Baltic- Shuttle buses?

[Suzez]

Do Princess offer shuttle buses in any of the Baltic ports? if so, does anyone know if these are free of is there a charge.

[Grammyluvs]

We had a shuttle bus in Helsinki, there was a minimal fee. Oslo, the port is in town. Do not recall a shuttle in Stockholm. Tallinn you can walk although, I do think the town has a shuttle for pay. Baltics are very easy DIY. In Copenhagen, Princess had a shuttle for a fee but only because we docked there on Sunday and public buses did not run to our pier. Not sure if they do that every visit. Loved the Baltics.

[Alaskanb]

Princess did a shuttle bus in Aarhus to the perimeter of the dock area.

[caribill]

The Royal will not be docking near downtown Stockholm, so ship transportation will be required to get downtown. I do not know the cost if any, but in my opinion it should be free since it is not the passengers' fault that Princess built a ship too large to get to the city itself.

 

And of course that is no such thing as a shuttle in St. Petersburg. You will need to book either an independent tour with a recognized vendor or a Princess tour to be able to leave the ship unless you obtained a Russian visa before the cruise. (This visa is not needed for a tour with a recognized vendor or a Princess tour.)

[Suzez]

Thank you. Do you have to pre book the shuttle buses? or do you just get on when you get off/

we are booking tours for St

Petersberg. Tallin and Oslo we will walk. Helsinki, not sure yet. Tours are pricey. So may have a day on the ship. We are on emerald so we should be okay to walk to town in Copenhagen.

[Wehwalt]

Thank you. Do you have to pre book the shuttle buses? or do you just get on when you get off/

we are booking tours for St

Petersberg. Tallin and Oslo we will walk. Helsinki, not sure yet. Tours are pricey. So may have a day on the ship. We are on emerald so we should be okay to walk to town in Copenhagen.

 

The Royal will not be docking near downtown Stockholm, so ship transportation will be required to get downtown. I do not know the cost if any, but in my opinion it should be free since it is not the passengers' fault that Princess built a ship too large to get to the city itself.

 

And of course that is no such thing as a shuttle in St. Petersburg. You will need to book either an independent tour with a recognized vendor or a Princess tour to be able to leave the ship unless you obtained a Russian visa before the cruise. (This visa is not needed for a tour with a recognized vendor or a Princess tour.)

 

 

I am doing the Baltics on the Ocean, which is small enough almost to park on the street! I have not yet decided what to do about Saint Petersburg. Very tempted to go to the expense of a Russian visa and one night in a hotel, it will be early July and light all night.

 

I have never known a need to prebook Princess shuttle buses, although there may be ports where there is an exception.

 

The opposite argument is: Well, no one got on the ship thinking it was a rowboat. The fact that the Royal needs to dock light years away from the city as it is in two time zones was known at booking. However, I have the same reaction to "pay" Princess shuttle buses. Roll it into the fare, dammit.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Wehwalt

[paul929207]

The Royal will not be docking near downtown Stockholm, so ship transportation will be required to get downtown. I do not know the cost if any, but in my opinion it should be free since it is not the passengers' fault that Princess built a ship too large to get to the city itself.

 

And of course that is no such thing as a shuttle in St. Petersburg. You will need to book either an independent tour with a recognized vendor or a Princess tour to be able to leave the ship unless you obtained a Russian visa before the cruise. (This visa is not needed for a tour with a recognized vendor or a Princess tour.)

Interesting logic on the ship size. Might it not argued by Princess that it is the passengers fault that they booked such a big ship?

 

Princess does not provide free shuttles in places like Shanghai & Hong Kong where the Ocean Princess can dock in town while the big ships like the Diamond are an hour or so away in the container port.

[caribill]

Princess does not provide free shuttles in places like Shanghai & Hong Kong where the Ocean Princess can dock in town while the big ships like the Diamond are an hour or so away in the container port.

 

They should. Ports not central to the destination city are often specified. For example, London (Southampton) and Paris (Le Havre). Then the potential passenger knows he/she will not actually cruise to the city itself.

 

Maybe the pretty brochures should list when the dock will not be within sight of the destination city in cases such as Stockholm and Shanghai.

 

Charging for a shuttle bus to the advertised destination city is no different than if Princess charged for a tender ride to reach Cabo San Lucas, Princess Cays, etc.

Edited January 21, 2014 by caribill

[paul929207]

They should. Ports not central to the destination city are often specified. For example, London (Southampton) and Paris (Le Havre). Then the potential passenger knows he/she will not actually cruise to the city itself.

 

Maybe the pretty brochures should list when the dock will not be within sight of the destination city in cases such as Stockholm and Shanghai.

 

Charging for a shuttle bus to the advertised destination city is no different than if Princess charged for a tender ride to reach Cabo San Lucas, Princess Cays, etc.

As to Cabo, please don't give them any ideas. :)

[rdsqrl]

The Royal will not be docking near downtown Stockholm, so ship transportation will be required to get downtown. I do not know the cost if any, but in my opinion it should be free sinceit is not the passengers' fault that Princess built a ship too large to get to the city itself.

By that logic, it's not my fault that Princess built a ship without oceanview cabins, so they should sell me a balcony cabin at an oceanview rate.

 

Nice try, Caribill.

 

[caribill]

By that logic, it's not my fault that Princess built a ship without oceanview cabins, so they should sell me a balcony cabin at an oceanview rate.

 

Nice try, Caribill.

 

 

They do not advertise oceanview rooms on the Royal. They do advertise that the ship is going to Stockholm.

 

(I enjoyed reading your live from on your recent cruise.)

[Grammyluvs]

The only shuttle bus Princess provided on our trip to the Baltics was on a Sunday in Copenhagen. They did charge. While the public buses weren’t running to our port that day, other transportation modes were available (train, HOHO and cabs). It was cheaper and more efficient to take the Princess shuttle so we did not mind paying a minimal fee. We did pre-purchase tkts. ahead of time for Copenhagen. Also, the other port shuttles which were provided by the town also charged, but you paid when boarding. For DIY’ers, it was much cheaper and easier.

[Alaskanb]

Thank you. Do you have to pre book the shuttle buses? or do you just get on when you get off/

we are booking tours for St

Petersberg. Tallin and Oslo we will walk. Helsinki, not sure yet. Tours are pricey. So may have a day on the ship. We are on emerald so we should be okay to walk to town in Copenhagen.

Helsinki is easy to do by public transport from the port using a 24 hr day-pass --where will you be docking? The pass includes the ferry ride to Suomenelinna. Here are my notes from 2013

One-day transport pass (8 Euro) –can buy from kiosk at West Harbor terminal. Blue machine in English –cash, coins, CC. Red –coins. Take Tram 9 to Rautatientori (Main train station area). Tram 9 going away from the harbor will be marked "Pasilan asema / Böle Station", the one going to the harbor "Länsiterminaalin / Västra terminalen.

Walk to Market Square. Explore.

3T tram to Rock Church. Opens at 10:00 am

The tram 3T stops are near the fountain on the west side of the market. The tram going south stops on the south side of the fountain with the tram pointing towards the market, the one going north/west (towards the railway station) stops on the east side of the fountain with the tram pointing towards the white cathedral. The route takes about an hour if you stay on the whole time. Stop 8 Sammonkatu – this is the best stop for Temppeliaukion kirkko (Granite Church) (20 mins) Stop 10 Toolontori (Toolo Market Square) – this is the best stop for the Sibelius monument. Just a short walk through the park. (30 mins)

 

Suomenlinna. If a pretty day pick up lunch and take ferry. (10 am ferry for 11 am tour?)

http://www.suomenlinna.fi/en

If you use the ferry/boat from the east side of the market Square (included in the 8 Euro 24 h bus/tram/metro/train ticket - there are also a 5 Euro 12h ferry ticket option) you'll arrive at the north side of the "Big Eastern Black-Island" (Iso Mustasaari) and you'll have to cross that island to reach the visitor center --museum on second floor. The routes are perhaps not always that well marked but the majority of the visitors will know the correct way so it is just to follow the stream. The route instructions are: turn left - through the gate in the building - uphill past the church, then after passing the low fortification on your right side (or "crownwork" to use the correct military expression) turn right downhill to the beach.

Guided walking tours are organised daily during the summer, from June 1 to August 31: at 11 am, 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm in English

Walk along the Esplanadii area and visit some of the Finnish design stores like Marimekko https://www.marimekko.com/shops/shop-locator?point=60.1678%2B24.946

Return to ship by Tram 9, the one going to the harbor "Länsiterminaalin / Västra terminalen

Edited January 21, 2014 by Alaskanb