mirkymirk

19 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

I took my 3 year old on a Baltic cruise, and we visited all of the major historical sites of Tallinn, Stockholm and St. Petersburg and he loved it.  But we absolutely did not attempt to travel to Berlin from  Warnemuende.  Your children might be exceptional travelers, in which case Berlin with the 5 hour roundtrip transportation might be a good choice for your family.   But my child who loved Peterhof  and Catherine's palace would be utterly bored at the Berlin Wall.  Talk to your  kids and make sure there are things in Berlin they are excited enough to see that would justify that travel time.  If they're excited to visit Berlin, go.  Plenty of people told me I was nuts for taking my kid on a Baltic cruise and he had a wonderful time.  But we do try to use private tours to control the itinerary, and that might be something to strongly consider if you can afford it so you can maximize your limited time in Berlin and see what your family is really interested in.  

 

Would Schwerin Castle work better for your family?

 

My son was obsessed with trains at 3 so we visited the Mollie steam train, which was enjoyable but not a must do unless someone really loves trains (the Schwerin castle was closed on the day we were in Germany).  

Thanks for your tips.  I'm glad to hear that you had a great experience!  My kids are amazing travellers and cruisers. Since this is potentially our one and only shot at Berlin, we want to see some key sites, but will have to miss a lot of the museums and war/ concentration sites due to sensitivity.  I think we are going to book with ShoreExcursionsGroup and make the best of it!

12 hours ago, hallasm said:

There are several operators. No one drives to Oceankaj, but it is my opinion that a transfer from Oceankaj is included/additionally purchased.
Check Stromma and City Sightseeing.

Be sure that it is a shuttle from Oceankaj and not Langelinie.

Thanks. I think plans are starting to come together nicely, thank to you and others on this thread!

19 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Caribbean Princess calls at Oceankaj Terminal 3 on July 3. It is 7 km to Kongens Nytorv and 8 km to Tivoli. There is no shuttle - taxi or public bus from terminal 1 to Orientkaj and from there metro to Kongens Nytorv or Rådhuspladsen (Town hall Square)

Since the ship already sails at 4 pm, I would skip Tivoli and prioritize Nyhavn a canal tour (1 hour). If possible the guard change at Amalienborg (Royal Castle)

Amazing! I see they also have a Hop On Hop Off tour.  Do you know if there is pick up for that at/ near our port - sometimes tour operators do that.

Hello

We are cruising with Princess this summer and one stop is Warnemuende and we would like to take a shore excursion (either with Princess, or with the Shore Excursions Group) to Berlin.  We want to see some countryside/ lakes/ castles (drive by), see places like the Berlin Wall, and a few key historic sites although my kids (aged 9 and 12) and my wife and I are not 'major' history buffs, so seeing them briefly is fine.  We would also want time for some shopping and poking around in 'town'.  

With the Shore Excursions Group, I am considering either:

• Best of Berlin (with wifi):
• Best of Berlin (I guess no wifi lol) 

With Princess, I am considering either:

• Best of Berlin by Train
• Easy Berlin by Train

If there are other options that you have done (whether through independent tour operators) or if the train from the port to Berlin is reliable and easy, perhaps the HoHo bus in Berlin is a good option?

Thanks in advance.

16 hours ago, ljandgb said:

My kids really liked Tivoli.  It is just across the square from the beginning of the pedestrian zone, so you could explore a bit from the park, if you can tear the kids away.

Did you use any public transport? Walk more? Taxi?  With such a short amount of time, I think we want to see the multicoloured houses along the canal, Tivoli for a bit (or is a 4 hours too short so skip it?)

18 hours ago, hallasm said:

Without knowing the date, I don't know which quay - I assume Oceankaj.
The cheapest transportation is public bus from Oceankaj to Orientkaj and from there metro to the City centre. Alternative is a taxi.
Tivoli will certainly be popular with children - Canal Tour is my personal favorite in Copenhagen. Look for Netto Boats (Netto-bådene).

Alternatives are HoHo bus or a castle tour. Copenhagen is very walkable and easy DIY.

Thanks very much for this. We are there early July - maybe the 3rd?  Caribbean Princess.  Do you know if the port is within walking or short shuttle / taxi ride to the pedestrian zone?

Hello

We are arriving in Copenhagen by cruise (Princess Cruises) this summer and are looking for some ideas for things to see and do with kids (10 and 12 years).  Some questions I have:

• How far is the cruise port from the city centre and what's the best way to get there?
• Is Tivoli Garden worth the visit?
• Is a canal boat ride worth the time? Companies to recommend?
  • Is there a highly-rated excursion company that you have used and would recommend to show us the town? (We are not into museums, but more picturesque spots.)

Any other hints, or suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

We just left the cruise today and had a wonderful time. I asked my kids about their opinion of the kids program and THEY LOVED IT.  The two staff that we dealt with there were excellent!  Very caring, classy, educated and kind.  They loved our kids!  We also found that the other youth on board were well behaved, kind, caring and courteous - hopefully an indication of Cunard's clientele!  

Thank you very much!

Mark

Hello

My wife and I are travelling on the QE to Alaska with our 8 and 11 year old children and have registered them for the kid's program, on board.  I cannot find any information on their hours of operation and wondered if someone knew or could point me in the right direction.

We have cruised Cunard once before (no children) and sailed several other lines with kids and enrolled the kids in the programming, which has been brilliant!  

Thanks in advance,

Mark

On 2/18/2020 at 7:33 PM, hallasm said:

Here you have my vote.

Tivoli Garden for sure. Also the canal boat  tours and the guard change at the royal Palace. The Shopping Mile ‘Strøget’ with the Departement stores and Royal Copenhagen Shop.

You can also visit Rundetårn (The Round Tower),  Nyhavn (New Habor) and Rosenberg Castle. Walk along the  harbor through Kastellet to the a Little Mermaid.

Everything in walking distance from a central Copenhagen Hotel.

The I’ll suggest a visit to the Freetown of Christiana - take metro from Kongens Nytorv to Christianshavn.

 

Hello,

we arrive June 25, 2022 to cruise on the 28th, party of six.  Can you suggest some reliable private van transfer services to get us from the airport/ hotel/ cruise port/ airport?  I see Viator has this but wonder how their rates compare with others.

On 8/13/2021 at 10:10 PM, cachouonacruise said:

 

Hi Myrkymirk,

 

Just in case this information can help you.

 

I am a fellow Canadian, from the province of Quebec. Exactly like you, I received Astra-Zeneca as a first dose and Moderna as a second while my wife received two doses of Moderna. My daughter received a first dose of Covishield (Astra-Zeneca) and a second dose of Pfizer.

 

My wife and I are booked on two upcoming cruises: X and NCL, while my daughter is booked on a different NCL cruise.

 

Of note, the vaccine requirements varied for X in Europe versus NCL in Europe, and NCL in USA. In addition, requirements may vary from country to country, rendering a trip with stops in multiple countries quite complex.

 

Taking this in consideration, and also, taking in consideration the Delta variant impact resulting in countries such as France and Israel opting to provide an additional booster shot to specific population groups and also,: for Moderna and Pfizer to recommend a third dose, I decided to inquire if I should and could get another dose of Moderna.

 

To my surprise and relief, in Quebec, our health authority authorizes people initially vaccinated with Astra-Zeneca for the first dose, to receive an additional dose for travelling purposes. 

 

So both my daughter and me were able to go to a local walk-in clinic. I have received another shot of the Moderna, while my daughter has received another shot of Pfizer. So we both meet fully vaccinated criteria for cruise lines and most countries.

 

If this worked in Quebec..... there is no reason it should not work in BC. ( Of note, my daughter, by phone, was also initially refused access to a third dose. Our only option was via a walk-in clinic).

 

Hoping this can help you too! Good luck! 

 

 

Hello

Thanks for your reply.  In BC, they are not yet offering third doses (or rather, second doses of mRNA vaccine) to travellers or those who received AZ.  They are offering 3rd dose boosters to the immune-compromised which is great!  I can't get a booster at this time, but as you may have read, the USA is now accepting mixed vaccines including AZ + an mRNA as considered to be fully vaxxed.  So, my wife and I are able to cruise.  

Whether we now want to is the question. We were due to leave for Disneyland two weeks ago and my 9 year old ended up testing positive at our airport, so the trip was cancelled. I then got Covid and have spent the last 7 days in bed and 10 days isolated.  My wife is nervous about going and getting Covid and being barred from entry back to Canada and having to quarantine/ isolate for 14 days in the USA.

We haven't made up our minds... but it almost seems that since Covid is everywhere, maybe all this testing is now becoming somewhat useless on some level.  It's not that I disagree with the testing and prevention measures that ensue if positive, but we caught Covid in our own home town and didn't need to travel internationally to get it.  

4 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

Not saying it is logical… however it is not Celebrity’s fault.

Europe and the UK accept the vaccination and the US does not. Celebrity, just like any cruise line, have to follow local laws. If they - or we - like it or not.

So much for science I guess! If our chief medical officer in BC can make CNN because of her logical and scientific approach to vaccines… someone at the CDC and cruise lines needs her phone number!

13 minutes ago, cachouonacruise said:

 

Hi Myrkymirk,

 

Just in case this information can help you.

 

I am a fellow Canadian, from the province of Quebec. Exactly like you, I received Astra-Zeneca as a first dose and Moderna as a second while my wife received two doses of Moderna. My daughter received a first dose of Covishield (Astra-Zeneca) and a second dose of Pfizer.

 

My wife and I are booked on two upcoming cruises: X and NCL, while my daughter is booked on a different NCL cruise.

 

Of note, the vaccine requirements varied for X in Europe versus NCL in Europe, and NCL in USA. In addition, requirements may vary from country to country, rendering a trip with stops in multiple countries quite complex.

 

Taking this in consideration, and also, taking in consideration the Delta variant impact resulting in countries such as France and Israel opting to provide an additional booster shot to specific population groups and also,: for Moderna and Pfizer to recommend a third dose, I decided to inquire if I should and could get another dose of Moderna.

 

To my surprise and relief, in Quebec, our health authority authorizes people initially vaccinated with Astra-Zeneca for the first dose, to receive an additional dose for travelling purposes. 

 

So both my daughter and me were able to go to a local walk-in clinic. I have received another shot of the Moderna, while my daughter has received another shot of Pfizer. So we both meet fully vaccinated criteria for cruise lines and most countries.

 

If this worked in Quebec..... there is no reason it should not work in BC. ( Of note, my daughter, by phone, was also initially refused access to a third dose. Our only option was via a walk-in clinic).

 

Hoping this can help you too! Good luck! 

 

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. I called our local health authority and they said they would not provide me with a second mRNA dose. 

21 hours ago, Miaminice said:

@mirkymirk
You are blaming Celebrity for something that isn`t their fault!
Celebrity merely follows CDC guidelines in the US.

 

Sailing from other destinations they follow the local guidelines - see Apex from Greece and Silhouette sailings from the UK. Mixed vaccination is accepted in both cases. I had a mix of AZ and BioNtech and will be sailing on Apex in 3 weeks.

 

Quote:
 

All sailings departing the U.S. are subject to guidance from the CDC. Currently, the CDC does not recognize any mixed combination of COVID-19 vaccines as fully vaccinated. For sailings departing the United States, to be recognized as fully vaccinated, guests 12 years of age and older, must complete a vaccine series with products from the same manufacturer, with the last dose administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. All sailings departing from St. Maarten will also follow this guidance.

 

For sailings departing from the UK, Greece or the Galapagos, we will follow the respective country guidance and allow for a mix of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Guests sailing on Celebrity Silhouette departing from Southampton, Celebrity Apex departing from Athens or Celebrity Flora, Xploration and Xpedition in the Galapagos may have mixed doses as follows:

 

• AstraZeneca, with the AstraZeneca dose being administered first, followed within 8–12 weeks by either the Pfizer or Moderna dose.
• One dose of Pfizer or Moderna followed at least four weeks later by a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.  

So if I travelled on celebrity in the Uk I would be considered fully vaccinated, as I am in Canada, but as I am cruising out of Florida, they don’t consider me vaccinated? How logical is that?

My wife and I are scheduled to cruise with Celebrity (Reflection) from Florida in November 2021.  We both live in the Vancouver, BC area and are both fully vaccinated according to our BC provincial health regulations and as per WHO approved vaccines (for emergency use) in Canada.  My first dose was AstraZeneca and my second was Moderna as we were informed that 'mix dosing' was permitted, and as there were reports that the AstraZeneca was causing some side effects in a rare number of cases.  I have received two vaccinations.  My wife has received two doses of Moderna. 

Here is the problem.  According to Celebrity in Florida, I am not considered fully vaccinated and at this time, I am unable to obtain a second dose of Moderna as our health authority is not offering this as an option (I called today).  So, according to Celebrity's Healthy at Sea policy, I am required to carry out additional Covid testing and procedures while my wife is not. Can we not eat together? Can we not visit the spa (I am apparently not allowed as an unvaccinated traveller)?

It is absolutely amazing to me that during a GLOBAL pandemic when the world was producing various vaccines, distributing them to countries, etc., in an effort to slow the spread of Covid, that the USA is not able to recognize that other countries use other vaccines that WORK!   I also find it incredible that the USA has had one of the highest case counts of Covid, whereas in Canada - despite using AstraZeneca - our case counts and rates of infection are much lower...yet cruise lines such as Celebrity refuse to honour what other countries HAVE HAD TO DO with vaccines to slow the spread.  In my view, being unvaccinated means that a person has not had any Covid 19 vaccine!

The other puzzling thing is that cruise lines have varied their vaccination policy based on the destination, not the cruise line setting a universal policy that as long as a passenger is vaccinated according to their home country's health authority standards, as guided by the WHO, then that should suffice.

All cruise lines, including Celebrity, need to create a wider, blanket vaccination policy that would abide by WHO approved vaccines, regardless of the country where the travel is taking place.  Otherwise, world travel will cease!

Hello

We are soon to be leaving on a Princess cruise with our kids. Our youngest is 3 and is in the process of being potty trained. Does anyone know whether a child must be potty trained to participate in the onboard 'ship school' activities (for this age group)? (FYI, he wears pull-ups and/ or diapers to catch any accidents...)

If you know of any existing threads (I couldn't find one on a quick search), please let me know and I appreciate your time.