Baltic questions AND Brilliance or Vision?

[LA Native]

Hi, thinking of a special mother/daughter birthday cruise (60 and 30!). Looking at Vision Aug 26 out of Copenhagen and Brilliance on Sept 1.

Itineraries are identical (so is price for indoor cabin).

Realize Brilliance has more bells and whistles, but really going for the ports.

Any advice which to take?

And for those familiar with RCI, does chance of upgrade make a difference if you use travel agent or book directly with RCI?

Also, will post this on general Baltic board, but wonder about how calm the seas are. I am prone to seasickness and take meclezine prophylactically and have done fine in Alaska and Mexican Riviera, but wonder about the nature of the seas in this area.

Last question particular to Baltic itinerary: 3 hour time change between Copenhagen and St. Petersburg sounds like killer for early morning tour in St. Petersburg. Any experience with this?

Thanks so much. Appreciate any input.

[Paulxyz2004]

Hi, thinking of a special mother/daughter birthday cruise (60 and 30!). Looking at Vision Aug 26 out of Copenhagen and Brilliance on Sept 1.

Itineraries are identical (so is price for indoor cabin).

Realize Brilliance has more bells and whistles, but really going for the ports.

Any advice which to take?

And for those familiar with RCI, does chance of upgrade make a difference if you use travel agent or book directly with RCI?

Also, will post this on general Baltic board, but wonder about how calm the seas are. I am prone to seasickness and take meclezine prophylactically and have done fine in Alaska and Mexican Riviera, but wonder about the nature of the seas in this area.

Last question particular to Baltic itinerary: 3 hour time change between Copenhagen and St. Petersburg sounds like killer for early morning tour in St. Petersburg. Any experience with this?

Thanks so much. Appreciate any input.

 

 

I equally like the Radiance and Vision class ships, so couldn´t say I would take one over the other.

 

Upgrades on RCI are slim to none regardless if booking direct or with a TA, book the cabin you are hapy with.

 

The Weather and the Seas are not predictable.

 

I´ve done the Baltic itinerary three times and the time difference between Copenhagen and St. Peteersburg is two hours not three.

[LA Native]

I just checked airfares and much higher for august dates for Vision, so Brilliance more likely.

Even if time diff is only 2 hours, how is that going from copenhagen to St Petersburg? I assume they stay on "real time" rather than ship's time?

When i checked online it was one hour change from CPH to Tallinn, then 2 hours earlier from Tallinn to St Petersburg, but i could be wrong.

then two hours back from SP to Helsinki?

[cagey1225]

I realize that the cruise lines like to scare guests, but has anybody heard of any visa problems when booking private tours.

[Grandma Gilly]

I realize that the cruise lines like to scare guests, but has anybody heard of any visa problems when booking private tours.

 

Absolutely none. Book your tours through a reputable company such as Red October and they will organise your visas.

Haven't done this itinerary on RCCL but on Celebrity.

[joandian]

I love Brilliance and would book on her again if there was a cruise I was interested in. We sailed the Baltic on Celebrity Eclipse from Southampton and had an amazingly calm sea for 14 days. It looked like a pond even in the Nth Sea but the Baltic can get really rough.

 

Only reliable chance of an upgrade is a paid one. We like to have control of our booking so book with RCI.

 

We booked private tours with Alla for 2 days in St Petersburg and you don't need a visa if you book with a registered tour company or take the ships tours. If you wish to walk off the ship and tour by yourself, you will need a Visa.

[Travel mad]

Hi, thinking of a special mother/daughter birthday cruise (60 and 30!). Looking at Vision Aug 26 out of Copenhagen and Brilliance on Sept 1.

Itineraries are identical (so is price for indoor cabin).

Realize Brilliance has more bells and whistles, but really going for the ports.

Any advice which to take?

And for those familiar with RCI, does chance of upgrade make a difference if you use travel agent or book directly with RCI?

Also, will post this on general Baltic board, but wonder about how calm the seas are. I am prone to seasickness and take meclezine prophylactically and have done fine in Alaska and Mexican Riviera, but wonder about the nature of the seas in this area.

Last question particular to Baltic itinerary: 3 hour time change between Copenhagen and St. Petersburg sounds like killer for early morning tour in St. Petersburg. Any experience with this?

Thanks so much. Appreciate any input.

We booked SP tours for St Petersburg. 2day tours cost$200 each I think and we're well worth it, included lunch on both days and they took us everywhere with an English speaking tour guide in 16 sweater coach so no long queues etc as you get on large cruise organised tours. no visa required if you take private tours but you must book beforehand and only pay at end of day 2. not sure of all your points of call but you should easily be able to do the rest on your own or with others. remember in mid summer, it's light for up to 20 hours per day so make the most of the trip. enjoy !!!

[Sheal]

I, myself, had a difficult time with the time changes. I am not sure if it was from being up for almost 30 hours heading overseas or the sinus infection that started just after we left home. We had 8 hours difference from home by the time we arrived in Russia one week after our trip began. The excitement of arriving in Russia along while knowing the necessity to get off the ship before everyone else helped me to get up early that day.

 

Although the days are 20+ hours during mid-summer that will not be the case during the first week of September. Here is a website that will give you an idea of the days for whenever you choose to go. http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html?month=9&year=2012&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1

 

Head over to the Baltics boards for some great info and pictures. Your trip will be here before you know it.

 

Sheal

[swcruise]

Hi, thinking of a special mother/daughter birthday cruise (60 and 30!). Looking at Vision Aug 26 out of Copenhagen and Brilliance on Sept 1.

Itineraries are identical (so is price for indoor cabin).

Realize Brilliance has more bells and whistles, but really going for the ports.

Any advice which to take?

And for those familiar with RCI, does chance of upgrade make a difference if you use travel agent or book directly with RCI?

Also, will post this on general Baltic board, but wonder about how calm the seas are. I am prone to seasickness and take meclezine prophylactically and have done fine in Alaska and Mexican Riviera, but wonder about the nature of the seas in this area.

Last question particular to Baltic itinerary: 3 hour time change between Copenhagen and St. Petersburg sounds like killer for early morning tour in St. Petersburg. Any experience with this?

Thanks so much. Appreciate any input.

 

Hi there LA Native: We considered this option when we booked our Baltic cruise and at the time it would have been 1,200 Euros more for us to go on the Brilliance. Had the price been the same, I would not have hesitated as we have sailed the Brilliance before, and she is a beautiful ship with very nicely appointed public rooms and elevators that look out on the sea, you will love her.

 

As the itineraries are the same we went for the Vision on the 26th August ( we did book early so think we got a good deal..). We like you are focused on itinerary, so are looking forward to and are planning the trip.

 

I found hotel choices difficult in Copenhagen as they seem to be expensive, have made a reservation, but may change on this one...

 

I think the seas there may not be as calm as the Med, but nature can be kind as well so it could be smooth sailings...