Baltic ports good for a 4 year-old?

[MariahJ]

I am planning my family's next vacation and I'm very interested in Baltics, but a little worried that the ports won't have enough kid-focused activities. I'm especially worried about St. Petersburg. That is the highlight of the cruise, but the only things I can see for my DD to do are the zoo and aquarium, and we don't need to go to Russia for that! Any ideas?

[Smmessineo]

I took a Baltic cruise when my daughters were in their teens, but I remember there were kid friendly things such as children's museums, parks ( like Tivoli in Copenhagen) in the major city ports.

Please consider this, though. A four year old isn't going to remember much from this vacation.... But the adults will. Make sure you see the beautiful cultural things in the Baltics, especially in St. Petersburg. If you focus on a small child's interests you'll miss out on a lot !

 

 

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[dolfans0704]

You can check out the "kid-friendly" tours offered by Best Guides in SPB and get the best of both worlds! They sound fun!

http://www.bestguides-spb.com/children-page.html

 

 

 

 

Dolfans from Miami

[eandj]

A four year old on a Baltic cruise...hmmm wouldn't be easy keeping them entertained if you want to enjoy the cruise as an adult. As stated, the young child will be living by the minute...where you will be looking for those long term memories.

 

You won't be able to get off the ship in St Petersburg without ship booked excursion/s. Check what they offer you.

 

Also you might want to go to one of the boards here related to family cruising for some ideas. Both for on and off the ship! Have a wonderful time!

[Alaskanb]

 

You won't be able to get off the ship in St Petersburg without ship booked excursion/s. Check what they offer you.

 

!

Totally incorrect.

[Blazerboy]

Not sure if your Baltic cruise stops in Amsterdam, but if so, you MUST take an excursion to Madurodam. It's a miniaturized village/city that you can walk through like giants. It's mechanically functioning, so that the planes move at the airport, the ships move in the harbor, and there's even a couple that keep getting married at the cathedral. I saw it when I was four, and it stuck with me as one of my clearest memories of that trip, so much so that I went back when I was 30 to see if it was still magical (it was). Google it. On my cruise when I was 30, it was ashore excursion from the ship.

 

Andrew

[MariahJ]

Not sure if your Baltic cruise stops in Amsterdam, but if so, you MUST take an excursion to Madurodam. It's a miniaturized village/city that you can walk through like giants. It's mechanically functioning, so that the planes move at the airport, the ships move in the harbor, and there's even a couple that keep getting married at the cathedral. I saw it when I was four, and it stuck with me as one of my clearest memories of that trip, so much so that I went back when I was 30 to see if it was still magical (it was). Google it. On my cruise when I was 30, it was ashore excursion from the ship.

 

Andrew

 

None of the itineraries we are considering go to Amsterdam, BUT this is our #1 choice for a stop-over if we can arrange one through the airline (we're using FF miles so this is quite common). Thanks for the suggestion!

[Desdichado62]

I am planning my family's next vacation and I'm very interested in Baltics, but a little worried that the ports won't have enough kid-focused activities. I'm especially worried about St. Petersburg. That is the highlight of the cruise, but the only things I can see for my DD to do are the zoo and aquarium, and we don't need to go to Russia for that! Any ideas?

 

For Stockholm, Junibacken and/or toy museum.

 

http://www.junibacken.se/lang/english http://www.leksaksmuseet.se/html/english.htm

[hubofhockey]

None of the itineraries we are considering go to Amsterdam, BUT this is our #1 choice for a stop-over if we can arrange one through the airline (we're using FF miles so this is quite common). Thanks for the suggestion!

 

KLM offers free layovers in Amsterdam. This is something we will be doing next year before our cruise, which embarks in Copenhagen. I don't think Amsterdam would be a great destination for kids. Our kids are teens and we will be taking them to Paris and London, but purposely avoiding Amsterdam on that trip.

[drarill]

I am planning my family's next vacation and I'm very interested in Baltics, but a little worried that the ports won't have enough kid-focused activities. I'm especially worried about St. Petersburg. That is the highlight of the cruise, but the only things I can see for my DD to do are the zoo and aquarium, and we don't need to go to Russia for that! Any ideas?

 

In Russia, don't try to do something for her. Copenhagen is another story, she is going to love the Tivoli Gardens. I've been traveling with my children since they were 1 and 2 y/o. They are D+ in RCCL and experienced cruisers. We try to do fun excursions for them in some ports and educational excursions in other ports. Don't miss the opportunity to explore St. Petersburg, it is an amazing city. My children were only 8 and 9 on their first Baltic cruise and now at 14 and 15 we are going back next week. This time we are going to Moscow with them. :):)

[eandj]

Totally incorrect.

 

A Russian Visa IS needed if you plan on exploring St. P. on your own. Our daughter just came back last week from there and the Baltic on Princess. Book a shore excursion and maybe some private company excursions and it is waived. She was restricted to sticking with the ship excursion and was not given time to roam on her own. You might want to read over this recent thread here as well as google the

info cruisers need to know.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1872443&highlight=russian+visa

[joyride21]

A Russian Visa IS needed if you plan on exploring St. P. on your own. Our daughter just came back last week from there and the Baltic on Princess. Book a shore excursion and maybe some private company excursions and it is waived. She was restricted to sticking with the ship excursion and was not given time to roam on her own. You might want to read over this recent thread here as well as google the

info cruisers need to know.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1872443&highlight=russian+visa

 

I'm pretty sure Alaskanb's response was aimed at the assertion that you need to be on a ship excursion to disembark in Russia. That is totally incorrect. What you have posted here is much closer to the truth. You must be a ship excursion OR a private company excursion. (Or get a visa independently before arriving in Russia...) All of the major ones will provide tourist visas. Since the visa requirement does exist, private tour companies would not be in business long if they did not provide it. I was just in Russia via Vision of the Seas in May and had no issues using a private company.

[eandj]

I'm pretty sure Alaskanb's response was aimed at the assertion that you need to be on a ship excursion to disembark in Russia. .

 

 

The OP requested ideas especially in St P. for things to do with her daughter. She mentioned zoo and aquarium. I was concerned that she thought she could plan these kinds of outings, as at many other ports, without an excursion. That is why I mentioned to her that she should check what excursions she can get. She would be best off by doing the research needed ahead of time. One cannot move thru the city on one's personal itinerary without risking some problems.

This is the site we used a few months ago for info..

 

http://petersburgcity.com/for-tourists/visa/cruises/

[aquilegia]

The OP requested ideas especially in St P. for things to do with her daughter. She mentioned zoo and aquarium. I was concerned that she thought she could plan these kinds of outings, as at many other ports, without an excursion. That is why I mentioned to her that she should check what excursions she can get.

 

But you specifically said that you cannot get off the ship without 'ship-booked' excursions. Those are your words. That is totally wrong so you ought not to be surprised that you were picked up on it by other posters. I don't understand why you say your daughter was restricted to a ship's excursion. Your statement that 'maybe (underlined) some private excursions' also waive the visa gives a totally misleading impression. The fact is that ALL accredited local tour companies (Alla, Denrus, SPB etc, etc) make exactly the same 'block' visa arrangements for their clients as the cruise line does for the ship tours. The bottom line here is that if the OP wants to take her child to the zoo and/or aquarium without the hassle of getting a visa, the only way for her to do it is for her to ask a local tour company to arrange it. She certainly won't find a ship excursion to do it!

[eandj]

But you specifically said that you cannot get off the ship without 'ship-booked' excursions. Those are your words. That is totally wrong so you ought not to be surprised that you were picked up on it by other posters. !

 

No, I'm not surprised. :confused: If what I said or read from others is unclear, wrong, misunderstood etc. I hope someone does clarify. And glad that if the OP is following this and the other St P threads so that things are clear for her before spending alot of time on plans that might not even be possible. OP needs too to do the research around the agency she might want to use to make sure it is indeed "accredited" as you call it. And if you don't arrange and prebook, you indeed can end up on staying the ship.

[aquilegia]

No, I'm not surprised. :confused: If what I said or read from others is unclear, wrong, misunderstood etc. I hope someone does clarify. And glad that if the OP is following this and the other St P threads so that things are clear for her before spending alot of time on plans that might not even be possible. OP needs too to do the research around the agency she might want to use to make sure it is indeed "accredited" as you call it. And if you don't arrange and prebook, you indeed can end up on staying the ship.

 

Yes, you're certainly right that you need to get your St Petersburg arrangements in place pre cruise, or you'll end up going nowhere. If the OP looks through this forum she'll find plenty of posts about specific private tour companies from satisfied cruisers who have used them. The three companies I mentioned are among the best known, but there are a number of others that are recommended on here.

[chris58]

Hello! Right by Junibacken you have this lovely childrenfriendly museum Aquaria watermusum. Lovely place with lots of fishes,sharks and a rainforrest, (That can be a little scary when it is night and thunder. (I mean if you stay there in one room for about 15 minutes you will explore a day in the rainforrest.) Such a lovely musum.7chris58

[Curtia]

I am planning my family's next vacation and I'm very interested in Baltics, but a little worried that the ports won't have enough kid-focused activities. I'm especially worried about St. Petersburg. That is the highlight of the cruise, but the only things I can see for my DD to do are the zoo and aquarium, and we don't need to go to Russia for that! Any ideas?

 

We booked a St. Petersburg tour with Anastasia Tours and are grateful we did. We were able to tailor our activities to balance "must see" places with the ability for the kids to run. Our guide had a four-year old at home so related well to the children and was a fountain of information for the 8 adults. Comfortable van and amazing driver made for a fantastic experience. Hydrofoil ride from Peterhoff back to the city gave us a welcome break in the bus experience between sights. Trust the local professionals for kid-friendly ideas.

 

Kid friendly ideas in other ports abound--depends on where you're going, but our kids managed to play in playgrounds at every port mingled with more cerebral activities. They were delighted to spend the day at the beach with an aunt & uncle in Warnemunde while the rest of us explored local history. They were all great for the entire 10 day trip.