How much do you really see?

[Ellen495]

Hi I'm new to cruising (did Alaska - other than that - always just go to countries) but my daughter is interested in a cruise so I'm open. I booked (fully refundable) this cruise and am curious as to your thoughts. Obviously I'm on a cruise board so most like cruises, but how much do you really see at each port? 

This is July 2024 Norwegian Dawn.  We tend to choose a country and explore it, but it does sound exciting to see many - if you really see it. Thanks for any thoughts.

Cheers,

Ellen

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• Copenhagen,Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
• Gothenburg,Sweden
• Oslo,Norway
• Kristiansand,Norway
• Edinburgh (Newhaven),Scotland
• Newcastle (Tyne),England
• Amsterdam,Netherlands
• Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
• Paris (Le Havre),France
• London (Southampton),United Kingdom

[ggTexasGal]

1 minute ago, Ellen495 said:

Hi I'm new to cruising (did Alaska - other than that - always just go to countries) but my daughter is interested in a cruise so I'm open. I booked (fully refundable) this cruise and am curious as to your thoughts. Obviously I'm on a cruise board so most like cruises, but how much do you really see at each port? 

This is July 2024 Norwegian Dawn.  We tend to choose a country and explore it, but it does sound exciting to see many - if you really see it. Thanks for any thoughts.

Cheers,

Ellen

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• Copenhagen,Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
• Gothenburg,Sweden
• Oslo,Norway
• Kristiansand,Norway
• Edinburgh (Newhaven),Scotland
• Newcastle (Tyne),England
• Amsterdam,Netherlands
• Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
• Paris (Le Havre),France
• London (Southampton),United Kingdom

Honestly, "how much you really see" depends on an individuals waking hours, ability to "get going", any mobility issues, and also personal planning.  Therefore, people who make plans and follow a rigid schedule are more likely to see most of what they want. Weather and "ship scheduling changes" might affect everyone's plans.

[rattla]

4 minutes ago, Ellen495 said:

Hi I'm new to cruising (did Alaska - other than that - always just go to countries) but my daughter is interested in a cruise so I'm open. I booked (fully refundable) this cruise and am curious as to your thoughts. Obviously I'm on a cruise board so most like cruises, but how much do you really see at each port? 

This is July 2024 Norwegian Dawn.  We tend to choose a country and explore it, but it does sound exciting to see many - if you really see it. Thanks for any thoughts.

Cheers,

Ellen

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• Copenhagen,Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
• Gothenburg,Sweden
• Oslo,Norway
• Kristiansand,Norway
• Edinburgh (Newhaven),Scotland
• Newcastle (Tyne),England
• Amsterdam,Netherlands
• Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
• Paris (Le Havre),France
• London (Southampton),United Kingdom

id say you generally just get a sample or a chance to see one or two “highlights”.  
I think it’s a great way to see a lot of countries and cities in a single holiday.  You obviously aren’t going to be able to experience everything an area has, in most cases you get 8-10 hours maximum.

But personally we really enjoy the variety nd you get to see some places you perhaps wouldn’t have gone to for a specific holiday.  
It does give you the chance to see If you really like the place then maybe it’s somewhere you could come back to and see more of.

Some places its enough to see all the key things in a town/city.  But obviously there are some ports, like Le Havre, where you aren’t going to do Paris justice.  Personally I wouldn’t go from ale Havre to Paris as it’s 3 hours each way and that’s too long for me to want to travel in any port to be honest.  And that’s even if you exclude the fact where I live in the U.K. I can get to Paris quicker on the Eurostar Train than it would take to get from Le Havre to Paris. 😊

[Ellen495]

4 minutes ago, rattla said:

id say you generally just get a sample or a chance to see one or two “highlights”.  
I think it’s a great way to see a lot of countries and cities in a single holiday.  You obviously aren’t going to be able to experience everything an area has, in most cases you get 8-10 hours maximum.

But personally we really enjoy the variety nd you get to see some places you perhaps wouldn’t have gone to for a specific holiday.  
It does give you the chance to see If you really like the place then maybe it’s somewhere you could come back to and see more of.

Some places its enough to see all the key things in a town/city.  But obviously there are some ports, like Le Havre, where you aren’t going to do Paris justice.  Personally I wouldn’t go from ale Havre to Paris as it’s 3 hours each way and that’s too long for me to want to travel in any port to be honest.  And that’s even if you exclude the fact where I live in the U.K. I can get to Paris quicker on the Eurostar Train than it would take to get from Le Havre to Paris. 😊

So these ports - are many of them too far to see "the best?" like Paris? I would have loved to go into Paris. And thank you so much.

Edited July 24, 2023 by Ellen495

[GALSews]

2 minutes ago, rattla said:

iSome places its enough to see all the key things in a town/city.  But obviously there are some ports, like Le Havre, where you aren’t going to do Paris justice.  Personally I wouldn’t go from ale Havre to Paris as it’s 3 hours each way and that’s too long for me to want to travel in any port to be honest.  And that’s even if you exclude the fact where I live in the U.K. I can get to Paris quicker on the Eurostar Train than it would take to get from Le Havre to Paris. 😊

Similarly, Berlin is 2 hours from the port.

 

An advantage of cruising, no need to repack.

 

Think of cruising as a buffet where you get to sample. 

[rattla]

6 minutes ago, Ellen495 said:

So these ports - are many of them too far to see "the best?" like Paris? I would have loved to go into Paris. And thank you so much.

So Berlin is a couple of hours as GALSews says.  London isn’t that close to Southampton either, but if you wanted to do London, as it’s the end of the cruise it seems, maybe best to stay over there after the cruise?

The others are generally not that far, though while Amsterdam is super close to where they dock, the local government have recently announced a plan to move the cruise port away from downtown, so May be a little further away, but I’m sure less than an hour.

 

You don’t always have to go to the “Star” location though, there are often some nice places to see and explore outside of the big headline cities. Honfleur in France is a beautiful little town.  Perfect for for a few hours exploring, so personally I’d recommend that to most people stopping at Le Havre.

Edited July 24, 2023 by rattla

[hallux]

And don't expect to go to Amsterdam, unless the recent announcement of the downtown terminal closing to cruise traffic is a temporary situation or a solution to port further away from downtown is figured out prior to your cruise.

[insidecabin]

4 minutes ago, hallux said:

And don't expect to go to Amsterdam, unless the recent announcement of the downtown terminal closing to cruise traffic is a temporary situation or a solution to port further away from downtown is figured out prior to your cruise.

If ship  can't go to Amsterdam they use Ijmuiden, or Rotterdam.

[insidecabin]

As others have pointed out you have some sucker ports on your list.

 

Paris, Berlin, Brussels.

(Too far from the real port)

 

They should offer the opportunity to debark in Le Havre to do a Paris extension as an alternative to London

(Princess offer that)

 

Worth a couple of nights in Copenhagen at the start.

[chiefy_mom]

1 hour ago, Ellen495 said:

11 PORTS OF CALL

• Copenhagen,Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
• Gothenburg,Sweden
• Oslo,Norway
• Kristiansand,Norway
• Edinburgh (Newhaven),Scotland
• Newcastle (Tyne),England
• Amsterdam,Netherlands
• Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
• Paris (Le Havre),France
• London (Southampton),United Kingdom

You have to recognize that by definition, cruising gives you a "taste" of each stop and is NOT in-depth exploration like it sounds like you are used to.  The benefit is getting a broader taste of areas so you can maybe decide to go again later OR hitting up spots that you wouldn't want to spend multiple days in, so you're only committing to one.

 

For me, the concern with your itinerary is several ports are far away from the cities you're supposedly visiting - like Paris and Berlin.  I just did a Med Cruise that thankfully started in Rome (Civitivecchia) and ended in Venice (Trieste) so I was able to add extra nights and actually see those cities (still not fully doing them justice, but I'm okay with that).  Doing either of those as a port day would have been horrible.

 

So, test out what your excursions would be in each port and decide from there.

[hallux]

16 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

If ship  can't go to Amsterdam they use Ijmuiden, or Rotterdam.

OK, but the ship still isn't going to Amsterdam as noted on the itinerary...

[ontheweb]

14 minutes ago, hallux said:

OK, but the ship still isn't going to Amsterdam as noted on the itinerary...

This is not immediate. They have to plan it. Look how long it took Venice to close after Venice made its wishes clear that they did not want large cruise ships.

 

Big cruise ships begone: Amsterdam to move cruise terminal out of city (usatoday.com)

 

Note that they are planning on how to do this.

[rattla]

Brussels, most would do Bruges, or maybe Ghent as an alternative, very few actually go to Brussels, as Bruges is probably more of a draw anyway 😊

[9tee2Sea]

2 hours ago, Ellen495 said:

Hi I'm new to cruising (did Alaska - other than that - always just go to countries) but my daughter is interested in a cruise so I'm open. I booked (fully refundable) this cruise and am curious as to your thoughts. Obviously I'm on a cruise board so most like cruises, but how much do you really see at each port? 

This is July 2024 Norwegian Dawn.  We tend to choose a country and explore it, but it does sound exciting to see many - if you really see it. Thanks for any thoughts.

Cheers,

Ellen

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• Copenhagen,Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
• Gothenburg,Sweden
• Oslo,Norway
• Kristiansand,Norway
• Edinburgh (Newhaven),Scotland
• Newcastle (Tyne),England
• Amsterdam,Netherlands
• Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
• Paris (Le Havre),France
• London (Southampton),United Kingdom

I always think cruises are a perfect way to ' "Sample" a country/town.  You are there just long enough to get a taste.  Then you can decide if you ever want to go back and spend more time and really do an immersion into the culture.  Sometimes being a a port for 6 hours is all you need, sometimes being in a port for 6 hours is not long enough.  I have been on cruises with where I have been to the same ports multiple times, and always do the things i missed the last time.  IMO, cruises are the most economical way to see far off places ( usually only airfare to be paid,,, and only once), no hotels or food charges.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Some great places.  As others have said don’t do Paris or Berlin.  In LeHavre we did a private tour with Overlord Tours and did the beaches of Normandy and the American cemetery, a day I will long remember.   In Warnemunde we took a short train ride to Rostock, I think it was and saw the ancient astronomical clock in the cathedral.  Sound crazy I know but it was fascinating, and huge.   We were there near noon and there was a 30 minute choral presentation that was lovely.  Wandered the square, had wonderful cheeses and sausage from street vendors, then took a boat back to the ship.  Lovely afternoon.

 

Edinburgh is a wonderful city, or if the big castle tour isn’t your thing, there is an excursion to Falkirk Wheel, which is interesting,  especially if you are interested in engineering.

 

We will be doing the Dawn with our grandkids, disembarking July 6th or so.

Edited July 24, 2023 by MagnoliaBlossom

[bluesea777]

3 hours ago, Ellen495 said:

Hi I'm new to cruising (did Alaska - other than that - always just go to countries) but my daughter is interested in a cruise so I'm open.I booked (fully refundable) this cruise and am curious as to your thoughts. Obviously I'm on a cruise board so most like cruises, but how much do you really see at each port? 

This is July 2024 Norwegian Dawn.  We tend to choose a country and explore it, but it does sound exciting to see many - if you really see it. Thanks for any thoughts.

Cheers,

Ellen

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• Copenhagen,Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
• Gothenburg,Sweden
• Oslo,Norway
• Kristiansand,Norway
• Edinburgh (Newhaven),Scotland
• Newcastle (Tyne),England
• Amsterdam,Netherlands
• Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
• Paris (Le Havre),France
• London (Southampton),United Kingdom

 

I don't know if you realize that your cruise is fully refundable until March 2024.

 

 

[Morgsmom]

I second the not bothering to go to Paris from LeHavre - it's way too far.  You are pretty much limited to cruise transport which is pricey and limited.  The last time we were in LeHavre DH was sick so I just walked around a bit, unfortunately.  Not much to do within the city center.  

[insidecabin]

2 hours ago, hallux said:

OK, but the ship still isn't going to Amsterdam as noted on the itinerary...

Yep but the point is there is not much figuring out to do as there are already 2 alternatives in use already.

 

many ships  pulled out of Amsterdam when they introduced a passenger tax.

 

In true NCL style they will probably tell people when boarding.

 

Looking at the schedule the Edinburgh and Amsterdam stops don't have great timings with 12pm-8pm arrivals.

 

Edinburgh with the tender there won't be a lot of time for the main sites they shut early

 

 

[cabincop]

4 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

Honestly, "how much you really see" depends on an individuals waking hours, ability to "get going", any mobility issues, and also personal planning.  Therefore, people who make plans and follow a rigid schedule are more likely to see most of what they want. Weather and "ship scheduling changes" might affect everyone's plans.

I love cruises for seeing so many European ports, other places. Finding a port I love them I plan on going back. I was on a cruise landing in Iceland and the following year I went to Iceland for six days. Also if ship leaves from Barcelona or other ports I fly into port 4-5days before so I can explore. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by cabincop

[schmoopie17]

We like waking up in a new place almost every day. Whether or not we do an excursion or just walk around the port, it's nice being someplace different.

[JGmf]

Do it.  Book the cruise!  I'm envious of the itinerary and love the notion of getting the sampler platter of Europe, figuring out which place deserves a 'full meal' visit at a later date. 

 

Do spend pre-cruise time in Copenhagen, at least 2 days.  You won't regret it - it's a vibrant, beautiful place with lots to do and see.

 

 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I forgot to say that a great way to maximize your time in port is to book a tour with a private operator.   They will customize your tour to include your interest list and make recommendations for other sights along the way.   We have never been disappointed in a private tour.

[JandC_Cruising]

5 hours ago, Ellen495 said:

Hi I'm new to cruising (did Alaska - other than that - always just go to countries) but my daughter is interested in a cruise so I'm open. I booked (fully refundable) this cruise and am curious as to your thoughts. Obviously I'm on a cruise board so most like cruises, but how much do you really see at each port? 

This is July 2024 Norwegian Dawn.  We tend to choose a country and explore it, but it does sound exciting to see many - if you really see it. Thanks for any thoughts.

Cheers,

Ellen

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• Copenhagen,Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
• Gothenburg,Sweden
• Oslo,Norway
• Kristiansand,Norway
• Edinburgh (Newhaven),Scotland
• Newcastle (Tyne),England
• Amsterdam,Netherlands
• Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
• Paris (Le Havre),France
• London (Southampton),United Kingdom

We are on the Getaway in a week.  We will be stopping at Zeebrugge and Le Harve as part of that itinerary.  

Zeebrugges is a simple 20 minute train or shuttle bus to Bruges which is a great historic town with beautiful sites, breweries and chocolate shops.   The ship offers several excursions for Bruges and Brussels.

Le Harve is quite a distance from Paris (about 2-1/2hr drive).  The ship offered a bunch of excursion to Paris (the ship is in port from 8am to 8pm, so there is a ton of time, but it is still a quick trip.  There are also excursions to the D-day beaches.  (Le Harve is in Normandy).  We are actually taking a train to Rouen, a Medieval town where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake. 

 

There is a bunch you can do at most of those stops...But, as all have mentioned, these visits are all different than a land trip where you immerse yourself in a culture for a bunch of days.  

 

[Fee Waybill]

5 hours ago, Ellen495 said:

but it does sound exciting to see many - if you really see it.

 

Like others have said. You get a taste. A very small one.

 

I lived in Paris for five years and could still discover new things.

 

Personally, I wouldn't cruise Europe as I have been most everywhere. But if I had never been there, I would do it. It's a great way to find what you like and then plan a longer stay in the future. 

 

 

 

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

As others have said, it's a good way to "sample" a region.  Some cities (e.g. Rome, as well as some aforementioned cities) as a cruise stop are less than desirable because there is so much to see, and little time to see anything except as a drive-by event once you factor in 90 minutes or so each way from the port.

 

We're going on the Viva cruise in September 2023 which starts in Athens and ends in Rome, so that gives us the chance to do a few days before/after in each city.  The rest is "sampling."  Would I like to spend more time in some of these areas?  Yes.  But since we're getting up there in years, we figured we'd take the plunge on this itinerary.  Otherwise, we'd never even get to have the sample!  

 

And, of course, YMMV.