Riga Port Info - Specific to Royal Caribbean

[Mgugs46]

Hi moksha14, I am currently on board the Rhapsody on an Adriatic/Greek Isle cruise and we were thinking of booking this exact itinerary for July 2018. If you'd be so kind, how did you like it? Torn between this one, and another that leaves from Copenhagen and doesn't spend over night in Russia. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[moksha14]

Hi,

The iteniary worker very nicely for us.

I am a history buff and I really enjoyed st.petersberg.sailing away in few hours from there would really not do justice to the history of the place. I could have used one more day.

Try the Russian ballet...It's superb.but it cannot be done if u don't stay overnight.

Enjoy your trip.:)

[kpauley]

Does anyone have 2022 information on where Royal Caribbean docks in Riga?  Thanks.

[AdventureKenandCar]

19 hours ago, kpauley said:

Does anyone have 2022 information on where Royal Caribbean docks in Riga?  Thanks.

Everything I’ve been reading lately says that RC (at least the Voyager of the Seas) docks at Riga Passenger Terminal. This is the port that’s “a short walk to Old Town.”

At least I’m hoping that’s where we’ll dock, since we have a rental car reserved there!  We’ll be there July 7-8 (overnight.)

[kpauley]

Thanks for the information. If you dock elsewhere, would you report back?

 

[adam7392]

I'm on Voyager that will be in Riga early August so following this.  Just been watching Voyager approaching Riga on cruisemapper for its first entry to Riga this season and unfortunately it is not at the port in the center but at the KS terminal 12km drive from Riga

[DragonOfTheSeas]

1 hour ago, adam7392 said:

I'm on Voyager that will be in Riga early August so following this.  Just been watching Voyager approaching Riga on cruisemapper for its first entry to Riga this season and unfortunately it is not at the port in the center but at the KS terminal 12km drive from Riga

I am very sorry to read this.  Since we have an overnight port, this will be a big problem.  

[adam7392]

54 minutes ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

I am very sorry to read this.  Since we have an overnight port, this will be a big problem.  

my thoughts exactly.  Also ship only docked about 12:30pm local time (also has overnight).

 

 

[lionheart]

Hopefully royal has a shuttle or taxis are around 

 

way to far for a walk 

[JKHawaii]

All Riga Voyager of the Seas stops this year are at the SIA KRS dock.  Voyager, being one of the, if not the largest cruise ship to visit Riga, is a tad too big to dock at the berth near the old town.  The planned Riga RoPax cruise terminal near town will not be ready until 2025. 

 

Voyager is in Riga today, June 23, & June 30, so perhaps someone on these cruises will be able to post  the transportation options.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Is there any chance the Hop On Hop Off bus that was running when we visited before is currently running and goes by the cruise port?  We went on that bus (from the Riflemen statue not far from where our smaller cruise ship docked at the time) and didn't find it all that fabulous.  But I don't think it was terribly expensive, so if it goes past the port, it may be an option for some cruisers who dock out of town.  Of course, you need to check on how late it runs, and be willing to take a taxi back to the port if it stops too early to be useful.  

[AdventureKenandCar]

3 hours ago, JKHawaii said:

Voyager, being one of the, if not the largest cruise ship to visit Riga, is a tad too big to dock at the berth near the old town. 

According to Freeport of Riga Authority, the largest cruise ship that has ever visited the Freeport of Riga is the “Celebrity Silhouette”. The length - 315 meters, width - 36.9 meters, maximum draught - 8.3 meters and GT - 122 thousand tons.

 

"Voyager of the Seas" has length - 311.1 meters, width 47.4 meters, maximum draught - 9.1 meters and GT - 137 thousand tons.

 

Voyager is shorter, but wider, with more displacement.

 

[lionheart]

8 hours ago, adam7392 said:

my thoughts exactly.  Also ship only docked about 12:30pm local time (also has overnight).

 

 

So the ship was late getting into Riga?

[adam7392]

4 minutes ago, lionheart said:

So the ship was late getting into Riga?

Was scheduled at 11am.   For our 31st july sailing arrival is 7am.  

[lionheart]

26 minutes ago, adam7392 said:

Was scheduled at 11am.   For our 31st july sailing arrival is 7am.  

Ah ok thanks-I’m annoyed now with the port location lucky I read the posts- shuttle it is 

[AdventureKenandCar]

On 6/9/2022 at 8:08 AM, lionheart said:

Hopefully royal has a shuttle or taxis are around 

 

way to far for a walk 

This report from a guy currently on Voyager, who was in Riga a couple days ago:

 

"...you can not walk it, I’m on Voyager now and was just in Latvia. They offer a free shuttle, takes about 20 mins depending on traffic and the traffic can get bad later on. Would recommend not waiting to take the very last shuttle, two people had to take a taxi because the shuttle couldn’t make it back in time for last pickup due to traffic."

(Source: Facebook, Royal Caribbean Information group)

[lionheart]

39 minutes ago, AdventureKenandCar said:

This report from a guy currently on Voyager, who was in Riga a couple days ago:

 

"...you can not walk it, I’m on Voyager now and was just in Latvia. They offer a free shuttle, takes about 20 mins depending on traffic and the traffic can get bad later on. Would recommend not waiting to take the very last shuttle, two people had to take a taxi because the shuttle couldn’t make it back in time for last pickup due to traffic."

(Source: Facebook, Royal Caribbean Information group)

Thank you 

 

I guess ship leaves at 400 so 2-230 latest shuttle get back to ship it would seem 

[SimplyMarvie]

Just popping in as a Riga resident -- definitely too far to walk, but taxis here are plentiful, relatively cheap, safe and reliable. Download the Bolt taxi app before you leave, and just drop a pin wherever you are for a pickup. You can pay by card through the app or cash to the driver. Honestly, it's how most folks get around, even locals. Parking in the old city is a nightmare. 

[Stuart Suss]

I have received this reply from the Riga Tourism Centre.

From Krievusala KS terminal all passengers will be provided with a shuttle bus that will take them to Riga Castle in Riga Old Town (on the 11.Novembra krastmalas (embankment_ side) - individual passengers can not get from Daugavgrīva highway ( Delta)  to the ship, as the port police will not let them inside the closed area. 

 

These shuttles will run every 30 minutes.

 

 

This brief and chronologically out of sequence response raises as many questions as it answers.  I have posed those follow-up questions.  It is probably too late in the evening for any answer to be received.  Stay tuned tomorrow.

[adam7392]

45 minutes ago, Stuart Suss said:

I have received this reply from the Riga Tourism Centre.

From Krievusala KS terminal all passengers will be provided with a shuttle bus that will take them to Riga Castle in Riga Old Town (on the 11.Novembra krastmalas (embankment_ side) - individual passengers can not get from Daugavgrīva highway ( Delta)  to the ship, as the port police will not let them inside the closed area. 

 

These shuttles will run every 30 minutes.

 

Hi Stuart - thanks for pursuing.

 

Would be good to know how many buses they provide - just one isn't going to work for 2000+ pax.  Also the times they run given the overnight.

 

Progress being made at least 🙂

[Stuart Suss]

Unfortunately, progress is not being made.

 

The Riga city tourist office has refused to answer follow-up questions about the shuttle bus, referring us to Royal Caribbean for answers.

 

I have sent a follow-up question to the port authority.  Too soon to have received a reply.

 

I have sent question to the Bolt taxi company asking about fares to and from the KS Terminal.  It has been a few hours - no reply.

 

Is there a central email address for shore excursion questions at Royal Caribbean corporate offices?  I would think that if Royal is the entity operating the shuttle, that the shore excursions department would be in charge.  Any other suggestions?

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I cruise mostly on Oceania, which has smaller ships.  However, I would say that in general, many to most shuttles in European ports I've visited have shuttles operated by the city or port, not specifically  the cruise line.  If the cruise line is involved, it seems to be more for payment of shuttle service, as I've been in a number of cities where a shuttle was free for Oceania passengers but at a smallish charge for non O passengers.  I'm not sure if Royal Caribbean can or would want to do anything at this point, but at least once you're on the ship, I would guess they would at least advise you of whether a shuttle is available, when it starts and ends, and if there's a price.  But of course I, and many other people, like to find this information out before I go if possible!  With the shuttles I've used (though on ships holding either 700 to a thousand guests), I've found the first shuttle normally runs about a half hour after the ship gets in (or half hour after itinerary arrival time) and that first one is often fairly crowded.  But then things slack off.  I have always been on the first one, as far as I can remember.  And coming back, I have made it a policy to NOT plan on taking the last one in case there's a problem.  When I've been in a port overnight, the shuttle has run late, though possibly not overnight.  And in a very few cities, I've found that a shuttle will not go during a long period during lunch time.  Generally shuttles have been offered every half hour, usually with one coming at a time.  I wouldn't expect more, though of course it is POSSIBLE you may have to wait for another shuttle if the shuttle you want is full.  But normally large buses are used, so it has never been a problem for me.  But that's with Oceania, so other cruise lines may be different. 

 

I've taken lots of shuttles, but in certain situations, if I want to be at a place quite early, I simply take a taxi.  I usually find out in advance whether taxis are likely to be at the port.  Pre-Covid, the answer was almost always yes, but now, I don't know --  and obviously it depends upon what port you're talking about.  I also try to find out if taxi drivers there will likely take (small bills? euros (obviously depends on country), credit cards?

 

Honestly, if taxis are available and inexpensive, as the helpful local says, you may just want to avail yourself of one of them!  Good luck, with either an overnight in Riga or a 7 AM arrival, I imagine you'll have plenty of time to see and do what you want.  For me, it was mostly the art nouveau buildings, which required some walking/navigating, as the number on one street was totally unexpected.  But I found what I was looking for and it was fabulous.

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Elizabetes 10b, wouldn't you love to live here?