profteedee

Thanks so much for the great information. We will probably delay our arrival until closer to 9:45.

What a gorgeous display of photos and wonderful narrative! We're headed out on the Island Princess next week to do a Northbound cruise and totally enjoyed your blog. Excellent job!!!:D

We just received a notification from Princess indicating that there may be a long wait for embarkation when we depart. We are on the Island Princess on August 17 and the Volendam will be in port as well. Princess advises us to go early to embark (between 9:00 and 10:00 am) or later (2:00 or 3:00 p.m.). Is it really as bad as it sounds? We are probably going to opt for the earlier time. What time does Security/Immigration usually open? :confused:

The weather has been consistently cloudy with temps in the mid to high 40's. So far no rain other then in Munich when we first arrived. Yesterday afternoon in Bratislava the sun popped out for an hour or so and we put sun glasses on for the first tim. It appears the temps are moving downward a degree or two each day and will be in the low 40's by the end of the week. Don't think we will see any snow but it has not been unpleasant walking as long as you have warm shoes/boots, warm coat, gloves, scarf, and a hat. As they always say layering is the key

Thanks so much for your reply. Enjoy the rest of your cruise and continue sharing your experiences - they are highly anticipated! Happy sailing!

I am thoroughly enjoying all of your posts. We leave on Saturday for a river cruise from Budapest to Passau on Viking. How is the weather?

We are first time river cruisers and will be sailing on the Viking Eistla in December on the Danube Waltz Christmas Markets cruise. One optional excursion while we are in Budapest is to the Lazar Equestrian Park. Has anyone done this option? Will it take up an entire afternoon? We can either do this optional tour or explore Budapest on our own.

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much for the detailed review! We are booked on a Viking Danube Waltz cruise in December. This will be our first river cruise and we can't wait!

Hi, The single journey ticket costing €1.90 per person covers the whole of the journey from Warnemünde train station to any tram stop in Rostock City eg Neuer Markt. The fact that you start on the train and complete the journey on the tram makes absolutely no difference, it is one single journey. You need to buy another ticket for the return journey, any tram stop in the City to Warnemünde, only because there is no such thing as a return ticket. Tickets can be bought from the machines on the train/tram platforms or inside the tram.

 

There are only two breweries in Rostock. The Rostocker brewery is a huge commercial brewery which does do guided group tours but not on Sunday. The Brauhaus Trotzenberg is a restaurant and small brewery on the outskirts of the city, end of tram line #6. They brew on the premises but I'm not sure if the brewery is open to the public although the restaurant would be open on a Sunday.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Wonderful information, Anni. Vielen dank.

If you can find a Superbrugsen, Irma or Føtex that would be good because they have a huge selection.

 

There are also some kiosks/winestores like Skjold Burne (they have one at Kongens Nytorv).

 

If you find yourself at Kongens Nytorv then check out Magasins food cellar.

Our hotel is very close to Kongens Nytorv so that would be perfect.

Tusind tak, Danish Viking!

Hi, thank you for your appreciation.

Your plan sounds good but I will offer a couple of suggestions.

Firstly, if you are only planning to take public transport into the city and out again you do not need a day ticket. A single ticket, €1.90, will take you from Warnemünde to the Neuer Markt, same ticket for both the train and the tram. There is no such thing as a return ticket, you will need to buy another single for the return journey. A day ticket is only a saving if you intend to make three or more trips in one day. Two single tickets €3.80 - one Day Ticket €4.70

 

The Braugasthaus is a very nice restaurant on the riverside but it is not a brewery if that is what you were looking for. The owners do brew their own beer but not on the premises.

 

Buggins' info is quite correct, the Stasi Documentation Centre is only open Tuesday to Saturday, closed Sunday, Monday and public holidays.

 

Two other places worth visiting.

The Cultural Museum (free entry) in the former Convent of the Holy Ghost, the entrance is in the left hand corner of University Square. The building alone, dating from 14th century, is worth a look. You could then walk through the Convent Garden, alongside the best preserved section of the city wall to

The Kröpeliner Tor - the biggest and most important of the 22 city gates and the only one of the 4 remaining gates which has public access. There is usually an English speaker on duty inside who can tell you about the city history, the gate itself and the city wall. The gate is on the way to the Braugasthaus.

 

In Warnemünde, on the way back from the beach it is worthwhile to walk along the street one back from the harbourside. There are quaint old fishermen's cottages, now holiday apartments, and a bronze fountain depicting a traditional, 19th century wedding procession which is re-enacted every May at the beginning of the holiday season.

 

Enjoy your day,

Happy cruising :)

Anni

www.travelanni.webs.com

Thank you, Anni. We need to take the train from Warnemunde to Rostock then tram to Neuer Market, then train back to Warnemunde. Would two single tickets still be enough for that?

Do you know of any breweries that might be open the day we are in Rostock or Warnemunde?

We'll include the two sites you mentioned in your posting on our visit.

Again, thanks so much for all of your help.

As I have said before, it is the same in Stockholm (and in Sweden in general). Nothing is open before 10am except supermarkets and similar stores.

Hello Desdichado62 -We arrive in Gothenburg on Saturday, July 19 and will be there from 7am – 2 pm We will need to take shuttle bus from the cruise into town. Below is what we would like to do/see.

1) Paddan Boat Tours (160 SK) $24 – (50 minutes) Departs from: Kungsportsplatsen (rated #1TripA)opens at 10:30 a.m.

2) Saluhallen, Kungstorget, is a charming indoor food hall Try the big Kanelbulle (Cinnamon bun)

3) Trädgårdsföreningen, 7/56 TA picturesque garden in city centre nice collection of roses No entrance fee during off season, otherwise 20 SEK. Can picnic

4) Skansen Kronan (Crown Keep) is a hilltop fortification, southwest of the city center, built in the 17th century. used as a prison during the 19th century military museum in the 20th Today, restaurant and conference facility. In the old army barracks next to it, there is a summer café serving home baked goods and ice cream

5) Close to Skansen Kronan is Haga, a city district with picturesque wooden houses from the 19th century.

Should our first stop be the Tourist Office on Kungsportsplatsen? Are we too ambitious with our itinerary? Do you have any suggestions/ideas or things we should add or eliminate?

Tack sa mycket.

Hi

Lair Bear closed his website down about a year ago, but I used it for my walking tour of Tallinn and made this from wandering around. I didn't go everywhere he pointed out but this probably shows most of it. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]fAC8F_2qTTY[/YOUTUBE]

What a beautiful video, Cornishpastyman! We're looking forward to visiting Tallinn in the next few weeks.

Perhaps at the kiosk or tax free shop you can find something, there isn´t any dedicated shop.

We are also interested in picking up some wine pre-cruise. Is wine sold in supermarkets in Copenhagen? Do you have any supermarkets to recommend?

July 20 is a Sunday. You might run into the same thing we did. On the Documentation Center's website they show the Stasi Center as closed on Sunday. It was on our list too, but unfortunately it was a Sunday. Anni will probably confirm:).

 

BTW the German movie about the Stasi (forget the name) that Rick Steve's recommends in his book is very good.

Thanks so much for the heads up, Buggins. That was definitely a detail I missed.

Hello Anni,

Your website is beautiful and very informative.

Our cruise docks at Terminal P8 on July 20 and we are in port from 7 am – 9 pm. We plan on buying the local day ticket ($6?) and go to Rostock by train. When arriving we will take tram 5 or 6 – go 3 stops to Neuer Market;tour St. Mary’s Church;walk to University Square; Go to Braugasthaus – Zum alten Fritz;visit Stasi Info Center;return to Warnemunde via train again.There we will visit the harbor & beach also lighthouse & Teepott bldg. Does this seem possible or is it too much? Do you suggest any other sites/activities not to be missed?

Vielen dank!

We watched Rick's videos before the cruise & his "ports" books (Northern Europe & Mediterranean) were very useful.

 

 

 

I found this on a recent thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2063267&highlight=stockholm

Exactly what I was looking for - thanks so much!

I didn't see any buses to Stockholm other than Princess, but we did a tour so I was really looking for a ride to Stockholm. Sorry

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Where did the Princess shuttle drop you off in town?

We walked into Helsinki from the pier along the waterfront but for most others a bus would be best. That was 4 years ago & do not recall exactly how long it took (30-45 minutes one-way?) but even with walking around Helsinki it was doable for us. We had an enjoyable walk but it's not for everyone & a bus would be quicker. For us it combined a tour of the city & our daily exercise to still fit into our clothes. ;)

We're planning on using the shuttle as a trip into town. Then, we'll use our Rick Steves guide to do a self tour.

Thanks to everyone for their pertinent info. Happy sailing to all!

Just the info I needed. Thanks so much. BTW, do you know the price of the HOHO bus?

Also, is the shuttle round trip or one way?

We were on the 3 June Royal princess. There was a shuttle offer by the port. The cost was $12 or 10 Euro. You could catch the HOHO at the pier as well.

 

 

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Just the info I needed. Thanks so much. BTW, do you know the price of the HOHO bus?

We will be going on a July Baltic cruise on the Royal. Does Princess offer a shuttle from the ship to downtown Helsinki?

Thanks so much! We can't wait to visit your beautiful city!

I'm re-posting this request. Can you help us?

Hello Danish Viking,

Let me join everyone in thanking you for all of the time and effort you put in to answering the myriad of questions from cruisers all over the world.

I do have a few questions for you.

 

1) We (group of 8 adults) are staying at the Hotel Bethel and are considering taking the metro from the airport to Kongens Nytorv and walk to the hotel. We will each have a medium-to-large suitcase along with carry-on. Is this realistic?

 

2) We will be in Copenhagen for two days prior to our cruise. We plan on doing a canal cruise, visiting Amalienborg Palace, Christianshavn (Christiania, Church of Our Savior), Tivoli, Rosenborg Castle, Torvehallerne, Stroget and take a walking tour. Do you think we should purchase the Copenhagen Card?

 

Have a wonderful day!

Hello Danish Viking,

Let me join everyone in thanking you for all of the time and effort you put in to answering the myriad of questions from cruisers all over the world.

I do have a few questions for you.

1) We (group of 8 adults) are staying at the Hotel Bethel and are considering taking the metro from the airport to Kongens Nytorv and walk to the hotel. We will each have a medium-to-large suitcase along with carry-on. Is this realistic?

2) We will be in Copenhagen for two days prior to our cruise. We plan on doing a canal cruise, visiting Amalienborg Palace, Christianshavn (Christiania, Church of Our Savior), Tivoli, Rosenborg Castle, Torvehallerne, Stroget and take a walking tour. Do you think we should purchase the Copenhagen Card?

Have a wonderful day!

Thanks for sharing all of your interesting info and beautiful photos!

We will be traveling to Copenhagen on July 15 and staying two nights prior to our Baltic cruise. You had mentioned that temps were in the 80s when you were there. What was your basic wardrobe for touring? Any suggestions for footwear?