Baltics Bargains????

[PattyWinters503]

So in about 32 days I will be leaving for my NCL Baltics capital cruise...

 

My daughter and I are in desperate need of retail therapy since this is a bitter sweet cruise since my husband passed away the week we booked it from a massive heart attack on his 43rd birthday. We are interested in learning about the bargains you all got in te Baltics. I have heard that diamonds in Russia are pretty inexpensive...any ideas?

 

Tell us about what you couldnt leave without!! Shopping addicts need to know!!

 

Thanks!

[Giantfan13]

So in about 32 days I will be leaving for my NCL Baltics capital cruise...

 

My daughter and I are in desperate need of retail therapy since this is a bitter sweet cruise since my husband passed away the week we booked it from a massive heart attack on his 43rd birthday. We are interested in learning about the bargains you all got in the Baltics. I have heard that diamonds in Russia are pretty inexpensive...any ideas?

 

Tell us about what you couldn't leave without!! Shopping addicts need to know!!

 

Thanks!

 

There have been several great threads about waht people bought as souvenirs et al from their Baltic crusie. If you do a search, you will find several of them. Here is one that was around for a while

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1181057

 

Many people buy Amber in Tallinn, but if you do, try and stay with reputable shops and not from booths on the street.

 

In Tallinn, there are several great areas that you can get some great buys on sweaters, or anything woolen from these booths along the perimeter wall

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe622.jpg

 

In Helsinki, do try and get to Market Square, where you can buy most anything, from great food to any sort of souvenir you might want

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster1150.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1148.jpg

 

If you can get to some of the street vendors in St Petersburg, you can get great buys on things that would cost a lot more in the regular stores, AND, you can bargain with them. They will accept any sort of currency, US dollars need to be fairly new though.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe662.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len

[TLCOhio]

So in about 32 days I will be leaving for my NCL Baltics capital cruise... My daughter and I are in desperate need of retail therapy since this is a bitter sweet cruise since my husband passed away the week we booked it from a massive heart attack on his 43rd birthday. We are interested in learning about the bargains you all got in te Baltics. I have heard that diamonds in Russia are pretty inexpensive...any ideas? Tell us about what you couldnt leave without!! Shopping addicts need to know!! Thanks!

 

Sorry about your family loss, especially on this date, Father's Day. Tallinn is one of the great cities for shopping. It's not the fancy, high-end stuff, but you will enjoy it much. Below are some visual samples for what is there to see and enjoy. Be careful on supposed "bargains" for diamonds in Russia. Maybe they are cheap because they are not real diamonds??? They are some creative dealers in some parts of Europe. Are you doing a private tour in St. Petersburg? There are some nice shops there that have high-quality items, but not all of the "better stuff" is cheap. It's too bad your port stop in the town an hour south of Stockholm is so far away and so short. Will you spend added time in Copenhagen before or after your cruise? That's a super wonderful city with such great history and architecture.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Shopping is great in Tallinn. Inside a nice linen shop:

 

 

 

Tallinn street with shops, flowers, church tower, etc.:

 

 

 

Tallinn street shop vendor with various woolen items:

 

 

 

 

Helsinki’s main market is right on the water with lots of goods and foods for sale:

 

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “New” Harbor is actually old and charming with lots of outdoor dining options and nearby shopping:

 

 

 

Beautiful church towers and buildings in St. Petersburg:

 

[PattyWinters503]

What great pics and what great links!! Thank you!

 

I think I will look into those nesting dolls. ALso interested in the eggs? I am also interested in amber...I usually get a piece on board so that will be interesting to see what they have to offer...

 

 

ANd yes I would love to get a diamond....lol

 

Does the shopping expert on the ships usually talk about that?

 

and yes...yesterday was the worst day for my daughter and I to date...It was like it just happened....just surreal but this is supposed to be my happy place so thank you for your condolences... :-)

[TLCOhio]

What great pics and what great links!! Thank you! I think I will look into those nesting dolls. ALso interested in the eggs? I am also interested in amber...I usually get a piece on board so that will be interesting to see what they have to offer... and yes...yesterday was the worst day for my daughter and I to date...It was like it just happened....just surreal but this is supposed to be my happy place so thank you for your condolences... :-)

 

THANKS for the nice comments on the pictures! The range of quality on these nesting dolls is large. In the good shops you can see that wide ranges of qualities. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[PattyWinters503]

THANKS for the nice comments on the pictures! The range of quality on these nesting dolls is large. In the good shops you can see that wide ranges of qualities. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

what woulld you say the price range is?

[TLCOhio]

what woulld you say the price range is?

 

Sorry, I don't recall those specifics that well. PLUS, the dollar was very weak then in late July 2008. The euro and other currencies nearby have sunk lots since then. Rough guess? $25-200. The best ones looked it, extremely nice. The cheap ones look that lower-quality way to match the price.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[Giantfan13]

Sorry, I didn't mention it before, but please accept my condolences on your loss. I'm sure it was a tough day on Sunday.

 

And, also, thank you for the nice comments on the pix.

 

As I said, amber is very big in Tallinn, and you will see it everywhere, but be very careful where you shop. several people have come here telling us how they got ripped off by some street vendor, giving them 'a bargain'. I would stay away from the street vendors for this, and shop some where where you can use your charge card, just in case you are not getting what you paid for.

 

The nesting dolls from St Petersburg are just wonderful gifts, for yourself or anyone else you wish to bring some home for. They can range from very inexpensive, say $10-20, to well into the hundreds, depending on how many are in the set and how much work and detail went into the painting of them. The street vendors can get you a good buy and average priced ones, but if you want the high end type, I would again, stay with a shop where you can charge your purchases. My DW bought a wonderful music box from one of the vendors, one which we later saw on the ship for 3 X what we paid, so there are bargains out there. A nice bottle of Russian Vodka is also a great gift for some one, and it is fairly inexpensive there.

 

Just to get you orientated, in Copenhagen, you can walk to the Nyhavn section where there are many wonderful places to eat and shop, be sure to walk down both sides of the canal

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster248.jpg

 

From Nyhavn, Copenhagen's best shopping is down the Stroget, which is about a 5 block pedestrian mall with all shopping. Many high end stores are here. Can't say if there are bargains, but there is a lot to shop for.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster303.jpg

 

If your ship docks in Warnemunde, try to get over to Rostock where there are a plethora of great shops. We bought calendars in many European languages as gifts here.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe382.jpg

 

And if you like shoes, just stop by this store and try on a few pair

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

 

And then there is Stockholm, specifically Gamla stan, just an amazing area of just marvelous little shops to explore and find great bargains. The fun here is to try and get off the main path and find some little shop tucked away on one of the many small narrow cobblestone streets

Here is the main street with all shops and restaurants

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster1275.jpg

 

Here is the main square in Gamla Stan where you can shop, have some great food, or just relax and watch the people

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1265.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len