity to get away from the cities and see the real country in the morning and then have all afternoon, early evening to view the city.
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Has anyone experienced getting a taxi at any of the ports of the Baltics that will tour you around the country side for about four hours for a flat rate. We did this in Montenagro at the Kotor port and it was the best experience we had on our Adriatic cruise.
I am looking to do it at Wamemunde, Helsinki or Talllinn ports.
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I had written Rony's taxi a week or so ago about adding a third van to the 2 already in place. They just responded today. I had already reserved with another company because of the delay in Rony's response.
He seemed confused when I said I went elsewhere about the two vans already booked by Rew. This is my email back to him today.
"They remain separate from me. Other Cruise Critic members contacted you and they will expect the vans to be there from your company. Be sure you stay in touch with your contact person Rew!
I was just looking to add another van but when I did not hear back from you in a timely manner, I went elsewhere.
Again, the 2 vans reserved from Rew must remain in your reservation system."
Maybe Rew should email them to double confirm.
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Thank you for your input Captain Hughes. It gives me a starting point to work with. Celebrity offers us the things we want to do but it would be a lot of waisted time back and forth to ship to catch the next trip. There are just two of us now and the expense of a totally private tour would be too much so would need to find someone that is interested in the same type of stops we want. Thanks again for your help.
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Hi
We are on Arcadia Baltic cruise in May and have booked a private custom tour for the 4 of us with TJ Travel after having seen good reviews for them. We asked them to provide a tour that took in our specific interests i.e Siege of Leningrad museum and Artillery museum as we found the other tours a little to Palace/Cathedral dependant for us. We are also going to the Hermitage and Peter and Paul Fortress and having a detailed 3 hour sightseeing tour of the city. Price per person $235 which I thought was excellent as it is a private tour for just 4. All correspondence with TJ was quick, efficient and organised and we already have our tour tickets emailed to us ready for our trip.
I have been corresponding with them as well but haven't gotten a price or option like that. Sounds reasonable. "The cost of the private tour above is 550 USD pp for 2 people and 230 USD pp for 16 people". That is my quote for a full day private tour. I really wanted what you asked for but was not given an option like that. I may have to try again.
Do you need advice about Stockholm?
in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea
Posted
I am curious, which ferry company said they will be at the cruise ship when it docks at 8:00. Our ship also arrives on a Thursday at Stadsgarden and I have read from other cruisers from past cruises saying they got a ferry as soon as they disembarked their ship to go to Vasa.
I hope to be able to do this and be flexible for our return trip over to Gamla Stan. I want to purchase single tickets for flexibility as I am only interested in just two trips, not full day trips.