Northern Europe -Advice Needed!

[CanadianTravellers]

Hello - My wife and I want to take a Northern Europe cruise - the ones that typically take in St. Petersburg, Gdansk Poland, Riga Latvia, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Coperhagen, Bruges, Visby, Tallinn,Berlin etc.

We've cruised quite a bit and usually take the cruise ship excursions - but on occasion we've gone with a private provider as recommended by cruise critic members and other such sites and had a great tour with significant savings. So my question is two-fold - First, of the cities and towns I've named, what advice do you have for us? (Must-See stuff - and "don't bother" stuff) and equally important - has anyone booked excursions privately at any of these ports and had good results? Anxious to hear your replies - Thanks a lot - John and Charlotte, Canada

[Cruisebehindthescenes]

I used to work on a ship that sailed in the Baltic Sea..

 

To begin with, due to the visa requirements in Russia, I definitely recommend booking your excursions through the ship. That way you know that you will have no issues with customs and that your tour will be taken care of. You need to clear customs with Russian immigration every time you go on and off the ship, so that is one not to mess with.

 

In Helsinki, there is a hop-on hop-off bus tour that picks up passengers right outside the ship. I don't recall the exact price as it was free for crew members, but for some reason 20 Euros per person seems to ring a bell. There are two routes that intersect in a couple of places and you have plenty of time to go around both routes and check out the sights. Cost will be much cheaper than any tour you'll find through the ship or on your own.

 

As for the other ports, I will let someone else answer because as a crew member I was able to return to ports many times so I didn't do that many tours, but rather went to see something new every time in a port.

[cruising twosome]

We are cruising the Baltics in August and are using TJ tours in Russia. You will find them and other private tours on CC boards that have all been recommended and had wonderful tours and a great price compared to ship tours. The private companies that take care of the visa, not problems. Rick Steve' Scandinavia is a really good reference book for that area with a lot of self guided tours. Enjoy!

[CanadianTravellers]

Thank you for your information !!! - John Daniels - Canada

[CanadianTravellers]

Thank you for the information - much appreciated.....John Daniels, Canada

[jstducky]

I used to work on a ship that sailed in the Baltic Sea..

 

To begin with, due to the visa requirements in Russia, I definitely recommend booking your excursions through the ship. That way you know that you will have no issues with customs and that your tour will be taken care of. You need to clear customs with Russian immigration every time you go on and off the ship, so that is one not to mess with.

 

In Helsinki, there is a hop-on hop-off bus tour that picks up passengers right outside the ship. I don't recall the exact price as it was free for crew members, but for some reason 20 Euros per person seems to ring a bell. There are two routes that intersect in a couple of places and you have plenty of time to go around both routes and check out the sights. Cost will be much cheaper than any tour you'll find through the ship or on your own.

 

As for the other ports, I will let someone else answer because as a crew member I was able to return to ports many times so I didn't do that many tours, but rather went to see something new every time in a port.

 

With all due respect, I'm not sure I agree with some of these comments.

 

In Russia, it is true that you need a Visa, and everyone must clear immigration when getting off the ship. However, if you book with a reputable private tour operator, like the ones recommended here on Cruise Critic, they all issue special blanket group visas to people who have pre-booked their tours. They will ask for your information in advance, and will provide you with a tour ticket. That ticket, along with your passport, and immigration form you get onboard the ship before you dock in St. Petersburg, will get you off the ship and onto your private tour.

 

I certainly understand the concerns that passengers have with the visa requirements for St. Petersburg and therefore wanting to go on a ship tour. However, a private tour will offer you a better tour, for much, much, much less money than a ship tour. I've never heard of a private tour operator who ever had a problem making it back to the ship in time.

 

If you decide to do this cruise, get active on the Roll Call for the cruise and join together with other people on your Roll Call to form a tour group. You can customize the tour with the private tour operator to see the things you want to see, have more freedom and flexibility, and still pay less than what the ship offers. Or, if you don't want to bother trying to put a group together, most of the private tour operators have pre-set 1 and 2 day tours that they offer for group sizes that usually max out at 16 that have itineraries similar to what a ship tour would offer, but again for much less price. Do some research and you'll see the companies most recommended by Cruise Critic members.

 

 

Also, in Helsinki, while it is possible to do the HOHO, I actually believe the price for a one day pass is 32 Euros per person. For much less money, if you are willing to do a little research yourself and forgo the canned commentary on the HOHO bus, you can actually take public transporation - which covers all busses, trams, metro, and the ferry to the Fortress Island, you can get a 1-day, 24 hour transportation pass for only 7 Euros. It goes to all of the same sites as the HOHO bus. And the good thing about Helsinki is that entrance to a lot of sights are free (Rock Chuch, Lutheran Cathedral, Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral, Market Square, and even Fortress Island).

[Alaskanb]

Your questions are very broad. I suggest your read Rick Steves Guide to Scandinavia and other guides first. We will be on a Princess cruise next summer and will be touring Oslo, Aarhus, Tallinn, Helsinki, and Stocholm on our own --with the help of Rick Steves and CC. In Warnemunde we will take the Friends of Dave Hansa tour--recommended on CC. In St Petersburg we will use Alla for the two-day group Comfort Tour--again recommended on CC. Copenhagen pre-and post cruise will also be on our own.

[Coolcruise02]

In St. Petersburg I can highly recommend TJ Travels!! They were wonderful and our guide Ksenyia was awesome!

 

http://st-petersburg-tours.ru/

[Ashland]

In St. Petersburg I can highly recommend TJ Travels!! They were wonderful and our guide Ksenyia was awesome!

 

http://st-petersburg-tours.ru/

Agree....I e-mailed and was contacted back by a few of the bigger private tour companys...Just had a gut feeling with TJ Travel...and was I happy with my choice :D:D

[kestrel]

Our Baltic Cruise didn't cover all the ports you listed. However, among all of ports we visited, St. Petersburg was the only port we booked tours. We DIY in all others. I will also recommend Rick Steves' guidebook.

 

St. Petersburg: Make sure that the cruise spends at least 2 days there. One day is simply not enough.

 

Copenhagen: Take the canal cruise.

 

Helsinki and Tallinn: Follow Rick Steves' guide.

 

If your cruise includes Stockholm, make sure that it sails through the Swedish Archipelago -- it's fantastic.

[eetonaee]

I used to work on a ship that sailed in the Baltic Sea..

 

To begin with, due to the visa requirements in Russia, I definitely recommend booking your excursions through the ship. That way you know that you will have no issues with customs and that your tour will be taken care of. You need to clear customs with Russian immigration every time you go on and off the ship, so that is one not to mess with.

.

 

Obviously you were "drinking the Kool-Aid" when you worked for NCL.

 

You won't get away with incorrect statements like that on Cruise Critic.

[TLCOhio]

Obviously you were "drinking the Kool-Aid" when you worked for NCL. You won't get away with incorrect statements like that on Cruise Critic.

 

Agree with the proper objections to the NCL "Kool-Aid" about how you must take their cruise ship tours. In fact, it's worse than "Kool-Aid". It's call B.S.!! Do I need to spell it out for what those two letter mean and how it smells??? Totally silly, also, on the scare tactic for "You need to clear customs with Russian immigration every time you go on and off the ship, so that is one not to mess with."

 

The Russian customs people don't have lots of warmth and personality, but it is not that type of fear experience as painted. We did private tours in St. Petersburg and it was simple, easy coming and going.

 

Agree that a private tour for St. Petersburg is a must. In many of the other ports, you can do lots on your own, or use a ship tour as a morning introduction and a way to speed/help your logistics in being more time efficient. Below are a few added visuals to give some good tips and ideas for what to see and experience in these many nice cities.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 96,115 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

 

 

 

Inside Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg with our personal guide from Anastasia, we view this spectacular reception “ballroom”, painted ceiling, gold, etc., at our pace and timing schedule.:

 

 

 

At Catherine's Palace, here is the spectacular Amber Room when my camera accidentally went off and captured this view.:

 

 

 

Lots of beautiful church towers and buildings are located all over in historic St. Petersburg. Some “riding around time” allows an opportunity to see the variety of buildings in this historic capital.:

 

 

 

From the dock at the Peterhof, here is the hydrofoil approaching before we started our trip into St. Petersburg. It is a little like boarding a "space ship". Cool and interesting ride!:

 

 

 

Helsinki’s City Hall in the main downtown overlooking the market area:

 

[dogs4fun]

Agree with the proper objections to the NCL "Kool-Aid" about how you must take their cruise ship tours. In fact, it's worse than "Kool-Aid". It's call B.S.!! Do I need to spell it out for what those two letter mean and how it smells??? Totally silly, also, on the scare tactic for "You need to clear customs with Russian immigration every time you go on and off the ship, so that is one not to mess with."

 

The Russian customs people don't have lots of warmth and personality, but it is not that type of fear experience as painted. We did private tours in St. Petersburg and it was simple, easy coming and going.

 

Agree that a private tour for St. Petersburg is a must. In many of the other ports, you can do lots on your own, or use a ship tour as a morning introduction and a way to speed/help your logistics in being more time efficient.

 

Agree with Terry! Don't listen to the scare tactics employed by the cruise lines. Use a private russian tour company for Saint Petersburg...you will see and do a great deal more than on the ship tours in a much smaller group AND at a substantial savings.

We used ALLA TOURS in both SPB and Berlin and both tours were outstanding. Alla offers tours in other baltic cities as well as some tour packages in 4 or 5 baltic ports.

http://alla-tour.com/

I loved our baltic cruise ... it has been my favorite cruise itinerary thus far. :)

jill

[Giantfan13]

Hello - My wife and I want to take a Northern Europe cruise - the ones that typically take in St. Petersburg, Gdansk Poland, Riga Latvia, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Coperhagen, Bruges, Visby, Tallinn,Berlin etc.

We've cruised quite a bit and usually take the cruise ship excursions - but on occasion we've gone with a private provider as recommended by cruise critic members and other such sites and had a great tour with significant savings. So my question is two-fold - First, of the cities and towns I've named, what advice do you have for us? (Must-See stuff - and "don't bother" stuff) and equally important - has anyone booked excursions privately at any of these ports and had good results? Anxious to hear your replies - Thanks a lot - John and Charlotte, Canada

 

Welcome to the Baltics corner of Cruise Critic.

 

You have been given some great advice so far, especially about St Petersberg. Please, listen to those that have 'been there, done that' and use an independent tour company instead of any ship's tours. The reasons are bountiful, but most important is that any of the private tour companies want your business and most of all, want your recommendation when you get back home. As we all have done, if we had a great time, we come here to this. I have been on this for maybe 4 years and have never heard anyone here heartily recommend a ships tour, but everyone recommends the private tours. They bend over backwards to ensure you have a great time while visiting their city. They can change around itineraries to meet certain factors, like traffic and weather. No ships tours will ever do that.

 

You did ask about the other ports, and no one has seemed to get to that, so I will start. If you are intent on touring each city with an already planned tour, you can do them with private tour companies. Please, once again, forget ships excursions. When we toured St Petersberg, we used SPB Tours. We simply loved them. They did so much to make our time in St Petersberg memorable and they are one of the major players in the area. Now they have expanded their operations to include other cities, like Berlin, Helsinki, Tallinn, Copenhagen etc. http://www.spb-tours.com/tallinn-scan/en. If you book a sort of package tour with them you can save a decent amount of money and they do a great job showing you each city.

That said, and I love SPB Tours, most of the other ports are easy to do on your own. A great way to save money. Use a guide book, or get all your info right from here, but they are very easy to see on your own. Again, if you are only interested in booked tours, then I would heartily suggest a company like SPB Tours and do their entire package.

 

You will simply love the Baltics. It is like an amazing dream come true.

 

Here are a few more pix of the ports and highlights for you to see.

 

Starting in Copenhagen, there is, of course, the Little Mermaid,

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe212.jpg

 

but most people simple love the section of town called Nyhavn. From here you definitely want to do the canal boat tour.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe247.jpg

 

Moving along to Helsinki, you need to get to Market Square. depending on where your ship docks, you usually need to take some sort of public transportation to get there, though it is only a short ride. From Market Square you can move in several direction and see many of the sights of the city.

A couple of blocks away is the Lutheran Cathedral in Senate Square

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1062.jpg

 

Many people want to get to the Church In The Rock. To do that you should take the 3T tram, which makes a sort of figure eight around the city and will get you close to the Church

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1107.jpg

 

In Tallinn, this city is simply a joy to wander around in. A very old city surrounded by huge walls with winding cobblestone streets, just a real treat.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe566.jpg

 

Stockholm was our favorite port on the entire cruise. We simply loved the old time charm, the Vasa Museum (A capital MUST see), and the area known as Gamla Stan. Here you do not want to do any sort of tour, but just wander around on your own to discover all sorts of wonderful shops, dietary treats and wonderful people.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1265.jpg

 

I hope this helps some

 

Cheers

 

Len