The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[slg]

Gydell:

Is this the company you have booked with?
http://www.silverlinetravel.co.uk/
If your hotel is recommending them, then I feel much more comfortable booking with them.

I just don't want to show up at the airport and not have someone there waiting for me!

Since you are first, I guess you can let me know how it went!

 

[gydell]

Gydell:

Is this the company you have booked with?
http://www.silverlinetravel.co.uk/
If your hotel is recommending them, then I feel much more comfortable booking with them.

I just don't want to show up at the airport and not have someone there waiting for me!

Since you are first, I guess you can let me know how it went!

That's them! They are picking up 2 of us at Heathrow and then coming into London to get the other 3 of us and then to Dover. And back after the cruise. If they don't show then you will hear me yelling from London!!!

 

[MJGirl]

That's them! They are picking up 2 of us at Heathrow and then coming into London to get the other 3 of us and then to Dover. And back after the cruise. If they don't show then you will hear me yelling from London!!!

Hi Gydell.. I just checked them out, and is the price listed per person or per car?

 

[slg]

They wouldn't price london to gatwick as they said I would get a better price with another company.

I think 105 is a great price...other quotes I've received are 195 and 180, and they require a credit card! I've emailed him back double checking that that price in inclusive. I haven't heard back yet!

Unless someone knows something I should know (and Gydell too), then I think I'm going to go with Silverline from Gatwick to Dover. I still have to find someone from London to Gatwick, but somehow that seems so much easier!


"Hi,

The cost would be - Gatwick to Dover - £105.00.
Parkwood Hotel to Gatwick - They would do better to use a Taxi organised
by the Hotel - we are based quite a long way away from London.

Payment would be in cash

Many thanks

--
Kind regards,

John Somer
(Silverline Travel)"

 

[MJGirl]

Thanks for the update.. They said pay in cash? Does that mean you don't have to give them a credit card to hold the reservation? I was looking at the bus and train, and it is looking like about 85 pounds. For that little extra, it would be worth it. ETA ... Sent in a request for a quote. We'll see what they say?

 

[slg]

It seems to me that you just make a reservation and then pay at the end of the trip.

If I get any different information, I'll post it.

If 105 is inclusive and even if I tip 15 pounds on top of that, its still a great price.

Bus and train seem to take quite a long time from Gatwick to Dover. Its much simpler from heathrow.

 

[Madisonznana]

just read this over on MousePlanet . . .

"The Disney Cruise Line will not offer fireworks for the Pirates IN the Caribbean deck party during the 2010 Northern European Cruises"

anyone else heard this?? hopefully one of the ports will shoot off some fireworks for us like they did in Marseilles for the inagural Med??

This is very disappointing. My dgd was so looking forward to the fireworks. On our last cruise she was 5 and she enjoyed them from the balcony with a Mickey Bar!!!!

 

[jilljill]

just read this over on MousePlanet . . .

"The Disney Cruise Line will not offer fireworks for the Pirates IN the Caribbean deck party during the 2010 Northern European Cruises"

anyone else heard this?? hopefully one of the ports will shoot off some fireworks for us like they did in Marseilles for the inagural Med??

The 2nd Baltic cruise will have a day at sea on the 4th of July, and I had assumed (and hoped) we'd get fireworks then...

This was posted on here earlier today.
It makes sense since it doesn't get really dark until very late. I have sunset pics in StP that were taken just before 11pm, that was the middle of July.
As our last cruise was leaving Warnemunde, they shot off fireworks for us, but we had an 11pm departure and it was dark enough for them.

 

[Madisonznana]

This was posted on here earlier today.
It makes sense since it doesn't get really dark until very late. I have sunset pics in StP that were taken just before 11pm, that was the middle of July.
As our last cruise was leaving Warnemunde, they shot off fireworks for us, but we had an 11pm departure and it was dark enough for them.

I forgot about it getting dark so late.

 

[denise]

I have written two companies for St. Petersburg tours, Red Dragon and Anastasia. Asked both the same questions. Two different answers. Like Red Dragon the best. They listed everything and more that I requested. Anastasia left some of my requests off and added others.
Is there a 3rd company anyone recommends?
I sure wish Disney would list the times...

 

[woody73]

For the exciting part of our morning, we did laundry on the ship.

LOL!

Woody

 

[gydell]

Hi Gydell.. I just checked them out, and is the price listed per person or per car?

It's for the car. My understanding is that I can charge the transfers but not until after the trip is completed. 3 of us are already going to be in London so they said they would come into London to get us after picking up at the airport. We also have a van.

 

[cindy18]

I have written two companies for St. Petersburg tours, Red Dragon and Anastasia. Asked both the same questions. Two different answers. Like Red Dragon the best. They listed everything and more that I requested. Anastasia left some of my requests off and added others.
Is there a 3rd company anyone recommends?
I sure wish Disney would list the times...

There are a few other companies that are well recommended. I emailed four and got four very different feeling responses. Prices were within a range of each other but also different. We're deciding between two right now. DenRus is one popular large company you did not mention. We're focusing on slightly smaller companies, SPB (spb-tours.com) and a company run by a woman named Masha who still works with the big companies but has been so popular and so requested that she also does tours on her own, using the big company resources (guide-spb-ru.com). She came particularly highly recommended. Hope that helps.

 

[missy4414]

We're going on the first Baltic cruise, leaving Dover on June 12th. I've seen the temp chart from the Magical Baltic folks: http://www.wideopenwest.com/~epcotkilterfan/MagicalBaltic/2010%20Baltic%20Cruise%20Temperatures.pdf.

But I'm trying to wrap my head around what that means we should pack to wear depending on the varying weather. It sounds like this may not be shorts weather. But I'm also trying to gauge if we should bring: windbreakers, rain jackets, fleece jackets, warmer jackets with mittens or ALL of those.

So if anyone has been on a Baltic cruise in mid-to-late June before, please let me know if my assumptions are correct.

 

[missy4414]

I'm just curious. Is anyone planning to go on the shore excursion--the Royal Ball at St. Catherine's Palace? It seems very expensive but I wonder if it's worth it. We don't have children but it sounds so wonderful. But I'm curious if many people will decide it's worth the expense.

 

[gydell]

I'm just curious. Is anyone planning to go on the shore excursion--the Royal Ball at St. Catherine's Palace? It seems very expensive but I wonder if it's worth it. We don't have children but it sounds so wonderful. But I'm curious if many people will decide it's worth the expense.

Too much $$$ for our family of 5!

 

[mardonna]

I was wondering what is the draw for this excursion.....I did see mention of Romanovs portraits.....is this something not on normal tour?

 

[Celestine]

I'm just curious. Is anyone planning to go on the shore excursion--the Royal Ball at St. Catherine's Palace? It seems very expensive but I wonder if it's worth it. We don't have children but it sounds so wonderful. But I'm curious if many people will decide it's worth the expense.

I have no desire for the 2nd mortgage that trip would cost us! As eldest DD is 10, that would be 3 adults & 1 child - exclusive yes, worth the money - probably not

Celestine

 

[goingsouth]

I'm just curious. Is anyone planning to go on the shore excursion--the Royal Ball at St. Catherine's Palace? It seems very expensive but I wonder if it's worth it. We don't have children but it sounds so wonderful. But I'm curious if many people will decide it's worth the expense.

I'd love to go. It sounds wonderful. It's just too much for such a limited period of time.

 

[Madisonznana]

I'm just curious. Is anyone planning to go on the shore excursion--the Royal Ball at St. Catherine's Palace? It seems very expensive but I wonder if it's worth it. We don't have children but it sounds so wonderful. But I'm curious if many people will decide it's worth the expense.

I was so looking forward to this, but the price is way overboard for 4 hours and not even any food. MY dh couldn't speak for a few minutes when I told him the price!