Shore Excursion Saving tips: 11 days Europe- Baltic

[jing7600]

Hello! It's my first time here! Happy New Year to everyone. This novice needs your expertise. I've been trying to find the thread on how to save on shore excursions. We have 7 ports of call:

1- Berlin

2- Tallinn

3- St Petersburg

4-Helsinki

5-Stockholm

6-Copenhagen

7-Oslo

 

We want to do our tours on our own since the ship's shore excursions are 40 in a group and it's just too expensive. IS there a way we can do this on our own and be one of the first to go down the ship as well? Thanks in advance!

[CruiserBruce]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

As you dock in all those places, getting off the ship quickly is not a problem.

 

To do private tours, a couple of things. First, the Ports boards, located here:

 

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

 

will help with your research.

 

Second, join your Roll Call, found here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=106

 

to meet others on your cruise, and see what they are doing.

[easyboy]

On Tallinn, you can walk into town. In Oslo, you can also just walk to see the fort and park.

For St. Petersburg, you can check with SPV Tours or Alla Tours that is cheaper

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BRANDEE]

Hello! It's my first time here! Happy New Year to everyone. This novice needs your expertise. I've been trying to find the thread on how to save on shore excursions. We have 7 ports of call:

1- Berlin

2- Tallinn

3- St Petersburg

4-Helsinki

5-Stockholm

6-Copenhagen

7-Oslo

 

We want to do our tours on our own since the ship's shore excursions are 40 in a group and it's just too expensive. IS there a way we can do this on our own and be one of the first to go down the ship as well? Thanks in advance!

 

I used Alla Tours on our Baltic cruise and could not be happier. Our group size was between 6 to 15 people. Our guides were great, especially in St. Petersburg. The cost was much cheaper than the Princess excursions that are usually 35 people.

 

No deposit and we paid with charge card in St. Petersburg which was stop four. They also get your visa for Russia when booked.

 

I would strongly suggest a tour in St. Petersbug and not on your own...Too much to see and too much area to cover.

 

Your roll call thread might have people already organizing private tours..Join and have a blast!

[capriccio]

Most of these ports lend themselves to DIY touring. We did just that in Tallin, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. As others have said, check out the Baltic Ports of Call board, get a guide (years ago we used Rick Steve's Scandinavia), and check out Toms Port Guides (tomsportguides.com) for Copenhagen (I didn't see the other ports in his index).

[Micahs Grandad]

We used SPB tours last year and they were excellent and much cheaper than Princess.

 

Not easy to do a self guided tour when you do not know the language.

 

Would never even consider doing it on our own in St Petersburg.

[Aus Traveller]

We used SPB tours last year and they were excellent and much cheaper than Princess.

 

Not easy to do a self guided tour when you do not know the language.

 

Would never even consider doing it on our own in St Petersburg.

I agree with those comments. In addition, if you want to DIY in Russia, you have to get a visa that is very very expensive. If you book a tour through a recognised tour company, you do not need a visa, although you have to stay with the group. We went with SPB and they were brilliant.:)

[roxievegas]

most of the stops have the hop on hop off buses. you get your ticket immediately when you get off the ship. We used them in Tallin, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, The cost per person runs about $20 -25. Of course it all depends on what you are interested in seeing

[funji1]

We also used SPB Tours in St. Petersburg and were thrilled beyond belief. Be sure to request Elena Skidan to be your guide when you book your tour. She is amazing :halo::)!!! You do not pay until day 2 of your tour and you can use a US credit card. I highly recommend the 2 day tour with them. It is exhausting but the best of all the cities we saw. It is a must see city if going to the Baltic! We had sit down lunches each day that were amazing ! The second day they gave each of us a shot of vodka too. As already recommended it is almost impossible to do St. Petersburg on your own and the Visa is ridiculously expensive. In fact, the visa costs more than our tour with SPB. I also recommend the HOHO bus in Stockholm. Our tour was maxed out at 14 people. We walked all over Copenhagen on our own for 2 days prior to boarding our ship. Helsinki can be done by taking the local bus which also covers the train. We took the bus to Old Town and did it on our own which was easy. Tallinn is a wonderful town and we did that on our own and loved it.. Make sure to go to Neideregger Bakery (the one with the exhibit on the 2nd floor to try their marzipan cake. It is not what you think of when yu hear Marzipan. Wonderful ! :hearteyes:Berlin is a 3 hour bus ride each way and our tour was also with SPB. Berlin has a lot of history but it was at the end of our cruise and we were all tired andI am not sure it was worth a 6 hour bus ride roundtrip! Have a wonderful and memorable trip !!

[funji1]

We also used SPB Tours in St. Petersburg and were thrilled beyond belief. Be sure to request Elena Skidan to be your guide when you book your tour. She is amazing :halo::)!!! You do not pay until day 2 of your tour and you can use a US credit card. I highly recommend the 2 day tour with them. It is exhausting but the best of all the cities we saw. It is a must see city if going to the Baltic! We had sit down lunches each day that were amazing ! The second day they gave each of us a shot of vodka too. As already recommended it is almost impossible to do St. Petersburg on your own and the Visa is ridiculously expensive. In fact, the visa costs more than our tour with SPB. I also recommend the HOHO bus in Stockholm. Our tour was maxed out at 14 people. We walked all over Copenhagen on our own for 2 days prior to boarding our ship. Helsinki can be done by taking the local bus which also covers the train. We took the bus to Old Town and did it on our own which was easy. Tallinn is a wonderful town and we did that on our own and loved it.. Make sure to go to Neideregger Bakery (the one with the exhibit on the 2nd floor to try their marzipan cake. It is not what you think of when yu hear Marzipan. Wonderful ! :hearteyes:Berlin is a 3 hour bus ride each way and our tour was also with SPB. Berlin has a lot of history but it was at the end of our cruise and we were all tired andI am not sure it was worth a 6 hour bus ride roundtrip! Have a wonderful and memorable trip !!

 

My apologies....."Our tour was maxed out at 14 people" refers to our SPB tour in St. Petersburg! Not the HOHO bus. But do be prepared to often wait for several HOHO buses to pass you by in Stockholm before on that has room for additional people stops for you. The same ticket is accepted on the cruise in Stockholm. Just make sure you get the correct color boat. Enjoy!

[Steelers36]

Welcome to CC. All the above have great ideas. We plan to do a Baltic Cruise sometime soon. I have already decided on tour operator for St Petersburg thanks to fellow CC posters on the port threads.

[EllieR]

I'll concur with the others that, with the exception of Saint Petersburg, every port can be done on one's own: a lot of the sights are within walking distance of the port and, for those that are not, the public transportation in each of these cities is excellent and easy to use. Like what CruiserBruce wrote, you just need to do your research first.

 

Here's what I recommend: do some research into the sights at each of these ports, get an idea of what you're most interested in, then come back with questions related to those sights. I suggest this because there are many experienced Baltic cruisers here who have all done different activities and in different combinations, so there is a wealth of information and opinions to share. Getting an idea of your interests will help narrow the focus. :)

[satxdiver]

Taking notes as we are on this cruise in June 2019. We booked it as soon as it was available along with the following cruise to Norway and summer solstice.

[DougH]

I also used SPB for a few of my tours. Great 2 day tour in St Pete with I believe only 11 in our group. Fantastic if very busy two days. They did offer discounts when booking tours in multiple ports, I booked a couple with them and overall was pleased. Tallin was easily walkable, I loved this day.

 

Be sure and head into Copenhagen a few days before the cruise, lots to see and very walkable city.

[plastered505]

I also used SPB for a few of my tours. Great 2 day tour in St Pete with I believe only 11 in our group. Fantastic if very busy two days. They did offer discounts when booking tours in multiple ports, I booked a couple with them and overall was pleased. Tallin was easily walkable, I loved this day.

 

Be sure and head into Copenhagen a few days before the cruise, lots to see and very walkable city.

 

We used SPB Tours for the same cruise last year. Outstanding and reasonable. Small groups instead of big bus gaggles. Did several days in Copenhagen pre cruise and it is very walkable. Look out for the high speed bicycle "wolf packs" when crossing the street.

[plastered505]

I also used SPB for a few of my tours. Great 2 day tour in St Pete with I believe only 11 in our group. Fantastic if very busy two days. They did offer discounts when booking tours in multiple ports, I booked a couple with them and overall was pleased. Tallin was easily walkable, I loved this day.

 

Be sure and head into Copenhagen a few days before the cruise, lots to see and very walkable city.

[Essiesmom]

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports. He tells you how to do it on your own, how much you can do in the time you have, what it should cost, etc. EM

[jdvmd]

We did every tour with SPB and had a great experience. I know people say Tallinn can be done on your own but we really benefited from having an exceptional guide and those that DIY'd it wished they had done our tour afterwards. Elena is great in St. Petersburg.

[hpeabody]

Taking notes as we are on this cruise in June 2019. We booked it as soon as it was available along with the following cruise to Norway and summer solstice.

 

Hi Terry. I am doing the Baltic cruise this May. Have you looked into Alla Tours or SPB Tours to consolidate small group tours in almost all the ports. My roll call is a dud so I have to find all my things to do on my own. I went with SPB.

 

 

PS Norway at summer solstice that I did this past June was wonderful. Norway is beautiful!

[Jcr70]

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports. He tells you how to do it on your own, how much you can do in the time you have, what it should cost, etc. EM

Can’t agree with this enough. We did Copenhagen Tallin Helsinki and Stockholm on our own this summer using his book.

[bigmjh]

Concur with previous posts ... HOHO buses are a wonderful way to get an overview of the ports. However, if there are several ships in port, getting back on the HOHO can entail a wait for one that has room. In St. Petersburg we have used both Alla and SPB (different cruises :D) and they were both top-notch experiences and at FAR LESS that Princess excursions. If you book them for tours in more than one city, they will discount the prices.

For us, old town Tallin was a highlight of the trip. Also, sailing out of Stockholm through the Stockholm Archipelago was absolutely beautiful! If weather allows - it's a wonderful way to relax on your balcony, glass of wine in hand, and enjoy the scenery.

[LeeW]

Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm all have something like the Copenhagen Card that includes transportation and museum entries all over the cities. Can be bought online or in the information offices around the cities. Well worth it if you want to see a lot of normal tourist sites.

[Micahs Grandad]

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports. He tells you how to do it on your own, how much you can do in the time you have, what it should cost, etc. EM

 

What we like about having a tour guide is he can answer questions about history and shepherd us around a city where we do not speak the language.

 

We find it well worth the cost.

[zogrand]

We did the Baltic cruise in September. All of the cities except St. Petersburg are very doable on your own. We used Alla for our 2 day tour in St. Petersburg. We had been to St. Petersburg before but would never try to do it on our own. The cost of a visa just isn't worth it for 2 days. We had to get a visa for our last trip - very pricey! I agree about using Rick Steves' book Northern European Cruise Ports. We studied the ports we were visiting before leaving home and then tore each city out of the book as we traveled. This made it easy to use Rick's info as a guide as we walked. Whatever you do, don't miss the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. It's amazing! The book is really too big to carry around. It's a wonderful part of the world - enjoy!

[starfox]

I also highly recommend SPB tours for St. Petersburg. They were wonderful and easy to work with. Much cheaper than Princess's excursion and much smaller group! I was also going to use them for Berlin as well, but we ended up being diverted to Kiel due to heavy winds :( so cannot comment on Berlin. We did all the other ports on our own. Many of them have HOHO buses (we only used the one in Oslo). I recommend looking into the Rick Steves' info/book. I was able to find many walking maps and directions on the forum before my trip.