Jump to content

First time cruiser - Baltic Cruise - additional costs and excursions.


impis8
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi. We have booked our first cruise - a Baltic Cruise with Cruise and Maritime, on Columbus. It isn't cheap . After booking, I discovered the [more or less compulsory] gratuities charge of £7 pp per night. While all food is included, drinks are not. Apparently tea and coffee is free - but who drinks that on holiday? If we want to prepay for a drinks package, plus the gratuities, it becomes and extra £23pp per night. That's £46 extra per day. [one day in 7 free] - so that's already an extra £552. It is particularly galling that we both have to pay if we want a drinks package when I don't actually drink alcohol much! I hate to think how much the excursions are going to cost - I've seen someone quote £380 for the 2 day excursion in St Petersburg - and that was in 2011!! So - my question is - how easy is it to 'do your own thing' in each of the other places we dock? These include Copenhagen, Warnemunde, Helsinki Tallin, Stockholm and Aarhus. I already know that the ship will dock close to touristy places in Warnemunde - but what about the others? Are any of the other places so far from the ship that its best to be on an excursion - or are they easily reached by foot/bus/ public transport at a reasonable cost? Also, some of the excursions seem to be just a couple of hours long. Seems a bit rushed. So for example 'panoramic Helsinki' is just 2 hours from leaving the ship to returning. Is it better [do you get more time] if you take yourself off and return before sailing? Or is the ship really only there for a couple of hours? Thank you all very much for having the patience to read my post - and double thanks if you take the time to reply. Much appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you know something about your ports, it's generally quite easy to DIY in ports. BUT...you must do your research! Guidebooks are useful, as is "googling" the cities. Excursions are pricey....and as you've found out, you can easily double the cost of your cruise fare with packages, and excursion...not to mention all the doodads and geegaws they will be selling on the ship! As far as time ashore, that should be on your itinerary. You will need to be back on the ship about 30 mins. prior to the posted sailaway time....always make sure your watch is set to the clocks on the ship...they don't always follow local time!

 

Few cruises are totally "all-inclusive" and most 1st timers do spend much more than seasoned cruisers on the "extras".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to Cruise Critic Impis8 and congratulations on booking your first cruise.

 

You don't need to buy a drinks package. Most cocktails run between 4 GBP. There is apparently a 10 drink discount cocktail card costing 29 GBP per person, which sound you about 10 pounds.

 

There is much more information on the drinks on board your ship at this link:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2525294

 

As to your ports the best thing to do is research all of your ports. A place like Copenhagen can easily be done on your own. If you read online about specific sights, museums, places to visit you can easily accomplish that on foot or by taking a taxi if necessary.

 

Stockholm too can be done on your own and perhaps Warnemunde too.

 

Have a look at the various excursions your cruise line is offering at each port and see which ones appeal to you. Then determine which ones you can on your own and which would be better suited by tour bus due to distance.

 

You will likely only need to book one or two excursions and save yourself some money. But, your best friend is research. Pick up a tour guide book that covers the Baltics and learn about the interesting places you most want to see.

Read online, consult tripadvisor as you've done already. The more you learn the better prepared you will be.

 

There also port of call boards here at Cruise Critic with tons of information on all of the destinations.

 

Here's a link to the Baltics board here at Cruise Critic:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=192

 

Since this is your first cruise, booking an excursion is a good idea, because if you return late to the port on your own, the ship will not wait. However, if you are on a ship sponsored excursion and late returning the ship will wait.

 

There are shorter tours and longer tours. Once you evaluate the sights the ship's excursions include on their tours only then can you choose what most appeals to you and book the appropriate trip.

 

Have a wonderful first cruise.

 

Jonathan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:)

Sounds like cruising as a holiday is new to you and your family. I'll also assume you're from the UK since you are using

£ for money.







Yes, the cruise price for most (not all) cruiselines just get you on the ship. Gives you a cabin to sleep in, lots of free food, and some basic beverages. All at a very good price mind you. Many people get on the ship and never spend another penny.





Then you have the 'Gratuities". Through the years I have learned that someone from the UK would rather take a kick in the arse than be told they have to leave a gratuity. Here in the US, we think of it as a normal function in life. I understand that cultures are different and pass no judgement. Myself, I just tell my travel agent to add them to my bill and I prepay them. That way it's over and done with.





Drinks package. The cruiseline offers a drink package, but nobody MUST buy it. If you don't drink a lot, then you can pay by the drink.





Excursions. Do it the way you're most comfortable with.... WARNING THOUGH: If you go out on your own (not thru the cruiseline) and you don't get back to the ship on time,,,,, the ship will leave you. It is then up to you to either get back home or catch up to the ship on your own. However,,, many many people do this. Independent tour guides know how the game is played and know their livlihoods depend on getting you back to the ship on time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get a Copy of Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports. Should be able to get it from Amazon. He will tell you what there is to do in your port, how much of it you can do in the time you have, and how to do it on your own. Very occasionally he will recommend a ships excursion. EM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did exactly the same cruise last September. While the ports are excellent, the company is little more than a budget cruise line. They were the only company offering the Baltic at the time we wanted to go, so we booked with them.

 

The drinks package they try to sell is most definitely not worth it. On board we were offered packages for beer and cocktails. We bought 1 beer package and 2 cocktail packages for less than UKP100. The full drinks package would have cost substantially more. They also had a draft beer every day at 50%.

 

For tours, we booked with Alla Tours in St Petersburg on their 2-day ultimate tour. They also offered tour in each port, with discounts, if you took the St Petersburg one. Unfortunately we only met the minimum numbers for Tallinn & St Petersburg. In Tallinn we had 5 pax with driver & guide, driving around town in the morning and then walking through the old town in the afternoon. They do not require any money up front and we actually paid for the Tallinn tour the following day in St Petersburg.

 

Alla are great to work with and will develop tours to meet your needs.

 

The cruise line may also tell you that unless you take a ship's excursion in St Petersburg you require a Russian Visa. Total myth, as provided you use an approved local tour company and return to the ship for the evening, NO Visa is required. Your tour ticket is your Visa.

 

You can check out the tours we completed on our travel blog - URL listed below.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both Tallinn and Helsinki are very easy to DIY. Both have excellent online TIs:

Tallinn: https://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visi...st-information

Helsinki: https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/info

Like Heidi above, we also used Alla Tours for St. Petersburg - fantastic and more affordable than what is offered by the cruise lines.

 

Another vote here for ALLA Tours. We used them in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki and St. Petersburg. I would DEFINITELY get a tour in St. Petersburg. Russia seems to be very finicky about letting people in. Also, the average "man on the street" does not speak much English, so getting around might not be as easy as in some other ports. Another thing to consider is that a tour allows you to "go to the head of the line" so to speak at many venues. Yes, you have to spend some money, but for a "once in a lifetime', it is worth it IMO. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You'll be off the ship on port days, so probably won't get your worth out of a drinks package; I believe C&M charge pub prices for individual drinks. We only take the package on Fred Olsen, as it's just £15 for a basic one, but wouldn't pay more for a busy cruise when there's not many sea days.

Sadly, the tipping culture is rarely mentioned in the advertising bumph which attracts us to that first cruise; many people prefer to know exactly what they will be paying, which is why lines such as Thomson/Marella, with no tipping, are so popular.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Wife and I also just returned from the Baltics cruise.

 

We went the other way. Did all Royal excursions. Why?? Hard headed, obstinate, unfamiliar with the ports,,, all the above or take your pick.

Never again. Every excursion we took was with 40+ people. Very frustrating. From someone not able to follow simple instructions, to someone coming to a dead stop while in front of 20 people then pushing their way back to the front, to someone not being able to tell time or just not caring about other peoples time. Plus,,, everything was done in "Drive-By" mode.

 

Next European cruise, small, intimate, private tours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi. We have booked our first cruise - a Baltic Cruise with Cruise and Maritime, on Columbus. It isn't cheap . After booking, I discovered the [more or less compulsory] gratuities charge of £7 pp per night. While all food is included, drinks are not. Apparently tea and coffee is free - but who drinks that on holiday? If we want to prepay for a drinks package, plus the gratuities, it becomes and extra £23pp per night. That's £46 extra per day. [one day in 7 free] - so that's already an extra £552. It is particularly galling that we both have to pay if we want a drinks package when I don't actually drink alcohol much! I hate to think how much the excursions are going to cost - I've seen someone quote £380 for the 2 day excursion in St Petersburg - and that was in 2011!! So - my question is - how easy is it to 'do your own thing' in each of the other places we dock? These include Copenhagen, Warnemunde, HelsinkiTallin, Stockholm and Aarhus. I already know that the ship will dock close to touristy places in Warnemunde - but what about the others? Are any of the other places so far from the ship that its best to be on an excursion - or are they easily reached by foot/bus/ public transport at a reasonable cost? Also, some of the excursions seem to be just a couple of hours long. Seems a bit rushed. So for example 'panoramic Helsinki' is just 2 hours from leaving the ship to returning. Is it better [do you get more time] if you take yourself off and return before sailing? Or is the ship really only there for a couple of hours? Thank you all very much for having the patience to read my post - and double thanks if you take the time to reply. Much appreciated!

 

Based on your comments and itinerary, I think I just got back from your cruise, so I will offer some comments for your consideration.

Drinks - neither of us drink enough to justify the drink package times two, so we did not get it. I was not happy about the dual requirement, as it applied to the soda package as well. HOWEVER, if you scroll down through the gift card purchases, you will find a $25 gets you $50 deal for sodas. I bought two of them and it worked beautifully.

Excursions - Unless you plan to get an individual visa for Russia, you will need to use a ship tour or work with a private tour company. We used SPB tours and liked them very much. I believe two days in St. Pete was around $240 each, which I didn't consider too bad. One benefit -SPB works in all the ports you are going to and they offer a discount for booking in multiple ports. We did five with them; in three cities, there were less than 10 in the group.

 

We did HopOn/HopOff buses in Stockholm and Aarhus very effectively. You can get the HOHO tickets on line in advance. We got a two day for Stockholm; Day 1 we rode the whole circuit, both bus and water, then picked one place to visit. Day 2 we picked the VASA museum (outstanding!) and lunch in Old Town. The open air museum in Aarhus is also very good.

 

We did not do Berlin. Six hours on a bus for four hours in Berlin didn't appeal, so we did walking tours in Warnemunde and Rostock.

 

This is a port intensive cruise with lots of walking! We loved it! Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...