The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[NancyIL]

Just a few tidbits while I have some internet access here!

London was fantastic. Nice local pub hidden behind the Rennaisance Chancery Court called Ship's Tavern - we ate there twice! Excellent, friendly service.

Disappointed the regular tour at Kensington Palace was discontinued temporarily with some "Enchanted Forest" in its place. Really wanted to see the state apartments and Princess Diana's dresses. Oh well.

Big Bus Tour was fantastic! Highly recommend it.

We did Oslo on our own, was rainy and chilly. Glad we did not spring for an excursion given the weather. Bought some nice souvenirs.

Copenhagen was fabulous! Did the Tivoli and River Cruise and I highly recommend it. Everything about it was great.

Today we did the Rostock Regional HIghlights. Was to be a biergarten snack and beer, local bus tour and river cruise. What was not told to us prior was also a 90 minute walking tour. There were several elderly and not so nimble who were not aware of this prior to being on the bus. Some had to wait on the bus and missed the walking part. Otherwise it was a nice tour though.

Very hot today, around 90+ so those who went to Berlin are sweating it out. Three trains left.

Cheers all!

Glad you're having a great cruise!

We visited Kensington Palace and had afternoon tea at the Orangery. The "Enchanted Palace" wasn't quite what I expected, but we did see the state apartments...just in a different way.

 

[RJAYL]

Just a few tidbits while I have some internet access here!

London was fantastic. Nice local pub hidden behind the Rennaisance Chancery Court called Ship's Tavern - we ate there twice! Excellent, friendly service.

Disappointed the regular tour at Kensington Palace was discontinued temporarily with some "Enchanted Forest" in its place. Really wanted to see the state apartments and Princess Diana's dresses. Oh well.

Big Bus Tour was fantastic! Highly recommend it.

We did Oslo on our own, was rainy and chilly. Glad we did not spring for an excursion given the weather. Bought some nice souvenirs.

Copenhagen was fabulous! Did the Tivoli and River Cruise and I highly recommend it. Everything about it was great.

Today we did the Rostock Regional HIghlights. Was to be a biergarten snack and beer, local bus tour and river cruise. What was not told to us prior was also a 90 minute walking tour. There were several elderly and not so nimble who were not aware of this prior to being on the bus. Some had to wait on the bus and missed the walking part. Otherwise it was a nice tour though.

Very hot today, around 90+ so those who went to Berlin are sweating it out. Three trains left.

Cheers all!

Sounds like fun! still have not decided on tour or no tour for Rostock supposed to hang go drinking & go to the beach is the beach nice?

 

[scrapycruiser]

Just a few tidbits while I have some internet access here!

London was fantastic. Nice local pub hidden behind the Rennaisance Chancery Court called Ship's Tavern - we ate there twice! Excellent, friendly service.

Disappointed the regular tour at Kensington Palace was discontinued temporarily with some "Enchanted Forest" in its place. Really wanted to see the state apartments and Princess Diana's dresses. Oh well.

Big Bus Tour was fantastic! Highly recommend it.

We did Oslo on our own, was rainy and chilly. Glad we did not spring for an excursion given the weather. Bought some nice souvenirs.

Copenhagen was fabulous! Did the Tivoli and River Cruise and I highly recommend it. Everything about it was great.

Today we did the Rostock Regional HIghlights. Was to be a biergarten snack and beer, local bus tour and river cruise. What was not told to us prior was also a 90 minute walking tour. There were several elderly and not so nimble who were not aware of this prior to being on the bus. Some had to wait on the bus and missed the walking part. Otherwise it was a nice tour though.

Very hot today, around 90+ so those who went to Berlin are sweating it out. Three trains left.

Cheers all!

THANKS for reporting ! Glad you're having a great cruise ! We are on the Tivoli & Harbor Cruise. Hoping we can break away from the group after the harbor cruise to have lunch in Copenhagen & walk down the Stroget. Did anyone in your group do this ?

 

[lzj21428]

Sounds like fun! still have not decided on tour or no tour for Rostock supposed to hang go drinking & go to the beach is the beach nice?

We didn't do a tour in Germany. We just stayed in Warnemunde and walked around, drank beer, ate and shopped. The beach looked very nice and there were a lot of people, but didn't seem overly crowded. Easy, easy walk from the ship. I have some pictures of the beach, but don't know how to post them. I was glad we didn't do an organized tour and just hung out in the town. It was a nice, relaxing day in a very pretty area.

 

[jilljill]

We didn't do a tour in Germany. We just stayed in Warnemunde and walked around, drank beer, ate and shopped. The beach looked very nice and there were a lot of people, but didn't seem overly crowded. Easy, easy walk from the ship. I have some pictures of the beach, but don't know how to post them. I was glad we didn't do an organized tour and just hung out in the town. It was a nice, relaxing day in a very pretty area.

We loved Warnemunde and looking forward to being there again in a few days on the 7/18 cruise.

 

[MrsG]

I don't know how to scan it in for you (DH does but he's still asleep -- handling the jet lag better than me!), but here's some info on what went on on the ship that day:

Ron Pearson was the entertainment in the Walt Disney Theatre
It was Pirate Night
There was Krazy Karaoke in Rockin Bar D for the adults at night
Movies on the Ariel View Television were Cars, Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life, Underdog, and of course The Curse of the Black Pearl
Movies in Buena Visa Theatre were Prince of Persia, Disney Nature Oceans, Alice in Wonderland, and Toy Story 3
There was a round of Jackpot Bingo
There was a book exchange in Cove Cafe
The fitness classes were pilates and ab attack
Drink of the day was a blue margarita (alcoholic) and a pina colada (non-alcoholic)
There was a scrabble tournament
There was pirate line dancing for everyone before the party


Do you want information on kids activities for certain age groups?
There were 2 World Cup games that day, so they took up a chunk of time. The World Cup will be done, obviously, so there will be other things filling in that space.

Hope that helps!

That is perfect!!! Thank you!!!!

 

[woody73]

I understand the Swedish krona is the official currency in Stockholm, Sweden.

Is any other currency accepted? (Euro, GBP) What was your experience?

Woody

 

[RJAYL]

We loved Warnemunde and looking forward to being there again in a few days on the 7/18 cruise.

Supposedly with me & my family if we are still talking!

 

[GenieDana]

Can we do Tallinn on our own or should we take a tour?

July average high is 69 and the average low is 55 F
Currency: Estonian Kroon (EEK) 1 Kroon = 100 sents

http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/
http://www.europeportreviews.com/Tallin.htm

A Very Good Walking Map To Print Out:
http://www.brentjes.com/tallinnwalk.html

Most ships arrive at the Passenger Port (reisisadam), terminals A, B and C. A helpful tourist information booth can be found in the main hall of terminal A. Currency exchange offices are plentiful but not always economical. ATMs are just as easy to find.
Getting to town

You can just head for the spires of Old Town on foot, but a taxi from the Passenger Port should cover the short ride to town for 35-45kr (about $3.50 US). They have taxis available right where you exit the ship. We just took one to the top and walked down. When you only have a half-day in port, and it was the day after your 2 day St Petersburg, walking down hill seems better than up, and it give you time to see more.

BEWARE - Tallinn’s taxis are notorious for overcharging! Grabbing a taxi on the street, especially those parked in Old Town, is the best way to get ripped off. Always check the prices first, which should posted on the taxi's right rear window. These consist of a base fare of usually 35 - 45kr plus two per-kilometer rates.

Cash machines (ATMs) are never hard to find. Big bank ATMs are usually your best bet for getting currency.

Beware of bright blue and yellow Monex exchanges around town. These have convenient locations and working hours, but generally give unfavorable rates and even charge a 50-100kr (about $7.50) commission on each transaction.

Credit cards are easy to use in Tallinn - most restaurants and a pretty much all downtown shops accept them.
Toilets

A triangle pointing down signifies the men's room (M or Meeste), while the triangle pointing up is the Women’s room (N or Naiste).

Tallinn Card, http://www.tallinncard.ee If you're trying pack the most into your time in Tallinn, pick up the city tourist office's discount card, the Tallinn Card, good for 6hrs (185kr or about $14). Buy the six-hour version of the card (Designed for cruisers - no sightseeing tour included, such as Tallinn Official Sightseeing Tour, or Hop-on hop-off Tallinn City Tour, or Old Town Walking or Tour, Audio guide Old Town Tour, Kadriorg Park Guided Tour). The card is sold at the Tourist Information Centre at Port of Tallinn (A-terminal), and at the Tallinn Tourist Information Centre (Kullassepa 4).

Free with Tallinn Card: Town Hall, Town Hall Tower, Town Prison, Holy Spirit Church, Niguliste museum, Oleviste Church tower, Dominican Monastery Claustrum, Tallinn City Museum, Town Wall, Epping Tower - Interactive Museum, Estonian Maritime Museum, … The 24 hour card does include the tours but is 375 EEK or about $28.
Places of most interest:

1) Old Town - preserved medieval walls - 14th and 15th century
http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/fpage/explore/attractions/oldtown

15 min walk from ship terminal. Easily done as an independent walking tour. You can walk (uphill) from the ship.

To hear historic and architectural details as you make your way around these sights, be sure to rent an Audioguide (12), available from the Tallinn Tourist Information Centre.

2) Town Hall - Nothing says power like the impressive, Gothic town hall that dominates medieval Tallinn's main square. It was built in 1402-1404 as a meeting place for the ruling burgermeisters and has been a showpiece of the city ever since.

Look closely at the top of the spire to spot the Old Thomas weather vane, a symbol of Tallinn who has been standing at attention here since 1530. Nowadays the Town Hall is the only intact Gothic town hall in Northern Europe. It's used mainly for concerts or for entertaining visiting kings or presidents, but in July and August it's open to visitors as a museum. The structure's interior is truly impressive, featuring colorful meeting halls, vaulted ceilings, intricate wood carvings and some of the city's most prized art treasures. In summer, visitors can climb the tower’s long, spiral staircase to the top for some truly amazing views of Old Town and the city centre. Its cellar hall also hosts special exhibitions in summer.
Mon-Sat 10-16
http://www.tallinn.ee/raekoda

3) Town Wall - With nearly 2km of its original city wall still standing, Tallinn boasts one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortifications. In fact, a large part of what gives Old Town its fairytale charm is the system of walls and towers that surrounds it. Work on the town's defenses first began in 1265, but the current outline of the wall dates to the 14th century. By its heyday in the 16th century, the wall was 2.4km long, 14-16m high, up to 3m thick, and included 46 towers. Today 1.9 km of the wall and roughly half of the original towers still loom over Old Town, evoking images of heroic knights and damsels in distress. The best places to see the wall from the outside are the Patkuli view platform on Toompea and the Tornide väljak (Tower Square), a park area near the train station. It's also possible to get a look at the wall from the inside. The portion of the wall that’s open to the public connects Nunna, Sauna and Kuldjala towers. Visitors can climb up and imagine what it felt like to guard the town against would-be invaders, but the wall is even more popular for its picturesque view of the red-tiled roofs of Old Town.

4) Kiek in de Kök - The name of this massive, 38m-high cannon tower literally means “Peek into the Kitchen.” It was so high that Medieval guards joked they could see right down the chimneys and into the kitchens of the houses below.

Kiek in de Kök was originally built in the 1470s, but quickly expanded and strengthened, giving it walls that were 4m thick. The investment paid off: During the Livonian war in the late 1500s, Ivan the Terrible's forces managed to blow a huge hole through the top storey, but the tower held. During post-war repairs, a row of four cannon balls was placed in the newly patched stone wall as a memorial. You can still see them on the tower's southeast side. The tower now appropriately houses a museum that tracks the development of the town and its military history from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Lower floors are used for temporary photographic art exhibitions.
Tue-Sun 10:30-17
http://www.linnamuuseum.ee/kok


4) Alexander Nevsky Cathedral- Russian Orthodox Church built in 1900.
8:00 - 19:00

5) Toompea Castle and Hill - Castle was built in 1300 and 1400's, currently houses parliament
Admission only with guided tour, Mon-Fri from 10:00 - 16:00

5) Kadriorg Palace and Park - summer residence built by Tsar Peter I in 1700's. Also the site of one of the branches of the Art Museum of Estonia - houses foreign art collection
Open 10:00 - 17:00
http://www.ekm.ee/kadriorg

 

[MrsScooby]

Supposedly with me & my family if we are still talking!

ehh, enough beer and you'll be fine

 

[Madisonznana]

Supposedly with me & my family if we are still talking!

Have some German beers and everyone will be talking!

 

[Madisonznana]

ehh, enough beer and you'll be fine

Great minds....

 

[MrsScooby]

Great minds....

 

[DisneyDoc1895]

ehh, enough beer and you'll be fine

mmmm. Beer. Doh!

 

[DisneyDoc1895]

London Weather for thoose coming to us now for the 4th Baltic.

''Heatwave''' Level 2 alert, (2 of 4, 4 highest)

• Today 32c
• Saturday 32c.
• Sunday 27 chance of rain.

Lows 19c>17c, hot and sticky at night.

We are in a heatwave heath warning and people with Asthma and other health conditions are advised to take care.

Thanks Andrew. We arrive Wednesday and it seems are in for 3 days of rain and cooler temps. Seems Sat and Sunday may be better and Weather.com has 0% rain for Sail away. We'll see. I still need to learn C for weather temps - I know body temps (38 C = 100.4 F for a fever!) but that is about it.

Ken

 

[Kouris_Family]

Right in front of the Hilton Berlin
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/BERHITW-Hilton-Berlin/index.do

Thank You

 

[TDC Nala]

Hoping we can break away from the group after the harbor cruise to have lunch in Copenhagen & walk down the Stroget. Did anyone in your group do this ?

I am afraid I don't know where the Stroget is. I walked from the ship as far as the palaces and Marble Church. It would be a long walk to go back to the area where Tivoli was. There were several hours to kill after the tour ended. I suppose you could ask that the tour not take you back to the ship, but then you need to have a way back to the ship on your own as walking may take a long time. No one asked to do this in Copenhagen that I know of in my group. Several did in Oslo and they were told the tour operator was no longer responsible for them at that point, and allowed to go.

 

[Hanover]

Thought I was on our cruise meets when I posted earlier and moved my post to that thread....

 

[cindy18]

I am afraid I don't know where the Stroget is. I walked from the ship as far as the palaces and Marble Church. It would be a long walk to go back to the area where Tivoli was. There were several hours to kill after the tour ended. I suppose you could ask that the tour not take you back to the ship, but then you need to have a way back to the ship on your own as walking may take a long time. No one asked to do this in Copenhagen that I know of in my group. Several did in Oslo and they were told the tour operator was no longer responsible for them at that point, and allowed to go.

It's actually a doable walk, depending on how you feel about walking. The Stroget starts perpendicular to the big square that's in front of Tivoli. We walked the length of it and finished close to Nyhavn Harbor, did a harbor cruise and then continued walking through the palace and the park to the ship. You could reverse the walk and walk from the harbor towards Tivoli on the Stroget. Worth heading off the main drag for the churches and university buildings off the side streets too.

 

[scrapycruiser]

It's actually a doable walk, depending on how you feel about walking. The Stroget starts perpendicular to the big square that's in front of Tivoli. We walked the length of it and finished close to Nyhavn Harbor, did a harbor cruise and then continued walking through the palace and the park to the ship. You could reverse the walk and walk from the harbor towards Tivoli on the Stroget. Worth heading off the main drag for the churches and university buildings off the side streets too.

Cindy, Hope you are getting over your jet lag !

Do you remember where the ship's shuttle lets you off and then picks you up ?