The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[cindy18]

Isnt there a Berlin on yuor own option which does just that???

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/c...rsions/warnemunde-germany/berlin-on-your-own/

Well, I guess the answer is yes, it does, except that simply that tour (meaning really just the round-trip train fare) is almost exactly the same price as having SPB Tours do everything for me. I guess I could ask what it would cost to have the private tour if they meet us at the train station in Berlin and drop us off there instead. We would want a guide in Berlin.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Well, I guess the answer is yes, it does, except that simply that tour (meaning really just the round-trip train fare) is almost exactly the same price as having SPB Tours do everything for me. I guess I could ask what it would cost to have the private tour if they meet us at the train station in Berlin and drop us off there instead. We would want a guide in Berlin.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Well, I guess the answer is yes, it does, except that simply that tour (meaning really just the round-trip train fare) is almost exactly the same price as having SPB Tours do everything for me. I guess I could ask what it would cost to have the private tour if they meet us at the train station in Berlin and drop us off there instead. We would want a guide in Berlin.

I had thought about this option myself. I'd love to hear what you find out. And how much more the train would cost.

 

[slg]

Andrew Derek:

Are you saying that if I get back to the bus on time, but somehow the bus itself doesn't get to the train on time for any number of reasons, that the individual is responsible for paying the cost of getting back to the dock on time?

That is very worrisome if correct. I thought that one of the advantages of a DCL excursion was that they were guaranteed to take care of you and that the boat itself would wait if there was a delay with a DCL excursion. Certainly that has been what I have understood from previous posts on this matter.

Does anyone know the guidelines around this?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Andrew Derek:

Are you saying that if I get back to the bus on time, but somehow the bus itself doesn't get to the train on time for any number of reasons, that the individual is responsible for paying the cost of getting back to the dock on time?

That is very worrisome if correct. I thought that one of the advantages of a DCL excursion was that they were guaranteed to take care of you and that the boat itself would wait if there was a delay with a DCL excursion. Certainly that has been what I have understood from previous posts on this matter.

Does anyone know the guidelines around this?

Well yes,,, but also they know what they are doing, and will coordinate and do everything possible to get back to the train on time, in fact bet they all have a margin built in for 15/30 mins.

But if a bus is late, the train will have to go, if maybe 6 buses are late then they might be able to hold the train, but they know what they are doing.

But if 1/2 people are late back at a pick up, the bus will go, and not wait, to ensure it gets to the train...

 

[slg]

I understand that the train would go,but I would have thought that the company would pay for us to get back to the port by some other means, and that the individual wouldn't have to shell out more money.

We have paid for a service, for example, to Berlin and back, and whether or not we miss the train for unforeseen reasons, then they should pay for the alternate method.

I would find it very strange to pay $400 for an excursion, and then have to pay another $200 to get back to the boat if there was a traffic jam!

 

[sbell111]

It might be important to remember that these tours are not actually run by Disney. While I assume that Disney would try to make sure that things are made right by you in this instance, it's not as if they can magically get you from Berlin to the ship if the train is missed.

Come to think of it, it's actually somewhat likely that this is one of those things that would fall on your travel insurance to get resolved.

 

[sbell111]

Well yes,,, but also they know what they are doing, and will coordinate and do everything possible to get back to the train on time, in fact bet they all have a margin built in for 15/30 mins.

But if a bus is late, the train will have to go, if maybe 6 buses are late then they might be able to hold the train, but they know what they are doing.

But if 1/2 people are late back at a pick up, the bus will go, and not wait, to ensure it gets to the train...

I seriously doubt that the train could be held, no matter how many passengers were late.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I seriously doubt that the train could be held, no matter how many passengers were late.

You might be right, I was posting that as an extreme case, if six odd buses were late the the local tour operator might have influence, but as you say not guaranteed in any way.

 

[cindy18]

I had thought about this option myself. I'd love to hear what you find out. And how much more the train would cost.

I actually just tried to figure out how much the train would cost on your own. It's hard because you can't buy tickets until 3 months out. The train times also don't look ideal from Warnemunde to Berlin, so I can't figure out which trains Disney is planning on using. From comments on the Internet, it looks like straight 2nd class train tickets are a minimum $100 pp. Disney's "on your own" charges $199. The quote for the basic Berlin tour, including the round-trip travel in a car, was $210 pp for 4 people.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Regardless of who is responsible for paying for what, why take a chance on being inconvenienced, not to mention the stress !!

We have always taken private tours in Europe and Asia but not this time. I don't want to miss a day at sea or have to worry about entering Russia on my own .

 

[scrapycruiser]

I actually just tried to figure out how much the train would cost on your own. It's hard because you can't buy tickets until 3 months out. The train times also don't look deal from Warnemunde to Berlin, so I can't figure out which trains Disney is planning on using. From comments on the Internet, it looks like straight 2nd class train tickets are a minimum $100 pp. Disney's "on your own" charges $199. The quote for the basic Berlin tour, including the round-trip travel in a car, was $210 pp for 4 people.

Thanks, that's something to consider

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I actually just tried to figure out how much the train would cost on your own. It's hard because you can't buy tickets until 3 months out. The train times also don't look deal from Warnemunde to Berlin, so I can't figure out which trains Disney is planning on using. From comments on the Internet, it looks like straight 2nd class train tickets are a minimum $100 pp. Disney's "on your own" charges $199. The quote for the basic Berlin tour, including the round-trip travel in a car, was $210 pp for 4 people.

I think its the 07:53 from Port arrival 11.15am, I did post the return before, think its 16.30 16.40 ish, back for 7.30pm 7.50pm?

 

[cindy18]

I think its the 07:53 from Port arrival 11.15am, I did post the return before, think its 16.30 16.40 ish, back for 7.30pm 7.50pm?

I saw that departure from port, but not the departure from Berlin. Maybe I set up the search wrong?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I saw that departure from port, but not the departure from Berlin. Maybe I set up the search wrong?

Not sure, I got the information from another source, I did post the return time on this thread about a week ago, but work on 16.30, dont want to miss it!!! (think its 16.40)

 

[cindy18]

Not sure, I got the information from another source, I did post the return time on this thread about a week ago, but work on 16.30, dont want to miss it!!! (think its 16.40)

Sorry I missed your quote from before. I may have not been focusing on Berlin then! I've really changed my whole thinking about what port excursions to do since they posted the excursions and the prices.

 

[MrsScooby]

This is what I got from BerlinWalks tours. The prices are last year's though. I got the impression they handle cruise passengers regularly. I'm not worried about us being where we need to be, it is the chance of the bus breaking down on the way home that concerns me But this is a reputable tour company and that combined with our trip insurance gives me a reasonable feeling of security.

We would collect you from the dock at Warnemuende and drive you to Berlin
(this requires between 2 1/2 and 3 hours each way). We'll use an
air-conditioned (mini)bus. On arrival, our guide (a fluent English speaker
and experienced guide) would join you and spend the next 6 hours in your
company.

We would basically cover the following highlights on a combination walking
and motorized tour, but would be happy to tailor the tour to your interests
as well. Our guides are really flexible and will do their best to adjust the
tour according to your interests (time permitting).

And these are some of the sights we would cover:
Charlottenburg Palace
The Memorial Church
Brandenburg Gate / Reichstag
The Berlin Wall / The "Deathstrip"
Checkpoint Charlie
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) Pariser Platz
(and site of new American Embassy) Museum Island (incl. Pergamon Museum) and
Pleasure Garden (Lustgarten) Potsdamer Platz Topography of Terror: Site of
SS and Gestapo HQs Palace Square (Schlossplatz) Unter den Linden: Royal
Armoury (Zeughaus), Russian Embassy, War Memorial (Neue Wache), Berlin
Cathedral, Humboldt University, Bebelplatz (scene of the Nazi Bookburning)

It would be a pleasure to book you in at Vau's for lunch of course.

Our driver would take you back to the dock in Warnemuende in good time for
the departure of the ship.
I am afraid we cannot give you a guarantee like the tours from the cruise
company can for being back on time, but we can assure you that we always
leave Berlin with plenty of time to spare to get you back to the ship at
least one hour before departure time. The driver will monitor traffic
conditions throughout the day to make sure there will be no major
disruptions on the Autobahn for the way back to Warnemuende (which there
hardly ever are).

As this is quite an early request I am afraid I can only give you the
current prices which we might have to adjust for 2010 later this year.
The price for this programme including the transfer from and to Warnemuende
and 6 hours with an Original Berlin Walks guide for a group of 4 people
would be Euro 790.00. This price includes local sales tax (MwSt) at 19% but
does not include lunch, drinks or admission to synagogues or museums (allow
Euro 8/head to cover admission to the Pergamon for example).
The price for a full minibus, i.e. 7 people would be Euro 940.00 For 7-15
people we would charge Euro 1300.00; for 16-25 people Euro 1600.00.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Sorry I missed your quote from before. I may have not been focusing on Berlin then! I've really changed my whole thinking about what port excursions to do since they posted the excursions and the prices.

Yes the same occurred in the Med in 2007, I booked five private tours in seven ports and when the DCL prices came out, I was so pleased I didn't that, my private tours worked out cheaper, I could direct where we went and for how long, ie no tourist rip off shops, and a traditional Pizza, in Sorrento, not a tourist place.

DCLs prices are high but not as high as expected for the Baltic, they actually compare reasonably well with other cruise lines, in fact my prediction on DCL prices based on other lines was 99% accurate.

The difference here is apart from Berlin and St Petes you can go DIY as the main sightseeing is within a walking or taxi ride from each port, so you can save a lot of money and go it alone! The Med most things like Rome, Florence, Pisa, were a long trek and there wasn't a good alternative.

 

[cindy18]

Thanks Laurie. That quote is very comparable to what SPB Tours quoted me. I think the trains are fairly expensive. Andrew, I tried again, and I think I found the trains you were talking about. The prices aren't up for June yet, but I priced it for a Monday (the day my cruise will be there) in April, and for the four of us, it was over $600 round-trip...

 

[cindy18]

Yes the same occurred in the Med in 2007, I booked five private tours in seven ports and when the DCL prices came out, I was so pleased I didn't that, my private tours worked out cheaper, I could direct where we went and for how long, ie no tourist rip off shops, and a traditional Pizza, in Sorrento, not a tourist place.

DCLs prices are high but not as high as expected for the Baltic, they actually compare reasonably well with other cruise lines, in fact my prediction on DCL prices based on other lines was 99% accurate.

The difference here is apart from Berlin and St Petes you can go DIY as the main sightseeing is within a walking or taxi ride from each port, so you can save a lot of money and go it alone! The Med most things like Rome, Florence, Pisa, were a long trek and there wasn't a good alternative.

You're right about going into the ports alone, apart from Berlin and St. Petes. That's going to save a lot of money. Maybe it is worth it to take the train to Berlin on Disney's watch and then meet the tour guide there. It will certainly be more expensive than using the tour guide only, but I guess that cost buys some peace of mind.