Back from the Getaway Baltic Cruise - 5/25 - Any Questions?

[Alegeeter]

I know there is a lot of interest in the Breakaway class ships coming to the Baltics so I wanted to answer any questions to you may have. Overall, it was a great trip! Embarkation and debarkation were very smooth - the two terminal system is a great idea. Getting on and off at each port was pretty easy too. The most time consuming was St. Petersburg on the first day, but that's to be expected. It took about 40 minutes and everyone seemed patient..

 

The ship felt relatively empty. I heard an estimate of 3800 passengers on board compared to a full 5000 passenger sailing. This class ship feels great with fewer than 4000 on board!

 

Our biggest complaint was in Gothenburg - though this won't affect other sailings that go to Stockholm. It's an industrial port, and the port does not allow passengers on the pier so you need to take a shuttle in to the downtown area in order to do anything. Norwegian provided shuttles but charged $15 roundtrip for it. The cost isn't what mattered but we felt the shuttles should've been free. It's not right to bring us to a port where we need a particular service to get anywhere and then charge us for it. It's like serving sinner and charging for cutlery. A shuttle was also provided in Helsinki for $15 roundtrip but if you didn't want that service there were other means to get downtown (i.e. the hop on Hop off buses picked up there).

 

Fire the questions away and I'll answer them best I can!

[pr0pel]

Thanks for checking in -- we're going in a few months.

 

Why did you end up going to Gothenburg? Was that part of the itinerary?

Did you hear about all future cruises being diverted to Nynäshamn?

Was there a Russian dance show on the first night of SPB aboard the ship?

[Alegeeter]

Thanks for checking in -- we're going in a few months.

 

Why did you end up going to Gothenburg? Was that part of the itinerary?

 

It was always part of our itinerary. It's the only time this season the ship was docking there. We were never supposed to go to Stockholm.

 

Did you hear about all future cruises being diverted to Nynäshamn?

 

Did not hear any official word, just some chatter among crew about the Stockholm port being farther out from the city center compared to other ships they were once on. Unsure if it's all itineraries.

Was there a Russian dance show on the first night of SPB aboard the ship?

I saw that there was a Russian Folk show the first night. We did an evening excursion so I did not see it but I saw the group getting on board and they seemed to have puppets and elaborate costumes. I do not know if there was dancing (and I didn't hear any pax talking about the show).

 

Answers are above!

[pr0pel]

Thanks! We're doing the "Feel yourself Russian" folk show (private 2 day tour) and wanted to know if it was redundant if they were doing something similar on board. Nothing can replace the experience than the real thing so we'll stick with it.

 

What did you end up doing in SPB? Anything interesting to note?

[luvs2beachit]

Wow! So sorry you had such a terrible cruise. I was on the 5/20 cruise and I am happy to say that I did not experience any of the negative situations that you detailed. My husband and I both thought our cruise was great. All the staff we met were friendly and helpful. We thought the food was mostly very good. I do admit that my opinion is subjective as I love the Gem and probably overlook/ignore things that might annoy others. A few rust spots on my balcony railing or a stain on the carpet outside one of the shops does not ruin my cruise mostly because I didn't see them or look for them.

I hope your next cruise is better. You may find that another cruiseline is a better fit.

[pr0pel]

Wow! So sorry you had such a terrible cruise. I was on the 5/20 cruise and I am happy to say that I did not experience any of the negative situations that you detailed. My husband and I both thought our cruise was great. All the staff we met were friendly and helpful. We thought the food was mostly very good. I do admit that my opinion is subjective as I love the Gem and probably overlook/ignore things that might annoy others. A few rust spots on my balcony railing or a stain on the carpet outside one of the shops does not ruin my cruise mostly because I didn't see them or look for them.

I hope your next cruise is better. You may find that another cruiseline is a better fit.

 

Wrong thread?

[JuneauWhatIMean]

Sounds like it! :D

[skatie]

Thanks for the update! Have a few questions! Can you explain what you mean by the two terminal system? How did you get to and from Copenhagen terminal and airport? Wondered if NCL offers a transfer and cost? Also wonderful if you did a private tour company in SPB and if so which tour and how did you like it? Any other must see sites in your opinion in the other ports? Thanks!

[riclop]

Thanks for your thoughts.

[JGmf]

Thanks for offering to answer questions.

 

Is the casino open during any of the port stays or only when out far enough at sea?

[tidygirl]

We were on the same cruise.

Yes there was a Russian show and they did singing , dancing and an act with a dummy.

Gothenburg was a nightmare! The port did provide a free shuttle to the port gate, but the workers kept sending us back and forth between different buses not knowing where it was. We ended up at the gate where there is a city bus stop but was told that was only for workers in the port. Not sure if that was true or not,but a bus did let a group of us on his city bus and took us to a different stop. It took 1 1/2 hrs to get to the city center. Our goal was to go to the Archipelago's and by the time we got to one we had a whole hour!:eek:. In 2018 they are supposed to have a new port in the city center which would make it much better.

We used Best Guides and was pleased with their services.

[jinteso]

Thank you for the information. I am planning to book that cruise for May or June 2018. I haven't done a cruise in 20 years. The last 2 NCL ships I was on have both been retired. I have a few questions.

1. How was the weather? Do you think it would be too cold to go for the early part of May?

2. How many kids were on board at this time of year?

3. We were planning to get a spa suite to try the thermal spa. If you do an excursion at every port, would there really be time to use it and enjoy the rest of the ship too?

4. Any "must see" things at any of the ports?

[tidygirl]

Average temperature for us was 50s but a couple days it did get a little warmer. Sea days got quite windy and chilly. We were fortunate with weather and only had some rain part of the day in Helsinki.

We didn't see too many kids.

[rocklinmom]

Did you do any NCL shore excursions? Or talk to anyone who did? I'm still looking for feedback on them before booking mine for July.

[Alegeeter]

Thanks! We're doing the "Feel yourself Russian" folk show (private 2 day tour) and wanted to know if it was redundant if they were doing something similar on board. Nothing can replace the experience than the real thing so we'll stick with it.

 

What did you end up doing in SPB? Anything interesting to note?

 

We did a 2 day tour with TJ tours. Honestly, it seems like most of the companies provide similar tours.The experience will really depend on your guide. He/she is your guide for every attraction and museum. We saw the same people with different companies throughout our tour. Your group gets assigned different times at different museums so everyone more or less hits the same spots. I overheard some groups complaining because their tour was too big or their guide seemed unknowledgeable. Honestly, you feel a bit herded around. There is a lot to see in two full days so they make sure to get you in and out. Because you may be delayed the first day, the planned itinerary may be altered depending on when your appointments are and when your whole group arrives to the bus at the pier.

 

Thanks for the update! Have a few questions! Can you explain what you mean by the two terminal system? How did you get to and from Copenhagen terminal and airport? Wondered if NCL offers a transfer and cost? Also wonderful if you did a private tour company in SPB and if so which tour and how did you like it? Any other must see sites in your opinion in the other ports? Thanks!

 

 

On your EDocs it will say that your either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 (I think odd decks were Terminal 1 and even Terminal 2). It's just two different buildings for check in but it really helped for crowd control. There was a lot of staff checking in and no wait whatsoever.

 

 

NCL offered $15 transfers from the terminal to the airport and from the terminal to downtown. Otherwise there are city buses that can take you to a main train station that can get you to the airport for about $5 total, and the ride is at most 30 minutes total. Copenhagen's transportation system is simple and runs so well. NYC can learn a thing or two from them ;)

 

 

Thanks for offering to answer questions.

 

Is the casino open during any of the port stays or only when out far enough at sea?

 

 

 

The casino is not open in any ports. They open about a half hour after leaving port. That means the casino staff get a night off in Russia (well deserved). The casino was pretty empty on nights before early port days or after late port days but got fairly crowded towards the end of the cruise.

 

 

Thank you for the information. I am planning to book that cruise for May or June 2018. I haven't done a cruise in 20 years. The last 2 NCL ships I was on have both been retired. I have a few questions.

1. How was the weather? Do you think it would be too cold to go for the early part of May?

2. How many kids were on board at this time of year?

3. We were planning to get a spa suite to try the thermal spa. If you do an excursion at every port, would there really be time to use it and enjoy the rest of the ship too?

4. Any "must see" things at any of the ports?

 

 

 

1. Weather was great. From what I heard we got pretty lucky as it could often be a bit cooler and pretty rainy. It was usually high 50s to mid 60s. We only had rain in Helsinki. I would recommend going later in May if possible, not for the weather, but for the daylight. The later you go approaching the solstice, the longer the days are. It's truly amazing to see sunlight at 11PM. It also maximizes what you can see in certain ports when you're docked until late.

 

 

2. There were weren't that many children. Definitely fewer on board than I've seen on any other cruise I've been on

 

 

3. that is exactly why we didn't get spa passes. There are only 2 sea days, and of our port days, the ship left port early enough to use the suite at only 2.

 

 

4. That's hard to say and depends on your interests! I recommend skipping Berlin and seeing some of the local towns in Germany. It doesn't seem worth it to take a 2 1/2 train ride each way to spend a few hours in Berlin. We were able to see 3 small towns/cities and have a full days experiencing the architecture, history, and culture of Germany.

 

 

Did you do any NCL shore excursions? Or talk to anyone who did? I'm still looking for feedback on them before booking mine for July.

 

 

 

We did all our excursions on our own through private companies. It saved a lot of money that way!

[jinteso]

Thank you! Great information.

[norhel]

Any chance for some of the Freestyle Daily?

[goldie099]

Thank you so much for this review and the additions from other cruisers! I am leaving for this trip in 3 weeks so it's crunch time in terms of planning!

[300dtc]

How were your dining experiences on board? Anything you would recommend as a don't miss? Did you take currency for different countries and how much did you actually need? Was there a laundry special during the cruise and what day and when was it returned? trying to figure out how much I can get away with not packing!

[nt13]

Thank you so much for your willingness to answer questions and for all the information. Was there any wait time at all disembarking or for taxis? We have a 12:20 flight out of CPH and I am trying to decide what time we need to be off the ship.

 

Also, any tips for experiencing shorter lines getting off in SPB the first day? I have a private tour and have debated starting it later to avoid longer lines. I have young children traveling with me who are great, but will likely get antsy in line. Another thread suggested moving a little later would not be of help but thought I would ask if you had any thoughts.

 

Thanks!

[NCruiser2012]

Thank you very much for telling us about the two terminals.

 

According to our edocs, my husband and I are in Terminal 1 and our son is in Terminal 2. He is of age, but we want to put everything on one credit card. Does anyone know if it is a big deal if our son comes to Terminal 1 with us? Do they check or is this just for crowd control?

[EllieinNJ]

What hotel, if any, did you stay pre cruise in Copenhagen and how was the price? How did you get from the hotel to the pier? Did you go to Tivoli Gardens and is it worth it just for two adults and how long did you stay? I'm trying to decide if two or three days pre-cruise is enough.

[Alegeeter]

How were your dining experiences on board? Anything you would recommend as a don't miss? Did you take currency for different countries and how much did you actually need? Was there a laundry special during the cruise and what day and when was it returned? trying to figure out how much I can get away with not packing!

 

We felt the main dining rooms lacked a little in choices. Flavor and taste of food was decent but there wasn't always something I found myself int he mood for.Specialty restaurants were overall very good. I still think NCL oversalts all of their food.

 

We took some Euros but mainly stuck to credit cards. Most places took cards.

 

There was a laundry special. I think on the first day

[Igmus mom]

Was there a shuffle at the Copenhagen port info the city

[gogo65]

We were also on this cruise:)

In regards to getting to port on embarkation, we had the 48 hour hop on hop off bus ticket, which includes a free shuttle to the port.

We stayed at Scandic palace, walked across the road, jumped on the hop on hop off, got off at the little mermaid and the port shuttle arrived about 15 minutes later. On the ship in less than 5 minutes.

NCL had a shuttle into the Copenhagen city for $15, or to the airport for $25.

We had a 12:30 flight, walked off the ship at 8am, plenty of taxis, and were at the airport just after 8:30am. It was the easiest embarkation/disembarkation I've ever done.

 

We had a laundry bag special on day 5, to be returned day 7, for $20 or $25.