Best line for Baltic Capitals

[YoungDubFan]

I'm starting my research for a Baltic Capitals cruise for June 2014. I'm looking at 9-10 days total, with at least 2 full days in St. Petersburg. I see that Holland America, Princess, and NCL all offer a similar itinerary. Any suggestions for one over the other? I've done a Rhine River cruise on Avalon and a few Caribbean cruises on Carnival when I'm younger. I know I don't want to be on a huge cruise ship and would prefer ~2500 passengers or less. I'll take any and all suggestions as to how to narrow this down.

[Ashland]

I'm starting my research for a Baltic Capitals cruise for June 2014. I'm looking at 9-10 days total, with at least 2 full days in St. Petersburg. I see that Holland America, Princess, and NCL all offer a similar itinerary. Any suggestions for one over the other? I've done a Rhine River cruise on Avalon and a few Caribbean cruises on Carnival when I'm younger. I know I don't want to be on a huge cruise ship and would prefer ~2500 passengers or less. I'll take any and all suggestions as to how to narrow this down.

We sailed RCI out of Harwich for our Baltic cruise..You might want to consider them as well..although it is a 12 night..After many cruises this was our favorite itinerary...and the 2 port days in St Petersburg was amazing...Enjoy !!

[KirkNC]

I think you will find this is like asking which car brand people like. The answers will be the lines the responder sails. In our case, we prefer HAL or X.

[spirit rev]

I'm starting my research for a Baltic Capitals cruise for June 2014. I'm looking at 9-10 days total, with at least 2 full days in St. Petersburg. I see that Holland America, Princess, and NCL all offer a similar itinerary. Any suggestions for one over the other? I've done a Rhine River cruise on Avalon and a few Caribbean cruises on Carnival when I'm younger. I know I don't want to be on a huge cruise ship and would prefer ~2500 passengers or less. I'll take any and all suggestions as to how to narrow this down.

Each line has its strengths and weaknesses. I'd advise reading about the various lines/ships on the various boards devoted to all things about that cruise line. If you want to sail on a ship with less than 2500 passengers, I'd check carefully which ships sailing this itinerary are that size.

 

I do believe that the NCL ship in the Baltics comes in about that size. I personally like NCL and have never had any real problems with their more laid back cruise experience. I do enjoy not having a set time to be in the dining room so their main dining experience works well for me. I also enjoyed the more refined but still lively offerings of Princess, although in researching possible cruises with them, most of their ships are over 3,000 passengers. Princess has a small (680 passenger) ship doing the Baltics but it is a 14 night so doesn't meet some of your criteria.

[TLCOhio]

I'm starting my research for a Baltic Capitals cruise for June 2014. I'm looking at 9-10 days total, with at least 2 full days in St. Petersburg. I see that Holland America, Princess, and NCL all offer a similar itinerary. Any suggestions for one over the other? I've done a Rhine River cruise on Avalon and a few Caribbean cruises on Carnival when I'm younger. I know I don't want to be on a huge cruise ship and would prefer ~2500 passengers or less. I'll take any and all suggestions as to how to narrow this down.

 

KirkNC: I think you will find this is like asking which car brand people like. The answers will be the lines the responder sails. In our case' date=' we prefer HAL or X. [/quote']

 

Good question by our "neighbor" here in Ohio. Kirk above has made a good point. In the range of cruise line/ship you are seeking, it is like a car. Different people tend to like their past choice. And will tell you that this is the "best". The truth in the Baltics is that the cruise line is somewhat important, but here and for other places in Europe, it can be more about the ports you will be visiting. These are port-intensive areas and you don't have as much time for the cruise ship and that focus/need. You are busy, busy during your days in these various great port. Unlike some areas in the Carib, your wide range of great port options are huge, especially if you like history, architecture, culture, shopping, etc., etc.

 

Tell us more on your personal interests, travel style, past Europe experiences, etc. Also the port you sail out of and/or finish at could be important, especially if you want to have added time in that country either pre or post cruise.

 

Below are a few of my visuals as a preview for many of the top options to see and experience in this great region of the world. Reactions and added questions??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 111,800 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 88,457 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band. This Rococo summer residence of the Russian Czars is located in the town of Pushkin, 15 miles SE of St. Petersburg. The residence originated in 1717, when Catherine I engaged a German architect to construct a summer palace for her pleasure. In 1752, Empress Anna found her mother's residence outdated and had her court architect demolish the old structure and replace it with a much grander edifice in a flamboyant Rococo style. Construction lasted for four years and in 1756 the new 325-meter-long palace amazed courtiers, foreign ambassadors and other visitors. During Elizabeth's lifetime, the palace was famed for its lavish exterior, including more than 100 kilograms of gold used to gild the sophisticated stucco façade and numerous statues erected on the roof.:

 

 

 

Here are some of the fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. The greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. This elevation difference creates the pressure driving most of the fountains for the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.: : [/b]

 

 

 

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard is one of the key highlights and is handy, close to the next-door historic old town area. :

 

 

 

Helsinki’s Church of Rock, or Temppeliaukion Kirkko, is carved out of solid stone with a unique contemporary design.:

 

 

 

Dancers marching in Tallinn’s festival parade near the stone towers of the famous Viru Gate:

 

 

 

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

 

[sho]

Seven Seas is doing a discount (about 30%) offer for Baltic cruise in July and August 2014, with free flights and free excursions included. I think it's a fantastic deal.

[Stelladoro]

Last year, we switched from a 12 night Celebrity Constellation to an 11 night Emerald Princess cruise, mostly because of a large price reduction and cruise started in the Baltic (Copenhagen). The Princess cruise only had 2 sea days, while the Celebrity ship had 4 sea days ( 2 sea days required to sail from Amsterdam to the Baltic and return).

Although the Emerald Princess is a larger ship, it was not fully booked and did not feel crowded. The Princess cruise was definitely more port intensive, as it offered 2 extra stops in Oslo, Norway and a smaller city of Aarhus, Denmark, as well as the 2 days in St. Petersburg.

I don't know if this has changed, but the NCL ships used to dock a fair distance from Stockholm, which would not be our first choice.

[YoungDubFan]

I appreciate the feedback. I'll try to give some more info. I like port intensive itineraries. I kind of look at the ship as a ferry / floating hotel - a means to get me to the ports with the benefit of being able to unpack once. I'm taking my mother on this trip with me and she will be 74 when we sail. She was an English and History major back in college and therefore is fascinated with the history / culture of the areas.

 

I don't need anticipate needing all of the fluff / extras that some of the newer cruise ships offer - I won't use a climbing wall, skating rink, basketball court, etc. Having access to some shows in the evening will be nice but also realize that we may be so tired after touring all day that a drink or two in a lounge may be sufficient. Food is important, but I don't see that I would avail myself of all the specialty restaurants. I tend to be perfectly content with main dining room for dinner and buffet for breakfast or lunch.

 

I've done a Greek Islands cruise on Louis Cruises and was perfectly happy with this cruise. I had time in Athens pre cruise, then did Patmos, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Ephesus / Kusadasi (Turkey), and disembarked in Santorini. Many think Louis is a very basic cruise line, but it was the one cruise that allowed us to see so many islands in such a short time. I've also done land tours in Slovakia, Vienna, Ireland, and Egypt. These were nice but since I'm going with my mom, she really wants to be able to unpack just once.

 

I'm looking at leaving from Copenhagen, which allows us to do all the capitals, with two days in St. Petersburg, on an 9-10 day cruise. I have a travel agent that I work with, and I'm requesting brochures from the cruise lines, so it will give me plenty of reading to do. I'll come back as I get more questions. I'll also look into 7Seas.

[TLCOhio]

I appreciate the feedback. I'll try to give some more info. I like port intensive itineraries. I kind of look at the ship as a ferry / floating hotel - a means to get me to the ports with the benefit of being able to unpack once. I'm taking my mother on this trip with me and she will be 74 when we sail. She was an English and History major back in college and therefore is fascinated with the history / culture of the areas. I don't need anticipate needing all of the fluff / extras that some of the newer cruise ships offer - I won't use a climbing wall, skating rink, basketball court, etc. Having access to some shows in the evening will be nice but also realize that we may be so tired after touring all day that a drink or two in a lounge may be sufficient. Food is important, but I don't see that I would avail myself of all the specialty restaurants. I tend to be perfectly content with main dining room for dinner and buffet for breakfast or lunch. I've done a Greek Islands cruise on Louis Cruises and was perfectly happy with this cruise. I had time in Athens pre cruise, then did Patmos, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Ephesus / Kusadasi (Turkey), and disembarked in Santorini. Many think Louis is a very basic cruise line, but it was the one cruise that allowed us to see so many islands in such a short time. I've also done land tours in Slovakia, Vienna, Ireland, and Egypt. These were nice but since I'm going with my mom, she really wants to be able to unpack just once. I'm looking at leaving from Copenhagen, which allows us to do all the capitals, with two days in St. Petersburg, on an 9-10 day cruise. I have a travel agent that I work with, and I'm requesting brochures from the cruise lines, so it will give me plenty of reading to do. I'll come back as I get more questions. I'll also look into 7Seas.

 

Looks like our Ohio neighbor has a pretty good handle on these Europe cruises, the port-intensive nature of things, past experiences there, etc. Agree that it is a reasonable approach to consider cruises in this area as featuring the "ship as a ferry / floating hotel".

 

Regent Seven Seas includes lots of "extras" in one price, BUT, the overall sticker price tends to be high, high. Depends on your budget and range. Some cruise lines, especially those a little more luxury and smaller will many times spend three days in St. Petersburg, allowing more time and options, including doing a one-day trip over and back to Moscow. Lots of options to consider.

 

YES, departing from Copenhagen is super smart. Great city, plus close and handy to the other key ports and places in the Baltics.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 111,800 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 88,457 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[salboz]

RCL has a twice a year sailing to Russia and the Baltics, stopping in St. Petersburg for 3 nights, which allows for a visit to Moscow. Smaller, older ship but serves the purpose of getting me where I want to go for a very reasonable price. Have always found great service and good food on RCL/

[teacherman]

I have been asked this question many times. My advice is basically: try to fly in at least 2 days early to get over jet lag AND visit the embarkation port. Also, select a ship which goes in and out of Stockholm through the archipelago, a beautiful 3 hour trip, rather than a large ship which docks a distance away and forces you to take a 45 minute train ride. We went on HAL's Amsterdam, and had a great time. HAL has an "older" crowd here, but I did not find that to be the case in the Baltic.

[kestrel]

I have answered similar question multiple times :)

 

1. At least 2 days in St.P is a must. I see that you've already got this one covered.

2. One day is really not enough for many Baltic capitals. Therefore, you should choose the embark and disembark ports to allow extra pre- and/or post-cruise stay. A cruise with different start and ending ports will allow you to do both.

3. If your itinerary includes Stockholm, make sure that the cruise will sail through the Swedish Archipelago.

4. Choose the itinerary that includes all your "must see" places (e.g., Berlin, Oslo, Stockholm, etc.).

 

Personally I don't think cruise line is so important when compared to itinerary.

[mollyredone]

I haven't gone on my cruise yet, but have booked it on Oceania's Marina next July. It starts in Copenhagen and ends up in Stockholm, spending 2 days in St. Petersburg. I think it has less than 2500 passengers. I've been reading reviews on this board.

 

HTH, Mari

[Chai Cruise Enthusiast#18]

I am taking a 14 day Nordic Explorer cruise on Oceania's Marina ship. There are 1250 passengers and my cruise spends 3 days in St. Petersburg. I took a Mediterranean cruise with them last year on the Insignia which had 684 passenges and loved the experience. My cruise was enhanced by meeting fellow passengers on Cruise Critic and taking customized independent tours with no more than 16 passengers.

 

Chai Cruise Enthusiast #18