7/18/10 Mickey's Baltic Ballyhoo Part 6

[RJAYL]

Just FYI I charged my tickets to the London Eye & Madame tusseuds on Sunday to my Capital One card got an exchange rate of 1.445 $ to Pound.

No Additional charges or fees definitely the way to go!

 

[MrsScooby]

Good Morning
Just got back from Hawaii an looked in our mailbox. There it was our DOCs.
Soooo vveeerry happy.
Our cruise is coming up so fast. 39 more days.

aloha,
hawaiian mickey

Happy Hump Day!

Good morning
Actually wrote the number of days on each day on my calendar so officially in count down mode

Just FYI I charged my tickets to the London Eye & Madame tusseuds on Sunday to my Capital One card got an exchange rate of 1.445 $ to Pound.

No Additional charges or fees definitely the way to go!

Wow, that exchange rate is much better than trying to get currency exchanged at the banks

Definitely bringing that card on this trip

Gotta bite the bullet myself now and get my currency at my bank

 

[Marla Hellwig]

morning all

Question - if I remember you can shop in St. Petersburg right at the port - is / was this better than in stores along the way?

Also wondering, think I read you can't take Rubles in or out of Russia - is this correct?

Trying to figure out what foreign currency to order and how much for everything

Kara finishes up her college term tomorrow - not sure if she will be able to take any classes this summer - all depends on dates - she told me she would rather work more shifts than go to school this summer - besides traveling is supposed to be educational - right?

have a great day one and all

 

[jilljill]

Who from this thread is staying over and not flying home until July 31? What are your plans for the 30th once we get back to our LHR or LGW hotel? I though perhaps Disney might have some post-cruise tour options but no such luck I know in 2007 post cruise in Barcelona, we hopped the hotel shuttle and went down to Las Ramblas for the day.

NO DOCUMENT DANCE here in Michigan yet

We are and have no plans for that day. Now it depends on what we do on the 17th, we may try and go up to Birmingham/Bournville to meet up with friends. (Yes Robert, we have even more friends in England and these are different friends than the ones going on the cruise with us. )
If we go north on the 17th we'll go into London for the day. If we stay in London on the 17th I'm thinking of Windsor or something like that. No clue...

 

[jilljill]

morning all

Question - if I remember you can shop in St. Petersburg right at the port - is / was this better than in stores along the way?

Also wondering, think I read you can't take Rubles in or out of Russia - is this correct?

Trying to figure out what foreign currency to order and how much for everything

Kara finishes up her college term tomorrow - not sure if she will be able to take any classes this summer - all depends on dates - she told me she would rather work more shifts than go to school this summer - besides traveling is supposed to be educational - right?

have a great day one and all

We looked in the shop at the port and walked back out - it was so crowded and really hot in there. The prices were comparable to what we saw in the couple of shops we stopped at and to the prices of things they had on the ship.
The shops we went to had prices listed in rubles, euros, and US$. We paid with US$ at one shop and rubles at the other shop.

I think that the restriction has been lifted for bringing in rubles, at least a small amount. I think I read on here that someone was able to purchase rubles. I know that I can't get them at my local bank.

I've gotten currency for each port and then extra pounds and euros. I just ordered even more euros yesterday since the rate had gone down to 1.26.
Last cruise I took about $50 in currency for each port and spent all local currency.
I ended up bringing home pounds and euros, but I knew we would be going back at some point so that didn't bother me.


Alexa's last day of school is also tomorrow. Yesterday she imformed me that if she was staying this summer she would be able to work at school. I told her that could be arranged but she didn't go for it.

 

[scrapycruiser]

morning all

Question - if I remember you can shop in St. Petersburg right at the port - is / was this better than in stores along the way?

Also wondering, think I read you can't take Rubles in or out of Russia - is this correct?

Trying to figure out what foreign currency to order and how much for everything

Kara finishes up her college term tomorrow - not sure if she will be able to take any classes this summer - all depends on dates - she told me she would rather work more shifts than go to school this summer - besides traveling is supposed to be educational - right?

have a great day one and all

We were in the Baltic 2007 and bought a few things in the shop next to the ship. Prices were same as in town. Excellent selection of amber jewelry, lacquer boxes ( beautiful hand painted ) , nesting dolls ,etc. We were on the RCCL Jewel and the ship had a large selection of Russian crafts, too. I thought the prices seemed higher.

 

[scrapycruiser]

DOCS


Isn't it exciting !!!!!!!!
Thought I'd let you know what we decided to do in Stockholm. I talked to Taxi Stockholm and I can reserve a private taxi ( 7 passenger van ) for $60/ hour. I plan to have them meet us at the pier, have an hour long tour of the city and surrounding areas ( maybe 2 hrs ? ), then they'll drop us off at the Vasa, wait for us, then drop us off in Gamla Stan. Return to the ship at 3pm ( 6 hours: $360 for 7 of us )

We can't book until 2 weeks before the date.

Stockholm Taxi : +46 8 15 00 00, you have to call; can't book online

 

[scrapycruiser]

When it gives the time we'll be in port, say 8-4:30. Does that mean the ship leaves at 4:30 OR is that the back onboard time ??

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Andrew,

Which of these locations would be the closest to get to from our LHR hotel? I realize we'd probably need to take the train to some point in London and then transfer.

Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire,
Hertfordshire, or Essex

I am looking at this company to perhaps do a hot air balloon ride with on July 30th at sunset.

http://www.balloonsafaris.co.uk/locations/overview

Thanks,

Closest Berkshire, then Surrey,

Then Hampshire,


Kent, is where Dover is.
East Sussex, West Sussex, closier to Gatwick


Hertfordshire,
Essex

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

When it gives the time we'll be in port, say 8-4:30. Does that mean the ship leaves at 4:30 OR is that the back onboard time ??

Basically on our cruise the same

This covers it.

 

[Madisonznana]

DOCS










Did my dance inside our house rather than by the mailbox

we don't have ours yet

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

we don't have ours yet

Faith, hope and pixie dust, and often the last to come is an upgrade.-You can have the 'ROY'.

 

[Madisonznana]

Faith, hope and pixie dust, and often the last to come is an upgrade.-You can have the 'ROY'.

If only! I have to wait for the TA. I am sure she has it by now.

 

[flower91882]

Ooooohhhh....I want my DOCS!! Maybe they'll be sitting there when I get home this afternoon. [fingers crossed]

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

If only! I have to wait for the TA. I am sure she has it by now.

Ooooohhhh....I want my DOCS!! Maybe they'll be sitting there when I get home this afternoon. [fingers crossed]

Some do go via a TA, others direct, even if you book through a TA, it is frustrating.

According to my Docs they were printed on 1st June, so it was only last week and sent quickly, and the delay sometimes is an upgrade, but DCL website would show that now.

 

[Caropooh]

Basically on our cruise the same

This covers it.

obviously we can't be onboard one second and depart the next! I wonder which of the times is the correct time? I'd guess the onboard time.

Some do go via a TA, others direct, even if you book through a TA, it is frustrating.

According to my Docs they were printed on 1st June, so it was only last week and sent quickly, and the delay sometimes is an upgrade, but DCL website would show that now.

We booked through a TA and ours came right to us!

 

[RJAYL]

obviously we can't be onboard one second and depart the next! I wonder which of the times is the correct time? I'd guess the onboard time.



We booked through a TA and ours came right to us!

Translation if you are not onboard NANANANA NANANANA Hey Hey Goodbye!

Oh Documents finally arrived We Were Upgraded!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

obviously we can't be onboard one second and depart the next! I wonder which of the times is the correct time? I'd guess the onboard time.

That schedule is direct from DCL, I think they post it like that to show an immediate departure is planned, ie start up and go at that time, of course other factors may delay.Onboard time is what we go by.

We booked through a TA and ours came right to us!

Yes, same as me, different TA's have different instructions to DCL.

 

[Celestine]

Thanks Celestine. That helps a lot with our decision. Then I realized, hey, when we return on the 30th, we have an overnight by LHR so we'll probably take the train into London to do something that day/night. From all that I've read it sounds like the train you take from LHR into London isn't part of the Oyster or travelcard options. Do you think if we end up needing transportation in London on the 30th, plus our time pre-cruise, that we should buy an Oyster card?

Heathrow is in zone 6 so if you are happy to use the tube you can buy a travel card for £7-50, otherwise the single cash fare is £4-50 (£9 return) and oyster fare is £2-40 (£4-80 return) so an oyster would the work out cheaper. If you wish to use the Heathrow express into Paddington that is not covered by a travelcard or oyster

Celestine

 

[Celestine]

we don't have ours yet

Neither do we, so you aren't alone

Celestine