RCCL Serenade of the Seas or NCL Star

[cleobella]

Hi,

We would like to do a Baltic Cruise and have narrowed our ship choice down to NCL Star or RCCL Serenade of the Seas. Just wondering if anyone has sailed on either of these and what would be your choice. We have sailed both lines-NCL food is not spectacular but we like the casual vibe.

Thanks

[Holly2]

How do the itineraries compare? Is there adequate time in port for each?

[kitkat343]

We sailed the Star last August, and I would agree with you about the food in the MDR. However, you can eat two dinners off the ship - one in Germany, and the other on the first night you are docked in St. Petersburg. We also really liked the food at Modernos, and thought it was good at Cagney's. We booked our cruise a month prior to sailing, so at that point NCL was much less expensive than the other options and we simply factored in the cost of specialty dining to the cost of our cruise before choosing this itinerary.

 

The service from the front desk was outstanding, and the rooms were small but adequate. A Baltic cruise is so port intensive (and you will be tired after long days exploring really interesting ports) that the amenities of the cruise ship are less important than on other itineraries. So if the itineraries are similar, I would go for the least expensive option. Overall, the Star is a nice but not extremely impressive ship, which is a very good choice as long as you have an interesting itinerary that is priced appropriately.

 

On Norwegian, you would get priority disembarkation in St. Petersburg if you stay in a suite or have elite status, so that might be another factor to consider. Or you can choose to leave a little later on the first day (10 am) to avoid the long lines getting through Russian customs. You can start earlier on the second day, as it is faster to process people whose paperwork was already checked the previous day.

Edited March 31, 2015 by kitkat343

[Kryssa]

How funny, we were in the same spot as you last year. As you can tell by my sig, we are not brand loyal. We sail by itinerary first, price second, and ship third.

 

We chose the Serenade due to her itinerary on June 17th and here are the reasons why -

 

1. Only one sea day - Mr. K does not like them.

2. 3 days and 2 overnights in St. Petersburg. We are excited to explore the city!

3. Embarks & debarks in different cities - we do a pre-cruise stay in one and a post-cruise stay in the other.

 

We agree the NCL food is not the best but that would not be a reason for me not to sail them again for the right itinerary at the right price.

[TDOTCRUISR]

Hello Kryssa:

 

We are contemplating booking Serenade of the Seas for July 12-19, 2015 (sails in and out of Stockholm only). Can you please advise as to the port location? We are trying to determine a hotel for the 1 night pre-cruise stay>proximity to airport/ cruise port and city central are all considerations.

 

Also wondering if you know how close the cruise port is to the airport. The flight I am considering for the trip home, departs at 11AM>not sure if it is enough time to get to the airport; through security, etc... The next flight time is double the price!

 

Thanks for your help.

[Kryssa]

Hi TDOT,

 

We dock in Frihamnen for our sailing but I imagine it could be different for your dates.

[Desdichado62]

Hello Kryssa:

 

We are contemplating booking Serenade of the Seas for July 12-19, 2015 (sails in and out of Stockholm only). Can you please advise as to the port location? We are trying to determine a hotel for the 1 night pre-cruise stay>proximity to airport/ cruise port and city central are all considerations.

 

Also wondering if you know how close the cruise port is to the airport. The flight I am considering for the trip home, departs at 11AM>not sure if it is enough time to get to the airport; through security, etc... The next flight time is double the price!

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Perhaps you have found your answer already but The Sots will berth at Frihamnen on that occasion as well but it will vary for other occasions.

 

http://www.stockholmshamnar.se/fartygslista/#imo=9228344

 

See the link in my signature for more info.

[kitkat343]

I would have preferred extra time in Stockholm over Copenhagen, so if I had the option I would choose a cruise that originated or ended in Stockholm, since it really is a gorgeous city.

[mustgo]

We are booked on a 9 day Star cruise for next May and yes, it is very far away. I am thinking of another choice which is to fly from London where our Navigator TA ends to Stockholm and then canceling the Star cruise, taking an overnight ferry to Helsinki and then a 72 hour visa free ST Peterline ferry to St Petersburg. You can then stay 2 nights on your own but get 3 days to explore ST Petersburg. We will probably take a 2 day tour and then wander around one day on our own. Does anyone have any experience with this trip? Tho it is a ferry, it is still a cruise of sorts. The trip from Stockholm to Helsinki is supposed to be very pretty.

[Desdichado62]

@mustgo, also Tallinn is a short hope across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki.

 

I have done the round trip between Stockholm and Helsinki a couple of times but it's been almost 10 years since the last time.

[dogs4fun]

We are booked on a 9 day Star cruise for next May and yes, it is very far away. I am thinking of another choice which is to fly from London where our Navigator TA ends to Stockholm and then canceling the Star cruise, taking an overnight ferry to Helsinki and then a 72 hour visa free ST Peterline ferry to St Petersburg. You can then stay 2 nights on your own but get 3 days to explore ST Petersburg. We will probably take a 2 day tour and then wander around one day on our own. Does anyone have any experience with this trip? Tho it is a ferry, it is still a cruise of sorts. The trip from Stockholm to Helsinki is supposed to be very pretty.

Sounds like a good plan. :) It will certainly allow you the most freedom without having to obtain a Russian visa.

Had friends that booked with Peterline ferry last August and had a great time. They stayed in a hotel in St. Petersburg - Russia allows the 72 visa waiver and you are allowed to stay overnight in a hotel when booked on this ferry. They purchased the city tour/transfer from Peterline (nominal fee I was told) and this acted as their 3 day visa waiver. They were then able to DIY in St. Petersburg and did not have to be with a guide (although they did book a private tour for one of their days in St. Pete).

They also took the Tallink ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn & I believe that it is only about a one hour ride between Helsinki & Tallinn.(http://www.tallinksilja.com/default)

Edited April 14, 2015 by dogs4fun

[Desdichado62]

They also took the Tallink ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn & I believe that it is only about a one hour ride between Helsinki & Tallinn.(http://www.tallinksilja.com/default)

 

For the record, Viking Line also offers cruises/day trips to Tallin.

http://www.sales.vikingline.com/en/destinations/estonia/tallinn/

[mustgo]

Thanks for your words of encouragement for the ferries. For now, we will keep the cruise reservation but most likely cancel later and do it DIY with the Peterline. Seems like more of an adventure and trip advisor reviews have been mostly good.