Baltic Sea cruise

[samsnj]

Planning for next summer. Wanting to get a balcony and not sure which side of ship is best for the views.

 

Any recommendations appreciated.

[jennywren46]

I really don't think it matters we've been twice , once port, the other starboard.

I don't know which ports your going to ,but the only one we've been to where you dock in the city is Oslo , the others are in industrial docks with not much to see. The sail out from Oslo and Stockholm is amazing but to be honest I don't think it matters which side your on. When you go under the bridge it's best to be up on deck anyway.

[CruiserBruce]

It doesn't matter. The views are 360 degrees, and you aren't locked in your cabin.

[QuattroRomeo]

We booked starboard for our future NCL cruise out of Copenhagen. Looked at the itinerary and a map, and for the direction we go in, IF there is anything close enough to see landwise, it will be starboard. On other cruises we've had, only a few ports were light enough to see anything (as in morning light), as we got close to port. But if you have the choice, why not pick that side??:)

Once you're in port, you never know which side the dock will be on! Hope you enjoy the cruise, no matter where your room is located!

[Desdichado62]

Planning for next summer. Wanting to get a balcony and not sure which side of ship is best for the views.

 

Any recommendations appreciated.

 

Also be aware that not all ships go into central Stockholm.

 

Goto this webapge: http://www.portsofstockholm.com/vessel-calls/

Select Nynäshamn and set filters to "exptected" and "cruise ships".

 

Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Britannia Azores, Empress and Horizon will always dock in Nynäshamn instead of in central Stockholm.

 

MSC Orchestra & Eurodam will on one occasions each dock in Nynäshamn and not in central Stockholm.

 

For Eurodam, on 2015-05-27 she will dock in Nynäshamn and not Stockholm.

For MSC Orchestra the date is 2015-06-01.

[Keith1010]

CruiserBruce has it right.

 

I would put more focus on location of your room within a rather than which side you are on.

 

Keith

[Giantfan13]

You really want some good advice, save your money, book an inside cabin and use all that extra money for tours or other expenditures.

 

Other than the 'fresh air', balconies on a cruise like this, are not really important. There is very little to see no matter which side of the ship you are on. The cruise is so port intensive, that you won't have much time to even enjoy the balcony. Most ports you sail in when you are sleeping and they are usually in a part of town where there isn't anything worthwhile to see anyway.

On returning to the ship, most days, you need to shower, change, go to eat and rest up for the hectic next day.

If you do sail the Archipelago out of Stockholm, it would be advised that you be up on a high deck to really appreciate the sail thru. from any balcony you will only see a narrow part of it.

 

Again, either side of the ship for balconies, doesn't matter one iota. Save your money and book a cheaper cabin.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[CruiserBruce]

There is very little to see no matter which side of the ship you are on. ... Most ports you sail in when you are sleeping and they are usually in a part of town where there isn't anything worthwhile to see anyway.

 

If you do sail the Archipelago out of Stockholm, it would be advised that you be up on a high deck to really appreciate the sail thru. from any balcony you will only see a narrow part of it.

 

 

I guess it all depends on what ports we are talking about, and the time of year you are talking about. We went to Estonia, SPB, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and Germany round trip out of Copenhagen. The approach to SPB is interesting. The approach to Oslo is awesome, and you dock in town. Yes, being on a high deck is beneficial for both Oslo and Stockholm, but you can see most of these areas from an aft balcony quite well. That is why aft balconies are so popular.

 

Time of year is important because of more daylight. When it is light at 5am, and not dark until 9pm, you see lots on your sailaway and before you arrive.

[HawaiiUK]

We loved having a balcony. On the day we arrived in Stockholm, I got up early to see the archipelago, and then we had breakfast in our cabin, and watched the scenery unfurl whilst still in our pyjamas and dressing gown. Felt quite decadent!

 

A balcony will never be a waste of money for us, even on port-intensive days. It's each to their own.

 

I got a starboard side suite because our cruise was travelling anti-clockwise just in case we could see anything of the land.