Regal Princess 11 nights north Europe shore excursions??

[genechin]

We will be a group of 16 sailing from Copenhagen on Regal Princess on 7/4/2019 for 11 nights returning to Copenhagen on 7/15/19..  

The ship’s shore excursions are all over priced so our group is thinking about DYI via HOP ON/HOP OFF(HOHO) buses or other alternatives if they are available in the following ports of call:

 

1)I am not sure of the location of Regal Princess cruise terminals in each of the below ports but  Is there a nearby HOHO bus stop

 near each cruise terminal?  OR if HOHO is not a viable choice can you recommend local tour operators at each of these ports?

2)What sights would you recommend visiting at each port?

3)Regal Princess is scheduled return to dock at Copenhagen at 5am on 7/15/19. Our return flight to N.Y. from CPH airport is at 430PM. We are hoping to reach CPH at 130PM.  Assuming we disembark by 8am, we will have time for a tour up to 6.5 hrs to 130PM. However, we would like to keep the tour of 5 hrs or less. Would we be able to hit the major sights within the time frames mentioned? We would also like to keep our luggage with us on the tour and we are looking for recommendations from local tour companies to meet these objective.  Can you help??

 

Many thanks, Gene

 

Nynashamn (Stockholm)

Helsinki (Finland)

Tallinn (Estonia)

Berlin (Warnemunde Germany)

Oslo (Norway)

Copenhagen (Denmark)

[capriccio]

We did this cruise in 2009  (it's fantastic!) so I don't have updated information to provide but we did lots of DIY sightseeing.  We used Rick Steve's Scandinavia which looks like it has been updated as of last summer.  Princess offers a shuttle from Nynashamn I'm sure since it is outside of Stockholm.  The historical center is relatively small and very easy to do (don't miss the Vasa Museum!).  Helsinki had a HoHo that worked well for us.  In Tallinn and Oslo we docked right at the foot of the town; Tallin is small and we walked all around.  In Oslo we took public transportation - that was very easy.  The only caution with this itinerary is do not try to go to Berlin on your own!  It takes hours to get to/from and you don't want to risk missing the ship.

 

For lots more information here on Cruise Critic about each port check out the Northern Europe and Baltic Sea Ports of Call board:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

[Sauer-kraut]

43 minutes ago, capriccio said:

  The only caution with this itinerary is do not try to go to Berlin on your own!  It takes hours to get to/from and you don't want to risk missing the ship.

 

Instead of the Berlin trek, why not stay in the area.  Warnemunde is a nice little seaside town, you can walk the promenade and end up at a lovely beach.  A great way to decompress for your intense cruise.  Also, Schwerin has a lovely castle and you can have a lunch or tea time in the little cafe there.  Others have done a bicycle tour (DIY) while renting bikes from one of the companies near the port in Warnemunde.  There is so much to see there, as well as Wismar and Ludwigslust.  The Molli steam train is also a nice diversion! 

 

 

[kitkat343]

Please don't be afraid to use public transportation - it's amazing in the baltics, and with the exception of St. Petersburg we were able to easily DIY in all of the cities using public transport, and we had a 3.5 year old in tow.  The exception is that we docked directly in Stockholm, so you will need transport there.  You can see if your ship is offering a shuttle (but check the times to make sure you get enough time in Stockholm since its amazing) or the HOHO companies offer shuttles from Nynasham, which then give you access to HOHO busses in Stockholm (they have boats too which are really nice and I don't know if that's included or extra).  And there's also a public train into Stockholm which is supposed to be close to the dock, but since I didn't dock in Nynasham I'm not an expert on this.  

 

My signature line explains what we did in each city, and if you have kids on your trip might be helpful.  My only advice with a group of 16 is that you might want to pick exactly what you want to do, present it to the others and tell them they are more than welcome to join you, but give them a list of the ship's shore excursions and if they'd rather do something else let them split off and either join an overpriced ship tour or duplicate it on their own.  When I've travelled with the grandparents we've had some days we all stay together and others we split, and that way everyone is happy.

 

Since you have so many people and luggage, a tour to Copenhagen that includes transportation to the airport is a very good idea.  Just research ahead of time exactly what you'd like to see there and focus on that during your visit (personally I find the Little Mermaid highly overrated - we ran into it's copy wandering around the park in Vancouver and were surprised people travelled a long way to see it but other people really love it).  

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by kitkat343

[trosebery]

What tour operator are you using in St. Petersburg? (Alla, TJ Travel, Best Guides, SPB, White Nights, Anastasia, Ulko, Red Sun, etc.?) Most offer tours in at least some other ports. With such a large group, setting up your own private tour becomes reasonably cost-effective . . . if everyone wants to stay together.

 

Otherwise, yes, HOHO buses are typically available, even from Nynashamn. Public transportation is pretty easy, though, and some ports like Tallinn are easily walkable. Rick Steves' book offers lots of advice, and will give you the confidence that you can DIY, although do check Google or transit website for updated routes and timetables. But yeah, don't try to do Berlin on your own. (Again, check the St. Petersburg tour operators for their Berlin options.)

 

As for sights to see, that'll depend on your personal preferences. For example, in Stockholm, are you the type of person who'd rather wander around the historic streets of Gamla Stan, or would you rather visit the ABBA Museum? Are you a history buff? An art lover? A pop culture fan? A foodie? A shopper? A photographer who loves interesting scenery? It helps to have some idea of your interests as there are so many wonderful options of things to see and do.