Northern Sights and Mickey's MAGICal Delights-1st Baltic Cruise-June 12,2010-Pt 2

[Scott H]

My wife has been looking at excursions... some of her choices surprise me....LOL.. Thought that this excursion: Berlin with concentration camp looked interesting - as we really wanted to visit a concentration camp.

Virgil

Virgil,


A trip to a concentration camp is a very very sobering somber experience, it was for me. While cycling through Europe I visited Mathausen (SP?) , an experience I will never forget. As a lifetime student of history it is a very sad event that we must/need to learn from.

 

[Scott H]

Also thinking about leftover Euros, and Pounds if we can use them to pay our ship's bill?

 

[gydell]

My wife has been looking at excursions... some of her choices surprise me....LOL.. Thought that this excursion: Berlin with concentration camp looked interesting - as we really wanted to visit a concentration camp.

Virgil

That's the one I want!

 

[WVMD]

That's the one I want!

We should talk Gydell - how many in your party? There are 3 of us. My only concern is about how much time we have in port - Going this far I feel safer doing a Disney Excursion since it makes harder for them to leave us in port... May try and see what the cost would be for a similar trip on the Berlin private car excursion by DCL...

Virgil

 

[WVMD]

Virgil,


A trip to a concentration camp is a very very sobering somber experience, it was for me. While cycling through Europe I visited Mathausen (SP?) , an experience I will never forget. As a lifetime student of history it is a very sad event that we must/need to learn from.

Scott, I'm a definite student of history. My daughter is interested and surprisingly my wife really wants to vist a concentration camp. While the camp on this tour was a minor camp I do think it is important to try and visit.

Virgil

 

[kittb]

I think we will probably do the same thing, except that
Chuck REALLY wants to go see the new ship. I think we'll do hop on hop off bus trips or walk the other cities.

Hi! How do you find out about the bus trips in advance? We did this at a few ports on the Med cruise with no trouble but now we have two children we want to do a bit more research and get a bit more out of the stops by planning some potential diy trips in advance rather than getting off the ship and keeping our fingers crossed!

We've been down to the library today to pick up some books on the countries we're going to and its SO exciting! Don't know when I'll get to read them at the moment mind you, having a new baby around and a three year old is even more time consuming than I could have imagined!

I have a few more questions I don't know if you have the answers to...? When the Disney site says something like "the tour starts with a 15 minute drive past the shipyard ...." for the start of every single tour eg in Helsinki, does this mean its a bit like the set up in Marseille for example where the cruise terminal was someway out of town but Disney ran shuttle buses to the main town even for those not on an organised excursion?

To be honest the excursions look too expensive for us, the attention span of a three year old (assuming we find excursions he'd be allowed on) is a bit hit and miss and I'd hate to spend all that money then be stuck dragging a stroppy 3 year old and a 6 month old with all her needs not enjoying it at all. So diy, decided what to do on the day is probably the way to go.

Another question that you might not have the same problem with is visas for Russia, you're covered by a group one if on an organised tour? But if you want to hop off the ship for a quick look?

Thanks!
Kit

 

[wickesy]

Another question that you might not have the same problem with is visas for Russia, you're covered by a group one if on an organised tour? But if you want to hop off the ship for a quick look?

Thanks!
Kit

If you are not doing a Disney or privately organised tour then you MUST have a visa to leave the ship.

 

[gydell]

To be honest the excursions look too expensive for us, the attention span of a three year old (assuming we find excursions he'd be allowed on) is a bit hit and miss and I'd hate to spend all that money then be stuck dragging a stroppy 3 year old and a 6 month old with all her needs not enjoying it at all. So diy, decided what to do on the day is probably the way to go.



Thanks!
Kit

I have always traveled with my grandson. I have found making a list starting with the most important thing I want to see ending with the least important thing(no more than 5 total) helps LOTS! We leave the ship and either do the hop on and off bus or a cab, seeing things until he has had enough. Then back to the ship and if time allows then we might head back out again. We usually see more than I have on the list before he's had enough. We have the same plan for this trip except for SP. We have told our tour person that we may stay shorter in some places and longer in some than they have allowed in their schedule. They seem fine with this.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

I have always traveled with my grandson. I have found making a list starting with the most important thing I want to see ending with the least important thing(no more than 5 total) helps LOTS! We leave the ship and either do the hop on and off bus or a cab, seeing things until he has had enough. Then back to the ship and if time allows then we might head back out again. We usually see more than I have on the list before he's had enough. We have the same plan for this trip except for SP. We have told our tour person that we may stay shorter in some places and longer in some than they have allowed in their schedule. They seem fine with this.

This is a fabulous plan! I am going to do this too.

 

[WeLoveABD]

Hello all! I'm new to this thread--we are on the June 12 Baltic. Frustrated by no start times for the excursions as that will make a big difference in our planning. But...we are very interested in a private tour in St. P, including hooking up with other families to lower the cost.

Our DS is 16, our DD is 9--and we are in San Diego. Still looking for cheap flights (I don't think they exist anymore!)--we are staying two pre-nights in London at one of the hotels Disney uses, and plan to use their transportation to Dover to avoid the hassles of lugging bags around on public transport etc. Guess I'm more and more about convenience and comfort!

I need to catch up so will look back at the many pages of this thread!

(Background: 4 prior cruises with Disney, so we don't get to book early-- We were on the med cruise in 2007, the West Coast one in 2005, the first Western Caribbean and one of the 4 day ones; we really really like Adventures by Disney trips, hence our moniker--have done four of those to date. I grew up in LA, so have averaged Disneyland trips about 2x a year; WDW about 5 times--looking forward to going back to WDW soon. Enough said!)

 

[cquick]

Hi! How do you find out about the bus trips in advance?

I have a few more questions I don't know if you have the answers to...? When the Disney site says something like "the tour starts with a 15 minute drive past the shipyard ...." for the start of every single tour eg in Helsinki, does this mean its a bit like the set up in Marseille for example where the cruise terminal was someway out of town but Disney ran shuttle buses to the main town even for those not on an organised excursion?

Another question that you might not have the same problem with is visas for Russia, you're covered by a group one if on an organised tour? But if you want to hop off the ship for a quick look?

Thanks!
Kit

OK< for the last answer first......I don't know...going to Russia will be a whole new experience for us..but I amsure someone else can answer.

for the question about doing things on your own. I would say with 2 small children, you are much better off either going on your own in a taxi with a list of places you would like to see (IF IT WORKS OUT WITH the BABY). If you have your own driver, you can go back to the ship if necessary. I am sure you've been to London and maybe gone on the hop on hop off tourist busses....I think that's a great option. We do that in any city that has one. New York, San Francisco, York, Bath, Stratford, Chester, London, Cadiz. You can see so much that way.

I also don't know what they mean by a drive past the shipyard?

Connie

 

[cquick]

Well, it looks like we are going for sure!!!! Booked airline today!

HURRAY!!!!!​

I wanted to do this a few months ago, but Chuck was dragging his feet on the number of days....so now we are locked into leaving on Wed, June 9 (arr. june 10) and returning the day after we dock....June 25. That will give us an extra day in Dover.....

 

[epcotrulz]

just joining -- our party includes me, my partner, his sister and parents

 

[cquick]

just joining -- our party includes me, my partner, his sister and parents

WELCOME TO THE GROUP

 

[carolmb]

Hello all! I'm new to this thread--we are on the June 12 Baltic. Frustrated by no start times for the excursions as that will make a big difference in our planning. But...we are very interested in a private tour in St. P, including hooking up with other families to lower the cost.

Our DS is 16, our DD is 9--and we are in San Diego. Still looking for cheap flights (I don't think they exist anymore!)--we are staying two pre-nights in London at one of the hotels Disney uses, and plan to use their transportation to Dover to avoid the hassles of lugging bags around on public transport etc. Guess I'm more and more about convenience and comfort!

I need to catch up so will look back at the many pages of this thread!

(Background: 4 prior cruises with Disney, so we don't get to book early-- We were on the med cruise in 2007, the West Coast one in 2005, the first Western Caribbean and one of the 4 day ones; we really really like Adventures by Disney trips, hence our moniker--have done four of those to date. I grew up in LA, so have averaged Disneyland trips about 2x a year; WDW about 5 times--looking forward to going back to WDW soon. Enough said!)

Hi Welcome Aboard,
We are booked with http://www.spb-tours.com for St. Petersburg and Berlin. We have already joined another family for Berlin but would like to share our tour for St. Petersburg. If you are interested you can PM me. We are a family of 4 with DS 11 almost 12 and DD 9. We arrive in London on June 8th. We are staying at the London Hilton Docklands. It is a little off of the beaten path but we are using reward points to stay there. It looks like we have done some of the same cruises. We did the Med cruise in 2007 and the West Coast one in 2005.

 

[rotary2808]

Hello all! I'm new to this thread--we are on the June 12 Baltic. Frustrated by no start times for the excursions as that will make a big difference in our planning. But...we are very interested in a private tour in St. P, including hooking up with other families to lower the cost.

Our DS is 16, our DD is 9--and we are in San Diego. Still looking for cheap flights (I don't think they exist anymore!)--we are staying two pre-nights in London at one of the hotels Disney uses, and plan to use their transportation to Dover to avoid the hassles of lugging bags around on public transport etc. Guess I'm more and more about convenience and comfort!

I need to catch up so will look back at the many pages of this thread!

(Background: 4 prior cruises with Disney, so we don't get to book early-- We were on the med cruise in 2007, the West Coast one in 2005, the first Western Caribbean and one of the 4 day ones; we really really like Adventures by Disney trips, hence our moniker--have done four of those to date. I grew up in LA, so have averaged Disneyland trips about 2x a year; WDW about 5 times--looking forward to going back to WDW soon. Enough said!)

just joining -- our party includes me, my partner, his sister and parents

Welcome to all our new cruisers!!!!

 

[gydell]

Welcome to the new cruisers!!!

Connie you know you would have been on the ship even if you had to swim!

 

[Scott H]

Looks like we can save a bundle with the Hop on Hop Off busses.

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

Welcome everyone!!

If you would like to be added to the roster can e-mail me at magicalbalticcruise@yahoo.com

You can include as much or as little information as you would like. You can also a include a photo at the e-mail address.

DIS board name
First Name - Relationship - and age or something close to the age ) for all of those in the cabin
Hometown
Stateroom number
Dining
You may include a photo if you would like

You can view the list by clicking on the link in my signature


Debbie

 

[kittb]

hello to the new posters
And thanks for the suggestions for making the most of the trip with the two little ones, will definitely look into the buses and try to make short lists of priorities too.
Kit