Advice on ports of call

[Little Nell]

Can anyone help with suggestions of what to do in Zeebrugge, Warnemunde and Tallinn?

 

We have been to Bruges a number of times and the trips on offer from Zeebrugge go to Bruges. Has anyone spent time in Zeebrugge itself?

 

We don't want to go to Berlin which is a 12 hour trip and we would prefer to do a city break there. I have heard that Warnemunde itself is nice and there is also nearby Rostock.

 

Tallinn looks as if it would be easy to walk around.

 

Any comments will be very welcome.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Tallin is beautiful and you can walk from the ship and round the town. It rained a bit when we were there and we went into a museum. Lucky you, I loved the Baltic cruise

[Little Nell]

Tallin is beautiful and you can walk from the ship and round the town. It rained a bit when we were there and we went into a museum. Lucky you, I loved the Baltic cruise

 

Thanks, Linda. Can't wait. We are doing 2 long days of trips in St Petersburg and are just starting to look at the other ports now. Really looking forward to Tallinn. It looks absolutely lovely.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Tallinn

 

[CRUISIN LINDA]

You can see our ship (Jewel of the Seas) in the distance. St Petersburg is fabulous, I would love to go back, there is so much to see. When do you go Eleanor?

[Little Nell]

Thanks for the pic :)

 

Going 25th July to 8th August (has to be school holidays). Stopping at Zeebrugge, Warnemunde, Tallinn, St Petersburg 2 days, Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen. We are very happy with the itinerary. Apart from Zeebrugge they are all new to us.

[joeholiday2]

Tallin is a great poc, 10 minutes walk from the dock.

We loved wardemunde, got the train to Rostock in the morning, you then have to get a tram into the town centre as it's a bit too far to walk. It's nice for a couple of hours. We were back in wardemunde for lunch and then had a walk along the canal and towards the beach. It really surprised us how nice it was.

 

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[Little Nell]

Tallin is a great poc, 10 minutes walk from the dock.

We loved wardemunde, got the train to Rostock in the morning, you then have to get a tram into the town centre as it's a bit too far to walk. It's nice for a couple of hours. We were back in wardemunde for lunch and then had a walk along the canal and towards the beach. It really surprised us how nice it was.

 

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Thanks for that, Joe :)

 

We are in Warnemunde until very late so that is easily doable.

[happy v]

For Tallin it's easy to walk from the ship to the old town, which is lovely. It reminded me of Durham and York. If you are going here before St P. and there are things you are going to buy they are a lot cheaper here.

 

I really liked Warnemunde. There was a festival when we were there with lots of stalls by the canal, with food you could actually eat, and a market on the prom and music. We went back to the ship and returned later to see a tribute act of Neil Young, as we didn't sail until late. They weren't very good, but it was quite nice to sit on a deck chair in the sun and listen. We went in July/August and I'm sure they do this every year so I would check their tourist information.

 

I loved the Baltic cruise every port was good. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Edited January 25, 2015 by happy v

[Little Nell]

For Tallin it's easy to walk from the ship to the old town, which is lovely. It reminded me of Durham and York. If you are going here before St P. and there are things you are going to buy they are a lot cheaper here.

 

I really liked Warnemunde. There was a festival when we were there with lots of stalls by the canal, with food you could actually eat, and a market on the prom and music. We went back to the ship and returned later to see a tribute act of Neil Young, as we didn't sail until late. They weren't very good, but it was quite nice to sit on a deck chair in the sun and listen. We went in July/August and I'm sure they do this every year so I would check their tourist information.

 

I loved the Baltic cruise every port was good. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

Thanks, happy v. I will check out the festival :)

[WeeCountyMan]

Rostock is a really nice place.

 

Train terminal in Warnermunde is right in the town centre and the train takes you right into the centre of Rostock via an underground station.

[kruzseeka]

Agree Warnemunde itself plus Rostock make for a good day DiY. Tallinn excellent thought think not all ships now dock in the city itself. If not it might be a shuttle in but either way I wouldn't pay for a trip there - superb place to just wander and explore.

 

Sorry no advice for Zeebrugge for alternatives to Bruges.

 

Sounds like a great itinerary Little Nell. ;)

[Little Nell]

Thanks WCM and kruzseeka :)

 

Somebody must have been to Zeebrugge :D;)

[Jakanne1]

Thanks, Linda. Can't wait. We are doing 2 long days of trips in St Petersburg and are just starting to look at the other ports now. Really looking forward to Tallinn. It looks absolutely lovely.

 

Have you booked through the cruise line or with a Russian tour guide in St Petersburg? Ray says Tallin is lovely but once you leave the old town it is awful, but it was 15 years since he was there so might have changed.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Jakanne1

[Little Nell]

Will be booking through the cruise company, Jackie, when I get a minute!

 

Really like the 2 tours we have picked.

 

We did a couple of their tours last year and they were fabulous, so no reason not to this time, unless you can advise otherwise ;)

[Jakanne1]

I've got to look into it, but after reading about the traffic problems in St Petersburg, I think I would feel safer booking a ship excursion especially on the 2nd day. Wouldn't like to be left behind in Russia.....Caribbean, maybe yes.

[Little Nell]

I've got to look into it, but after reading about the traffic problems in St Petersburg, I think I would feel safer booking a ship excursion especially on the 2nd day. Wouldn't like to be left behind in Russia.....Caribbean, maybe yes.

 

Haha, was thinking along the same lines myself :D

 

We are probably only booking those excursions, so don't mind the cost. The others we will probably do ourselves anyway.

[happy v]

Have you booked through the cruise line or with a Russian tour guide in St Petersburg? Ray says Tallin is lovely but once you leave the old town it is awful, but it was 15 years since he was there so might have changed.

 

I think he may still be right. We just looked at it and decided to stay in the old bit.

[happy v]

Will be booking through the cruise company, Jackie, when I get a minute!

 

Really like the 2 tours we have picked.

 

We did a couple of their tours last year and they were fabulous, so no reason not to this time, unless you can advise otherwise ;)

 

Which excursions have you chosen?

[Jakanne1]

Will be booking through the cruise company, Jackie, when I get a minute!

 

Really like the 2 tours we have picked.

 

We did a couple of their tours last year and they were fabulous, so no reason not to this time, unless you can advise otherwise ;)

 

Are you going to the evening ballet? Guess I will be going solo. Not paying those prices for DH to have a good sleep throughout it. ;)

[Little Nell]

Which excursions have you chosen?

 

The first one is a general tour of the famous city landmarks with time at some including the Hermitage.

 

The second day is the Peterhof and Catherine Palaces.

[Little Nell]

Are you going to the evening ballet? Guess I will be going solo. Not paying those prices for DH to have a good sleep throughout it. ;)

 

Like you, I would be doing it on my own :D

 

If we do anything it will be a river cruise with a folk evening but we won't book that until we work out timings onboard and see if it is practical. The likelihood is that we won't do anything other than relax after 2 very long, busy days.

[mansej]

Tallinn is great. Stay in and around the square, try the Irish pub Molly Malone's and the restaurant that does boar and venison just behind the clock, it has a medieval theme and the food is great. Also there is a micro brewery just off the square. There is always some sort of music going on.

Helsinki is also fabulous. There is generally a market close to the port, try their little fish fried in big woks with fried potatoes. Stroll through the beautiful park and enjoy an ice cold pear cider. Do a boat trip over to 1 of the islands. Both brilliant places. Can't help you with the others, sorry. Very envious:(

[old biddy]

Another good place in Tallinn is the Estonia country museum. They have moved various old buildings from around the country and rebuilt them in a park setting. You can get there by the HoHo bus, from the port entrance, very obvious

[WeeCountyMan]

Are you going to the evening ballet? Guess I will be going solo. Not paying those prices for DH to have a good sleep throughout it. ;)

 

'Er indoors did the solo deal to the ballet - men in tights ain't my scene.

 

The majority of the party were "single" ladies as well, most husbands/partners chickened out !!!

 

One piece of advice - ask the Thomson excursion team how much "turn around" time you'll have between returning from your daytime excursion and leaving for the evening performance.

 

We were told we'd be back around 4pm ish - in fact it was well after 5pm and left Her Ladyship with hardly enough time to jump in and out of the shower and then run around the buffet for something to eat.

 

I had a blazing row with the staff over their misleading advice.

 

It didn't help matters when the advertised performance of Swan Lake was changed to the Nutcracker Suite at very short notice - apparently the leading lady had taken unwell. Don't they have an understudy ready to step in ?

 

Can't blame Thomsons for that though.

Edited January 27, 2015 by WeeCountyMan