Which ports are walkable from ship?

[SJ27]

Hi

This will be my first cruise so I do not know all the ins and outs, how to find where ships dock etc.

We are doing a Baltic cruise on the Emerald Princess later this month. I see from browsing some of the posts that on some ports the big ships dock away from the centre and one has to take a bus/shuttle to get in. Does anyone know which if any of the following ports we will have to do that from, and more specifically if Princess provides shuttles if we do (and if so if they charge?)

Thanks in advance... (I know St Petersburg everyone uses tour companies, and have left Copenhagen in though it is our embarkation port because the info might be useful to others)

 

Copenhagen, Denmark

Warnemunde, Berlin

Stockholm, Sweden

Helsinki, Finland

St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg, Russia

Tallinn, Estonia

Aarhus, Denmark

Oslo, Norway

[Keith1010]

I can speak to Copenhagen and Oslo. For Copenhagen there are two ports. The one we were in was walkable and so was Oslo.

 

Keith

[north-bound]

Stockholm has three main ports and ships don't always dock at the same place. So on June 17 the Emerald Princess will dock at Stadsgården and on June 29 at Frihamnen.

 

Here is a link to a map where you can find the different ports in relation to some of the main sights: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=200939608343314501629.000448dadb8bebb56f079&t=h&z=13

 

I would say that Stadsgården is walkable. Frihamnen would be a longer and rather boring walk so there it is better to take a bus. If you plan on taking a bus in Stockholm you should know that it is not possible to pay the driver. You will have to buy tickets before you enter a bus, and that can be done in the torurist info shop on the quay where you get off the ship.

[Danish viking]

The Emerald usually docks at the freeport terminal and that distance is not walkable, unless you want to walk for atleast 1 hour.

[SJ27]

Ah - I will be Frihamnen then - that is very useful information, thank you. Do you know how long the bus takes to get to the centre?

[sansterre]

Arhus and Tallin are very walkable from the ship and enjoyable.

In St. Petersburg you will need to be on a tour (with group visa) to get off the ship.

[Travelanni]

Hi

This will be my first cruise so I do not know all the ins and outs, how to find where ships dock etc.

We are doing a Baltic cruise on the Emerald Princess later this month. I see from browsing some of the posts that on some ports the big ships dock away from the centre and one has to take a bus/shuttle to get in. Does anyone know which if any of the following ports we will have to do that from, and more specifically if Princess provides shuttles if we do (and if so if they charge?)

Thanks in advance... (I know St Petersburg everyone uses tour companies, and have left Copenhagen in though it is our embarkation port because the info might be useful to others)

 

Copenhagen, Denmark

Warnemunde, Berlin

Stockholm, Sweden

Helsinki, Finland

St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg, Russia

Tallinn, Estonia

Aarhus, Denmark

Oslo, Norway

[/quote]

 

Hi,

Emerald Princess calls at Warnemunde three times during June and docks in two different places.

If you are due here on either 7th or 27th then you will dock at the Cruise Terminal in Warnemunde which is literally in the town itself, about 5mins walk to the centre. Warnemunde is a suburb of the City of Rostock and there are trains into the city centre from the station alongside the Terminal every 15mins.

If, however, you are due on 23rd then you will be docking in the main Port of Rostock which is on the other side of the river, some distance from the city. Most cruise companies put on shuttle buses to the city centre. There is both a bus and train service but the bus service, which involves at least one change, is infrequent and the station is a good 10min walk from the berth.

Happy cruising :)

Anni

[Ultima Thule]

Helsinki:

Emerald Princess 12th,18th, 30th June

West harbour - Hernesaari quay LHC.

About two miles straightforward walk through harbour area and (mostly Art Nouveau type) residential area to downtown.

Shuttle bus or local bus 16 available.

[Ultima Thule]

Ah - I will be Frihamnen then - that is very useful information, thank you. Do you know how long the bus takes to get to the centre?

 

About 20 minutes

[danishpastry]

Hi

This will be my first cruise so I do not know all the ins and outs, how to find where ships dock etc.

We are doing a Baltic cruise on the Emerald Princess later this month. I see from browsing some of the posts that on some ports the big ships dock away from the centre and one has to take a bus/shuttle to get in. Does anyone know which if any of the following ports we will have to do that from, and more specifically if Princess provides shuttles if we do (and if so if they charge?)

Thanks in advance... (I know St Petersburg everyone uses tour companies, and have left Copenhagen in though it is our embarkation port because the info might be useful to others)

 

 

I would recommend that you buy the DVD made by John Lawrence, you will find all the information that you need for the entire trip. A very valuable aid to planning your cruise.

[north-bound]

Ah - I will be Frihamnen then - that is very useful information, thank you. Do you know how long the bus takes to get to the centre?

 

The bus takes 7 minutes to go to Djurgårdsbron, the stop where you get off if you want to visit the area where you find the Vasa Museum, Skansen outdoor museum and Nordiska Museet. To go from Frihamnen to Gamla Stan, the oldest part of Stockholm where you find the Royal Palace and the Cathedral, will take 15 minutes.

[danne]

My husband and I love to walk as much as we can in each city so we may not be the best ones to offer advice, but Copenhagen, Tallinn and Stockholm are all walkable. Even the farthest port in Stockholm was an easy walk. We took the RCI provided shuttle in Helsinki, but we should have walked that one, too. If you want a little extra exercise, I'd definitely recommend walking it!

[Giantfan13]

Hi

This will be my first cruise so I do not know all the ins and outs, how to find where ships dock etc.

We are doing a Baltic cruise on the Emerald Princess later this month. I see from browsing some of the posts that on some ports the big ships dock away from the centre and one has to take a bus/shuttle to get in. Does anyone know which if any of the following ports we will have to do that from, and more specifically if Princess provides shuttles if we do (and if so if they charge?)

Thanks in advance... (I know St Petersburg everyone uses tour companies, and have left Copenhagen in though it is our embarkation port because the info might be useful to others)

 

Copenhagen, Denmark

Warnemunde, Berlin

Stockholm, Sweden

Helsinki, Finland

St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg, Russia

Tallinn, Estonia

Aarhus, Denmark

Oslo, Norway

 

 

You have chosen a great crusie for your first one. You will simply LOVE the Baltics.

You have also gotten some great info already. It does get a bit confusing as to where each ship docks, but it is very simple to get to the main parts of town, even using public transportation. So don't fret about it too much.

First, it will also depend on how old you are, what condition you are in, are you part of a group, little children along etc, etc.

 

Let's get some out of the way right away. In St Petersburg, unless you get your own Russian Visa, you will not be allowed off the ship. Most people book an independent tour company right from St Petersburg, (preferred) or do a ship excursion. If you want to do it yourself, you will dock far away from the center of St Petersburg and you will have to find taxi or public transportation to get you around. Since nothing is in English, it presents a huge problem.

 

Tallinn is VERY easy to walk from the ship to the town and all around. There is a great walking tour of Tallinn on this site. Just do a search and it will come up. Tallinn does have an incline to get to the top of the hill, but it is nothing anyone who can walk normally can't do. Just a great walking town.

 

Copenhagen is another city that you should be able to walk from the dock to most attractions. If you dock at Langeline, you are 10 minutes form the Little Mermaid, and from there most of the city is within a mile or so with great things to see and do on that walk.

 

Stockholm, as has been said, presents different problems. Docking at Frihamnen, you need some sort of public transportation to get you to Vasa or Gamla Stan, where most people want to go. They usually have HoHo buses at the dock, but they are expensive. You can use public buses, or reserve a taxi to meet you at the dock. Not really walkable into town, and you will still need some sort of Public transportation to get you from one place to another, it's pretty spread out.

 

Helsinki is another port that you will need some sort of transportation to get you to most attractions. You really need to get to Market Square, the hub of the city, where most things start from. The ship may have a shuttle, but most people take the public bus, or again, try and get a taxi.

 

AS for Warnemunde, many people use this port as a starting point to go to many other places in Germany. If you decide to just stay in Warnemunde or even go to Rostock, the neighboring city, you can walk easily to the ferry dock or train station to get to where you want to go. Warnemunde is also the starting point to get to Berlin. You can go on your own, by train, or book any one of several tours that will get you there. Most tours will pick you up right at the ship.

The other cities I haven't been to, so I cannot comment on them.

 

Here are a few of my pics to help you get acquainted with the Baltics

 

In Copenhagen, visit the Nyhavn section and do the Canal Boat tour, just a great place to wander around

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

 

If you go to Rostock, you will find an attractive city, with some great shops and wonderful attractions

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

 

In Tallinn, enjoy all the old world charm of this wonderful city

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster584.jpg

 

In St Petersburg, at Peterhof, you will be amazed at the scope of this magnificent place

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe730.jpg

 

In Helsinki, not far from Market square is the Lutheran Cathedral

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1062.jpg

 

Stockholm is just a great city. In Gamla Stan you can explore narrow cobblestone streets,

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1268.jpg

 

So much old world charm, so much history, you will simply love the Baltics

 

Cheers

 

Len

[SJ27]

THANKS everyone for all the helpful info, and thanksGiantfan13 for all the links!

Danishpastry, what is the DVD and where do I buy it? (I live in South Africa so no point if I need to order it from Europe or US, it probably won't get here before we leave)

 

I don't mind walking - we will have a 2 1/2 year old with us but will have a stroller - BUT only really if it is somewhere nice to walk through. Given the limited time in ports I want to SEE stuff!

 

By the way, we have travelled fairly extensively... less so since the baby came along :D The cruise is to see an area we have wanted to see for ages without having to pack and unpack and schlep the child through various bus/train stations, ferry ports etc! In other words, we are doing this for the itinerary, not for the "cruise" experience, about which to be honest I am still in two minds, but let's see if the bug bites!

[Giantfan13]

You are most welcome.

Be aware that cities like Tallinn and the Gamla Stan area of Stockholm, most of the streets are cobblestone which may make pushing a baby stroller a bit harder.

As I said, Tallinn is a must walk thru town. It is part of the experience there.

Copenhagen is another very enjoyable walking town. You will see much more just by walking from place to place.

 

 

Again, have a great time

 

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Joulupukki]

St. Petersburg:

Local Bus 158 Metro Primorskaya - Marine Facade Passenger Port

http://www.orgp.ru/rasp/115438119.html

[Cornishpastyman1]

THANKS everyone for all the helpful info, and thanksGiantfan13 for all the links!

Danishpastry, what is the DVD and where do I buy it? (I live in South Africa so no point if I need to order it from Europe or US, it probably won't get here before we leave)

 

I don't mind walking - we will have a 2 1/2 year old with us but will have a stroller - BUT only really if it is somewhere nice to walk through. Given the limited time in ports I want to SEE stuff!

 

By the way, we have travelled fairly extensively... less so since the baby came along :D The cruise is to see an area we have wanted to see for ages without having to pack and unpack and schlep the child through various bus/train stations, ferry ports etc! In other words, we are doing this for the itinerary, not for the "cruise" experience, about which to be honest I am still in two minds, but let's see if the bug bites!

 

Hello

 

In case you can't get John Lawrence's DVD here are the videos I made last year from most of the ports you will visit.

 

Copenhagen

 

Berlin

 

The Berlin Wall

 

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

 

Helsinki

 

Suomenlinna (Fortress of Finland)

 

St Petersburg

 

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLrNXXB2Qr8

 

The Winter Palace/Hermitage State Museum

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

 

Tallin

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

 

Stockholm

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

 

Royal Warship Vasa & the Vasa Museum

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

 

All the best to you all on this cruise - wish I was going again.

Tony

[SJ27]

Thank you Tony!! :)

[CintiPam]

Stockholm, as has been said, presents different problems. Docking at Frihamnen, you need some sort of public transportation to get you to Vasa or Gamla Stan, where most people want to go. They usually have HoHo buses at the dock, but they are expensive. You can use public buses, or reserve a taxi to meet you at the dock. Not really walkable into town, and you will still need some sort of Public transportation to get you from one place to another, it's pretty spread out.

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

Hey, Len, we disembark in Stockholm at Frihamnen. Do you really have to reserve a taxi to our hotel in advance? We have never done so at other disembarkation ports.

[Giantfan13]

Hey, Len, we disembark in Stockholm at Frihamnen. Do you really have to reserve a taxi to our hotel in advance? We have never done so at other disembarkation ports.

 

Pam

 

When we docked at Frihamnem, we were just there for the day. Yes, there were taxi's around, but they were quickly gone as many off the ship grabbed them for a quicker route to where ever they were going. If you are disembarking you have all your luggage, so public transportation may not be an option.

 

Maybe one of the locals can advise you a bit further on this. How does everyone get to where they are going when the ship docks there??

 

Cheers

 

Len

[CintiPam]

I asked on Al Frescoe's thread (Do you need advice about Stockholm?) as well. I wrote one company and they said that I needed to supply them with a cell phone number, which I will not have there. Thinking of taking the bus to the Central Station and then a taxi from there.