scandinavia/russia or european explorer 2015

[roda]

Can someone help us compare the pros and cons of these two itineraries. What I would like is to hear from someone that did the 14 day Scand/Russia cruise. I like the ports but I am concerned about the short days at some ports. Did you feel rushed? Any feed back and information would help.

Next,I like the ports in the european explorer cruise. Is ten days enough?

Now the price question. We travel the fisrt week when prices come down in the spring or fall. What would be the best times for these cruises. We are doing only one.

Thank you co-members of cruise critic in advance.

RODA

[roda]

Can someone help us compare the pros and cons of these two itineraries. What I would like is to hear from someone that did the 14 day Scand/Russia cruise. I like the ports but I am concerned about the short days at some ports. Did you feel rushed? Any feed back and information would help.

 

Next,I like the ports in the european explorer cruise. Is ten days enough?

 

Now the price question. We travel the fisrt week when prices come down in the spring or fall. What would be the best times for these cruises. We are doing only one.

 

Thank you co-members of cruise critic in advance.

RODA

I am still hoping someone can give me information.

thx roda

[Pia1913]

I am still hoping someone can give me information.

thx roda

 

Please give the specific dates you are considering

[Flainefan]

Hi Roda.

Personally I would incline towards Scandinavia/Russia. I assume you are looking at the round-trip from Dover, since you mention it is 14 days. That looks to me a really interesting itinerary, with the call at Amsterdam and the Kiel Canal passage to get you to the Baltic Sea.

We did Scandinavia/ Russia four years ago on a round trip from Copenhagen and loved the ports we visited. It seems you will go to all the places we did, except Oslo, and in addition you get to Amsterdam, Latvia and Lithuania.

The highlight will probably be the two-night stay in St Petersburg. We took the two days Best of St Petersburg ship's tour and were delighted with it.

With all the other ports it was perfectly possible to 'do it yourself'. We found we had enough time to do what we wanted. The itinerary was quite 'port intensive' so the time balance seemed about right.

I see that the large ships often seem to be now docking at Nynashamn for Stockholm, a journey of about an hour, but in a small ship you are still able to sail right up the Stockholm fjord and dock right in the city. The cruise up the fjord is beautiful. You can then make the most of your time in the city. Don't miss the Vasa museum.

Helsinki was a very pleasant surprise for us; a short bus ride then onto the metro to the central station, where we picked up a tram that took us on a circular tour of the city. After this orientation, we got off the tram at places we wished to visit. Look out for the great food market.

The Talinn dock is a short pleasant walk into the town, which is very quaint and friendly.

There is a train to the centre of Copenhagen very near to the cruiseport. Lots to see and do there, and a very efficient public transport system to get around.

However, I'm sure you would enjoy the other itinerary too, and it would be warmer!

[roda]

Hi Pia, you have helped me in the past. Thank you.

What I am thinking about is Ocean Princess's cruise to Scand/russia possibly June 2015 and the cruise called European Explorer, not sure of dates for 2015.

Both sound very interesting but there are some short days in Scand and I want other people tell me how they dealt with it.

Roda

[roda]

I am wondering if you had short days as this cruise has some? Thanks for your reply.

Roda

[roda]

Are you familiar with these intineraries?

Roda

[Pia1913]

Hi Pia, you have helped me in the past. Thank you.

What I am thinking about is Ocean Princess's cruise to Scand/russia possibly June 2015 and the cruise called European Explorer, not sure of dates for 2015.

Both sound very interesting but there are some short days in Scand and I want other people tell me how they dealt with it.

Roda

 

 

I'm not seeing anything for the Ocean called European Explorer. As for Scandinavia and Russia, I have never been to Riga or Klaipeda and would welcome the opportunity to visit Latvia and Lithuania. Two day St. Pete is customary. and you can do a lot in one day in Copenhagen. Talinn, eh. Not one of my favorite cities; spent 3 long days there some years ago. I don't have an itinerary, so where did you see the day by day schedule and their times in port? I love this itinerary.

[Flainefan]

I agree that 3 days in Talinn would be too much. It's a town that is fine for a few hours' port stop.

Margaret

[roda]

Pia, I saw the 2014 itinerary in the Princess cruise atlas. It is a 10 day out of London ending in Rome. This is a second choice.

[roda]

Did you have short days?

[Pia1913]

Pia, I saw the 2014 itinerary in the Princess cruise atlas. It is a 10 day out of London ending in Rome. This is a second choice.

 

But we're talking about 2015, not '14. Am I missing something?

[david737]

The 2015 dates for Ocean Princess Scandinavia & Russia are, Sat 20th June Sat 18th July Tues 25th Aug & Tues 8th Spt. These are the 14 day RT from Dover cruises hope this is of help.

[roda]

Thank you David. If you have any New England questions please ask. By the way, do you also have dates for the European Explorer cruise out of London to ROme?

[roda]

Correct, I am looking at 2015.

[Pia1913]

Thank you David. If you have any New England questions please ask. By the way, do you also have dates for the European Explorer cruise out of London to ROme?

 

I just looked again at the entire 2015 schedule and I cannot see anything, on any ship, that starts in London and ends in Rome. Can you be more specific? The only cruise I see with Explorer in its title, is London to NY; Iceland and Norway Explorer.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Pia1913

[aquilegia]

I just looked again at the entire 2015 schedule and I cannot see anything, on any ship, that starts in London and ends in Rome.

 

I'm wondering this too. Even if 'London' in fact is means Southampton, I'm not familiar with an itinerary that goes from UK and ends in Rome.

[Pia1913]

I'm wondering this too. Even if 'London' in fact is means Southampton, I'm not familiar with an itinerary that goes from UK and ends in Rome.

 

Yes, for Princess, London is either Southampton or Dover. And I see nothing from either place to Rome.

[aquilegia]

Having looked again, I can see (to my surprise) a European Explorer cruise on Ocean Princess from Dover to Rome on 27 August this year. Of course, that doesn't mean that there is one in the 2015 schedule. I must say, looking at it, that while the itinerary is certainly a bit different, it doesn't seem very exciting. It calls at Le Havre (for Normandy /Paris, but Paris is a long way), Portimao on the Algarve, Gibraltar, Barcelona, St Tropez, and Portofino before ending at Rome. I don't think it can compare with Scandinavia/Russia.

[Pia1913]

Having looked again, I can see (to my surprise) a European Explorer cruise on Ocean Princess from Dover to Rome on 27 August this year. Of course, that doesn't mean that there is one in the 2015 schedule. I must say, looking at it, that while the itinerary is certainly a bit different, it doesn't seem very exciting. It calls at Le Havre (for Normandy /Paris, but Paris is a long way), Portimao on the Algarve, Gibraltar, Barcelona, St Tropez, and Portofino before ending at Rome. I don't think it can compare with Scandinavia/Russia.

 

Interesting, because my list doesn't show it. I have 17th August from London to Dover (8 days) and 25th August again from London to Dover. 14 days. Obviously something changed because Rome is never even mentioned.

[aquilegia]

Interesting, because my list doesn't show it.

 

I Googled for it and this is the Princess page that it found:

 

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=7418

 

It's possible that what it's found me is a cached page and Princess changed their itineraries later. But it's probably where the OP has got her info from.

[OhioDogLover]

Scandinavia/Russia is a really nice cruise. We did not get some of the ports you are getting as those seem to be new. We did private tours in most places, including Russia. I think you get more bang for your buck that way. St. Petersburg is worth it all by itself, in my opinion. We really liked Tallin, but that was in part because we had a fabulous private guide who we hired through the chamber of commerce. I agree with the comments about Sweden and Finland. Copenhagen is just a fun place to go. The cruise was tiring. It was a lot of ports and a lot of touring the way we had it set up, but that's what we wanted to do.

Someday we will do it again, especially with the added ports and days.

 

Just my two cents on that one.

 

Ohiodoglover

[Cruise Junky]

I Googled for it and this is the Princess page that it found:

 

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=7418

 

It's possible that what it's found me is a cached page and Princess changed their itineraries later. But it's probably where the OP has got her info from.

 

You guys are talking about different years. Ocean does it in 2014. She does not repeat it in 2015 which is the list the Pia is referring to.

[Pia1913]

You guys are talking about different years. Ocean does it in 2014. She does not repeat it in 2015 which is the list the Pia is referring to.

 

And which I thought the OP was referring to. No reason to ask about 2014 since it's been open for booking for a year. :confused:

[aquilegia]

You guys are talking about different years. Ocean does it in 2014. She does not repeat it in 2015 which is the list the Pia is referring to.

 

Yes, I know Pia and the OP are both referring to 2015. I was just noting that I had found a cruise this year called European Explorer which seems to be the itinerary the OP is referring to and asking advice about. It doesn't appear to be running in 2015 but I commented on the itinerary as I thought it might be useful to the OP. If you reread my post, you'll see I don't think the OP will be missing much by not having the option of this cruise.