Baltic on the Emerald Princess

[caribill]

I was on the first Emerald Princess sailing to the Baltic this May. The following is not a review, but covers some topics that those on this itinerary this summer might be interested in knowing.

Of course, all of the information here is accurate for the May 16 cruise. Some of it (staff, MUTS, trivia prizes, etc.) may change over the summer.

Port of Copenhagen

The ship departs and returns to Fryhavn (Freeport). This is not the area near the Little Mermaid. The closest train station is Nordhaven, about a 10 minute walk from the dock. The station does have an elevator if you have luggage.

If you take a train from/to the airport, you will need to change trains at central station.

Cost of a taxi from the airport is about $50. Credit cards and Danish kroner are all that are accepted.

On disembarkation day, Princess offers (in addition to an airport transfer) a transfer to the central train station for $20 at 8 AM and at 9:30 AM. This was not advertised. Buy tickets at the shore excursion desk.

On a Saturday, there were 30 cabs at the dock at about 8 AM. Sorry, I did not look on the Tuesday when the Baltic cruise ended.

Staff

Captain - Giorgio Pomata

Cruise Director - Neil Chandler

Executive Chef - Christian Carbillet

Neil did an excellent job in scheduling activities from lectures to games to entertainment. There was always something to do if you did not just want to relax.

All staff (including Purser’s desk) were always helpful.

Paseengers

There were 27 children in mid-May. This is, of course, before school is out for the summer.

650 of the passengers had been on the trans-Atlantic repositioning cruise for Fort Lauderdale.

There were 1873 Captain’s Circle members (those who have sailed Princess previously): 1086 gold, 591 Platinum, and 196 elite. That meant about a thousand sailing with Princess for the first time.

The most traveled passenger had 644 days (57 voyages) on Princess.

Most of the time the ship did not feel crowded. One big exception is at the atrium when the sale tables were out. It was often difficult at those times to make your way past that pinch point.

Red vs. Blue

As on the other Grand class ships, the rugs on the port side (even numbered cabins) have a red stripe while the rugs on the starboard side (odd numbered cabins) have a blue stripe. When you get off an elevator, just look for the red or blue stripe to know which side to go to.

Formal Nights

There are two formal nights, one on each of the two sea days.

The Champagne Waterfall was built at the same time as the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party on the first formal night.

Shore Excursions

There was almost always a long line at the shore excursion desk. Avoid this line and save time by booking your Princess shore excursions online before the cruise.

Internet

As far as I could tell, the Internet was available the entire cruise, at least any time I wanted to access it.

The signal in a cabin varied according to Cabin location. I was on the trans-Atlantic segment on the Riviera deck just aft of the center elevators and had a strong, usable signal at all times. For the Baltic segment, my cabin was just forward of the center elevators on the Caribe deck and the signal was too weak to be used in the cabin.

The allowance for platinum and elite status was $100. This bought you 250 minutes + 30 bonus minutes if you signed up for the $100 package on embarkation day. Package minutes could be used both in the ship’s Internet café and on your personal laptop.

Money conversion

An ATM (US $) is located in the casino.

There were several foreign exchange ATMs near the atrium on decks 5 and 6, but not all were working. The exchange rate is poor compared to what you can get at an on shore ATM. For example, on the days that I used a shore ATM to get Euros, I was buying Euros for $1.33 each. The ship’s ATMs Euros were costing $1.41 each plus a $3.50 service charge.

Food

The Da Vinci dining room (6th floor, atrium) was open from noon to 1:30 PM on embarkation day, a good alternative to the buffet that day. This is the same dining room that is open for breakfast and lunch. On some days, the dining room was at capacity for lunch and there was a wait to get in.

Dinner hours:

Anytime dining (Da Vinci and Michelangelo (5th floor, atrium) 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

Traditional dining (Botticelli, 6th floor aft) at 6:15 PM and 8:15 PM. (OK first timers - the only way to get to the Botticelli dining room if you are on deck 5 or 6 at the atrium or forward of the atrium is to go up to deck 7, walk all the way aft, and then go down to deck 6. )

I had traditional seating, so I do not know if there were any lines at the anytime dining rooms. However, I never heard anyone complaining about having to wait there.

Sorry, I do not know what the dinner theme was each evening.

Entertainment

There were four production shows: "What a Swell Party", "Motor City", "I Got The Music", and "Boogie Shoes." All but the "Boogie Shoes" had three performances. 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM (or 7:15 PM and 9:15 PM) the first night and 9:15PM the second night. "Boogie Shoes" only had the two first night times.

Bands: Princess Showband, Bruce Gordan Quartet, Emerald Quartet, Temperature

Also the classical Astoria Strings.

Comedians, physical comedians, ventriloquist, body balancing.

Crooners bar piano player/singer was Manda Vincent. At various times also had piano players in the Piazza and in the Adagio Lounge.

Main Piazza performer was Rob Alton, a BMX bike acrobat on at least three days.

MUTS movies included "Mamma Mia", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Confessions of a Shopaholic", "He’s Just Not That Unto You", "Bride Wars", "Marley & Me", "Nights In Rodanthe", and "Yes Man." No doubt some of these will change over the summer. In mid-May, at least, it was very cool on deck in the evening, and MUTS was not well attended. Most of the MUTS movies were shown the next day on the in-Cabin TV,

Activitiies

The usual Princess activities which include games (Taboo, Trivia, Pictionary, etc.) demonstrations (fruit and vegetable carving, towel folding, ice carving, Martini making), sports (Ping Pong tournament, golf chipping, basketball shootout, etc.).

There were no (none, zero, zip) luggage tags as prizes at trivia. Prizes included Princess pens, luggage straps, magnets, tote bags, and small inflatable ships. However, there is always the chance that a new supply of luggage tags will make its way on board.

Of course there was Bingo and wooden horse racing, And the art auctions.

And "elevator roulette." The players gather by the aft elevators on deck 7 and using (free) chips bet on which of the four elevators will be the next one to stop at that floor.

Lectures

Not to be missed are the Port lectures by John Lawrence. These are informative lectures, not sales pitches, and the Princess Theater is often overflowing for them. If you are on a tour, the lectures help you understand what you are going to see. If you are doing a port on your own, the information is essential. A DVD of his port lectures is available in a Princess shop for $20.

Unfortunately, a couple of the lectures are scheduled while many people are still on shore, but they are usually broadcast later on the in-cabin TV.

John also gives a couple of lectures on historical topics. He also gives some commentary from the Bridge during scenic sailings into/from a port.

Our voyage also had a lecturer who spoke about international trade. I assume there will be different lecturers over the course of the summer.

 

Ports

Weather was good in most ports. Temperatures in mid-May were generally in the 50s and 60s. There was a light rain in Copenhagen most of embarkation day. Mostly sun and some clouds in all the other ports although some had some short periods of rain.

Only going to comment on a couple of the ports:

St. Petersburg

People who booked Princess or independent excursions (DenRus, Alla, Red October) were all happy with their tours.

You are no doubt aware that you cannot tour on your own unless you have obtained in advance a Russian visa. Further discouraging individual touring if you do have a visa is that the port is located away from the city and there is no public transportation available.

If you book a Princess tour or a tour with one of the recognized tour operators, then you do not have to obtain a visa as the tour operator will take care of this. Do not worry if you have an independent tour (DenRus, etc.) when you read Princess notices that seem to say you must have obtained a visa if you are not on a Princess tour.

This year, Russia has a form to fill out to give to the immigration officer. Princess will supply the form which has identical information to be entered in two places. Read carefully how to fill it out.

Naturally, everyone on an independent tour wants to disembark as soon as possible the first morning in St. Petersburg. Of course, the Princess tours also need to start. Princess suggests that those not on Princess tours go to a designated dining room, obtain a number, and then wait for your number to be called to disembark. This is not necessary. Once the ship has been cleared, you can disembark by going to one of the gangways being used.

This year the ship docks in a new port where there are more immigration booths than in the past, at least six, maybe eight. Thus, the lines are not as long for clearing immigration as they have been in past years.

The booths are labeled by Princess as for Princess tours or independent tours. You can ignore those signs. The immigration people do not care what type of tour you are on. You will need to present your passport, the filled in immigration form, and your tour ticket (which acts as your visa).

We, as in the past, also presented a Xerox copy of the picture page of the passport. I do not know if this is still a requirement as this sheet was immediately returned by the immigration officer. It is possible that the new immigration form replaces the need for the Xerox copy. However, if the Patter says you need the copy, then have one available. Although the Purser’s desk will make a copy for you, I suggest bringing one from home as the line at the Purser’s desk is very long for the several days before St. Petersburg as people line up for making copies.

The immigration officer will return one half of the immigration form and a plastic card that serves as your visa for the day. Both of these items are turned in when you return to the ship that day. (The line to go through the emigration booth can be long, depending how many booths are open.)

The second morning does not have much of a problem leaving the ship for independent tours. Just allow 10 minutes or so for the immigration line. For the second time, you only need to present your passport and the tour ticket. You will again be given the plastic card that serves as your visa for the day and which again will be collected when you return to the ship.

By the way, do not lose your passport while on tour. You will not be allowed to reboard the ship without it, but must remain in Russia until a replacement is obtained.

Traffic in Saint Petersburg was horrendous. In the first day, our tour bus was due back at 5:30 PM but did not make it back until 7 PM. On the second day, when the ship was supposed to depart at 6 PM, Princess tour busses were still returning at 7:40 PM.

If you have booked an evening excursion the first day, either Princess or independent, bring your evening tour ticket with you on your day tour. You may find it necessary to go directly to your evening tour bus upon returning from the daytime tour. You may not have the time to wait on lines to emigrate, return to the cabin, and then go through immigration again.

Princess does have a Russian folkloric group in the Princess Theater the first night in St. Petersburg (8:30 PM and 10:30 PM). It is also shown live on MUTS and on the in-cabin TV the following day. A very good show. Those who went on Princess or independent tours to an evening folkloric show also enjoyed their experience.

Be very careful about pickpockets in St. Petersburg. Many tours stop at an outdoor souvenir market where you must be extra vigilant. Also be careful in the museums.

Oslo

One of the best tourist deals for those who are 67 years or older is the Oslo Pass at the senior rate of 76 NKr (less than $12 at the May exchange rate) which includes any Oslo transportation you would need as well as admission to just about any museum or attraction you would want to see. You can get the pass (credit cards accepted) at the tourist information counter in the terminal building. The counter (on the right when you enter the building) did not open until 7:30 when we were there, but may open earlier now that the season has started.

For visiting the Viking Ship Museum, I recommend using Bus #30 over using the ferry as the bus drops you off right in front of the museum. I also recommend using Bus #30 to go from the Viking Ship Museum to the Kon Tiki and Fram museums. Using the ferry to return to downtown Oslo from the latter museums is a good option.

As an alternative to the excellent walking tour John Lawrence suggests, I suggest the following activities which can be accomplished during the limited time the ship is in port:

a) Tram #12 to Frogner Park and see the Vigeland sculptures.

b) Tram back downtown and then bus #30 to visit the Viking Ship Musuem

c) Bus #30 from the Viking Ship Musuem to visit the Kon Tiki and Fram musuems

d) Ferry to downtown to visit City Hall

e) Visit the Akershus fort which is next to where the ship is docked

On days when there is a City Hall tour at Noon, the tour can be substituted for the visit to the Akershus fort.

 

Miscellaneous

All four of the aft elevators go down to deck 6 (Botticelli dining room) and up to deck 18 (Skywalkers). Only the aft starboard elevator goes all the way to deck 19 where the jogging track and miniature golf are located.

The "Ultimate Ship Tour" is offered on the Emerald Princess for $150/person. Sign up at the Purser’s desk ASAP if you wish to do this.

"Chef’s Table" is offered for $75/person. Call the dining hotline (Ext. 6219) ASAP if you wish to do this.

Cabin TVs are flat screen. It is easy to access the extra electrical outlet (US style) that is behind the TV.

Access to the viewing point on deck 15 forward on top of the bridge is open while in port. Just go to deck 15 and walk all the way forward.

 

The Future Cruise office was busy with a waiting line almost all the hours it was open.

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.

Edited June 5, 2009 by caribill

[Grannycb]

Great information! Thanks for posting. Do you have information on other ports?

[love2bonboard]

I was on that sailing and had a nice time, too. One note...while most people do not need to get a visa for Russia, please take note for any of you who are active duty military...YOU NEED A VISA. Trust me on this. My husband found out 2 weeks before the cruise that the "blanket" visa which covers cruise passengers does not include DOD employees and has a set of regulations regardless of Princess or Russian rules. My husband was denied clearance (he was not even allowed to stay on the ship as the ship was in Russian waters). We had to disembark in Helsinki and re-embark in Tallinn. Every customer service representative from Princess will tell you that you don't need one, but the DOD has there own regulations. So, you active military cruisers...get your visa! Just a side note...we had room R745 and it was horrible...squeak, squeak, squeak from the chairs above at 1:00am (when the crew stacked them) and then again at 5:30am when they put them out again. So, that is the other tip...don't sleep under the deck w/ the chairs. Otherwise, a great cruise. Just a note...the staff and crew were all just amazing. It was the best group of personnel we have ever had on a cruise ship.

Edited June 5, 2009 by love2bonboard

[tequilatamm]

Caribill!

 

Thanks SO much for that very very informative post.

 

We're on the Emerald 13-Sep sailing, the last of the season before the TA, so the weather and dynamic will be about the same as your cruise.

 

I've been waiting for someone to post such detailed information, and even my very pedantic husband loved the conciseness and packed-with-info state of your post, so thank you again!

 

I'm trying to think of other questions I might have for you, but you covered a whole lot!

 

I notice that there is Wifi on the ship, I though only Ruby had that, so we're happy to know it. My husband will need to do some work over the web, and judging from last year's reports, we were figuring we'd probably need to sacrifice some port time to this, given the ship's seeming internet limitations.

 

But it sounds like there's some reception in public areas anyway for our own laptops, and even in some cabins. We're in D332, Port Side, midships, so I expect we won't get reception in our room, but definitely somewhere on the ship, which will be nice, not having to sacrifice precious port time to this!

 

It sounds like the TVs pack a lot more info and programming on them than they did when we went on the Star Princess back in 2002 or 2003! I think we only got 1 or 2 princess channels then, and now they have actual channels, show MUTS, etc. etc. Yay!

 

Someone had posted a photo of the new flat-screen TVs on The Emerald too, and even one of the input jacks on it, which is handy, since I carry an iPod with MP4 video on it, that can be hooked to the TV for additional mindless sitcoms and things while falling asleep at night!

 

Just curious about a couple things, if you happened to experience them. My husband is a foodie, and we thought it would be great to do the Chef's Table, but most of the menus we had seen are decidedly French. My husband ate a stick of butter when he was about 2 years old and it made him sick... so for the rest of his life he hates butter, cream sauces, etc.... things they usually use in French food. (He's OK with hard cheeses and ice cream though ;)). I notice the head chef is French, so I'm thinking we won't be lucky on this one and get a mediterranean sort of menu.

 

So we're thinking of doing the ultimate ship tour instead.

 

If you have any more info on either, please comment!

 

I'm also curious about the wines on-board. The prices on previous Princess wine lists that I've seen weren't too bad.

 

We're travelling from Australia, and I think it's a bit much to try to bring any bottles with us, so if it is purchasing a couple in Copenhagen vs on the ship, I'm thinking the cost on the ship will be the same or less than in Copenhagen.

 

Do you have any information or advice on wines on the Emerald? People have said in the past they sell some 3-bottle sets of wine for good prices after the wine tastings, although no sampler packages like other cruise lines.

 

I tend to like rather sweet white wines these days, such as Lexia or Pinot Grigio.

 

Husband is a big coffee drinker (the espresso type, not the filtered type), and I know there's a coffee card.

 

Can you use the coffee card in the Traditional dining room to get coffee with your breakfast? Do you even need it there, or do they have free espresso there?

 

Do you know what the price of the current coffee card is?

 

Did you happen to notice the cost of a single espresso in the International Cafe?

 

Also, what soft drinks or iced teas are available in the buffet and at traditional dining? My husband goes through a lot of that too, and we might get some in ports and bring it back on ship, depending.

 

Excuse all the beverage questions above. Most of them have been answered several times over on these boards, but things are always changing, so it always pays to ask for the latest info!

 

Speaking of changing, what was the ice cream situation on-board? Rumour has it that soft serve is now going to be free for the duration, not just for one hour/day. Was it that way when you were on-board?

 

I'm assuming the free ice cream choices are only the soft-serve, and not the scoop ice creams?

 

Speaking of scoops, how was the gelato (if there was some on-board) and what were the prices like?

 

Anything not to be missed in the International Cafe?

 

Formal Nights: We will definitely go to the formal nights, and while I want to dress nicely, I really don't want to wear dresses, so I'm planning on black pants and a nice, dressy shirt. How were people dressed for the formal nights? Would this be appropriate? I know on lots of the Princess Cruises people don't dress up THAT MUCH, but I'm aware this might be different on a Baltic Cruise than it is in the Caribbean and Mexico!

 

I had heard about a year ago, that they close down the self-serve laundry rooms from the evening leaving Helsinki until you arrive in Tallinn. Something about not wanting to pick up water in St Petersburg, so conserving it for two days. Do you know if that was the case?

 

How about the pay-per-use pool/spa area? Did you use it? I keep hearing good things about it, although it's probably a bit cold in the Baltic when you were /we will be there, and it's so port-intensive there may not be time!

 

As for ports, thanks for the reassuring words on St Petersburg. I can see it works like most places in Asia do. Don't wait around to follow instructions given by Princess, just line up and get off the ship. It's what we plan to do.

 

We're doing a private, 6-person tour with DenRus. Who was your tour with?

 

I'm curious, in Gdansk, how did you get from the port to the middle of town? I hear that the traffic is very thick there, and the buses and taxis take awhile to get there. I also heard they were doing work on the trains, and they might have some delays.

 

I'm curious to know your thoughts on the best way to get from point a to point b there. There are 6 of us going together, so we could also split a taxi.

 

Also, did you stop in Sopot? I have heard you should see it if you have time, as it's quite quaint.

 

Were the HoHo buses/ferries running in Stockholm when you were there? I notice they seem to stop running a week or two before our cruise, except on weekends, and we're in Stockholm on a Tuesday, which is unfortunate.

 

I keep hearing about how the Vasa Museum is an absolute must, but it really doesn't look like anything that special to me. Did you go, and was it? It seems far from the centre of things. Any tips on getting there or getting around?

 

I suppose that's it for now, until I think of something else!

 

Thanks again for all the great information!

[justfoxie]

What a fantastic post! Thank you very much!!

 

One very small question for you (we're sailing on 15 June), you mention that Emerald is in a new port this year compared to years past, which seems to indicate that she will NOT be in the cargo port. Is this right? Is she docking instead on the far side of Vasilistrovsky Island? *fingers crossed*

[sand74]

My husband and I are going on the Baltic cruise at the end of June...

Thank you so much for the info. you provided....How nice of you to share!

Sincerely,

Susan

[jagsfan]

Thank you so much for all the great info! The stuff on Oslo will really come in handy,

as no matter how much I read, I don't seem to be able to set up an itinerary. Your

suggestions sound perfect.

I'm wondering if Euros can be used in place of specific countries currency, or if we have

to buy currency separately for each one. If taxis take US credit cards, is the exchange

reasonable, or should we have currency for that, too. We just blew our budget on a

4 week road trip, so don't want to spend more on the cruise than we have to, but still

have a great time. Thanks for your time and brain power......Mimi

[PrincessNancy]

Wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your review was just what I needed; especially the info about St Petersburg. Glad to hear you had a fabulous time.

 

Question: (after you get done answering all of Tequilatamms questions!;))

 

What was your experience in Gdansk? Is the traffic really that bad?

[treesah]

Thanks so much for posting. Could we have your impressions on the other ports?

[caribill]

 

It sounds like there's some Wifi reception in public areas anyway for our own laptops, and even in some cabins. We're in D332, Port Side, midships, so I expect we won't get reception in our room, but definitely somewhere on the ship, which will be nice, not having to sacrifice precious port time to this!

 

Wifi is available in most public areas such as the atrium, Princess theater, etc.

 

It sounds like the TVs pack a lot more info and programming on them than they did when we went on the Star Princess back in 2002 or 2003! I think we only got 1 or 2 princess channels then, and now they have actual channels, show MUTS, etc. etc. Yay! No real actual channels other than international CNN and BBC news and some sports. However, there was no satellite reception for these channels for most of the cruise. MUTS is not "live" on the TV. Just some of the shows on MUTS are on the TV the next day.

!

 

Just curious about a couple things, if you happened to experience them. My husband is a foodie, and we thought it would be great to do the Chef's Table. If you have any more info on either, please comment! Did not do either the Chef's table or the Ultimate Ship tour this time. Have done the Chef's Table on the Crown. Even though I am a picky eater and skipped much of the food, the experience was worth it.

 

I'm also curious about the wines on-board. The prices on previous Princess wine lists that I've seen weren't too bad. Do you have any information or advice on wines on the Emerald? People have said in the past they sell some 3-bottle sets of wine for good prices after the wine tastings, although no sampler packages like other cruise lines. Do not drink wine, so I cannot comment on this.

 

Can you use the coffee card in the Traditional dining room to get coffee with your breakfast? Do you even need it there, or do they have free espresso there? No free expresso in the dining rooms. Breakfast is in one of the anytime dining rooms. I do not know if you can use it there for brewed coffee, but the International Café is not far away.

 

Do you know what the price of the current coffee card is? Still about $24 + 15% automatic tip.

 

Did you happen to notice the cost of a single espresso in the International Cafe? No

 

Also, what soft drinks or iced teas are available in the buffet and at traditional dining? You can purchase soft drinks in the dining rooms. Princess uses Coke products. Standard are Coke, Coke Light (diet coke), sprite. Not sure if you can purchase them in the buffet, but you probably can have a server get them for you. There is iced tea, but I do not klnow what kind.

 

Speaking of changing, what was the ice cream situation on-board? Rumour has it that soft serve is now going to be free for the duration, not just for one hour/day. Was it that way when you were on-board? Soft serve is only available for a price at the ice cream bar on deck 15.

 

I'm assuming the free ice cream choices are only the soft-serve, and not the scoop ice creams? "No cost" regular, ship made ice cream is available at lunch and dinner in the dining rooms and from 3:30 PM-4:30 PM in the buffet area. The buffet ice cream also has toppings if you wish to make a sunday. Also has mini-waffles.

 

Speaking of scoops, how was the gelato (if there was some on-board) and what were the prices like? Did not try the gelato at the International Café. Cost is $1.50 for three scoops and 50 cents for each additional scoop.

 

Anything not to be missed in the International Cafe? Sandwiches and salads at lunch time. Sweet pastries in the morning.

 

Formal Nights: We will definitely go to the formal nights, and while I want to dress nicely, I really don't want to wear dresses, so I'm planning on black pants and a nice, dressy shirt. How were people dressed for the formal nights? Would this be appropriate? What you want to wear would be very appropriate. People were dressed up from very formal to casual upgraded to have a tie and jacket for men.

 

I had heard about a year ago, that they close down the self-serve laundry rooms from the evening leaving Helsinki until you arrive in Tallinn. Something about not wanting to pick up water in St Petersburg, so conserving it for two days. Do you know if that was the case? Yes, the laundry rooms are locked up those times. Since that is where the irons and ironing boards are, be sure to do any ironing you may need to do before they get locked up for 2.5 days.

 

How about the pay-per-use pool/spa area? Did you use it? I keep hearing good things about it, although it's probably a bit cold in the Baltic when you were /we will be there, and it's so port-intensive there may not be time! Did not use the Sanctuary although it was available at $10 per half day.I suspect due to a combination of cool days and many ports that it was not used that much.

 

We're doing a private, 6-person tour with DenRus. Who was your tour with? We had the standard 2-day DenRus tour. There were 26 of us on our bus. Great tour.

 

I'm curious, in Gdansk, how did you get from the port to the middle of town? I hear that the traffic is very thick there, and the buses and taxis take awhile to get there. I also heard they were doing work on the trains, and they might have some delays. There was no shuttle bus when we were there. The Patter said that taxis should be available. Do not know if they were.

 

Also, did you stop in Sopot? I have heard you should see it if you have time, as it's quite quaint. We were on a private tour that did stop in Sopot for about 30 minutes on the way back from Gdansk.

 

Were the HoHo buses/ferries running in Stockholm when you were there?

Yes

 

I keep hearing about how the Vasa Museum is an absolute must, but it really doesn't look like anything that special to me. Did you go, and was it? It seems far from the centre of things. Any tips on getting there or getting around? Did not go to the Vasa museum, but would have if we had more time in Stockholm. To get there we would have used a public bus or tram. People that did go enjoyed the experience. Before our cruise, we ordered the "Stockholm Card" over the internet at http://www.stockholmpass.com Was 375 SKr per adult + shipping which was approximately $50 a person. It includes all busses, trams and admission to what you most likely want to visit. If you order it, be sure to also order the no cost guie to attractions included. Bus stop is about 10 minute walk from the ship. At the first major intersection, go to the next street to catch it. Bus number 53 will take you to old Stockholm and to downtown.

 

See pesponses in red above.

Edited June 5, 2009 by caribill

[caribill]

What a fantastic post! Thank you very much!!

 

One very small question for you (we're sailing on 15 June), you mention that Emerald is in a new port this year compared to years past, which seems to indicate that she will NOT be in the cargo port. Is this right? Is she docking instead on the far side of Vasilistrovsky Island? *fingers crossed*

 

Not the cargo port. I do not know which island it is on.

[caribill]

Thanks so much for posting. Could we have your impressions on the other ports?

 

Stockholm

As indicated in post #10, we had purchased the "Stockholm Card: prior to the cruise. This covered local transportation and admission to many venues. What we did:

 

1. Took bus to City Hall (#53 to Gamla Stan (Old Town), then #3 to City Hall). Took the City Hall tour in English at 12 noon.

 

2. Took bus #3 back to Gamla Stan and visited the Royal Palace, the

Stortorget (scene of the Stockholm Bloodbath), the Storkyran (Stockholm Cathedral), and the Nobelmuseet (Nobel Museum).

 

3. Then took Bus #53 back to near the ship. If we had more time, would have visited the Vasa Museum.

 

Helsinki

We took the Princess 7 hour tour Helsinki & Porvoo ( HEL-A1). Enjoyed it.

 

Tallinn

We were on an all day private tour by Ahti Arak (ahti@tours.ee). There were 10 or 12 of us. Had a comprehensive tour of Tallinn for 30 euros each plus tip. I do recommend Ahti and his tour.

 

Gdansk

We were on an all day private tour arranged by another couple. Main focus was a visit to the Stutthof concentration camp, followed by a tour of Gadansk and a stop at Sopot on the way back to the ship.

http://www.toursinpoland.com/gdansk_tour_stutthof.html Total cost for the four of us was 350 euros plus tip, or 87.5 euros per person + tip. Also recommend this tour.

 

Enjoyed our time in every port!

[caribill]

What was your experience in Gdansk? Is the traffic really that bad?

 

 

See post #12 for what we did in Gdansk.

 

We were there on a Saturday and traffic was light. Do not know how it might be on a regular work day.

[caribill]

I'm wondering if Euros can be used in place of specific countries currency, or if we have to buy currency separately for each one. If taxis take US credit cards, is the exchange reasonable, or should we have currency for that, too.

 

Only taxi we took was in Copenhagen where they do take credit cards.

 

Euros were accepted for our tours in Tallinn and Gdansk. Charged any purchases in St. Petersburg and the other ports or paid in Euros. Street souvenir shops in St. Petersburg accepted Euros. US $ was accepted by the rest room person in St. Petersburg.

 

However, if you use public transportation (bus, tram, subway) in any port, you will need to have local currency/coins unless you have a card that includes such transportation. Some ports have transportation ticket machines which will accept credit cards, but don't always count on that being true.

 

If you have a CapitalOne credit card, there are no currency conversion fees and you get a good rate of exchange. We used a credit union debit card to obtain Euros at ATMs and had no fees added.

[tully07]

Thanks so much for your post about your Baltic cruise - I read it with great interest (and will probably read it many times over the next few months ;)). We don't sail until June 1, 2010 and I am already excited!:D

[West Coast Cruizers]

Hi, Thank you for the very detailed feedback about your recent Baltic cruise with princess. We are on the July cruise,a family of four with 4 and 6 years old kids and we had cruised only Disney in the past.

 

I have booked every single tour with Princess and it will cost a lot if we bring the children in every port. Is it advisable to do it on your own for some/most of the ports? Would you advise to take the children to the port?

Do we need local currency for every port? Not sure if you have kids, how are the kid's program?

 

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

Grace

 

I was on the first Emerald Princess sailing to the Baltic this May. The following is not a review, but covers some topics that those on this itinerary this summer might be interested in knowing.

Of course, all of the information here is accurate for the May 16 cruise. Some of it (staff, MUTS, trivia prizes, etc.) may change over the summer.

Port of Copenhagen

The ship departs and returns to Fryhavn (Freeport). This is not the area near the Little Mermaid. The closest train station is Nordhaven, about a 10 minute walk from the dock. The station does have an elevator if you have luggage.

If you take a train from/to the airport, you will need to change trains at central station.

Cost of a taxi from the airport is about $50. Credit cards and Danish kroner are all that are accepted.

On disembarkation day, Princess offers (in addition to an airport transfer) a transfer to the central train station for $20 at 8 AM and at 9:30 AM. This was not advertised. Buy tickets at the shore excursion desk.

On a Saturday, there were 30 cabs at the dock at about 8 AM. Sorry, I did not look on the Tuesday when the Baltic cruise ended.

Staff

Captain - Giorgio Pomata

Cruise Director - Neil Chandler

Executive Chef - Christian Carbillet

Neil did an excellent job in scheduling activities from lectures to games to entertainment. There was always something to do if you did not just want to relax.

All staff (including Purser’s desk) were always helpful.

Paseengers

There were 27 children in mid-May. This is, of course, before school is out for the summer.

650 of the passengers had been on the trans-Atlantic repositioning cruise for Fort Lauderdale.

There were 1873 Captain’s Circle members (those who have sailed Princess previously): 1086 gold, 591 Platinum, and 196 elite. That meant about a thousand sailing with Princess for the first time.

The most traveled passenger had 644 days (57 voyages) on Princess.

Most of the time the ship did not feel crowded. One big exception is at the atrium when the sale tables were out. It was often difficult at those times to make your way past that pinch point.

Red vs. Blue

As on the other Grand class ships, the rugs on the port side (even numbered cabins) have a red stripe while the rugs on the starboard side (odd numbered cabins) have a blue stripe. When you get off an elevator, just look for the red or blue stripe to know which side to go to.

Formal Nights

There are two formal nights, one on each of the two sea days.

The Champagne Waterfall was built at the same time as the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party on the first formal night.

Shore Excursions

There was almost always a long line at the shore excursion desk. Avoid this line and save time by booking your Princess shore excursions online before the cruise.

Internet

As far as I could tell, the Internet was available the entire cruise, at least any time I wanted to access it.

The signal in a cabin varied according to Cabin location. I was on the trans-Atlantic segment on the Riviera deck just aft of the center elevators and had a strong, usable signal at all times. For the Baltic segment, my cabin was just forward of the center elevators on the Caribe deck and the signal was too weak to be used in the cabin.

The allowance for platinum and elite status was $100. This bought you 250 minutes + 30 bonus minutes if you signed up for the $100 package on embarkation day. Package minutes could be used both in the ship’s Internet café and on your personal laptop.

Money conversion

An ATM (US $) is located in the casino.

There were several foreign exchange ATMs near the atrium on decks 5 and 6, but not all were working. The exchange rate is poor compared to what you can get at an on shore ATM. For example, on the days that I used a shore ATM to get Euros, I was buying Euros for $1.33 each. The ship’s ATMs Euros were costing $1.41 each plus a $3.50 service charge.

Food

The Da Vinci dining room (6th floor, atrium) was open from noon to 1:30 PM on embarkation day, a good alternative to the buffet that day. This is the same dining room that is open for breakfast and lunch. On some days, the dining room was at capacity for lunch and there was a wait to get in.

Dinner hours:

Anytime dining (Da Vinci and Michelangelo (5th floor, atrium) 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

Traditional dining (Botticelli, 6th floor aft) at 6:15 PM and 8:15 PM. (OK first timers - the only way to get to the Botticelli dining room if you are on deck 5 or 6 at the atrium or forward of the atrium is to go up to deck 7, walk all the way aft, and then go down to deck 6. )

I had traditional seating, so I do not know if there were any lines at the anytime dining rooms. However, I never heard anyone complaining about having to wait there.

Sorry, I do not know what the dinner theme was each evening.

Entertainment

There were four production shows: "What a Swell Party", "Motor City", "I Got The Music", and "Boogie Shoes." All but the "Boogie Shoes" had three performances. 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM (or 7:15 PM and 9:15 PM) the first night and 9:15PM the second night. "Boogie Shoes" only had the two first night times.

Bands: Princess Showband, Bruce Gordan Quartet, Emerald Quartet, Temperature

Also the classical Astoria Strings.

Comedians, physical comedians, ventriloquist, body balancing.

Crooners bar piano player/singer was Manda Vincent. At various times also had piano players in the Piazza and in the Adagio Lounge.

Main Piazza performer was Rob Alton, a BMX bike acrobat on at least three days.

MUTS movies included "Mamma Mia", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Confessions of a Shopaholic", "He’s Just Not That Unto You", "Bride Wars", "Marley & Me", "Nights In Rodanthe", and "Yes Man." No doubt some of these will change over the summer. In mid-May, at least, it was very cool on deck in the evening, and MUTS was not well attended. Most of the MUTS movies were shown the next day on the in-Cabin TV,

Activitiies

The usual Princess activities which include games (Taboo, Trivia, Pictionary, etc.) demonstrations (fruit and vegetable carving, towel folding, ice carving, Martini making), sports (Ping Pong tournament, golf chipping, basketball shootout, etc.).

There were no (none, zero, zip) luggage tags as prizes at trivia. Prizes included Princess pens, luggage straps, magnets, tote bags, and small inflatable ships. However, there is always the chance that a new supply of luggage tags will make its way on board.

Of course there was Bingo and wooden horse racing, And the art auctions.

And "elevator roulette." The players gather by the aft elevators on deck 7 and using (free) chips bet on which of the four elevators will be the next one to stop at that floor.

Lectures

Not to be missed are the Port lectures by John Lawrence. These are informative lectures, not sales pitches, and the Princess Theater is often overflowing for them. If you are on a tour, the lectures help you understand what you are going to see. If you are doing a port on your own, the information is essential. A DVD of his port lectures is available in a Princess shop for $20.

Unfortunately, a couple of the lectures are scheduled while many people are still on shore, but they are usually broadcast later on the in-cabin TV.

John also gives a couple of lectures on historical topics. He also gives some commentary from the Bridge during scenic sailings into/from a port.

Our voyage also had a lecturer who spoke about international trade. I assume there will be different lecturers over the course of the summer.

 

Ports

Weather was good in most ports. Temperatures in mid-May were generally in the 50s and 60s. There was a light rain in Copenhagen most of embarkation day. Mostly sun and some clouds in all the other ports although some had some short periods of rain.

Only going to comment on a couple of the ports:

St. Petersburg

People who booked Princess or independent excursions (DenRus, Alla, Red October) were all happy with their tours.

You are no doubt aware that you cannot tour on your own unless you have obtained in advance a Russian visa. Further discouraging individual touring if you do have a visa is that the port is located away from the city and there is no public transportation available.

If you book a Princess tour or a tour with one of the recognized tour operators, then you do not have to obtain a visa as the tour operator will take care of this. Do not worry if you have an independent tour (DenRus, etc.) when you read Princess notices that seem to say you must have obtained a visa if you are not on a Princess tour.

This year, Russia has a form to fill out to give to the immigration officer. Princess will supply the form which has identical information to be entered in two places. Read carefully how to fill it out.

Naturally, everyone on an independent tour wants to disembark as soon as possible the first morning in St. Petersburg. Of course, the Princess tours also need to start. Princess suggests that those not on Princess tours go to a designated dining room, obtain a number, and then wait for your number to be called to disembark. This is not necessary. Once the ship has been cleared, you can disembark by going to one of the gangways being used.

This year the ship docks in a new port where there are more immigration booths than in the past, at least six, maybe eight. Thus, the lines are not as long for clearing immigration as they have been in past years.

The booths are labeled by Princess as for Princess tours or independent tours. You can ignore those signs. The immigration people do not care what type of tour you are on. You will need to present your passport, the filled in immigration form, and your tour ticket (which acts as your visa).

We, as in the past, also presented a Xerox copy of the picture page of the passport. I do not know if this is still a requirement as this sheet was immediately returned by the immigration officer. It is possible that the new immigration form replaces the need for the Xerox copy. However, if the Patter says you need the copy, then have one available. Although the Purser’s desk will make a copy for you, I suggest bringing one from home as the line at the Purser’s desk is very long for the several days before St. Petersburg as people line up for making copies.

The immigration officer will return one half of the immigration form and a plastic card that serves as your visa for the day. Both of these items are turned in when you return to the ship that day. (The line to go through the emigration booth can be long, depending how many booths are open.)

The second morning does not have much of a problem leaving the ship for independent tours. Just allow 10 minutes or so for the immigration line. For the second time, you only need to present your passport and the tour ticket. You will again be given the plastic card that serves as your visa for the day and which again will be collected when you return to the ship.

By the way, do not lose your passport while on tour. You will not be allowed to reboard the ship without it, but must remain in Russia until a replacement is obtained.

Traffic in Saint Petersburg was horrendous. In the first day, our tour bus was due back at 5:30 PM but did not make it back until 7 PM. On the second day, when the ship was supposed to depart at 6 PM, Princess tour busses were still returning at 7:40 PM.

If you have booked an evening excursion the first day, either Princess or independent, bring your evening tour ticket with you on your day tour. You may find it necessary to go directly to your evening tour bus upon returning from the daytime tour. You may not have the time to wait on lines to emigrate, return to the cabin, and then go through immigration again.

Princess does have a Russian folkloric group in the Princess Theater the first night in St. Petersburg (8:30 PM and 10:30 PM). It is also shown live on MUTS and on the in-cabin TV the following day. A very good show. Those who went on Princess or independent tours to an evening folkloric show also enjoyed their experience.

Be very careful about pickpockets in St. Petersburg. Many tours stop at an outdoor souvenir market where you must be extra vigilant. Also be careful in the museums.

Oslo

One of the best tourist deals for those who are 67 years or older is the Oslo Pass at the senior rate of 76 NKr (less than $12 at the May exchange rate) which includes any Oslo transportation you would need as well as admission to just about any museum or attraction you would want to see. You can get the pass (credit cards accepted) at the tourist information counter in the terminal building. The counter (on the right when you enter the building) did not open until 7:30 when we were there, but may open earlier now that the season has started.

For visiting the Viking Ship Museum, I recommend using Bus #30 over using the ferry as the bus drops you off right in front of the museum. I also recommend using Bus #30 to go from the Viking Ship Museum to the Kon Tiki and Fram museums. Using the ferry to return to downtown Oslo from the latter museums is a good option.

As an alternative to the excellent walking tour John Lawrence suggests, I suggest the following activities which can be accomplished during the limited time the ship is in port:

a) Tram #12 to Frogner Park and see the Vigeland sculptures.

b) Tram back downtown and then bus #30 to visit the Viking Ship Musuem

c) Bus #30 from the Viking Ship Musuem to visit the Kon Tiki and Fram musuems

d) Ferry to downtown to visit City Hall

e) Visit the Akershus fort which is next to where the ship is docked

On days when there is a City Hall tour at Noon, the tour can be substituted for the visit to the Akershus fort.

 

Miscellaneous

All four of the aft elevators go down to deck 6 (Botticelli dining room) and up to deck 18 (Skywalkers). Only the aft starboard elevator goes all the way to deck 19 where the jogging track and miniature golf are located.

The "Ultimate Ship Tour" is offered on the Emerald Princess for $150/person. Sign up at the Purser’s desk ASAP if you wish to do this.

"Chef’s Table" is offered for $75/person. Call the dining hotline (Ext. 6219) ASAP if you wish to do this.

Cabin TVs are flat screen. It is easy to access the extra electrical outlet (US style) that is behind the TV.

Access to the viewing point on deck 15 forward on top of the bridge is open while in port. Just go to deck 15 and walk all the way forward.

 

The Future Cruise office was busy with a waiting line almost all the hours it was open.

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.

[caribill]

I have booked every single tour with Princess and it will cost a lot if we bring the children in every port. Is it advisable to do it on your own for some/most of the ports? If the definition of on your own is to go around a city by yourself, then you will probably have a lesser experience than if you are on an organized tour. In St. Petersburg (where you cannot go out on your own), there are reputable tour companies (DenRus, Red October, Alla) that will give you an experience equal to or better than Princess for less money. Check out their websites. You must book in advance.

Whether or not to use a non-Princess tour in a port depends on your level of cruise experience and comfort with the ability of your tour company to get you back to the ship on time. Princess does not wait for people who are late who are not on Princess tours. (The St.Petersburg companies mentioned above will get you back on time.)

 

Would you advise to take the children to the port? Only you know if your children are able to enjoy shore excursions or would be thorought bored. I think, but do not know for sure, that on port days the kid's program is open which would allow you to take some shore excursions without the chrildren.

 

Do we need local currency for every port? See post #14 for my comments on local currency.

 

Not sure if you have kids, how are the kid's program? I personally have not had kids in the kid's program, but there are many comments on Cruise Critic on this subject. Most of the comments give the Princess kid's program high marks.

 

 

 

See comments above in red.

[jayslater]

Caribill,

 

Wonderful post about your Emerald cruise. We are sailing on August 24th.

 

How did you feel about the overall Princess experience?

 

Were port disembarkations orderly and swift?

How crowded was the ship?

Did the ship generally depart on the scheduled time from each port? and did it arrive earlier than scheduled each time?

Were you sastified with the entire experience and what would you do differently?

Thanks

Jay

[jayslater]

Caribill,

 

Did the ship actually dock in Stockholm? Someone told us it was a long tender ride to the city? I assume this was incorrect?

 

I also wonder about visiting Gdansk? Do you feel the Princess tours are the best way to get to the City and see as much as possible or do you think 2 can make it to town and see enough on their own?

Thanks again!

Jay

[scoobydu33]

Thank you for the wonderful overview. It is very helpful for our upcoming cruise on the Emerald in September and I appreciate the immigration tips in St. Petersburg. I've saved this thread for future reference. Welcome home.

[UT-Volsfan]

We were also on this Baltic cruise and enjoyed it very much.

 

The Emerald Princess did not use tender service at any of the ports. We were at dockside every day. Getting on/off the ships was very quick - if you wait thru the first 30 minutes or so for the initial rush to get off of the ship, you'll be fine.

 

In Poland, Princess does not offer a shuttle service to Gdansk. However, there are several taxis available just off of the gangway that you can hire either to drive you to Gdansk or take you around the area on a private tour. We hired a driver for the day for our 4-person party for $250 (you negotiate the price up front) and went around Gdansk as well as visited a German concentration camp that's about 40 minutes from Gdansk (I don't remember the price to drive only into Gdansk but Lawrence mentions it in his port lecture). Our driver lived in the US for 5 years and spoke very good English. He made an excellent tour guide and went around Gdansk with us pointing out the sights in the main tourist areas. We also visited the Solidarity memorial at the shipyard gate and made some other stops on the way back to the ship. We would definitely recommend this over the organized tours. The concentration camp was not on any of the Princess tours and we felt like that was one item everybody should visit if they have the opportunity.

 

In most of the other ports, you can catch a Princess shuttle into downtown for $5 or $6 each way. Many of the ports are perfect for walking around town on your own instead of taking a formal ship tour. Tallinn in Estonia is a quaint town to visit and walk thru. If you do want to get around the towns, you can usually find a Hop On/Hop Off tour bus near the ship that you can buy a one-day pass for and see much of the city from. Only place we had trouble with them was in Oslo. In Oslo, they run different size buses on the loop, and had buildups of people waiting to be picked up at the more popular stops (they also had one break down and leave all of it's people at one stop). Allow more time for pickup than the every 30 minutes they tell you when you buy the ticket. They also don't announce all of the stops - at the Viking Ship Museum they didn't even open the doors when they pulled up to the stop sign near it. We had to ask the driver to let us off.

 

Here's some information on the different ports I'd posted last week, where we docked, and the price for Princess shuttles.

Stockholm - departure from pier at Stadsgarden 167 to downtown with drop-off and pick-up on Stromgatan Street, next to the Opera House. Shuttle travel time 15-20 minutes. Adult Prices - $11 round trip, $7 one way

 

Helsinki - departure from pier at Nernesaari Cruise Pier C to downtown with drop off and pickup at Erottaja bus stop in front of the Swedish theater. Travel time approx. 15 minutes. Prices - Roundtrip $10, one way $6. Children 11 and under with paying adult are free of charge. We used this service in Helsinki and covered the city and sites with no problems.

 

St. Petersburg - no shuttle (for obvious reasons because of visas).

 

Tallinn - Departure from the end of the pier to the Mere Boulevard in the Lower Town. Shuttle time 10 minutes. Price - one way $6. No round trip fee.

 

Gdynia - Princess didn't have shuttle service. Taxis are available in the parking area about a minute from the gangway. Many of the taxi drivers speak English and take US currency. The port lecture will give you plenty of useful information on prices for taxis to Gdansk or to other locations in Poland. We hired a driver for the day that spoke good English (he'd lived in Chicago for 6 years) and went to various locations (including the preserved concentration camp from World War II that is worth visiting).

 

Oslo - no shuttle service. You're in the middle of town.

As for the internet service on-board, the connections are much worse than the service we saw last year on the Emerald. This year, in the Internet Cafe, there were many days when up to 20% of the computers were unavailable due to service problems. And there were problems printing out boarding passes - there were numerous problems trying to print passes from SAS. Some computers would have connection problems repeatedly and make you start over (and over) while the one next to it would work fine. Also had problems with people logging off of the computer and then trying to log on at another computer and being denied because it said they were still logged in.

 

Wireless service was available. When we weren't trying to print boarding passes, we usually used our laptop in our cabin (we were in Caribe 327). Had good signal strength there the whole cruise. Connection speed with the internet was still slow (about like the internet cafe - imagine you're using a dial up modem for the speed).

 

We also would recommend the port lectures - these were easily the best ones we have seen on a Princess cruise. John Lawrence was very informative. If you can't catch his talk during the day, catch the rebroadcast in your cabin to help plan your day in port.

[caribill]

How did you feel about the overall Princess experience? Really enjoyed it. We have been on the Caribbean Princess and the Crown Princess which are the same size, but I really liked this one the best of the three.

 

Were port disembarkations orderly and swift? Since none of these ports is a tender port, there was no problem with disembarkation at any of the ports except for the confusion on the process (as described in the report) in St. Petersburg.

In St. Petersburg, once you get off the ship you are are mercy of the speed of the Russian immigration staff. Again, though, they have more booths open at this port than in previous years and you do not have to pay any attention to signs saying some lines are only for Princess tours.

How crowded was the ship? The ship was essentially full, but rarely felt crowded. The atrium was crowded for events such as the Captain's cocktail party. The Princess Theater was often full for the John Lawrence port lectures. Having most entertainment repeated over two nights in the Princess Theater reduced the crowding in that venue. The audience for entertainment in the Explorers Lounge was sometimes overflowing, even with up to 5 scheduled performances.

 

Did the ship generally depart on the scheduled time from each port? and did it arrive earlier than scheduled each time? It arrived as scheduled in each port. The scheduling of the port pilots guarantees you will not arrive more than a few minutes early. Generally departed on time, but, as mentioned in the report, left St. Petersberg about two hours late due to late return of Princess tours which was caused by heavy traffic.

 

Were you satisfied with the entire experience and what would you do differently? Very satisfied. Really would not do much differently (except possibly worry less about the disembarkation in St. Petersburg). We enjoyed doing Stockholm and Oslo on our own using the Stockholm Card and the Oslo Card. We enjoyed the DenRus tour in St. Petersburg. We enjoyed the private tours that another CC member arranged in Tallinn and Gdansk. And we enjoyed the Princess tour in Helsinki.

 

Thanks You are welcome.

Jay

 

See above in red.

 

By the way, if we were in a hurry for lunch while on the ship, a pre-made sandwich or quiche at the International Café was quick and delicious.

[caribill]

Caribill,

 

Did the ship actually dock in Stockholm? Someone told us it was a long tender ride to the city? I assume this was incorrect?

 

I also wonder about visiting Gdansk? Do you feel the Princess tours are the best way to get to the City and see as much as possible or do you think 2 can make it to town and see enough on their own?

Thanks again!

Jay

 

Yes, it does dock in Stockholm, about a 30 minute walk from "old town". We used public transportation about 10 minutes from the ship to get there.

 

We were on a private tour that included Gdansk, so I cannot comment on the Princess tour vs. a taxi to do it on your own.

Edited June 9, 2009 by caribill

[West Coast Cruizers]

Thank you for a different perspective that you wrote about your recent Baltic cruise. We are going in July and I have 4 and 6 years old children who has previously cruised to Europe with Disney.

 

Is it do-able to do the cruise on our own using the pass and Ho-Ho buses?

Although I have reserved every single tour with Princess in every port, I'm still looking for someone who can give me a different perspective regarding doing it on our own with our children so we can have a full control of our time and I know we might need to sacrifice some attractions, but if it's worth the costs and convenience, we will do it.

 

Can you leave the kids to the ship on port days? (If they don't like to go for sightseeing?

 

 

 

We were also on this Baltic cruise and enjoyed it very much.

 

The Emerald Princess did not use tender service at any of the ports. We were at dockside every day. Getting on/off the ships was very quick - if you wait thru the first 30 minutes or so for the initial rush to get off of the ship, you'll be fine.

 

In Poland, Princess does not offer a shuttle service to Gdansk. However, there are several taxis available just off of the gangway that you can hire either to drive you to Gdansk or take you around the area on a private tour. We hired a driver for the day for our 4-person party for $250 (you negotiate the price up front) and went around Gdansk as well as visited a German concentration camp that's about 40 minutes from Gdansk (I don't remember the price to drive only into Gdansk but Lawrence mentions it in his port lecture). Our driver lived in the US for 5 years and spoke very good English. He made an excellent tour guide and went around Gdansk with us pointing out the sights in the main tourist areas. We also visited the Solidarity memorial at the shipyard gate and made some other stops on the way back to the ship. We would definitely recommend this over the organized tours. The concentration camp was not on any of the Princess tours and we felt like that was one item everybody should visit if they have the opportunity.

 

In most of the other ports, you can catch a Princess shuttle into downtown for $5 or $6 each way. Many of the ports are perfect for walking around town on your own instead of taking a formal ship tour. Tallinn in Estonia is a quaint town to visit and walk thru. If you do want to get around the towns, you can usually find a Hop On/Hop Off tour bus near the ship that you can buy a one-day pass for and see much of the city from. Only place we had trouble with them was in Oslo. In Oslo, they run different size buses on the loop, and had buildups of people waiting to be picked up at the more popular stops (they also had one break down and leave all of it's people at one stop). Allow more time for pickup than the every 30 minutes they tell you when you buy the ticket. They also don't announce all of the stops - at the Viking Ship Museum they didn't even open the doors when they pulled up to the stop sign near it. We had to ask the driver to let us off.

 

Here's some information on the different ports I'd posted last week, where we docked, and the price for Princess shuttles.

Stockholm - departure from pier at Stadsgarden 167 to downtown with drop-off and pick-up on Stromgatan Street, next to the Opera House. Shuttle travel time 15-20 minutes. Adult Prices - $11 round trip, $7 one way

 

Helsinki - departure from pier at Nernesaari Cruise Pier C to downtown with drop off and pickup at Erottaja bus stop in front of the Swedish theater. Travel time approx. 15 minutes. Prices - Roundtrip $10, one way $6. Children 11 and under with paying adult are free of charge. We used this service in Helsinki and covered the city and sites with no problems.

 

St. Petersburg - no shuttle (for obvious reasons because of visas).

 

Tallinn - Departure from the end of the pier to the Mere Boulevard in the Lower Town. Shuttle time 10 minutes. Price - one way $6. No round trip fee.

 

Gdynia - Princess didn't have shuttle service. Taxis are available in the parking area about a minute from the gangway. Many of the taxi drivers speak English and take US currency. The port lecture will give you plenty of useful information on prices for taxis to Gdansk or to other locations in Poland. We hired a driver for the day that spoke good English (he'd lived in Chicago for 6 years) and went to various locations (including the preserved concentration camp from World War II that is worth visiting).

 

Oslo - no shuttle service. You're in the middle of town.

As for the internet service on-board, the connections are much worse than the service we saw last year on the Emerald. This year, in the Internet Cafe, there were many days when up to 20% of the computers were unavailable due to service problems. And there were problems printing out boarding passes - there were numerous problems trying to print passes from SAS. Some computers would have connection problems repeatedly and make you start over (and over) while the one next to it would work fine. Also had problems with people logging off of the computer and then trying to log on at another computer and being denied because it said they were still logged in.

 

Wireless service was available. When we weren't trying to print boarding passes, we usually used our laptop in our cabin (we were in Caribe 327). Had good signal strength there the whole cruise. Connection speed with the internet was still slow (about like the internet cafe - imagine you're using a dial up modem for the speed).

 

We also would recommend the port lectures - these were easily the best ones we have seen on a Princess cruise. John Lawrence was very informative. If you can't catch his talk during the day, catch the rebroadcast in your cabin to help plan your day in port.

[UT-Volsfan]

West Cost Cruizers:

 

With the exception of Gdansk and St. Petersburg, we'd say that it is quite possible to tour the ports using either the Princess shuttle service or the HO/HO shuttles. We used the HO/HO boats in Stockholm and their bus service in Oslo. The other ports (except for the two earlier exceptions) we used the Princess shuttle buses to get in to town. Several people on the cruise only did organized tours in St. Petersburg and used these services to explore the other ports on their own.

 

Tallinn is a very quaint town to walk thru once you get off the shuttle. We weren't sure how that stop would be, but it's like stepping back in time. It is a very enjoyable town to see the older architecture.

 

For Poland, hiring a taxi driver makes it fairly easy to get to where you want to go. Try to get a driver that speaks good English, that way he can point out sights while driving you around.

 

If you read some of the other posts from people on our cruise, you'll also see some discussions of using the bus and/or rail systems in some of the ports to get around. Good thing is that many people do understand and speak some English, which helps asking for directions.

 

As for leaving the kids on board, it's been a long while since ours were that age. However, if I remember right, the youth area on board the ship for kids that age does not let the kids leave the area unless the parent(s) is there to pick them up. Teens are able to come and go from the youth areas. You could probably post a question on the board to other people with kids that age and ask them if that is correct.

 

You'll definitely be able to see the ports on your own and you'll save some money over taking all of the Princess arranged tours.