Riga from port to centre of town - timing

[croozen]

Has anyone been on the Nieuw Statendam size of HAL ship (2600 passengers) and know where it docks in Riga and how long it will take to get in to the city centre from the port? I see much discussion on this forum from people on other cruise lines that it is a bit of a hassle to get in on the free shuttles provided by city, or port authorities. I have also read that where ships dock is very industrial and perhaps taxis aren't even allowed in there, so you must wait for a shuttle bus. We dock at 9 am and have booked the free city walking tour starting at 10 am. Wondering if 60 minutes is enough time to get in? 

[bearette]

As long as you are on one of the first busses you will be fine. Five minutes to fill it and 10 minutes to town.

[dfilpus]

There are two locations where cruise ships dock in Riga. The main port in on the river is in town walking distance to old town. However, only cruises ships up to a certain size can dock there. Larger cruise ships, such as the mega ships that have come up in this forum, have to dock in the iindustrial port, which is farther from town and requires shuttle buses to town. The Nieuw Statendam is not a mega ship, but it is a large ship. 
If the NS can port In town, you should have no problem. If not, there may be issues similar to those the mega ships had. 
I have the same question about the NCL Dawn, which is just a little smaller than the NS. I have not been able to find a definite answer for the Dawn.

[dfilpus]

I have found a YouTube video of the Dawn in Riga in September 2022. It docked in town. The Nieuw Statendam is only five meters (295 vs 290) longer than the Dawn, so it MAY dock in town. Cross your fingers.

[travelfox]

The website 

whatsinport.com

will let you look up where your ship will dock as well as providing lots of port info in terms of shuttles, taxis, buses.

 

 

 

 

[SimplyMarvie]

On 4/22/2023 at 4:30 PM, dfilpus said:

I have found a YouTube video of the Dawn in Riga in September 2022. It docked in town. The Nieuw Statendam is only five meters (295 vs 290) longer than the Dawn, so it MAY dock in town. Cross your fingers.

 

It's the length that counts in Riga (the Daugava is narrow and the ship can't turn much) but also the draft of the boat, so definitely check. If you're in town you can easily get off the ship and walk to Old Town and make your tour. If you're docking further out, make sure to be on an early shuttle. 

 

(And check out the Art Nouveau district/museum!)