Northern Europe Port Adventures

[jrabbit]

 

[SleepyV]

We tend to tip 10-15 % dependant upon service. We know that for some people this is generous in the Uk.
I have booked a few afternoon teas using this website afternoontea.co.uk
Unfortunately non of them were in London so I can't comment.
If you like ales you could try a real ale pub. Otherwise as a coffee drinker I can't comment on other suggestions.

Hope this helps.
Sleepy V

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I know that I'm the guy that's been preaching about not worring about the last $50 of your trip, but when I was looking at pricing the private tour route would have made "economic sense" even if only one of our adult children could have joined us. And with 9 days to go before leaving for London , I don't think that I will be working on trying to rearrange our plans / schedule.


Leaving the Baltic's now and hijacking the thread for my week in London.... pre-cruise.

So tipping for meals in London - about 10% is OK? More or Less?

What about High or Afternoon Tea - DW want's to do it - but not dress up and spend 2-3 hours (saving that for Palo Brunch). Any suggestions for a good "shorter, less formal affair"? She's mostly interested in the scones and clotted cream.

What about drinks while we are out and about. Anything I should try (or avoid)? I do drink soda, but trying to cut back, and not a fan of coffee. Iced Tea? Arnold Palmer? I'd like to stay out of Starbucks if possible.

Thanks for your assistance.

So tipping for meals in London - about 10% is OK? More or Less?

We do not expect tipping as much as the USA, it really is up to you, a maximum of 10% yes, nothing more and that's at nice restaurants, large parties may have 10% automatically added but it is still suggested and you can take it off.

What about High or Afternoon Tea - DW want's to do it - but not dress up and spend 2-3 hours (saving that for Palo Brunch).

OK you do not want to spend Disney cruise prices. The Savoy and Ritz are tourist highlights but expensive,
I like the Dorchester on Mayfair, half way up/down from Marble Arch /Hyde park corner, I see it regularly when I am in Mayfair.
Overs less known but good.

• Harrods Georgian restaurant
• Lanes of London
• Chesterfield Mayfair hotel
• The Marylebone hotel
• The Berkley Knightsbridge

travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/9124793/Londons-ten-best-afternoon-teas.htmlwww.telegraph.co.uk/

Any suggestions for a good "shorter, less formal affair"? She's mostly interested in the scones and clotted cream.

Best to look at these and see the requirements

What about drinks while we are out and about. Anything I should try (or avoid)? I do drink soda, but trying to cut back, and not a fan of coffee. Iced Tea? Arnold Palmer? I'd like to stay out of Starbucks if possible.

We have too many Starbucks and Costa coffee and McDs, Any house beer is good, even Guinness, even if irish.
Cocktails in Covent Garden very nice.
Just go to a pub that looks nice and see whats on tap and special.(but do not mix it)

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We tend to tip 10-15 % dependant upon service. We know that for some people this is generous in the Uk.
I have booked a few afternoon teas using this website afternoontea.co.uk
Unfortunately non of them were in London so I can't comment.
If you like ales you could try a real ale pub. Otherwise as a coffee drinker I can't comment on other suggestions.

Hope this helps.
Sleepy V

10% max, 15% is over generous here.

 

[HookedonMagic]

Hi Jrabbit...Daughter and I have enjoyed High Tea at a number of little shops in London (simply wander in to a shop you find charming!) We've also done the two hour Tea upstairs at Fortnums (coincidentally, the Queen and Kate had tea there a few weeks later!), but you can enjoy scones and tea on the ground floor of Fortnums in a fraction of the time for a fraction of the price, as well.

Like you, I did a number of DCL excursions this trip because I simply didn't spend the time researching in advance. As I stated above, the time I spent worrying about whether they'd be good was time wasted. It was a fabulous trip. Enjoy!

 

[jrabbit]

Thanks for all of your input. It's helpful!!

 

[michellekcm]

We did the May 30 cruise, and we have 2 young kids - 2 and 6.

In Tallinn we did our own thing. We went to Old Town and wandered around. We took the free shuttle, but my mother and sister walked it, and walked back with the 6 yo, so very close. My husband and I did the KGB museum tour - that was very cool. 10 Euro each for an hour of anecdotes etc about Hotel Viru during the time of Soviet occupation.

Helsinki we did a highlights tour through DCL - wasn't anything special, and a lot of pointing out things from the bus without stopping. We were trying to find excursions where the kids weren't stuck on a bus all day though, so this sort of fit the bill.

St Petersburg we did a highlights tour in the morning, where one family got pickpocketed and lost their social security cards and some cash, and almost lost their passports (someone knocked on the bus door and handed their passports in to our guide). The tour was good, the unplanned hour at the souvenir shop where the guide got commission wasn't as good. In the evening we did a canal boat tour - that was fun, with musicians and a free drink for everyone. Both of these were through DCL.

Stockholm we did (again, through DCL) the Skansen museum and the children's literary museum where Pippi Longstocking's house was. Skansen was AWESOME. I could have spent all day there. It is an open air museum with houses and other buildings from all different eras, staff dressed up in character etc. The children's museum was great, but we didn't have enough time there. My 6yo was very disappointed to only have 10 minutes to play in Pippi Longstocking's house. We spent probably over half an hour in a line for the story ride - which was great, but cut into our ability to do anything else.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I'm so enjoying reading about all the Port Adventures. Thanks to everyone for posting. We'll be on the 12 night in a few weeks.

St Petersburg we did a highlights tour in the morning, where one family got pickpocketed and lost their social security cards and some cash, and almost lost their passports (someone knocked on the bus door and handed their passports in to our guide). The tour was good, the unplanned hour at the souvenir shop where the guide got commission wasn't as good. In the evening we did a canal boat tour - that was fun, with musicians and a free drink for everyone. Both of these were through DCL.

Michekllekcm, what a bummer! I know it happens everywhere, but I hate hearing about things like this. We'll make sure to be vigilant Yikes on the forced shopping trip with the commission. Hope you guys complained to DCL?

 

[PhotoHappy]

We are just back from the June 13 Northern Europe on the Magic. We only did the Port Adventures for St. Petersburg due to the Visa issues. We did a city walking tour in the morning to early afternoon, went back to the ship to rest, then did the ballet (Swan Lake in St. Petersburg) which was absolutely fabulous - and it worked out really well.

We did the hop on/hop off in every other location and saw a lot. Our experience with the hop on/hop off is that the green busses (there are different companies on the same route) seem to be more efficient.

Wouldn't have changed a thing.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Just a reminder re The a visa, No Visa is required if you book a private shore trip with a local authorised agent in St Petersburg, DCL in there website and in there cruise documents are not accurate and I suspect this is to sell more of their own shore trips.





The above is from my specialist DCL TA. And there are trip reports from cruisers who this year have used companies like Anastasia and got off in a minute through border control whereas the coach tours were delayed on the ship.

 

[aggiedog]

Yes! We did a private tour with TJ Travel and they arranged the visa for us. It was just a matter of giving them our passport numbers and birthdates, and they emailed back the paperwork. We printed the paperwork out and gave it to the customs officer at the port. Easy peasy, no problems. Any of the large tourist agencies can do this. I would be wary of a small agency with few reviews, only because this is not a country where it things don't work out you can wing it instead.

 

[FunluvinJ23]

I will be on the July 22nd sailing (first time in Europe, first time on a cruise!) and we are doing mainly DCL tours, with the exception of St. Petersburg. In Copenhagen, we are signed up for the Tivoli Gardens: All-Inclusive Experience and Panoramic City and Carlsburg Brewery tours. In Stockholm, we are signed up for Ice Bar and Old Town. In Helsinki we are doing the City of Helsinki Adult only tour. In Tallinn we are doing Walk the Towers of Tallinn tour. I will let you know how they are!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I will be on the July 22nd sailing (first time in Europe, first time on a cruise!) and we are doing mainly DCL tours, with the exception of St. Petersburg. In Copenhagen, we are signed up for the Tivoli Gardens: All-Inclusive Experience and Panoramic City and Carlsburg Brewery tours. In Stockholm, we are signed up for Ice Bar and Old Town. In Helsinki we are doing the City of Helsinki Adult only tour. In Tallinn we are doing Walk the Towers of Tallinn tour. I will let you know how they are!

See you on the ship.

 

[FunluvinJ23]

See you on the ship.

Can't wait!!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Can't wait!!

Yes, getting close now, we did this cruise in 2010 on the Magic and its great sailing from Dover just an hour from where I live.

I will be going down to Dover on the 10th to take photos of the Magic on the cruise before ours. I want to check out there arrival and embarkation times.

 

[ldo]

In 2010, we also did a private tour with TJ Travel and they arranged the visa for us via email then we printed out and gave it to the customs officer at the port. Also easy, no problems. Assume most large tour agencies can do the same. I agree with PP. I would only use a recommended, well-know tour agency. There are a number recommended on Cruise Critic, as well. St P was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I would spend your $$ on a great tour and save at other ports where it's easy to DIY with a Ho-Ho, like Stockholm.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

In 2010, we also did a private tour with TJ Travel and they arranged the visa for us via emial then we printed out and gave it to the customs officer at the port. Also easy peasy, no problems. Assume most large tour agencies can do the same. I agree with PP. I would only use a recommended, well-know tour agency. There are a number recommended on Cruise Critic, as well. St P was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I would spend your $$ on a great tour and save at other ports where it's easy to DIY with a Ho-Ho, like Stockholm.

I used http://anastasia.travel/ in 2010 and am using them again in a few weeks, I have my tickets now, just need the ship.

http://anastasia.travel/ are a big company and many used them from our ship in 2010.