Be Forewarned - Debarkation at Copenhagen's Ocean Quay Terminal

[IECalCruiser]

We walked right across the street (next to the Unicef Bldg.) and caught the public bus for 24 kroner (about $4.50) pp. It took all of a half hour to get to the main train station (Central Station) across from Tivoli Gardens, but only a few minutes to get to the Norreport stop where you can catch the metro to the airport or other main areas of the city. The bus had a large, lowered platform at the middle door, and large storage areas on the floor, so putting luggage on board was easy. The people waiting for taxis were probably still in line when we checked into the Marriott near Tivoli.

Last year you would have arrived at Orientkaj. From the Princess information Astro Flyer posted and from posts on CC, the new Oceankaj is another 2km or about a 1-1/4 mile further away. It is no longer a short walk to the bus stop. We used public transit wherever possible on our Baltic cruise last year including CPH with the Copenhagen Card. That being said, it is not my idea of a cruise to be lugging a suitcase and a carryon for close to two miles in an industrial port area.

 

"Getting from Copenhagen ... Oceankaj to Copenhagen Airport by metro and train:

The Nearest S-train station is Nordhavn Station. It takes ... 45 minutes from Oceankaj. Take the S-train A, B, C or E-line only 2 stop to Nørreport Station. Change to the Metro, which will take you direct to terminal 3 in Copenhagen Airport"

 

Rather than walking 45 minutes with our bags and boarding and unboarding two trains I will take a Princess transfer or a taxi if not going to the airport. The extra cost is worth it to me.

 

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Edited May 26, 2014 by IECalCruiser

[CI66774]

Last year you would have arrived at Orientkaj. From the Princess information Astro Flyer posted and from posts on CC, the new Oceankaj is another 2km or about a 1-1/4 mile further away. It is no longer a short walk to the bus stop. We used public transit wherever possible on our Baltic cruise last year including CPH with the Copenhagen Card. That being said, it is not my idea of a cruise to be lugging a suitcase and a carryon for close to two miles in an industrial port area.

 

"Getting from Copenhagen ... Oceankaj to Copenhagen Airport by metro and train:

The Nearest S-train station is Nordhavn Station. It takes ... 45 minutes from Oceankaj. Take the S-train A, B, C or E-line only 2 stop to Nørreport Station. Change to the Metro, which will take you direct to terminal 3 in Copenhagen Airport"

 

Rather than walking 45 minutes with our bags and boarding and unboarding two trains I will take a Princess transfer or a taxi if not going to the airport. The extra cost is worth it to me.

 

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I think your 45-minute time period is more in line with what I saw when I got off the Royal on Friday. From my vantage point, it appeared the people who chose to walk, walked a LONG way and were huffing and puffing with their bags, etc. The posters who said it's a 15-minute walk - well, I just don't think that's accurate - not from this particular port anyway.

[bcnvcanada]

Thanks for the info (langeline Quay) I now now where we will dock. We docked in this area before on a small ship. Easy walk into centre of city and the sites along the way. Thanks again.

[Astro Flyer]

Last year we did the same cruise and we took the train from the airport to the pier and from the pier to the airport at the end of the cruise, one carry on and two rolling bags, a fifteen minute walk to the train and we were at the airport in less than an hour. All of the train stations take euros and debit cards with the pin. easy. The directions for the train is in the Rick Steves book.

 

We walked right across the street (next to the Unicef Bldg.) and caught the public bus for 24 kroner (about $4.50) pp. It took all of a half hour to get to the main train station (Central Station) across from Tivoli Gardens, but only a few minutes to get to the Norreport stop where you can catch the metro to the airport or other main areas of the city. The bus had a large, lowered platform at the middle door, and large storage areas on the floor, so putting luggage on board was easy. The people waiting for taxis were probably still in line when we checked into the Marriott near Tivoli.

 

Most of this discussion has been about Princess arriving at the new terminal with gridlock traffic. I have Rick's book however he has no information about this new cruise terminal. That's why we're discussing our options and the best way to access the new Oceankaj (Ocean Key, pier 330-334) cruise terminal being used by Princess. The 15 minute walk has been replaced by a 45 minute walk covering approximately 2 miles of dragging luggage through the port area. I've walked a considerable distance with bags in the past however this is not the best option for me at this port.

 

As you can see from the following post from a passenger who just disembarked from a Princess cruise at the new port it's not a great option for walking.

 

I think your 45-minute time period is more in line with what I saw when I got off the Royal on Friday. From my vantage point, it appeared the people who chose to walk, walked a LONG way and were huffing and puffing with their bags, etc. The posters who said it's a 15-minute walk - well, I just don't think that's accurate - not from this particular port anyway.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[SparkleBee]

I didn't read the thread but want to put in my 2 cents... this was a horrible experience! we walked off the ship at 9:00 and got to our hotel at 12:00. in retrospect, I would have reserved a taxi and gotten off right away. since we were staying in town and the taxi line was long it seemed best to get the local bus. we waited on line for AN HOUR! then it took about an hour to get to Central Station due to the horrible port traffic. the mess is due to being so new, and I get that, but do what you can to mitigate this issue if possible.

[sandyoftheseas]

My DH and I will be disembarking the Royal on Aug 30th. We plan on doing the express walk off in the first group and take a taxi to the airport. Our flight leaves at 10:10am. Is this doable? Or should we take the Princess transfer? Will Princess assure us that we will not miss our flight? It looks like the will be 3 ships in port that day.

Edited May 26, 2014 by sandyoftheseas

[Shutterbug623]

So if we get off the ship right away (9:00 disembarking would never work for us with a 9:35 flight), traffic might be better? What is the earliest time you can disembark from the Royal?

[IECalCruiser]

I didn't read the thread but want to put in my 2 cents... this was a horrible experience! we walked off the ship at 9:00 and got to our hotel at 12:00. in retrospect, I would have reserved a taxi and gotten off right away. since we were staying in town and the taxi line was long it seemed best to get the local bus. we waited on line for AN HOUR! then it took about an hour to get to Central Station due to the horrible port traffic. the mess is due to being so new, and I get that, but do what you can to mitigate this issue if possible.

Although you didn't read the thread, I posted earlier that this is not a new problem. Conditions were the same last year. Until there is more than a one lane road either way, I would expect similar issues when more than one ship is in the Free Port.

 

I found this information that is quite good, BUT it doesn't show the new Oceankaj pier yet. Also note that the No. 26 bus doesn't run on weekends and isn't an option for you if you arrive or depart on Saturday or Sunday. If you look at the lower map that shows a section of the Free Port terminals, the section that shows Port Entrance is incorrect as that road is closed to vehicular traffic. All vehicles are routed past the No. 26 bus stop in a large loop and then back to cruise ship terminals at Orientkaj.

Guide to Copenhagen Terminals.pdf

[CI66774]

So if we get off the ship right away (9:00 disembarking would never work for us with a 9:35 flight), traffic might be better? What is the earliest time you can disembark from the Royal?

 

I think it was 6am or 6:30am. I would choose the earliest offered if I had a 9:35am flight.

[Astro Flyer]

Although you didn't read the thread, I posted earlier that this is not a new problem. Conditions were the same last year. Until there is more than a one lane road either way, I would expect similar issues when more than one ship is in the Free Port.

 

I found this information that is quite good, BUT it doesn't show the new Oceankaj pier yet. Also note that the No. 26 bus doesn't run on weekends and isn't an option for you if you arrive or depart on Saturday or Sunday. If you look at the lower map that shows a section of the Free Port terminals, the section that shows Port Entrance is incorrect as that road is closed to vehicular traffic. All vehicles are routed past the No. 26 bus stop in a large loop and then back to cruise ship terminals at Orientkaj.

Thanks Brian that was very helpful & with that brochure and the photo you posted previously I'm now able to better visualize the information that I found and posted earlier. The problem is getting clearer however the solution is still foggy & there just doesn't appear to be a good option...only a "lesser of two evils" one. :eek: We are arriving on a Saturday & even if we could drag our luggage 45 minutes (2 miles) to the bus station it doesn't run on the weekend.

 

Were planning to stay two nights in a hotel after the cruise and may wait until they kick us off the ship to take a cab to our hotel. During our previous visit to Copenhagen we visited the main sites & are only planning to explore Christianshavn & another visit to Tivoli before flying home.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[Shutterbug623]

I think it was 6am or 6:30am. I would choose the earliest offered if I had a 9:35am flight.

 

Yes, I assumed we would need the earliest possible. As a newbie to Princess, how do transfer busses work? Do they wait until they are full to go to the airport? Or do they leave on a schedule? Is there a better way of reserving a cab? I will not have a cell phone, so calling a cab company won't be an option.

[IECalCruiser]

Yes, I assumed we would need the earliest possible. As a newbie to Princess, how do transfer busses work? Do they wait until they are full to go to the airport? Or do they leave on a schedule? Is there a better way of reserving a cab? I will not have a cell phone, so calling a cab company won't be an option.

Princess arrives at the port at 5:00am which is 2-3 hours earlier than most other cruise lines. Last year walk-off started at 5:15am and the first Princess shuttle to the airport was scheduled to leave at 6:15am. Without other ships in port at that time, early disembarkation may have fewer delays than later in the morning. When we left, there were two buses going to the airport. The first left when it was full. We were on the second and we left partially filled.

[Shutterbug623]

I think it was 6am or 6:30am. I would choose the earliest offered if I had a 9:35am flight.

 

Princess arrives at the port at 5:00am which is 2-3 hours earlier than most other cruise lines. Last year walk-off started at 5:15am and the first Princess shuttle to the airport was scheduled to leave at 6:15am. Without other ships in port at that time, early disembarkation may have fewer delays than later in the morning. When we left, there were two buses going to the airport. The first left when it was full. We were on the second and we left partially filled.

 

Thanks for your help. Princess doesn't seem to publish this info anywhere and it seems to be a good way to get people caught off-guard. I appreciate your experience!

[IECalCruiser]

Thanks for your help. Princess doesn't seem to publish this info anywhere and it seems to be a good way to get people caught off-guard. I appreciate your experience!

Attached is the Disembarkation schedule for our cruise last year.

2013-06-14 - Disembarkation Shedule - Emerald Princess - Baltic RT.pdf

[Arya3]

Attached is the Disembarkation schedule for our cruise last year.

 

Hi!

I'm travelling with my sisters on the June25th Royal Princess Baltic cruise.

My sister cannot change her airline tickets without basically paying penalties that would be equivalent to paying full price for new tickets. She has been assured by Princess travel agent that she can walk off the ship handling her own luggage at 5:15 am on Sunday morning July 6th. She has prearranged a taxi to be there from 5:05 am to take her to the airport for a 7:45am flight. Do you think the one lane road will be clear and less busy that early in the morning on a Sunday?

Thanks for your opinion!

Linds

[caribill]

Thanks for your help. Princess doesn't seem to publish this info anywhere and it seems to be a good way to get people caught off-guard. I appreciate your experience!

 

What Princess does publish (in your personalizer) is the minimum amount of time between ship's arrival and when you should schedule a flight.

 

Scheduling a flight before that time means you have a greater risk of not getting to the gate on time.

 

Many flights to the USA from CPH do leave before that suggested time, so it is understandable that many passengers schedule flights they might not be able to make.

[caribill]

My sister cannot change her airline tickets without basically paying penalties that would be equivalent to paying full price for new tickets. She has been assured by Princess travel agent that she can walk off the ship handling her own luggage at 5:15 am on Sunday morning July 6th. She has prearranged a taxi to be there from 5:05 am to take her to the airport for a 7:45am flight.

 

Check-in for international flights is likely recommended to be at least two hours before flight time. So, your sister should be at the airport by 5:45 AM for a 7:45 AM flight.

[Astro Flyer]

Hi!

 

I'm travelling with my sisters on the June25th Royal Princess Baltic cruise.

 

My sister cannot change her airline tickets without basically paying penalties that would be equivalent to paying full price for new tickets. She has been assured by Princess travel agent that she can walk off the ship handling her own luggage at 5:15 am on Sunday morning July 6th. She has prearranged a taxi to be there from 5:05 am to take her to the airport for a 7:45am flight. Do you think the one lane road will be clear and less busy that early in the morning on a Sunday?

 

Thanks for your opinion!

 

Linds

 

 

 

Check-in for international flights is likely recommended to be at least two hours before flight time. So, your sister should be at the airport by 5:45 AM for a 7:45 AM flight.

 

My experience is based on a post-cruise hotel stay in Copenhagen and arriving at the airport for an early morning flight.

 

Our flight departed around 7 AM so we arrived at CPH two hours in advance only to discover ticket counters didn't open up for our Air France flight until 6 AM. So I'd suggest to check with your airline to see what time their ticket counters open at CPH so you can check in and get to your flight before departure. Hopefully things will go smoothly and you'll have an uneventful flight back home.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[treesah]

I'd like to add our experience. We were in Copenhagen on 5/24 following a Norwegian fjords cruise on Legend of the Seas. We disembarked at 9:15 and got into a taxi without any wait. We shared a taxi with another couple. They were flying to Frankfurt at 12:20 and we were flying to LAX at 3:10. There was some traffic but it was not horrendous. The meter showed 374 kroners for the ride and we split it two ways. We ended giving the driver 200 kroners per couple. He was happy and we were happy, at $37.00 per couple for a direct ride to the airport. Indeed, it's a long walk from the new terminal to the Nordhavn station but if you want to burn up the extra calories....

[ceejay_San Angelo]

treesah - it would be helpful if you would add at which port Legend was docked ..... was it the new Oceankaj?

[IECalCruiser]

I'd like to add our experience. We were in Copenhagen on 5/24 following a Norwegian fjords cruise on Legend of the Seas. We disembarked at 9:15 and got into a taxi without any wait. We shared a taxi with another couple. They were flying to Frankfurt at 12:20 and we were flying to LAX at 3:10. There was some traffic but it was not horrendous. The meter showed 374 kroners for the ride and we split it two ways. We ended giving the driver 200 kroners per couple. He was happy and we were happy, at $37.00 per couple for a direct ride to the airport. Indeed, it's a long walk from the new terminal to the Nordhavn station but if you want to burn up the extra calories....

You were scheduled to dock at 7:00 at Oceankaj c331. There were two other ships at Oceankaj that day but the Costa Luminosa didn't dock until 8:30 and the MSC Poesia docked at 9:00. You might have been just ahead of the crowds.

 

 

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[Arya3]

My experience is based on a post-cruise hotel stay in Copenhagen and arriving at the airport for an early morning flight.

 

Our flight departed around 7 AM so we arrived at CPH two hours in advance only to discover ticket counters didn't open up for our Air France flight until 6 AM. So I'd suggest to check with your airline to see what time their ticket counters open at CPH so you can check in and get to your flight before departure. Hopefully things will go smoothly and you'll have an uneventful flight back home.

 

Thanks caribill and Astroflyer

I will pass on your info to my sister! I love how CC members help each other!

[Astro Flyer]

Thanks caribill and Astroflyer

 

I will pass on your info to my sister! I love how CC members help each other!

 

It's a great way for all of us to learn from each other by sharing our experiences.

[treesah]

treesah - it would be helpful if you would add at which port Legend was docked ..... was it the new Oceankaj?

 

So sorry, yes, it was at Oceankaj.

[Shutterbug623]

What Princess does publish (in your personalizer) is the minimum amount of time between ship's arrival and when you should schedule a flight.

 

Scheduling a flight before that time means you have a greater risk of not getting to the gate on time.

 

Many flights to the USA from CPH do leave before that suggested time, so it is understandable that many passengers schedule flights they might not be able to make.

 

Yes, we purchased our return flight based off Princess's guidelines, but the information they had given us was not helpful for me to make decisions as far as whether to get to the airport via public transit, taxi, or Princess transfer if we are tight on time. Having some sense of a disembarkation schedule gives me a much better idea of how these things work since I haven't done them before (and would prefer not to learn the hard way by missing a flight because I didn't know). It's sometimes hard to believe a company that says, "Well, we don't advise x" because really they're trying to sell you their own product. (I.E, "You can't get off the boat in St. Petersburg unless you're on a cruise ship-purchased excursion" or "We don't recommend using public transportation" because then you will by a transfer from us instead.) I'm just trying to be wise about where to spend money and where to not. So thanks, IECruiser, for your expertise.