Homelands - Daily info sheets

[Dauntless]

PERFECT! Thank you.

Were there any shore excursions (free or paid) that you did and thought were either excellent or a waste of time??

 

There is always something to be gained from a shore excursion in a new location. The important thing is to know your subject and then see if you feel it's worth your time. No knowledge of port means it's a good investment, included or other.

 

In Stockholm, we arrived early(this is one of the reasons we did not use Viking Air or their pre extension. I looked over what the ship was offering and saw that in 3 days, , we could do Vasa, Nordic Museum, Under the Bridges on the water, Skansen, Drottingholm Palace and theater, Ice Bar, City

Hall, HOHO bus, changing of the guard(really a let down) and explore Gamla Stan at our own pace with the Travel card through Stockholm Pass before we boarded the ship. By not doing Viking Air, most of this was covered with our refund from the money we saved doing our own air. Our hotel was considerably less than if we had done pre cruise through Viking, yet had the same ranking on Trip Advisor. We took the included excursion and found that we did see some things that we had no seen. Mostly panoramic with a couple of stops and some walking. Knowledgeable guide. Not the depth of DIY, but for a quick over view it was fine. We left the tour before they went back to the ship and wandered back through Gamble Stan on our own, one last time. One note, be in a location to enjoy the sail away from Stockholm. Great scenery, either from your cabin, Aquavit Terrace or Explore's Lounge. It's a necessity that's value added experience.

 

Helsinki was hard for me to wrap my thoughts around. Finally decided I wanted to see the fortress, admire the architecture and take in the included excursion. I knew the port was not close and when we were able to sign up for shore excursions (V1 cabin) the first ones were booked. I thought the last one would be good as it would take us back to the ship for boarding. In theory this was a good idea but not in practice. I should have checked at Explorer's desk when boarding to see if we could possibly get on earlier. Lesson learned and passed on--free of charge. Here's why it didn't pan out as well in practice. We were on the first shuttle and the trip took 25 minutes. That was traffic and it seems there was a holiday that had some areas blocked. Easily found the location of the ferry there, watched the film and had little time left to get back to take the bus back to the ship. Turns out the bus didn't run the time we were planning on because they skipped that trip for lunch. Lesson learned:always check with Explore's desk about any changes you need to made aware of. Made it back to the ship in 15 minutes this time and the excursion was gathering on the pier so this worked out. The guide reminded me of a Finish Julia Child. She was fine. Panoramic tour with stops at Rock Church, Olympic Stadium and Senate Square with walk to the market tat we had passed through on the way to the ferry. I wished we had gone to the Sibelius Monument. It was a full day there but I felt somehow let down with the way the cards fell.

 

SPB We looked at the included and figured to make the 2 days there worth while, we would have to play the chess board to take advantage of what else was offer through the ship. The final cost would be high and felt we would have missed something with that mixture. The cost of the 2 day tour was very high. For that price, we could probably have done it on our own. Of course we would have had to figure out how to get places and pay admission costs, so that faded as an option. I knew we had to do it through a professional to make sure the Visa thing was handled properly. We looked at several and went with Alla's Grand tour. The cost was about half of what the ship would charge. Final thoughts: Only 12 on our tour. it was a lot of time (19 hrs. over 2 days) and lots of information but feel it was the only way for us to go without feeling cheated or robbed!

 

Tallinn: As I mentioned earlier, we split this up a little due to throngs of people from the various ships in port. We got to the buses earlier and were able to go sooner than scheduled. There was a bus there and since not everyone had arrived and they were scheduled to go, they let us on. (Aaron had mentioned it was a long pier so we started early) Loved Tallinn and would have made more time there but companion was growing weary so we headed back to the ship around 5:30. Good included excursion. If you can't get early, you might want to try for last one as crowds diminished after the initial on slough. Good guide.

 

Gdansk: We wanted to do the castle so we opted out of the included excursion for the paid excursion. Actually, this was a free excursion since we paid for it from the money refunded from Viking Air. (I knew that money could be put to better use) The guide for the bus was poor. Very knowledgeable but had the personality of the pre recorded voice prompt telephone systems. Things changed with the guide at the castle. You tube tour was good but to be there fully immersed was amazing. Saw some country side and helped to make this port stand out.

 

Berlin: If you go to Berlin on the included excursion and we did, let me point out that it is a 3 hour trip there and a 3 hour trip back. Nothing is going to change that so I don't think it deserves a lot of discussion. I haven't heard of them opening one in San Antonio, Texas and it took me 68 years to get here so I need to put it in perspective and get with the program--or not. Our trip was great with our guide, very personable and engaging. I mentioned in an earlier post some concerns but I'm glad I went. It was a good excursion. I wish we had more time but I knew we were on a cruise and this is one of the downsides of cruising so I got with the program and counted my blessings for the experience. German buffet in World cafe apon arrival back at ship. We had Chef's Table reservations. Wish I had known earlier but now you do so plan accordingly. It's the complete experience.

 

Copenhagen: Opted not to take the included excursion. seemed to be too panoramic and we had liked the smaller group in SPB so I went with a guy, recommended by Rick Steves. He dresses as Hans Christian Anderson and walks you through the streets that the tours didn't seem to hit and gave great insight to the country and it's workings, along with the historic facts for an hour and a half or $20. We also did a biking tour of Contemporary architecture and took in Tivoli. I wanted to do boat cruise but once again companion was weary so so opted for the ship early. We had been on our feet for over 8 hours.

 

Aalborg: Some people found this to be filler but I loved it. On port side our cabin looked right into the heart of Old Town. It was as picturesque as the villages of Fantasyland but there were real people there, without the rides. Our guide was a student that had done this in Crete and was back in his homeland doing this while attending college. He made it fun. He gave it a face and personality that amplified the charm. Don't miss the hot dogs when you return to the ship. Don't think of it as lunch, just an appetizer!

 

Stavanger: I gave my thoughts on this in a previous post. I will say it was hot. No fault of the city or Viking but the museum did not have sufficient AC for this situation. I question the thought of including a long tour of this type in an overview of the city. It was an OK tour, city and guide.

 

Flam: Doesn't apply to you. I will say though, at your stop if you can find an overview look out, take advantage of it. When we arrived at the one here, my companion said, "There's the rest of the trip and then there's Norway".

 

Bergen: The included excursion here had a museum as well. After about 45 minutes of that with the same experience as before, we left the tour. Companion was weary so went back to the ship. I ventured out later and discovered some of the things I knew were there. We were staying 2 more days and I knew this wasn't our only crack at this city.

 

That about covers that. There is a line form a play that says "You see what you look for." I found that to be true. I was on a destination cruise and I feel I saw the destinations. Not everyone on the same ship with me had the same experience. I can truthfully say that I same out a winner.

[jiminyC_fan]

THANK YOU SO MUCH DAUNTLESS! Fantastic overview. I appreciate the time you spent on it.

[Mitina]

Day 12 Stavanger Arr. 10:00 Dep. 6:00. 4 included groups 10:15 to 2:30. 4 optional 10:15 to 2:30. (Personal note: Stavanger has little to offer for tourist. Take the cruise to Pulpit--ship or local(2 trips when we were there and the 2nd get back in time). You can do the included and the cruise if things line up right at booking(easily if both from the ship and it seemed to be available).

 

 

Booked for Viking Homelands August 26, 2017 and prefer the Pulpit Rock cruise from the local operator. In September, only the two times at 10:00am and 2:00pm are offered. My Viking paperwork agrees with you on a 10:00 arrival and 6:00 departure. Is it cutting it too close for either of these Pulpit cruise options? Hate to get back late to our ship from the 2:00pm if there's a weather/mechanical issue.

 

I can go with the Viking excursion to be safe, but it's more than double the price (although they do promise waffles). Your thoughts?

[Peregrina651]

 

I can go with the Viking excursion to be safe, but it's more than double the price (although they do promise waffles). Your thoughts?

 

You wouldn't be asking our advice if wasn't something that you really want to do and you may never get another chance to do it. So, my advice is to bite the bullet and DO IT. Sometimes it isn't about the $$$ but about the pure joy of the moment. You can skimp elsewhere to make up the pennies but the moment will never return.

[Squigmond]

And the waffles and jam are really good!

[Dauntless]

Booked for Viking Homelands August 26, 2017 and prefer the Pulpit Rock cruise from the local operator. In September, only the two times at 10:00am and 2:00pm are offered. My Viking paperwork agrees with you on a 10:00 arrival and 6:00 departure. Is it cutting it too close for either of these Pulpit cruise options? Hate to get back late to our ship from the 2:00pm if there's a weather/mechanical issue.

 

I can go with the Viking excursion to be safe, but it's more than double the price (although they do promise waffles). Your thoughts?

 

In season, they do have another departure at 12:00. Not sure which direction your cruise is traveling so you may not be there in time for that, We were not. Another member from our roll call was on the 2:00 local cruise and said there were about 40 people from the ship on that cruise. I'm not looking at the sight but zi think it is a 3 hour tour. You an see the local pier from the ship and it might be a 10-15 minute walk. If you are back on time you will definitely make sail away with time to spare. I believe they ask you t be on board an hour early but I think 30 min ahead is OK. You might want to contact the provider about their on time percentage of accuracy. Also the options available if you don't make it back on time. If your next stop is on the fjord(different from our Flam) it might be doable for less than the waffle extra. (I see Squigmond said they were tasty but you have to keep in mind that he is from California.) I know on our cruise, this excursion was promoted quiet often as the time drew close. You could probably wait until you board to make the final decision--your choice. Seeing your cruise time is almost the same as ours(Sept 4) remember that your time cruising in the fjord during the cruise will be mostly during the dark. If you really want to experience it, your best bet is the pulpit excursion by whatever provider. My opinion.

[Mitina]

In season, they do have another departure at 12:00. Not sure which direction your cruise is traveling so you may not be there in time for that, We were not.

 

Same direction as you ... Stockholm to Bergen/Oslo. Your previous posts have been an excellent guide for our trip. Pulpit Rock is a definite, but we are there in Sept so no 12:00pm. The big attraction to private tours is group size and flexibility, (and of course $), but if you can only fit so many people on a fjord cruise, the group numbers may be the same.

 

As Peregrina651 stated, it shouldn't always be about the money. But booking private tours provides an alternative if I get shut out on some of the more popular Viking excursions.

 

For this trip, any idea which excursions I risk not getting? I'm in a DV3 priority booking status.

[Mitina]

For this trip, any idea which excursions I risk not getting?

I also notice they flipped Helsinki and Tallinn on this Aug/Sept cruise. Stockholm to Tallinn, then SP, followed by Helsinki. That seems different than yours.

[Dauntless]

I also notice they flipped Helsinki and Tallinn on this Aug/Sept cruise. Stockholm to Tallinn, then SP, followed by Helsinki. That seems different than yours.

 

The 2 are across the bay from each other(about 60 miles) so sailing time shouldn't vary that much. On our cruise we were in Helsinki on some kind of celebration with some road closures causing traffic tie ups in the morning. This will effect your time there as the port is some distance from major tourist sights. It took us 30 minutes to get to drop off point in the morning. If museums are your thing, most are closed on Tuesday in Helsinki and this might have been considered.

Also, the day we were in Tallinn it was mobbed with 4 ships in port and on a Friday which might bring in additional land tourists. The other ships left earlier than us so later in the day was better in Old Town. We left on HOHO bus after ship excursion and is was much more enjoyable when we returned around 4 and it is a later departure from port. This might have also led to the switch.

[Dauntless]

Same direction as you ... Stockholm to Bergen/Oslo. Your previous posts have been an excellent guide for our trip.

 

I pass along what I found out when making my first cruise. It is the perspective of a true novice with no perks coming from being a seasoned traveler. I found it to be the first cruise for many on board so if I can help, that's what this forum is for.

 

 

Pulpit Rock is a definite, but we are there in Sept so no 12:00pm. The big attraction to private tours is group size and flexibility, (and of course $), but if you can only fit so many people on a fjord cruise, the group numbers may be the same.

 

The private excursion does have a larger ship and can accommodate more people easily. Neither ship is the SS Minnow. Remember the waffle experience is available daily on Viking and our one experience with shore excursion waffles has not been worth a mention by me. There may be waffles on the private excursion at the snack bar on the private ship for a price but remember you are saving money in the purchase price so you still come out ahead with the private. Also, both ways, this trip will be made shortly after breakfast or lunch so are they reallly a factor?

 

 

As Peregrina651 stated, it shouldn't always be about the money. But booking private tours provides an alternative if I get shut out on some of the more popular Viking excursions.

 

For this trip, any idea which excursions I risk not getting? I'm in a DV3 priority booking status.

 

I was in V1 so down a ways on the selection ladder. I scoped out what looked good with Viking and also researched other options for the things I was very interested in, in case I could not get what I wanted through the ship. The excursion I was most worried about I got and research showed it would not have been cheaper with a private and I think this had to do with when we were in port. I did not always get the first choice of included ship excursions at the best time but I did get all that was promised. We bypassed the included excursions in SP(did a 2 day tour-12 people- with Alla for a much better price), Copenhagen(Did a a private tour-13 people-that you purchased when you showed up and we went to a lot of places that were not accessible by vehicle) and Gdansk where we chose the Malbork castle as an option. It turns out there were a few buses going there from the ship. All of this is available to research and can easily be purchased after you sign up on MVJ bookings---we did arrange SP tour about a year out.

 

Research your air through Viking air. Make sure you are getting the best value for your money. We found out we were not and canceled through them and made our own arrangements. The savings were put to much better use in our experience of the ports. The same was true for pre and post cruise stays. Definitely not worth the price for what you get. Bergen airport maybe difficult for Viking but it is much larger than the airport the had in the TV series 'Wings', though some of the posts here would lead to believe otherwise. Direct flights might be a problem but I live in San Antonio, Texas so I knew that wasn't an option regardless, since there are no direct flights here from Oslo either! Bergen has a airport for the size of there city and it is serviced by around 6 different companies. More accessible than you are lead to believe.

 

I hope you cabin is on the port side. We were and had great views in Stockholm and Aalborg. Both sides of the ship travel to the same destinations so no worry, just a personal note. If I can help you out with more information, let me know and I'll gladly pass along what I know from my experience.

 

Be sure to reread the blue shaded area. I posted some infromation that wound up in that area instead of the white background area

[Mitina]

Gdansk where we chose the Malbork castle as an option. It turns out there were a few buses going there from the ship.

Our tour itinerary shows 6:00am-12:30pm stay in Gdansk. Doesn't seem like enough time for much. We were considering Malbork as well.

 

I hope you cabin is on the port side. We were and had great views in Stockholm and Aalborg.

We got port side.

 

Research your air through Viking air.

We're spoiled by Viking transfers to/from airport. We go with Viking Air to avoid all the hassles, even though it's a most likely a pricier option.

 

We booked Alla, going to do the Copenhagen HCA, and will research scheduling of private Pulpit Rock in Stavenger. If we can book them, we'll probably go with both Viking included and their pricier Pulpit tour. Otherwise, it might be too tight a squeeze.

 

I'm basing a lot of planning on the Viking itinerary they e-mailed me (knowing that August 2017 is still a long way out). Helsinki is something we're not confident with. What were your issues with the fortress excursion?

 

Thanks for all the input.