Baltic Cruise 7/12-7/22 on the Getaway

[Redsky5292]

Here is my review.  I broke it up into two parts, the ship and the ports, otherwise you would be reading one long post.  Let me know if you have any questions and I will try my best to answer them.  I do not have the dailies for the trip nor pictures of the food or menus.

 

PSA: The toilets on the Getaway are self-flushing but you HAVE TO CLOSE THE TOLET SEAT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STALL.  IF YOU DO NOT THE NEXT PERSON COMING INTO THE BATHROOM WILL GET A YUCKY SURPISE.  Luckily most people figured the toilets out by the end of the cruise but let’s just say it was quiet an adventure using the bathrooms at the beginning.

 

Background:  Husband and I are in our early 40’s, both teachers, we have six-year old twins (who stayed home with family).  We booked the trip to celebrate our 10^th wedding anniversary.  We’ve sailed NCL four times (including this cruise), RCI (twice for me, once for Ben) and have a RCI cruise booked in April with the kids.

 

Perks:  We had free/reduced airfare ($499 a person flights from Boston to Copenhagen, can't beat that), the drink package, 4 night SDP, the 250 minute internet package, and $50 towards a port excursion).

 

Airfare/transport:  We booked the cruise and airfare through NCL due to a fantastic Black Friday sale that they were having.  We had direct flights from Boston to Copenhagen that left at great times: 5:00 in the evening on Friday the 12^th and 12:50 in the afternoon for our return flight on Monday the 22^nd.  We flew Scandinavian Air, our seats were great, the airline crew were polite and efficient.  We both had our own screens and were given headphones, blankets and pillows.  On the flight over we were served dinner and breakfast, on the flight back we were served lunch and a light snack.  The food, was meh, but hey we were on vacation.  I would book the flights through the cruise line again.

            We didn’t spend any extra time in Copenhagen as family was watching the kids and we didn’t want to impose anymore.  We booked transfer to and from the ship through NCL.  Unbeknownst to us the transfer over to the boat included a 2.5-hour bus tour of Copenhagen.  I don’t know if this is what they normally do or just because our flight landed at 6:30 in the morning.  The tour was pretty comprehensive and the tour guide was great.  Word of advice, go to the bathroom before you get on the transport!! 

 

The Boat/Crew:  The Getaway has recently undergone a facelift.  The boat was clean and well-maintained.  I have to say this was the friendliest crew that I have encountered on NCL.  Crew members went out of their way to say hello as I was walking down the hallway or waiting for an elevator.  The boat was sold out so there were lines at times.  Just be patient and wait, you are on vacation after all. 

            We spent a lot of time at Syd Norman’s Pour House outside bar (even in the rain at the end of the second day in St. Petersburg).  Scherwein and El Marie, the bartenders, were fabulous, they quickly learned our names and our drinks.  They really helped to make our trip a fun one.

 

Muster Drill:  It is much longer than on the other cruises that we have been on.  Because there was such a large number of people from Europe and China on the boat they had to state the directions in English, Spanish, French and Chinese.  The muster drill took a little over an hour…

 

Room/Room Steward:  We had a balcony room on the 14^th deck, right under the pool deck.  The room it’s self was clean and big enough for the two of us.  However, we heard them arranging the chairs on the pool deck at 6:30 in the morning.  Lesson learned, don’t book a room on the 14^th floor under the pool deck. 

            Owen was our room steward and he was fantastic.  Whenever we asked for him for something we had it promptly.  He always gave us fresh towels when he made up the room and turned down the room at night, even though we had hung them up and were planning on using them again.  He was very friendly and always asked how we were doing and if we needed anything.

 

Dining:  We had the four night SDP and we ate at the Teppanyaki Restaurant, La Cucina, Ocean Blue and Moderno.  All of the meals, and service, were excellent.  There is no longer an upcharge for Ocean Blue, we had prepaid it and they refunded it to our account after we ate there.  I didn’t take any pictures of the food.

 

Entertainment:  We saw Howl at the Moon twice and that was about it.  It was great and really entertaining.

 

Spa:  We took advantage of the 30, 20, 10 offer that the spa was offering.  If you booked three appointments you got 30% off the most expensive, 20% off the middle priced treatment and 10% off of the least expensive treatment.  We both got massages, mani/pedi’s and seaweed wraps.  Our experience at the spa was amazing.  I had the same therapist for my massage and wrap, she was fantastic. 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Redsky5292

[Redsky5292]

Ports:  We only booked an excursion when we were in St. Petersburg because we had to.  I’ll get into more details about the excursion below.  Pretty much everyone we encountered spoke English, and if they didn’t they did their best to communicate with us.

 

Germany:  We got off the boat and walked over the to train station.  For 6 Euro a person (12 Euro in total) we bought the unlimited transportation ticket.  We could get on, and off, the train, trams, and car ferry, as many times as we wanted.  We took the train to Rostock, got off at New Market Square and walked around.  As it was Sunday, pretty much all of the stores were closed.  We ate lunch at a Peter Pan themed burger place.  The food was good!  We then toured the Cultural History Museum which is housed in nunnery that was built in 1215.  No bags are allowed in the museum so you will need a euro coin in order to store your bag.  No admission is charged but they will charge you 2 Euro to take pictures.  We then walked around St. Mary church and caught the tram back to Warnemunde.  What a cute little seaside town.  We stuck our feet in the Baltic Sea (man was it cold) and walked around.  If you decided to get a drink at the bar on the beach, make sure you have Euro as they do not take cards.  Many of the shops right on the boardwalk do not take cards either so it is a good idea to have some euro (very important if you want to use the public toilets).  After walking around for a bit we headed back to the ship.

 

Estonia:  Bring sneakers or comfortable walking shoes (not flip flops) as you will need them in Estonia.  The streets are the most cobblestoned I have ever seen and I was really happy to have my hiking shoes.  We walked from the port in to the old town and walked around.  We went into the Tallinn City Museum and the KGB Prison cell museum.  If you plan on going to more than one museum you can buy a pass, which will save you a few Euro.  I would recommend going to both!  We had a really nice lunch on one of the squares, walked around a bit more and headed back to the ship.

 

St. Petersburg:  We booked a two-day tour through Alla Tours and would do it again in a heartbeat. On the first day we went to the Peterhof Gardens, had lunch at a really nice restaurant, went to the Faberge Museum, went shopping and then went back to the ship.  On the second day we took a subway ride, went on a boat tour of the rivers, went to the Church of Spilled Blood, had lunch at a really nice restaurant, went to the Hermitage and Catherine’s Palace.  Our tour guide Elana was fantastic as was our driver Vladimir.  There were fourteen people on the tour and we had a nice Mercedes mini bus that included free wifi. 

            Customs didn’t take too long to get through the first morning.  It is important to remember that only one person a time, unless you have minors traveling with you then a minor and a parent can go up to the window.  Make sure you have your passport, tour ticket and Freestyle card.  We got through immigration in about 20 minutes or so.  They do let NCL tours off first and then the independent tours.  The independent tours know this and wait for everyone.  Since we had a mini bus we left our backpack with our passports on the bus as the driver was always with it.  We heard from a fellow traveler that several people had their passports stolen and had to take the high speed train to Moscow to get new ones.

 

Helsinki: This was one of my favorite ports, the city really reminded me of Boston.  We got off the ship and walked into town, it was about a 20 minute walk.  We headed to the Esplanade and walked over to Market Square.  It’s a combo Farmer’s Market/Food Stalls/Arts and Crafts fair.  I would wait to buy any sweaters until you get to Helsinki, we found the prices cheaper and it was the same goods that they were selling in Tallin.  We shopped, walked around and then headed back to the boat. 

 

Nynashamn (Stockholm):  We didn’t go into Stockholm as we had seaweed wraps that morning and didn’t have enough time to make it worth it to ride the hour long train ride into Stockholm.  That being said the port of Nynashamn was also one of my favorites.  Very easy to walk into town, you literally follow the green line painted on the ground.  We went down to the marina and had a very nice lunch of a local lager, oysters, preserved salmon for me, and schnitzel for Ben.  We then walked around the little shops near the marina, explored the church at the top of the hill and then went to the ONLY chocolate shop that supplies the chocolates for the Nobel Prizes.  Man was it good, I wish I had bought more to bring home.  We then headed back to the ship and hung out at H2O.

[rwf1]

Thank you!  Appreciate your review since I am just about to book a Baltic cruise on the Escape.

 

In St. Petersburg, what time did you start and end your tours?  Also, it seems like you saw more on your second day?  Is that right? Just trying to get a feel for tours there and how long they take.

[Redsky5292]

7 minutes ago, rwf1 said:

Thank you!  Appreciate your review since I am just about to book a Baltic cruise on the Escape.

 

In St. Petersburg, what time did you start and end your tours?  Also, it seems like you saw more on your second day?  Is that right? Just trying to get a feel for tours there and how long they take.

Hello!  Our tour in St. Petersburg started at 8:30 on the first day due to having to wait to get through customs. It ended around 5:30. I forgot to add that we did a city tour with picture stops before heading to Pererhof. On the second day we had to meet Elena at 7:20 and we were back at the boat around 6:15. We did see more on the second day then the first. 

Edited July 25, 2019 by Redsky5292

[gatorchinsky]

10 hours ago, Redsky5292 said:

St. Petersburg:  We booked a two-day tour through Alla Tours and would do it again in a heartbeat. On the first day we went to the Peterhof Gardens, had lunch at a really nice restaurant, went to the Faberge Museum, went shopping and then went back to the ship.  On the second day we took a subway ride, went on a boat tour of the rivers, went to the Church of Spilled Blood, had lunch at a really nice restaurant, went to the Hermitage and Catherine’s Palace.  Our tour guide Elana was fantastic as was our driver Vladimir.  There were fourteen people on the tour and we had a nice Mercedes mini bus that included free wifi. 

            Customs didn’t take too long to get through the first morning.  It is important to remember that only one person a time, unless you have minors traveling with you then a minor and a parent can go up to the window.  Make sure you have your passport, tour ticket and Freestyle card.  We got through immigration in about 20 minutes or so.  They do let NCL tours off first and then the independent tours.  The independent tours know this and wait for everyone.  Since we had a mini bus we left our backpack with our passports on the bus as the driver was always with it.  We heard from a fellow traveler that several people had their passports stolen and had to take the high speed train to Moscow to get new ones.

 

 

It’s good to hear that even though NCL has their tours get off first that the independent tours get off in a timely manner.

 

We were looking at using Alla tours as well so it’s nice to know you really enjoyed them.  What tour did you take?  Must See?  Grand?

 

Thank you for taking the time to give your review.

[mp2010]

Thank you for the review! I will be on this cruise in two weeks.

[swmichigan cruiser]

We were on the same cruise. And not the tour companies fault but mine. We booked their 2 day deluxe tour and the first night we had also booked with them for a Russian Folklore show. My mistake the cost was $99 per person and there were 4 of us, As we were on the first day of the tour I knew there was no way we could stay a wake to watch the show and also the next day started around 8:00 so it was to late to cancel and get a refund but I canceled it with them anyhow and lost the $400. Still was the right thing for us to do. Expensive lesson but those are the ones we remember best. Not the tour companies fault. And one other thing the Getaway did bring a Russian dance group onto the ship so we went to that instead. Just my two cents. Also the Million Dollar Quartet is not be missed. My all time favorite cruise show.

Edited July 25, 2019 by swmichigan cruiser
added a few words

[rwf1]

11 hours ago, Redsky5292 said:

Hello!  Our tour in St. Petersburg started at 8:30 on the first day due to having to wait to get through customs. It ended around 5:30. I forgot to add that we did a city tour with picture stops before heading to Pererhof. On the second day we had to meet Elena at 7:20 and we were back at the boat around 6:15. We did see more on the second day then the first. 

Thanks so much for the reply!  And now I have one more, then I will stop bothering you.😊  How busy was the Hermitage?  I know we should go, but hear the crowds are heavy.  Was your guide able to whisk you around so you avoided crowds to some extent?

[Redsky5292]

1 minute ago, rwf1 said:

Thanks so much for the reply!  And now I have one more, then I will stop bothering you.😊  How busy was the Hermitage?  I know we should go, but hear the crowds are heavy.  Was your guide able to whisk you around so you avoided crowds to some extent?

It was very crowded and we got it early before the GA crowds. Elena was able to maneuver us around the crowds but if you get claustrophobic it might be problematic. The Rembrandt room was the worst. That being said when are you going to get a chance to go there again?  I would go again for sure!

[rwf1]

You are right!  Of course, we have to go!  I will be prepared.  Thanks.

 

[bostonphil]

Thank you for the review.  It was very helpful and interesting. I am taking this cruise the third week of September so I assume that the weather will be colder and the crowds smaller.

 

The Hermitage is very important to me and I booked the five hours with the Gold Room. I had originally booked the evening at the Hermitage because I hate crowds but I think the crowds will be much smaller the end of September.  

 

I was born and raised in Boston but have lived in Austin Texas many years. I love Boston.

 

Re some of the guests having their passports stolen. What a horrible thing to happen. I have purchased a travel purse that you wrap around your body and can carry all the papers you need.

 

Were the guests who had their passports stolen on your excursion or was it another excursion?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[joejoe 59]

Great review thank you.

We don't sail until next year but have saved your great information 😊

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[Redsky5292]

9 hours ago, bostonphil said:

Thank you for the review.  It was very helpful and interesting. I am taking this cruise the third week of September so I assume that the weather will be colder and the crowds smaller.

 

The Hermitage is very important to me and I booked the five hours with the Gold Room. I had originally booked the evening at the Hermitage because I hate crowds but I think the crowds will be much smaller the end of September.  

 

I was born and raised in Boston but have lived in Austin Texas many years. I love Boston.

 

Re some of the guests having their passports stolen. What a horrible thing to happen. I have purchased a travel purse that you wrap around your body and can carry all the papers you need.

 

Were the guests who had their passports stolen on your excursion or was it another excursion?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was another excursion but the same cruise. We left all of our stuff on the mini bus and had no issues. Our guide reminded us at each stop to leave our important things on the bus. 

[gatorchinsky]

REDSKY5292 - how did you pay the tips for the guide and driver with Alla?  I’ve read a lot of different things but really just wanted to know if you can pay them in US dollars.

[Redsky5292]

53 minutes ago, gatorchinsky said:

REDSKY5292 - how did you pay the tips for the guide and driver with Alla?  I’ve read a lot of different things but really just wanted to know if you can pay them in US dollars.

We used US Dollars. We had them already prepared in envelopes that we gave to the guide and driver. 

[gatorchinsky]

3 hours ago, Redsky5292 said:

We used US Dollars. We had them already prepared in envelopes that we gave to the guide and driver. 

 

Thanks!  Being able to pay in US dollars will make things a lot easier.

[northernrose]

Thanks for the great review.

[tv77]

Great review!  How was the weather?

 

thanks!

[Redsky5292]

21 hours ago, tv77 said:

Great review!  How was the weather?

 

thanks!

It was cool and cloudy the first few days, it rained both days in St. Petersburg but then it warmed up and was in the low 70s in Finland and Sweden.