Sun - Baltic Cruise - Any feedback

[YoungDubFan]

I am thinking about a cruise on the Norwegian Sun for next year. I am really interested in the Copenhagen RT with stops in Berlin, Tallin, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. This sounds like a wonderful itinerary to see this part of the world. I'd love to hear feedback from anyone who has done this trip. Part of my main interest is the 2 days in St. Petersburg.

[computerworks]

One of our best trips e-v-e-r.

Did it last August.

 

SPB was amazing. Let me find you a link to our trip thread.

[OceanDreaming2]

I am thinking about a cruise on the Norwegian Sun for next year. I am really interested in the Copenhagen RT with stops in Berlin, Tallin, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. This sounds like a wonderful itinerary to see this part of the world. I'd love to hear feedback from anyone who has done this trip. Part of my main interest is the 2 days in St. Petersburg.

 

 

Loved, loved, loved this itinerary! We did it last fall (the last cruise of the season). The only thing I would do differently is to book earlier in the season; the weather wasn't the best.

 

Look into independent tours for SPB - we booked with TJ Tours and they did an outstanding job!

[computerworks]

Look into independent tours for SPB - we booked with TJ Tours and they did an outstanding job!

 

Heard good things about them, too.

 

OP, you have to use a tour guide in SPB

 

We used SPB Tours for Berlin, Estonia, SPB and Helsinki...they were outstanding as well.

 

Here's some links:

 

Our Baltic Cruise Review

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1476449

 

Our Pictorial Tour of the Sun

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1475741

[gerryl12]

Check back in a couple of months for this years reviews. We are going on the first Baltic cruise of the season in May.

[bluesea777]

Norwegian STAR will be doing the Baltics in summer 2013, not the SUN.

 

The Sun will be doing the Alaskan itinerary next year. She is doing the Baltics this summer, though.

 

Don't worry, the STAR is a lovely ship.

[Doughboy139]

I did this cruise twice, 8/10 and 9/11 and enjoyed it alot....so much to see and do......here are some pictures of my trip

 

 

http://s1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/Doughboy139/Copenhagen%20Denmark/

 

http://s1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/Doughboy139/Tallinn%20Estonia/

 

http://s1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/Doughboy139/Stockholm%20Sweden/

 

http://s1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/Doughboy139/Helsinki%20Finland/

 

http://s1118.photobucket.com/albums/k614/Doughboy139/St%20Petersburg%20Russia/

[YoungDubFan]

Thanks so much to everyone who replied. Computerworks - thanks so much for all of the pics and the great review. It is definitely a tempting cruise. I just have to convince someone to go with me. My mother loves history and is a huge Russian history buff. She has said that she wants to go to St. Petersburg and this sounds like a good way to do that. Thanks also for the recommendation of SPB tours. I'll have to check them out.

[Sauer-kraut]

Thanks so much to everyone who replied. Computerworks - thanks so much for all of the pics and the great review. It is definitely a tempting cruise. I just have to convince someone to go with me. My mother loves history and is a huge Russian history buff. She has said that she wants to go to St. Petersburg and this sounds like a good way to do that. Thanks also for the recommendation of SPB tours. I'll have to check them out.

 

Go over to the EUROPE ports of call board, there is a section for the Baltics. You will find many many tour reccommendations over there, as well as a pdf walking tour of Tallinin. You will find helpful people over there.

 

You don't have to do a programmed tour in St Petersburg, if you want to do it DYI you will have to get the Russian visa on your own. A tour operator will do that work for you.

 

It is a port intensive cruise, so you need to plan for down time or you'll need 2 weeks after you get home to decompress. :) Also plan for a 3 day pre-cruise somewhere so you are totally over jet lag before your cruise starts.

[Doughboy139]

We used T J Tours for our visit to St. Petersburg, Russia. It can be a very busy two days and very rewarding - so much to see. On our second cruise that included St Petersburg we planned for a early evening dinner at a Russian Restaurant and then we went to one of the palaces to see a folk dancing show which was outstanding. After that we had a private hour long canal cruise and then a drive back to the ship so that we could see the lights of St. Petersburg. I strongly recommend T J Tours - very pleasant to work with and the guides are amazing and very informative. We started this particular days tour at 4:00pm in the afternoon and got back to the ship at 11:00pm. Found it most relaxing and enjoyable. Don't hesitate to make plans for St. Petersburg for its a beautiful port. Been there on two cruises now for a total of 4 days and in the future may do the Baltic cruise again.

[jdvmd]

Did this trip last June on the Sun. It is a great trip, very port intensive. We had wonderful weather.

[YoungDubFan]

Again thanks for the info. Part of my interest in this particular cruise is that it is port intensive. I also like that there are 2 days in St. Petersburg vs some lines that only do 1 day. I obviously have more researchto do. It sounds like using a tour group for SPB is the way to go to eliminate the hassel of dealing with the Visa. Are other Visas required for the trip?

[jdvmd]

Again thanks for the info. Part of my interest in this particular cruise is that it is port intensive. I also like that there are 2 days in St. Petersburg vs some lines that only do 1 day. I obviously have more researchto do. It sounds like using a tour group for SPB is the way to go to eliminate the hassel of dealing with the Visa. Are other Visas required for the trip?

 

We went with SPB for all of our excursions except for Stockholm. Favorite was the walking tour of Tallinn -- Best 20 Euros spent. So many people did this city on their own because it is so doable. Nothing could compare with the great guide we had, Tinnka.

 

One difference in our cruise from yours is that we had tendered in Nynnasham instead of Stockholm you will lose the tendering process as well as the 45-minute drive one way.

 

All the cities are very, very expensive.

[dexddd]

Again thanks for the info. Part of my interest in this particular cruise is that it is port intensive. I also like that there are 2 days in St. Petersburg vs some lines that only do 1 day. I obviously have more researchto do. It sounds like using a tour group for SPB is the way to go to eliminate the hassel of dealing with the Visa. Are other Visas required for the trip?

We did this trip on the Sun in June 2010 when it was a 12 nighter out of Dover. This was a fabulous trip with much to see. As one other person noted, go to the ports of call section - there is much info over there. SPB was the only place you needed a visa.

 

We used Anastasia in SPB and Denrus in Berlin but all the other cities we did on our own. Some of these agencies will give you a discount if you book more than one port with them. The best thing with the small groups in SPB is we were right into all the main places except the summer palace where we had to wait with everyone else.

 

We've been on both the Sun and the Star and I would prefer the Star on this route.

[numberguy]

Are other Visas required for the trip?

 

Nope. At least they weren't last summer.

 

--Michael