Does this sound ok- shore tours vs wing it yourself

[billyhosencone]

hey all ive tried to get some suggestions in my roll call but its a bit dead and just wanted some more opinions on booking shore tours vs just hopping off and checking out towns your self.

im doing a Baltic cruise hitting up

· Tallin, Estonia

· St Petersburg, Russia 2 nights

· Helsinki, Finland

· Stockholm, Sweden

· Copenhagen, Denmark

 

so i was thinking of just walking Tallin, mean to be small, just see old town/upper town etc

 

obviously NEED a tour for StP as per visa bla bla, so we were gonna do a 2 day grand tour, see everything

 

Helsinki has a HOHO bus that comes to the port, maybe just get the 24 hr ticket for that and do it our self, viking museum etc

 

I think the dock for Stockholm is nowhere near the town so maybe get a tour which includes the pick up and what not? go see the Vasa. Or ive heard princess do a transfer, and then just do it your self? happy to hear suggestions here.

 

Same as Helsinki- hit up the HOHO bus, and maybe get a canal tour?

 

ideas? cheers folks

 

 

[jagsfan]

There was a boat very near where we docked in Stockholm that took us to the Vasa museum and then to the city. Very convenient, if they still have it.

We bought Rick Steve’s guide for a Baltic cruise and got tons of useful info from it.

St Petersburg is great with a private tour. More time to see everything because of using a small vehicle. The big tour companies are terrific.

 

 

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[Yooper77]

Sounds like we are on a similar cruise except we also port in Oslo and Warnermunde/Berlin.

 

We are doing the Alla 2 day grand tour in SPB plus a ballet in the evening. That tour seemed fantastic...wife excited for ballet.

 

Stockholm does dock in Nynashamn. From reading many suggestions, the fastest way to Stockholm (if you are DIY) is to take the train. There's a lot of info on the Baltic ports board if that's what you want to do...with explicit instructions for the train. We are trying to customize a tour with Alla. Their group tour cuts out too much time.

 

For Tallinn and Helsinki, I was happy just hoofing it. Wife wanted a guide so we'd get more of the historical/cultural flavor. She's probably right. Found guides on tours by locals and very reasonably priced.

 

I can't give you a review because we've never used either Alla or tours by locals before, but that's what we are doing.

[billyhosencone]

Sounds like we are on a similar cruise except we also port in Oslo and Warnermunde/Berlin.

 

We are doing the Alla 2 day grand tour in SPB plus a ballet in the evening. That tour seemed fantastic...wife excited for ballet.

 

Stockholm does dock in Nynashamn. From reading many suggestions, the fastest way to Stockholm (if you are DIY) is to take the train. There's a lot of info on the Baltic ports board if that's what you want to do...with explicit instructions for the train. We are trying to customize a tour with Alla. Their group tour cuts out too much time.

 

For Tallinn and Helsinki, I was happy just hoofing it. Wife wanted a guide so we'd get more of the historical/cultural flavor. She's probably right. Found guides on tours by locals and very reasonably priced.

 

I can't give you a review because we've never used either Alla or tours by locals before, but that's what we are doing.

 

yeah man awesome, except for the ballet.....

 

haha, yeah im think im just gonna do them 2 thru alla and research the rest and be the tour guide my self :)

[crawford]

hey all ive tried to get some suggestions in my roll call but its a bit dead and just wanted some more opinions on booking shore tours vs just hopping off and checking out towns your self.

im doing a Baltic cruise hitting up

· Tallin, Estonia

· St Petersburg, Russia 2 nights

· Helsinki, Finland

· Stockholm, Sweden

· Copenhagen, Denmark

 

so i was thinking of just walking Tallin, mean to be small, just see old town/upper town etc

 

obviously NEED a tour for StP as per visa bla bla, so we were gonna do a 2 day grand tour, see everything

 

Helsinki has a HOHO bus that comes to the port, maybe just get the 24 hr ticket for that and do it our self, viking museum etc

 

I think the dock for Stockholm is nowhere near the town so maybe get a tour which includes the pick up and what not? go see the Vasa. Or ive heard princess do a transfer, and then just do it your self? happy to hear suggestions here.

 

Same as Helsinki- hit up the HOHO bus, and maybe get a canal tour?

 

ideas? cheers folks

 

 

 

We used SPB tours for St. Petersburg. They were excellent, as well.

 

Use of of the online Talinn walking tour pdf's. Great way to see the important sites.

[skynight]

hey all ive tried to get some suggestions in my roll call but its a bit dead and just wanted some more opinions on booking shore tours vs just hopping off and checking out towns your self.

im doing a Baltic cruise hitting up

· Tallin, Estonia

· St Petersburg, Russia 2 nights

· Helsinki, Finland

· Stockholm, Sweden

· Copenhagen, Denmark - Very walkable city. We spent 3 days pre- tour there. Can get a canal tour at Nyhavn. If this is a port stop there is a HOHO at the pier.

 

so i was thinking of just walking Tallin, mean to be small, just see old town/upper town etc

This can be done. We actually booked an SPB walking tour for Tallin and it was very nice.

 

obviously NEED a tour for StP as per visa bla bla, so we were gonna do a 2 day grand tour, see everything

 

Helsinki has a HOHO bus that comes to the port, maybe just get the 24 hr ticket for that and do it our self, viking museum etc

Again this can be done. We took a shuttle to Market Square and walked around

 

I think the dock for Stockholm is nowhere near the town so maybe get a tour which includes the pick up and what not? go see the Vasa. Or ive heard princess do a transfer, and then just do it your self? happy to hear suggestions here.

 

Same as Helsinki- hit up the HOHO bus, and maybe get a canal tour?

 

ideas? cheers folks

 

 

Few comments above

[Essiesmom]

The book referenced in post #2 is Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports and is written for the cruise passenger who wants to DIY. Tells you what there is to do, how to do it yourself, and how much you can safely do in the time you nave in port. EM

[billyhosencone]

Few comments above

 

Awesome thanks!

 

And cheers @essiesmom

[CruiserBruce]

Have you looked on the Northern Europe board? Tons of info on your ports and options there.

[billyhosencone]

Have you looked on the Northern Europe board? Tons of info on your ports and options there.

Nah too much effort.

I post and let the answers come to me

[CruiserBruce]

Until the Mods move it there, as it has nothing to do with Princess.

 

And if you look over there, you will see you can use a private tour vendor in St Petersburg, who will cover your visa needs, and save you some money.

[billyhosencone]

Until the Mods move it there, as it has nothing to do with Princess.

 

And if you look over there, you will see you can use a private tour vendor in St Petersburg, who will cover your visa needs, and save you some money.

 

Booked St P with Alla last night

[daydreamer16]

Walking around Tallinn was very easy, at least back in 2010.

[jagsfan]

The book referenced in post #2 is Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports and is written for the cruise passenger who wants to DIY. Tells you what there is to do, how to do it yourself, and how much you can safely do in the time you nave in port. EM

 

 

 

Thanks for your good memory. I just remember it really helped us.

 

 

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[billyhosencone]

35 bucks for that book.. nearly a carton

[jagsfan]

35 bucks for that book.. nearly a carton

 

 

 

We’ve never paid more than $10 to $20 from Amazon

 

 

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[skynight]

Booked St P with Alla last night

It will be nice. Just so you are aware and Alla will probably mention it, I read on these boards that right now those on private tours have a 90 minute delay disembarking. Ship's tours go first. This is apparently not just Princess, but all shipping lines.

[billyhosencone]

90 minute delay disembarking..

 

shouldn't really hurt us? i think the ship docks really early in most places and the tours allow for a slow get off?

[dewesties]

Back from a Baltic cruise and we were told about the 90mins delay but in reality it didn't happen for us . We docked at 7 and walked off at 8 , minimal queues for immigration and met our tour Guide with Alla Tours at 8:15 ready for the off at 9.

 

We did diy tours at all our other ports , many of them have ' free' walking tours that are great for really getting under the skin of a place. Cost is what you decide to tip.

 

Franky

[billyhosencone]

Back from a Baltic cruise and we were told about the 90mins delay but in reality it didn't happen for us . We docked at 7 and walked off at 8 , minimal queues for immigration and met our tour Guide with Alla Tours at 8:15 ready for the off at 9.

 

We did diy tours at all our other ports , many of them have ' free' walking tours that are great for really getting under the skin of a place. Cost is what you decide to tip.

 

Franky

 

yeah nice- less than 5 people tip a bit, heaps of people tip f all :)

[Micahs Grandad]

yeah nice- less than 5 people tip a bit, heaps of people tip f all :)

 

If the guide doing the free walking tour didnt make a reasonable amount of money for his time they would stop doing it.

 

We love them and will always give a nice tip

[caribill]

private tours have a 90 minute delay disembarking. Ship's tours go first. This is apparently not just Princess, but all shipping lines.

 

shouldn't really hurt us? i think the ship docks really early in most places and the tours allow for a slow get off?

 

The 90 minute delay, if it still exists, was put into effect by the port management, claiming that all the vehicles for the independent tours caused a traffic problem. Thus they were not letting those vehicles in the area to pick up passengers for that 90 minutes.

[vmom]

We enjoyed out tour of St. P with Alla tours.

 

We ended up booking a tour with Alla tours for Stockholm also. Price was good. It provided transportation and admission into the Vasa and then transport to the old town and a walking tour of the old town and palace there. I enjoyed it and the price was right.

 

You may want to go onto the Alla tour website and see if there are tours offered in other ports that you would enjoy. I believe there was a discount depending on how many tours were booked.

 

We just walked around Tallin. Very easy port to explore on your own.

 

We did the HOHO in Helsinki. It was just okay, nothing special, but nothing else popped out as something to do that was more interesting. The HOHO in Helsinki would not be my first choice. It was ho-hum as the saying goes.

 

We spent 5 days in Copenhagen. I love that city. There's lot of choices of things to do in the city, and there are some great tours that take you out of Copenhagen into the rest of the country. We did one that took us out of the city to see the area along with 3 different castles. Very interesting.

 

One of the castles was Fredricksburg Castle. Another was the royal family's summer palace. I think the tour was called something like a tour of North Zealand.

[panoramaofthepast]

hey all ive tried to get some suggestions in my roll call but its a bit dead and just wanted some more opinions on booking shore tours vs just hopping off and checking out towns your self.

im doing a Baltic cruise hitting up

· Tallin, Estonia

· St Petersburg, Russia 2 nights

· Helsinki, Finland

· Stockholm, Sweden

· Copenhagen, Denmark

 

so i was thinking of just walking Tallin, mean to be small, just see old town/upper town etc

 

obviously NEED a tour for StP as per visa bla bla, so we were gonna do a 2 day grand tour, see everything

 

Helsinki has a HOHO bus that comes to the port, maybe just get the 24 hr ticket for that and do it our self, viking museum etc

 

I think the dock for Stockholm is nowhere near the town so maybe get a tour which includes the pick up and what not? go see the Vasa. Or ive heard princess do a transfer, and then just do it your self? happy to hear suggestions here.

 

Same as Helsinki- hit up the HOHO bus, and maybe get a canal tour?

 

ideas? cheers folks

 

 

We just got back from a 14 day Baltic cruise, so here's what we did -

SPB tours - we used them in Russia for two days, plus Tallinn, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Germany. I highly recommend them. Our biggest group was 17; three times there were less than ten. The guides were excellent.

Stockholm - we were there overnight; the HOHO bus comes right to the ship. We had a two day pass good for the buses and canal boats; the VASA museum is unbelievable!

Helsinki - Seuraasaari Island has an open air museum with buildings from all over the country. It was fascinating, but the tour didn't allow as much time there as I would have liked. The Church in the Rock is a must see

 

Have fun!

[HELENPSL]

We also used SPB for all of our tours except Copenhagen where we did the HO-HO bus. We found that in doing the bus we wasted a lot of time just waiting for the bus to come. We also weren't exactly sure where we were going. All of our tours (St. P - 2 days, Tallin, Berlin, Stockholm and Helsinki) ran about $600. This included going into Russia under the visa of the tour company. I am sure that Alla offers the same package. The guides were excellent and we had no more than 20 people on any tour. It was well worth the money.