Need help asap - europe

[cruzingduo]

We have decided (last minute) to book a Baltic cruise. We have never done a European cruise and have no idea how the waters are in September.

 

Can some one help us with cabin selection. Would you book mid ship or AFT. I found an aft cabin. Would it make a difference if we were port or starboard?

[cruisestitch]

Which ship?

[cruzingduo]

Which ship?

 

it's a royal cruise, i posted on both both sites. Need advice quickly.

[cruisestitch]

advice depends on which ship you are on. Some ships have great aft balconies and if you can snag one, that's a very good thing. On others it doesn't matter so much. Some ships have smoking on port side and balconies might be affected, others don't. Since you are sailing on Royal, you'll get the best advice on that board.

[cruzingduo]

advice depends on which ship you are on. Some ships have great aft balconies and if you can snag one, that's a very good thing. On others it doesn't matter so much. Some ships have smoking on port side and balconies might be affected, others don't. Since you are sailing on Royal, you'll get the best advice on that board.

 

Thanks, it's the Brilliance and we did decideon the AFT. I was concerned about the water being rough.

[helpthejuggler]

We had force 10 storms for a couple days in the North Sea a few years ago in september. The rest of the trip was not rough. We were the most forward room and it was spectacular.

 

Ship side matters very little from memory. Love an aft room though if you can get one.

[TLCOhio]

We have decided (last minute) to book a Baltic cruise. We have never done a European cruise and have no idea how the waters are in September. Can some one help us with cabin selection. Would you book mid ship or AFT. I found an aft cabin. Would it make a difference if we were port or starboard?

 

We've done four Europe cruises, including in the Baltics. Generally things are fairly calm in the Baltics for sailing. Will your cruise be early September? As you get into later September, things can get a little more of question on the weather and sea conditions.

 

Personally, I would go more mid-ship as that way it is much easier and more convenient to connect, up or down, to the key areas you need for food, entertainment, sights from the top of the ship, etc. Agree that the side doesn't matter than much in the Baltics.

 

Below is a little summary with specific weather history for each of the three major ports. Prepare for and plan on some "layering". The only thing certain is change, including cooler in the early am's and late evenings, etc. Warming up during the day. On the exact dates you be visiting, that info can be obtained by going to this below website, plugging in the location name and then going to the lower area for an earlier date to what happened there last year on that date, past averages, etc. Check out:

http://www.wunderground.com

 

Here are a few weather averages for these three key cities in the Baltics:

 

Copenhagen: High/low averages,

May: 59/45 °F

June: 67/52 °F

July: 69/55 °F

August: 69/54 °F

September: 62/50 °F

 

St. Petersburg:

May: 59/42 °F

June: 67/52 °F

July: 71/56 °F

August: 66/54 °F

 

Stockholm:

May: 60/43 °F

June: 69/52 °F

July: 71/56 °F

August: 69/55 °F

September: 59/48 °F

 

The Baltics and Europe tend to be more port-intensive. Lots of great opportunities on things to see and do. What ports will you visit on which ship? Tell us more on your interests and travel style. Happy to share more. Below are a few of my preview pictures to give you an idea for what you can see and do in the wonderful Baltics.

 

Keep these good questions rolling along!! Lots of great ideas and people are here on these boards and they are happy to help. Don't be shy!! The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask. Keep researching and planning. It will be very helpful for when you do your actual trip and that experience.

 

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 87,176 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

 

 

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard is one of the key highlights and is handy, close to the next-door historic old town area. :

 

 

 

Here are some of the fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.: : [/b]

 

 

 

At St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, just one of many, many great galleries, art, design, etc.:

 

 

 

Here is an overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior in St. Petersburg. It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in this historic city and was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, 1818 to 1858, under direction of a French architect. During Soviet rule, it was nearly destroyed and was made into a Museum of Scientific Atheism. It has been restored to its religious beauty/role. The cathedral's main dome tops out at 333 feet and is plated with pure gold.:

 

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

 

 

 

Dancers marching in Tallinn’s festival parade near the stone towers of the famous Viru Gate:

 

[sddsddean]

Obviously hard to guess what the weather might be (middle of June here and we still have the heating on!!!!!), but when we did the Baltics in July 2010 it was flat calm for the whole 2 weeks and St P had record temps of 38C!

 

Simon

[sofietucker]

We did the Baltic in July 2009 (Rotterdam to York, Edinburgh, Oslo, Goteborg, Stockholm, Bornholm, Gdansk, Kiel, Copenhagen). Weather: England sunny & warm, Scotland sweltering, North Sea crossing very rocky, the rest mostly cold & rainy. In Kiel it was torrential sideways rain. Shorex staff, cheerfully: "After all, it IS the Baltic!" Take your rain gear, just in case.

[MicCanberra]

We did the baltic in July 2010, it was calm as. Just remember, that it is still a sea and as such can change rapidly, from week to week, let alone years.:D

[cruzingduo]

We really appreciate all your advice and suggestions. Thanks for the tour ideas & temps too. Layer we will!

[cruzingduo]

We've done four Europe cruises, including in the Baltics. Generally things are fairly calm in the Baltics for sailing. Will your cruise be early September? As you get into later September, things can get a little more of question on the weather and sea conditions.

 

Personally, I would go more mid-ship as that way it is much easier and more convenient to connect, up or down, to the key areas you need for food, entertainment, sights from the top of the ship, etc. Agree that the side doesn't matter than much in the Baltics.

 

Below is a little summary with specific weather history for each of the three major ports. Prepare for and plan on some "layering". The only thing certain is change, including cooler in the early am's and late evenings, etc. Warming up during the day. On the exact dates you be visiting, that info can be obtained by going to this below website, plugging in the location name and then going to the lower area for an earlier date to what happened there last year on that date, past averages, etc. Check out:

http://www.wunderground.com

 

Here are a few weather averages for these three key cities in the Baltics:

 

Copenhagen: High/low averages,

May: 59/45 °F

June: 67/52 °F

July: 69/55 °F

August: 69/54 °F

September: 62/50 °F

 

St. Petersburg:

May: 59/42 °F

June: 67/52 °F

July: 71/56 °F

August: 66/54 °F

 

Stockholm:

May: 60/43 °F

June: 69/52 °F

July: 71/56 °F

August: 69/55 °F

September: 59/48 °F

 

The Baltics and Europe tend to be more port-intensive. Lots of great opportunities on things to see and do. What ports will you visit on which ship? Tell us more on your interests and travel style. Happy to share more. Below are a few of my preview pictures to give you an idea for what you can see and do in the wonderful Baltics.

 

Keep these good questions rolling along!! Lots of great ideas and people are here on these boards and they are happy to help. Don't be shy!! The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask. Keep researching and planning. It will be very helpful for when you do your actual trip and that experience.

 

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 87,176 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

 

 

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard is one of the key highlights and is handy, close to the next-door historic old town area. :

 

 

 

Here are some of the fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.: : [/b]

 

 

 

At St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, just one of many, many great galleries, art, design, etc.:

 

 

 

Here is an overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior in St. Petersburg. It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in this historic city and was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, 1818 to 1858, under direction of a French architect. During Soviet rule, it was nearly destroyed and was made into a Museum of Scientific Atheism. It has been restored to its religious beauty/role. The cathedral's main dome tops out at 333 feet and is plated with pure gold.:

 

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

 

 

 

Dancers marching in Tallinn’s festival parade near the stone towers of the famous Viru Gate:

 

[/QU

 

I know very little about things to do so I bought Rick Steves Scandinavia tour book. You also gave us a lot to start with. Thank you.

[TLCOhio]

I know very little about things to do so I bought Rick Steves Scandinavia tour book. You also gave us a lot to start with. Thank you.

 

 

Getting a Rick Steves Scandinavia tour book is a good start. Here are some more ideas to consider and added visuals to consider. Compared to many ports in the Carib, there is a wider range of options in the Baltics, that doing this added, advance research makes a big, big difference.

 

From our previous travels to these great cities of the Baltics, here are some of my book and research tips. You might grab, maybe from your public libraries or ask for them to do a book transfer they can process for you, such super excellent visual books such as Eyewitness, Insight, etc. Rick Steves, Fodors, Frommers, etc., can work well, too. In my opinion, no one travel book has it "ALL", perfectly and completely for all of your needs. These resources, especially the visual ones, can help you better figure out your priorities, in advance, for what you want to do and see. That early research is very important. Don't wait until you get on the ship to "GUESS" what might be of interest. I always build a "file" on my laptop computer for each port stop with highlights from that reading and then pulling up stories/articles from the travels sections of the New York Times, Telegraph of London, Wikipedia, etc. All of those help to consider your many great options. Amazon can be very good in providing such books at reduced prices, plus some used books websites. Lots of great options!!! Especially in these days of the Internet, it makes things easier to research and plan ahead. You can use Google.com for great access to various text items, plus a wide variety of visuals and maps. One option for some private tour and other local options is to contract the tourism office in each of your ports. You can use Google.com and put in the search term such as "city/port name tourism office". Then follow-up to each of those office by e-mail, ask your questions, get their suggestions, options to consider, etc.

 

Here are a couple of other suggestions to help you and other future travelers. FIRST, scroll back through all of the earlier postings. You will see many different items on ports you would visit and/or at the board for each separate cruise line in planning for your upcoming cruise. SECOND, do a search on these boards by each city and you will see lots of postings on various subjects connected with each port stop.

 

Keep these good questions rolling along!! Lots of great ideas and people are here on these boards and they are happy to help. Don't be shy!! The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask. Keep researching and planning. It will be very helpful for when you do your actual trip and that experience.

 

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 88,898 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

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 73,302 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace outside of St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band.:

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Copenhagen's City Hall and Square:

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Helsinki’s Church of Rock, or Temppeliaukion Kirkko, is carved out of solid stone with a unique contemporary design.:

 

 

 

Private, personal tours can be worth it, especially in St. Petersburg. Here our group of four, with our guide, Jane or Zhenya from Anastasia, we are viewing one of the two da Vinci masterpieces (Madonna Litta or Madonna and Child) at the Hermitage after an early admission. There are only 14 such painting by this artist existing in the world. We did an early admission at the Hermitage, adding to the enjoyment in this spectacular place AND museum. It is both!:

 

[Lsimon]

We have decided (last minute) to book a Baltic cruise. We have never done a European cruise and have no idea how the waters are in September.

 

Can some one help us with cabin selection. Would you book mid ship or AFT. I found an aft cabin. Would it make a difference if we were port or starboard?

 

While one can determine the "normal" conditions for a given time period the bottom line is that the seas can be rough for a day or two any time of the year. Just because someone had smooth sailing on their cruise in the past doesn't mean you can't run into rough seas. If you are concerned about motion then a mid ship cabin will always be more stable than a forward or aft cabin on the same ship.

[cruzingduo]

We want to thank you so much for all the information. We are sailing on RCCL's Billiance of the Seas on Sept 1 of this year.

 

We will visit: Estonia, St Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm. Plus will be in Copenhagen for 2 days prior to boarding.

[cruzingduo]

Getting a Rick Steves Scandinavia tour book is a good start. Here are some more ideas to consider and added visuals to consider. Compared to many ports in the Carib, there is a wider range of options in the Baltics, that doing this added, advance research makes a big, big difference.

 

From our previous travels to these great cities of the Baltics, here are some of my book and research tips. You might grab, maybe from your public libraries or ask for them to do a book transfer they can process for you, such super excellent visual books such as Eyewitness, Insight, etc. Rick Steves, Fodors, Frommers, etc., can work well, too. In my opinion, no one travel book has it "ALL", perfectly and completely for all of your needs. These resources, especially the visual ones, can help you better figure out your priorities, in advance, for what you want to do and see. That early research is very important. Don't wait until you get on the ship to "GUESS" what might be of interest. I always build a "file" on my laptop computer for each port stop with highlights from that reading and then pulling up stories/articles from the travels sections of the New York Times, Telegraph of London, Wikipedia, etc. All of those help to consider your many great options. Amazon can be very good in providing such books at reduced prices, plus some used books websites. Lots of great options!!! Especially in these days of the Internet, it makes things easier to research and plan ahead. You can use Google.com for great access to various text items, plus a wide variety of visuals and maps. One option for some private tour and other local options is to contract the tourism office in each of your ports. You can use Google.com and put in the search term such as "city/port name tourism office". Then follow-up to each of those office by e-mail, ask your questions, get their suggestions, options to consider, etc.

 

Here are a couple of other suggestions to help you and other future travelers. FIRST, scroll back through all of the earlier postings. You will see many different items on ports you would visit and/or at the board for each separate cruise line in planning for your upcoming cruise. SECOND, do a search on these boards by each city and you will see lots of postings on various subjects connected with each port stop.

 

Keep these good questions rolling along!! Lots of great ideas and people are here on these boards and they are happy to help. Don't be shy!! The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask. Keep researching and planning. It will be very helpful for when you do your actual trip and that experience.

 

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 88,898 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

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 73,302 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace outside of St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band.:

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Copenhagen's City Hall and Square:

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Helsinki’s Church of Rock, or Temppeliaukion Kirkko, is carved out of solid stone with a unique contemporary design.:

 

 

 

Private, personal tours can be worth it, especially in St. Petersburg. Here our group of four, with our guide, Jane or Zhenya from Anastasia, we are viewing one of the two da Vinci masterpieces (Madonna Litta or Madonna and Child) at the Hermitage after an early admission. There are only 14 such painting by this artist existing in the world. We did an early admission at the Hermitage, adding to the enjoyment in this spectacular place AND museum. It is both!:

 

 

I have read many of your posts and greatly appreciate all the information. We have Rick Steve's book and plan on following his wallking tour in Tallinn. I was interested in whether you stopped for lunch and where ?

 

Joanne

[FunNut]

It's been years since we did the Baltic cruise, the maiden voyage of the Millennium. I researched a LOT before the trip, to know what would be most interesting in each port. We only took the ship's excursions in St. Petersburg, back in those days the private excursions were off the page in cost.

 

In all the other ports we wandered around on our own, taking a taxi once in a while. By far our favorite stop was Tallinn, Estonia. We took a taxi to the top of the old walled city and walked back to the ship, it took about 5 hours. On the way we attended mass in an Orthodox church (women, take a large square scarf to cover shoulders and head), saw the very interesting architecture in the old city, had coffee and lunch in sidewalk cafes, did the best shopping of the trip in an artisans co-op, and bought a huge bouquet at the flower market (for about $3) which we kept in the cabin the rest of the cruise.

 

If you do your research, you don't need to spend a lot of money on shore excursions. We loved just walking around. And be sure to be on deck or your balcony the several hours before docking in Stockholm. The transit through the archipelago is breathtaking.

 

Be prepared for grey cold days and rain. A lightweight and packable rain jacket with a hood, worn with a sweater as insulation underneath, is best. Be sure your walking shoes and your totebag can be out in the rain.

[drarill]

We cruised the Baltic on the Jewel (sistership of the Brilliance) in an aft cabin, and it was great. We like mid-ship cabins but we got a great deal on a RFS and decided to go for it. You are going to love the Baltic, try to book a private tour in St. Petersburg. We used Denrus but you will find more recommendations at the Europe board. We also explored some ports on our own and used cruise tours too. Hope this helps. :)