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My wife and I intend to do a cruise to Baltic in 2019. Cruise quite a bit but never to this region. I think we have it narrowed down to either...Sapphire Princess. 14 night out of Southampton. Or....Holland American. Zuiderdam. 10 nights out of Copenhagen. Both in early May and ports are very similar. Is there anyone who by chance who has cruised on both? If not, just general feedback would be more than welcome. Lastly, is this time of year decent for the Baltic? We are both in our 60s for an age baseline. Sorry for being long winded....thanks in advance for any help! Cruise Critic was so helpful with our Mediterranean cruise last year. Thanks! Jim

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We cruised on Regal Princess a couple of years ago out of Copenhagen. It was a very Port intensive cruise but stunning scenery and places to visit. We went in June and I was still wearing a coat most days, however I am from Queensland and not used to cold weather, plus my coats were not the heavy duty stuff you find in Europe.

Check itineraries for the cruise to see how many sea days, and google weather for dates you want to go. It will be historical data but will give you an idea.

There is so much to see in each port, so do some research to find out what will suit you best. Surprisingly my favourite port was Tallin in Estonia.

 

 

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Thanks for the feedback. Leaning toward departure out of Copenhagen as I would love to spend a few days there. The researching pre cruise is actually part of the fun.

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We went in June and I was still wearing a coat most days,

 

 

Surprisingly my favourite port was Tallin in Estonia.

We went in July and it was nice and warm....I agree that Tallin was a favorite! But St. Petersburg and Copenhagen were also wonderful. I really enjoyed the Baltic itinerary.

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This is a great itinerary but, as has been said, very port intensive. Cruising from Southampton will give you a sea day at either end in order to relax. Going with HAL, you will be straight into port days but will be able to spend extra time in Copenhagen. I think you pay your money and take your pick!

 

The weather in this area can be very variable. We went in September and it was dry and warm throughout - the captain was amazed as it is usually much more changeable. At any time of year, layers and a waterproof will give you the best chance of being suitably clad.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise, I hope to repeat this itinerary someday :)

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We have a Celebrity Baltic cruise sailing out of Southampton on June 9th (just two weeks away!). Temps are supposed to be in the upper 60's to low 70's. We picked this cruise for several reasons. First, I had never been to London, so we preferred a Southampton departure over other ports. We will be spending a week in London before boarding our ship. Second, we are also in our 60's and early 70's. I can no longer handle a port each day. Third, we wanted three days in St. Petersburg. Most other lines offered only two days.

 

Hope this helps!

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We have a Celebrity Baltic cruise sailing out of Southampton on June 9th (just two weeks away!). Temps are supposed to be in the upper 60's to low 70's. We picked this cruise for several reasons. First, I had never been to London, so we preferred a Southampton departure over other ports. We will be spending a week in London before boarding our ship. Second, we are also in our 60's and early 70's. I can no longer handle a port each day. Third, we wanted three days in St. Petersburg. Most other lines offered only two days.

 

Hope this helps!

 

thanks much! Please give us a complete detailed review upon your return of you don't mind. Hotels, food, ports, excursions, etc. Have a great time!! Jim

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  • 2 weeks later...
My wife and I intend to do a cruise to Baltic in 2019. Cruise quite a bit but never to this region. I think we have it narrowed down to either...Sapphire Princess. 14 night out of Southampton. Or....Holland American. Zuiderdam. 10 nights out of Copenhagen. Both in early May and ports are very similar. Is there anyone who by chance who has cruised on both? If not, just general feedback would be more than welcome. Lastly, is this time of year decent for the Baltic? We are both in our 60s for an age baseline. Sorry for being long winded....thanks in advance for any help! Cruise Critic was so helpful with our Mediterranean cruise last year. Thanks! Jim

 

Took the 12 day Baltic Sea cruise back in 2009 aboard the HAL Eurodam in the month of June. Took a window cabin because I knew it would be cool, and it was, but very nice weather. I would highly recommend HAL.

The primary recommendation I would give you is to take some serious time deciding what you want to do and see at each port of call. We took some ship excursions and some private tours. I must suggest that you consider a private tour in St. Petersburg. We were there for two days and spent both days with our guide and driver from Red October Tour Co. They were outstanding and we saw so much more than those on ship tours at this stop. There are several private tour companies that CC members seem to recommend in St. Petersburg and you could always set one up and get perhaps 2-4 others to join you through your CC roll call for your particular cruise day.

 

This cruise is very exciting but I probably spent more time planning tours than few other cruises I've taken. Have fun planning.

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Thanks much for the feedback. Still researching but strongly leaning toward HAL Zuiderdam. Probably going to do ocean view and bypass a balcony room as it indeed may be a bit cool in May. We absolutely use private tours. Took me a few cruises to figure it out but better tours and much less cost. Again, thanks for the info, anything that can be shared that would help our decision would be great. Thanks all! Jim

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  • 2 weeks later...

Weather in the Baltics can be quite unpredictable. Best advice is to layer (also have some comfortable walking shoes). Early May is still quite cool. Check your daily newsletter the night before arrival in each port - that will give you the weather forecast and you can then dress accordingly. The Baltic itinerary is fabulous - Enjoy your cruise!

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Just got back from 14 night Baltic Cruise on Celebrity Silhouette. Could not have asked for better weather in all ports.... mid 70's and no rain!

 

Beware that sailing in the North Sea can be rough. Once you hit the Bay of Finland or the Baltic Sea, it is smooth sailing.

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Primarily a HAL cruiser here and just returned from a wonderful Baltic cruise on June 16th. I took a look at the two itineraries that you're considering. Although I've never sailed on a Princess ship, that itinerary looks more interesting to me than the HAL itinerary.

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thanks much! Please give us a complete detailed review upon your return of you don't mind. Hotels, food, ports, excursions, etc. Have a great time!! Jim

 

Just returned from our 14 night Baltic cruise aboard the Celebrity Silhouette. We sailed on June 9thout of Southampton after spending several days in London with port stops in Bruges, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn, St. Petersburg (3 days, 2 nights) and Warnemunde. Perfect weather mostly in the mid-70's with no rain. We also had several days at sea which allowed us to rest up before and after some port calls.

 

The only tour we booked was in St. Petersburg through ToursbyLocals.com. All the other ports we were able to do on our own.

 

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you might have about our cruise.

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Thanks much for the feedback. Still researching but strongly leaning toward HAL Zuiderdam. Probably going to do ocean view and bypass a balcony room as it indeed may be a bit cool in May. We absolutely use private tours. Took me a few cruises to figure it out but better tours and much less cost. Again, thanks for the info, anything that can be shared that would help our decision would be great. Thanks all! Jim
We cruised the Baltic Sea early May this year. We usually pack "Rick Steves" style but due to potential for chilly weather we packed and checked a small suitcase with light weight down coats just incase.

We had lively weather.

 

A light weight jacket or sweater was all we ever needed. Our first day in St. Petersburg was 80 degrees. Next day temp dropped back down to jacket weather. Never wore the down...but we are going to Norwegian Fjords next year same time...will take them again.

 

We had a balcony. I used it a little, but spouse didnt.

 

We are going back to Russia in 2021 on a Viking River cruise and will opt for an ccean view.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Forums mobile app

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Have done two sailings on the Zuiderdam and like the ship (haven't sailed on the Sapphire but have done Princess and consider them pretty much on par as far as cruise lines go). Copenhagen is a great place to spend a few days. A day trip to Kronberg Castle is easily done via train and gets you out into the countryside a bit. Had a great time on a city walking tour with a gentleman dressed up as Hans Christian Anderson. It's a wonderful walkable city (accommodations and food are on the pricey side so look for someplace that provides free breakfast and if possible, a light evening meal (aka snack).

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  • 5 weeks later...

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