norweigan cruise to baltic capitals

[hayleyfever]

Hi can anyone give me any recommendations for the baltic cruise

 

Is it a good cruise to do as we have exhausted the medditerean too much along with the epic

 

Thanks guys

 

Hayley

[Froggitt]

Was a great cruise, fortunately we sailed from Dover, rather than Copenhagen.

 

TJ TRAVEL for private 2 day tour in St P. Don't be afraid to tinker with the standard tour, eg we binned the Hermitage museum, and swapped in Strogonovs cellars. 9am first stop was "Prost" and a tot of voddy. The guide was excellent.

 

Tallin, buy a guidebook/map and DIY.

[Regguy]

It's a great cruise. If you're used to the Epic, though, just be sure to understand that the ships that tend to do this cruise are much smaller and don't have quite as much.

 

That said, Getaway is doing the Baltics next year. It's not clear to me whether this is a one-off or is expected to be a new thing, but this route is traditionally not served by the mega ships for most lines, so this may be a unique opportunity if the mega ships are your thing. I'm sort of curious how ports like Tallinn and Helsinki will be with ships that large, though suspect it will be fine. The one downside to a major ship doing this route is that I don't think it can get through the archipelago directly into Stockholm, which is a shame. I think Stockholm was my favorite port ever, and the trip through the archipelago was amazing, and for that reason alone I would probably prefer doing this cruise on a smaller ship. (Though I've never been to Nynashamn, and for all I know it may be quite lovely.)

 

It's actually quite different from a typical Med cruise -- there's a much different vibe, and St. Petersburg is pretty unique. (For whatever it's worth, I loved the ports on this cruise, but didn't love St. Petersburg, but I may be the only person in this history of cruise critic to have posted that.) If I look back on vacations and try to pick out some of the most memorable places, Talinn, Stockholm and Copenhagen really stand out. We did Epic Med and Star Baltics, and I greatly preferred the latter, although the former was great too. They are very different cities, and even the cultural composition of the cruisers was quite different -- far more diverse in the Baltics. I think this cruise is a little less amenable to younger kids, though obviously it really does depend on the kids.

[numberguy]

(For whatever it's worth, I loved the ports on this cruise, but didn't love St. Petersburg.)

 

Agreed.

Edited March 31, 2016 by numberguy

[dexddd]

Yes, it is a great trip. We also went from Dover.

[How much longer?]

We did the Baltics on the Star two summers ago, and loved it. It was all so different from where we had been before, and I love to travel and experience new places. Having a nice upsell to an aft balcony didn't hurt the experience either :)

 

We flew into Copenhagen three days early and enjoyed that city beforehand and was glad we did, it was one of our favorite cities on this trip besides Tallinn. Loved Tallinn Estonia, as with all medieval walled cities that I have been to.

 

Woke up early and enjoyed the archipelago from our balcony while sailing into Stockholm. Time in Stockholm and Helsinki were too short to fully take them in, but we were glad we saw them.

 

Don't recommend the long trip to and from Berlin, but we had never been there so had to do it for the "been there, done that" factor. Who knew a few months later I would be working in Germany for a year and could have visited any time.

 

I have mixed feelings on St Petersburg, only because we did one of those two days try to see everything tour with a very recommended company and our guide was just ok. We saw a lot, liked a lot of what we saw, but tour guide was so robotic and we felt a bit "herded" from place to place. It was a beautiful city of canals and colorful buildings. The short time in the Hermitage was still spectacular and the summer palace grounds were amazing. The one thing the guide did do, which I appreciated, was took us to see the church she worshiped at, which was much more intimate and simple than the others, but still quite beautiful.

 

I think if we could do it again, I would be happy to do so. We did the "have to see" sights, and next time we could focus on getting to know the cities a bit better.

[Doughboy139]

I've done the Baltic cruise twice, first time on the Sun out of Dover and the following year on the Star out of Copenhagen. Both times, my mother and I really enjoyed it. we flew into Copenhagen 2 days early on our 2nd time and toured around, lots to do.....Old Talinn is a must see, In Warnemunde you can either stay in town and walk around, take a 30 minute train ride into Rostock or take a 3 hour ride each way into Berlin which is what I did on my first trip there. As for St. Petersburg, you will want to make sure you do the 9 day cruise which will give you 2 days and 1 nite in this beautiful city. Lots to do and see. Make sure you go to Catherines Palace, Peterhof, Church of the Spilled blood and also the St. Peter and Paul fortress where all the Romanovs are buried...Our nite in st. Petersburg my mother and I went to a nice Russian restaurant called "Teplos" and then went to a Russian Folklore dance" in one of the palaces and did a midnite cruise on the Neva River......really beautiful. We used "TJ Travel" for our guide. In Helsinki there is the Olympic Stadium to see along with The Church in the rock. there is also a big market place to buy gifts or try some great local food. There is also a big Russian Orthodox Church up the hill from the market place. There are also other things to do in Helsinki just do some reseach. Stockholm is also a must see, The Vasa Museum is great, goole it to see whats there. Also the Changing of the guard takes place at noon-time at the Palace, also a nice town to walk around and a nice church to see. Make sure you try some local foods......If you go on this cruise do a lot of research by using google.

[bassmaster150]

It's a great cruise. If you're used to the Epic, though, just be sure to understand that the ships that tend to do this cruise are much smaller and don't have quite as much.

 

That said, Getaway is doing the Baltics next year. It's not clear to me whether this is a one-off or is expected to be a new thing, but this route is traditionally not served by the mega ships for most lines, so this may be a unique opportunity if the mega ships are your thing. I'm sort of curious how ports like Tallinn and Helsinki will be with ships that large, though suspect it will be fine. The one downside to a major ship doing this route is that I don't think it can get through the archipelago directly into Stockholm, which is a shame. I think Stockholm was my favorite port ever, and the trip through the archipelago was amazing, and for that reason alone I would probably prefer doing this cruise on a smaller ship. (Though I've never been to Nynashamn, and for all I know it may be quite lovely.)

 

It's actually quite different from a typical Med cruise -- there's a much different vibe, and St. Petersburg is pretty unique. (For whatever it's worth, I loved the ports on this cruise, but didn't love St. Petersburg, but I may be the only person in this history of cruise critic to have posted that.) If I look back on vacations and try to pick out some of the most memorable places, Talinn, Stockholm and Copenhagen really stand out. We did Epic Med and Star Baltics, and I greatly preferred the latter, although the former was great too. They are very different cities, and even the cultural composition of the cruisers was quite different -- far more diverse in the Baltics. I think this cruise is a little less amenable to younger kids, though obviously it really does depend on the kids.

 

First time we were in the Baltics was on the Royal Princess which is their largest ship. That was two years ago. We are going again next year on the Regal Princess which is her sister ship. I have noticed on NCL that with the exception of the Epic in the Mediterranean, they have not brought any of their newer, more exciting ships over to Europe. It is great to see that the Getaway will be doing this itinerary next year.

[Regguy]

First time we were in the Baltics was on the Royal Princess which is their largest ship. That was two years ago. We are going again next year on the Regal Princess which is her sister ship. I have noticed on NCL that with the exception of the Epic in the Mediterranean, they have not brought any of their newer, more exciting ships over to Europe. It is great to see that the Getaway will be doing this itinerary next year.

 

Interesting. Yeah, I shouldn't have said "most lines," since really I don't know. I know whenever we were in port, it seemed like we were there with other similarly sized ships, but of course that's a really small sample. It looks like these Princess ships, like Getaway, are also not able to sail the archipelago, which I think is too bad. It was a real highlight for me. But, of course, the trade off is you get all the new, big ship amenities.

 

I liked being on a smaller ship for the Baltics. I kind of really thought Epic was great for Med and Star was good for the Baltics -- if that makes sense. The NCL cruise is 9 days and it's pretty port intensive, and even with 2 sea days, I'm not sure I would have had much time to enjoy the big ship stuff. It looks like Princess goes for 11 days at least, so that may make a significant difference.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Regguy

[cml4958]

My family was in the Garden Villa for the Baltic cruise this past September. We used TJ Travel in St Petersburg. They were wonderful and we customized the tour to what we wanted to see. My dad expressed an interest in seeing the Smolny Institute and the driver took us by there.

 

We stayed in Copenhagen for a couple of days before the cruise and then after the cruise I took the train to Berlin and stayed for an additional week. In Warnemunde, we rented a car and went to Barth. My grandfather was a POW in a camp near Barte, Stalag Luft I. There is a memorial outside of town in next to a cornfield.

 

I've attached a link with a picture review that my sister did about the trip. ETA: Can't post the link. Sorry.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions. We had a wonderful trip and it's one I think I might even want to do again!

Edited April 1, 2016 by cml4958

[Froggitt]

Nyashamm was a bit rubbish. You need to pick up a tour there and go elsewhere.

 

Make sure you take new new/unfolded/unmarked dollar bills for TJ Travel. I forgot, one day we went to a Russian Pie Shop for lunch.....was fantastic, the food, the experience.

[dexddd]

I'd have to disagree about going to Berlin unless you do have another chance to go there. We went with 7 of us in a private van tour and it was a trip we and our kids have not forgotten.

[Froggitt]

We would have gone to Berlin were it not for the journey 150 miles each way.

[TSUmom]

Not wanting to highjack this thread but I have been looking into the Baltics also. Waiting to see what 2018 will have but I see 2017 has the Getaway sailing from Copenhagen and Berlin. I understand it is quite a distance from the port to Berlin.

 

My thoughts are embarking in Berlin and staying a few days precruise because we would love to see more of the area. We chose Rome for our embarkation this past cruise for the same reason, we wanted to see more of Rome over Barcelona.

 

Those of you experienced in the Baltic cruises what are your thoughts and ideas. Places to stay and transportation or tour operators in Berlin are more than welcome. I know it is a long way off but I take so much pleasure in researching.....

[dexddd]

Not wanting to highjack this thread but I have been looking into the Baltics also. Waiting to see what 2018 will have but I see 2017 has the Getaway sailing from Copenhagen and Berlin. I understand it is quite a distance from the port to Berlin.

 

My thoughts are embarking in Berlin and staying a few days precruise because we would love to see more of the area. We chose Rome for our embarkation this past cruise for the same reason, we wanted to see more of Rome over Barcelona.

 

Those of you experienced in the Baltic cruises what are your thoughts and ideas. Places to stay and transportation or tour operators in Berlin are more than welcome. I know it is a long way off but I take so much pleasure in researching.....

 

I looked back and looks like we did DenRus for the Berlin trip in a van. You could customize the stops. In Russia I believe it was Anastasia but I thought I had heard they got bought up by someone else. Both companies were great and we had quick access into the venues other than the summer palace everyone had to wait. The Berlin tour we met at 8 a.m. and got back to the ship around 9 p.m. They kept restaurants/buffet open late that night which was nice.

 

Most of the big tour companies that get mentioned get good reviews. Some will give discounts if you use them in more than one country. We used two different ones because we did Berlin with a family on our rollcall.

[ollienbertsmum]

When it comes to the Baltics I would say "go" ! It was the only cruise I have been on in a big group (16 of us) but it was still just so fantastic.

 

We went on RCCL Jewel and went to Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg and Tallin. All were fabulous stops because all were really close to the centre.

 

We did independent in all ports (and this was really easy) except St Petersburg where we went with Anastasia. I don't think it is the company as much as the actual tour guide that makes the trip. Ours was great with the young teens - even when they fell asleep on her because they stayed up too late at night.

 

I really want to go back to Stockholm, one day was not enough.

 

Such a change from a Med cruise - which I am stuck with at the moment (such a chore:D:D) because DH does not want to fly.

[misslyss1220]

I sailed on the Norwegian Wind in 1999 (so, a LONG time ago!) to the Baltic. I was a teenager then, but I still remember the trip. It's a great way to see that part of the world in a short amount of time, and you get a flavor for each country. I would recommend it if you're looking for something new!

[PhillyTravelBug]

Very informative responses. After we get back from our upcoming cruise we are saving for a Baltic one.

[TSUmom]

I looked back and looks like we did DenRus for the Berlin trip in a van. You could customize the stops. In Russia I believe it was Anastasia but I thought I had heard they got bought up by someone else. Both companies were great and we had quick access into the venues other than the summer palace everyone had to wait. The Berlin tour we met at 8 a.m. and got back to the ship around 9 p.m. They kept restaurants/buffet open late that night which was nice.

 

Most of the big tour companies that get mentioned get good reviews. Some will give discounts if you use them in more than one country. We used two different ones because we did Berlin with a family on our rollcall.

 

The company we used in Italy gave discounts for multiple tours also.

 

Thank you for the info!

[TSUmom]

For some reason the planning of this cruise is more exciting then any others I have planned. I have always wanted to see Germany (my maiden name is Ernst) and St Petersberg:D

[cruis247g]

Hayleyfever,

 

Like most others, we loved our Baltic cruise. St.Petersburg was fascinating. We hired a private guide from TJ's and she was fabulous, both extremely knowledgable and interesting. We enjoyed all the ports. We chose to go into Berlin and were very glad that we did. We loved Stockholm with its charming old town and the Vasa, which was simply incredible. Tallinn, which we knew little about before planning the trip, was charming and a great place to relax in a cafe and watch the world go by. We sailed from Copenhagen and spent a few days there, which I would highly recommend if you have the time. It is a very walkable city with friendly people, Tivoli Gardens, and so much more!

 

We've sailed the Med as well as as other Northern Europe itineraries, but I have a difficult time ranking cruises because I seem to love something about ALL of them:D! They are very different, but equally wonderful. I thought a cruise was a terrific way to provide our children with an introduction to this area.

[ollienbertsmum]

In Helsinki there is the market place. There are also other things to do in Helsinki just do some reseach. Stockholm is also a must see, The Vasa Museum is great, . Also the Changing of the guard takes place at noon-time at the Palace, also a nice town to walk around and a nice church to see. Make sure you try some local foods......If you go on this cruise do a lot of research by using google.

 

I recall the berries in the Helsinki market - I had prepared and had a plastic box and water to wash them. They were so delicious. The market was the place to buy unusual gifts - and then we went to Stockmann for the rest of our gifts.

 

If you go to the Vasa museum make sure you go early. My family were annoyed that I made them get up early for a taxi to the museum. We arrived at opening time. When we came out an hour later and saw the queue I suddenly became the Queen for the day. We were able to catch a ferry to the old town and do our walking tour from there. Much nicer than a ship tour.

[Froggitt]

We did a walking tour with a guide in Copenhagen.

[Regguy]

My thoughts are embarking in Berlin and staying a few days precruise because we would love to see more of the area.

 

Yeah, I think the option to embark at Warnemunde is a nice option to have, because Berlin really is a haul. Looks like the 2017 sailings depart Warnemunde at 10:00 p.m., which should be plenty of time to get from Berlin on the day of sailing if you spend some time there before the cruise.

 

I'm pretty sure that when we took Star in 2015 that option wasn't available, although I probably still would have chosen to start and end in Copenhagen.

 

If you don't embark in Warnemunde, but choose Copenhagen, the question whether to take the trip into Berlin is a debated one over on the port of call boards. We decided against it. Instead, we took trains (including the Molli steam train) up to the sea, at Kuhlungsborn. It was actually a really nice day. Here are a few random thoughts on the question . . . . The NCL 9-day cruise is pretty port intensive, and there is a lot to see in the ports. Also, when travelling East, you lose a few hours. I can't remember if it's two or three, but it felt like there were at least a couple of days in a row where we were setting our clocks ahead every night and so losing an hour of sleep on the way to St. Petersburg. Plus, in the summer, it's very light out. The result for me was that I stayed up late and was pretty spent after day 2 in St. Petersburg. The folks getting back on board after going into Berlin looked pretty tuckered out, which is a bit rough on the first day of a busy cruise, but the good news is that there was a sea day after.

[Regguy]

If you go to the Vasa museum make sure you go early.

 

I guess one of the downsides of cruising into Nynashamn is that it may make it difficult to get to the Vasa museum before it gets crowded (unless maybe the ship has excursions that cut the lines), so those not docking in Stockholm might have to choose between crossing the Vasa museum off the list or doing nothing else. Getaway will only dock in Nynashamn in 2017 from 8:00 to 5:00, which is short for Stockholm if you're not docking right in the city itself. Princess only docks in Nynashamn from 7:00 to 2:00, it appears, at least on some of the 2017 cruises.

 

Most cruise ships can't fit under the Oresund bridge (between Copehagen and Malmo), so if they head east from Stockholm to Copenhagen, they have to go the long way around under the Great Belt bridge to get to Copehnagen. It adds a lot of time and means they can't leave Stockholm too late and still make it back into port early on the second day. Adding in the travel time to and from Stockholm to Nynashamn leaves precious little time for Stockholm, which is kind of a shame. Oh, well, just an excuse to go back . . . .

Edited April 1, 2016 by Regguy