Vikings & Czars, Baltics Cruise Rotterdam July 2007

[2Xayear]

Firstly, we are 2 couples with several cruises under our belt. We primarily use HAL and this was our first European cruise. We are not fond of ships shore excursions and generally will research a port for alternatives to the ship shore excursions.

 

Here’s a link to a few shots from the cruise, on my Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41354&l=7fa09&id=869875132

 

Pre-Cruise: London

This was a terrific cruise to say the least. Flew into London a few days early for some sight seeing. We were booked into the Royal National and although it’s not a great hotel by ANY stretch of the imagination, it offers a clean place to sleep, very affordable by London standards and most importantly…an excellent location. We had a block to the Russell Square Tube station so that made it very convenient. We had a Hop On Hop Off bus ticket pre-booked, a three-day transit pass and we also had the London Pass. Day one called for the tube to St Paul’s Cathedral and then a walk to the Tower of London. This way we didn’t have to actually make the first use of our HOHO tour until after lunch and you have the full 24 hours from the first use. Did the Tower Bridge exhibit and all the rest of the usual London tourist things. The Tube is THE WAY to get around. All stations had attendants that were very helpful directing our group of 4 to the appropriate stops.

Thoroughly enjoyed London. We were not fond the food generally but that was our expectation going in. The only glitch was the HotelLink reservation from Heathrow to the hotel was fine but the return trip was to Gatwick for an 8:30 flight and although I had a voucher confirming this, when I called HotelLink to verify the pickup time, they advised with the time window they allow, I could not have a flight before 9:00 am with using their earliest pickup time. We had to scramble for alternate travel plans, as we were 4 adults and 8 pieces of luggage. Yes you read that right!! Too damn much luggage, but with the weight limits being enforced and many airlines these days, we thought it better to have 2 bags each to ensure we were under the weight limits.

 

We flew Easyjet from London to Amsterdam and were very impressed with the airline. Be aware though, that they allow a single piece of checked baggage. If you have two, one must purchase an “extra baggage ticket” from their site. Cheaper done online and in advance rather than at the airport. Open seating on Easyjet but it was only just over an hour so it was no big deal. The flight was not full. Travel time from the Royal National to Gatwick was one hour

 

Arrived in Amsterdam and met by a smiling HAL staffer. Taken to the bus and we waited only a short time before heading off for our departure point Rotterdam, about 50 minutes or so away. Embarkation was a little slower than usual HAL cruises but I got the impression that not many cruises depart from this port? Seemed to be less HAL staff presence than previous cruises, but that’s a minor issue. The process went well anyways and we were soon onboard the Rotterdam. Our first time aboard this particular ship but very similar to others and we had no issues getting acclimated. After the less than stellar food in London, we thought it only appropriate to book the Pinnacle for the first night. Excellent as usual!!! My god but they do know how do cook up a steak!!

 

The following day was our first Sea Day. We awoke to high winds and heavy seas. The Captain reported winds to Force 11 and seas to 27’. :eek: This was the roughest seas I have seen cruising. MANY passengers were feeling unwell and based on the few that showed at meal time, I suspect many were in their cabins. My wife swears by those “sea bands” to solve the sea sick issue. One of our group was feeling pretty bad so Joan gave the sea bands to her to try and she was much better, shortly thereafter. My wife claims that people wear them to high on their wrist and feels they work best as close to your hand as possible. A lady that we had seen spending the day in the deck 3 atrium, centre ship to minimize the motion, was able to make dinner after Joan got her to move her sea bands on her arm. Old wives tale or not….you do what you have to do. If it works…who cares why?

 

First Port: Oslo Norway

We had planned the HOHO bus here and in fact the highlight of this port was the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Absolutely beautiful. I had read somewhere about some people being offended by the nudity. If that’s an issue for you….DO NOT VISIT the park. Less people will always be appreciated by the rest of us. ;)

 

Got back on the HOHO and toured the rest of the city. Loved the castle right at the dock. I walked back into town after lunch and visited the City Hall for photos of the incredible murals. Very much enjoyed our first port day.

 

Second Port: Arhuus Denmark

We walked this city and it was very easy to do. The highlights here were the incredible churches but most importantly, the Old Town (Den Gamle) Here’s an excerpt from a web site:

This open-air museum is a charming old town sector that emphasizes Denmark's history and craftsmanship. You will find cobbled streets lined with workshops and homes with vendors such as printers, wool dyers, artisans, barrel builders, bookbinders, carpenters, clothiers, and toy makers. Restaurants, outdoor cafés, gardens, and horse drawn carriages add further charm. There are also 75 historic buildings, ranging in date from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

 

We had a nice stroll around the city and then back to the ship.

More to follow......

We have arrived back in Canada but are taking our friends to Niagara Falls today and then we have work here in Toronto until next week. I will get the next installment typed up as soon as I can. The BEST is yet to come!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great so far!!

[ldog]

Sounds wonderful! When we did the Baltics 5 years ago there weren't any of the HO HO busses. What a wonderful invention they are. But a lot of the cities and sites are walkable anyway.

 

Looking forward to more.....

[thehen]

Am enjoying reliving this great trip .... keep up the journal. Great to spend time with all of you on the Rotterdam.

 

elaine

[hammybee]

Vigeland is indeed fabulous. Can't wait to read the rest of your cruise story.

[hammybee]

sorry-dupe

[2Xayear]

This is turning out to be a far longer disertation that I originally planned. To those still with me....sorry about the length. :o

 

On with the review:

 

Third Port: Warnemunde Germany

This was a terrific stop on our itinerary, made even better by joining up with fellow cc’ers, Elaine and Emo. (and others) We had planned to take the HAL train trip into Berlin, do our own thing and then train back to the trip. Elaine and Emo had us join them using www.afriendinberlin.de A word of advice….this is one LONG and TIRING day but do not let that deter you. We were met at the dock in Warnemunde, first thing in the morning. (7:30 or so) and headed off for the 2.5 to 3 hour drive to Berlin. Our guide/driver Julie and her driver Mom, made for an enjoyable drive to Berlin. Loved all those wind turbine power generators. They are everywhere in the countryside. By the way, transportation was a very nice Mercedes van for the 6 of us but I know she does coaches for bigger groups. Our first stop in Berlin, was to meet the owner Jo, who then took over our tour and quickly showed us how good she is. Her web site says “Berlin is a great place and I'd love to show it to you!” And that’s exactly what she did. A fantastic tour of Berlin!! She will custom tailor a tour if you have particular interest, but we just went with her ideas and got to see all that we wanted to see. One of the things I really wanted to see was the walk to the top of the Reichstag. Jo had a lunch reservation for us in the Reichstag, which allows us to queue jump the crowds to get to the top, but unfortunately, the dome was closed and I could not take the photos I had wanted from the top inside of the glass dome. No big deal and the views we did have of Berlin were spectacular. It’s an interesting view on the Brandenburg Gate from here too. Our group was not into shopping but Jo did talk us into a stop at the KaDeWe department store. WOW!! Worth the walk through and the little corner where one could shoot the church just visited but now seeing that same church from above.

We spent some time at the Jewish Holocaust Memorial. It was a very humbling stop.

Anyways….our stop in Berlin was a trip highlight, made all the better by the excellent work of A Friend in Berlin. Dropped Jo off at the end of the day and headed back to the ship. Julie had offered us a stop at one of the concentration camps for a few minutes on our return trip but when push came to shove, we were all worn out. Julie did however give us a little tour of Rostock and then Warnamunde itself, where she lives. She obviously proud of her home town and it showed. Had we had more time, we would have liked to have wondered around Warnamunde on our own, but since we had already been on the go for about 12 hours, decided to head back to the ship for the german food feast and german music all laid out on the Lido. Our entertainment that evening was watching for incoming HAL train for the ship tour to Berlin. The train station was easily viewed form the Promenade deck. The train arrived finally about 10:30 or so, carrying some very tired travelers. They looked beat!! And I am sure some were concerned as the train was later than planned and they in fact arrived slightly after all aboard time. Over.50% of the ships guests were on that train so with over 650 people on the train, I think the ship would wait.

 

Speaking of late, we know two fellows were left behind on the dock in Oslo and I think a group of 4 in Arhus. I was watching the two in Oslo, strolling up the dock towards the ship and the look on their faces when the realized the ship was a hundred feet off the dock and underway to our next port. Not sure but I think they got back aboard later that evening with the pilot boat. Every cruisers worst nightmare!!!

 

Next Day: Sea Day

Thank god!! A rest day and did we need that. This was a time to lay around and rest up because looming on the horizon were 5 consecutive port days. Now the “real” work was about to start.

 

Fourth Port: Tallin Estonia

One of our group was feeling under the weather, so sent him back to the ship and we just walked around Tallin. It was a pleasant city to walk around. Beautiful churches but the highlight was the Old Town. Recreated from by gone years, this offered a glimpse of life in the past. Was wonderful to just wonder around. A word of warning, we walked pretty much direct to this area from the ship but by the time we left, the cruise ship tour busses had arrived, enmasse. A long queue to even get in!!

 

Fifth Port: St Petersburg Russia

This was without a doubt, the highlight of our cruise. These 2 days spent in Russia were unforgettable. We had booked with DenRus tours (Value Tour) and their instructions were crystal clear. Get off the ship as soon as possible after docking. We were up and waiting for clearance and headed off as soon as cleared. There were quite a few people getting off but it wasn’t a big deal. All customs and immigration wanted to see was our passports. They didn’t care about the tour tickets but we had them anyways, as DenRus had warned us to bring them along. A quick stop at Customs and we were cleared. DenRus was waiting for us with a coach, driver Nicholas and our guide Nadya. A representative from DenRus had us sign our credit card slips for the already purchased trip and we were off to explore. Now before you all go thinking that this is an itinerary that is set in stone, think again. This trip is tailored to the wishes of the group and what’s open on a given day. I think we all had communication with DenRus prior to arriving sp we all had a idea of what were going to see, just not the order we would see things. First stop was the Church of the Spilled Blood. WOW!!! This is one IMPRESSIVE stop. Nayda explained the fascinating history of the\this church, making it even more interesting.

The DenRus website gives better description than I of what we saw but suffice to say, everything was great.. http://www.denrus.ru/valueexcursion.html Great value and with only 16 on our bus, easy to get around. The Hermitage was fascinating but the real jewel in my mind was the Peterhof Palace & Grounds. Absolutely fabulous!! I commented to a previous thread on how good the lunches were. Provided as part of the tour, they were significantly better than we expected. I am learning to develop an appreciation for a glass of Champagne (of sorry, Sparkling Russian Wine…don’t want to offend anyone) and a shot of Vodka.

 

High praise for Nadya, Nicholas and the DenRus team. You are really in good hands with these people. Remember that this is a pretty grueling stop and I know the HAL Port Consultant Frank, warned that one would be “on their knees” after this first day in Russia and that pretty well summed it up. One couple on our excursion, had also booked the Formal Night with the Russian Ballet for the evening of day 1. They arrived back at the ship on day 1, as tired as the rest of us, with an hour to cleanup and change into formal wear before heading out again. They rejoined us the following morning and said although exhausted, it was worth it and they very much enjoyed it. The overwhelming comment from many guests was that this might be a once in a lifetime experience. Tired? Yes….but suck it up and get out there. You may never have the chance to do this again.

 

Off to work now but if this jet lag thing keeps up, maybe I can finish this off tomorrow for you all.

[ldog]

Oh yes, I remember how tired we were in St Petersburg! I actually dozed off in the middle of the Foklorico show. We were sitting in the third row and there were Cossack dancers flying around the stage! It was very tiring as on top of all the touring and information overload we had lost an hour with the time change of travelling East.

[grsnovi]

Looking forward to the rest of your report! We're looking at a Baltic sailing for summer 2008 but haven't decided on the details. I suspect that we'd not sail the same itinerary as you but might go out of Copenhagen (on Eurodam?).

 

We'll see...

[1drifter]

We are planning on the Eurodam cruise to the Baltic in Aug. 2008 and we're enjoying your review very much! Thanks for the tips and pictures! Many of your recommendations have made it into my cruise planning notebook. Thank you for taking the time to do a review. Shari

[2Xayear]

Sixth Port: Helsinki Finland

 

When planning this cruise, we knew we would be pretty tired by this time. Unlike previous cruises, this one is pretty port intensive. While not normally a big fan of sea days, one misses them during a trip like this. As a result, we had nothing major planned other than a HOHO tour. HOHO in Helsinki was the weakest of the trip. Seemed that they had issues with I think 2 HOHO buses not running, so that left them with only 2. Buses were FULL. So much so that people thought hard about getting off for fear of not getting on the next bus due to volume. Driver was stressed, windows dirty and the audio either not working from many seats and VERY hard to hear from others. We were impressed with the church the rock church. Got off downtown and wondered around Stockmans Department Store, had lunch, walked over to show my wife a european train station and then caught the HOHO again and got off at the "flea market". Be aware that this is in fact a flea market. All goods were used. An interesting stroll for a few minutes but probably not worthy of a stop, unless interested in looking at old junk. :confused: (Don't confuse this stop with the open air market which we had planned to see but completly forgot about until getting back to the ship. Two friends did make a stop there and bought a few shirts and hats and said it was very nice.) We planned to have walked back to the ship from the flea market stop but after a couple of blocks, realized how warm it was so hit a little supermarket for a few things and then caught the HOHO back to the ship.

 

Seventh Port: Stockholm Sweden

 

Now this port is worth an early rise to watch the entrance. Grab a coffee and find a comfy seat somewhere or just stay on deck. The cruise into Stockholm was beautiful!! Stockholm is situated within an area of thousands of islands. As I found out on the cruise out that eveing, cruise ships take on a pilot at about 4:00 am. They can only trasnit the archipelago during daylight hours. With a 3-4 hour cruise into the city and the same going out that evening, your time is this city is predicated by this. As a result, this was one port where a little more time would have been nice. Again we did the HOHO and toured the city. A very nice city!! GOT off the HOHO at the harbour to do a canal boat tour. and while we waited, the skies opened. We had left the ship under sunny skies and were unprepared for the rain and my god, did it ever rain. A little thunder and lightening as well, to complement the 21 gun salute that went off at noon in honour of a visiting dignatary and certainly "dampened" things for the guard changing ceremony at the palace. The highlight of Sweden was the Vasa museum. That top heavy gunboat is most impressive and to think it laid underwater in the harbour for something over 300 years and then was salvaged for display, is quite a feat. The ship is huge and the lighting, shall we say low? :) Photography was a challenge. For photographers, a tripod here is a must but since I didn't bring one along, proped my camera on posts or railing and did the self-timer and long exposures. Pretty happy with the photos I got actually. I hope to get another series up on Facebook when I get home and can do some real editing. I will post a link here when that happens.

 

The cruise out was beautiful and that's why my comment to get up early in the morning for the cruise in as the light was much niceer in the early am than for the cruise out. Photographers out there will know what I mean.

 

Last Day: Sea Day

 

One has mixed emotions about this day. On one hand the "day off" was most appreciated but on the other, the cruise was ending. Did nothing serious except "loafing". Reading, snoozing and that all time favorite, eating!! :D

 

Disembarkation:

 

We arrived in Copenhagen in the early morning. I think people were getting off at about 7:30 or so. We had a HAL transfer for the airport and with a 2:15 flight, had no time for a tour of the city. We caught the bus and were at the airport and checked in for our flight by 11:00 or so. Nothing to do know except wonder around the airport, visit the shops and have a little lunch before our flight.

 

 

Closing comments:

 

OUR weather as incredible, BUT NO ASSURANCE THAT IT WILL BE FOR YOU. Outside of the first sea day, a couple of hours around noon in Stockholm and our arrival in Copenhagen, we had warm temps and blue skies. Nadya had told us in St Peterburg, that they only have about 30 sunny days a year and we took 2 of them!!

 

The cruise and itinerary were super!! Michelle, our Cruise Director was one of the best. Pinnacle Grill is still AWESOME!! The Rotterdam was beautiful but with the amount of time spent "off-ship", the ship itself was not as important.

 

Things can be quite expensive in european cities so be prepared. Our lunch in the Copehagen airport was 2 slices of pizza, a pretzel, burger and a soft drink and was about $31 US.

 

Met lots of great people including several here fom Cruise Critic.

 

Independent tours in Russia and Berlin were worth EVERY penny and offered much more value than the ship tours, in my opinion.

 

What would I do different if I did it again?

Post cruise time at the end. A day in Copenhagen would have been awesome.

 

Be aware of the TOP 2 or 3 things you want to accomplish in each port. (Not including Berlin and St Petersburg as you have more time in those ports) Concentrate on those things and anything else that happens is a bonus.

 

More research on the cities and history before departure. I thought I had done a lot but wished I knew more. You have to appreciate how OLD and how much history these areas have.

 

I probably can think of more but think it's time to close this off. I will though get a few more photos up when I get home and if something jogs my memory as a result of that, I will make another post.

 

Thanks for reading....if you got this far. :)

 

Bob