Baltic Excursions

[dutchharbor]

We will be doing a Baltic cruise on Princess in August. We would like to know which ports (other than St. Petersburg and Copenhagen) are easy to explore on your own or should be seen by ship excursion. The ports we are interested in are Oslo, Norway; Aarhus, Denmark; Warnemunde, Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.

[CruiserBruce]

Come over to the Northern Europe board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=192

 

and do some reading. Each of those ports is covered extensively there.

[kitty9]

A lot depends if your ship has shuttles to the center of the town. Many times, the ports are in an industrial area, not suitable for walking. But, if they provide a shuttle, many places are easy to do on your own. Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallin are easy to do on your own. Warnamunde----there's really nothing there, but a jumping off port for Berlin.

Edited January 23, 2014 by kitty9

[EdmPair]

My last cruise ...

It also depends what you want to see. Also, really check which dock YOUR ship will be at. We docked in Oslo right beside the castle! YEAH! Before we took the trip, it was clear there were other berths further away and then the castle would not be walking distance. (I do not want to burn an hour of my time in port just walking to and from something if all I get to see during the walk are shipping containers.)

 

I took a trip to see the Viking Museum in Oslo and it is not walking distance and given the language barrier, I would not want to risk a taxi.

 

Tallin offered a cheap shuttle to the old town and then I just walked and took pix.

 

I took a bus tour in Copenhagen, but regret that as I could have just walked to the old wall ruins a short walk away.

 

Enjoy your trip.

M

[Essiesmom]

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Northern Europe Cruise Ports. Tells you what there is to do and how to do it on your own, gangway to gangway. EM

[ontheweb]

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Northern Europe Cruise Ports. Tells you what there is to do and how to do it on your own, gangway to gangway. EM

 

That's great advice. On our Baltic cruise (2007), in Talinn we walked around with our Rick Steves' Scandanavia book, and ran into the others on our roll call doing the same.

 

In St. Petersburg, check out the private tour operators. You should find plenty of information on them in the boards for that port. If you can put together a group from your roll call, you should be able to see more and do it for less money with a much smaller group than if you do a ship's tour. Do not let the cruise line discourage you from doing this. You do not need a visa if you go with a licensed tour operator. Their groups go on a group visa just like the groups from the ship.

 

Stockholm was the one port that we found that there was much more to do then could be done in the time we had in port.

[gra2172]

We will be doing a Baltic cruise on Princess in August. We would like to know which ports (other than St. Petersburg and Copenhagen) are easy to explore on your own or should be seen by ship excursion. The ports we are interested in are Oslo, Norway; Aarhus, Denmark; Warnemunde, Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.

 

We just did that cruise last year. Talinn is really easy (and beautiful). You can walk from the ship to the town in just a few minutes.

 

Stockholm is pretty far, but you could technically walk it. Most likely youll have to take a shuttle to the old town.

 

We went to Berlin on the train from Warnemude and the train tacks are right next to the ship.

[John Bull]

Tallin, very easy.

The nearest point of the old town, a squat tower with the unflattering name of Fat Margaret, is a 10-15 minute walk. Ten minutes beyond is the busy part of the old town

 

Helsinki, fairly easy.

Though a shuttle to the Market Place would be a good start.

 

Stockholm, depends where you berth.

If Framlingham (spelling?) you need a bus or taxi or shuttle.

If Stadtsgarten (spelling? - again), walk or shuttle or bus to Gamla Stan. But better to take a hop-on boat from adjacent the ship. Gamla Stan is first & second stops, Vasa Museum is near the end - but mornings they offer a hop-on direct to Vasa, and early arrival there avoids lines.

Both berths are tolerably convenient.

Some ships now berth at Nynashamn - which isn't even Stockholm!!!

 

JB :)

Edited January 23, 2014 by John Bull

[RavennaM]

Helsinki is very easy to explore on your own. Take a taxi to the city centre and just walk around. Cost is about 15 dollars. Taxi drivers speak English very well.