Ship side preference and private tours

[RamRam]

Our group of 10 just reserved cabins on July 11 sailing on NCL's Norwegian Sun (itinerary is Copenhagen-Warrenmunde-Helsinki-St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Stockholm/Nynashamn-Copenhagen). I wanted to get some insight and advice from those of you who have been on this itinerary.

 

1. Given the ports, any insight on which side is preferrable (port or starboard)? Right now, we are in a position to get mid ship cabins in a row on Norway deck (deck 10).

2. Any advice and recommendations on private tour operators at the ports we'd be stopping at?

3. How long is the drive from Nynashamn to Stockholm, and Warrenmunde to Berlin. Do we have enough time to see the highlights?

 

Thank you!

[Cornishpastyman1]

Our group of 10 just reserved cabins on July 11 sailing on NCL's Norwegian Sun (itinerary is Copenhagen-Warrenmunde-Helsinki-St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Stockholm/Nynashamn-Copenhagen). I wanted to get some insight and advice from those of you who have been on this itinerary.

 

1. Given the ports, any insight on which side is preferrable (port or starboard)? Right now, we are in a position to get mid ship cabins in a row on Norway deck (deck 10).

2. Any advice and recommendations on private tour operators at the ports we'd be stopping at?

3. How long is the drive from Nynashamn to Stockholm, and Warrenmunde to Berlin. Do we have enough time to see the highlights?

 

Thank you!

 

1. Which side you are on makes no difference whatsoever.

 

2. Assuming you and the group do a bit of research before you go, only at Berlin and St Petersburg will a paid-for tour be absolutely necessary.

 

The rest can be done by just walking around and using the time as you want. I did this :

 

Copenhagen

 

The canal ride takes about an hour and cost 60 DKK, although others on the ship took one that cost 30 DKK which sounded identical and which they really enjoyed.

 

Berlin

and the Berlin Wall

 

(I didn't visit Berlin from a cruise but had about the same amount of time as you will have - around 6 hours) It's a 3 hour transfer from Warnemunde but well worth it IMHO.

 

Helsinki

 

Suomenlinna (Fortress of Finland)

 

Just buy a day ticket that's good for buses, trams and ferries (6.80 Euros in June 2010) and off you go.

St Petersburg

The 'big one' on any Baltic cruise. There is a stack of fantastic advice on these boards, which basically boils down to booking a two-day tour with one of several excellent operators. I did this in my 2 days :

The Fountains of Peterhof

 

The Catherine Palace at Pushkin

 

Peter and Paul Fortress/Cathedral

 

St Isaac's Cathedral

 

Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood

 

The Winter Palace/Hermitage State Museum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=driudAEkocs

 

Nearly all 2-day tours go to at least 5 of these 6, and with your ready-made group of 10 you can pretty much write you own schedule with any of them - maybe add in the Yusupov Palace or whatever - it's entirely up to you. It will cost around $300 per person, plus a 10% tip.

 

Tallin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAC8F_2qTTY

 

The town is a 10 minute level walk from the ship. Lovely town, just the right size for exploring in leisurely fashion on foot.

 

Stockholm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NweRnGqZ1k

 

Royal Warship Vasa & the Vasa Museum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x45l1WMZOXA

 

 

Nynamsham is an hour's coach-ride from Stockholm, and you will miss sailing through the Archipelago (like my cruise did). But you can still have a good 5 hours there.

 

Entrance to the Vasa Museum cost 120 Swedish Krona.

 

So the answer to 3. is yes, you will have time to see the highlights and I'm sure you'll have a really memorable trip.

 

 

All the best, Tony

 

 

[newfarmers]

dec 10, so all balconies? nice.

 

Not hugely scenic from a 'which side ' perpective (IMO). Both sides I'd say just as good. Most amazing cruising experience for us was after we'd left St P and we sailed through the Russian military base out on a few islands. Was very surreal.

 

Nynashamn - take the 'Stockholm on your own' unless you really l;ove ship's shore excursions. Those who took the 'Stockholm sampler' said they sampled pretty much nothing and were just eft with a bad taste in their mouth. We chose to take the train in and lost well over an hour - when our train was pulling away, the first 'on your own' people were walking in the Vasa and we were first independents off. Money saved v time lost was a poor call on our part.

 

Warnemunde - we hired a car through Hertz but due to your numbers this wouldn't be an option. Those who took the SPb Berlin tour appeared much happier with their day than those on the ship's tour into Berlin. If you book both Berlin and St P with SPb you get a discount on at least one of them, maybe both?

 

St P. We all have our own opinions on who is the best private tour company. They are all great. Accept that you will leave the ship maybe 45 minutes after the first ship's tours (if you go with a private company, or unless NCL cease their woeful discrimination) but realise you will make that time up in a flash as your minvans are much more nimble on St P's streets than large buses and you won't have endless toilet stops etc.

 

Sun's a lovely ship and will be even nicer after her drydock eary next year.

 

Our travelpod blog (click in sig below) details our Europe holiday this year with one or two pics :D