7/18/2010 Mickey's Baltic Ballyhoo!! Part 3

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Happy Sunday!! Hope all are well!! We're looking forward to the Eagles game today at 3pm.......Go Eagles......

 

[Caropooh]

I trust everyone is having a relaxing Sunday.

so far I'm relaxed!

Hi everyone

Having a busy run of things, so may not be popping in so much -- hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend . . .

had a lazy do nothing kind of day yesterday!

 

[Caropooh]

Everytime I do a shoutout like that, I give up and then someone comes on right after! I was up REALLY late last night, but no work today so I could sleep in this time.

I went to bed right after I posted that!

 

[MrsG]

Thanks for the tour info. I think we're still probably going to go with Disney for the excursions. Call me paranoid.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

so far I'm relaxed!


had a lazy do nothing kind of day yesterday!

Thanks for the tour info. I think we're still probably going to go with Disney for the excursions. Call me paranoid.

Relaxed and cold,

I think our trips will be DCL bar St Petes where we will do private tours.

 

[MrsScooby]

I wonder if we should try and organize a group tour with Anastasia? It seems like we have a good amount of people interested. Andrew and I could handle that if people would like. Maybe people that are interested should PM me with their info (name, ages of children at cruise time) and we'll go from there.

This would be your best bet, as long as everyone wants to see the same things. She uses a few guides and drivers. I would definately contact her now to get your name on the 'list' as I have already done. You can even use my name when you contact her - not that it will do you any good .
She can get you started on a tour and you will have more than enough time to tweak it.
If there are enough people for a couple of groups I would keep the kids ages in the same range for each group.

I would think there will be other ships in port that day. The days we were there she had other groups from our ship and the other ships that were using her services.

Combining tours sounds like a good idea, maybe after we're sure of where we want to go I also contacted Anastasia, but I don't have an official booking yet. I'm waiting on DH to talk to his Russian friends before making plans. I'm glad he is making an attempt to be a part of the planning this time around.

Hi everyone

Having a busy run of things, so may not be popping in so much -- hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend . . .

Hey Julie

 

[msec]

Just checking in!!

I am re-painting the bathroom today and in between coats I have been catching up on all the posts !!

It is snowing again today so I keep telling myself it is a good day for painting

18 months from today we will all be setting sail for the Baltics!!

Michele

 

[jilljill]

Just checking in!!

I am re-painting the bathroom today and in between coats I have been catching up on all the posts !!

It is snowing again today so I keep telling myself it is a good day for painting

18 months from today we will all be setting sail for the Baltics!!

Michele

Shoot....I thought of this earlier this week that 18 months from TODAY we will be setting sail on the Magic for this great cruise. Even better is that tomorrow we can finally say we sail in less than 1½ years.

Keep the snow up north please.

I guess you'd rather catch up on here than watch the paint dry.

 

[jlawall]

Just checking in!!

I am re-painting the bathroom today and in between coats I have been catching up on all the posts !!

It is snowing again today so I keep telling myself it is a good day for painting

18 months from today we will all be setting sail for the Baltics!!

Michele

Welcome back, it's a full-time job keeping up with this thread, good plan!

 

[jlawall]

Relaxed and cold,

I think our trips will be DCL bar St Petes where we will do private tours.

I don't get this.................or maybe I do?

 

[jlawall]

Thanks for the tour info. I think we're still probably going to go with Disney for the excursions. Call me paranoid.

I felt like this on the Med cruise for the most part. It's hard to keep all the ideas and places straight!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I felt like this on the Med cruise for the most part. It's hard to keep all the ideas and places straight!

In the Med I did 5 private tours of 7 ports, however, on thoose there was a lot of long distances fro mthe ports, this one bar Germany and Berlin the highlights are generally far closer, So I will go with DCL as that cuts down the difference in time saved.

I hope in Germany they charter a train to go to Berlin from the port that would be very nice.

 

[jlawall]

In the Med I did 5 private tours of 7 ports, however, on thoose there was a lot of long distances fro mthe ports, this one bar Germany and Berlin the highlights are generally far closer, So I will go with DCL as that cuts down the difference in time saved.

I hope in Germany they charter a train to go to Berlin from the port that would be very nice.

I went to Berlin last year when we visited our DD in Hamburg. For some reason, we drove ourselves in rented cars and it took 3 hours. We should have taken the train. I would definitely encourage a tour there. We did it ourselves and it was an emotional, historic trip but I'm sure it would be even better with a guide.

It is astonishing to remember what we lived through during the Berlin Wall period. My kids were as old as 23 and they knew nothing about it. Since my dad was with us, he remembered even more details. Some highlights were, Checkpoint Charlie, several stores that sold parts and photos of the wall, Branchburg Gate and Starbucks (it was really cold that day.) We also saw a monument to Nazi Germany with a Nazi solder on a horse. It was built at the site of the headquarters and I could still visualize the footage I've seen of the Nazis marching down that road. Unbelievable, creepy and yet so inspirational due to the progress we've made since then.

One thing we encountered at a few places in Berlin were people who would come up to us and beg for money. They said they were from Bosnia. You did have to be careful as in the touristy area, the person would sort of surprise you and we weren't expecting it.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I went to Berlin last year when we visited our DD in Hamburg. For some reason, we drove ourselves in rented cars and it took 3 hours. We should have taken the train. I would definitely encourage a tour there. We did it ourselves and it was an emotional, historic trip but I'm sure it would be even better with a guide.

It is astonishing to remember what we lived through during the Berlin Wall period. My kids were as old as 23 and they knew nothing about it. Since my dad was with us, he remembered even more details. Some highlights were, Checkpoint Charlie, several stores that sold parts and photos of the wall, Branchburg Gate and Starbucks (it was really cold that day.) We also saw a monument to Nazi Germany with a Nazi solder on a horse. It was built at the site of the headquarters and I could still visualize the footage I've seen of the Nazis marching down that road. Unbelievable, creepy and yet so inspirational due to the progress we've made since then.

One thing we encountered at a few places in Berlin were people who would come up to us and beg for money. They said they were from Bosnia. You did have to be careful as in the touristy area, the person would sort of surprise you and we weren't expecting it.

Reading other cruise line reports the train seems the best and quickest option if you want to go to Berlin, then you can do it on yuor own or do there coach tours

 

[Madisonznana]

I wonder if we should try and organize a group tour with Anastasia? It seems like we have a good amount of people interested. Andrew and I could handle that if people would like. Maybe people that are interested should PM me with their info (name, ages of children at cruise time) and we'll go from there.

Is Anastasia a company name or just the name of a woman who works there?

 

[Madisonznana]

Thx for the encouragement!! Yes, I'm trying to save the country with President Elect Obama!! Who's excited about this week's inauguration???

I am!!!
I am glad I don't work so I can watch all the "big doings goin on"

 

[Madisonznana]

Happy Sunday!! Hope all are well!! We're looking forward to the Eagles game today at 3pm.......Go Eagles......

Eagles in game one, Steelers in game two! I love football!!

 

[cruisin'Mike]

I went to Berlin last year when we visited our DD in Hamburg. For some reason, we drove ourselves in rented cars and it took 3 hours. We should have taken the train. I would definitely encourage a tour there. We did it ourselves and it was an emotional, historic trip but I'm sure it would be even better with a guide.

It is astonishing to remember what we lived through during the Berlin Wall period. My kids were as old as 23 and they knew nothing about it. Since my dad was with us, he remembered even more details. Some highlights were, Checkpoint Charlie, several stores that sold parts and photos of the wall, Branchburg Gate and Starbucks (it was really cold that day.) We also saw a monument to Nazi Germany with a Nazi solder on a horse. It was built at the site of the headquarters and I could still visualize the footage I've seen of the Nazis marching down that road. Unbelievable, creepy and yet so inspirational due to the progress we've made since then.

One thing we encountered at a few places in Berlin were people who would come up to us and beg for money. They said they were from Bosnia. You did have to be careful as in the touristy area, the person would sort of surprise you and we weren't expecting it.

We're still up in the air about Berlin. I'm waiting to see what DCL offers (and how much it will cost!!!) for Germany. There's just so much history in Berlin, that I can't imagine being so close and not going there. On the downside, I'd be too afraid of the timing to book a private tour. And I'm also not sure that I'd want to spend half of my 12 hours in port on the train.

Lots to think about there.

Is Anastasia a company name or just the name of a woman who works there?

It's both!

Anastasia is the owner and it's also the name of her company. We have her confirmed for a tour, but we'll need to alter the itinerary somewhat to account for our late arrival in port. There were a couple things that we might add-on or switch, but all in all, we were happy with her tour and preliminary pricing.

 

[jlawall]

We're still up in the air about Berlin. I'm waiting to see what DCL offers (and how much it will cost!!!) for Germany. There's just so much history in Berlin, that I can't imagine being so close and not going there. On the downside, I'd be too afraid of the timing to book a private tour. And I'm also not sure that I'd want to spend half of my 12 hours in port on the train.

Lots to think about there.



It's both!

Anastasia is the owner and it's also the name of her company. We have her confirmed for a tour, but we'll need to alter the itinerary somewhat to account for our late arrival in port. There were a couple things that we might add-on or switch, but all in all, we were happy with her tour and preliminary pricing.

I think that the travel time is about 2 hours each way from the port. I was 3 hours away from Hamburg. I do think it was worth it b/c if you're old enough to have lived it, it does have amazing meaning as to how far we've come.

 

[Albill]

This is JoAnn Lawall's parents, we're thinking about doing this cruise too.......