St. Petersburg -potential substitutions?

[Billy Baltic]

25 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Protesters in Russia at St, Petersburg

 

 

 

Streets in Ukraine

 

 

This just isn't right and here all us are just talking about taking cruises.

Just isn't right !

I agree wholeheartedly. The footage is heartbreaking. Pictures of new born babies in a makeshift NICU in a bomb shelter, children saying goodbye to their fathers, probably for the last time, as they are conscripted to join the fight against Russia, the list goes on.

And yet we page after page here, of people wondering what’s going to happen for 48 hours of their vacation. 

[xxHadleyxx]

Michael Bayley posted on Facebook today about what the line is doing to support Ukrainian crew members.  I felt that was a good place to leave a comment encouraging RCI to decide/announce they will not be going to Russia this season.  I hope there will be many such comments.

 

I'll stick with them if the itenerary changes to other Baltic ports (or just added sea days), or they turn it into a Norwegian cruise, or British Isles, or really pretty much anywhere they can take the ship in ten days from Copenhagen. ...but I don't want any money I pay going to the Russian government in the form of port fees.   

[CatLadyFemme]

34 minutes ago, xxHadleyxx said:

Michael Bayley posted on Facebook today about what the line is doing to support Ukrainian crew members.  I felt that was a good place to leave a comment encouraging RCI to decide/announce they will not be going to Russia this season.  I hope there will be many such comments.

 

I'll stick with them if the itenerary changes to other Baltic ports (or just added sea days), or they turn it into a Norwegian cruise, or British Isles, or really pretty much anywhere they can take the ship in ten days from Copenhagen. ...but I don't want any money I pay going to the Russian government in the form of port fees.   

Just added my comment; great suggestion!

[Goodtimes57]

21 hours ago, KittyCruz said:

I would live any tips or pointers, this is supposed to be our first European cruise and not entirely sure what to expect (are there us style outlets, how are in board charges calculated in USD or other currency) and more importantly how easy is it to navigate Visby? We'll be there during the medieval week and really want to experience their "Renaissance faire"

 

US currency was used on board and even elsewhere as well. But for fun and the experience, we exchanged US currency for several other currencies at our bank before we left the US. We didn't port at Visby so I can't help you there. Our cruise started & ended in Amsterdam, then Skagen Denmark, Aahus, Denmark, Tallinn Estonia, St. Petersburg, Helsinki Finland, Stockholm Sweden, Rostock (Berlin) Germany, Copenhagen Denmark, and then returned to Amsterdam. 

 

I did a 'live' review on CC but can not find it now in the search format. so they may have dropped it. I'll keep looking though. If I recall, it was titled To Russia with Love, dated around 4-27-18. My handle then was Goodtime Cruizin .

[Ex-Airbalancer]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-urges-its-citizens-consider-leaving-russia-immediately-2022-02-27/

 

cannot see cruise ships heading to Russia 

[xxHadleyxx]

Royal did the right thing.  Russian ports are out.

 

We're in the 5 June cruise on Voyager and the overnight at St Petersburg has been replaced with:

 

Making Riga, Latvia an overnight, adding Warnemünde, Germany for a long day AND adding Aarhus, Denmark.   So they added more than we lost.

 

I'm quite happy with the changes.

[Saab4444]

1 hour ago, xxHadleyxx said:

Royal did the right thing.  Russian ports are out.

 

We're in the 5 June cruise on Voyager and the overnight at St Petersburg has been replaced with:

 

Making Riga, Latvia an overnight, adding Warnemünde, Germany for a long day AND adding Aarhus, Denmark.   So they added more than we lost.

 

I'm quite happy with the changes.

Where do you find those revised itineraries for Voyager? Homepage still shows old ones.

[richmke]

email from RCL on cruise scheduled for July 31:

ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS

Dear Guest, Last week, we advised you of a potential itinerary change for your upcoming cruise. Today, we are writing to let you know that the call in St. Petersburg, Russia will now be replaced with an overnight in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday and Riga, Latvia on Wednesday. We’ve also pushed back our visit to Tallinn, Estonia on Friday, and added Aarhus, Denmark on Tuesday. We’re terribly sorry for this unexpected change, and we hope you’ll enjoy everything these incredible destinations have to offer! Below, please find our revised Voyager of the Seas July 31st, 2022 itinerary. Day Port of Call Arrive Depart Sun Stockholm, Sweden   EMBARK Mon Stockholm, Sweden   4:30 PM Tue Cruising     Wed Riga, Latvia 7:00 AM   Thu Riga, Latvia   4:00 PM Fri Tallinn, Estonia 9:00 AM 7:00 PM Sat Helsinki, Finland 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Sun Visby, Sweden 8:00 AM 6:00 PM Mon Ronne, Bornholm, Denmark 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Tue Aarhus, Denmark 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Wed Copenhagen, Denmark 5:00 AM   Stockholm, Sweden’s hip capital, is full of cool sights and interesting experiences you won’t want to miss. Head to Gamla Stan, also known as Old Town, a must-see historic site known for its beautiful medieval houses and cobblestone streets. Home to some great restaurants and cafes, it’s the perfect spot to grab lunch or dinner while touring the city. Riga, Latvia's historical capital, is an architecture buff’s dream come true. The Gothic structures in the Old Town and the Art Nouveau buildings scattered around the city meld together to create a modern-day fairy tale. Stroll into the bustling Riga Central Market and sample the bright, colorful produce and local products like hemp butter and amber jewelry. Founded during the Viking Age, Aarhus is a compact and vibrant city perfect for history enthusiasts and lovers of the arts and culture. Head to the bustling Latin Quarter, lined with cafes, boutique shops and cutting-edge restaurants. Aarhus was recently named the European Capital of Culture. Its myriad museums include the Moesgaard History Museum, Aros Aarhus Art Museum and Den Gamle By, nestled in an open-air botanical garden. Whatever you decide to do, we’re sure you’ll have a wonderful time! Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for St. Petersburg will automatically be refunded to your original form of payment. Our Shore Excursions team will automatically reschedule any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions impacted by this change. In the next few days, your updated tour information will be e-mailed to you. In the meantime, feel free to browse all the exciting shore excursion options for your sailing in Cruise Planner. Important Reminder: Families traveling with unvaccinated kids are required to purchase a tour through Royal Caribbean to go ashore. Some ports require all guests, regardless of vaccination status, to purchase tours through Royal Caribbean. Review the latest healthy shore excursion requirements by port here. While we can’t wait to set sail with you, we understand this was an unexpected change and may not work for everyone. Should you wish to cancel, you’ll have until March 15th, 2022 to decide and receive a full refund of any paid portion of your cruise fare to the original form of payment, including non-refundable deposits. And, any pre-paid amenities will be refunded to the original form of payment within 30 business days. Please contact your Travel Advisor or call us at 1 (866) 562-7625 by March 15th, 2022 to let us know your decision. Thanks for your understanding. We can’t wait to welcome you onboard Voyager of the Seas! Sincerely, Aurora Yera-Rodriguez AVP | Guest Experience Royal Caribbean International

[ditmar2007]

On 2/26/2022 at 7:42 PM, KittyCruz said:

...how easy is it to navigate Visby? We'll be there during the medieval week and really want to experience their "Renaissance faire"

Medieval - not renaissance 🙂 In Scandinavia viking period is aprox. 800-1100 and medieval is 1100-1550 (ends with the reformation). The medieval week covers both periods. 
 

If you can walk a couple of kilometers without problems, everything i Visby is walking distance. But there is a lot of uphill and downhill.

The medieval week spreads all over town. A bit outside of town you'll find the jousting and the market site - still within walking distance. It is really a great experience.

The town walls are remarkably intact, and during the medieval week there are no cars within the town walls. Also: leftover from the Hanseatic period you have a LOT of church ruins - some of them the size of cathedrals. I guess several rich merchants promised a god a church if the survived the storm.

I believe I clocked 26,000 steps the day I went there in September (not medieval week), but I did a lot of walking around the town - more than necessary to experience the medieval week.

Oh, and Visby is in Sweden so the currency is Swedish Kroner  (SEK). You may be able to use EUR, but probably not USD.

Edited March 2, 2022 by ditmar2007

[ZABZC]

Our cruise on 7/10 replaced SP with Riga and Rønne Denmark.  My top choice would have been Riga and either Lithuania or Poland, but the change does enough to keep me on the trip

[Jim40]

here is the change for Jun 15 on VOS

 

Day	Port of Call	Arrive	Depart
Wed	Copenhagen, Denmark		4:30 PM
Thu	Ronne, Bornholm, Denmark	10:00 AM	7:00 PM
Fri	Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany	7:00 AM	9:00 PM
Sat	Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland	1:00 PM	9:00 PM
Sun	Cruising
Mon	Tallinn, Estonia	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Tue	Helsinki, Finland	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Wed	Visby, Sweden	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Thu	Riga, Latvia	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Fri	Cruising
Sat	Cruising
Sun	Stockholm, Sweden	5:45 AM

[kpauley]

This is the change for 08/10

 

Day	Port of Call	Arrive	Depart
Wed	Copenhagen, Denmark		4:30 PM
Thu	Aarhus, Denmark	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Fri	Cruising
Sat	Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Sun	Klaipeda, Lithuania	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Mon	Helsinki, Finland	11:59 AM	8:00 PM
Tue	Tallinn, Estonia	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Wed	Riga, Latvia	8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Thu	Stockholm, Sweden	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Fri	Visby, Sweden	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Sat	Cruising
Sun	Copenhagen, Denmark	5:00 AM

[Tommmeke]

The 1st of May cruise with Voyager, it's replaced with an overnight stay in Stockholm.

 

We're happy with that change!

[icsys]

Today, we are writing to let you know that the call in St. Petersburg, Russia will now be replaced with Visby, Sweden. While we’ll lose a little time in Helsinki, Finland as a result of this change, the good news is, the rest of our itinerary will remain the same. We’re terribly sorry for this unexpected change, and we hope you’ll enjoy everything these incredible destinations have to offer! Below, please find our revised Voyager of the Seas May 29^th, 2022 itinerary.

Day	Port of Call	Arrive	Depart
Sun	Copenhagen, Denmark		4:30 PM
Mon	Cruising
Tue	Stockholm, Sweden	9:00 AM	5:00 PM
Wed	Helsinki, Finland	10:00 AM	4:00 PM
Thu	Visby, Sweden	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Fri	Tallinn, Estonia	7:00 AM	3:00 PM
Sat	Cruising
Sun	Copenhagen, Denmark	7:00 AM

Edited March 2, 2022 by icsys

[xxHadleyxx]

3 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

Where do you find those revised itineraries for Voyager? Homepage still shows old ones.

We got an email from RCI

[mek]

On 2/26/2022 at 2:56 PM, Billy Baltic said:

I agree wholeheartedly. The footage is heartbreaking. Pictures of new born babies in a makeshift NICU in a bomb shelter, children saying goodbye to their fathers, probably for the last time, as they are conscripted to join the fight against Russia, the list goes on.

And yet we page after page here, of people wondering what’s going to happen for 48 hours of their vacation. 

Well honestly, this is a cruise forum and it's natural for people to be concerned about changes to their Baltic cruises.  I'm not sure it's fair to make people feel guilty about that.

[ditmar2007]

2 hours ago, ZABZC said:

Our cruise on 7/10 replaced SP with Riga and Rønne Denmark.  My top choice would have been Riga and either Lithuania or Poland, but the change does enough to keep me on the trip

Don't forget to taste smoked herring when on Bornholm (Rønne) 😄

 

Oh, and points for using the correct ø in Rønne!!

Edited March 2, 2022 by ditmar2007

[SusieMN]

Here is the updated itinerary for Voyager of the Seas July 24, 2022

 

[flamingos]

August 21 cruise has changed as well.   

 

Dear Guest,

Last week, we advised you of a potential itinerary change for your upcoming cruise. Today, we are writing to let you know that the call in St. Petersburg, Russia will now be replaced with an overnight in Stockholm, Sweden on Tuesday. We've also replaced our visit to Tallin, Estonia with Kotka, Finland on Thursday, and we've pushed back our visit to Visby, Sweden on Friday. We're terribly sorry for this unexpected change, and we hope you'll enjoy everything these incredible destinations have to offer! Below, please find our revised Voyager of the Seas August 21^st, 2022 itinerary.

 

[Tin can]

We returned from a land holiday to Riga the day before the invasion, if anyone has this as a replacement to SPB it is a fabulous city.

 

Lovely old town and an Art Nouveau district and the people are extremely friendly, I gather the cruise port is a 10 min walk to the old town.

 

I'm hoping to get across for another long weekend from the UK with the family over the summer.

[Sweetsue5680]

2 minutes ago, Tin can said:

We returned from a land holiday to Riga the day before the invasion, if anyone has this as a replacement to SPB it is a fabulous city.

 

Lovely old town and an Art Nouveau district and the people are extremely friendly, I gather the cruise port is a 10 min walk to the old town.

 

I'm hoping to get across for another long weekend from the UK with the family over the summer.

Very pleased to have an overnight there now on our June 5th trip!

[xxHadleyxx]

10 hours ago, xxHadleyxx said:

Royal did the right thing.  Russian ports are out.

 

We're in the 5 June cruise on Voyager and the overnight at St Petersburg has been replaced with:

 

Making Riga, Latvia an overnight, adding Warnemünde, Germany for a long day AND adding Aarhus, Denmark.   So they added more than we lost.

 

I'm quite happy with the changes.

They also took out Helsinki (I am guessing just as they juggled finding spots for all ships it was needed).  I missed that this morning.  I am not thrilled about that change, but still happy enough overall.  We're keeping the cruise.

[CatLadyFemme]

6 hours ago, Tommmeke said:

The 1st of May cruise with Voyager, it's replaced with an overnight stay in Stockholm.

 

We're happy with that change!

Same on our May 22nd. We would have preferred another stop, but if they are gonna do an overnight, this is where we would like it!

[flamingos]

30 minutes ago, xxHadleyxx said:

They also took out Helsinki (I am guessing just as they juggled finding spots for all ships it was needed).  I missed that this morning.  I am not thrilled about that change, but still happy enough overall.  We're keeping the cruise.

The August 21 Voyager cruise lost Helsinki on November 30:

 

Due to port congestion, we've replaced our visit to Helsinki, Finland with Kotka, Finland.

 

Disappointing, but Kotka looks pretty interesting.

[CatLadyFemme]

5 hours ago, mek said:

Well honestly, this is a cruise forum and it's natural for people to be concerned about changes to their Baltic cruises.  I'm not sure it's fair to make people feel guilty about that.

Also, we can hold more than one truth. I am horrified by the attacks on Ukraine (and also Yemen, Syria, and Palestine, plus others, And also in the US attacks on trans kids in TX) AND have been worried about my first major trip in 2 years, first time in Europe since 2005, and what that means for me and my partner. Multiple things can be true 💜