Century vs Connie-Baltic Seas

[brazilgirl]

I think I am going to book my 2009 cruise today.

 

After lots of debate , have narrowed it down to the Connie or the Century at the end of June. Family Suites (aft ) are available/ There is a difference of about $1300.

 

Century leaves from Amsterdam and the Connie leaves from Harwich.

 

I ahve only been an inside passenger til now. I am expecting a life changing experience now that I am going Aft....

 

Opinions on the 2 ships, please fellow cruisers.

 

Thanks, Kim

[Peregrina651]

We sailed the Century in 2007. We chose it because we preferred the Century itinerary (which has since changed) over any of the other itineraries offered. We visited Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Klaipeda. We didn't compare the costs of the flights or ground arrangements or anything else in making our choice, just the itineraries.

 

We loved Amsterdam and spent a total of four days there pre- and post-cruise (could have spent double that since there was so much to see and do in Amsterdam and the surrounding cities and towns). Getting from the airport to the cruise terminal is very easy since the terminal is in the center of Amsterdam. It is even easier if you stay overnight in Amsterdam.

 

In retrospect, we were also happy with our choice of itineraries. We enjoyed all of the ports of calls --including the virtually unknown Klaipeda--but could have done with a few more hours in Tallinn. We did not miss stops in Poland or Germany.

 

As for the ship itself, having never sailed on one of the M- class ships (only Zenith and Horizon), we have no basis for comparison. We enjoyed our sail on the Century and have no complaints about food, service or the amenities offered on the ship (pools, clubs, bars, buffets, shops, etc.).

 

Hope this helps.

[STUR]

We have bean looking at the Cruise R/T Harwich For the year 2010

We hope it will be offered

We are interested in the pre cruise Fly to Paris two nights And the Train Eurostar to London two nights and then Board Celebarty Ship R/T

with stops in Copenhagen, Denmark / Warnenunde,(Berlin Germany Not interested in this stop hope they change it but can live with it) /Helsinki,Finland / St. Petersburg, Russia (2 Days) / Tallinn, Estonia / Stockholm, Sweden (2 Days) / Oslo, Norway (Sail Across Oslo Fjord)/ Return to Harwich to Fly Home

 

We have 2 Cruise's Booked December 2008 on the Mercury & March 2009 also on the Mercury Hope book the Cruise wile on the Ship to get Ship board Credit and early booking price plus pick out our suite

 

STUR DAYTON,OHIO

[TomTN]

I think I am going to book my 2009 cruise today.

 

After lots of debate , have narrowed it down to the Connie or the Century at the end of June. Family Suites (aft ) are available/ There is a difference of about $1300.

 

Century leaves from Amsterdam and the Connie leaves from Harwich.

 

I ahve only been an inside passenger til now. I am expecting a life changing experience now that I am going Aft....

 

Opinions on the 2 ships, please fellow cruisers.

 

Thanks, Kim

 

Don't book the ship. book the itinerary.:D

Is the $1300 difference primarily because the cruise is longer? No way one ship is that much better than the other. Late June is perfect Be prepared for quite a bit of daylight.

 

We sailed the Connie Jan 07, and the Century May, 08. The food was not as good on the Connie, but perhaps that has been rectified. We actually like the design and roominess of the Connie more although the Century is a more beautiful ship, and we did not feel cramped on it.

 

I don't know if that aft cabin will change your life, but sailing through the archipelago to Stockholm very well might.:)

 

All things being equal, Amsterdam is a can't miss city. One of the most beautiful in the world, and great for young people. I would try to stay there 2-4 days before the cruise.

[brazilgirl]

I think flying into Amsterdam is going to be less tiring for the kids...

 

Is the trip from Harwich to London complicated and expensive? If it is , maybe that will seal the deal!

 

I am always on the look out for life changing experiences , so will be prepared for Stockholm! And the aft cabin!

 

Kim

[Greensboro]

In case this helps you all, my wife and I spent two wonderful weeks on the Connie this past summer. We did the land/cruise option by flying into Paris for a couple of days, train to London for a couple of days, and then to Harwich where we boarded the Connie. Everything was coordinated by Celebrity and went very smoothly. Our two weeks ended in Copenhagen were we spent a few days and then flew home directly from Copenhagen to Atlanta. This seem much easier that selectiing a cruise that went back to Harwick followed by a long trip back to the London airport.

Any questions please let me know.

[brazilgirl]

After looking in to the land "cruisetour" , I became intrigued.

 

Are the cruisetours really crowded? I am a bit crowd shy , I usually book private tours just for my family. However the Celebrity option in this case sounds very nice!

 

Does anyone know if it is financially advantageous to do this kind of pre-tour , beacuse of hotels , transport etc? I don´t mind doing research and legwork , but I really think the package sounds lovely!

 

What was your (all of you ) favorite city on the Baltic cruise?

 

Kim

[TomTN]

After looking in to the land "cruisetour" , I became intrigued.

 

Are the cruisetours really crowded? I am a bit crowd shy , I usually book private tours just for my family. However the Celebrity option in this case sounds very nice!

 

Does anyone know if it is financially advantageous to do this kind of pre-tour , beacuse of hotels , transport etc? I don´t mind doing research and legwork , but I really think the package sounds lovely!

 

What was your (all of you ) favorite city on the Baltic cruise?

 

Kim

 

Do the pre cruise hotels/tours on your own. Search here in destinations and Tripadvisor.com

 

favorite Baltic cities: 1 Stockholm, 2 St Petersburg, 3 Copenhagen, 4 Helsinki, 5 Oslo. They are all very interesting places to visit. Berlin fits in there somewhere also. Honestly, after the Med this has been our favorite cruise. :)

[sealover155]

Family aft cabins on M class, (Connie), would be infinitely superior to aft on Century. Square footage in the cabin plus the giant aft balconies are unparalled, IMO. We've been on both ships twice - all in Europe and I've loved them all. We were on Connie in the Baltics in 2006 in a CC aft cabin and it was my favorite cruise of all. The cabin was perfect for my husband and me but if I had kids along, I'd definitely go for the FV.

 

As for London Harwich, there are many transfer companies. Everything in the UK is expensive these days with the weak dollar but the transfer in no problem. Celebrity has a bus transfer from Victoria Coach Station but for a family it would be easier and probably cheaper to hire one yourself. London is such a fun city for kids.

 

For shore excursions in St. Petersburg we used Alla Tours and our 2 days there couldn't have been better.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Onelung]

Just to say that getting from London to Harwich is very easy - there is a direct train from London Liverpool Street which takes you right into the dock. I would definitely recommend a pre-trip to London - there's loads to see and do. Enjoy

 

F

[brazilgirl]

I booked my family aft cabin officially today (corner aft-8181)....

 

So happy!The Connie , June 27th.....I will most certainly hang out in London pre or post cruise!

 

Let the planning begin!

Kim