12 night Baltic for "taste of Europe"?

[masonpips]

I have a hold on the 12 night Baltic cruise next summer. The trip includes:

Harwich departure on a Tuesday. We'd fly into London the weekend before so we have a couple days there.

 

Then Copenhagen, Tallinn, St. Petersburg (overnight), Helsinki, Stockholm and Visby. We would fly home the day we disembark from London.

 

Questions: our kids will be 16/17 next summer. We've cruised all over the Caribbean, Alaska, are cruising Boston to Montreal this year, and have traveled most of the US via plane and/or road trips.

 

I'm looking at this as a last "big" trip before they go off to college - and to whet their appetite for international travel - to see places they may want to go back to in the future and/or explore more of Europe after this. My husband and I have not done much other international travel (he's been to Norway, I've been to Amsterdam and Tanzania) so we're not sure this is the best choice for a "sampler" (vs. an Italy, Greece or other European cruise?)

 

What we like:

* the ability to see London first for a few days

* length of cruise (12 nights)

* price (cheaper than our Alaskan cruise of 7 nights!)

* cruising in general and RCCL in specific (so much less legwork to do to figure out which countries to visit and we know what to expect on RCCL)

 

Any input on the idea of this cruise, the actual cruise, traveling with teens through this area (side note: we're active and would try to find things to "do" (hike, other like activities) in ports), or other itineraries to consider?

 

Thanks!

[cruiserking]

I have a hold on the 12 night Baltic cruise next summer. The trip includes:

Harwich departure on a Tuesday. We'd fly into London the weekend before so we have a couple days there.

 

Then Copenhagen, Tallinn, St. Petersburg (overnight), Helsinki, Stockholm and Visby. We would fly home the day we disembark from London.

 

Questions: our kids will be 16/17 next summer. We've cruised all over the Caribbean, Alaska, are cruising Boston to Montreal this year, and have traveled most of the US via plane and/or road trips.

 

I'm looking at this as a last "big" trip before they go off to college - and to whet their appetite for international travel - to see places they may want to go back to in the future and/or explore more of Europe after this. My husband and I have not done much other international travel (he's been to Norway, I've been to Amsterdam and Tanzania) so we're not sure this is the best choice for a "sampler" (vs. an Italy, Greece or other European cruise?)

 

What we like:

* the ability to see London first for a few days

* length of cruise (12 nights)

* price (cheaper than our Alaskan cruise of 7 nights!)

* cruising in general and RCCL in specific (so much less legwork to do to figure out which countries to visit and we know what to expect on RCCL)

 

Any input on the idea of this cruise, the actual cruise, traveling with teens through this area (side note: we're active and would try to find things to "do" (hike, other like activities) in ports), or other itineraries to consider?

 

Thanks!

 

Hello Masonpips,

 

I think you and your sons would have a fabulous time with this itinerary. Cruising through Europe is so exciting.

 

You might also consider some Mediterranean itineraries with ports stops like Monte Carlo, Monaco - Barcelona, Spain - Lisbon, Portugal - Cannes, France - Livorno (Florence), Italy.

 

RCCL Serenade does a great Med trip with Serenade of the Seas. CC Karemark has a review from the very trip unfolding now:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2053112

 

Serenade leaves out of Barcelona, Spain and a few days there pre-cruise would be very special. This is a fascinating city, with great energy and beautiful Gaudi architecture around every bend.

 

A European cruise is a marvelous gift for yours sons, they will have a blast and so will you.

 

Jonathan

Edited June 9, 2014 by cruiserking

[1160451]

Hello , we live in the UK. Whilst we are "in" Europe we tend to think of Europe as abroad and really not part of "us", so we split Europe into many areas. The Baltic ports of call are not ones that most UK people would immediately state if asked to name 10 European ports of call.

The Baltic cruise is one we are doing next year ourselves, but for a European feel and taster I would be looking at visiting some of the following. Rome, Barcelona, Venice, Pisa, Florence, Monaco, some Greek Islands say Santorini, Dubrovnik, Sicily, Lisbon. Etc

You will see those are more warmer climate European ports.

I think it's maybe like a UK visitor wanting to visit the USA to get a taste of it. Where would we go.

Have a great time wherever you choose.

[Priusprof]

We have a Baltic cruise planned on Brilliance for next May and are really looking forward to it.

We have been to Stockholm and Copenhagen on land vacations and they are both terrific places to visit. That being said, the Med cruises are a cut above in our opinion. There are 12 day cruises out of Barcelona that go to Cannes, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Naples, Santorini, Mykanos, Kusadasi, and Athens. There is an alternate itinerary that goes to Venice, Ravenna, and Dubrovnik and skips Greece and Turkey. Both are excellent itineraries and are two of our favorites of all our cruises. Also, look for itineraries out of Civitavecchia(Rome). We flew into Rome 3 days early for one of our cruises and didn't want to leave for the ship.Rome is just great! The flip side is that London is a great place to visit as well. We spent 2 days in London after our latest cruise and can't wait to go back.

[kernow]

We did a Baltic cruise 4 years ago for our son's 16th birthday. We live in England and have done all the popular European countries(Spain, France, Italy, Greece etc)many times on cruises and land trip but had never been to the Baltics. Our son actually picked the cruise and was especially excited about going to Russia. It turned out to be one of our favourite cruises, the ports were beautiful and even though they are not so far away from us, they tend to be more expensive than the Mediterranean countries so a cruise was the perfect way to see them.

The Med countries would probably be easier for your sons to explore on their own at a later date. Even though its all Europe, they really are very different countries.

 

If you have any specific questions ask away.

 

BTW, we thought the same as you that when our son turned 18 and went off to uni he would probably not want to do family holidays anymore. How wrong we were, he's just finished his second year away but came with us last summer on an Eastern med cruise and is coming with us again on Oasis in September:)

 

Julie

[ppfqp]

We did a Western med cruise when our girls were 15 with 10 days in Rome before the cruise. It was a fantastic experience. Before deciding on the cruise, we considered all sorts of other ways to visit Europe, but I think this was ideal for us. We knew that there would be limitations in what we could experience by doing a cruise - that we were limited to seaside regions and that we would only have one day in each destination. But the ability to see several countries in one trip without having to transit in between was very convenient and efficient. For our girls, there was a comfort level in returning to the ship each night instead of checking in and out of different hotels. They got to meet other kids on board and enjoyed having some "teen time" -- made them much more tolerant of all the touring and family time throughout the trip.

We knew that we were only getting a taste of Europe with the cruise, but my husband and I knew we could plan to go back for a more in depth visit when the kids were older no out of the house. And we are! They are in college now, and we are doing a transatlantic out of Barcelona (one of our favorite stops on our cruise) in October.

I can't comment on your specific itinerary, but it sounds like it has great potential. I think you are smart to choose a departure port in an area where you want to spend more intensive time pre-cruise (for us that was Rome). But overall, I can highly reccomend cruising as a great way to visit Europe if you're traveling with teens.

[masonpips]

Thanks everyone! It's actually a son (17) and daughter (16). I will check the other longer cruises during the same time period from the other ports as well. I appreciate everyone's input!

[Pete B]

Hi there.

 

We did this cruise a couple of years ago. We have also cruised most of the Med too.

The Baltic cruise was my favourite by far. The ports are so interesting and the stay in Russia was fantastic. There are some real hidden gems in that direction. Tallin Old Town is really quaint and the 4 hour run into Stockholm through the archepelago has got to be my ultimate cruise experience.

There are lots of great places to visit in the Med but lots of them are beach destinations and much the same as each other.

I say go for the Baltic, pretty sure you won`t regret it !

 

Pete

[FredZiffle]

We've done a Baltic cruise that hit every one of your ports except Visby. We enjoyed it, but I'm not sure teenagers would find it quite as wonderful. Tallin, you hike up the hill to Old Town, look at the buildings, then make your way back down and maybe wander around the marketplace. St. Petersburg, you have to go on a tour, which is generally several palaces and the Hermitage. Helsinki and Stockholm, we took public transport to various sites. Stockholm has a cool restored boat that the kids might enjoy, but otherwise, you're just walking around through the older city. Helsinki had even less to see. Copenhagen is about the only port where there is a variety of things to do that teenagers would enjoy. My wife is the port person, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I agree with some of the other posters that a Med cruise might be more interesting. Or, if you really like the idea of cruising out of London, look at a British Isles or Iceland cruise. We've done both, and I would think kids would enjoy either one.

[marci22]

We did this itinerary and my kids loved it:

 

PORTS OF CALL:

Barcelona, Spain; Villefranche (Nice), France; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; Naples (Salerno), Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Livorno (Florence), Italy; Barcelona, Spain

 

You can't go wrong with these ports.

[Bobal]

Another vote here for one of the longer Med cruises which Serenade is currently doing and which Vision will be doing next summer. The itinerary posted above by Marci sounds great - and not sure why a previous poster says many of the Med ports are beach destinations as this really isn't the case, although there may be the opportunity to build in a beach visit at some stops which may be a welcome relief from very long, port-intensive days.

 

My kids are now 20 and 22 (and still choosing to cruise with us) and we've done a Med cruise every year with them for the last 7 years, with another planned next year. Obviously it also depends on what appeals to your kids and whether you believe the Baltic itinerary will hold more interest for them.

 

If you have your heart set on London and can do a flight which will take you into London and out of Barcelona, you can get some very cheap deals on budget airlines from London to Barcelona (eg Easyjet) which is just a short flight.

 

Edited to say just remembered and searched for this which you may find useful . She travelled on Serenade with older kids http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1668619

Edited June 9, 2014 by Bobal

[Ti2m]

Then Copenhagen, Tallinn, St. Petersburg (overnight), Helsinki, Stockholm and Visby. We would fly home the day we disembark from London.

 

What we like:

* the ability to see London first for a few days

* length of cruise (12 nights)

* price (cheaper than our Alaskan cruise of 7 nights!)

* cruising in general and RCCL in specific (so much less legwork to do to figure out which countries to visit and we know what to expect on RCCL)

 

 

Is this what you like or what your kids like? Frankly those ports sound ... well St. Petersburg could be interesting and London sounds fun.

 

Ask your kids to do some research and find out what they would like to see in Europe.

 

Look for cruises out of Barcelona. Some excellent prices and itineraries. This year we were on the NCL Epic and next year the Allure OTS. Now what kid would not like the Allure?

 

You could do a 7 night cruise then take the train/Chunnel to London or Paris for a few nights. Really quite easy from Barcelona.

 

Just some suggestions.

[The_Big_M]

While I think that cruise is fine of itself, as others have mentioned it's not covering places typically representing Europe.

 

To get a good feel for Europe, a land tour is really necessary. The port cities don't touch on historic centres in most cases, and many of the highlights are in land. Travelling around by train, or even doing a bus tour if you prefer convenience of booking/planning is a better way to get a feel for Europe.

 

The cruise will be nice, but isn't the best way to do it.

[elaine5]

We have taken kids on both a W. Med and also Baltic. Both have good points. First--we all LOVE London! We usually are only connecting for a day or two and always want to come back and stay longer. We loved the Baltics--and being able to go to StP is truly amazing. But, I agree with others that a Med based cruise might be better.

Things I think are great to show older kids/teens are classic, iconic places:

London, Paris, Rome

Pompeii

Athens for the Acropolis

Cinque Terre is great if you have a photography buff

 

For a 1 week Baltic cruise, we did a DIY land trip of 1 week prior in Italy--hilltowns, Florence and Rome, and then flew to catch the Baltics cruise. This worked well. A great "grand trip" and mix of things. We like having the cruise the 2nd leg to relax a bit.

This summer, we took a busy W. Med cruise (7 days) and then flew to Paris for 5 days, then trained to London for 2 days. That was a good pace and a good mix of places. W. MEd is very busy, so we did that 1st and then relaxed a bit with 5 days in Paris.

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Italy--for the food, people, architecture, ambiance, iconic historical landmarks. For teens, I would really try to include Italy for a 1st trip. Happy travels! Elaine

Edited June 10, 2014 by elaine5

[travelinjones]

We spent most of a summer cruising all over Europe from the Black Sea to the Polar Ice Cap. Most all of the ports are spectacular, especially in the Med and the Baltic.

 

I think a key factor between the two is if you prefer a cruise that's more Caribbean-like in terms of weather, or more Alaska-like. (Seward, Alaska and Stockholm are at the same latitude, with the locals loving the long sunny days around summer solstice, to make up for the long, dark winter.)

 

In both the Med and the Baltic the ports feature heavily in history, art, culture, food, and hiking (if that's of interest.) There are things in the Baltic that I'm certain most teens would find interesting: the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, a biking tour in Visby (fun little island in the middle of the Baltic), any of the palaces in St. Petersburg and/or the subway tour.... there's something for all ages and activity levels in each port. There's also great public transportation systems to explore on your own and English is widely spoken in the Baltic region. (The exception is Russia, where you need an approved tour to avoid getting Visas. )

 

But, if warm temps and swimming/beach activities are important, I'd go to the Med over the Baltic, or look for a "Western Europe" cruise that sails between London and Rome or the reverse, and hits more of the iconic capitals of Europe such as Rome, Lisbon, Paris and London.

[markeb]

We did this cruise two years ago (minus Visby) and loved it! It's the only good way to see St Petersburg, which was beyond our expectations.

 

I'm a little biased as I've lived in Europe, and traveled all over Central Europe. We did a Greek island cruise years ago, and would recommend that to anyone. But, I can't imagine having 6-7 hours to go from Livorno to Pisa to Florence and back! I want to be walking the streets when night falls with an espresso or a glass of wine. Etc.

 

I don't know the interests of your kids. The Baltics are beautiful in their own right. The are certainly different from Paris or Berlin or Prague, but we enjoyed them. And, of course, there's London...

[trojan3000]

We go on a very similar cruise in eight days on Legend we are looking forward to all the historical places we will visit. Our thread is full of information.

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1813212&page=37

 

If you have never been to Europe it is a hard decision. Good Luck

[masonpips]

Thanks again for everyone's input! This morning I logged on and looked at all of the European cruises during next June/July in order by price (lol). I found a 13 night on Explorer out of Southampton that seems awesome - it allows us to still fly in/out of London and the price per person per day (for a balcony connected to an inside on Deck 9) is $118.40 (before gratuities,. but includes taxes and fees). The entire almost 2 week cruise is cheaper than what we paid for Alaska! (ok, that was a corner aft JS, but still.....)

 

Ports:

Gibraltar, United Kingdom

Malaga, Spain

Villefranche (Nice), France

Provence (Toulon), France

Palma De Mallorca, Spain (overnight)

Cadiz, Spain

plus 4 days cruising.

 

Titled: Spain and Med Beaches (which I think my kids would enjoy a bit more than Baltic/cooler, thanks for all the input/thought on beaches vs. older cities, etc.).

 

Honestly the price (!!!) and teen-friendly ship (we've done Voyager class many times before) is a huge draw plus timing is perfect (Mon-Sun cruise) for taking time off work (with July 4th Holiday in there).

 

I have it "on hold" right now! Although I love the idea of Italy/Greece, I think I will save that for 2016 (20 year anniversary) for dh and I!

[negc]

We did both a Baltic (RCI) and a Med cruise (Azamara) last year and while each was a different experience, we very much enjoyed both. I must say that the Med cruise itinerary revealed that the beaches were less impressive than what we expected but some of the ports, Barcelona, Marseilles, and Monaco were among the hight points of that cruise. Overall our Baltic itinerary which included an overnight in St. Petersburg, was more interesting. Copenhagen and Stockholm were well worth the time spent there, Helsinki and Talinn were unexpected pleasures. If you are spending some pre- or post cruise time in London, you could include a day trip to Paris on the Eurostar which I am sure your teens would enjoy. This is a situation where I would ask your kids which itinerary holds the greatest interest for them. Whichever you choose, I don't think you or your kids will be disappointed.

[robint]

We did this itinerary and my kids loved it:

 

PORTS OF CALL:

Barcelona, Spain; Villefranche (Nice), France; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; Naples (Salerno), Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Livorno (Florence), Italy; Barcelona, Spain

 

You can't go wrong with these ports.

 

We're doing this cruise in 30 days (!). We picked it because my kids are VERY into Greek and Roman mythology right now, and this is one of the few cruises that hits both Rome and Athens. And we're also excited about Pompeii and Pisa.

[Pete B]

Villefranche is lovely. You will be tempted to go down to Monaco and see the sights (as we were) but we stayed in town and had lunch at a local restaurant and some wine. It was fab,

 

Pete.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

If you had more time and the schedule worked for you, you could do what we did recently: Take the second-to-last Baltic cruise of the season on Brilliance OTS starting & ending in Harwich, disembark & take the train to London, stay a couple of days, then walk back from London (from Epping tube station) 80 miles to Harwich on the the Essex Way. The ship held our heavy bags for us whilst walking. Then we got back on the Brilliance OTS and sailed from Harwich via Faroe Islands & Iceland to Boston.

 

It was great to disembark the ship and know that we would be walking back to the port to re-board.

[NorbertsNiece]

Villefranche is lovely. You will be tempted to go down to Monaco and see the sights (as we were) but we stayed in town and had lunch at a local restaurant and some wine. It was fab,

 

Pete.

 

It really is.

 

 

I do love Monaco though.

 

Heading to the Baltics in less than a week..... soooo excited!!

Edited June 10, 2014 by NorbertsNiece