sharonann24

I am reading this thread with interest because we have sailed NCL twice, both on the Breakaway, and both times in the Haven.  The first cruise was to Bermuda out of NY and we had booked a balcony but received the offer to upgrade which we did, and believe me, I was very glad we did.  The Breakaway was very crowded (July cruise) and the pool area was always packed.  Loved the entertainment, etc. but for that cruise the Haven was the only way we would go because my husband would have been very unhappy with the crowd.  Last year we cruised the Baltics, and had another great experience.  This summer we are on the Pearl with a balcony room and I selected this precisely because the ship is smaller.  I am looking forward to hearing more about the Pearl and others experiences.  The boards have a lot of other ship reviews but relatively few about the Pearl.  Happy to see some good reviews.  

We will be on the June 22 cruise which has port stops in Sevilla (Cadiz), Granada (Malaga) and Palma de Mallorca.  We have previously visited all of these cities both from the cruise and land travel perspective.  I am thinking I would like to do the White Villages, Ronda and Mijas as a possible tour as well as Valldemossa.  I am trying to figure out which port would be the better option for those trips.  I am also weighing the possibilities of the NCL excursions versus private tours that we can find through Spain Tours or Viator.  I would also love to just spend the day in Sevilla on our own, since it is such a beautiful city.  We have done the Granada Alhambra and Generalife tours in the past, so I am looking to see other options.  I am on our Roll call and we are sharing some ideas, but am still a little unsure about port pick up or transfers.  

Thanks so much cor the feedback. I really like the Princess itinerary the best because I want to spend a couple of days in London Pre Cruise. We have sailed both NCL and Princess and have enjoyed both experiences. We were in the Haven on both of our NCL cruises, the last one was this July’s Baltic sailing. I have to admit it did spoil us! That would be the next decision!

Thanks, I appreciate that. I also wanted to get feedback from others to see if they had a preference for either cruise line and/or itinerary.

I am starting to research cruise lines for the British Isles for either late June, July or August 2019. We are limited to those times since I am an educator. I am looking at Princess and NCL primarily. I would prefer an all British Isles experience but I did see that there are a couple of lines (I think RCL and Celebrity) that begin in Southhampton and then do ports in Spain, which I love, and some other Mediterranean areas. We are both in our early 60's and in good health, so a port intensive trip is fine with us. I would also like to spend at least two days in London, preferably pre-cruise. This is the earliest I have ever begun to plan, since we usually get the "travel bug" after the holidays. Thanks in advance!

A wonderful review and it mirrrored many of our experiences on the July 13 sailing. We had the Haven Spa suite and loved the thermal pool access, the Haven Restaurant and bar. Our usual bar tender was a lovely lady whose names escapes me at the moment but she was wonderful and so attentive! The maitre D’s were superb as was the wait staff. I personally loved the little breakfast buffet rather than ordering off the menu, since I am a WW member and opted for my lovely fruit cup, and then indulged in the typical European breakfast of a little bread, cheese and ham! When we were it in a specialty restaurant we had dinner in the Haven. although the menu was the same they did have a nightly special so one night I had a short rib ragout, and a baby back rib dinner which was wonderful. We used Alla Tours in SPB and Stockholm which was a great decision since it eliminated the whole shuttle issue in Stockholm. Tallin and Helsinki definitely doable on your own and I agree with the assessment of Helsinki, which was.my lease favorite port. Since we had a late afternoon flight back to the US we did one NCL tour in Copenhagen which dropped us at the airport. It was good and the guide was very knowledgeable, but not in depth. I would spend more time in Copenhagen if we were to do this again. We came in a day ahead and did Tivoli, and a walking tour, but none of the museums. But that is for the future!

I am also considering this trip for next summer, and just starting my planning. Disney does not appeal to me although I know it has gotten great reviews, since we have done the Disney experience several times and that is not what I want for a European vacation. I do love the itineraries I have seen and would prefer London as both embarkation and disembarkation port. Still coming down from our high on our July NCL Baltic cruise which was amazing. Each trip gets better and better! I am actually meeting with my TA today to debrief our trip so I will definitely getting her input.

We were in a Haven Spa Suite on the July 13 Baltic sailing and it was wonderful! We had booked it directly and did have all the perks. The spa entry was worth every penny, and the Haven restaurant, bar, and sun decks were a true oasis. Spoiled for life! We had sailed on the Breakaway last summer to Bermuda and bid and won a Haven room(not spa). Again, the best decision.

I always use a TA and still receive upgrades. For me it is peace of mind. I do book my own excursions, but like knowing I have that back up.

So will Alla.

For anyone taking an Alla tour go to the website and log in. They’re have posted a very extensive email about disembarking and the tour. They will wait until all have gotten off ship before starting the tours.

I have just emailed our contact at Alla Tours to inquire about our ability to disembark and make our tour. I will post when I hear back from her.

Thanks everyone!

Thanks so much for your wonderful review. We leave tomorrow night for Copenhagen and are looking forward to this trip. You mentioned requesting an earlier time to join a group in STP. I am wondering (anyone else join in) if this is possible, then perhaps I could speak with the concierge? We are in the Haven and I know he/she can assist with other issues with tours, shows, etc. Other than that, would you recommend the Rostock NCL Trip? My husband is leaning in that direction now. So excited!

Does anyone have a good suggestion from getting to our hotel near Tivoli Gardens from the airport? What is the cost of a taxi? We were supposed to have a transfer arranged but are having some difficulty confirming and we leave Wednesday evening, arriving in Copenhagen around 1pm. I am also checking other sources but am open to ideas. We will probably each have a suitcase and carry on.

I planned to take our light rain gear which we also brought on our Alaska cruise. The weather for the next 10fays looks to be fairly sunny and inthe high 70’s which is much better than the heat wave we just endured in Connecticut. I plan on packing shorts and short sleeve shorts for most days, but will have a couple pairs of jeans/long pants and a sweater just in case. We leave in 4 Days!

Thanks for such a thorough review. I am concerned about getting off ina timely fashion in ST. Petersburg. Many on our July 13 sailing are using Alla Tours so I hope there’s is strength in numbers!

I just read that the Alla Tours for St. Petersburg July 19 are now sold out. People may want to consider that. I booked our tour about 6 weeks ago. It seems like many people from our July 13 roll call have opted for the Grand Tour.

Thanks for the post about the recent Breakaway Baltics. We are on the July 13 sailing. I agree completely about the Haven experience on the Breakaway since we were on the ships last summer in Bermuda and the trip wouldn’t have been the same for us outside of the Haven. Our concierge and room steward were wonderful and did a few extra services and we’d did tip extra. We did not really call on the butler often but he also received an additional tip. I appreciate the evening clothing tips. I loved your son’ comment! No tees and shorts for us either at night. I also remember being a littleness surprised last summer that despite all the talk about freestyle low key dress codes at night there were many many people who did dress for dinner. Do what makes you feel comfortable and you will enjoy your stay in the Haven.

WE are on the July 13 sailing and based on everything I read on these boards and the Roll Call I decided against NCL tours except to de ark in Copenhagen and the Hop on Hop off bus in Helsinki. I booked the Alla tour for both SPB and Stockholm and hope it will live up to expectations. I found the NCL tours to be rather pricey. The other ports we will do on our own. We are planning on either taking the train to Rostock or remain in Warnemunde. Tallin and Helsinki are doable. So I am using my trusty Rick Steves guide to finalize our plans. 12 Days!

Thanks so much for the post. We are on the July 13 sailing and are so excited! I would be interested in knowing if you did any of the NCL excursions or did ports on your own, We have the Alla Grand Tour in SPB and Stockholm, and only one NCL tour at disembarkation, primarily because we have a late afternoon flight back to the US and the tour included transportation to the airport (and we wouldn't have to worry about storing luggage, etc.) I like the fact that the passengers are not primarily American, because it just adds more to the experience. Were there a lot of families and children on your sailing? I do like children (have 3 of my own), but it does add a different dynamic.

This thread caught my eye because we will be on the Breakaway in July in the Baltics and I am trying to decide what phone plan would be the best one, so we don't get caught with extra fees. We also have an Internet credit as part of our package. And how does this work with shore packages? We both have iPhones and our carrier is AT&T. I only want the phone in case of emergencies back home.

Good morning! 14 days until departure and I am beginning to plan out clothing. The weather looks to be in the 70's, so I am thinking layers, but as I have never traveled the Baltics before I want a better idea. How cool does it get in the evenings at sea? Can we plan on wearing shorts and light jackets during the day? Or are jeans, long pants a better option? I notoriously over pack but I would like to be as prepared as possible. I am thinking that the weather might be like our Alaska trip--but we hit a heat wave there too! And is there a "dress up" night? DH and I do like to change for dinner and he likes wearing a sports jacket, but is opting not to bring a suit this time.

We are on the July 13 sailing, also in the Haven. I am hoping for good weather and hitting all ports as we have never traveled this itinerary.The only port that seems out of the way now is Stockholm, but I decided to go with an Alla Tour for that port, since we are also doing St. Petersburg with them. And keep in mind in the Caribbean many ships need to have the tenders to transport people to the port. I want to focus on the positives!

Summer travel anywhere, regardless of whether it is land or sea is always bound to be child intensive. As an educator summer and those winter and spring vacations are the only times I can travel and so although my own children are now adults I know that I will be around many! I do think that parents can and should supervise them more carefully--that is part of being a parent. The beauty of being on a cruise with kids is that they really can't go far, but that doesn't mean that they can't get themselves in trouble. I will also say that last summer we were on the Breakaway to Bermuda, and were fortunate enough to get a bid on a Haven room. That made a big difference because I think my husband would have lost it if we didn't have that piece of solitude. But even in the Haven some of the kids ran amok. By the end of the cruise several people did complain and the parents were addressed. Let's also keep in mind that this bad behavior is also common with some adults, particularly with the abundance of adult beverages. Travel means being flexible!