Baltic Princess questions

[tone]

I am planning to go on a Baltic cruise on with Princess cruises next year. I have a few questions and hope that anyone who has taken a Baltic cruise with Princess can help.

 

1. In Stockholm, it appears that the dock is about 1 hour out of town. I am planning to take the full day, on your own tour. Is there enough time for me to see the Vasa and Gamla Stan. Where does to bus drop you off and is it close to one of the stops for the Stockholm Card? Can I order a Stockholm Card before I go or can I buy one near where the bus drops you off?

 

2. I am a little confused as to which ports you can actually do yourself without a tour and which ones you almost have to follow a tour. Any suggestions? I think St. Petersburg I am going to take a private tour for sure but what about Taillin and Gdansk....is it safe to do on your own?

 

3. Other than St. Petersburg, any suggestions as to what tours to take/what to do?

 

4. Has anyone tried to take private tours in any of the other ports other than St. Petersburg. With so little time, I don't want to be wandering around looking for a bus, etc and wasting time. I also don't really want to take the cruise excursions which are expensive and waste a lot of "wait" time.

 

5. How long does the debarkation take? I was going to fly out of Copenhagen on the day we arrive back in port in the afternoon. Enough time to get to the airport?

 

6. Are there taxis/buses other transportation close to where the ship docks?

 

I am also looking for reviews from anyone who has taken a Baltic cruise with princess in the last few years. Please let me know if you find one and please provide me with the link.

 

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[gbc]

I was on the Grand Baltic August 2004 and will try to answer your questions. The all day Stockholm on your own gives you enough time to do the Vasa and Gamla Stan. The bus dropped us off right where you get the ferry to the Vasa and then Gamla Stan is just a few block walk. You probably won't need the Stockholm card (we didn't get one) for your intended itinerary. We took a private tour in Tallinn but didn't need it. Tallinn is very walkable. We took the ship's walking tour of Gdansk and ended up leaving the tour. You need to get to the old town in Gdansk, which to me was an absolute jewel. Many people raved about Tallinn, and it is great, but no one warned me about Gdansk and it took my breath away. We did Helsinki and Copenhagen on our own. In Warnemunde we did a short walking tour of Rostock which was pretty good. The rest of the day we wandered around Warnemunde on our own and loved it. It is a beautiful old beach resort. We added a day in Copenhagen at the end and got off the ship and had no problem getting a taxi to the hotel. Debarkation was quite smooth and the airport is less than a 30 minute ride. There is no question that St. Petersburg is the highlight of this cruise. We used DenRus and had a fabulous time. We did the ballet at night and frankly, I would skip that. I have bragging rights that I saw Swan Lake in Russia. But, it was the third back up dancers and not very good. Plus, I could have used the rest - we went non-stop for 9 hours on day one.

If you have any specific questions, please e-mail me at gbcooperman@yahoo.com.

[sultan_sfo]

gbc / Others:

We are on the Sep 12 Baltic.

Two questions:

1. Currently we are booked with Princess Air and Princess Transfer starting from San Francisco with no Pre-Cruise in CPH. Based on your experience or discussion with others who took Princess Air, what time did the flight arrive and what time did you board? We are wondering whether we can board and then leave the ship for a few hours to wander around.

 

2. What time were most pax off the ship at disembark? We are doing B2B and the Star arrives in CPH at 5am and departs at 9pm.

 

Any suggestions about seeing CPH with these constraints will also be welcome.

 

Thanks.

/Sultan

[tone]

GBC:

 

Thanks for your response and I'm so glad I found you as I have so many questions!

 

I am also taking a tour with Denrus. Who was your guide and did you have any problems getting off the boat? What did you do about lunch?

 

In Stockholm, I guess the Stockholm card is different from the hop on, hop off bus. Would you suggest buying a pass for the hop on, hop off bus? I am thinking of visiting the Vasa, the Gamla Stan and maybe City Hall. I heard that taxis are very expensive so I was thinking of using public transport. I gather there is some type of ferry from Gamla Stan to Vasa. How much does this cost, how frequently does it come around and where do we take the ship.

 

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[Jane110]

Tone,

 

We were on the Grand Princess in the Baltics this past June and I agree with everything GBC said.

 

For St. Petersburg, we used Red October. Denrus and Red Oct. both have excellent reputations. We also opted not to go to the ballet. We're big ballet fans here at home and go regularly, but we've spent time in Moscow and I found that often, as Tone said, you get the 2nd rate dancers. Additionally, you'll be tired after a long day. On our cruise, Princess brought on a local Russian group from a St. Petersburg nightclub. They were fantastic and our friends were able to leave the show due to simply being tired.

 

For Gdansk, we used Princess's bus tranportation, which is not a tour but simply a ride to and from. This worked out well. They did have an english speaking "guide" aboard who gave us a little history and pointed out some important sites

 

Other than St. P, we didn't use any guides or take any tours and we were happy about that.

[gbc]

Tone, Our guide was Elena and she was great. The first day we never stopped for lunch - there was so much to do. Personally, it wasn't a bad thing to do had we taken some nibbles with us. The second day our traveling companions brought rolls, meat and cheese from the Lido and we stopped at a street cafe, ordered beverages and ate a very quick lunch. Elena took our dollars and paid in rubles (so make sure you have $1 and $5 with you). We had no trouble getting off the ship. we went to the gangway and just walked. we had the tickets DenRus had sent to us and our passports and walked through immigration quickly. Elena and the driver were waiting fir us with a sign with our name. As for Stockholm, I would stick with the Vasa and Gamla Stan. I doubt you will have time for much more. The Princess bus drops you off right where you get the ferry to the Vasa (and I'm sorry, I don't remember what it cost or the cost of the entry to the Vasa); when you return, walk to Gamla Stan (5 minutes) and then repeat the walk back to where the bus waits for you. I didn't get a Stockholm card and don't think I needed it. If I remember correctly, the bus arrived about 10:00 and left about 15:30 so time is limited. The ferry to Vasa runs every 20 or 30 minutes, again, my memory isn't what it should be. I LOVED the Vasa, it was well worth the trip and on a nice day the ride gives you a great view of Stockholm.

 

Sultan, I can't help you with Princess air. I think they use a variety of carriers (ehoever gives them the best deal on the date they need it). I am guessing that you will be pretty wiped out by the time you get to CPH and may want to just get to the ship and settle in. If your itinerary is the same as ours, you arrive in CPH about 13:00 the day before disembarkation. My one "not to be missed" is Tivoli Gardens at NIGHT. The lights and entertainment make it truly magical. Then, I would use your turn around day to see Copenhagen. There were plenty of taxis near where the ship docks. You might think about taking one to City Hall and then heading out on your own. Copenhagen is a very walkable city. Also, most people speak some English so asking for help isn't a problem. There is much to do. Since you will only have the one day to see the sights, I'd suggest some research in advance to select the sights that match your interests.

 

May the New Year be filled with cruises!

[Princess Di]

Hi, GBC, Jane, Sultan, and Tone,

Thank you, Tone, for starting this Thread. Nobody has replied to mine. :mad:

Thanks for all the information. Does anyone have a Link for the Red Octobre Tour and the DenRus tour operators. I have googled the words but didn't get a hit. :(

I would like to spend a few days in Copenhagen - there are so many sights to see. I love gardens, castles, the manor houses. :cool:

Any suggestions for inexpensive but central hotels, hostels, or pensions? :confused:

Thanks for all your help.

Hans Christian Anderson said it right:

 

TO TRAVEL IS TO LIVE ...

 

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float

To gain all while you give,

To roam the roads of lands remote:

To travel is to live.

[gary]

Try http://www.scandic-hotels.com we are staying there in June. Right in the heart of town and not too expensive. If you are a Hilton Honors member, it is only 10,000 points per night.

 

Try http://www.redoctober.spb.ru/RedOct1024x768/index.htm

[Princess Di]

Thanks for the Links!

[mkbcruising]

Tallin and Gdansk are delightful stops easy to do on your own. Wouldn't recommend tours. Whatever you do, don't take the train into Stockholm. We did (we've traveled a lot and like to do things on our own) and as it turned out, the train wasn't running that day. They didn't bother to tell us when we bought our tickets right off the ship. After standing in line waiting for the train for awhile, they told us we would have to take a bus most of the way into Stockholm and then change to the train. They didn't tell us which bus and we got on the wrong one. Luckily a nice Swedish lady on the bus said: "Are you American tourists? If you're going to Stockholm, you're on the wrong bus." The trip took over two hours and really cut into our precious little time in Stockholm. We then bought tickets for the hop-on/hop/off bus in Stockholm that was highly recommeded. It was expensive ($23.00 per person) and the headphones didn't work. We got to quickly tour the Vasa Museum (the highlight of Stockholm, I think) and catch the hop-on back to the train station to get the second to last train back to our ship (leaving a little room for error). Very frustrating day to start our tour. Should have taken Princess' transportation even though it was way over priced.

 

We didn't go into Copenhagen early but rather flew into London three days early to get over jet lag. Easy express train into London to our hotel just around the corner from Victoria Station. Then took Maersk Air to Copenhagen (around two hours and $110). Good new airline. Had Princess transfers but not necessary. Could have taken taxi. Had time in the afternoon to take taxi to downtown area and took a canal ride. Nice places to sit and have a beverage and watch the people of Denmark go by.

 

We ended up using Princess tours in St. Petersberg and were really happy with them. If anyone does, make sure you do Hermitage in the morning. We got in an hour before it opened and avoided all the big crowds. Also did Peterhauf in the morning and it worked the same way. Did the city highlights in the afternoon and that was fine. We didn't do evening tours but loved the Russian dancers that Princess brought on at night.

 

Did a tour of Oslo that we booked right off the ship. Very inexpensive and we saw everything we wanted to see. Princess docks in a great place in Oslo.

 

Hope this helps.

[sultan_sfo]

GBC & MKB:

Thanks for all your help.

Just to clarify -- the Oslo Cruise does not have an overnight in CPH. Turnaround Day in CPH for our B2B -- ship arrival 5 am depart 9pm. Because the 2nd leg is Transatlantic to FLL, independent air is tricky so far and either we would have to pay air deviation for Princess if we wish to arrive earlier in CPH or take the Princess Precruise which is way overpriced for us. Eventually, eventually, we hope to do Scandinavia by land.

 

Thanks for all the info on the other ports.

/Sultan

[gary]

MKBCRUISING

 

What day were the trains not running in Sweden? We plan to take the train into town on our June 4th Star Princess cruise.

 

thanks

[mkbcruising]

It was a maintenance "unscheduled" type of thing which I understand they do quite often in Sweden.

[Al_Frescoe]

It was a maintenance "unscheduled" type of thing which I understand they do quite often in Sweden.

If it was "unscheduled" then you can believe that it was most likey needed for saftey reasons. Sweden takes saftey seriously. I don't know where you got your information but in my experience the trains usually run on time in Sweden and are quite safe.

[north-bound]

Tone, there is a really great thread here named MAPS AND LINKS FOR BALTIC PORTS. John and Betty have collected a lot of useful maps of several Baltic ports. The main attractions are marked on the map and there are links to more information, like opening hours and entrance fees etc. I am sure you will find a lot of information for your cruise there.

 

As for Stockholm, as others here have said you should have time for Vasa and the Old Town. Take a look at the Stockholm map on the above thread. The Old Town is the little island in the middle, with the Royal Palace. Ferries to the Vasa museum leave from where there is a red flag marked "Skeppsbron port".

 

Last spring I collected a lot of information about where cruise ships dock in Stockholm, and about Stockholm transportation. You may find some useful info there. I have posted it as "Stockholm docking and transportation again". The costs posted there are for 2004, my intention is to update this when we get nearer to the cruise season.

 

There are two Stockholm cards. One is a 24-hour transport card that you can use for public transport in Stockholm, including the train to Nynäshamn where you will dock. But not including hop on/hop off-buses. This card could be useful should you decide to use the train instead of the Princess tour. The other Stockholm card has the same transport but does also include entrance to many museums. But if you will only visit Vasa it is no use to you. There are links to more info on both cards in the thread I posted. But probably, in your case, you will not save anything by buying either card.

[tone]

GBC, Jane, MKB, Northbound & others:

 

Thanks for all your great replies!

 

Sorry for so many questions but I'm trying to cover a lot a research in a very short period of time. More questions (seems endless!)

 

1. Any suggestions about Helsinki, what to do there? I have read the information on this board and most people say it is good to go on some type of canal cruise. Any information on which one is good? I am arriving on a Sunday so most things including the Market should be closed.

 

2. Is Gdansk safe for me and my family to wander around? I know the train to Gdansk may be a bit unsafe so I think I will go with the Princess bus to Gdansk but can't decide if I should tour the city by myself or follow the Princess tour. Not really sure what to see as I am not than interested in the solidarity museum.

 

3. In Taillin, I am trying to make up my mind whether to take a tour or go explore by myself. It seems lots of people think Taillin is small enough to walk around in but I think some posters have said it has a lot of stairs. Can I get to the city by walking or do I have to take buses/taxis to get to the tourist attractions.

 

As always, any views are appreciated.

[gbc]

Tone, We did Helsinki on our own. It's a beautiful city. We did a hop on/off bus but spent most of the day in the market area (sorry, we were there during the week). I don't know anything about canal tours.

 

Gdansk seemed very safe to me. We took a Princess walking tour and ended up leaving the tour and did it on our own. I would recommend just taking the Princess bus to old town. For the shoppers in your group, this was heaven. I bought most of my amber in Gdansk. Gdansk was my favorite stop after St. P. We really just wandered around the old town which I thought was magnificent. We went in and out shops; had a light lunch at a sidewalk cafe and visited the main church. Also, I used the ATM on the main street in Gdansk. (ATMs are the way to go whenever you can; best exchange rates and cheap fees)

 

Tallinn is also an old town. I am gussing it is about a 20 minute walk from the pier to old town. Once there you can wander around. We took a private tour. The guide met us at the pier, we walked a few blocks to his car and then we drove around the more modern part of Tallinn, went to one of the Tsar's palaces and then to the old town - you must walk around there. I would have preferred more time in old town. If you want the name of the guide we used, e-mail me as I am not supposed to post that info here.

 

Hope this helps.

Gail

[Jane110]

I agree 100% with Gail/GBC.

 

Gdansk was the least expensive port. A nice lunch for 4 people on the main street cost $11.00 total. We bought goods at the bakery so we could try some local things - I think we spend $4.00 on what would be $40. worth of pastry here in NYC. Amber was less expensive than in Russia and Tallinn and I even found a manicure place on the main street where they charged only $5.00 for a manicure!

 

Princess Di - Copenhagen Hotel - We stayed at the Hotel Vesterbro. Ordinary and pedestrian, but pleasant and served an excellent breakfast. Is wonderfully located just a few blocks from Tivoli Garden and is well priced.

 

Jane