The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[OurDogCisco]

Yes, for at least an hour pre arrival and for at least an hour after departure, we sail Oslo-Fjord, spectacular views, if you have a verandah, just order room service sit and enjoy.

Or view Deck 4/9/10.

In my right hand signature/ticker, you will see in rotation a google map of Oslo and the approach.

Do you think it will matter what side of the ship you are on?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Do you think it will matter what side of the ship you are on?

Well we go up one way, and go back down the other, so my guess is if you view both times, you will see boths sides of it.

But I do not know if there is a better side.

 

[Rogillio]

I will let Mike answer, but one observation as I understand it, is the Magic will sail up. and back down the OsloFjord, so you will have a spectacular view form the ship anyway and be just repeating that in a less comfortable environment.

It says near 'City Hall' so is close as the DCL walking tour, 'walks' to that!!

The Oslo City Hop-on Hop-off Tour looks ok, with calls at the Viking museum.

Wow, that's good to know. I'm looking forward to this!

The Viking Ship, Kon Tiki Musuem and Fram Museum are all across the harbor on a pennisula. Best I can remember, maybe a mile or two across the harbor. But if you go by land, I think you have to go alll the way around and come in from the back side. There are boat "taxis" and ferries to take you across the harbor (RT) to the Pennisula. When get off the ferry, you can walk to the Vikng, Kon Tiki and Fram musuems....or they have little tourist train things if you don't like walking.

~Mike

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Wow, that's good to know. I'm looking forward to this!

The Viking Ship, Kon Tiki Musuem and Fram Museum are all across the harbor on a pennisula. Best I can remember, maybe a mile or two across the harbor. But if you go by land, I think you have to go alll the way around and come in from the back side. There are boat "taxis" and ferries to take you across the harbor (RT) to the Pennisula. When get off the ferry, you can walk to the Vikng, Kon Tiki and Fram musuems....or they have little tourist train things if you don't like walking.

~Mike

Looking at it, the tourist bus, get on get off anystop does go there, the question to me is how much of local currency do we need. There are a few ports for Euros, and I do not worry about having Euros spare we go to Europe so often.

But wouldnt want to overdo Local Kroner here, but looks like going DYI might be best.

I looked at the Maps and your directions and distance, look correct.

 

[Madisonznana]

Looking at it, the tourist bus, get on get off anystop does go there, the question to me is how much of local currency do we need. There are a few ports for Euros, and I do not worry about having Euros spare we go to Europe so often.

But wouldnt want to overdo Local Kroner here, but looks like going DYI might be best.

I looked at the Maps and your directions and distance, look correct.

I have a 2009 tour book and the on/off bus tickets say NOK 225 adult, 115 children (5-15). US $35 adult and $17 children, British pound 23, children 12.
www.citysightseeing.no You can book a ticket before we leave on the cruise.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I have a 2009 tour book and the on/off bus tickets say NOK 225 adult, 115 children (5-15). US $35 adult and $17 children, British pound 23, children 12.
www.citysightseeing.no You can book a ticket before we leave on the cruise.

Looking at that....

 

[Rogillio]

We are on the fence about Berlin, Germany. Two schools of thought:

1. By the time you spend 6 hrs on a train, there is not much time to do much in Berlin. And Berlin is really just a big city much like any other big, modern city.

or

2. It'd be a shame to be this close to a historically significant city such as Berlin and not go just becasue you didn't want to sit on a train for 6 hrs. There are other cities that are much closer that are more interesting.


So those are two point's of view we are stuggling with. We've seen both on cruise critic and other web site forums. I keep drawing the comparrison to Chivitevechia/Rome....the difference is, I knew the Collesium, St Pauls and the Vatican where there. I'm not sure what "must see" things there are in Berlin.

~Mike

 

[Rogillio]

Looking at that....

I was just looking at this....90% of the sites called out on the tour are w/i walking distance from the port. It does drive all the way around to get you across the harbor to where the Viking ship, Kon-Tiki and Fram boats/musuems are but it's pretty neat to take the ferry across too. The one thing you might get on the tour bus is a narrator. My wife reads Frommer's and find the gems and reads about them as we tour by. You can also ride the city bus for almost nothing.

~Mike

 

[NancyIL]

Oslo was the only port where we needed no local currency because the attractions we saw were covered by the Oslo Pass. (Google it as my links haven't worked well in the past.) The Pass even covered the boat to Bygdoy where several museums were located.

I regret that I paid no attention to the scenery as we sailed into any of the Baltic ports. (That is one of the advantages of having a balcony!) It wasn't until I cruised to Alaska that I spent a considerable amount of time out on deck - enjoying the views.

 

[Rogillio]

Oslo was the only port where we needed no local currency because the attractions we saw were covered by the Oslo Pass. (Google it as my links haven't worked well in the past.) The Pass even covered the boat to Bygdoy where several museums were located.

I regret that I paid no attention to the scenery as we sailed into any of the Baltic ports. (That is one of the advantages of having a balcony!) It wasn't until I cruised to Alaska that I spent a considerable amount of time out on deck - enjoying the views.

It funny becuase I love to use foreign currancy. To me, that is part of the adventure. We all try to remember the exchange rate and see who is the first one to 'convert' the local price into dollars and cents so we understand the price. And then looking at the various denominations of bills and coins is fun too. We always bring back coins and bills from various countries to keep for souvenirs.

x2 on the balcony. We will have to remember to get up early that morning and look at the fjords!

 

[NancyIL]

It funny becuase I love to use foreign currancy. To me, that is part of the adventure. We all try to remember the exchange rate and see who is the first one to 'convert' the local price into dollars and cents so we understand the price. And then looking at the various denominations of bills and coins is fun too. We always bring back coins and bills from various countries to keep for souvenirs.

x2 on the balcony. We will have to remember to get up early that morning and look at the fjords!

I don't mind using foreign currency, but I saved a lot of Norwegian Kroner by buying the Oslo Pass before I left home.

 

[RJAYL]

We are on the fence about Berlin, Germany. Two schools of thought:

1. By the time you spend 6 hrs on a train, there is not much time to do much in Berlin. And Berlin is really just a big city much like any other big, modern city.

or

2. It'd be a shame to be this close to a historically significant city such as Berlin and not go just becasue you didn't want to sit on a train for 6 hrs. There are other cities that are much closer that are more interesting.


So those are two point's of view we are stuggling with. We've seen both on cruise critic and other web site forums. I keep drawing the comparrison to Chivitevechia/Rome....the difference is, I knew the Collesium, St Pauls and the Vatican where there. I'm not sure what "must see" things there are in Berlin.

~Mike

My family is as well 3 hours each way on a train or bus and a 13 hour day!

DW likes 1/2 day shore excursions! so 13 hours is a long day definitely would have to leave youngest on ship in kids club!

 

[cindy18]

We are also really on the fence about what to do about Berlin. My husband and older daughter want to go, and my younger daughter and I don't really want to go. We've never split up before in port (apart from on Castaway Cay) but that may happen. I can't tell how interesting/charming it would be to stay in Warnemunde or otherwise visit Rostock (do I have these names right, or at least close to right?) instead.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm going to Berlin. Bringing book and Ipod for the train trip. Not sure I will ever make it back there so I'm going to go see it, even if it's just out the windows of a bus.

 

[scrapycruiser]

My thoughts on Berlin :
This is our 2nd Baltic cruise.I doubt we'll be back. Plus we're not in our 30's . Berlin played a significant role in our history...our recent history ( compared with Rome). We will have our Grandson, 15, and I'd like to take the opportunity to expose him to this important time in our past.So , for me, it's not a question of do we go to Berlin, but which tour. Yes, it's a long train ride, but so was our bus into Florence from La Spezia ( 2 hrs ) in '07. I think we slept on the way back. But I'm so glad we saw David, the Duomo, the architecture, Ponte Vecchio, the gelato .Now if we had young children, I might think differently, but if you don't have young children why pay the enormous cruise fare for the Baltic and not see the key sights. Years from now when you reflect on your trip what will you remember ?

Try to get a copy of John Lawrence's Baltic Video. He was a CD for Princess for years, and made an outstanding video that includes Berlin !!

 

[din]

I'm going to Berlin. Bringing book and Ipod for the train trip. Not sure I will ever make it back there so I'm going to go see it, even if it's just out the windows of a bus.

That is how we feel too. When we were on the Med cruise we took a private car to Florence and Pisa. Although it was along day it was great as we hit sites we wanted to see and had advanced tickets to museums.

We are looking to get a private car or tour for Berlin or use DCL tour where they drop us off in Berlin and we are thinking of using the HOHO bus.

 

[slg]

I really need to see the cost for the Berlin trips to make my mind up. While I don't want to miss an important city, I don't want to spend an outrageous amount of money on it.

I'm also curious about the closer excursions. They sound interesting too, and my kids are more interested in seeing german culture and not so pumped about the long train trip.

 

[TDC Nala]

Based on other lines, I'd expect them to run about $350- $375 per person for the full day tours. Of course I am just paying for one person, so that won't affect me as much as it would a family. There'll probably be child prices but they won't be a lot less.

 

[slg]

Eek! At that price it would be about $1875 for my family for 6 hours in Berlin.

Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. I have budgeted $6000 for all short trips and excursions for my family of 5 and I don't want to use up 1/3 of it for one trip.

I'll have to check out what the best alternative is.

 

[OurDogCisco]

Eek! At that price it would be about $1875 for my family for 6 hours in Berlin.

Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. I have budgeted $6000 for all short trips and excursions for my family of 5 and I don't want to use up 1/3 of it for one trip.

I'll have to check out what the best alternative is.

I agree with you. There is no way I'd spend that much to see Berlin either. We were looking at the train ride around the port. I was going to check out Cruise Critic to see what they have to say. I was thinking of doing the Disney tour but it is only 3 hours and then, instead of going back with the tour just take the train back later after walking around.