Constellation, Baltic, Aug.06

[spearmint]

We plan to book the 14-day Baltic cruise on Constellation Aug.26/06. Probably will take the package from Celebrity for flight, London hotel, and cruise. We wonder about the weather for the area and the time of year, and how it affects packing choices and the cruising experience (previous cruises have been Caribbean and we enjoy poolside life a lot). We realize that this trip is much more shore-based and that to see a lot we will walk a lot. :) We would appreciate advice/information from members who have taken this cruise.

[CAKER]

We went August 15-29, 2004. 65 every day. Rainy in St. Petersburg for 2 weeks BEFORE WE ARRIVED. Sprinkles the 2nd morning. All of the other capitals were nice, balmy weather. It's a fantastic cruise -- ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT !!!

 

We took 4 tours @ 1/2 day in the 2 days in St. Pete. Don't miss Hermitage (go the first morning), Catherine's (2nd morning), and Peteroff's gardens (2nd afternoon). We were disappointed in the ballet.

[lysolqn]

We've done the Baltic cruise on Constellation twice and it's incredible. Unlike the Caribbean cruises you've taken, this one is very port intensive - when it's over you may feel like you need a vacation, but it's well worth it.

 

With the exception of St. Petersburg, all the ports are very do-able on your own. You'll be amazed by how much you can learn from folks who have done this itinerary just by reading destination/port of call posts on this and other cruise board forums. Also, make sure to get some good tour books like Fodor's. For the most part, the ports are walkable and very tourist-friendly.

 

With respect to St. Petersburg, the easiest and most hassle-free way to see the city and its environs is to either book shore excursions through the ship or book your own tours through a private tour agency. Otherwise, you'll need to secure a Russian visa prior to your trip, but even with a visa a very definite language barrier, difficulty in getting around and not always tourist-friendly environment make seeing St. Petersburg on your own rather difficult.

 

I'd recommend using a private tour agency over ship shore escursions because the agencies send out smaller groups than the ship does, are more personal, seem to circumvent the very long lines and will adapt their tours to your special needs or wishes. We booked a two-day tour through Red October last year, and another two-day tour through DenRus this year. I would highly recommend both agencies and both can be reached on the web.

[WatchHill]

We did the Baltic cruise, leaving from Dover on August 13, 2005. We were in England for a week before the cruise with wonderful, sunny weather; however, when we got to Dover, it was overcast and very windy. The first night out was a bit rough and our first day at sea was bitter. Passengers were in the shops buying warm sweatshirts and fleece jackets. By the time we got to Copenhagen, the sun was out and we had fantastic weather for the next two weeks.

In St. Petersburg we booked full day's tours that included ethnic lunches which were substantial. If I did this cruise again, I would have opted for earlier in the summer season to take the White Nights evening cruise. We attended the ballet and found the perfomance excellent. Be sure to do the Hermitage in the early morning with a tour guide as it doesn't open to the general public until about 10: and then gets very crowded. Our guide gave each of us head sets to listen to her as she led us through the Hermitage and St. Issac's. We had a different guide the following day at Catherine's Palace & Peterhoff and frequently missed information due to the number of guides in each of the rooms.

 

Darcy

[SanFranBayCruiser]

Do Northern Europe and the Baltic countries take the month of August off like they do in Southern Europe. For example, in Italy a lot of people take vacation and some attractions are closed in August. Does the same hold true in the Baltics?

[spearmint]

:) Thanks caker, lysolqn and WatchHill for the help. We find it very useful, indeed, and appreciate the time and effort that it took for you to respond to us.

[Dick in Falls Church]

We were in the Baltic last year in July (different ship).

Everywhere except St Petersburg had a hop-on hop-off bus which let one tour the city. There were earphones, and choice of 6 or 8 languages.

Ran about $25 per person, as I recall. If you took one in Sweden and had your receipt, you got a discount in Finland.

For us, well worth it to get an overview first.

[WeBeCruisin']

We were on the Constellation in 2004 on the July 31 14-day sailing. The weather was amazing. We spent an extra day in London before and after, and during the entire trip, the temperature was in the mid-70s to lower 80s. In St. Petersburg, it was 85, which made the Hermitage quite warm, since it's not air-conditioned. We had a couple of showers during the night, and one sea day where it rained for a couple of hours. Otherwise, it was sunny and quite warm. We were able to do the White Nights cruise-tour, which featured vodka and caviar. Since a lot of people don't like caviar, the waiters pretty-much offered those of us who did unlimited amounts. Same with the vodka. This was a ship's excursion, but was very enjoyable.

 

The Baltics are very much like Alaska. The weather can be fantastic, or it can be cool and wet, depending upon what weather systems are in effect. I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, for four years, and saw it get close to 90 there, but also as cold as 70 below zero.

 

Allen