Breakaway Baltic cruise excursion question

[Sastone25]

Hi, we just booked the Breakaway in the Baltic's for the last week in September, and are trying to figure out if we should book our excursions through NCL or an outside tour agency? I saw a lot of good reviews about Alla Tours, who does tours for all the ports on this cruise. Any info good or bad would help...

Also, if the ship for some reason cannot stop at a certain port, do you get a refund for not going out on that excursion?

[wizdiz]

I was on a Baltic cruise and booked all ports I was going to take a tour in with 1 company SPB. While all the tours were good I wouldn't do Berlin again because of the 6+ hours on a bus. The Russia tour was great.

 

 

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[dogs4fun]

Hi, we just booked the Breakaway in the Baltic's for the last week in September, and are trying to figure out if we should book our excursions through NCL or an outside tour agency? I saw a lot of good reviews about Alla Tours, who does tours for all the ports on this cruise. Any info good or bad would help...

Also, if the ship for some reason cannot stop at a certain port, do you get a refund for not going out on that excursion?

I have booked with Alla Tours on several trips to the Baltics and her tours are great! If your ship does not dock at a port, Alla will not charge you for that particular tour. Also, if you are booking her group tours, you do not pay any money upfront - you pay in St. Petersburg on the first day of your tour (she accepts credit cards). Alla offers tours in all your Baltic ports of call and when compared to the cruise tours, Alla's groups are much smaller & more personal, the itineraries are more comprehensive, and the prices are MUCH more affordable.

[Seminole1975]

I would highly recommend SPB tours in St. Petersburg. We did a private tour for the five of us and it was fantastic! It was so nice to have our own vehicle, driver and guide. There is so much to see! The tour went very smoothly and we did not have to worry about the needs of others slowing us down. We stayed in the city for dinner that night and they arranged transportation for us as well. (We went in Sept. 2017).

 

We used a Viator tour in Tallinn because we wanted to go outside the town.

 

We used the NCL tour Stockholm by Land and Sea and it was perfect for us. Very organized. We docked in Nyhashamn which is an hour from Stockholm. We did not want to worry about public transportation. We had a $50 excursion credit and the price seemed reasonable.

 

You will love the cruise!! Enjoy!

 

If you go on the SPB website, you can read all of their terms and conditions.

[EllieinNJ]

Another vote for Alla. We just did the Faberge tour with them and it was fabulous.

[Sastone25]

I have booked with Alla Tours on several trips to the Baltics and her tours are great! If your ship does not dock at a port, Alla will not charge you for that particular tour. Also, if you are booking her group tours, you do not pay any money upfront - you pay in St. Petersburg on the first day of your tour (she accepts credit cards). Alla offers tours in all your Baltic ports of call and when compared to the cruise tours, Alla's groups are much smaller & more personal, the itineraries are more comprehensive, and the prices are MUCH more affordable.

 

Great info....thanks. How did you pay for gratuities? Were you able to use US cash?

[karoo]

I did SPB tours- excellent! You could tip in local money, US or Euros.

 

 

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[fabnfortysomething]

we are big fans of private tours which work out better with my husbands walking difficulties

however on our upcoming Baltics cruise we weren't tempted by the multiple port deals offered by ALLA etc as apart from St Petersburg could DIY

 

But St Petersburg is definitely the place to take a private tour rather than NCL

[Seminole1975]

We paid tips in the local currency

 

 

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[Sauer-kraut]

There are many many reviews of independent tour operators over on the PORTS OF CALL boards for EUROPE. A whole sub forum dedicated to the Baltic Sea is very informative!

 

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

 

ou don't even need to book all tours through TJ, Alla, Red October etc as there are some really great local guides for the other ports as well. Also think about that long trip to Berlin, there are lovely places right around Warnemunde that don't require a long ride to the big city. This is a cruise that really requires a lot of research.

[sharonann24]

WE are on the July 13 sailing and based on everything I read on these boards and the Roll Call I decided against NCL tours except to de ark in Copenhagen and the Hop on Hop off bus in Helsinki. I booked the Alla tour for both SPB and Stockholm and hope it will live up to expectations. I found the NCL tours to be rather pricey. The other ports we will do on our own. We are planning on either taking the train to Rostock or remain in Warnemunde. Tallin and Helsinki are doable. So I am using my trusty Rick Steves guide to finalize our plans. 12 Days!

[dogs4fun]

Great info....thanks. How did you pay for gratuities? Were you able to use US cash?

Yes, the guides will gratefully accept US cash. :)

[Sastone25]

WE are on the July 13 sailing and based on everything I read on these boards and the Roll Call I decided against NCL tours except to de ark in Copenhagen and the Hop on Hop off bus in Helsinki. I booked the Alla tour for both SPB and Stockholm and hope it will live up to expectations. I found the NCL tours to be rather pricey. The other ports we will do on our own. We are planning on either taking the train to Rostock or remain in Warnemunde. Tallin and Helsinki are doable. So I am using my trusty Rick Steves guide to finalize our plans. 12 Days!��

What is the Rick Steves guide?

[Seminole1975]

What is the Rick Steves guide?

 

He is a travel guru who has a travel guide empire of books, videos and merchandise. I have found him extremely helpful. He also is helpful if you are traveling on a budget: he is always looking for and writing about travel bargains re hotels, restaurants etc. He also goes into details about the places including how to communicate and use currency-so much information.

 

I bought his books (at Barnes and Noble) for the Baltic cruise last year and our recent land trip in June to Scotland and Ireland. Look him up on line. You can watch his 30 min TV shows from various locations as well. Particularly enjoyed his show from Copenhagen Denmark.

[Huntingdon1701]

I used Alla in every port on the itinerary - and every one was an amazing experience. The package was also just cheaper than one NCL tour, so phenomenal value.

 

We had a port change from Stockholm to Nynashamn and Alla found out and contacted me weeks ahead with alternate arrangements for the pick up - while NCL was still insisting we were going to Stockholm even after we left from Copenhagen. Basically, I could trust Alla more than I could NCL.

 

Book them, you won't be disappointed.

[Seminole1975]

Also if it has not been already mentioned, sign up for your roll call. We met some really great people who helped us make decisions and gave good advice. They were a lot of fun too! Good times and good memories.

 

This cruise does take a lot of research time if not using a TA, but I enjoyed preparing for this cruise! It was all worth it.

[BostonGal35]

we used TJ Travel and had EXCELLENT excursions. Used them in Tallin and St. Pete.

[dogs4fun]

What is the Rick Steves guide?

His guide books are a great resource for first time visitors. For Baltic cruises, he has the following guidebook: Northern European Cruise Ports

It contains tons of useful information - particularly for those interested in DIY.

Link: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/northern-european-cruise-ports

[drew69]

Hi, we just booked the Breakaway in the Baltic's for the last week in September, and are trying to figure out if we should book our excursions through NCL or an outside tour agency? I saw a lot of good reviews about Alla Tours, who does tours for all the ports on this cruise. Any info good or bad would help...

Also, if the ship for some reason cannot stop at a certain port, do you get a refund for not going out on that excursion?

We've used Alla twice in SPB and her tours and guides are excellent. The other ports are easy to do on your own.

[dogs4fun]

Also, if the ship for some reason cannot stop at a certain port, do you get a refund for not going out on that excursion?

I just received a text from my friend who is currently aboard the Celebrity Silhouette. Due to high winds, the ship was not allowed to dock in St. Petersburg for either of the 2 days (June 1 & 2). This rarely occurs but, it can happen. They are now on their way to Warnemunde. For this reason, IMHO, it is best to book with a company that requires no upfront payment. But, assuming you booked with a company wherein you were required to pay upfront, you should receive a refund.

[Seminole1975]

I would also go thru and read some of the Baltic reviews from last year. Travel R and Huntington1701 did stellar reviews that were helpful to me.

I also did one from the perspective of being in the Haven.

 

That absolutely stinks about the Celebrity ship that could not get into St. Petersburg. Talk about being bummed! That is the best port!

[SClakeliving]

WE are on the July 13 sailing and based on everything I read on these boards and the Roll Call I decided against NCL tours except to de ark in Copenhagen and the Hop on Hop off bus in Helsinki. I booked the Alla tour for both SPB and Stockholm and hope it will live up to expectations. I found the NCL tours to be rather pricey. The other ports we will do on our own. We are planning on either taking the train to Rostock or remain in Warnemunde. Tallin and Helsinki are doable. So I am using my trusty Rick Steves guide to finalize our plans. 12 Days!��

We are on August 27 sailing and planning exactly the same. Alla for SPB and Stockholm, DIY everywhere elso. Maybe use NCL at disembarkation. Rick Steve's "Northern Europe Cruise Ports" book is fantastic! I plan to "do" his walking tours.

SharonAnn24, please let us know how your tours went when you get back!

Thank you

-Elaine

[marbleski]

Best Guides is another great tour operator in St. Petersburg. We used them last year for a small group of 8 and they were very good.

[sharonann24]

I just read that the Alla Tours for St. Petersburg July 19 are now sold out. People may want to consider that. I booked our tour about 6 weeks ago. It seems like many people from our July 13 roll call have opted for the Grand Tour.

[the2006Junket]

Hi, we used SPB Tours in St. Petersburg, the Deluxe 2 day tour and we're very pleased. We were in a group with just 11 people, all from our ship, the Breakaway. Outstanding guide, driver, lunch spots and access to the sights. Enjoy SPB! Lynne