Baltic on the Emerald Princess

[jagsfan]

thanks for all the great info.

We'll be able to know a little better how to get around.

[caribill]

If we're flying from the US to Copenhagen, where will we be able to get Euros to use for the rest of the trip? Where will be the first ATM to give us Euros?

 

Helsinki

[judyth41]

Thanks for the info. I shouldn't need them before then, I guess.

[ericosmith]

Helsinki

 

Unless you are connecting in Amsterdam. Then you can get them at the airport between flights.

[lov2ski]

Thanks caribill for all the info from your cruise!! It has been helpful in planning for my trip on July 5th. I have a few questions...

 

Is there a service on the ship to have photos from a SD card burned to a DVD or transfered to my USB key? Any idea of the cost? I really do not want to bring my computer but worry my camera may be lost, stolen or damaged. Were there photo shops at the port where it could be done before or after a tour? Any other suggestions other than buying a dozen SD cards for my new camera (4 older SD cards are only 1 or 2 GB cards) would be most welcome.

 

Should I bring a backpack or shoulder bag of some sort to carry things while in port or will it just be a nuisance? I'm thinking I will want a bag to put a sweater / hat / rainponcho / bottle of water /snack / wallet with a bit of money (passport, credit card and money will be in a moneybelt) / tour book / binoculars / souvenirs / etc. into so I've got my hands free. Can a bag be left on Princess / SBP / Denrus tour buses when stopping at museums so they do not need to be screened or checked-in?

 

Thank you in advance for your replies and suggestions.

[LindaandJeff]

 

Can you leave the kids to the ship on port days? (If they don't like to go for sightseeing?

 

"Can" you or "should" you? Can you? Sure you can. Should you? I wouldn't. Before I get flamed, I worked in the children's center on board for two years. The center staff takes great care of the kids and the kids generally have a great time. But only you know your kids. Will they miss you/need you? If so, you are not going to be available. What would happen if you were to miss the ship? Your kids would be on board with no family. What would happen if something were to happen to you while onshore? I think if you were cruising in the Caribbean or Mexico I would be less worried but if you are doing the Baltics there are so many variables and you are very far from home and any other relatives. Is anyone else you know traveling with you? You might try it in Tallinn, because it is pretty easy to get back to the ship but I would not let my family split up in St Petersburg. Some cruise lines prohibit leaving the kids on board and some even close the center while in port. Last I checked Princess did not do that. Princess does have some excursions that are specifically for families and several of the guide books do list family friendly things to do in port. You may want to check those out, if you haven't already. Remember these are my personal opinions based on my experiences as a childrens center cruise staff member and as a parent who travels with kids. You have to do what is right for you and your family though, no matter what any of us on these boards think. Have a great trip!

[caribill]

 

Is there a service on the ship to have photos from a SD card burned to a DVD or transfered to my USB key? They have a machine which you can use to transfer from a camera memory card to a CD (not DVD). Since a CD holds less than .7GB, this may not be practical for you. Any idea of the cost? About $10. Might be more cost effective to purchase more SD cards. I really do not want to bring my computer but worry my camera may be lost, stolen or damaged. Were there photo shops at the port where it could be done before or after a tour? Do not know. Any other suggestions other than buying a dozen SD cards for my new camera (4 older SD cards are only 1 or 2 GB cards) would be most welcome.

 

Should I bring a backpack or shoulder bag of some sort to carry things while in port or will it just be a nuisance? I'm thinking I will want a bag to put a sweater / hat / rainponcho / bottle of water /snack / wallet with a bit of money (passport, credit card and money will be in a moneybelt) / tour book / binoculars / souvenirs / etc. into so I've got my hands free. Can a bag be left on Princess / SBP / Denrus tour buses when stopping at museums so they do not need to be screened or checked-in? A bag is very practical for the needs that you state. Yes, you can leave it safely on the tourbus, but I would still keep passport and money/credit card with you.

 

Thank you in advance for your replies and suggestions.

 

See above in red.

 

And watch out for pickpokets in St. Petersburg.

[traveler525]

Ok, so maybe it is a fair distance to see both the concentration camp and the castle. We will be seeing a few castles on this trip, so am thinking of maybe just hiring a taxi when we exit, how far (time wise?) is it to the camp? We would have time then to visit Old Town and Solidarity Park?

 

Thanks for the info!

[caribill]

Ok, so maybe it is a fair distance to see both the concentration camp and the castle. We will be seeing a few castles on this trip, so am thinking of maybe just hiring a taxi when we exit, how far (time wise?) is it to the camp? We would have time then to visit Old Town and Solidarity Park?

 

Thanks for the info!

 

We had a private tour of four people arranged with

http://www.toursinpoland.com/gdansk_tour_stutthof.html

 

Cost was 350 Euros total + any tip.

 

Approximate schedule was:

- 9,15 - 10,45 - drive to the Camp

- 10,45 - 12,30 - sightseeing of the Camp

- 12,30 - 13,30 - drive to Gdansk

- 13,30 - 15,45 - sightseeing of Old Town of Gdansk - all "must see" spots plus ondoor visit to St. Mary's - the largest, brick church in the world

plus required time for lunch/shopping

- 15,45 - 15,55 - drive to the Solidarity Shipyard

- 15,55 - 16,05 - photo stop by the Fallen Workers Monument

- 16,05 - 16,35 - drive to Sopot

- 16,35 - 16,50 - brief visit and stop by the beach and the promenade

- 16,50 - 17,20 - drive to the port with window sightseeing of Gdynia

- 17,20/17,30 - return to the pier

[lwpa]

Does the Emerald Princess dock at the Langelinie Pier(near little mermaid), or at the newer Freeport Terminal, Nordhavn?

[msmoger]

Does the Emerald Princess dock at the Langelinie Pier(near little mermaid), or at the newer Freeport Terminal, Nordhavn?

 

Freeport

[letzcruz]

Thanks for all the wonderful information on your Baltic cruise. We are on the Emerald in August.

 

I saw on one posting on another thread that insect repellent was a necessity. Can you comment?

 

Our two day St. Petersburg private tour does not include a lunch stop. Is there any availability of a "box lunch" that could be taken off the ship or should we just pick up some extra items off the breakfast buffet that we can take with us?

 

Our roll call group is trying to schedule a meet and greet on the first sea day but do not want to plan one for the same time as the port talk. Do you recall the time of the port talk?

 

Thanks!!!

[brucknerff1]

Thank you for all the Baltic cruise info. My wife and I are on the Aug 24 sailing of the Emerald Princess. We were just on the Sapphire Princess to Alaska, and my wife was disappointed that there was not a coffee pot in our balcony cabin. On the Emerald we are in a Minisuite. Do you know if a coffee pot is provided?

 

Thanks so much, Fred Bruckner

[Woobstr112G]

I was on the first Emerald Princess sailing to the Baltic this May. The following is not a review, but covers some topics that those on this itinerary this summer might be interested in knowing.

Of course, all of the information here is accurate for the May 16 cruise. Some of it (staff, MUTS, trivia prizes, etc.) may change over the summer.

Port of Copenhagen

The ship departs and returns to Fryhavn (Freeport). This is not the area near the Little Mermaid. The closest train station is Nordhaven, about a 10 minute walk from the dock. The station does have an elevator if you have luggage.

If you take a train from/to the airport, you will need to change trains at central station.

Cost of a taxi from the airport is about $50. Credit cards and Danish kroner are all that are accepted.

On disembarkation day, Princess offers (in addition to an airport transfer) a transfer to the central train station for $20 at 8 AM and at 9:30 AM. This was not advertised. Buy tickets at the shore excursion desk.

On a Saturday, there were 30 cabs at the dock at about 8 AM. Sorry, I did not look on the Tuesday when the Baltic cruise ended.

Staff

Captain - Giorgio Pomata

Cruise Director - Neil Chandler

Executive Chef - Christian Carbillet

Neil did an excellent job in scheduling activities from lectures to games to entertainment. There was always something to do if you did not just want to relax.

All staff (including Purser’s desk) were always helpful.

Paseengers

There were 27 children in mid-May. This is, of course, before school is out for the summer.

650 of the passengers had been on the trans-Atlantic repositioning cruise for Fort Lauderdale.

There were 1873 Captain’s Circle members (those who have sailed Princess previously): 1086 gold, 591 Platinum, and 196 elite. That meant about a thousand sailing with Princess for the first time.

The most traveled passenger had 644 days (57 voyages) on Princess.

Most of the time the ship did not feel crowded. One big exception is at the atrium when the sale tables were out. It was often difficult at those times to make your way past that pinch point.

Red vs. Blue

As on the other Grand class ships, the rugs on the port side (even numbered cabins) have a red stripe while the rugs on the starboard side (odd numbered cabins) have a blue stripe. When you get off an elevator, just look for the red or blue stripe to know which side to go to.

Formal Nights

There are two formal nights, one on each of the two sea days.

The Champagne Waterfall was built at the same time as the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party on the first formal night.

Shore Excursions

There was almost always a long line at the shore excursion desk. Avoid this line and save time by booking your Princess shore excursions online before the cruise.

Internet

As far as I could tell, the Internet was available the entire cruise, at least any time I wanted to access it.

The signal in a cabin varied according to Cabin location. I was on the trans-Atlantic segment on the Riviera deck just aft of the center elevators and had a strong, usable signal at all times. For the Baltic segment, my cabin was just forward of the center elevators on the Caribe deck and the signal was too weak to be used in the cabin.

The allowance for platinum and elite status was $100. This bought you 250 minutes + 30 bonus minutes if you signed up for the $100 package on embarkation day. Package minutes could be used both in the ship’s Internet café and on your personal laptop.

Money conversion

An ATM (US $) is located in the casino.

There were several foreign exchange ATMs near the atrium on decks 5 and 6, but not all were working. The exchange rate is poor compared to what you can get at an on shore ATM. For example, on the days that I used a shore ATM to get Euros, I was buying Euros for $1.33 each. The ship’s ATMs Euros were costing $1.41 each plus a $3.50 service charge.

Food

The Da Vinci dining room (6th floor, atrium) was open from noon to 1:30 PM on embarkation day, a good alternative to the buffet that day. This is the same dining room that is open for breakfast and lunch. On some days, the dining room was at capacity for lunch and there was a wait to get in.

Dinner hours:

Anytime dining (Da Vinci and Michelangelo (5th floor, atrium) 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

Traditional dining (Botticelli, 6th floor aft) at 6:15 PM and 8:15 PM. (OK first timers - the only way to get to the Botticelli dining room if you are on deck 5 or 6 at the atrium or forward of the atrium is to go up to deck 7, walk all the way aft, and then go down to deck 6. )

I had traditional seating, so I do not know if there were any lines at the anytime dining rooms. However, I never heard anyone complaining about having to wait there.

Sorry, I do not know what the dinner theme was each evening.

Entertainment

There were four production shows: "What a Swell Party", "Motor City", "I Got The Music", and "Boogie Shoes." All but the "Boogie Shoes" had three performances. 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM (or 7:15 PM and 9:15 PM) the first night and 9:15PM the second night. "Boogie Shoes" only had the two first night times.

Bands: Princess Showband, Bruce Gordan Quartet, Emerald Quartet, Temperature

Also the classical Astoria Strings.

Comedians, physical comedians, ventriloquist, body balancing.

Crooners bar piano player/singer was Manda Vincent. At various times also had piano players in the Piazza and in the Adagio Lounge.

Main Piazza performer was Rob Alton, a BMX bike acrobat on at least three days.

MUTS movies included "Mamma Mia", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Confessions of a Shopaholic", "He’s Just Not That Unto You", "Bride Wars", "Marley & Me", "Nights In Rodanthe", and "Yes Man." No doubt some of these will change over the summer. In mid-May, at least, it was very cool on deck in the evening, and MUTS was not well attended. Most of the MUTS movies were shown the next day on the in-Cabin TV,

Activitiies

The usual Princess activities which include games (Taboo, Trivia, Pictionary, etc.) demonstrations (fruit and vegetable carving, towel folding, ice carving, Martini making), sports (Ping Pong tournament, golf chipping, basketball shootout, etc.).

There were no (none, zero, zip) luggage tags as prizes at trivia. Prizes included Princess pens, luggage straps, magnets, tote bags, and small inflatable ships. However, there is always the chance that a new supply of luggage tags will make its way on board.

Of course there was Bingo and wooden horse racing, And the art auctions.

And "elevator roulette." The players gather by the aft elevators on deck 7 and using (free) chips bet on which of the four elevators will be the next one to stop at that floor.

Lectures

Not to be missed are the Port lectures by John Lawrence. These are informative lectures, not sales pitches, and the Princess Theater is often overflowing for them. If you are on a tour, the lectures help you understand what you are going to see. If you are doing a port on your own, the information is essential. A DVD of his port lectures is available in a Princess shop for $20.

Unfortunately, a couple of the lectures are scheduled while many people are still on shore, but they are usually broadcast later on the in-cabin TV.

John also gives a couple of lectures on historical topics. He also gives some commentary from the Bridge during scenic sailings into/from a port.

Our voyage also had a lecturer who spoke about international trade. I assume there will be different lecturers over the course of the summer.

 

Ports

Weather was good in most ports. Temperatures in mid-May were generally in the 50s and 60s. There was a light rain in Copenhagen most of embarkation day. Mostly sun and some clouds in all the other ports although some had some short periods of rain.

Only going to comment on a couple of the ports:

St. Petersburg

People who booked Princess or independent excursions (DenRus, Alla, Red October) were all happy with their tours.

You are no doubt aware that you cannot tour on your own unless you have obtained in advance a Russian visa. Further discouraging individual touring if you do have a visa is that the port is located away from the city and there is no public transportation available.

If you book a Princess tour or a tour with one of the recognized tour operators, then you do not have to obtain a visa as the tour operator will take care of this. Do not worry if you have an independent tour (DenRus, etc.) when you read Princess notices that seem to say you must have obtained a visa if you are not on a Princess tour.

This year, Russia has a form to fill out to give to the immigration officer. Princess will supply the form which has identical information to be entered in two places. Read carefully how to fill it out.

Naturally, everyone on an independent tour wants to disembark as soon as possible the first morning in St. Petersburg. Of course, the Princess tours also need to start. Princess suggests that those not on Princess tours go to a designated dining room, obtain a number, and then wait for your number to be called to disembark. This is not necessary. Once the ship has been cleared, you can disembark by going to one of the gangways being used.

This year the ship docks in a new port where there are more immigration booths than in the past, at least six, maybe eight. Thus, the lines are not as long for clearing immigration as they have been in past years.

The booths are labeled by Princess as for Princess tours or independent tours. You can ignore those signs. The immigration people do not care what type of tour you are on. You will need to present your passport, the filled in immigration form, and your tour ticket (which acts as your visa).

We, as in the past, also presented a Xerox copy of the picture page of the passport. I do not know if this is still a requirement as this sheet was immediately returned by the immigration officer. It is possible that the new immigration form replaces the need for the Xerox copy. However, if the Patter says you need the copy, then have one available. Although the Purser’s desk will make a copy for you, I suggest bringing one from home as the line at the Purser’s desk is very long for the several days before St. Petersburg as people line up for making copies.

The immigration officer will return one half of the immigration form and a plastic card that serves as your visa for the day. Both of these items are turned in when you return to the ship that day. (The line to go through the emigration booth can be long, depending how many booths are open.)

The second morning does not have much of a problem leaving the ship for independent tours. Just allow 10 minutes or so for the immigration line. For the second time, you only need to present your passport and the tour ticket. You will again be given the plastic card that serves as your visa for the day and which again will be collected when you return to the ship.

By the way, do not lose your passport while on tour. You will not be allowed to reboard the ship without it, but must remain in Russia until a replacement is obtained.

Traffic in Saint Petersburg was horrendous. In the first day, our tour bus was due back at 5:30 PM but did not make it back until 7 PM. On the second day, when the ship was supposed to depart at 6 PM, Princess tour busses were still returning at 7:40 PM.

If you have booked an evening excursion the first day, either Princess or independent, bring your evening tour ticket with you on your day tour. You may find it necessary to go directly to your evening tour bus upon returning from the daytime tour. You may not have the time to wait on lines to emigrate, return to the cabin, and then go through immigration again.

Princess does have a Russian folkloric group in the Princess Theater the first night in St. Petersburg (8:30 PM and 10:30 PM). It is also shown live on MUTS and on the in-cabin TV the following day. A very good show. Those who went on Princess or independent tours to an evening folkloric show also enjoyed their experience.

Be very careful about pickpockets in St. Petersburg. Many tours stop at an outdoor souvenir market where you must be extra vigilant. Also be careful in the museums.

Oslo

One of the best tourist deals for those who are 67 years or older is the Oslo Pass at the senior rate of 76 NKr (less than $12 at the May exchange rate) which includes any Oslo transportation you would need as well as admission to just about any museum or attraction you would want to see. You can get the pass (credit cards accepted) at the tourist information counter in the terminal building. The counter (on the right when you enter the building) did not open until 7:30 when we were there, but may open earlier now that the season has started.

For visiting the Viking Ship Museum, I recommend using Bus #30 over using the ferry as the bus drops you off right in front of the museum. I also recommend using Bus #30 to go from the Viking Ship Museum to the Kon Tiki and Fram museums. Using the ferry to return to downtown Oslo from the latter museums is a good option.

As an alternative to the excellent walking tour John Lawrence suggests, I suggest the following activities which can be accomplished during the limited time the ship is in port:

a) Tram #12 to Frogner Park and see the Vigeland sculptures.

b) Tram back downtown and then bus #30 to visit the Viking Ship Musuem

c) Bus #30 from the Viking Ship Musuem to visit the Kon Tiki and Fram musuems

d) Ferry to downtown to visit City Hall

e) Visit the Akershus fort which is next to where the ship is docked

On days when there is a City Hall tour at Noon, the tour can be substituted for the visit to the Akershus fort.

 

Miscellaneous

All four of the aft elevators go down to deck 6 (Botticelli dining room) and up to deck 18 (Skywalkers). Only the aft starboard elevator goes all the way to deck 19 where the jogging track and miniature golf are located.

The "Ultimate Ship Tour" is offered on the Emerald Princess for $150/person. Sign up at the Purser’s desk ASAP if you wish to do this.

"Chef’s Table" is offered for $75/person. Call the dining hotline (Ext. 6219) ASAP if you wish to do this.

Cabin TVs are flat screen. It is easy to access the extra electrical outlet (US style) that is behind the TV.

Access to the viewing point on deck 15 forward on top of the bridge is open while in port. Just go to deck 15 and walk all the way forward.

 

The Future Cruise office was busy with a waiting line almost all the hours it was open.

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.

 

THanks for a great review. For our next T/A (after October on Ruby) we wnat to try the northern route.

 

Thanks again for the review.

 

Bob

[Tigress1013]

Caribill .... thank you for the information. Did you go on the 2 days grand tour operated by princess? I'd like to see if someone can tell me if the tour goes to peterhof in the morning or afternoon. I want to check if the fountain is turned on when the grand tour visits Peterhof. Also did you do Peterhof on Day 1 or 2?

[PrincessNancy]

We were just on the Sapphire Princess to Alaska, and my wife was disappointed that there was not a coffee pot in our balcony cabin. On the Emerald we are in a Minisuite. Do you know if a coffee pot is provided?

 

Thanks so much, Fred Bruckner

 

 

Hi Fred...sorry, electric coffee pots are not allowed in the cabins due to fire safety (irons are not allowed either). You can order a thermal pot of coffee to be delivered to your cabin each morning, just fill out the room service card the night before.

 

Nancy

[sunwatcher]

We really appreciate the great detail given of your cruise. We have printed for reference as we sail in August 2009.

[caribill]

Caribill .... thank you for the information. Did you go on the 2 days grand tour operated by princess? I'd like to see if someone can tell me if the tour goes to peterhof in the morning or afternoon. I want to check if the fountain is turned on when the grand tour visits Peterhof. Also did you do Peterhof on Day 1 or 2?

 

Our tour was the one by DenRus. We were at Peterhof the first afternoon and the fountains were going. Spectacular.

[caribill]

 

I saw on one posting on another thread that insect repellent was a necessity. Can you comment?

 

Our two day St. Petersburg private tour does not include a lunch stop. Is there any availability of a "box lunch" that could be taken off the ship or should we just pick up some extra items off the breakfast buffet that we can take with us?

 

Our roll call group is trying to schedule a meet and greet on the first sea day but do not want to plan one for the same time as the port talk. Do you recall the time of the port talk?

 

Thanks!!!

 

Had no need for insect repellent (which we did have with us) in May. No idea about the buggers when you will be going.

 

Most ports, including Russia, do not allow ship's food to be taken off the ship. All that is allowed is prepackaged food (energy bars, carndy bars, etc.) In Russia especially, do not tempt fate by bringing ship's food off the ship.

 

Port talks on the first sea day were at 10 AM and 1:15 PM and lasted about an hour.

[ttc_8]

Does the Emerald Princess dock at the Langelinie Pier(near little mermaid), or at the newer Freeport Terminal, Nordhavn?

 

It docks in Freeport (near the windmills). You can even see the ship as you approach the airport aboard the plane! You can't really see the Mermaid as you are sailing out.

[ttc_8]

I really miss the Baltic. Reading about it and seeing my pictures bring tears to my eyes.

 

We were on the May 26th sailing (anyone else go on that one)? We stayed in the mini suite, mid-ship. My review is posted under the Emerald Princess review link.

 

As for ports and excursions, this is what we did:

 

Stockholm - we did the Best of Stockholm tour where there was a city drive, a tour around the Vasa Museum, and a tour of the City Hall (Stadshuset) where we saw the blue and golden halls. We woke up at 5am for our sailing into Stockholm so we can see the archipelago and the lovely houses/cottages on the islands. It takes about 3-4 hours to sail the entire archipelago, and you pass it as you sail out of Stockholm too. It's best to use Swedish Krones in Sweden...altho they accept Euros and US dollars, they give the Swedish krones in change.

 

Helsinki - we did the Helsinki City Highlights where we took a city drive, visited Senate Square (had some free time there where we went to the bank and got Euros, haha!), the Sibelius monument (the Sibelius park is lovely!) and the Rock Church.

 

St. Petersburg - on the first day, we booked a private car with Princess, and we got a mercedes sedan that was quite tight for 3 adults. We visited the Hermitage first (it opens 1 hr earlier for cruise guests!) and ladies, be sure to use the bathroom early in the morning...it gets really gross as the day goes on! After the Hermitage we took a city drive, did some souvenir shopping, and then headed to Peterhof Palace. Peterhof is a MUST SEE! We were in St. P for the 306th anniversary for the founding of St. P and everywhere we went it was PACKED with locals!

In the evening we went to a folklore show in a theatre on the Nevsky Prospekt.

On the second day, we did the EZ St. P tour where we took pics outside Church of Spilled Blood, St. Isaac's Cathedral, and some other popular sights. In the afternoon we took a canal cruise and we saw St. P from a different perspective.

We realized afterwards we may have gone overboard booking shore excursions but we really wanted to see all of St. P. Even though the tour description may not mention that you'd be visiting a certain landmark, you actually DO visit almost all of then. That's why we went to St. Isaac's Cathedral like 4 times!!!

Oh yea, we also docked at the new terminal, so the drive into the city was much shorter. I regret not visiting Catherine Palace, but I couldn't feel my legs by the time we were done touring St. P!

 

Tallinn - we did Easy Tallinn where we visited Song Festival Ground and walked around the Old Upper Town. We wanted to take a shorter excursion because we knew we'd be exhausted from St. P. We took a city drive throughout the Lower Town and I still can't get over how BEAUTIFUL Tallinn is!

 

Gdansk - being a shopper and a lover of jewellery, we just HAD to take the Gdansk Amber exhibit and city tour. It was interesting to visit the amber factory, and we purchased genuine amber jewellery at good factory prices. As for the city tour, we went to St. Mary's church and walked around...really loved the European atmosphere!

 

Olso - we took the Viking Ship Museum and Vigeland Park tour, and it was well worth it! After walking Vigeland, we went on a city drive and saw the new ski jump being built and went to the top of a mountain where saw looked down onto the city and the Oslo fjord. I was in absolute awe! What an amazing view! Really enjoyed the viking ship museum because I saw the actual viking ship that is shown on the Norway video that is shown at EPCOT Centre (Disneyworld) after the Norway ride, haha!

 

Copenhagen - we stayed one night in Copenhagen at the Radisson Royal SAS Hotel (booked with Princess) and we took a local tour (booked through the hotel) where we went to Amalienborg Palace (saw changing of the guard) and the Little Mermaid. We couldn't book a debark tour with Princess because those tours take u to the airport upon completion of the tour. Denmark does not take US dollars (that's what we found) and give crappy exchange for Euros.

NOTE: It's best to exhange for Danish krones at the FOREX. We found a Forex at the train station across from the SAS Royal Hotel.

Princess took us to the airport the very next morning.

 

Looks like I got carried away, haha! But that was what we did in terms of shore excursion on our Baltic cruise.

[lwpa]

As an alternative to booking tours of St. Petersburg thru Princess, I see that some people have mentioned tour companies, DenRus, Alla Red October. Does someone know how to contact them? Is it much less expensive booking thru them vs. Princess since I see the two day Princess tour is almost $400 each. Any information would be appreciated.

[ttc_8]

As an alternative to booking tours of St. Petersburg thru Princess, I see that some people have mentioned tour companies, DenRus, Alla Red October. Does someone know how to contact them? Is it much less expensive booking thru them vs. Princess since I see the two day Princess tour is almost $400 each. Any information would be appreciated.

 

Here is the website for DenRus:

www.denrus.ru/

Website for Alla Tours:

http://www.alla-tour.com/

 

Both sites have contact (e-mail address) information.

[banditoo]

As an alternative to booking tours of St. Petersburg thru Princess, I see that some people have mentioned tour companies, DenRus, Alla Red October. Does someone know how to contact them? Is it much less expensive booking thru them vs. Princess since I see the two day Princess tour is almost $400 each. Any information would be appreciated.

 

There are numerous threads talking about each of the other companies you mention. If you search the threads you will see numerous reviews on the various private companies. They run about $300 USD per person for a group 2 day tour. Most also do smaller more personalized tours. We have booked the Denrus value tour for our upcoming trip.

 

http://www.denrus.ru/

 

Also the link for red october http://www.redoctober.us/

Alla http://www.alla-tour.com/?module=articles&id=5

SPB http://spb-tours.com/flash.html

[Flainefan]

Thank you for all the Baltic cruise info. My wife and I are on the Aug 24 sailing of the Emerald Princess. We were just on the Sapphire Princess to Alaska, and my wife was disappointed that there was not a coffee pot in our balcony cabin. On the Emerald we are in a Minisuite. Do you know if a coffee pot is provided?

 

Thanks so much, Fred Bruckner

 

Fred and Kitty, I see you are on our Baltics cruise on August 24th from Copenhagen. Why not come over to our Roll Call? There you will see who else is sailing with us. We are hoping to have a 'Meet & Greet' on Tues 25th. You would be very welcome to join us.

 

Margaret

Edited July 17, 2009 by Flainefan