Regal Princess Baltics Cruise Review –May 24 to June 4, 2015 (long)

[MTJSR]

Thank you for your lengthy review and the information was so helpful. I do have to think, that some of these european/distant cruise itineraries are just not for me. I tend to be the most polite and considerate person around so the thought of being trampled and disregarded at this level, would just ruin the trip.

 

Life already is a giant "scrum" so why magnify it times 10 and call that a relaxing vacation?

Edited June 14, 2015 by MTJSR

[Colo Cruiser]

Thank you for your lengthy review and the information was so helpful. I do have to think, that some of these european/distant cruise itineraries are just not for me. I tend to be the most polite and considerate person around so the thought of being trampled and disregarded at this level, would just ruin the trip.

 

Life already is a giant ""scrum so why magnify it times 10 and call that a relaxing vacation?

 

 

If you can navigate CC you can navigate Europe. ;)

[dickinson]

Thank you for your lengthy review and the information was so helpful. I do have to think, that some of these european/distant cruise itineraries are just not for me. I tend to be the most polite and considerate person around so the thought of being trampled and disregarded at this level, would just ruin the trip.

 

Life already is a giant "scrum" so why magnify it times 10 and call that a relaxing vacation?

 

It is all individual perception and also who is on your cruise. I would not let that stop me from going on this cruise. After reading many reviews of ships I have come to understand that you can't believe everything you read only because it probably isn't quite as bad as some people make things out to be. they are writing their perception but meanwhile they had lots of good stuff. However you are only reading about the bad. Every cruise is different. If you like the itinerary then go for it. I will say that any itinerary that is port intensive is not a relaxing vacation.

Edited June 14, 2015 by dickinson

[Baatman]

Did this cruise several years ago, your review brings back some good memories - thanks.

[caribill]

Very much enjoying your review.:):) Did you need Visas for any of the ports you visited?

 

US Citizens do not need visas for any ports on this itinerary.

 

This assumes your tour in St. Pete is with an authorized tour company (Princess or independent) which will arrange a temporary permit to enter the country.

[sunsetbeachgal]

I am enjoying your review very much as we just got off a Northern Europe capitals/Baltic cruise on HAL that visited some of the same ports. Loved the canal cruise in Copenhangen! And also Olso, everything except the prices!

 

We really like the Regal and Royal Princess (yes, despite the design flaws!), but did not consider it for this particular cruise as sailing through the Stockholm archipelago for us was a "must" and was a highlight. Our sailing had a good mix of Americans, Canadians, Europeans and Asians. Some families with children but not nearly as many as our Princess Grand Med. cruise two years ago.

Edited June 15, 2015 by sunsetbeachgal

[canuck13]

Wednesday, May 27 – BERLIN

We had debated our options for this port. Only 1 of the 4 of us had ever visited Berlin and we didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. However the 3 hours of travel each way for such a short visit made us reluctant to commit. The deciding factor was when N contacted a distant relative who lives near Berlin. M was very excited that we would be in the area and insisted that she and her ex-husband W would be our tour guide and chauffeur for the visit. That sealed the deal! We booked the “Berlin on Your Own” tour through Princess since all we needed was transportation. With a potential strike looming in Germany, we didn’t want to take the chance on arranging local transportation.

 

 

We were up very early to prepare for the day. The IC was virtually empty at 6:15, so breakfast was easy and we were at the Princess Theater at the appointed time of 6:45. After a short wait, we were escorted across the road to our assigned train cars. The train is a Princess charter so once we had everyone loaded it was a smooth trip to Berlin with very few stops. Water and muffins were provided on the way & we arrived right on time around 10:30. Once we got to Berlin, we followed our tour escort out of the train station & through a shopping mall to where buses were waiting. The drop off point for the buses was the Hilton next to the Gendarmenmarkt.

 

 

NOTE – Take Princess at their word. When you book an “On Your Own” tour, that’s what you get. Our escort gave a brief overview of Berlin on the train and warned us that we didn’t have time to leave the central core area. She then distributed maps that gave such a broad view of the greater Berlin area that they were useless for navigating the central core. Fortunately we brought our own more useful map with us. When departing the bus, we also asked for directions toward Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. We were pointed in a general direction that turned out to be the wrong way.

 

 

We had booked timed entry to the Reichstag Dome on line, so that was our first stop. With our misleading directions, we became a bit concerned about making it by our 11:30 time. However we finally came to a major street where we could see Brandenburg Gate in the distance. That got us headed in the right direction and we arrived right on time to the Reichstag. Since this is the seat of the German Parliament, security was tight. Passports were essential and it was similar to airport security. We also saw the long lines seeking tickets and were very glad we reserved in advance.

 

 

Our visit to the Reichstag Dome was well worth the time. The free audio tour kicks in automatically and narrates your walk as you wind your way up the dome. It’s a great way to get fantastic views of the city and the narration tells you exactly what to look for. It also gives lots of interesting history about the Reichstag building and the design of the dome. I was amused when the narrator told us that the dome is open at the top to “release stale air from the plenary”. I guess politicians are the same everywhere.

 

 

We’d been warned that free washrooms are scarce in Berlin, so despite the long lines we took advantage of the opportunity here. Then we left the Reichstag and found M waiting at our pre-arranged meeting spot in front of the building. M led us on a walk through the Tiergarten to meet up with W in his VW station wagon that accommodated all 6 of us.

 

 

We made a quick stop at the Victory Column for some photos, then W navigated through some very heavy traffic and got us to the Topography of Terror museum. We stopped outside for a photo op at some remnants of the Berlin Wall. Then we entered this modern museum constructed on the site of the former SS and Gestapo headquarters. The displays were excellent and told the story in a very comprehensive and moving way. To know we were on the exact site where it happened was amazing. We could have easily spent hours here, but our schedule did not allow. W then took us on a drive past Checkpoint Charlie and through some neighborhoods I’m sure most tourists don’t see. We also went past and took some photos of the section of the wall I believe is known as the East Gallery. It’s the largest remaining section of the wall and has been decorated in spectacular fashion by local artists.

 

 

We wanted to treat M & W to a late lunch to say thank you, so they took us to one of their local favorites – a spot called Rio Bravo. Nice location on the river across from the East Gallery and featuring numerous local specialties. We all had a great lunch that we were glad was not typical “tourist fare”. Then, sadly, it was time to navigate through traffic back toward the Hilton & we arrived about 10 minutes before our 4:45 deadline.

 

 

Everyone was back on the bus on time and we were taken to a different train station for our return trip. Sandwiches and snacks were offered on the way back and it seemed a little faster on the return. We were back on the ship by 7:45.

 

 

There had been numerous announcements that dinner would be open seating in all dining rooms, but some people were still confused. Our table was not far from the entrance and we watched our head waiter deal very professionally with one particularly irate woman who couldn’t understand why she had to wait (briefly) in line so someone else could sit at “her table”. We complimented Ilario on his tact and restraint and he shared a few stories with us.

 

 

We were very glad we made the trip to Berlin and were extremely fortunate to have a “private tour” available to us. It was still a short visit but we were happy with what we saw and were able to save ourselves a lot of steps!

 

 

Fortunate scheduling to have a sea day following Berlin.

[Northender]

US Citizens do not need visas for any ports on this itinerary.

 

This assumes your tour in St. Pete is with an authorized tour company (Princess or independent) which will arrange a temporary permit to enter the country.

 

Thanks.:):)

[canuck13]

Sorry for the delay in continuing my review. We've been out of town for a high school graduation. I'll try to get the remaining days posted fairly quickly.

 

Thursday, May 28 – Sea Day

Much more relaxing pace today. We finally had an opportunity to enjoy the ship and rest up. I was very happy with the fitness facilities; it’s a bonus to have it open 24 hours. Lunch was pizza on deck and we found a relatively quiet and shady place to read near the retreat pool.

 

Formal night for dinner. The 50th Anniversary menu was just OK – no real complaints but a bit underwhelming for a formal night. For those not really into formal nights, this would be the one to skip, imo.

 

 

We were pleasantly surprised by the speed and consistency of the internet & WIFI connection throughout this cruise. Very seldom had problems getting on and the speed was quite good. Toward the end of the cruise, I had to start rationing my free minutes to avoid running out.

 

Friday, May 29 – Tallin

We chose to sleep in a bit today. Checked the buffet early and it was very busy. The ship was cleared by 7:50 but we chose to stay behind the crowds and enjoyed the IC for a while. We got off with no delay about 9:30.

 

 

It’s a very manageable walk from where we docked to the main town area. I had downloaded a walking tour recommended on CC, but we got off track pretty quickly and found the streets to be very poorly marked. It’s a pretty town and well preserved, but it’s a bit of a maze. Once we got our bearings we headed for our first stop at the Hotel Viru for the KGB Museum tour.

 

 

 

We only found out about this tour 2 weeks before our cruise. It sounded interesting and was easy to book by email with no deposit. When we arrived at Hotel Viru, we noticed that both English speaking tours for the day were posted as sold out. We highly recommend this tour and at 10 Euros per person we thought it was one of the best bargains of the entire trip! Excellent stories and exhibits about KGB activities in Tallin during Russian occupation. It lasted about an hour and included wonderful views of the city from the top floor. As an added bonus, we had access to hotel washrooms with our tour receipt. This was important in Tallin as the only other free washrooms we found were “port-a pots”.

 

 

 

After this tour, J decided he’d seen enough and headed back to the ship. The other 3 of us found a small café off the beaten track and had a very good lunch for under 20 Euros for all 3 of us. We then wandered back through town and stopped into numerous shops along the way. We made it back to the ship around 4 PM after a very enjoyable day in Tallin.

 

 

Sail away was at 5 PM and we finally got to hear the Love Boat horn as we left. Another enjoyable dinner in the MDR and then off to bed early to be well rested for our 2 days in St. Petersburg.

[canuck13]

Saturday, May 30 – St. Petersburg, Day 1

After reading many descriptions and reviews from others, we were eagerly anticipating our visit to St. Petersburg. Let me begin by saying that our visit here did indeed live up to expectations and definitely was the highlight of our cruise.

 

 

We had considered a lot of options and finally settled on booking a private tour for the 4 of us with SPB tours. I was happy with the email responses I had received from Alex at SPB and he agreed to rearrange the itinerary as I requested. One of my concerns was that we were the only ship in port on Saturday, but on Sunday there were 3 additional ships and another 5000+ passengers visiting. I wanted to visit the most popular sites on Saturday, including the Hermitage. It didn’t actually turn out as I had anticipated, but it did all work out for the best as you will read.

 

 

We had read some concerns about the way Princess sometimes deals with private tours in St. Petersburg, so we wanted to be up early in case we had significant wait time in getting off the ship. As it turned out, we had no problems at all. We disembarked about 7 AM and walked off the ship with no delay and no one from Princess questioned us. There were many booths open for customs inspection and we waited in line about 10 minutes before all 4 of us were cleared and on our way. As many have reported, there was no conversation with the Russian officials. They carefully inspected our passports and tour tickets, then stamped passports and gave us a nod to send us on our way.

 

 

The SPB staff were easy to find and they quickly matched us up with our assigned guide and driver. Our guide was Ekaterina on her name tag, but she introduced herself as Katharine and she soon became Kate as we got more comfortable. Slava was our driver. Kate started to go over the day’s itinerary, beginning with the drive to Catherine’s Palace. I interrupted at this point and showed her my email from Alex with our revised itinerary. This surprised her & she asked us to wait in the van with Slava while she investigated. She returned a few minutes later and explained that a change had been made just the day before. There was a private event scheduled for Catherine’s Palace on Sunday and it would be closed. The only way to see everything on our itinerary was to go back to the normal day one and day two schedule. I wasn’t very happy about this since I was still anticipating horrid crowds at the Hermitage on Sunday. However we didn’t want to miss Catherine’s Palace, so we went along with the change.

 

 

In hindsight, I would have been better off to just leave the planning up to SPB and not waste my time trying to customize. These folks run a very professional organization and they know St. Petersburg inside out. There’s no question that their plan was better than mine – especially since we got to tour all the outdoor sites on a day when the weather was spectacular. We were very pleased with SPB and highly recommend this company.

 

 

We began with a drive through St. Petersburg and a quick stop near St. Isaac’s Cathedral for a photo op. We’d be visiting the interior of St. Isaac’s on Sunday and I think our stop here was just to make sure we didn’t arrive at Catherine’s too early. We then made the drive to Pushkin & the Tsar’s Village where Slava dropped us off for a short walk to the palace. For some reason we had to wait for someone else from SPB to arrive and purchase tickets, but that gave us time to stroll the grounds and take some great exterior photos. We then made our way inside where Kate gave us an excellent narrated tour through the palace. She was very knowledgeable about what was original and what had been restored and we began to appreciate how fortunate we were to have her just for the 4 of us. Other groups were clearly struggling to stay together of hear their guide. The interior tour of the palace was crowded, but not unmanageable. We concluded our tour here with a stroll around the lake and gardens. Because of the beautiful weather, we really enjoyed this experience as well.

 

 

Our next stop was a quick drive to a local café for lunch (included with our tour package). The café was not busy and they were expecting us so service was quick and efficient. We began with a wonderful Borscht (sour cream on the side) and then were served a standard plate with breaded pork & rice. Ice cream for dessert – nothing fancy but all quite good. Wine was also included.

 

 

From the café, Kate told us it would be a 1 hour drive to Peterhof. Kate was very good at providing narration while we were driving but she warned us there wouldn’t be a lot to see on this drive so there was a lot of quiet time. As we drove through the countryside, I was surprised at how similar the landscape is to home. I’m not sure what I was expecting but from the vegetation, farm land and flat terrain it looked just like driving anywhere in southern Ontario or Michigan. Even the seasons were almost in sync – we saw lilac in bloom everywhere we visited.

 

 

We ran into some traffic on the way to Peterhof, but Slava knew an alternate route and got us there right on time. He dropped us off and said he’d see us back in St. Petersburg, as we’d be taking the hydrofoil back. We waited briefly as Kate purchased tickets, then set off on a lengthy walk through the gardens and fountains of Peterhof. This was a spectacular visit and we were so fortunate to have perfect weather for this tour. Over 200 fountains – all very elaborate and all gravity driven. I don’t remember if inside tours of the palace aren’t allowed or if we just didn’t have time. Regardless the exterior is very impressive and photo worthy. I’ve never been to France, but from the pictures I’ve seen the comparisons to Versailles are quite appropriate.

 

 

From Peterhof, it was a short walk to catch the hydrofoil to take as back to St. Petersburg. This was a fast ride and saved us a lot of time. We did find the diesel fumes quite unpleasant however. The always punctual Slava was right there to meet us and we were off to the Peter & Paul’s Fortress. By this time, traffic in St. Petersburg had become very heavy. Slava took advantage of a few shortcuts. We were surprised to learn he is only 20 years old – we were very impressed by his skillful driving and familiarity with St. Petersburg. However as we got closer to the Fortress, there was only one road and traffic crawled along.

 

 

The Peter & Paul’s Fortress & Cathedral was interesting primarily because it is the final resting place of all the Tsars from the Romanov dynasty. The tombs from the beginning of the dynasty – Peter the Great & the end – Nicholas II are at opposite ends. We also stopped here for our second a cappella performance of the day (the first was on the grounds at Catherine’s Palace). Amazing voices and incredible acoustics.

 

 

We had hoped to fit in our subway ride at the end of the day but traffic around the fortress prevented us from having enough time. Kate promised to try to fit it in on Day 2. We did have time for the obligatory shopping stop on the way back to the ship. We’re familiar with the usual routine where tour companies steer tourists toward specific shops. This one was better than most. Free vodka and liqueur shots and numerous snacks available. Merchandise was typical tourist fare but a wide section and surprisingly reasonable prices so we were able to pick up a few gifts. We were back to the ship by 6:15 and agreed that we would meet Kate & Slava the next morning no later than 7:20.

 

 

Dinner was open seating and once again we were able to secure our usual table and servers with no wait. We had heard good things about the Russian Folklore show on board so DW and I decided to give it a try. We were disappointed and bored after about 10 minutes, but to be fair we may have just been too tired to appreciate it. Off to bed right after the show.

[caribill]

We waited briefly as Kate purchased tickets, then set off on a lengthy walk through the gardens and fountains of Peterhof. This was a spectacular visit and we were so fortunate to have perfect weather for this tour. Over 200 fountains – all very elaborate and all gravity driven. I don’t remember if inside tours of the palace aren’t allowed or if we just didn’t have time. Regardless the exterior is very impressive and photo worthy.

 

When we had a tour several years ago it was also only on the outside of Peterhof and we knew that in advance.

[mommysshopping]

We are really enjoying your review!

[canuck13]

Sunday, May 31 – St. Petersburg, Day 2

Our morning routine was the same as Day 1. We got off the ship at 6:45 and once again our wait was short. Because of the additional ships in port, it seemed the Russian officials were fewer at our terminal and not as many lines were open. However the inspection process was quicker on day 2 and we were through the line in about 5 minutes. We were actually outside and waiting when Slava and Kate pulled up so our departure was very quick.

 

 

Kate was delighted that we were off to such an early start and suggested we begin the day with our subway ride. This worked out very well since early on a Sunday the subway was not at all crowded. The long escalator descent into the subway was interesting and the artwork in the stations was impressive. Kate showed us where we were on the map and pointed out the route she takes every day to get to the city. By this time she had become much more comfortable with us and had started taking pictures of the 4 of us on her own phone to email to us later. She even got a passerby to take a shot of the 5 of us.

 

 

Slava was waiting at the next stop and we headed off for our canal boat ride. This was an interesting narrated tour that lasted about an hour. It gave us some great views of St. Petersburg and I was fascinated by the large number of elaborate waterfront homes that were owned by nobles prior to the revolution. It painted a very clear picture of a society of “haves and have nots” back in those days.

 

 

While we were on the canal cruise our weather changed dramatically. Temperatures dropped and the wind came up to make it quite chilly. We had a bit of time to stroll around the square in front of the Winter Palace and take pictures, but we were quite ready to head inside the Hemitage for our early entry. Today would be primarily inside, so the weather timing was excellent for us!

 

 

As I had expected, the Hermitage was quite crowded. We had early entry but it seemed that most others did as well. We were happy to be able to bypass the line outside. What saved us was Kate’s familiarity with the Hermitage. She told us that prior to joining SPB, she had worked for 7 years as a guide at the Hermitage. This meant that she was not only familiar with the primary exhibits and artwork, but she knew the best ways to navigate this enormous building and bypass the crowds. By following her lead, we were able to see a tremendous sampling of the huge Hermitage collection during our 3 hour visit. It would take weeks to really do justice to the Hermitage, but we felt we really got the most out of our brief visit. Kate’s extensive knowledge and narration added greatly to our experience.

 

 

Despite the crowds and traffic, Slava was an expert at finding parking and he was waiting very near the Hermitage to take us for our lunch at Stolla (the pie shop). This lived up to reviews – we each had a meat pie and a fruit pie and they were very good. Stolla was quite busy and I had to settle for my 3rd choice of meat pie as they had run out of the first 2. Nevertheless, the service was quick and we had no complaints about the food. Once again, lunch was included in our tour cost.

 

 

After lunch, we headed off for our 3 afternoon stops as follows:

 

 

Yusapov Palace – Here we had to wait to join another group as Kate explained that she is not licenced to tour here. The tour was OK. The exhibit and stories about Rasputin and his death were interesting and it was very neat to be where it actually happened. The remaining tour of the palace was nothing special. Having the experience with a different guide made us appreciate Kate even more!

 

 

St. Isaac’s Cathedral – Very good interior tour. The architecture and well preserved interior were quite spectacular. This is the only cathedral in St. Petersburg that escaped major damage and 90% is original. Once again, Kate was very knowledgeable.

 

 

Church of the Spilled Blood – The exterior of the church is the iconic symbol of St. Petersburg and we were very glad to be able to get some great photos here. The stories and history were interesting and we did get to go inside but it was extremely crowded and difficult to navigate. This was really the only stop where the crowds impacted our experience.

 

 

We ended our tour and were back to the ship by 4:15 – well planned for our 6 PM sailaway. We bade a fond farewell to Slava and Kate and showed our appreciation appropriately. We can’t say enough good things about this pair and SPB in general. We were very pleased with the tour and were so fortunate to have Kate & Slava all to ourselves. We are absolutely convinced that it was well worth the extra cost!

 

 

We were back in lots of time to make our early seating for dinner and enjoyed a fun Italian night with our favorite servers. During dinner, there was an update from the captain regarding our itinerary. At the beginning of our cruise, we were notified that the Regal had received permission to sail up the archipelago for the first time and would be docking in Stockholm, not Nynashamm - weather permitting. Unfortunately the Captain announced that predictions of high winds were forcing us to return to the original schedule and tender from Nynashamm. A bit disappointing, but it just returned us to our original plan. We later learned that the following cruise had more cooperative weather and those folks had the honor of being the first Regal passengers to sail up the archipelago.

[Maraprince]

Can you tell me if one of the gift shops on board sold the Kipling brand handbags (the ones with the matching color gorilla on the zipper)?

 

They had them on my recent Carnival Splendor sailing and since Carnival also owns Princess was hoping that the Regal may sell the as well.

 

MARAPRINCE

[eandj]

Can you tell me if one of the gift shops on board sold the Kipling brand handbags (the ones with the matching color gorilla on the zipper)?

 

They had them on my recent Carnival Splendor sailing and since Carnival also owns Princess was hoping that the Regal may sell the as well.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

You can find them at Macys. Did the Carn.ship sell something special? I don't think i saw any on Regal .

[canuck13]

Can you tell me if one of the gift shops on board sold the Kipling brand handbags (the ones with the matching color gorilla on the zipper)?

 

They had them on my recent Carnival Splendor sailing and since Carnival also owns Princess was hoping that the Regal may sell the as well.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

Sorry, can't help with this one. Handbags aren't on my radar :) Checked with DW but she doesn't know either.

[canuck13]

Monday, June 1 – Helsinki

The day began with a trip to the Medical Center for both DW & J as they both woke up with respiratory issues. Cough medicine for both and antibiotics for DW – they both decided to head back to bed and pass on touring Helsinki today.

 

 

We had previously booked a ½ day ( 3 hour) tour with SPB in Helsinki. N & I decided to go ahead with the tour and let our SPB guide know that we would be 2 short. Even with the 2 empty seats, the mini bus was pretty tight quarters.

 

 

Once were underway, our guide Don began with “As you can probably tell from me accent, I’m not exactly a native Finn. So if any of you were counting on a blonde haired, pig-tailed milk maid for your guide, I hope you’re not too disappointed to be stuck with a big, hairy Scotsman.” That was indicative of Don’s sense of humor and he entertained us well for the morning. He’d also become very familiar with Helsinki after living there for 20 years and he was a very knowledgeable and competent guide.

 

 

This was primarily a driving tour of the city with stops at some of the major sights for photo ops. First stop was at the waterfront where Don showed us the public stations where Finns love to come to wash and dry their carpets in the fresh water. Then a stop at Senate Square for views of the Lutheran Church, the Old Parliament and the University. We had a stop and look around at the Olympic Stadium, which was completed in the late 1930’s for the intended 1940 Olympics. It was finally able to host the 1952 Olympics. We then viewed and photographed the Sebelius Memorial, which is a very interesting sculpture.

 

 

The highlight of our tour was our stop at the Rock Church. We had heard quite a bit about this church and it was neat to see it. A pianist was performing demonstrating the impressive acoustics.

 

 

At the end of our tour, we had the option of being dropped off downtown or taking the bus back to the ship. N was the only one on our bus energetic enough to go shopping and she assured me she was quite comfortable doing this on her own. Our only disappointment was that Don had no knowledge of where she could catch the Princess shuttle back to the ship. She did eventually get directions and find it, but she was on the verge of taking a cab.

 

 

Once back to the ship, I checked on DW and brought some pizza back to the room for both of us. No sign of J and we later learned he slept well into the afternoon. The laundry room was empty, so I did enough laundry to get us through the week and caught up on my reading. It was a nice catch-up afternoon.

[canuck13]

Tuesday, June 2 – Stockholm

We were up early and both DW and J were feeling well enough to tour Stockholm. We had decided on a Princess tour for today. We wanted to have time on our own in Stockholm, so originally we had just booked the transportation option to get us to the city from Nynashamm. However as we looked more closely at distances and transportation options in Stockholm, we changed our booking to the Vasa Museum and Time on Your Own tour. Visiting Vasa was a priority for us and this option seemed to give us the best of both worlds.

 

 

We had a quick bite at the IC and met in the Vista Lounge at 7:00. The crew there made numerous announcements about having our passport with us. N hadn’t brought hers and when she questioned the crew they insisted that it was essential to have her passport so she made a mad dash back to the cabin to retrieve it. We still don’t know why this was so important since no one asked to see our passport in this or any other port (except St. Petersburg).

 

 

The tendering process was quite smooth, although a bit slow to board as they refused to leave with any empty seats. We boarded our assigned buses and the ride to Stockholm was about an hour with traffic becoming quite heavy as we neared the city. Our guide was Eva and she continued our pattern of having very good guides on this trip. Her narration on the way to Stockholm was excellent. Our tour in Stockholm began with a guided walking tour of Gamla Stan – the Old Town. This was a great way to get oriented and we were shown numerous points of interest that we probably would have missed on our own. Because we were on a tour with a larger group, we had headsets for the first time and this worked out very well. Eva would have been very hard to hear without them and it helped to keep everyone together.

 

 

We got back on the bus after about half an hour and proceeded to the Vasa Museum. What an amazing exhibit! Eva took us inside and narrated for about 20 minutes. Then we had about 40 minutes to tour on our own. We enjoyed learning the story behind this ship and we were astonished at the condition it was in after almost 400 years under water. It’s set up very well to offer great views of the entire ship and we took lots of photos. The gift shop at the Vasa is also quite nice and we picked up a few souvenirs.

 

 

With the help of her microphone and our headsets, Eva was able to round everyone up on time and we boarded the bus for the return trip to Gamla Stan. We were dropped off for our 3 hours of free time with clear directions about where and when to be back for our return trip to the ship. We were quite hungry by this time so our first stop was lunch. There are many small cafes in Gamla Stan and they all look very similar. We chose one in an old building with the restaurant in the basement. It was quite charming and the food was good. Somewhat expensive, but that was expected. We all chose what we hoped was a traditional local meal of Swedish meatballs with lingonberries, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Very enjoyable and the desserts were great too.

 

 

After lunch we wandered through Gamla Stan, just seeing the sights and doing some browsing through shops. We saw the Royal Palace, City Hall and the Nobel Museum from the outside but we didn’t take the time to do any tours. We did come across a glimpse of the changing of the guard and were able to get a few photos. By 2:15, we had seen enough and headed back to our meeting point. By this time, we had a good handle on Stockholm geography and had no difficulty finding our way back. There were no assigned buses on the way back and we departed as soon as the bus was reasonably full. Traffic was much lighter on the return trip and the ride back to Nynashamm was significantly shorter. Once again we waited for a while for the tender to fill up, but we were back on the Regal by 4 pm.

 

 

We all agreed that Stockholm was one of the nicest cities on this itinerary and we were very happy with our choice of tour. It gave us easy transportation to everywhere we wanted to see and we were happy to have to time to wander on our own.

[Maraprince]

You can find them at Macys. Did the Carn.ship sell something special? I don't think i saw any on Regal .

 

 

Macy's has 2 of the same Kipling styles as the shop on Carnival Splendor but not all the colors. Big difference was discounted price and no sales tax. Bags are great for travel since they weigh next to nothing, durable, easily cleaned if soiled, they hold a lot with their many compartments and can be used for dinner/excursions, etc. due to their nice styling which adapts to dress up or dress down.

 

MARAPRINCE

[canuck13]

Wed. June 3 & Thursday June 4 – Sea Day and Disembarkation

Our last sea day was cool and very windy, making it very difficult to enjoy any outdoor activities. We opted for breakfast in the MDR, which was just OK. Service seemed slow and our food arrived not very hot, even though they weren’t that busy. I used the gym and wandered a bit. While I normally enjoy sea days, the weather was a downer and it’s the first time I can remember feeling a bit bored on a cruise. Walking outside was not an option and they closed the walking/running track due to the wind. There didn’t seem to be many activities and the ones that were offered weren’t of much interest to me. Because of the weather, most people stayed inside and even finding a quiet place to sit & read was a challenge. This may have been the only time we were impacted by having a relatively inexperienced CD. On other cruises, I’ve seen CD’s adapt the schedule on the fly due to unexpected events or inclement weather. Our CD just went with the standard schedule, which didn’t fit the day very well in my opinion. However to be fair, the day before disembarking from a cruise is always a bit depressing so perhaps my mood was the primary influence.

 

 

The 4 of us tried Alfredo’s for the first time for lunch and it got a big thumb’s up from all of us. Good food and attentive service. Sadly, none of us had room for dessert. We arrived at Alfredo’s just before noon which was good timing as it filled up quite quickly.

 

 

During the afternoon, we packed and got ourselves organized. We had signed up to walk off with our bags, so there was no mad rush to place our bags in the hall on time. I went to the internet café and printed our boarding passes with no problem. There was a nominal charge for printing – I think $0.50. DW also made a follow up trip to the medical center to get some help with her still persistent cough. She was seen with no wait.

 

 

We had an enjoyable farewell dinner and showed our appreciation to our fantastic serving team. We were surprised that the MDR was not busy at all. Watched a movie in our cabin after dinner and turned in early.

 

 

Disembarkation – We had relatively early flights out of CPH (12:30 & 1:10) so we were up early and ready to walk off. This was our first experience with walking off with our own luggage and I think it will be our preferred option from now on. We were early enough to avoid elevator crowding and we walked off with no wait at all. Lots of taxis waiting, including larger vehicles. The dispatcher initially directed us to a station wagon, but the driver quickly determined that he couldn’t accommodate all our luggage. We just walked over to the first minivan in line and took that vehicle instead. It was a bit of an adventure getting to the airport when that vehicle had mechanical problems and the driver had to stop and arrange for another vehicle to meet us. The transfer worked out and we still got to the airport in plenty of time.

 

 

We discovered that arrival at CPH is much simpler than departure. Counters were poorly marked and we needed direction to find the Air Canada check-in. We were directed to the kiosk to print our baggage tags and then joined the line. Perhaps because we were well ahead of schedule, there was only one person checking passengers in. We also noticed that most people just got in line without visiting the kiosk first. Eventually reinforcements arrived and we checked our luggage and moved on. We waited in line at security, then another long line to clear customs as we officially exited the Eurozone. Another long walk down our concourse to what we hoped was our gate, but gates at CPH aren’t officially posted until shortly before departure. Seating areas at the gates are roped off until shortly before departure, so there is very little seating for early arrivals. We were glad we had left ourselves lots of time to navigate the airport.

 

 

On time departure and arrival on our direct flight back to Toronto. DW was still not feeling well so it was a long and miserable return flight for her. Arrival in Toronto was mid-afternoon & we had booked a hotel for the night in anticipation of not wanting to make the drive right away. Both of us were exhausted and the only thing on our agenda was sleep. The next morning I was rested enough to get us home in good time. DW was able to get some sleep during the drive and was very happy to see her own bed.

 

 

Next Up - Some Final Thoughts

[canuck13]

Final Thoughts

Overall this was a great trip. The ports were interesting and we very much enjoyed everything we saw. It was a part of the world that we never expected we would be visiting and we are very glad we did.

 

 

I want to make it clear that we didn’t hate the Regal Princess. We have been on 6 Princess cruises on 5 different ships now – Coral (twice), Island, Crown, Star & Regal. While we have to rate the Regal Princess as our least favorite of these ships, this in no way spoiled our experience. The staff were outstanding and the food and service lived up to the highest Princess standard. This by far overshadowed any perceived flaws in ship design.

 

 

We decided to do the May/June trip to try to take advantage of slightly lower prices and crowds. On balance, I think this worked well for us. While the temps were a bit cool in the 50’s and 60’s, this was actually an advantage with all the walking we did. We were fortunate to have no days where the weather really interfered with our plans. These are all popular tourist destinations and there were crowds at times, but we were assured that it would be much worse in high season.

 

 

The following may be helpful tips for others considering this cruise:

 

 

 

· Be prepared for a very busy itinerary. We consider ourselves in reasonably good physical condition and we walk a lot. The physical demands of this trip exceeded our expectations

 

· Do your homework. We planned this trip a year in advance and my obsessive research really paid off.

 

· Set priorities and be flexible. There is so much to see in each of these ports and time is limited. We started out viewing this as a once in a lifetime trip and wanted to see it all. We quickly learned that simply wasn’t possible and adjusted our expectations.

 

· Arrive early. We spent 2 nights in Copenhagen pre cruise. This reduced our stress and greatly helped with adjusting to the time difference.

 

· Don’t even consider a ship’s tour in St. Petersburg. We used SPB tours, but all the private companies get great reviews. Book a private tour for the smallest # of people your budget will allow.

 

· If we were planning this again, we might do less DIY and more organized tours just to make transportation a bit easier. SPB offered tours in most other ports at a discount.

 

I think that’s all I have to say. I didn’t start out intending to write anything this lengthy, so thanks to anyone who has hung in with me to the end. I’ll continue to check in if there are further question.

 

 

Happy trails!

Bob

[HRPro]

Final Thoughts

Overall this was a great trip. The ports were interesting and we very much enjoyed everything we saw. It was a part of the world that we never expected we would be visiting and we are very glad we did.

 

 

I want to make it clear that we didn’t hate the Regal Princess. We have been on 6 Princess cruises on 5 different ships now – Coral (twice), Island, Crown, Star & Regal. While we have to rate the Regal Princess as our least favorite of these ships, this in no way spoiled our experience. The staff were outstanding and the food and service lived up to the highest Princess standard. This by far overshadowed any perceived flaws in ship design.

 

 

We decided to do the May/June trip to try to take advantage of slightly lower prices and crowds. On balance, I think this worked well for us. While the temps were a bit cool in the 50’s and 60’s, this was actually an advantage with all the walking we did. We were fortunate to have no days where the weather really interfered with our plans. These are all popular tourist destinations and there were crowds at times, but we were assured that it would be much worse in high season.

 

 

The following may be helpful tips for others considering this cruise:

 

 

 

· Be prepared for a very busy itinerary. We consider ourselves in reasonably good physical condition and we walk a lot. The physical demands of this trip exceeded our expectations

 

· Do your homework. We planned this trip a year in advance and my obsessive research really paid off.

 

· Set priorities and be flexible. There is so much to see in each of these ports and time is limited. We started out viewing this as a once in a lifetime trip and wanted to see it all. We quickly learned that simply wasn’t possible and adjusted our expectations.

 

· Arrive early. We spent 2 nights in Copenhagen pre cruise. This reduced our stress and greatly helped with adjusting to the time difference.

 

· Don’t even consider a ship’s tour in St. Petersburg. We used SPB tours, but all the private companies get great reviews. Book a private tour for the smallest # of people your budget will allow.

 

· If we were planning this again, we might do less DIY and more organized tours just to make transportation a bit easier. SPB offered tours in most other ports at a discount.

 

I think that’s all I have to say. I didn’t start out intending to write anything this lengthy, so thanks to anyone who has hung in with me to the end. I’ll continue to check in if there are further question.

 

 

Happy trails!

Bob

 

Great review. This cruise is definitely on my bucket list so I appreciated all the details and the helpful tips at the end. Thanks for posting!

[beachbrat]

Thanks for a great review!

 

We are doing this same itinerary in August.

 

Can you tell me if there were any theme parties onboard? Disco nights? White nights?

 

Thanks

Alice

[canuck13]

Thanks for a great review!

 

We are doing this same itinerary in August.

 

Can you tell me if there were any theme parties onboard? Disco nights? White nights?

 

Thanks

Alice

 

I don't remember much in the way of themed parties. The days were very busy with lots of early starts, so we didn't take advantage of many evening activities. We're usually regulars for the shows in the Princess Theater. On this 11 night cruise, we made it there twice.

[4x4bob]

canuck13

 

The detailed information in your review was very impressive. I really enjoyed reading about the different ports you visited.

 

Thanks

 

Bob