The 2010 Baltic Thread--Cruise Tips and Planning

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Argh!

OK, on a serious note....from what I can tell, the high temps for the northern capitol cities are gonna be in the upper 60s (in June....might be a little higher in July). So I'm thinking the temps on the water will be 10 degrees cooler....meaning there is not going to be a lot of lounging by the pool soaking up the sun on this cruise. The pools will be too cold....the hot tubs will be packed. We might have to read the navigator and find indoor stuff to do on the 4 sea days.

Thoughts on temps while at sea?

~Mike

Firstly, land temps in Northern Europe are unpredictable, it 'should be' reasonably hot and sunny but you cant depend on that. We could have anything, prepare for that, hope for sun.

Secondly Water temps just it takes a long long time for our sea to warm up, I cant see any sea being comfortable to go in, but I might be wrong, and whilst talking up the Baltic, it is one of the most polluted seas in the world, so you wouldn't swim in it.

On Ship, I have known them to warm the pools up, once they poured quite hot water into them, it was too hot to go in them for a while. I understand they have heating so on a sunny but cold day you can swim in them.

We all know its not the Carribean or the Med, and the focus is the sights, but the pools should be able to be used, the same as Alaska!!!

 

[dietcokefan]

Yikes-Where did this come from - what if your flight is before 4pm?

We received a letter from DCL with this information/change/update a few months back...but, it is ONLY for the cruise returning on the 6th, the others are at their regularly scheduled return time.

 

[mom_rules]

What about those departing on the 6th? Late embarkation?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

What about those departing on the 6th? Late embarkation?

I would have thought so....

Maybe 12.30pm.

 

[jilljill]

Argh!

OK, on a serious note....from what I can tell, the high temps for the northern capitol cities are gonna be in the upper 60s (in June....might be a little higher in July). So I'm thinking the temps on the water will be 10 degress cooler....meaning there is not going to be a lot of lounging by the pool soaking up the sun on this cruise. The pools will be too cold....the hot tubs will be packed. We might have to read the navigator and find indoor stuff to do on the 4 sea days.

Thoughts on temps while at sea?

~Mike

We did a Baltics cruise July 2008 and the temps in each port was mid 60's, with some days reaching the upper 60's. We had rain in StP 1 day, and our guide told us that rain is very normal and the sunny day we had the day prior was not normal. Up on deck and out on our verandah the temps weren't too bad since it wasn't breezy out. People were in the pools, and the ship we were on had a retractable roof over 1 pool that was open some days. BUT, we were told the weather we had was unusual for so many sunny days. It hasn't been unusual for people to be wearing hats and gloves on Baltics cruises in the summer. Layers will be the way to go.

 

[dietcokefan]

What about those departing on the 6th? Late embarkation?

I don't know about the embarkation of that day, but it is only a couple hours different, so perhaps they can prepare the ship quickly and not delay, it really is just a matter of preparing the rooms etc.

You can check on the website for your particular cruise date or call DCL just for verification, but when we saw that change for our 6/24 depart cruise, we called DCL and inquired as we were preparing to make airline reservations and were concerned that just that one cruise, our cruise, showed a different recommendation for return flight times. Upon calling, we were told that on that date only, July 6th that we were returning, there was some other issue with the docking bays and availability in Dover in which the ship was going to have to be docking later in the morning, so they were recommending on that cruise only that passengers schedule their flights after 4pm on that cruise only.

As I mentioned, you can call DCL just to verify, but if you are on the other cruises your recommended flight departure times should be what they have always been, it is only the one 6/24-7/6 cruise that had a recommended flight change.

Hope that helps.

 

[MJGirl]

Attention scrappers

Don't know if you've seen this or night, but found this travel scrapbook site and Russia was highlighted. They have the other ports too!

 

[Madisonznana]

Attention scrappers

Don't know if you've seen this or night, but found this travel scrapbook site and Russia was highlighted. They have the other ports too!

Thanks for sharing this!!

 

[aurorafan65]

hopefully it'll be warmer when we are there
Baltic Ferry stuck in ice
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_baltic_ferries_stuck

 

[aurorafan65]

Attention scrappers

Don't know if you've seen this or night, but found this travel scrapbook site and Russia was highlighted. They have the other ports too!

ll

Every Juy they have a scrapbook convention here & I've gotten their stuff before - OK, all the destinations from our last cruise & they are very nice.

dh knows every time we go I have to buy one of the Disney albums - hopefully they'll have a special one for the European trips

 

[DL1957]

I am not sure if this has been posted already but it is good information to share again.
My dbl is retired from United Airlines and still travels quite often. He told us to check the carry on requirement for the UK.
Here is some information regarding carry-on luggage when you travel in and out of the UK.

U.K. and Belgium security regulations permit only one carry-on item for customers traveling from:
London-Heathrow
London-Gatwick
Manchester
Edinburgh
Brussels
Be aware that handbags are included in this carry-on baggage and may not be carried as a personal item.

 

[cindy18]

I don't know about the embarkation of that day, but it is only a couple hours different, so perhaps they can prepare the ship quickly and not delay, it really is just a matter of preparing the rooms etc.

You can check on the website for your particular cruise date or call DCL just for verification, but when we saw that change for our 6/24 depart cruise, we called DCL and inquired as we were preparing to make airline reservations and were concerned that just that one cruise, our cruise, showed a different recommendation for return flight times. Upon calling, we were told that on that date only, July 6th that we were returning, there was some other issue with the docking bays and availability in Dover in which the ship was going to have to be docking later in the morning, so they were recommending on that cruise only that passengers schedule their flights after 4pm on that cruise only.

As I mentioned, you can call DCL just to verify, but if you are on the other cruises your recommended flight departure times should be what they have always been, it is only the one 6/24-7/6 cruise that had a recommended flight change.

Hope that helps.

When we got the packet recently with the general information, it said that boarding would start at 1 pm, which I thought was surprisingly late. If that's the case for all the cruises and the 6/24 cruise docks back in Dover on July 6 at 10:30, I think they might be only slightly late for a 1 pm boarding, no?

 

[jilljill]

I just rec'd an email from AerLingus and they are having a sale on flights to Europe this summer. We can save $1000 on flights for the 3 of us just by driving to JFK airport from DE.

 

[cindy18]

I just rec'd an email from AerLingus and they are having a sale on flights to Europe this summer. We can save $1000 on flights for the 3 of us just by driving to JFK airport from DE.

You're right. Those prices are good, but am I reading the website right that you have to fly through Shannon or Dublin? I was hoping that those fares would cause British Airways and American to bring their prices down, but so far, no luck.

 

[sshaw10060]

I am not sure if this has been posted already but it is good information to share again.
My dbl is retired from United Airlines and still travels quite often. He told us to check the carry on requirement for the UK.
Here is some information regarding carry-on luggage when you travel in and out of the UK.

U.K. and Belgium security regulations permit only one carry-on item for customers traveling from:
London-Heathrow
London-Gatwick
Manchester
Edinburgh
Brussels
Be aware that handbags are included in this carry-on baggage and may not be carried as a personal item.

What most people do is they combine their carryons into one bag to get through security then separate them once they are through. At Heathrow there is always a mob of people extracting their pocketbook or laptop from their other bag before heading to their gate.

I flew to London right after the original shoe bomber and you were allowed no carry-ons. Even a book was forbidden. Then the inflight entertainments system broke. Most boring flight I've had in years.

 

[cindy18]

Since we have the dinner schedule and know which evenings will have which themes, I was wondering whether anyone has any information on the show schedule for the 12 nights. Or is it too soon for that?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

What most people do is they combine their carryons into one bag to get through security then separate them once they are through. At Heathrow there is always a mob of people extracting their pocketbook or laptop from their other bag before heading to their gate.

I flew to London right after the original shoe bomber and you were allowed no carry-ons. Even a book was forbidden. Then the inflight entertainments system broke. Most boring flight I've had in years.

At Heathrow and at Gatwick 2009/2010, I have taken a laptop and a carry on bag.

Laptops must be out of the laptop bag, when going through the scanner.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Since we have the dinner schedule and know which evenings will have which themes, I was wondering whether anyone has any information on the show schedule for the 12 nights. Or is it too soon for that?

You can wrok part of it from this:-

Night 1. Parrot Cay Let the Magic begin (Dover)

Night 2. Lumiere's Prince and Princess- Formal (Sea)

Night 3, Animator's Palate Rotational dining (Oslo)

Night 4 Parrot Cay Rotational dining (Copenhagen)

Night 5. Lumiere's Rotational dining (Berlin) will be late.

Night 6. Animator's Palate Villians- Semi Formal (Sea)

Night 7 Parrot Cay Are still listed as pending.(St Petes)

Night 8. Lumiere's Are still listed as pending. (St Petes)

Night 9. Animator's Palate Pirates (Tallinn)

Night 10. Parrot Cay Flavors of Scandinavia (Stockholm)

Night 11. Lumiere's Captains Gala- Semi Formal (Sea)

Night 12. Animator's Palate Till We Meet Again (Sea)
Breakfast Animator's Palate (Dover)

You can see where Villains is on, the other two Disney shows are on sea days, semi formal etc.

You can see Pirates deck party.

Wouldnt expect much Berlin night, as a lot of people will not be back to 7.50pm. Maybe Films.

 

[jilljill]

You're right. Those prices are good, but am I reading the website right that you have to fly through Shannon or Dublin? I was hoping that those fares would cause British Airways and American to bring their prices down, but so far, no luck.

I was hoping this would bring down the BA or USAir flights and that's not working either. We can spend $3700 and drive 45 minutes to PHL or spend $2600 and drive 3 hours to JFK...right now JFK and the drive is winning. We'll take the stop in Shannon or Dublin for that kind of savings and a proper pint of Guinness.

 

[cindy18]

I was hoping this would bring down the BA or USAir flights and that's not working either. We can spend $3700 and drive 45 minutes to PHL or spend $2600 and drive 3 hours to JFK...right now JFK and the drive is winning. We'll take the stop in Shannon or Dublin for that kind of savings and a proper pint of Guinness.

I am still convinced that the prices are going to come down during a spring/summer sale offer. If Aer Lingus is doing it, maybe the bigger carriers will follow soon. I agree that the $1100 savings is worth the extra hour and an early morning stop-over in Ireland!