Berlin or no?

[PokerDave]

Would be interested in opinions from people who have both done the grueling ( yet worth it from many reviews ) trip to Berlin vs staying closer to port. Specifically looking at going with a Friends of Dave tour of Warnemunde and Schwerin as an alternative.

 

Anyone done both? If this is my one shot at Berlin ever is it a must do?

[teemsum]

We took the train into Berlin. Slept on the way back.

 

Definitely a must - do! Lots of culture & history and who knows when you'll get another chance to visit Berlin on a land vacation ?

 

 

Cruisingly Yours

[ab0si]

Berlin is a very interesting city and getting better every year (pre-1989 it was seriously boring).

 

If, for some reason, you know you will never make it back in central Europe, then go. However, it is a long trip there and back and you will not have time to more than lightly touch a few of the city's offerings.

 

However, I would recommend saving Berlin for a land trip and enjoy what it has to offer.

[jkw3tx]

I agree with the last poster- if you know you will never be back in the area then you really can't miss Berlin. I wish we had the time to spend a couple unhurried days in Berlin. Being a history teacher and being able to stand at the Brandenburg gate or to view the Reichstag- priceless, but it is a long, long tiring day.

[Giantfan13]

I agree with all the other posters. If you want to see Berlin, and even think this may be your only chance, go for it. We didn't do this tour as I ahve already been to Berlin when I was in the service. But, we did a post cruise stay in London, and we did a one day trip to Paris on the Eurostar. Knowing this may be our only chance to get to see Paris, we HAD to do it, regardless of the cost or time. After we got home, we realized how glad we were that we did it. Memories will last a lifetime, and regrets on NOT doing something will also.

[Sanbelle]

Agree with others who have done this tour. If you think you may not go to Berlin any time soon then do it. Yes it is a long day but you can sleep on the train back to your ship Berlin was amazing so much history I only wish we could have spent more time there. Beautiful city, much nicer than I had imagined.:)

[iltu]

I too, am wondering about Berlin or Hamburg. Is arriving at Kiel way too far from Berlin? Should I go to Hamburg?

 

Thanks

[12B@C]

Since there are so many here who like the idea of spending six hours or more on a train trip from (the only otherwise useless port in Germany) Warnemunde, I refer you to another post about all this.

 

It was a lady from England who suggested that instead of spending that much money for a roundtrip train voyage, fly from London to Berlin, then spend a night in Berlin, see the sights and fly back to London. The total price (with reasonable accommodations) was less than what the cruise lines charge for the whole excursion.

I wished I had saved her thread.

[gtojr]

That is what we are considering. Frankly I am finding that it is cheaper for us to fly from the US to Copenhagen and then do a circle of flights from Copenhagen to London to Berlin and back to Copenhagen (or the reverse) than it is for us to do the cruise and this excursion. Of course it will be more expensive because of the hotel but we would have that anywhere. Anyway, this allows us to spend more time in Berlin and makes our port day much more relaxed. My question is how many days would those with experience suggest allowing for Berlin and for London. If we are going to do this I want to make sure that we get to see all that we want to.

[floridafolks]

I agree with all the other posters. If you want to see Berlin, and even think this may be your only chance, go for it. We didn't do this tour as I ahve already been to Berlin when I was in the service. But, we did a post cruise stay in London, and we did a one day trip to Paris on the Eurostar. Knowing this may be our only chance to get to see Paris, we HAD to do it, regardless of the cost or time. After we got home, we realized how glad we were that we did it. Memories will last a lifetime, and regrets on NOT doing something will also.

 

We have made a number of trips to Germany(Munich and Bavaria mostly) but never made it to Berlin, so this time we are "going for it." You are right about regrets, as I had a chance to see Pink Floyd at The Wall and passed it up!!-What was I thinking????

 

Something to take into account that has not been mentioned: Since this is a long day, you might want to consider where Berlin fits into the other port stops. We are lucky in that it is our first port and we have a sea day before and a sea day following, so the long day is not as much of a concern to me- This may be our only chance to see Berlin and I do not want to pass it up.

 

We too are heading to Paris- never miss Paris when we are that close- we lived there for a year long ago. Our cruise ends in Amsterdam and it is only a 3 hr 19min train trip to Paris on the new hi-speed Thalys at a good price. We will then fly home from Paris after a 3 day visit.

[HeinBloed]

We have made a number of trips to Germany(Munich and Bavaria mostly) but never made it to Berlin, so this time we are "going for it." You are right about regrets, as I had a chance to see Pink Floyd at The Wall and passed it up!!-What was I thinking????

 

Something to take into account that has not been mentioned: Since this is a long day, you might want to consider where Berlin fits into the other port stops. We are lucky in that it is our first port and we have a sea day before and a sea day following, so the long day is not as much of a concern to me- This may be our only chance to see Berlin and I do not want to pass it up.

 

We too are heading to Paris- never miss Paris when we are that close- we lived there for a year long ago. Our cruise ends in Amsterdam and it is only a 3 hr 19min train trip to Paris on the new hi-speed Thalys at a good price. We will then fly home from Paris after a 3 day visit.

 

For you suggestions if Berlin fits to your call - the 2010 public train schedule for cruisers:

 

 

And the prices 2010 for the public train:

 

 

If you are on an HAL-ship on a weekday in Warnemünde it's the most perfect way to travel to Berlin: you can stay in Berlin from 10 am to 6 pm.

 

Lot time to stay and to discover Berlin.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[TMLAalum]

Just want to wish you a happy new year cruise, HeinBloed! You are such a blessing to this board.

[Giantfan13]

We have made a number of trips to Germany(Munich and Bavaria mostly) but never made it to Berlin, so this time we are "going for it." You are right about regrets, as I had a chance to see Pink Floyd at The Wall and passed it up!!-What was I thinking????

 

Something to take into account that has not been mentioned: Since this is a long day, you might want to consider where Berlin fits into the other port stops. We are lucky in that it is our first port and we have a sea day before and a sea day following, so the long day is not as much of a concern to me- This may be our only chance to see Berlin and I do not want to pass it up.

 

We too are heading to Paris- never miss Paris when we are that close- we lived there for a year long ago. Our cruise ends in Amsterdam and it is only a 3 hr 19min train trip to Paris on the new hi-speed Thalys at a good price. We will then fly home from Paris after a 3 day visit.

 

 

As we age, we learn in life what IS important and what is not. Regretting not doing something, no matter what, when there may never be another chance, is something we will never do again. We are seniors and who knows what the furure holds, so to anyone,

if you have the chance to do something that your heart wants to do, GO FOR IT. You may never get another chance, and it WILL stick in your craw forever.

[HeinBloed]

Just want to wish you a happy new year cruise, HeinBloed! You are such a blessing to this board.

 

Few minutes after midnight in Germany:

 

Happy New Year 2010!

 

Happy New Decade!!!

 

While we have five of six hours German "Love Boat" finished in Rio de Janeiro at New Year's Eve:

 

 

And here are some impressions out of the TV from the largest New Year's Party at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish you all all the best - especially health - the only thing we cannot buy.

 

May all your wishes become true.

 

HeinBloed

[gtojr]

I really agree with Giantfan. We just put my father in an alzheimers home today and my DH and I were talking about this on the way home. What good is all of the money in a retirement account it you don't enjoy it??? We have decided to travel (within reason) while we can and enjoy each other's company because we don't know when or if we will get back to these places again.

 

Happy New Year to all and Safe Travels

[floridafolks]

Just want to wish you a happy new year cruise, HeinBloed! You are such a blessing to this board.

Hi Heinbloed-

 

I just wanted to "ditto" the previous comment. You really helped me out last year with the train questions for Trastevere in Rome to Civi. Everything turned out great- no long trek through Termini and Trastevere had an elevator!! We even figured out how to arrive on a track in Civi to avoid going up and down stairs!! They even gave us a reduced price since we had the Roma Piu pass. You are amazing!

 

Unfortunately, we are not on Holland America so we arrive too late to take an ICE train. We have a small private tour arranged with SPB tours. With the limited time we have, we are glad to have a private guided tour and it is very reasonable in cost.

[TheFerret]

Happy New Year, everybody!

 

We feel we can't miss Berlin, so we're going to go for it. I was there in '83, but my father has never been and is really looking forward to it.

 

"Full Steam Ahead" will be our motto (and a vacation afterward to recover from the vacation. . .)

[Jesterscourt]

Of course, another way to experience Berlin is before or after an Elbe River cruise. The ships usually dock in the Potsdam/Magdeburg area 30 min or so from Berlin. Please see River Cruising section for more info on Berlin, etc.

[rsquare]

The train schedules between Warnemuende and Berlin are somewhat limiting; for example, the latest train would get us back to the boat around 8:30pm when the "all aboard" will be 11:30pm. We were wondering if it is (a) possible, (b) relatively easy and © a generally good idea to rent a car in Warnemuende and drive to Berlin and back? These are three separate questions, and may well have three different answers.

[TMLAalum]

The train schedules between Warnemuende and Berlin are somewhat limiting; for example, the latest train would get us back to the boat around 8:30pm when the "all aboard" will be 11:30pm. We were wondering if it is (a) possible, (b) relatively easy and © a generally good idea to rent a car in Warnemuende and drive to Berlin and back? These are three separate questions, and may well have three different answers.

 

I can answer (a) & (b)- Hertz used to have a carrental right at the dock, but currently it is not operating. Europcar (I think) has a facility a bit further away in the general vicinity of the train station at the Warnemunde pier; however, I don't know about an afterhours drop off which you would need if you head to Berlin. This might be the most time-efficient option for you. We will probably go with Sixt near the Rostock train station and get there & back via cab. We can drop off the keys after hours. Our plans do not include driving to Berlin.

 

The expert who can best answer your question is HeinBloed who is currently on a cruise.

[Wandering Writer]

The first Baltic trip we did, we took the excursion to Berlin. It was a long train ride for just a few hours in a city that deserves a better look. We hit some of the highlights that I wanted to see--Check Point Charley for one but the Brandenburg Gate was covered in tarp for repairs and the rest kind of blurs in the rush from place to place.

 

The second time through the Baltic, we joined the Friends of Dave tour that started in Warnemunde and went to Schwerin where we had a wonderfully narrated walk through the town and a lovely leisurely lunch in a local restaurant. Warnemunde was charming and before boarding our ship in the evening we watched a beautiful sunset.

 

It's a tough choice. Have fun.

[Texansfortravel]

Hi PokerDave! I just wanted to give you input on a tour we did last year with Friends of Dave tours in Warnemunde and Wismar. We decided not to take the long journey to Berlin and decided to stay close to port and explore all the wonderful things around Warnemunde. I had read many reviews of Friends of Dave tours and contacted to Dave to help us put together a tour for my husband, myself and both sets of parents. He responded the same day and his attentiveness and help never ceased. Dave helped me put together a wonderful full-day tour of Warnemunde and Wismar. We spent the morning in Warnemunde learning about the history of the town and it's buildings. Dave was extremely knowledgable of everything and was able to answer all of our questions. We later boarded a train (which Dave had pre-arranged) and took off for a 45-minute lovely ride to Wismar. We spent the afternoon walking around Wismar and learning about the fascinating history of that charming town. Dave also took us to have lunch at a German brewery which was great. We got back to the ship with about an hour to spare. I highly recommend the Friends of Dave tour if you want an alternative to going into Berlin. It was a great value for the money. We would do it again in a heartbeat!

[TSC]

Would be interested in opinions from people who have both done the grueling ( yet worth it from many reviews ) trip to Berlin vs staying closer to port. Specifically looking at going with a Friends of Dave tour of Warnemunde and Schwerin as an alternative.

 

Anyone done both? If this is my one shot at Berlin ever is it a must do?

 

Hi Poker Dave

We did the Baltic last May and had a fabulous time - This was our 3rd European cruise and I almost always go into the "big" city. But I just couldn't get excited about the 3 hour train trip into Berlin and then back again - so we went with Friends of Dave to Schwerin. It was absolutely fabulous and I highly recommend the trip.

The Baltic is a really port intensive cruise and our day in Warnemunde and Schwerin was one of the high lights. We felt more like visitors than fly-by tourists packed into a bus from one "highlight" to the next.

Dave and Michael are special people and once you go on one of their tours you'll understand why its called "Friends of Dave!!"

 

Hi Dave and Michael - love you and can't wait to join you again!

TSC

[Giantfan13]

Warnemunde and some of the surrounding towns are wonderful. We took the ferry to Rostock and enjoyed a marvelous day. Rostock is a typical European town with friendly people.

 

What we did notice going into these towns in the former East Berlin, was that mnay of the 'older' people spoke no English, but most of the 'younger' ones spoke it well.

 

We stopped in for lunch in Rostock and loved the big glass they served the beer in. We asked if we could purchase one, as it would make a great souvenir. They sold us three for basically $2.00 each, a great bargain.

 

A few pix of Warnemunde and Rostock

 

Warnemunde Harbor area

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe363.jpg

 

Lighthouse and center at the beach in Warnemunde

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe446.jpg

 

Rostock Town center

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe381.jpg

 

Shoe store in Rostock, with displays on their steps

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe387.jpg

 

Sort of Armory in Rostock

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe391.jpg

 

The ferry ride is 40 minutes and a nice addition to a great day.

[dlr2]

Hi PokerDave! I must be in a parallel universe with Texansfortravel - we also took the Friends of Dave tour of Warnemunde and Wismar after deciding that 6 hrs of travel to/from Berlin would not do it the justice it deserved (plus now there's an excuse to schedule a visit to that city another time).

 

Both cities were lovely and the brewery where we had lunch in Wismar provided our favorite meal of the entire trip. We enjoyed our tour so much that we emailed Dave and asked him to be our guide when we docked in Travemunde later in the cruise, so if you opt not to go to Berlin, you have another great option....