Baltic cruise: Marina sep3 12 night vs HAL Koningsdam sep4 14 night

[Arachnotron]

About to book a Baltic cruise in September. I have two options:

 

HAL Koningsdam, 14 night, ~3,500 per person (balcony)

Oceania Marina, 12 night, ~6,600 per person (balcony)

 

Advantages I see of HAL-K include:

• MUCH cheaper
  
• 14 night instead of 12 night (although it has 4 sea days instead of Oceania's 1 day)
  
• New ship
  

 

Advantages I see of Oceania Marina so far, are:

• Better itinerary/port times/overnights
  
• Current rate includes unlimited internet for one passenger plus either beverage package, four "standard" shore excursions (no idea what "standard" vs "special" means though) or 800 USD of onboard credit
  

 

Since I have never cruised with Oceania, I want to hear your thoughts about advantages of Oceania over HAL that justify the additional 3k per person and the two less days. So far I cannot see the advantage, however I have heard high praises (albeit general) about Oceania and I would like to take an infomed decision. So, please, kindly comment on advantages vs HAL on topics like

 

• Luxury
  
• Food
  
• Cabins
  
• Excursions
  
• Entertainment
  etc.
  

 

Thanks in advance

[Mura]

I can't comment on the merits of HAL since we've never sailed on HAL *but* there are a number of former HAL passengers who have moved over to Oceania, feeling O to be very superior in many respects. Take that comment for what it is worth.

 

Food on Oceania is generally wonderful. Sure, sometimes things fall short but in general we've been very pleased with 12 cruises so far. Specialty restaurants are no fee (except for La Reserve on Marina/Riviera, which is a wine pairing dinner).

 

O doesn't claim to be "luxury" but for us it comes close. That, of course, depends on the level cabin you select. We like to be in a PH or better (mainly for the space) but there are plenty of people who opt for lower level cabins and are very happy with them.

 

The included tours are indeed standard tours. (Tours in the OC or OE category are excluded. These are for smaller groups or more expensive because of what they are doing.) We are taking advantage of the included tours on our upcoming cruises which are in the standard category and are sure they will be fine. We usually do our own private tours but we've never refused ship's tours. Occasionally a ship's tour is sub-par but that has been true of the occasional private tour as well.

 

Since I can't compare HAL's cabins to O's, and I don't know what level you are looking at, I can't say much here. If you are considering Marina or Riviera, the cabins in general are larger than those on the smaller ships.

 

Oceania's excursions (even by loyalists) are considered overpriced. But if you are taking an excursion that is "included" in your fare, then it should be worth it. Of course, there is nothing to prevent you from opting for private tours anyway.

 

Entertainment is not a strong suit on Oceania ships although we've seen shows we've enjoyed. We tend to prefer individual acts ourselves ... Don't count on great shows, though, you probably won't see them. That isn't to say that you won't have a pleasant evening.

 

Good luck in making your decision.

 

Mura

[LHT28]

Is the price you quote for O include Air ?

If you shop around you can find a TA that will include the gratuities so that will save you some $$

I would pick the cruise that has the ports you most want to see & ticks the most boxes for YOU

it is a port intensive cruise so you need to decide if you want to be on the go for that long

 

JMO

 

Personal choice really ...

I would choose Oceania because I do not like bigger ships but that is just me

 

Lyn

[Pet Nit Noy]

About to book a Baltic cruise in September. I have two options:

 

HAL Koningsdam, 14 night, ~3,500 per person (balcony)

Oceania Marina, 12 night, ~6,600 per person (balcony)

 

Advantages I see of HAL-K include:

• MUCH cheaper
  
• 14 night instead of 12 night (although it has 4 sea days instead of Oceania's 1 day)
  
• New ship
  

 

Advantages I see of Oceania Marina so far, are:

• Better itinerary/port times/overnights
  
• Current rate includes unlimited internet for one passenger plus either beverage package, four "standard" shore excursions (no idea what "standard" vs "special" means though) or 800 USD of onboard credit
  

 

Since I have never cruised with Oceania, I want to hear your thoughts about advantages of Oceania over HAL that justify the additional 3k per person and the two less days. So far I cannot see the advantage, however I have heard high praises (albeit general) about Oceania and I would like to take an infomed decision. So, please, kindly comment on advantages vs HAL on topics like

 

• Luxury
  
• Food
  
• Cabins
  
• Excursions
  
• Entertainment
  etc.
  

 

Thanks in advance

 

What is the itinerary for both? A Baltic cruise is such a port rich itinerary, that, for me, the first decision should be the itinerary.

 

As for excursions, please consider going to the roll call for whichever cruise you choose and joining existing small group private tours or creating your own small group private tours. The tour operators at the Baltic ports are a well known group. There's none of the risk people always worry about when going with a tour operator other than the ship. Private tour operators will provide you with a superior experience at a cost that tends to be less than the ship's excursions.

[Cruise Junky]

HAL allows smoking in the casino and balcony. Not sure how important that is to you.

[zoncom]

Comparing HAL to O is like a Ford to Mercedes. Completely different classes of ship. I would avoid Hal unless you are over 75. Hal cruisers dislike singles/solos too.Did a 14N on HAL once as solo, never again.

[LHT28]

We found the food on our Eurodam cruises to be mediocre at best

we are NOT foodies we just want decent meals

The one good thing on HAL is the food in the MDR came HOT unlike some meals on O where it is warm to warmer rarely HOT

[Arachnotron]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

 

@Mura, thanks for the info and advice.

 

@LHT28, the O fare does not include airfare. Actually I will have to spend a lot of money on airfare, since I live in Mexico and both USD/MEX and EUR/MEX exchange rates have increased 35% and 25% in the last year alone :(

Do you have any suggestions for TAs? I'm currently booking through a TA my cousin works for, but if I find a better offer in another TA I will book with them instead.

 

@Pet Nit Noy, itinerary for both is:

 

Marina:

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Sat Sep 3 Stockholm, Sweden 5:00pm

Sun Sep 4 Helsinki, Finland 10:00am 7:00pm

Mon Sep 5 St. Petersburg, Russia 9:00am

Tue Sep 6 St. Petersburg, Russia

Wed Sep 7 St. Petersburg, Russia 6:00pm

Thu Sep 8 Tallinn, Estonia 8:00am 4:00pm

Fri Sep 9 Klaipeda, Lithuania 11:00am 9:00pm

Sat Sep 10 Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland 8:00am 4:00pm

Sun Sep 11 Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany 8:00am 11:00pm

Mon Sep 12 Copenhagen, Denmark 8:00am 4:00pm

Tue Sep 13 Oslo, Norway 9:00am 7:00pm

Wed Sep 14 At Sea

Thu Sep 15 Amsterdam, Holland 8:00am

 

 

Koningsdam

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Sun Sep 4 Amsterdam, Holland 4:00pm

Mon Sep 5 At Sea

Tue Sep 6 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00am 4:00pm

Wed Sep 7 Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany 7:00am 10:00pm

Thu Sep 8 At Sea

Fri Sep 9 Tallinn, Estonia 9:00am 5:00pm

Sat Sep 10 St. Petersburg, Russia 7:00am

Sun Sep 11 St. Petersburg, Russia 6:00pm

Mon Sep 12 Helsinki, Finland 8:00am 5:00pm

Tue Sep 13 Stockholm, Sweden 8:00am 6:00pm

Wed Sep 14 At Sea

Thu Sep 15 Kiel, Germany 7:00am 5:00pm

Fri Sep 16 Gothenborg, Sweden 8:00am 5:00pm

Sat Sep 17 At Sea

Sun Sep 18 Amsterdam, Holland 7:00am

 

 

@Cruise Junki - Not important at all, but thanks,

 

@zoncom, @LHT28 - I see. The most luxurious ship I've been in is the Celebrity Eclipse and the Celebrity Summit. For me both were just fine in terms of "luxuriousness". Not sure what to expect from Oceania (or HAL Koningsdam for that matter).

[kitty9]

For the three days in St Petersburg alone would be the main reason for me to choose Marina. I've been to St Petersburg three times and still haven't seen it all. I don't understand why cruise ships stop in Gothenborg as it's more of a port/industrial city known for the Volvo plant, and maybe the Haga district of wooden houses and cafes, so to me, it's not a great port on the HAL itinerary.

 

I cruised Eurodam recently and decided that HAL is a line I wouldn't cruise again. Food and service wasn't great and I find their ships to be very dark in their public areas and main corridors.

[Barrheadlass]

After 4 HAL cruises we tried Oceania and decided we would not return to HAL, we liked O so much better. However, I've done a nearly identical cruise with HAL and loved it. I think all those O port days would be exhausting. Food is better on O, although we were never unhappy with it on HAL. Unfortunately, my husband no longer wants to travel, and the single supplement on O has priced it out of my range, and I'm returning to HAL this summer. I have not seen what zoncom describes at all. I met lots of singles, all under 75, on my cruises and they were all enjoying themselves. So, it comes down to this...if the price difference isn't an issue for you, I'd suggest O. Whichever you do, enjoy!

[Cruise Junky]

Have you looked at Princess? They have one the last week

Of August and the price looks pretty good

[triplestar]

I have done 4 cruises on Oceania ,3 on Azamara & 2 on Hal, all have their merits & all have areas where they could do better. That being said I have enjoyed all my cruises. 3 points that no one as yet has mentioned are A) the difference in size ,Marina has 1200 passengers approx. & Koningsdam nearly 3,000. B) All sodas & specialist coffees are included in the price on the Marina & C) The Marina has very good self service laundries. People mention the Hal is for the elderly, but I have not found this to be so, in fact I would state that Oceania wins that prize. I myself fit into the over 60 bracket. All that being said I would go with Oceania if it is the itinerary you prefer, but Hal could be better value. Enjoy your cruise

[Arachnotron]

Thanks for all the comments. I would love trying Oceania. I will try my best to afford it, considering the additional perks; if not I will go for HAL or even the Princess alternative a poster was mentioning above.

 

One more thing, can anyone recommend private tour contacts in the Baltic? I would take the previous poster's suggestion and go to the roll call forums, but this trip is to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary, and I'd rather go alone with my wife.

 

Thanks again,

[Mura]

You can always contact tour agencies mentioned by others with the idea of a truly private tour for two. You can also do your own research for guides ... Check Travel Advisor if you want to check them out beforehand. I've found that to be very helpful.

 

You know you'll be paying a lot more for an absolutely private tour (!) but if it's worth it to you, by all means go for it.

 

Once you decide on the definite itinerary,a number of us can make recommendations for guides.

 

I'll go on my usual soap box and advise AGAINST trying to do Berlin from a Baltic port. You are much better off (in my opinion) by saving Berlin for a land trip. It's a fabulous city with so much to do. We've spent a week there and still didn't do everything we wanted to do. Driving 3-4 hours each way to get there doesn't do it for me.

 

Many of these ports CAN be done on your own ...

 

Mura

[sammiedawg]

Thanks for all the comments. I would love trying Oceania. I will try my best to afford it, considering the additional perks; if not I will go for HAL or even the Princess alternative a poster was mentioning above.

 

One more thing, can anyone recommend private tour contacts in the Baltic? I would take the previous poster's suggestion and go to the roll call forums, but this trip is to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary, and I'd rather go alone with my wife.

 

Thanks again,

 

SPB tours in St Petersburg is extremely popular with cruisers and we loved our two day tour with them. They have also expanded into other Baltic ports, check out their web site.

Other good companies include Alla, Denrus and a couple more I cannot remember names for. All do a great job.

 

We absolutely love Oceania for the wonderful food, beautiful ships and general ambiance. In a heartbeat I would choose them over Holland America.

[Pet Nit Noy]

T

@Pet Nit Noy, itinerary for both is:

 

Marina:

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Sat Sep 3 Stockholm, Sweden 5:00pm

Sun Sep 4 Helsinki, Finland 10:00am 7:00pm

Mon Sep 5 St. Petersburg, Russia 9:00am

Tue Sep 6 St. Petersburg, Russia

Wed Sep 7 St. Petersburg, Russia 6:00pm

Thu Sep 8 Tallinn, Estonia 8:00am 4:00pm

Fri Sep 9 Klaipeda, Lithuania 11:00am 9:00pm

Sat Sep 10 Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland 8:00am 4:00pm

Sun Sep 11 Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany 8:00am 11:00pm

Mon Sep 12 Copenhagen, Denmark 8:00am 4:00pm

Tue Sep 13 Oslo, Norway 9:00am 7:00pm

Wed Sep 14 At Sea

Thu Sep 15 Amsterdam, Holland 8:00am

 

 

Koningsdam

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Sun Sep 4 Amsterdam, Holland 4:00pm

Mon Sep 5 At Sea

Tue Sep 6 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00am 4:00pm

Wed Sep 7 Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany 7:00am 10:00pm

Thu Sep 8 At Sea

Fri Sep 9 Tallinn, Estonia 9:00am 5:00pm

Sat Sep 10 St. Petersburg, Russia 7:00am

Sun Sep 11 St. Petersburg, Russia 6:00pm

Mon Sep 12 Helsinki, Finland 8:00am 5:00pm

Tue Sep 13 Stockholm, Sweden 8:00am 6:00pm

Wed Sep 14 At Sea

Thu Sep 15 Kiel, Germany 7:00am 5:00pm

Fri Sep 16 Gothenborg, Sweden 8:00am 5:00pm

Sat Sep 17 At Sea

Sun Sep 18 Amsterdam, Holland 7:00am

 

If you've never been to St. Petersburg, the Oceania itinerary wins because of the three-day port call there. St Petersburg is likely to be one your favorite ports of all time. It just makes sense to maximize your time there.

 

I also prefer itineraries that begin and end in different places. We always add pre- and post-cruise time on land so that means visits to two different ports.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Pet Nit Noy

[smj]

The smoking policy keeps us away from Holland. Their ships can be very smoky.

I think the food on Oceania is much better. Also you really can't have too much time in St. Petersburg

[Skyrose]

We did a 7 day Baltic on Marina this past summer and loved it. The ship is beautiful, service was extremely good, and the food was wonderful-- especially Jacques and Red Ginger.

 

We had two days in SP and took an Alla tour. We chose Alla because their itinerary was pretty much what we wanted to cover, and because they guarantee the tour will go no matter how few people sign up for it. (Our tour had only 6 people). Our tour guide was extraordinarily knowledgeable, but I suspect all the SP tour companies have equally excellent guides.

 

I wish we had a third day in SP to do a private tour to the Russian Museum (which features Russian artists ) and to the General Staff building of the Hermitage where all the impressionist and post-impressionist art now resides. I also wish we had arranged to have dinner at one of the better restaurants. So I envy you having that extra day!

 

I've never sailed on HAL, but I have a friend who did a HAL Baltic cruise a few years ago, and I think our experience on Oceania was a better one. I hope you shop around and find a TA who will sweeten the deal for you.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Thanks for all the comments. I would love trying Oceania. I will try my best to afford it, considering the additional perks; if not I will go for HAL or even the Princess alternative a poster was mentioning above.

 

One more thing, can anyone recommend private tour contacts in the Baltic? I would take the previous poster's suggestion and go to the roll call forums, but this trip is to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary, and I'd rather go alone with my wife.

 

Thanks again,

 

If you're looking for recommendations of tour companies, you'll get the broadest response by checking out the Ports of Call boards. With either itinerary, you'll want to visit the UK/Western Europe board for Amsterdam and the Northern Europe/Baltics for your other ports.

 

I'll restate the answer you've already gotten here about guides in St. Petersburg. As long as you stay with the top companies as listed on Trip Advisor, you'll have a wonderful, wonderful experience. Few -- if any posters -- have taken tours with multiple tour companies, so we really can't make reliable comparisons. And virtually every single poster comes back with glowing reports about he/her time with Alla/Best Guides/SPB/White Nights/ TJ/etc.

 

There seem to be small differences that may make a difference to you. We went with White Nights (Number 6) on Trip Advisor since it was more willing to truly customize our tour than the other companies we contacted. (Our visit was our second time in St. Petersburg; we had already spent three days on an earlier visit so we wanted to go places which required a unique itinerary.) Best Guides seems to get the nod for travel with small children, admittedly not your concern. There's the most variation on the topic of food: Some companies tend to maximize your touring time and plan for on-the-fly snacks rather than lunches. Other companies plan for pre-set meals at a sit down restaurant. (More relaxing but no choice.) Other companies allow you to have somewhat more leisurely meals because you go into a restaurant and order whatever suits you so it isn't ready the instant you walk into the restaurant.

 

Some companies include more focus on the life-of-the-ordinary SPB citizen with rides on the subway and visits to a market.

 

You have to do your homework by contacting any of the top tour companies and seeing what appeals to you most.

 

You really can't go wrong if you travel with one highly rated companies and match your itinerary to your personal interests and expectations. Remember that if you'll truly be a group of two you should not be limited to the standard tour. You have no one to please but yourself!

 

Save money elsewhere so you can having the best St. Petersburg experience. Do-it-Yourself in some of the easier ports like Helsinki and Stockholm. Both have good public transportation or the major sights are within easy walking distance of each other. Klaipeda, on the Oceania itinerary only, is a port with limited appeal. While I've read about private guides who offer walking tours, you can save money and catch your breath after the intensity of many of the other ports in this part of the world by simply strolling around the town and, perhaps, eating lunch in town.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Pet Nit Noy

[buggins0402]

Thanks for all the comments. I would love trying Oceania. I will try my best to afford it, considering the additional perks; if not I will go for HAL or even the Princess alternative a poster was mentioning above.

 

,

 

Have you looked at Marina's outside cabins? They are very similar to a verandah in look in that there is a full wall of glass. And, they are all low and midship (smooth ride). O's itinerary is very intensive and in September you might not use a verandah much at all.

 

Another major difference in the itineraries is the start in Stockholm on the O itinerary. It is worthy of more than just a port day. Go in a few days early and really enjoy the charms of this wonderful city.

 

Also, it appears you are quoting cruise only prices...sometimes using O's air with a deviation results in savings that might help make O more affordable.

Edited February 13, 2016 by buggins0402

[corpkid]

 

One more thing, can anyone recommend private tour contacts in the Baltic? I would take the previous poster's suggestion and go to the roll call forums, but this trip is to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary, and I'd rather go alone with my wife.

 

Thanks again,

 

Email me at corpkid at gmail dot com and I'll share our guides who were universally wonderful on our trip back in 2013... Also if you love food, Oceania is really head and shoulders above NCL. You can see some sample menus at: http://thepreismans.com/china_japan_menus.htm

[Hawaiidan]

THe Hal is aMASSIVE MONSTER WITH 3000+, AND 1500 CREW, EVERTTHING is add on cost,, port, tax, air internet water soda coffee, any meal outside the fix seating dining room. crowds, waits, poor specialties that have a set menu that dosent change,, fix seating earily and late, way smaller balcony cabins,

iT IS a mass market ship and when outside the cabin you are painfully aware...nickel dime at every turn What seems cheaper is going to cost you a goo1000 more oh and tons of every demographic from kids to bikers... You will get what you pay for.... and Hal works hard to hide the secondary bill

[Arachnotron]

Amazing replies and thank you everyone for all the tips and comments. Each line I just read convinces me that O is worth the extra splurge, especially on a 10 year wedding anniversary trip like this one!

 

@buggins0402, thanks for the tip. My wife really prefers balcony, if not for anything else than to open the glass door and let the ocean breeze flow in. Good tip about O's air arrangements, I will check them - but I think I did once and, since I live in Mexico, options were not available that depart from here (although it's true I can always fly to the US and go from there).

 

@corpkid, thanks for the contact. I will email you when I'm arranging the tours, especially in St. Petersburg.

 

@Pet Tit, skyrose, sammiedawg: Thanks for the tour recommendations. I was thinking on doing 3 day Rejkyavik, then 4-5 day Flam/Bergen/Stockholm before boarding, and I was thinking on arranging a tour. Do you have any recommendations? Does anyone have experience with Nordic Visitor? They seem to be well ranked/reviewed.

 

Regarding O's promotion, seems the best choice would be to get the beverage package or the credit and mostly do it ourselves except in SP, Stockholm (pre-cruise) and Amsterdam (post-cruise).

 

By the way, for the post-cruise, do you think it's too crazy/hectic to do Amsterdam-Prague-Vienna in a week?

 

Again, thanks to all.

[Arachnotron]

Also, regarding air, how does that work? Is it 'included'? What conditions apply? I googled but could only find a page in O's site that is not linked anymore to the "Value" section of the website. Does it still apply? How can I compare the rates? Are all O cruises applicable for the air program?

[Mura]

Regarding air fare, tell them or your travel agent that you want to use their air -- or not. If not, you will get a deduction from your fare (which now becomes "cruise only"). Once you know what the deduction would be then you can search for air fares on your own and see what works best for you. Regardless of what you tell them, you can always change your mind.

 

Prague/Vienna/Amsterdam in one week? Yes, too much. At least in my opinion. All are major cities that deserve far more than one or two days.

 

Mura