Cunard Baltic Cruise June 2022 - Queen Victoria help required!

[OzzyOzborne]

Hi all

 

We are going on a 14 night cruise around the Baltic in June - Queen Victoria. We would like to know where the ship will probably dock and how close it is to the town centre. Also if Cunard supply shuttle buses ?

Any advice on what to do on our own rather than use the very expensive ships tours would be appreciated…….we prefer to do our own thing and ideally walk in each town if possible.

All advice and help appreciated!

 

Itinerary

 

Hamburg

Copenhagen

Visby Sweden

Helsinki

St Petersburg 

Tallin Estonia

Kiel 

Skagen Denmark 

 

thanks to all replies……..

[TheOldBear]

I see this is your first post, welcome aboard!
 

There are several places here on the forums that you will find useful.

 

Some starting points include

 - The Cunard forum for ship and onboard stuff

 - The ports of call -> Northern Europe section for port information

 - The ‘Roll Call” thread for your sailing

[LHT28]

In SPB you will not be able to  wander off on your own  unless you get a Russian VISA

 Best to book a ship's tour  or a private tour with a licensed  guide

 Go to the  forums on the ports  for recommend guides

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

 

Try "Whatsin port" for info on the docks etc...

 

Welcome to CC

 

[LibertyBella]

WHY oh why do people always think the ship tours are so "overly" expensive and they can do everything better and cheaper independently?  Why do you think you can just get off and walk to town--do you even know what you would see or do there?

 

The ship tours have been developed to focus on the port highlights--the ship hires experienced companies and guides--usually the tours can enter the sights more quickly and efficiently than any independent person, and the ship will wait for tours to return (what if your independent tour guide gets a flat tire on the side of the road somewhere?).

 

I have traveled over the world and I am multilingual, but when I cruise I usually book the ship tours, especially in a must-see place like St. Petersburg!  Why scrimp when I paid all the money to fly over there and book the cruise?  I took two full-day ship tours in St. P and saw a LOT of wondrous places (including two palaces), but when we ran through the Hermitage I was overwhelmed at the size of the institution and the crowds, and so happy to be with an expert tour guide.

 

Also, why book a cruise and not do some of your own research on the ports?  Everywhere I go I know what I want to see and do far in advance. Sometimes I choose a ship only for the itinerary. Each person's tastes and interests are different.  By the way, I love Copenhagen. Tivoli Gardens at night is so pretty and precious.

[Ukulele girl]

I have taken a cruise to the Baltic which was amazing (but with P&O). I am sure the port information I put in my review will be useful. I didn't go to all the same ports as you are but hope what is below will be useful. Sorry for the length!

Copenhagen, Denmark

The ship docked close enough to walk into the city. The walk along the sea edge took us past the statue of The Little Mermaid, about 10 minutes from the ship, then on into the city. Smart and clean everywhere with lovely architecture. We enjoyed wandering the sights then into the shopping area. We used McDonalds for wifi as there wasn't any near the ship, we paid for our coffee etc in McDonalds by credit card.  Great boat tours on offer in the city for 50 Krone per adult for 1 hour canal tour. Another time we would definitely take one of these but do wrap up as it is windy on the water. We walked back to the ship in the early afternoon having felt we had seen all we wanted to.

Helsinki, Finland.

Weather was good and we left the ship early to walk into the city, an easy and flat trip of 45 minutes. Wifi is always our first hunt and we found it inside a small shopping mall so dealt quickly with any email and had several WhatsApp exchanges with our sons. We wandered the smart and open city shops and streets spotting the sights along the way. We took a No3 tram that had been suggested on TripAdvisor as a way of joining the locals assuming it was a round trip but after 15 minutes out into the suburbs it stopped and we were told to get off as it was the end of the line. Small panic but the driver pointed across the road and said 'Centrum' so we set off to find another No 3 back. About 100 yards down the road we found the tram stop. We are embarrassed to say we didn't pay for the rides as we didn't know how to and had assumed we would pay the driver but both times he didn't want to know so our tram ride was free. I have since found out that you get a ticket before boarding at €2.20 per journey.  We enjoyed visiting Stocktons Department store and other shops then headed for the harbour where the market sold fruit and craft items. Boat trips left from here and seemed a good deal and were popular. From the harbour we set off on the coast edge path to go back to the ship which was a pretty and fairly flat pavement walk.

St Petersburg, Russia

Stunning city to visit with glorious architecture, wide roads and pretty vistas of the Neva river and canals. Queuing through immigration both out and back in dominated the first day and was frustrating. We had booked a half day tour of The Hermitage which was in the afternoon. This left a free morning when it was quiet on board so I took advantage and did some laundry. 

 

The Hermitage was wonderful although busy and the tour guide led us on a good selection of rooms. The floors and ceilings are often as beautiful as the exhibits. Photographs are allowed without flash, there are toilets available and the shops at the end sell a wide variety of souvenirs at reasonable prices for Russian Roubles.  

 

The second day we had booked St Petersburg Explorer which is a 7 hour walking tour of the city. This takes you to three stops and you are dropped off by the bus and left to do your own thing for a few hours each time.  There is a route suggested on your map and the guide on the bus gives you ideas of where to visit. This gives you a chance to go to shops, visit churches, enjoy the gardens (The Summer Garden is delightful) etc. The day was hot and sunny so it made a great trip and as long as you are comfortable walking for a good stretch this is an ideal trip to see lots of the city. Shops and stalls were happy to take Euros, Dollars or Roubles. Prices were reasonable and often cheaper than in the UK. Return through immigration the second day was very quick.

 

There is a souvenir shop on the dock beside the ship which you can use without going through immigration. Ideal for Russian Dolls and other gifts to take his home. A good selection of items and prices ranged from around £4.00 for a simple doll with 3 inside each other right up to £100 for large and beautiful individual items. Prices here compared well with stalls and shops in the city centre.

 

Tallinn, Estonia

Easy walk into the old town via 'Fat Margaret’s Gate'. We were into the town by 08.15 and were ahead of everyone so could get pictures without the irritation of lots of people. We walked uphill on cobbled roads to the top to the look-out points then down again into the town square where we had coffee and used the cafe internet. Such a delightful town, very quaint and pretty. Euros were used everywhere. We walked from the old town out to the newer town passed flower sellers and cafes. There was a small market at the end of the road, worth a look for knitwear. We didn't spend too long looking round the more modern area but found good free Wi-Fi inside the first shopping centre, near H&M. We found the walk back to the ship easy and flat and were back in time for lunch. 

 

Skagen, Denmark

Pronounced ‘Skane’ by the people who live there. Easy walk into town, about ten minutes. Delightful town with good variety of shopping and cafes and the town band played during the morning.  About 45 minutes at a fair pace takes you from the centre of town to the car park and sand dune from where you can see the meeting of the seas in the distance. Area is flat and a smooth path is shared by bikes. Bikes for hire were available on the dock area and would have been a good option to get to Grennen and other areas. Shops would take Euros but with a poor exchange rate, or credit cards could be used. We found wifi at 'Jacob's Cafe' in the centre of town where we had coffee. A lovely last destination for a gentle stroll and final shop. Weather was good but with a strong breeze and if walking to the point it may be worth packing a light woolly hat and thin gloves.

 

Hope this is helpful. Have a wonderful time.

[Victoria2]

We have 'done' The Baltic on Cunard a few times, with a mixture of Cunard and self arranged tours. The only destination I would definitely suggest an alternative to Cunard is St Petersburg. We have visited four times now, the first time being nearly thirty years ago and have seen the changes wrought in attitude to visitors. The best occasion was a few years ago when four of us pre-booked a private two day tour which was completely tailored to our requirements.  Ask, and you'll get a few tour company suggestions but we went with Alla, and Marina, our guide for two days was beyond our expectations.

We had an almost new Mercedes people carrier for the four of us [plus guide] with a driver who knew the back streets and short cuts needed, as the President was in town and roads were summarily closed for the motorcade, to get us to destinations without being involved in road jams.

Marina had clout with the ladies guarding the crowds in The Hermitage and we dodged people jams by using back rooms and corridors.

If going with Cunard or a tour company and there is an item you definitely want to see e.g. The Faberge Museum, if timed tickets are involved, book, or arrange for the tour company to book,  as soon as the tours are available on your Personalizer. They sell out and numbers will not be extended once onboard.

[sail1658]

22 hours ago, OzzyOzborne said:

Any advice on what to do on our own rather than use the very expensive ships tours would be appreciated…….we prefer to do our own thing and ideally walk in each town if possible.

All advice and help appreciated!

 

We did a Queen Victoria Baltic cruise in 2013 which included a number of your ports - Copenhagen, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallin Estonia. We are like you and enjoy doing our own thing in ports. The only exception was St Petersburg where it's mandatory to either have your own visa or do a ship's tour to leave the ship.

 

You can easily walk into Copenhagen from the ship. In Helsinki and Tallinn there was a shuttle bus to the centre and it was easy to do self tours. Also the Hop-on Hop-off bus tours were available.

 

I've posted a series of videos on YouTube on my channel, - Cruise Video Memories 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbYW-Y1IjRSD9MECilTBG5A

 

Here is the first one - leaving Southampton. The others should follow on -

 

 

 

[majortom10]

Depends where the ship docks in Copenhagen if it is at the new cruise terminal then you will need a shuttle bus as it is too far to walk and it drops you off in city centre. The old cruise dock where you can walk into the centre past the Little Mermaid  is not always used these days depending on availability and size of ship. Helsinki is shuttle bus, Tallin is a very enjoyable walk into the centre and has already been said SPB you will not be allowed to walk off the ship unless you have a Russian Visa or booked on an organised ship/private company excursion.

[majortom10]

20 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

WHY oh why do people always think the ship tours are so "overly" expensive and they can do everything better and cheaper independently?  Why do you think you can just get off and walk to town--do you even know what you would see or do there?

 

The ship tours have been developed to focus on the port highlights--the ship hires experienced companies and guides--usually the tours can enter the sights more quickly and efficiently than any independent person, and the ship will wait for tours to return (what if your independent tour guide gets a flat tire on the side of the road somewhere?).

 

I have traveled over the world and I am multilingual, but when I cruise I usually book the ship tours, especially in a must-see place like St. Petersburg!  Why scrimp when I paid all the money to fly over there and book the cruise?  I took two full-day ship tours in St. P and saw a LOT of wondrous places (including two palaces), but when we ran through the Hermitage I was overwhelmed at the size of the institution and the crowds, and so happy to be with an expert tour guide.

 

Also, why book a cruise and not do some of your own research on the ports?  Everywhere I go I know what I want to see and do far in advance. Sometimes I choose a ship only for the itinerary. Each person's tastes and interests are different.  By the way, I love Copenhagen. Tivoli Gardens at night is so pretty and precious.

 

Because in many ports of call local excursion companies can do equivalent and sometimes better excursions for a lower price than cruise line excursions. That is why they get the reputation, quiet rightly in my mind, for being expensive.

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Host Kat
Removed duplicate quote.

[Host Hattie]

There is lots of information on the Ports of Call board here 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

 

There doesn't seem to be a roll call for your sailing but you can always start one.

 

 

[nybumpkin]

15 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

 

I have traveled over the world and I am multilingual, but when I cruise I usually book the ship tours, especially in a must-see place like St. Petersburg!  Why scrimp when I paid all the money to fly over there and book the cruise?  I took two full-day ship tours in St. P and saw a LOT of wondrous places (including two palaces), but when we ran through the Hermitage I was overwhelmed at the size of the institution and the crowds, and so happy to be with an expert tour guide.

 

I was glad we didn't book the ship tour in St. Petersburg, instead opting for one of the independent tours. They had full-size buses while we had a 16-passenger van. One of the ship tours missed the Church of Savior on Spilled Blood because the driver couldn't find a parking place.

[OzzyOzborne]

Thanks to all responses….

it helps……apart from one post which appeared very critical of how we like our time in port !