The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[Andrew DEREK UK]

How is it with luggage for 5 people? I suspect we will have at least 5 pieces as we are going to be gone a total of one month?

Is it easy to catch from the airport?

From Airport to London.

For all of course the more luggage you have the more difficult it will be.

TRAIN Has a lot of space, the Heathrow Express is designed for it, but, of course have to swap to Tube.

TUBE Piccadilly line, less space than above, but has luggage area at the double doors of each carriage, issue you have to go up/down escalators.

COACH Has a luggage area under the coach, easy to put on and off, but if a lot of people have luggage space can get limited.

BLACK CAB Limited, so far a family you will need two.

PRIVATE TRANSFERS You advise them book accordingly, its the best for convenience.

 

[slg]

I was just checking prices and found that flights to Gatwick are significantly cheaper. How much more complicated is it to get to Dover from Gatwick? Or to get to Gatwick from London (we will be staying in the Marble Arch area)

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I was just checking prices and found that flights to Gatwick are significantly cheaper. How much more complicated is it to get to Dover from Gatwick? Or to get to Gatwick from London (we will be staying in the Marble Arch area)

Gatwick from Marble Arch.

Option A: Tube/Train

Central Line Tube to Oxford Circus;2 stops: Victoria line to Victoira; 2 stops, Go up to Mainline, Gatwick express or Southern services to Gatwick.

Option B Taxi/Train Taxi to Victoria, (Short, nice ride, down Park Lane around Buckingham house). Then as above.

Dover from Gatwick

Option A

Gatwick> Victoria; Victoria > Dover Priory,
Leg 1 20 mins on fast train, Leg 2 just over an hour.

Option B

Gatwick > London bridge: London Bridge> Dover priory.
Leg 1 17 mins on fast train, Leg 2 just over an hour.

 

[slg]

Thanks Andrew. I also checked around for some airport transfers and found a quote of 117 pounds for my family of 5. Its cheaper to get to Dover from Gatwick! I might just book a private transfer and go in style.

Of course booking on line with company I have never heard of kind of worries me. Has anyone heard of AIRPORT PICKUPS london? It only takes about 90 minutes from Gatwick and that is very appealing!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks Andrew. I also checked around for some airport transfers and found a quote of 117 pounds for my family of 5. Its cheaper to get to Dover from Gatwick! I might just book a private transfer and go in style.

Of course booking on line with company I have never heard of kind of worries me. Has anyone heard of AIRPORT PICKUPS London? It only takes about 90 minutes from Gatwick and that is very appealing!

Yes for private transfers I would expect it to be less, as its shorter, and more direct; Gatwick M23/M25/M20 there, all motorways ( freeways) all the way.

Heathrow is further West of London (Gatwick South), more congestion, further around M25, ie say drive 50% of the circle of the orbital motorway, against Gatwick say 20% of the orbital motorway.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Can you use your London Pass/Travel card for transportation into London,specifically Renassiance Chancery Court from Heathrow ?

 

[jilljill]

So far this is the only info on an excursion that I've seen officially released by DCL:

Disney Cruise Line announced it had arranged exclusive access to the famed Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia to hold a series of Royal Balls for passengers on upcoming Disney Cruise Line voyages. The private functions at the historic summer residence of Russia's imperial family and will include live musicians and "royal courtiers" in period costumes and powdered wigs who will lead passengers in song and dance. Cinderella, Snow White and Belle will arrive at the palace by horse-drawn carriage. The exclusive-to-Disney offering is just one of several unusual family-friendly shore excursions the line announced Monday as it prepares to expand its sailings in Europe.

 

[cindy18]

Wow. That sounds amazing. Do we think that would be the formal night evening of the cruise or something separate and apart?

 

[din]

So far this is the only info on an excursion that I've seen officially released by DCL:

Disney Cruise Line announced it had arranged exclusive access to the famed Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia to hold a series of Royal Balls for passengers on upcoming Disney Cruise Line voyages. The private functions at the historic summer residence of Russia's imperial family and will include live musicians and "royal courtiers" in period costumes and powdered wigs who will lead passengers in song and dance. Cinderella, Snow White and Belle will arrive at the palace by horse-drawn carriage. The exclusive-to-Disney offering is just one of several unusual family-friendly shore excursions the line announced Monday as it prepares to expand its sailings in Europe.

I see $$$$
I see lots of $$$$
I see $$$$ flying away .....

 

[cindy18]

Yes, but I think it will be worth it.

 

[Stimpy]

subscribing

Can we book transfers through Disney if we do our own airfare? My TA told me we couldn't. Right now we have everything through DCL but I found flights about $2000 cheaper than they are charging. I don't think transfers would add up to $2000 for all 4 of us...or am I completely naive and it would???

We need to save up for that excursion somehow!!!

 

[jilljill]

Wow. That sounds amazing. Do we think that would be the formal night evening of the cruise or something separate and apart?

That will definately be something totally separate from anything associated with dining on the ship since it will be a pricey excursion. Other cruise lines do something along these lines and I think their prices run around $125-$175/person just for this evening.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say Disney will offer open seating that night since it's an overnight in port and not everyone will be onboard and coming back from excursion around the same times. That's what Carnival did on our Baltic's cruise in 2008.

subscribing

Can we book transfers through Disney if we do our own airfare? My TA told me we couldn't. Right now we have everything through DCL but I found flights about $2000 cheaper than they are charging. I don't think transfers would add up to $2000 for all 4 of us...or am I completely naive and it would???

We need to save up for that excursion somehow!!!

You can book DCL transfers when booking your own airfare, just check DCL's website for further clarification. You will either need to get to the hotel they are leaving from or the airport.
DCL charges around $170/person for round trip transfers. But double check on their website for the exact price.
But your TA should be able find all that info for you and give you the correct info. If you don't like the answer she gives you have her call DCL to double check all your questions.

 

[MJGirl]

subscribing

Can we book transfers through Disney if we do our own airfare? My TA told me we couldn't. Right now we have everything through DCL but I found flights about $2000 cheaper than they are charging. I don't think transfers would add up to $2000 for all 4 of us...or am I completely naive and it would???

We need to save up for that excursion somehow!!!

I booked my own airfare. I'm coming in 2 days early, so I am only getting transfers for the return trip to the airfare. This way I don't have to go through the luggage jungle after the cruise. I'm paiying $170 for the two of us for one-way transfers.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Without airfare or flights to worry about, just a 60 min drive to the port, and car parking booked at Dover, my thoughts are on the Baltic shore trips.

Now I like to budget in advance so it would be great to know what they are actually doing in each port, read the rumours.

If we go by the two releases recently of the transatlantic and the Med in 2010, and compare that to the first Baltic cruise, they should be released first week in January.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Any idea when the shore exc info is coming out ?? Esp interested in St P and Berlin. I'm getting impatient

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Any idea when the shore exc info is coming out ?? Esp interested in St P and Berlin. I'm getting impatient

As post above, I think first week in January.

 

[scrapycruiser]

Thanks....guess I'll stop looking til Jan. That's what I get for being organized and having finished my Christmas shopping ! Too much time on my hands !

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks....guess I'll stop looking til Jan. That's what I get for being organized and having finished my Christmas shopping ! Too much time on my hands !

Yes my Christmas shopping is also complete did it all in one afternoon, now looking forward to 2010 and the Baltic, options like Berlin and Moscow are intriguing.

 

[cindy18]

You did your Christmas shopping in one afternoon? That's very impressive. I am still doing it, although mostly from the comforts of home. We also have 8 nights of Hanukah to contend with, so there is a lot to take care of. But I am itching to learn more about the Baltic so that the cruise feels closer than it is!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

You did your Christmas shopping in one afternoon? That's very impressive. I am still doing it, although mostly from the comforts of home. We also have 8 nights of Hanukah to contend with, so there is a lot to take care of. But I am itching to learn more about the Baltic so that the cruise feels closer than it is!!

Oh yes, hate shopping, done quickly, requests from kids, a laptop and a quality camera, easy.................

My credit card is in recovery......