Impressions of the Baltic Cruise

In our “Aboard the Crown in the Baltics” posting we promised to post a full trip report of the cruise when we returned. Since there have been several comprehensive Crown Princess Baltic Sea trip reports posted recently, I shall cut to the chase and instead provide only key impressions of each of the ports visited, the ship, as well as some hints from our May 30-June 9th cruise.

Copenhagen: It is well worth at least 2 days to visit Copenhagen and some of the great attractions a short train ride away. Of course, in town you must see The Little Mermaid, some of the historic castles, Tivoli, and walk the Stroget and Nyhaven. Out of town, Hillerod”s Fredricksborg Castle absolutely is a must see.

Hints: Unless you are taking your cruise on an expense account, Copenhagen is very expensive in dollar terms. The 24 hour CPH Card is a good deal and not only is good for the city sites, it gets you out of the city to wonderful sites such as Hillerod and covers admission to the Castle too. If doing second day, the 10-clip bus ticket works well and gets you to all the sites in town. The # 26 bus will get you to the Little Mermaid and many other sites in town. For a pre/post cruise stay in Copenhagen try to stay in one of the city center hotels area near City Hall Square. There are several and they run the gamut of price ranges. You cannot beat using miles/points for your hotel stay. Vegetarians can find good, plentiful, and relatively inexpensive meals at either of the two Riz Raz buffet restaurants.

Stockholm: There are several sights to see. The Vasa Exhibit probably is at the top of the list. We found the Gamla Stan (Old Town) to be just another touristy area full of souvenir shops and cafes. It was not nearly as picturesque as Gdansk or Tallinn.

Warning: the Hop-on/Hop-off boat that you can catch right at the dock does not adhere to its schedule and takes a long time to complete a circuit.

Helsinki: We docked in the commercial/cruise port about 3 miles from downtown Helsinki. Rather than signing up for a formal tour or the shuttle bus, we opted to buy an all-day transport card from the bus driver and take the city bus into town from dockside.

It was a piece of cake. The #16 bus stop was only a block from the gangplank and the trip into the Market Square a 10-minute ride. We strolled through the market eyeing the lovely fresh fruits and vegetables as well as handicrafts of Finland. Following our viewing the market, we embarked on Tram 3T using the all day ticket for a 45 minute sightseeing loop around the inner town. From the comfort of the tram, and out of the cool light drizzle, we were able to see the main churches, government buildings, and main shopping areas.

We hopped off the tram at the Esplanade downtown and walked through the giant Stockman’s Department Store from the basement grocery market to the sixth floor pet shop – but bought nothing. After a bit more looking around the Esplanade, we hopped back on the Tram for the Market Square before heading back to the ship.

Be sure to ask where to re-board the #16 bus back to the cruise dock, or you will have to traverse the entire route of the bus—one hour and 15 minutes from Market Square back to the Ship.

St. Petersburg: First avoid large tour groups. Spend the money to take a private tour with the smallest group possible, I suggest no more than eight people in the group. There are several excellent private tour companies in St. Petersburg. We used Alla and she was very responsive to our queries and putting our tour together to our needs. Any more than eight and you really miss the experience of St. Petersburg and its sights. It is expensive but since every other port stop can be done easily on your own (At Gdansk use the Princess Gdansk on your own) it balances out.

We blew a portion of our kids inheritance on touring here. We booked an independent 2-day tour for just the two of us and we had a Mercedes, a driver, and a private guide at our disposal for the entire time. We set off with our guide, Elena, with plenty of time to spare before the special opening of the Hermitage at 10 AM. This gave us time to walk through a Russian super market and a fancy souvenir shop, get an orientation to the downtown area while Elena pointed out the major historic sites and landmarks. As a special treat we stopped at the Church of St. Stephan’s (not on the normal tourist list) while the morning mass was in progress. This was a moving experience as the singing of the small choir as well as the priest was particularly impressive. We also observed the small group of Russian Orthodox mass participants standing throughout entire mass in a fashion quite different than we see in Western Roman Catholic churches.

On a private tour one escapes most of the long lines and crowds at sites such as the Hermitage – but not entirely. The place is huge and crammed with a giant collection of major art works from old masters like Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Titian to the moderns such as Cézanne, Van Gough, Monet, and Picasso. Going though the Hermitage is art overload. You just cannot take it all in because there is just too much, plus the building itself is magnificent so it often draws your attention from the works of art. And, it is crowded with tourists even when opened specially for cruise tours. Incidentally, there are no Faberge eggs on display in the Hermitage.

The Hermitage took all morning so we adjourned with Elena for lunch to a small café that served Russian Perogies (Pies) and sampled a very nice local beer. The food was good, the sitting helped, and we were ready then to visit a real highlight for us: The Church of the Spilled Blood.

The Church of the Spilled Blood is unlike any historic church or cathedral we have visited anywhere in the world. It is the brightest and the most welcoming. Every inch of the walls is covered with bright colors, mostly fantastic iconic mosaics that appear from just a few feet away to be classical oil paintings. The church, built on the actual site of Tsar Alexander II assassination, is dedicated to him. As we reflect on the sites of St Petersburg City, the Church of the Spilled Blood ranks as the most impressive.

We then drove across the river past more columns and statues to another interesting historical site, to the St. Peter and Paul Fortress. The church within the fortress holds the tombs of many of the important Tsars, grand dukes, duchesses, and other notables. It is a visually stimulating setting and the church is beautiful. Despite all of the many wars fought by Russia, not once was the fortress called upon to defend the country.

St. Isaacs Cathedral was our next stop. A magnificent golden dome tops the church and the huge carved doors are among the most eye-catching sights. This enormous cathedral features impressive solid columns some totally covered with malachite and others with lapis, incredibly detailed mosaic icons, and the magnificent gilded dome. Interestingly, most of the great treasures of St. Petersburg were safely hidden away in the St. Isaac’s cellars throughout the siege of Leningrad during WW II.

As the day was drawing down, we stopped at another souvenir store and this one plied us with a glass of free Russian Vodka and sweets to urge us to buy something. We did succumb, but only a little, to make up for the Vodka and chocolates they served us.

We returned to the Crown Princess to freshen up before going to the evening performance of the Russian Folklore Show. Our driver Vyacheslav and Guide Elena were waiting for us when we debarked and went back through immigration again. Then they drove us to the theater near the Hermitage. As we entered and climbed three flights of stairs, we were rewarded with a glass of cool champagne before we found our front row center seats.

The performing artists were excellent and the show was bright, active, and delightful to watch. The costumes, dancing, singing, and traditional music all were superb. At intermission we adjourned to an anteroom for more champagne, finger sandwiches, and fruit.

With the late sunset, despite the hour when we left the theater there was still full sunlight for our drive back to the ship after a full, informative, and fun day.

St. Petersburg – Second Day

Our second day in Russia was dedicated to visiting sites in the nearby countryside. We were able to rest in a little later this morning and let the big bus tours off the ship before debarking and going through immigration (again) to be met by Elena and Vyacheslav and the Mercedes. We then drove through St. Petersburg and out into the country about 40 minutes to visit Catherine’s Palace and the famous “Amber Room”. While this Palace is very impressive and the Amber Room incomparable, it all loses a bit because of the huge crush of tourist groups that push through in hordes and the very narrow aisle allowed for the hordes to stand while looking about.

We were then off to another area of the countryside about one-hour away passing by many large beautiful Dachas to Peterhof Town to visit the fantastic Castle and the even more magnificent gardens that rival any other in the world. Next to the Church of the Spilled Blood, these gardens and fountains were our favorite site on the St. Petersburg port stop.

It is not possible to describe accurately the magnificence of the hundreds of fountains and cascades that abound through the 100-hectare gardens. The gold statues that form the centerpiece of most of the fountains glisten in the sun and spew water drawn from springs about 15 miles away and flow by gravity to each fountain. All of the gardens are green and highlighted by flowers, now mostly tulips at this time of the year. Toward the end of our two-hour visit to the gardens we visited the Catherine’s Block, a nine-room pavilion with original furnishings, ornamentation, and extensive porcelain that in many ways was more interesting to us than the more palatial castles and here we did not have to fight the giant crush of tourists.

Our visit to the gardens drew to a close with a walk to the pier on the Gulf of Finland to board a hydrofoil boat for a fast, smooth journey back to the dock at the foot of the Hermitage where Vyacheslav was waiting with the car to take us back to the Crown, ending our 2-day visit to St. Petersburg with all of its interesting historic sites and our favorites the Church of the Spilled Blood, the magnificent gardens and fountains at Peterhof along with Catherine’s Block and the delightful Folklore show.

Tallinn –

What a delightful city. It mixes the oldest preserved town of the Middle Ages in Europe with modernity and does it very well. Taking a cue from CruiseCritic.com postings by past passengers, we were among the first off just after 7 AM. We grabbed a taxi on the pier that took us to the scenic overlook at Upper Town. There were no other tourists in the area when we arrived so we had it completely to ourselves and were able to photograph the very old Alexander Neveski church, the Toompea Castle (13th century) and the city wall battlements without interference. After walking around Upper Town at our own pace and virtually alone, we began the downhill walk toward Lower Town passing by Kirk in de Kok Tower before getting to the City Hall and the Lower Town area full of shops and cafes along narrow medieval lanes.

Since at every stop we always try to see how the regular folks shop and live, we made our way along Viru Street through the park to an ultra modern shopping mall and enjoyed a stroll there and then down into the super market where we bought a few things before taking the walk back to the ship – again the long way and doing some re-tracing our steps after a bit of disorientation.

Safely back aboard, we collapsed, had a glass of wine, some fruit and cookies in the room to get ready for the wine tasting and Captain’s Circle reception later in the afternoon.

Gydnia/Gdansk (Danzig for history buffs)

We docked right on time and since this was the only port where we signed up for a Princess (Gdansk on your own), we met with many others in the Fusion Lounge to debark in a group to board our waiting busses on the dock. Once on the road we knew why there had been an advance warning of unbelievable traffic on the roads. It took just under one hour to make the short trip from the Gydnia docks to the Green Gate in old town Gdansk that had been the Free city of Danzig before WW II.

On the bus trip from Gydina to Gdansk we saw first hand a real Polish joke. With the sun beating on the large windows the meager bus air conditioning system could not keep the bus cool and some passengers were complaining. The driver stopped the bus and opened the roof ventilators – Polish air conditioning!

Once at old town we were amazed that the area was a mirror image of Amsterdam or Bruges. Our guide told us that Dutch architects designed the area in the 15th century. It really is remarkable to walk along the roads and realize you are in Poland and not Holland. In addition to our walk through the historical section, we got directions to the local “Department Store” (really a modern three story mall with a water sculpture in it!). On the top floor we indulged ourselves in a good old-fashioned American Subway sandwich---it really hit the spot. Then we walked through their super market as we try to do at every stop.

Finally, we walked back to the historic section to buy a souvenir of Gdansk, people watch, and wait for our return bus trip. The one-hour trip this morning through the height of afternoon traffic took just a few minutes less than two hours. Of course, during the Communist days, people did not own cars so the roads could handle the traffic. Democracy has brought prosperity and unbelievable traffic jams.

Oslo: In Oslo during our Sunday stop we met a friend posted there and after time at her place we visited the huge unique Vigeland sculpture park. The more than 200 pieces are the life work of sculptor Gustav Vigeland who used his sculpture in the park to present a human message that is well worth seeing. While walking through the park enjoying the grounds and the many, many interesting sculptures we saw several tour groups, including those from our ship.

She drove us back to the ship in plenty of time to say good-byes and take some photos of Akerhus Fortress and Castle. This Medieval castle and Royal Residence dates from 1299 with the fortress dating from 1592.

Return to Copenhagen for a day ashore

Debarking from the Crown was easy. All Platinum cruisers met in the Crown Grill as others met at various staging areas around the ship. At an appointed time we were sent to the gangway where there were no lines waiting to get off the ship. It was all quite neat and orderly and the “old system” of announcements of when to queue for unloading are gone.

Our luggage was quickly found in the yellow 5 area and we were then in the taxi line. It took about 25 minutes to work our way to the head of the line and our taxi driver pointed out places of interest during the 15-20 minute drive to the Marriott Hotel. This hotel is a very nice, modern high-rise right on a canal, but not nearly as convenient as the old Palace Hotel that sits adjacent to City Square. There is a bus stop, not too easy to find) about a 5 minute walk from the hotel.

After checking in, we walked up Hans Christian Anderson Boulevard to City Square (about 15-20 minutes) where we bought a several use bus ticket and set out to see some sights we had missed on our 2-day pre-cruise stay. Our first stop was at the Rosenborg Castle and The King’s Gardens where we strolled and had a chance to see the changing of the guard (real soldiers in fatigues rather than ceremonial garb). Then, following our map and having learned from our previous mis-orientations, we found the Amalienborg Palace where the Royal Family of Denmark currently makes its residence. We then asked for directions to the bus stop back to the city center and it took us by the beautiful Marble Church with one of the largest domes in Europe. We took the opportunity to visit the church that is much smaller than it appears from the outside. The inside of the church is quite interesting and very striking, especially the paintings on the dome and the Royal enclosure.

After lunch we walked almost the full length of the Stroget and stopped in Illium Department Store to buy some fresh fruit. Then we retraced our steps to the main bus depot and caught the bus back to a stop near the Marriott. After 7 hours out and about and many miles of walking, we drank some chilled wine and called it a day (and a half).

The Crown Princess: While we enjoyed the Crown, she is a bit too big for our tastes. While we liked our cruises on the Golden, adding the extra deck does seem to stress some of the support a bit.

While we heard a few complaints about the food, we thought it was fabulous and as good as we have had on any cruise. Our room steward, Francisco, was top notch. He never intruded, yet he quickly met our every request during the cruise. We do not attend many shows, nor do we care who fills the position of cruise director or Captain, we did find comedian Kevin Hughes to be among the best entertainers we have seen on any cruise ship.

For the first time in 10 Princess cruises we found the Passenger Services section sorely lacking and not up to Princess standards. The Captain’s Circle Representative was surly and totally not helpful, the Purser’s Desk about the same, and the Internet specialist was seldom present when most passengers were using the equipment. There were times when the connections were good and other times the system was not useable.

All in all it was a fine cruise with a great port intensive itinerary. There is much to see and most of it is best done on your own. To enjoy St Petersburg do a private tour in a small group. Tallinn and Gdansk are great stops too and easy it is easy to savor the highlights on your own. Enjoy you Baltic Cruise!!!!

Thank you for the wonderful review of your trip. Hope you don't mind...I copied it to save and re-read later. We are planning to do this trip next summer.

Thank you for a most informative and thorough report. Lots of good advise. We are on the same cruise in Aug. and your tips will be most helpful.

Thank you for your thoughtful review....

 

I'm exhausted just reading about it all!!!! Sounds like the Baltic is non-stop!

Thanks for taking time to write a review and add a few tips as well.

Thanks for your review.

 

I don't think I would want to do the Baltic on such a large ship.

 

We've done the Baltic twice (on 30,000 tonners), and loved the itinerary, which for us included a trip through the Kiel Canal, a beautiful part of Germany.

 

A ship as large as the Crown Princess is unable to use the Kiel - there are several bridges that are too low for large ships.

Since there have been several comprehensive Crown Princess Baltic trip reports posted recently, I also shall only provide our thoughts about this cruise and mainly how they differ from what has been previously posted.

 

Copenhagen: We spent 3 days post cruise in Copenhagen and felt that was just the perfect length of time to see the city.

 

Yes, Copenhagen is very expensive for meals. If you don't want a large breakfast try the pastry/bakery at the Tourist Information center across from Tivoli. We enjoyed Grofton's in Tivoli for dinner - make reservations on their web site -but there are also many "fast food" stands in the park.

 

We didn't feel there was any need to take the HOHO bus because everything is close enough to walk unless you have some physical limitations. We had taken a tour outside of the city on "transit" day (we did the previous TA cruise) so did not find the Copenhagen card cost effective.

 

Check out times for tours at Rosenborg and Christansborg and arrive when they open and you will avoid the crowds. We were the only ones viewing the Crown Jewels and had most rooms to ourselves.

 

We are not shoppers and found the Stroget very crowded, filled with scam artist doing the famous "shell game", and other than seeing some fountains and experiencing this famous street it was a very big disappointment.

 

We stayed at the Radisson SAS Royal and agree if you stay in a hotel close to the town hall square you won't be disappointed with the location.

 

Stockholm: We agree that the Vasa Exhibit probably is at the top of the list but also enjoyed seeing the City Hall where the Nobel Prize award ceremony is held.

 

Helsinki- This was our least favorite port even with a visit to the Rock Church, Sibelius Monument, and Senate Square. We arrived late in the day at the street market but not being interested in purchasing fruits, vegetables or over priced tourist items we could have easily avoided that stop.

 

St. Petersburg: I will differ from the above poster who said "First avoid large tour groups. Spend the money to take a private tour with the smallest group possible, I suggest no more than eight people in the group. Any more than eight and you really miss the experience of St. Petersburg and its sights."

 

We opted for the Princess two day "Grand Tour of St. Petersburg" and didn't find many of the problems we were warned about taking a larger tour. We chose the first departure and the first day we headed for Peterhof Palace arriving before any of the other tours, including private tours, so had a very good tour of both the palace and the gardens with just our group. The second day there was quite a line at the Hermitage but once we got inside it was easy to see everything in the rooms we visited. All tour guides are told which direction they must go and to which rooms they may visit. This procedure helps avoid congestion.

 

A real plus for this tour were the headphones that we were provided with so no matter where you were you could always hear what the guide was saying. Camera & video fees are also included. Both meals included on this tour were very good and included bottled water, wine and Vodka.

 

We chose the "Imperial Evening @ Catherine's Palace" which was wonderful. There were about 4 buses that went and we had the entire palace just for us without having to share it with "3000 of our closest friends" as shown in Merced Mike's photo.

 

At the street market near the Chruch of the Spilled Blood others found the better prices and the store we were taken to was very hot, crowded and overpriced (all tours do not go to the same store). There was no bargaining at the street market and there, as well as every where else we went in Europe, the dollar is not welcomed but they will take it. Don't look for anything except a very poor exchange rate for the dollar and you are better with Euros if you don't have local currency. If you want quality items probably the two best places to shop are on the ship or at the Hermitage.

 

I won't repeat the things included on this tour but will only say we enjoyed each and everyone of them including the canal boat ride. They are two very, very long days but worth every minute.

 

For those thinking about a Princess tour do not be discouraged by the negative comments you read written by those that have not taken this tour. We were never rushed, never had to wait for late arrivers, and saw all that was promised. I fail to see how we could have experienced any less of St. Petersburg and its sights. Yes, all tours might not be as great as ours was but not all private tours are the same either.

 

Tallinn – This can easily be done on your own but we again opted for the Princess "Walking Tour Old Tallin" which not only drove us to Upper Town but the guide gave us a great deal of information at each stop and we easily found all of the building we'd been reading about. It was interesting that our guide was stopped several times by others, doing Tallin on there own, and asked where certain things could be found. We also were the only ones at the scenic overlook and had no trouble taking photographs of Alexander Neveski church or the Toompea Castle. Lower Town gave us more than enough free time and the crowds were thick by the time we reached the markets.

 

Gydnia/Gdansk - We took the "Gdansk Roads to Freedom" tour which DH really enjoyed. Seeing where WWII started and the Gdansk shipyards was interesting from a historical point but I found there was too much time spent at the "Roads to Freedom" museum. We then went to the old town, joining every one else visiting this city, for a short tour of St. Mary's Church followed by plenty of free time. There was a good balance on this tour and feel had we just gone to the old town we would have missed a very important part of history.

 

Oslo: We visited this port twice (also on TA) and enjoyed both visits. I'd choose the "Norwegian Adventure" again if I could only take one tour. It visits the three ship museums: The Viking Ship Museum (my favorite & could have spent more time here), the Kon Tiki Museum, and the Fram Museum.

 

The second time we did the "Walking Tour of Oslo & City Hall" and would not recommend this tour. It is easily walked from the ship. John Lawrence gives a very good suggestion for a walking tour here during his Port Lecture and it is easily done at one's own pace rather than as a guide sees fit. The guide gave us much too much information at each sight while running between them. I feel all of the information given isn't needed to see and enjoy the sights.

 

We enjoyed the Crown Princess and are looking forward to sailing on her again in January. We did not have the negative experiences others have posted and found everyone very helpful and friendly.

 

The biggest negative with taking the Crown to the Baltics, or probably any other port, is the huge lines you might experience re-boarding the ship after being ashore. We were in line about an hour reboarding in Lisbon but that had to do with the local authorities. Other ports where there were long lines could have been avoided if Princess had opened more than one line to get back on the ship. They had the capabilities and the crew there to do so but for some unknown reason they rarely opened more than one check in line. At times there were two gangways which helped but things could have gone faster.

 

For those going to the Baltics you will have a great cruise no matter how you choose to tour. :)

 

.

Thanks so much for that very very informative review. We will be on the same cruise on the Emerald Princess next September 13th, so this is valuable info!

 

Like you, my husband and I like to get a feel for local life by taking in the modern shopping facilities, such as supermarkets/grocery stores, and when you said "From the basement supermarket to the 6th floor pet shop" I just had to laugh. It sounds like our ideal thing! (One thing I love so much about Japan, really).

 

I tend to agree with your assessment of St Petersburg, as it sounds like the ship's tour would be OK, if you really like being carted around in a bus with 40 to 50 other people. But from what I can see, if you have 6 people or more (and we have 6), the cost is pretty much the same whether you opt to go with 40 other people or take a nice, air-conditioned mercedes van with your own driver/guide, so why wouldn't you want the smaller option which has more choice to come and go as you please. Less people, less time messing around waiting for them all to finish!

 

I understand there are really three main popular independent tour companies: Red October, DenRus and Alla. I've read many reviews, and I am tending towards Red October, as people seem to report them in the most revered way, and Alla would have been my last, but now I'm just not sure. I seem to be getting the best correspondence from DenRus, and I haven't contacted Alla yet. We're not going till September, so I guess I've still got time to feel them out some more.

 

If anyone is reading this and has an opinion to sway me in one direction or the other, please feel free to add your comments.

 

Thanks also for the information on Gdansk. I didn't realize that there was so much traffic getting to town, so I'll have to read up on the best way to do that. Perhaps it doesn't make much difference.

 

Anyway, thanks again. I've seldom found such a concise review that also happened to tend towards our interests!

 

One more question: We want to bring some wine on-board, which we'll obviously need to buy in Copenhagen. Did you find any supermarkets or liquor stores that seemed particularly good value for such things in Copenhagen? We'll be staying right on the square at The Square hotel. We were planning to use Sheraton points to stay at the newly refurbished Palace Hotel, but on trying to book it we were informed that Starwood is selling the property and will no longer be managing it by then, so we can't use our points! What a bummer!

 

OK, thanks again for the fine review!

I understand there are really three main popular independent tour companies: Red October, DenRus and Alla. I've read many reviews, and I am tending towards Red October, as people seem to report them in the most revered way, and Alla would have been my last, but now I'm just not sure. I seem to be getting the best correspondence from DenRus, and I haven't contacted Alla yet. We're not going till September, so I guess I've still got time to feel them out some more.

 

If anyone is reading this and has an opinion to sway me in one direction or the other, please feel free to add your comments.

 

We had the most wonderful tour with Den Rus. They are a top-notch operation. The guide we had (Evgenia) was outstanding and even kept my then-13-year-old son entertained. They were also very easy to work with in terms of changing things on the itinerary to suit the interests of all 4 members of our group.

 

One more question: We want to bring some wine on-board, which we'll obviously need to buy in Copenhagen. Did you find any supermarkets or liquor stores that seemed particularly good value for such things in Copenhagen? We'll be staying right on the square at The Square hotel. We were planning to use Sheraton points to stay at the newly refurbished Palace Hotel, but on trying to book it we were informed that Starwood is selling the property and will no longer be managing it by then, so we can't use our points! What a bummer!

 

There was a small grocery near our hotel (the Sofitel, which is no longer open), also near the main train station, a couple of blocks from Tivoli entrance. Wine was available there; it wasn't particularly cheap but it was reasonable by Danish prices. If you look around you can probably find it or somewhere similar. We also bought some items to make dinner on our first night after arrival, as we were too tired for a full dinner out.

 

OK, thanks again for the fine review!

 

 

See my answers above. The Baltics cruise is great. :)

As we said in our original post, we used Alla and thought her service was superb and all of her responses quick and complete.

 

We bit the bullet and did the two days with just the two of us and our guide, Elena, who was fantastic, adaptable, and charming. Our driver for the two days also was great. He drove safely throughout the travels and had a well maintained newish Mercedes.

 

We went where we wanted to go on our schedule and had the opportunity to discuss with Elena options as we went along.

 

We too are wine drinkers. There are many places to buy wine in Copenhagen, including in the basement grocery in the great Department Store that everyone visits on the Stroget.

 

The Baltic cruise is a terrific experience, very port intensive, and much of it perfect for doing on your own. St Petersburg is special and well worth taking the time to explore your options carefully.

Thank you so much for the review. We're taking this trip in June but haven't booked any tours yet. You experiences will be most helpful.

Thank you both. We too are tending toward the Princess 2-day with Catherine's at night mainly because there are only 2 of us and I like the idea of charging the cost on our ship's bill, not giving someone else our credit card number or having to have cash. Also, it seems like less to worry about. WE did all private tours in Hawaii, but there we were in the US,everyone spoke English and we felt comfortable giving them our credit card. One question, was the gold room at the Hermitage a must-see?

We are taking the Baltics cruise in September, and I would appreciate anybody's opinion on getting to the airport once we return to Copenhagen. The ship is supposed to arrive at 5 AM, how much time should we allow to get to the airport -and how do we get to the airport: taxi, Princess Shuttle, private-hire vehicle? Thanks for your advice, I'm really enjoying this thread!

For Sunshine Nana,

 

If you do not want to hock the family jewels for a private tour for just the two of you, before signing up for one of the big bus tours in St Petersburg you may want to contact each of the very reputable local tour companies (Alla, Red October, Denrus) since they generally will partner indivuals, couples, or small groups to form a mini-bus tour.

 

While there are ports where we happily take the Princess tours, St. Petersburg really is special and we are so very pleased that we did not opt for a big group tour there.

 

Also, often you can put together a compatible small group from contacts on the roll call posts. We did a great tour with another couple through the Roll Call on our Panama Cruise.

 

Just a couple of ideas you may want to try.

The gold room was a bit of a dissappointment to me. I had expected to see crowns and jewels. It is very beautiful, but not what I expected. It is mainly gold from archaelogical excavations. Very interesting, but it takes up time that I would have rather had elsewhere. For me, I would skip it if I had to do it over.

 

We used RO and were very, very pleased. We got early admission to Catherine's Palace and that was fantastic. It was like a private tour with none of the crowds that I have seen in pictures. As we walked the gardens, we only saw one or two other couples. We were with another couple so the tour price was a little better for 4 and actually a little less than the Princess big bus tour. I think that all the major tour outfits are pretty much the same. We went with RO because they were the first to respond to my email and they suggested the things that I was most interested in. Aside from the major attractions where we had reservations for times, our guide was very flexible in where we went and we were able to adjust our itinerary on the second day.

 

The only other tour we took was Gdansk on your own. We did that to assure that we got back to the ship on time (or the ship would wait) with the awful traffic. It is basically just a bus ride there and back and you are on your own for the rest. BTW our bus was very comfortable and air conditioned. Every other port is easy to do on your own. Just get a Rick Steves book and follow his directions.

 

Enjoy! This is a wonderful trip. Exhausting, but you have the rest of your life to rest up!

If you do not want to hock the family jewels for a private tour for just the two of you, before signing up for one of the big bus tours in St Petersburg you may want to contact each of the very reputable local tour companies (Alla, Red October, Denrus) since they generally will partner indivuals, couples, or small groups to form a mini-bus tour.

I agree completely. Normally, I would be tempted to use a Princess tour in a country where I'm unfamiliar with the language but there are several excellent, and very experienced, tour operators in St. Petersburg. We used SPB Tours for both St. Petersburg and Berlin, and they were incredible. Definitely as good as the better-known tour operators plus they also book tours for Berlin (where our tour guide was an American married to a German and living there) so you only need one contact for both ports. I can't say enough about them. The owner, Viktoria Rother, checked up on us throughout the day to make sure things were going well in St. P, and her husband did the same in Berlin. Very hands-on and concerned to make sure everything goes right. Our tour guide took us to little, out-of the way places for lunch which was "real" Russian food, delicious and very inexpensive; a relatively quick stop and we were back on the road.

I understand there are really three main popular independent tour companies: Red October, DenRus and Alla. I've read many reviews, and I am tending towards Red October, as people seem to report them in the most revered way, and Alla would have been my last, but now I'm just not sure. I seem to be getting the best correspondence from DenRus, and I haven't contacted Alla yet. We're not going till September, so I guess I've still got time to feel them out some more.

 

If anyone is reading this and has an opinion to sway me in one direction or the other, please feel free to add your comments.

 

 

We used Alla last year and Elena was our guide. We toured as a group of ten and had a great time. Elena definitely knew what she was doing and guided us around the crowds at the Hermitage. Can't say enough about her.

 

While I am sure all of the private tour operators are good, we would use Alla again in a heartbeat.

Thanks for bring back the memories of our Grand Princess Baltic cruise five years ago. Because of the two days in Russia, it continues to be my favorite cruise.

We are taking the Baltics cruise in September, and I would appreciate anybody's opinion on getting to the airport once we return to Copenhagen. The ship is supposed to arrive at 5 AM, how much time should we allow to get to the airport -and how do we get to the airport: taxi, Princess Shuttle, private-hire vehicle? Thanks for your advice, I'm really enjoying this thread!

 

We're going in September also and would welcome the same advice. Flights to Manchester go at 9.30am so at the moment we are thinking of staying in Copenhagen for an extra day and getting the early flight on Monday.

What are the must sees in St.Petersburg besides the Hermitage, Peter's fountains and Catherine's? We are history buffs and my DH loves classical music, but aren't much for churches.

Thanks for posting such a great review. What night was the second formal night on your cruise? Thanks in advance.

As History buffs, I think you would enjoy seeing the memorial to the seige of Leningrad. We stopped there on our way out to Catherine's Palace. Very impressive. We also enjoyed the memorial park for the revolution, with the eternal flame. Our guide took us there the first morning when we had some time before things opened. We were the only tourists there. There is a nice view of the Church of the Spilled Blood from there. Even if you aren't much for churches, The Church of the Spilled Blood is not like any other church and should not be missed. You would probably also appreciate the tombs of the Tsars at the Peter and Paul Fortress. There is one room for Nicholas and Alexandra and their family. I read Catherine the Great before I went and it really helped me keep track of the Tsars and gave me a better appreciation of the Palaces.

What are the must sees in St.Petersburg besides the Hermitage, Peter's fountains and Catherine's? We are history buffs and my DH loves classical music, but aren't much for churches.

If you miss the Church of the Spilled Blood, you're missing something amazing. While you're not much for churches, IMHO, this is a "must see." All of the walls, pillars and ceilings are amazing artwork; it's like an incredible museum. I've been to Russia several times, spending 2+ weeks each time, and have seen a lot of Russian churches. I'd never been to the Church of the Spilled Blood before last summer and thought, "Ugh. Another Russian church." Boy, was I wrong! Also, Peterhof itself is a "must see," not just the fountains.

Starlaker, who is the author for Catherine the Great. I looked on Amazon and their are many books on her. Thanks for the great idea:)

As History buffs, I think you would enjoy seeing the memorial to the seige of Leningrad. We stopped there on our way out to Catherine's Palace. Very impressive. We also enjoyed the memorial park for the revolution, with the eternal flame. Our guide took us there the first morning when we had some time before things opened. We were the only tourists there. There is a nice view of the Church of the Spilled Blood from there. Even if you aren't much for churches, The Church of the Spilled Blood is not like any other church and should not be missed. You would probably also appreciate the tombs of the Tsars at the Peter and Paul Fortress. There is one room for Nicholas and Alexandra and their family. I read Catherine the Great before I went and it really helped me keep track of the Tsars and gave me a better appreciation of the Palaces.

We Americans have a pretty vague idea of the seige of Leningrad but in reality, it was one of the most horrific seiges in history. I strong recommend reading: The 900 Days: The Siege Of Leningrad (http://www.amazon.com/900-Days-Siege-Leningrad/dp/0306812983/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234815781&sr=8-1). I also recommend reading up on the Romanov's to get a good idea of the history and relationships of the Russian nobility. A good deal of what you will see in St. Petersburg is related to Romanov history and as you're going through palaces, a lot of names are thrown at you and it's hard to keep them straight.