Back from the Baltic: Cruise recap and review

[chaswill]

BALTIC CRUISE ON OCEANIA’S MARINA

 

 

JULY 5-15, 2013

 

 

This review is for the purpose of documenting our travel experiences for others to use in planning their future cruises to the Baltic, especially on Oceania’s Marina and Riviera.

 

OUTBOUND FLIGHT AND EMBARKATION

 

Our journey began out of San Francisco. We used Oceania’s “free air” and were booked on SAS nonstop to Copenhagen. My wife and I are retired educators and were not looking forward to the long flight in cramped coach seats. We occasionally have enough air miles to fly business class, but this was not one of those times. The nine and a half hour flight was predictably uncomfortable and was made worse by the fact that SAS coach seats are very hard and not being able to sleep sitting up, it was a relief to finally land in Copenhagen. We breezed through customs and easily found a taxi to the cruise pier. Make sure you know which cruise terminal you ship is using as there are two terminals in Copenhagen. I had understood that most taxis took credit cards and verified this with our driver before leaving the airport, but when we arrived at the pier, he asked for my PIN and since PINS are not used in the US, he could not process my card and I had to pay in euros. My advice is to have a cash backup in case this happens to you. The fare was 65 euro or $86 for the 45 minute ride.

We checked in at the pier around 2:30 and were able to board and get into our rooms right away. A buffet lunch was served in the Terrace café.

 

BERLIN, GERMANY

 

On the advice of our neighbors, who had taken this cruise a couple of years ago, we booked our Berlin excursion privately using SPB Tours www.spb-tours.com and signed up for the Berlin Classic Tour. The price was $135 pp not including gratuity. The only drawback to seeing Berlin is that the city is a long three hour drive from the port. My advice is to sit on the right side of the bus, the side opposite the driver, or else you will have the sun hitting you up and back if you happen to have a sunny day which we did. In fact, it was close to 80 degrees during the tour. Berlin is not in a class with other European cities like London, Paris or Rome since it was almost totally destroyed by allied bombing during WWII. There is still a lot of construction going on and the city presented a rather shabby appearance for the most part. This is not to take away from the excursion stops which were mostly centered around WWII historical sites and those focusing on the Soviet occupation. The tour did not include lunch, but we stopped at an excellent location with several restaurants and had a nice lunch with some German beer. For the record, there was no time for shopping and besides, we didn’t see any stores or neighborhoods that looked particularly appealing. It was a long day, but in hindsight, while not what we expected, it was still a worthwhile journey.

 

GDANSK, POLAND

 

On the advice of a previous cruiser, we decided to do Gdansk on our own. Due to the size of our ship, we docked in Gydnia, about 40 minutes from Gdansk. The taxis outside the ship all wanted 200 euro for the complete tour of the local area so we were directed outside the gate to another group of taxis and found a driver who spoke pretty good English who was willing to take us to Gdansk and the memorial dedicated to the union activists during the 1980’s for 100 euro. Gdansk was totally devastated during WWII, but was meticulously rebuilt by the Soviets and retains its old world charm. It was a Sunday and everyone was in town enjoying the glorious sunshine. Old town Gdansk is a wonderful place to shop especially if you are interested in amber jewelry, but be aware that there is a lot of fake amber. If the price you are quoted sounds cheap, it is probably is not real amber which is quite expensive, but well worth it. On the return ride back to the ship, our taxi driver decided to take us past some other sites which we did not ask to see and consequently when it came time to pay him, he expected more than the agreed upon 100 euro, and even with a generous tip, he walked away grumbling to himself. This is apparently a common tactic so be aware and stand firm. Tip: The shops will all take credit cards, USD and euros, but the street vendors will usually only take local currency.

 

TALLINN, ESTONIA

 

After a day at sea and some much needed time to relax and rest up, we docked in Estonia, another place we decided to do on our own. While it was about a 20 minute walk into town, the ship provided a free shuttle which dropped us off just outside the old town walls. This is another shopper’s paradise and the ladies were giddy with the selection of local handmade items, especially scarves and sweaters. Bring lots of euros since most street vendors will not accept credit cards. The old part of the city is divided into two parts, new town which is comparatively flat and old town which sits on a hill and a bit of a hike to get to. If you have any time left after shopping, take the hike. We ran out of time, but heard that the views were wonderful.

 

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

 

While Oceania’s shore excursions are highly rated and we occasionally use them, they can be somewhat pricey and therefore we prefer to book private tours whenever possible. The big problem with SPB, was that since the ship was in port for three days, private tour companies would only book three day excursions. While there will probably be some differences of opinion here, we were advised by our neighbors, who had been to SPB previously, to only spend two days on tour. After some research, I was able to find a tour company that was willing to join us up with a two day excursion from another ship. This allowed us to spend the first day in port relaxing aboard an almost empty ship! TJ Travel www.st-petersburg-tours.ru picked us up outside our ship and there were only 16 people in our group. We spent the next two days seeing: All St. Petersburg Highlights for the cost of $300 pp not including gratuity, including two lunches. This stop was without a doubt, the highlight of our cruise. The second largest city in Russia, SPB, called Leningrad during the Communist era, has a fascinating history. After withstanding a 900 day siege by the Germans during WWII, the city has emerged from Soviet rule with amazing palaces, churches, gardens and museums. As we found out, you will not soon forget your visit to this incredible city.

 

HELSINKI, FINLAND

 

Another sunny day greeted us as we sailed into Helsinki. Due to the size of our ship, we were docked in an industrial area too far to walk into the heart of the city. However, Oceania again provided a shuttle to the harbor area which took about 10-15 minutes. Foregoing an excursion, we spent the morning in town walking through a large open air market selling all sorts of food items and a large variety of locally make items and souvenirs. Finland is on the euro and most of the vendors also took credit cards. After walking through the nearby downtown area, we returned to the ship for some time around the pool. True to what we had heard and read, we found Helsinki and most of Scandinavia to be quite expensive.

 

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

 

While we were blessed with sunshine almost through the entire cruise, rain was predicted as we sailed into Stockholm. A shuttle took us into the heart of the city on an overcast Sunday morning and we made our way into Old Town. We walked through the quiet streets and found the main shopping area which quickly began to fill up with tourists and locals alike. Just as we stopped for a bit to eat and to use the facilities, it began to rain, but the shower only lasted for 10 to 15 minutes. While we had read that Sweden only accepts local currency, we found that many of the stores also accepted the euro and some even took USD as well as credit cards. We made our way back to the ship to enjoy our last day on board and begin packing for the journey home.

 

DISEMBARKATION AND THE JOURNEY HOME

 

Getting off the ship was quite easy and the taxis were plentiful at the pier. It was about a 45 minute ride to the airport and the cost was about $100 with tip. While the taxis all take credit cards, we were told to agree on the price when you talk to your driver. After looking for the Lufthansa counter we found out that all Star Alliance members use SAS counters and check in machines so be aware of this if you use Oceania air arrangements. The flight home was predictably long and uncomfortable, but it all seemed worth it when we crawled into our own bed and quickly fell asleep.

 

THE SHIP

 

The Marina and Riviera continue to be our favorite ships and Oceania remains our favorite hands down. We recently cruised the British Isles with our neighbors who are loyal Celebrity cruisers and found this cruise line to be a disappointment when compared to Oceania. The Marina is still in great shape and we enjoyed our Ocean View accomodations. While there is no verranda, these rooms still have a floor to ceiling window but be aware that you do look down on the large life boats a deck below. The bath tubs still seem to be an annoyance to some people, but it does give you the option to use as a shower if you want more room. The food is still above average and we enjoyed the four specialty restaurants, although the service in Jacques seemed to be an issue for us this cruise. The entertainment continues to be subpar, but this is not a big issue for us since we usually went to bed early so as to enjoy our mornings more fully. The ship’s personnel were all very friendly and helpful and we always got a smile and pleasant greeting where ever we went on the ship. Oceania does allow smoking in two parts of the ship, in one corner of Horizons and in the right forward corner of the pool deck. Nonsmokers beware that when the ship is moving, smoke will drift down the right side of the pool deck so be advised to use the left side of the pool deck if second hand smoke is an issue for you.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

 

We continue to have pleasant memories of our Baltic cruise and hope that this recap will help some of you who are planning a future cruise to this part of the world. If you have any questions or concerns when planning your trip, please don’t hesitate to contact me: chaslin@surewest.net.

[cbb]

chaswill,

thanks for a great review. We took an O cruise in Scandinavia but on R

ship and walked into Old Town Tallinn and Helsinki. I think when we repeat this itinerary we'll be looking at R ships again. I like where the small ships dock! c

[Paulchili]

chaswill,

Thank you for taking the time to post this comprehensive review which will be very helpful to others doing this itinerary.

Not in a way of criticism to you, but in a way of help to others doing this itinerary, I would like to add a couple of things.

St. Petersburg, IMO, requires the full 3 days and even then you cannot see everything. Yes, it is exhausting, but well worth it. The best thing about O's Scandinavian cruises is that they alone do 3 days there - others do only 2 days.

Berlin is a spectacular city - on par with any other European metropolis. You had the misfortune to hit it while much construction was going on - to make it even more spectacular. It is large and interesting enough to require more than 5 or 6 hours to see and evaluate. Perhaps best done on a land tour.

JMO.

[Mura]

I agree with Paul -- Berlin is one of my favorite cities and I was startled to see your negative description of it.

 

Now, we've always spent 4-5 days in Berlin on a trip and actually wouldn't consider trying to see it from a Baltic port on only one day. So maybe that is part of the difference. After a long drive to get there, a city may not look as entrancing as if you had time to see it at leisure.

 

Mura

[TERRIER1]

Thank you for your very informative review. We will be visiting these ports in 2015 and your recap is very helpful. Hopefully we will have asnice weather as you experienced.

 

One question, if you had to do it over again would you stay in Warnemunde/Rostock or still go onto Berlin? Thank you.

[GeorgesGal]

Thanks for this review! We will be doing this cruise in reverse on 24 Aug, this year - can't wait!

 

Donna

[spindrift]

Thank you for your great review. We will be leaving soon for Stockholm where we will spend 3 days then board the Nautica on August 1st. Our itinerary is a little different, but your information was helpful.

 

We have booked most of O's tours as they suit our needs. In some of the ports, however, we will be using the Hop On Hop Off buses, such as Helsinki (I had been there before), Talinnin & Amsterdam. Did you do any HOHO?

 

Your report was timely also relative to the currency in Stockholm. I was going to get my exchange money today, so your info helps. I have family in Stockholm who also said credit cards are widely accepted, but it is nice to hear a "tourist" report what was actually accepted.

 

Thanks again for posting your report.

[Ronniewales]

Thank you for a well balanced report and I will be doing a similar cruise on Marina on Aug 10th 2013. Our cruise is slightly longer and visit more ports but my question is can you get away with using Euro's and credit cards and not have to have every countries own national currency as I would need 8 different ones.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[wripro]

I too agree with Paul. I can't imagine coming to St. Petersburg to have a self imposed "sea day." Three days barely allows you to scratch the surface.

[chaswill]

For Spindrift: No, we did not use any HOHO buses, but they were there waiting for us at all the ports except Berlin and SPB. In Stockholm, they even had a special that combined the HOHO bus with a river cruise around the city for a reasonable price.

 

For Ronniewales: I just had euros and a c.c. for all the ports. In some cases you may have to use the local currency and in that case, there are plenty of ATMs around.

 

Regarding whether you would want to stay in Rostock/Warmunde instead of going to Berlin, they are nice seaside towns, but even though it is a long drive into Berlin, it is still worth seeing.

[spindrift]

Thank you for continuing to follow this thread, Chaswill. This is what makes this thread so valuable--your postings. I did go get SKE since we will be there for 4 days, and we will definitely do the HOHO and get the 3-day pass.

[curtdesilets]

It brings me back to our memories of our Baltic Cruise, way back in 2004.

 

This was when the Celebrity product was about on par with today's Oceania product.

[JimandStan]

It brings me back to our memories of our Baltic Cruise, way back in 2004.

 

This was when the Celebrity product was about on par with today's Oceania product.

 

 

I feel your pain, I'm so old that I remember when Holland America was in the league with today's Oceania.

[Paulchili]

I feel your pain, I'm so old that I remember when Holland America was in the league with today's Oceania.

 

That begs the question - what will Oceania be like in 10-20 years from now and who will be today's Oceania then :D

[spindrift]

If you all think YOU were old, I first did this itinerary with my Mother on the Vistafjord. Hmmmmm

[curtdesilets]

Our cruise history only dates back about 12 years. I would love to hear more stories about those earlier cruises though.

 

In answer to the paradoxical question of who will be the next generation's Oceania...I'm stumped.

 

It is a shame where Celebrity went and continues to go. Seems they want to lower there standards to NCL or Carnival...they really do seem like a ship with no rudder right now. Century was their last great ship, with service that rivaled the luxury lines. Now they seem sure to dump her.

[SeasC]

Fantastic. Thanks for the excellent info. Much appreciated.

[Gail Boertzel]

Thanks Chaswill for all of the info. You mentioned using a shuttle in several ports (Stockholm Tallin and Helsinki, I think). Were these shuttles provided by Oceania and at no extra charge? Did they run frequently? Thanks....

[calvin81]

On our O Baltic cruise a few years back we opted to take a train to Schwerin instead of going to Berlin. It was a delightful city -- a beautiful castle and church. There was detailed info on the ports forum on how to take the train, even including a picture of the ticket machine!

[timandnancy]

I was in Gdansk last year. I took the train in from Gydnia for a fraction of the cost of cabs. It was about a 15-20 minute brisk walk to the train station in Gydnia, and 10 minutes or so from the train station in Gdansk to the main shopping area. I thought it was very easy to do.

[Paulchili]

On our O Baltic cruise a few years back we opted to take a train to Schwerin instead of going to Berlin. It was a delightful city -- a beautiful castle and church. There was detailed info on the ports forum on how to take the train, even including a picture of the ticket machine!

 

We did a similar trip but with a car.

We visited the charming cities of Wismar, Schwerin and Gustrow - all easily done in a day. Picked up and dropped the car off at the port.

[Host Sharon]

chaswill,

Thank you for taking the time to post this comprehensive review which will be very helpful to others doing this itinerary.

Not in a way of criticism to you, but in a way of help to others doing this itinerary, I would like to add a couple of things.

St. Petersburg, IMO, requires the full 3 days and even then you cannot see everything. Yes, it is exhausting, but well worth it. The best thing about O's Scandinavian cruises is that they alone do 3 days there - others do only 2 days.

Berlin is a spectacular city - on par with any other European metropolis. You had the misfortune to hit it while much construction was going on - to make it even more spectacular. It is large and interesting enough to require more than 5 or 6 hours to see and evaluate. Perhaps best done on a land tour.

JMO.

 

Actually Fred Olsen do three days there as well, but naturally not quite O's standards!

[Floridiana]

Rostock's downtown is quite lovely if someone doesn't want to take the long treck to Berlin.

Berlin: Downtown with the new government buildings, the Brandenburg gate and a river boat on the Spree would be good choices. If there is more time in the one day, a visit to Spandau (citadel) or Potsdam (palace), both worthwhile.

[winegirl]

We were in St Petersburg for 3 days/nights on a cruise in 2012. Hired a private guide for 3 full days. The guide picked us up at the dock (after we cleared immigration using the guide provided tourist visa.) Had a private driver of a comfortable, late model minivan with plenty of room for the two of us. Also had a personal tour guide, a university professor who specialized in the history of the Czars. They took us to the major sights related to the Czars, starting at 9 am, returning us to the ship around 4 pm. Price included a really nice traditional lunch, all admissions, expert transportation, trip to the ATM several times... they helped us in so many ways to explore this fascinating city.

 

For two people, three full days of touring, $ 1600, or about 260 a day per person. I don't know what the ship's excursion charges, but I'm guessing you can easily spend at least $ 300 a day per person for a full day of touring.

 

This way, we were able to see the major historical sights, with expert personal commentary and side stops as we needed. To find a guide, I went to the Trip Advisor website, St. Petersburg tours tab for names of guide services. I contacted the top 10 rated guides, and picked the one who custom tailored a tour to meet our wishes. Worth every penny and then some.

Edited July 23, 2013 by winegirl
additional fact

[wripro]

With ships' tours you'll spend more, see less, sit on a bus with thirty other people and are stuck with their itinerary. Private tours are a no brainer.