The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[Andrew DEREK UK]

DCL SHORE TRIPS

I have noticed this a bit, but would like to bring it to everyone's notice, keeping looking at the DCL online shore trips as they do change.

I took screen prints of my favorites when they went up, a few have been added but there are slight tweaks at times.

An Example Oslo Hadeland Glass works was a 90 min return coach trip through Norwegian landscape , now its:-


After approximately 1-hour drive through the Norwegian landscape, reach the Holmenkollen Viewpoint. Admire the view over Oslo, the fjord and the breathtaking surroundings. You will also have a sneak peak of the brand new ski jump which is built for the 2011 World Cup.
Return to the ship, after your visit to Holmenkollen.

 

[cindy18]

Andrew, just wanted to say that we have adopted your suggested approach to Berlin (after a lengthy family meeting over dinner last night). We are going to take the Disney train into Berlin and then spend the day with a tour guide seeing the things that are important to us, then returning for the train ride home. DH agreed with you that the train would be better for a lot of reasons, even though it makes the day much more expensive. The German tour company we found has been very responsive and even flexible on price, so we're very pleased. Thanks!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Andrew, just wanted to say that we have adopted your suggested approach to Berlin (after a lengthy family meeting over dinner last night). We are going to take the Disney train into Berlin and then spend the day with a tour guide seeing the things that are important to us, then returning for the train ride home. DH agreed with you that the train would be better for a lot of reasons, even though it makes the day much more expensive. The German tour company we found has been very responsive and even flexible on price, so we're very pleased. Thanks!

Great, I know my kids couldn't take more than about one hour in a car/van on a motorway, We had a couple of long ones in the Med Rome was 1hr 15, just ok, Florence was a long one getting there, but broken up on the way back, the 'are we there yet?' frustration.

Going by car the first thing would be restroom and stretch legs, whereas train you can walk about stretch, go to the restroom, and have a snack, and hit Berlin running.

 

[MrsScooby]

Andrew, just wanted to say that we have adopted your suggested approach to Berlin (after a lengthy family meeting over dinner last night). We are going to take the Disney train into Berlin and then spend the day with a tour guide seeing the things that are important to us, then returning for the train ride home. DH agreed with you that the train would be better for a lot of reasons, even though it makes the day much more expensive. The German tour company we found has been very responsive and even flexible on price, so we're very pleased. Thanks!

Which Berlin tour company?

 

[cindy18]

Humboldt Tours. I found out about them on Cruise Critic, did some searching, looked at other companies and just found them the most agreeable and responsive. I think the all-in cost will be about the same as if the four of us did one of the mid-range Disney tours, which sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[cindy18]

Great, I know my kids couldn't take more than about one hour in a car/van on a motorway, We had a couple of long ones in the Med Rome was 1hr 15, just ok, Florence was a long one getting there, but broken up on the way back, the 'are we there yet?' frustration.

Going by car the first thing would be restroom and stretch legs, whereas train you can walk about stretch, go to the restroom, and have a snack, and hit Berlin running.

Also, when we realized that Disney needed to be chartering its own train, the whole thing made a lot more sense. But yes, the train will certainly be the most civilized approach, and hopefully there will be napping...

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Also, when we realized that Disney needed to be chartering its own train, the whole thing made a lot more sense. But yes, the train will certainly be the most civilized approach, and hopefully there will be napping...

If it is a chartered train me might see a German Mickey en route to keep the kids happy!!!!!!

 

[cindy18]

Can you just imagine!!!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Can you just imagine!!!!

Mickey in Lederhosen

 

[Arizona Rita]

He would wear those when he would climb the Matterhorn!

 

[sbell111]

Also, when we realized that Disney needed to be chartering its own train, the whole thing made a lot more sense. But yes, the train will certainly be the most civilized approach, and hopefully there will be napping...

Has there been confirmation that the transport will, indeed, be made by train? The description for the Berlin On Your Own excursion states "bus or train ride".

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Has there been confirmation that the transport will, indeed, be made by train? The description for the Berlin On Your Own excursion states "bus or train ride".

Yes, you have to read these fully, some are train only, some are bus or train presume there is limited seats, although a post said they can add a carriage or two.

 

[cindy18]

You know I had not noticed that, and it's a little unnerving. The Berlin on your own and the Berlin tour where the afternoon is free both say train or bus, the others say train, and almost all of them talk about how limited or extremely limited the tour is. That makes little sense. The general feeling I got from Cruise Critic is that on average about half the passengers on a cruise ship who dock in Warnemunde travel to Berlin. If half or even close to half of the Disney Magic passengers want to go to Berlin, how can these tours be extremely limited?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

You know I had not noticed that, and it's a little unnerving. The Berlin on your own and the Berlin tour where the afternoon is free both say train or bus, the others say train, and almost all of them talk about how limited or extremely limited the tour is. That makes little sense. The general feeling I got from Cruise Critic is that on average about half the passengers on a cruise ship who dock in Warnemunde travel to Berlin. If half or even close to half of the Disney Magic passengers want to go to Berlin, how can these tours be extremely limited?

This is on all DCL shore trips; and all cruiselines, basically to encourage early booking, however we do not know numbers therefore have to go along with it. I know in the Med in 07, some trips did sell out, at the 90 day mark at 00.00.

I understand that DCL monitor who puts shore trips into 'my saved activities', and from that 'pool' tries to match availability.

But some things like Horeback riding, in Copenhagen, will be limited,

 

[cindy18]

So in other words they say things are limited to encourage early booking but that may or may not be the case? I think it is reasonable to assume that many many passengers will want to go to Berlin. A bus ride into Berlin, frankly, is much less attractive than a train ride, especially for $200 per person.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

So in other words they say things are limited to encourage early booking but that may or may not be the case? I think it is reasonable to assume that many many passengers will want to go to Berlin. A bus ride into Berlin, frankly, is much less attractive than a train ride, especially for $200 per person.

Yes, on Princess cruises they said exactly the same thnig to hype thnigs up, now we know that in the Carribean, anything with Dolphins and Animals will sell out, but there is normally availability on all other trips. But the Baltic is new, only four trips so no track record, so they can whip it up.

The Med 07, had a very high take up of trips, you saw so many coaches at each port, (and DCL made a mint on commission for selling these), so the morale, is we will have to book early...

 

[cindy18]

Yes, on Princess cruises they said exactly the same thnig to hype thnigs up, now we know that in the Carribean, anything with Dolphins and Animals will sell out, but there is normally availability on all other trips. But the Baltic is new, only four trips so no track record, so they can whip it up.

The Med 07, had a very high take up of trips, you saw so many coaches at each port, (and DCL made a mint on commission for selling these), so the morale, is we will have to book early...

I must be missing something though: suppose 1,000 passengers want to go to Berlin? That's not out of the question, and I'm sure Disney did research on port excursion patterns on other cruise lines that stop in Warnemunde. How can it be other than that Disney has planned a train? Do you supposed the train seats are first for the more expensive tours, and if there are any train seats left over, the people who booked the cheaper tours (like Berlin On Your Own) will get them, and if not, they'll have a bus?

 

[sbell111]

Well, it also states 'bus or train' a few times and never states 'train or bus'. This would suggest to me that 'bus' is actually slightly more likely than 'train'. Also, it should be noted that adding additional passengers to bus transportation would be as simple as hiring an additional bus. Adding to a train gets more complicated (and spendy, I bet).

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I must be missing something though: suppose 1,000 passengers want to go to Berlin? That's not out of the question, and I'm sure Disney did research on port excursion patterns on other cruise lines that stop in Warnemunde. How can it be other than that Disney has planned a train? Do you supposed the train seats are first for the more expensive tours, and if there are any train seats left over, the people who booked the cheaper tours (like Berlin On Your Own) will get them, and if not, they'll have a bus?

This is one of the reasons why DCL and other cruise lines hand it all over to local tour operators, and these, generally apart from DCL characters are all exactly the same.

The tour operators, know what an statistically average cruise ship books, and will plan to that, they can add a coach or tow or three, or drop one, they can add cars to the train.

But there is a limit, and as the Magic will have a higher percentage of USA travellers on it, they will I think book more shore trips, 1/ The Med proved this, I went private as I am European, but 2/ People from say London, can get to Berlin quicker and cheaper by plane, than from the port. So Europeans would be less inclined to book Berlin, but people from USA, more inclined as they cant go there for a weekend.

The local tour operator, has the hassle, DCL gets circa 12.5% commission without the worries.

 

[sbell111]

The Med 07, had a very high take up of trips, you saw so many coaches at each port, (and DCL made a mint on commission for selling these), so the morale, is we will have to book early...

Several excursions also filled up on the Med cruise.

My wife and I booked very late and missed out on a few that we were really interested in.