Northern Europe Port Adventures

[LeslieG]

I have the Northern Europe cruise booked for next summer. I'm hoping those who are returning from the cruises this year can post their reviews of the port adventures.

 

[owensamo]

Are there specific port adventures you're interested in? We're sailing a 12n Baltic, but only have one DCL excursion booked (Helsinki & Porvoo). Everything else we're doing either non-DCL tours or DIY in port. There are so many options!

 

[EllinK]

I'm interested too. When people get back, I'd love to hear about which ones they thought were great -- doesn't matter if it's through Disney or independent.

 

[ldo]

some fun things for kids that my family did (in 2010). Easy DIY from the port:
Stockholm: take the HO-HO that picks up right at the pier (get SEK for the Ho-Ho (Swedish $$)) before you leave the US--they are not on the euro). Take the Ho-HO to downtown and walk around. You can go into the Palace, etc. but the BEST place was the Livrustkammaren. Founded in 1633, it is also Sweden's oldest museum. Set in the palace vaults, this armory isn't just about weapons but displays some of the world's most magnificent state coaches and coronation robes, even the costume worn by Gustav III at a fatal masked ball. (The king was assassinated at the 1792 ball, and the incident inspired Verdi to write his opera The Masked Ball). They have a free kit that you can borrow for the kids--it is a box with a fake mouse and you find clues throughout the museum. My kids (9, 13) spent 2 hours doing this--super fun. They also have a good dress up place with princess and knights stuff, as well. We got the combo Ho-HO ticket and also took a boat tour. We did not have time to see the Viking ship, Vasa (also on the HO-HO bus/boat line).
Tallin--easy to walk from pier to town and they have costumed persons selling nuts, sodas, etc.--very festive. Plus, you can do archery outside the fort with Red Riding Hood type costumed workers. Large square in center of town to get food, etc. Tallin looks like a storybook village from a fairy tale.
Loved the Baltic cruise--St. P was DD9's favorite spot. Definitely take a private tour in St P. We used TJ tours, but there are a number of very good ones. WE did a city drive with photo stops, then Peterhof, at lunch at cafeteria @ Perterhof (instead of long formal lunch) to be able to see more, then hydrofoil to Hermitage--long, but excellent day. Elaine

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I will be posting live on my blog from 7/22 See To Russia with mickey bars, I have booked private tours in each port, as they are more flexible, you see more, do more, get window seats not the inside of a bus and do not get stuck in traffic like DCL tour buses, and at places of interest private guides cut lines and get you in quicker.
I will be posting photos and reports live - bar Russia which I will update post cruise.

 

[HookedonMagic]

For the first time in years, I did very little research before my cruise and, therefore, took the easy way out and used DCL's Port Adventures for all four stops in the Baltic. I'm going from memory, so I may not have the names of tours exactly correct, but I think you'll get the gist from the following descriptions.

In Tallin, we (hubby, 12 yr old and I) did a city highlights tour with lunch and concert. There were 3-4 busses of passengers taking this tour, but once we left the ship, we weren't tied to the other busses (make sure your entire group checks in for tours at the same time or you'll risk being in different busses!). Our guide was very good and told lots of stories as we toured the city. We heard about life before, during and after the city was part of the USSR. The lunch was held in old town in a charming traditional style restaurant. The food was nothing to write home about, but we enjoyed the experience and met a family we spent time with the rest of our Baltic week and our Fjords week, as well. The concert was held in a church and was a group of 3 performers wearing medieval costumes and performing a variety of songs from the region.

In St Petersburg, we did a city highlights with Hermitage and lunch tour. We were the first group off the ship and therefore first through passport control. There were 20 lanes open and the whole thing went smoothly. And, bonus, we have Russia stamps in our passports! Again, our guide was very good...a native of the city with a lot of knowledge about the region and about the vast collection of artwork on display at the Hermitage. We went to the museum first and spent about 2.5 hours enjoying it's splendor. It was crowded, but not overly so and looked mobbed as we were leaving. Highlights of the city included the Church of Spilled Blood and a lunch with vodka and sparkling wine. A ship's photographer was sent on our tour, so we were able to get some great family snapshots.

In Helsinki, we enjoyed a city tour with porvoo. I thought the tour included lunch, but instead, we enjoyed a stop at a lovely farm in the countryside for cake and coffee. Charming! The Helsinki portion felt rushed (10 minutes for photos at each stop!) but porvoo was leisurely and very picturesque. Again, our guide was great. The tour returned to port at final boarding call.

In Stockholm, we took the city hall/royal palace/old town tour. The true treasure of this stop is the sail in/sail out....you sail for miles and miles through a landscape of small islands dotted with charming cottages. Beautiful and peaceful! This tour, our guide was just okay. City hall, the home of the annual Nobel Prize dinner, is special. We had a ship's photographer on the tour again and got some terrific family photos. At the palace, we were able to go into the chapel where they were preparing for a royal wedding. Nine days later, when we checked into our Copenhagen hotel and turned on the tv, there was the wedding in the very place we had just visited. Fun!

So, overall, we enjoyed very positive experiences with our DCL Port Adventures. I enjoy planning and almost always find private tours, but occaisionally those are duds, too. It really can depend on individual personalities...and at least in a large group, a personality difference with a guide doesn't necessarily equal a whole day of discomfort. ;-) We'll continue to use private tours in the future, but won't hesitate to book Port Adventures, as well.


Hope this helps. Enjoy your planning and your cruise. May it be as MAGICal as ours!

Lisa

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I would say for St Petersburg you will do more see more on a private tour with an operator such as Anastsia we have a full programme for the two days we are there.http://anastasia.travel

 

[HookedonMagic]

Definitely agree, Disney Fantasy. In fact, I think that's generally true of all private tours. But just wanted to share my positive experience with the ship's Port Adventures, as well. I was worried we'd be very disappointed, but we were pleasantly surprised by how much we were able to see and do and we (mostly!) enjoyed the interactions with fellow guests.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Definitely agree, Disney Fantasy. In fact, I think that's generally true of all private tours. But just wanted to share my positive experience with the ship's Port Adventures, as well. I was worried we'd be very disappointed, but we were pleasantly surprised by how much we were able to see and do and we (mostly!) enjoyed the interactions with fellow guests.

Yes, and respect that there are some good DCL tours out there, but the first thing for anyone going there is to review all options, research and know what you can and cant do.

The constant theme of questions here has been that there is a misunderstanding that you have to do a DCL tour in St Petes, but you can book a private tour without a visa.

There was one trip report I think on the thread of the 'first baltic ' return cruisers- any questions, one person posted, he looked at the inside of a bus for five hours and was stuck in traffic.

I went in 2010 booked again next month, full of admiration for the private tour I had in 2010 and looking forward to my next.

People worry about it as 'its Russia' if they know the options then they can make a proper decision. I just want people to consider the options so they know them and make their own choice.

We have private tours in each port, we will report back. I plan to post live photos everywhere bar Russia they will go up post cruise. My cell coverage only covers Europe.

 

[aggiedog]

We just got back from our Northern Europe 7 day DCL cruise. My recommendations would be to do private tours if you can. Our experiences (family of 8, ages 9 to 72):

Tallin - private tour "Food Sightseeing Estonia" We had a walking tour of Tallinn, stopping for a multi-course meal in various locations. Beer/soda and appetizers at the top of one of the old towers, marzipan at the store that invented it, drinks at a wine cellar (which the highlight really was the story of the founder and his experiences before/during/after the Soviet occupation), soup in a Medieval cellar, lunch and dessert at an old tradehouse/grainery. Our guide was fabulous and the food was great. 90 Euro/person, including transfers to/from the pier. (It is walkable, but my parents both have bad knees.)

SPB - private tour with TJ Travel. We contacted several agencies and went with the one that was willing to modify the itinerary for our multigenerational group. We had a large van, driver, and guide. Itinerary as follows, cut and pasted from my email:
8.30-9:00am meeting your guide near your ship

9-10.15amCity tour: City tour includes driving and photo stops in the most beautiful, historical places in St Petersburg. Your guide will tell you different stories and legends about famous palaces and architectural ensembles. You will see: Nevsky prospect (the main street in St Petersburg), National Library, Kazan Cathedral, the Square of Arts, Russian Museum, Ethnographical Museum, Michael’s Castle, Summer Gardens of Peter the Great, the log cabin of Peter the Great, Aurora Battleship, the Spit of Basil Island, The State St Petersburg University, the Monument of Peter the Great, Admiralty, Theatre Square with famous Mariinsky Theatre, St Nicholas Cathedral, Church on the Spilled Blood (photostop) (I'm not sure we actually saw all those things, which is fine by me.)

10.15 am - 12.15 pm - Inside guided tour of the Hermitage( early entrance) + we can add a visit to the Knight's Room (if you have boys in your group, it will be very interesting for them )

12.30 pm - 13.30 pm - lunch (optional) (at a restaurant where you will have a chance to try Russian blini and caviar) we went to Tepemok, a Russian "McDonalds", super cheap, fun fast food for us to try.

1.30 - 2.30 pm - tour at the Cat Museum

2.45-3.15 tour of the Church on Spilt Blood (we went inside, which was amazing, many tours just stop and look from outside.)

3.30-4.00 hydfrofoil to Peterhof

4.00-5.30 pm guided tour of Peterhof gardens

6.30 pm - 7.30 pm - Stroll along Nevsky Prospect, stop for coffee and ice-cream

Our guide then got us checked into a restaurant for dinner. We ate a Teplo, a great home cooking sort of trendy place. We had a wonderful meal. The food was great and our server was a gem. We chose the restaurant from a list of recommendations from the agency and they made reservations for us. The driver sat outside the whole time, so was available as soon as we were done to bring us back to the ship. The visa issue was a non-issue and the guide met us at the door as we were leaving customs. The total price was 170 Euro/person, not including meals and tips.

Helsinki - Three of us did the DCL Reindeer tour. That was cool, just because I have a thing about reindeer. It involved driving an hour, walking about 30 minutes thru the woods, then getting to the reindeer. The local guide was an older lady with the driest personality I've ever seen, and a very monotonous voice. She was informative, if you could stay awake. Downside was we saw almost none of Helsinki. By the time we got back to the ship, going back into town would have been very tight time wise. The rest of our group did the DCL speed boat tour. From their stories, they had a great time in a "I hope I don't die, at least I have a big survival suit on" snot flying everywhere sort of way. The trip left early enough that going into Helsinki was not possible, and got back right before the ship pulled out. They also saw none of the city.

Stockholm - we all did the DCL Food Market, Old Town, and Vasa tour. We were all pretty unhappy with it. LOTS of sitting in traffic on a bus. We had less than 20 minutes at the market, and less than 30 minutes at the Vasa, before we had to be back at the ship for the next group to use the bus. The only saving grace is we got back to the ship with 4 hours left in port, so most of us went back into the old town on the free DCL shuttle.

We all decided the private tours were better. Traffic is not so much an issue because you're in a smaller car. You can change up the itinerary on the fly. You're not tied down to someone else's schedule. For what we paid, our private tour prices were comparable to DCL excursions that were shorter and had no flexibility. Stockholm, if your'e ok with walking a bit, would be easy to do on your own. All the main things to see are pretty close. Tallinn as well. For me, though, I really enjoyed the talking to the local guides. That adds another dimension to the trip, and gives me a better understanding of the country instead of just reading a walking guide.

We were lucky that we had enough in our group to get good rates on the tours, but you can get on your cruise meets and find others to do tours with you and drop the cost most likely.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We just got back from our Northern Europe 7 day DCL cruise. My recommendations would be to do private tours if you can. Our experiences (family of 8, ages 9 to 72):

Tallin - private tour "Food Sightseeing Estonia" We had a walking tour of Tallinn, stopping for a multi-course meal in various locations. Beer/soda and appetizers at the top of one of the old towers, marzipan at the store that invented it, drinks at a wine cellar (which the highlight really was the story of the founder and his experiences before/during/after the Soviet occupation), soup in a Medieval cellar, lunch and dessert at an old tradehouse/grainery. Our guide was fabulous and the food was great. 90 Euro/person, including transfers to/from the pier. (It is walkable, but my parents both have bad knees.)

SPB - private tour with TJ Travel. We contacted several agencies and went with the one that was willing to modify the itinerary for our multigenerational group. We had a large van, driver, and guide. Itinerary as follows, cut and pasted from my email:
8.30-9:00am meeting your guide near your ship

9-10.15amCity tour: City tour includes driving and photo stops in the most beautiful, historical places in St Petersburg. Your guide will tell you different stories and legends about famous palaces and architectural ensembles. You will see: Nevsky prospect (the main street in St Petersburg), National Library, Kazan Cathedral, the Square of Arts, Russian Museum, Ethnographical Museum, Michael’s Castle, Summer Gardens of Peter the Great, the log cabin of Peter the Great, Aurora Battleship, the Spit of Basil Island, The State St Petersburg University, the Monument of Peter the Great, Admiralty, Theatre Square with famous Mariinsky Theatre, St Nicholas Cathedral, Church on the Spilled Blood (photostop) (I'm not sure we actually saw all those things, which is fine by me.)

10.15 am - 12.15 pm - Inside guided tour of the Hermitage( early entrance) + we can add a visit to the Knight's Room (if you have boys in your group, it will be very interesting for them )

12.30 pm - 13.30 pm - lunch (optional) (at a restaurant where you will have a chance to try Russian blini and caviar) we went to Tepemok, a Russian "McDonalds", super cheap, fun fast food for us to try.

1.30 - 2.30 pm - tour at the Cat Museum

2.45-3.15 tour of the Church on Spilt Blood (we went inside, which was amazing, many tours just stop and look from outside.)

3.30-4.00 hydfrofoil to Peterhof

4.00-5.30 pm guided tour of Peterhof gardens

6.30 pm - 7.30 pm - Stroll along Nevsky Prospect, stop for coffee and ice-cream

Our guide then got us checked into a restaurant for dinner. We ate a Teplo, a great home cooking sort of trendy place. We had a wonderful meal. The food was great and our server was a gem. We chose the restaurant from a list of recommendations from the agency and they made reservations for us. The driver sat outside the whole time, so was available as soon as we were done to bring us back to the ship. The visa issue was a non-issue and the guide met us at the door as we were leaving customs. The total price was 170 Euro/person, not including meals and tips.

Helsinki - Three of us did the DCL Reindeer tour. That was cool, just because I have a thing about reindeer. It involved driving an hour, walking about 30 minutes thru the woods, then getting to the reindeer. The local guide was an older lady with the driest personality I've ever seen, and a very monotonous voice. She was informative, if you could stay awake. Downside was we saw almost none of Helsinki. By the time we got back to the ship, going back into town would have been very tight time wise. The rest of our group did the DCL speed boat tour. From their stories, they had a great time in a "I hope I don't die, at least I have a big survival suit on" snot flying everywhere sort of way. The trip left early enough that going into Helsinki was not possible, and got back right before the ship pulled out. They also saw none of the city.

Stockholm - we all did the DCL Food Market, Old Town, and Vasa tour. We were all pretty unhappy with it. LOTS of sitting in traffic on a bus. We had less than 20 minutes at the market, and less than 30 minutes at the Vasa, before we had to be back at the ship for the next group to use the bus. The only saving grace is we got back to the ship with 4 hours left in port, so most of us went back into the old town on the free DCL shuttle.

We all decided the private tours were better. Traffic is not so much an issue because you're in a smaller car. You can change up the itinerary on the fly. You're not tied down to someone else's schedule. For what we paid, our private tour prices were comparable to DCL excursions that were shorter and had no flexibility. Stockholm, if your'e ok with walking a bit, would be easy to do on your own. All the main things to see are pretty close. Tallinn as well. For me, though, I really enjoyed the talking to the local guides. That adds another dimension to the trip, and gives me a better understanding of the country instead of just reading a walking guide.

We were lucky that we had enough in our group to get good rates on the tours, but you can get on your cruise meets and find others to do tours with you and drop the cost most likely.

That looks very good, not aware of the the Cat Museum but sounds a purrfect tour.

 

[aggiedog]

, the Cat Museum is actually a rescue/Hermitage mouser retirement home. You basically go and pet cats. Definitely for cat lovers only, but my 12 yo dd was in heaven. And my teenagers were fascinated with the sphinx (hairless) cat they had.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

, the Cat Museum is actually a rescue/Hermitage mouser retirement home. You basically go and pet cats. Definitely for cat lovers only, but my 12 yo dd was in heaven. And my teenagers were fascinated with the sphinx (hairless) cat they had.

Very nice,something different.

 

[aelliott]

We just got back from the June 13th Northern Europe cruise and it was excellent! We took our family of four (2 boys, ages 12 and 15) and did no Disney tours:

Tallinn: Tallinn Traveller Tours (http://www.traveller.ee) We did the 4 hour private biking and walking tours for $28 per person. Our guide, Heli, picked us up at the port and we walked to the bikes. Great way to cover some ground and learn about both the old city and modern Estonia.

St. Petersburg: They really try to scare you into thinking that you HAVE to book a Disney excursion in order to get off the ship in Russia. This is not true at all. You do have to arrange a tour with a reputable tour company and they have to arrange your visa for you. We got the visa paper via email and presented that at customs with no problem. You cannot go off on your own (without a guide) and you have to return by the time stated on your visa. We had used Tatiana from Russian Adventure (http://www.russianadventure.com) on a prior vacation so we were excited to see her again. We spent 11 hours with her and a driver for less that $1000. Tatiana is awesome!

Helsinki: The key thing I wish we'd known here is that there is a free shuttle bus into the city (about 15-20 min). We researched some of the key city sites online and used google maps/pdf maps to walk around on our own (Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral, train station, Rock Church, Temple of Silence, Uspenski Cathedral)

Stockholm: Again there was a free shuttle that dropped us off at the opera house, just outside of the Old Town. We arrived in time to meet up with the 10am free city tour (http://www.freetourstockholm.com) That ran about 2 hours and then we got lunch in the Old Town. Next we did a 2 hour segway tour that we had booked in advance (http://daytripstockholm.se) for $60 each. Tour takes up to 8, but there was a bit of drizzle so the other 4 cancelled and we got a private tour.

Copenhagen: No free shuttle at the end of the cruise, so we just took a cab. You can also take the #26 bus to the central rail station (on the outbound end we found that not all #26 routes take you all the way to the port--you may have to transfer to the 27). We stayed at the Andersen Boutique Hotel, rented bikes there for a ride around. Again we did a free city tour with SandemansNewEurope, wandered about on our own for a while, and then spent the evening at Tivoli Amusement Park.
Our best souvenir find was at the Disney store on the main shopping street in Copenhagen: a 9"Viking Vinylmation for only 50DKK = $7.60!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We just got back from the June 13th Northern Europe cruise and it was excellent! We took our family of four (2 boys, ages 12 and 15) and did no Disney tours:

Tallinn: Tallinn Traveller Tours (http://www.traveller.ee) We did the 4 hour private biking and walking tours for $28 per person. Our guide, Heli, picked us up at the port and we walked to the bikes. Great way to cover some ground and learn about both the old city and modern Estonia.

St. Petersburg: They really try to scare you into thinking that you HAVE to book a Disney excursion in order to get off the ship in Russia. This is not true at all. You do have to arrange a tour with a reputable tour company and they have to arrange your visa for you. We got the visa paper via email and presented that at customs with no problem. You cannot go off on your own (without a guide) and you have to return by the time stated on your visa. We had used Tatiana from Russian Adventure (http://www.russianadventure.com) on a prior vacation so we were excited to see her again. We spent 11 hours with her and a driver for less that $1000. Tatiana is awesome!

Helsinki: The key thing I wish we'd known here is that there is a free shuttle bus into the city (about 15-20 min). We researched some of the key city sites online and used google maps/pdf maps to walk around on our own (Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral, train station, Rock Church, Temple of Silence, Uspenski Cathedral)

Stockholm: Again there was a free shuttle that dropped us off at the opera house, just outside of the Old Town. We arrived in time to meet up with the 10am free city tour (http://www.freetourstockholm.com) That ran about 2 hours and then we got lunch in the Old Town. Next we did a 2 hour segway tour that we had booked in advance (http://daytripstockholm.se) for $60 each. Tour takes up to 8, but there was a bit of drizzle so the other 4 cancelled and we got a private tour.

Copenhagen: No free shuttle at the end of the cruise, so we just took a cab. You can also take the #26 bus to the central rail station (on the outbound end we found that not all #26 routes take you all the way to the port--you may have to transfer to the 27). We stayed at the Andersen Boutique Hotel, rented bikes there for a ride around. Again we did a free city tour with SandemansNewEurope, wandered about on our own for a while, and then spent the evening at Tivoli Amusement Park.
Our best souvenir find was at the Disney store on the main shopping street in Copenhagen: a 9"Viking Vinylmation for only 50DKK = $7.60!

You are correct re St P they really mislead everyone that you have to have a DCL tour even my cruise documents say it.

 

[sabrecmc]

We were on the first Northern European cruise May 30th and had a blast! I have a 9 yr old daughter, so it was me and her on the tours.

Tallinn: private tour with Estonian Experiences arranged through our FB group. We took a walking tour of Old Town, then had an archery lesson, then molded and painted our own marzipan figures at the marzipan store. Quick bus tour up the coast and then back to the ship. Awesome time!

Helsinki: another private tour with Estonian Experiences. We took a city tour on bus, then went to Unique Lapland Winter Wonderland, an indoor snow park. The kids got to play on sleds, slide down ice hills, go inside igloos and we each got a husky sled ride. Daughter said it was the best day ever!

StP: We did the DCL tour of Catherine's Palace and Peterhof with lunch in between. A hydrofoil took us back to the city after Peterhof. The tour was great, and we enjoyed both places. Lunch was actually really good. Got to try Russian champagne and vodka, borscht and other traditional dishes. It was a long day for my daughter, and I think by the end, she was tired of palaces, but our guide was great, and there was enough downtime on the bus for her to rest and watch her iPad in between tours, so it kind of broke up the day a bit.

Stockholm: DCL tour of Vasa and Royal Armory. Started with a bus tour of the city, then a little over an hour at the Vasa museum, which was really interesting. We had a quick tour of the Royal Armory with its carriages, armor and clothing, which we enjoyed, then a bit of time on our own in old town. Some chose to stay in the city and take one of the DCL shuttles back to the ship later. The Palace and Nobel Museum is right there, so you could have done those on your own. We went on back to the ship since DD wanted to play in the club.

 

[jrabbit]

Are there specific port adventures you're interested in? We're sailing a 12n Baltic, but only have one DCL excursion booked (Helsinki & Porvoo). Everything else we're doing either non-DCL tours or DIY in port. There are so many options!

we also have a 12 night Baltic and we are Opposite of You: we're doing DCL everywhere EXCEPT for Helsinki. Not that sticking with DCL for excursions is a good thing. for this cruise we felt that DCL is going to meet our needs with the excursions we have picked.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

we also have a 12 night Baltic and we are Opposite of You: we're doing DCL everywhere EXCEPT for Helsinki

I know you are very experienced, but you should look into going private in St Petersburg, see more, its more flexible not a 55 coach through border control and waiting outside sights to go in and 50% of the bus on inside seats looking out and no photos!

And my firm gave me 50% off for early booking.

 

[DahliaRW]

We didn't do the Northern European cruise, but we spent time in Stockholm before our Norway cruise. For Stockholm, IMO, the must dos are the Vasa Museum and Skansen (outdoor architectural museum). They are both located on Djurgarden and close to each other. Really, you need a full day to properly do Skansen, but a half day at each is better than nothing. Should be easy to do on your own. The restaurant located in the Vasa museum is REALLY good and is reasonable. A good spot for lunch.

If palaces are more of your thing, go out to Drottningholm. Stromma runs boats there or you can take the train. Beautiful palace and where the royal family actually lives! There is a little cafe there that was amazingly good. Their dill potatoes are one of the best foods I had on the trip. This palace is better than the other you can tour on Gamla Stan, but the palace on Gamla Stan is a good alternative if you don't want to spend time traveling. If you do that one, the royal armory is awesome and has a great place for kids to play on the 2nd floor. Don't miss the coaches if you go there as well. It's a seperate area in the armory.

 

[jrabbit]

I know you are very experienced, but you should look into going private in St Petersburg, see more, its more flexible not a 55 coach through border control and waiting outside sights to go in and 50% of the bus on inside seats looking out and no photos!

And my firm gave me 50% off for early booking.

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.