You Are Not The First To Pass This Way: 2nd Magic Baltic Cruise, 6/24/2010

[cindy18]

I asked my terrific DU travel agent if she knew anything about where the Magic would dock in St. Pete and in Oslo. She wrote back that she didn't find out too much from Disney, but what they told her was that the Magic will dock in the main industrial harbor in St. Pete, which is apparently the largest harbor in the country. The Oslo cruise terminal is supposedly within easy walking distance of the city, so that's good. Hope that helps.

 

[adrianna_sarah]

...but there is a good postscript. After purchasing a home, we thought we'd have to forgo the European vacation alltogether this year until DCL released their military rates. We've now jumped over to the 7 day Barcelona-Dover Repo, which is costing less than our plane tickets to get there. Only had to drop down to a Cat 5, so all is well. It's win-win afterall. It's been nice dreaming with you all. Who knows, maybe if they release military rates on this cruise we'll be back. (Doubtful, though. This one seems to be selling quite well.) Best wishes as you embark on this dream vacation.

Adrianna

 

[mehaul]

For those of you who have set up private tours in St. Petersburg, what have they mentioned about the order of touring the sites? Many sites are closed on Wednesdays including the Peter & Paul Fortress, St Isaacs Cathedral, Saviour on the Split Blood and some pavilions at Peterhof

 

[cindy18]

Yes they have, and they've manipulated the schedule well to account for what's closed on which day.

Also, I think the Peter and Paul Fortress is closed on Tuesdays, not Wednesdays. At least that's what Saint-Petersburg.com says.

 

[TDC Nala]

Decided not to do the private tours in St. Petersburg (or Berlin). Not worth it for just me. My friend and I may actually want to do different tours so it's better for us to work with the ship's tours. I may do the Disney Hermitage tour the first day, maybe the evening boat tour if there's nothing else offered in the evening that'll get me out in the city (I'd really like the Walking Tour but don't know if that'll be offered later in the day), and Pushkin & Peterhof the second day. That ought to do it.

The one I'm really looking forward to is the one in Tallinn where you have lunch in the castle, with booze, and tour the torture chamber.

oh and the Ball...no way. I wouldn't mind seeing Catherine the Great but Disney princesses?

 

[mardonna]

I was given a list of times for Disney excursion times(I'm in a suite so concierge passed them along to me) and they are not good at all.........so we have completely given up doing any tours with them and have decided to go private....I have emailed all the tour operators I'm aware of Red October, SPB, Alla, Anastasia, and Denrus......they all look great but have no idea who to chose.....I have serached for reviews and they all seem to be excellent....I am traveling with 3 young kids so would want someone tolerant of that for sure....if anyone can offer suggestions I would appreciate it.

 

[lzj21428]

The Ball was not even on my list of considered tours. Just not something the kids, who are older, would be interested in.

As for all the different tour companies, I think you just have to email them all and see what kind of price you get for what they offer. Also, what kind of feeling you get from the person you deal with. The reason I went with SPB, was not so much price, but the feeling I got from Viktoria.

What plans have you all made getting to Dover? We will be coming into London the day before the cruise and staying in a hotel, most likely the Sheraton Park Towers on Knightsbridge. I have absolutely no interest in trying to lug 5 people and a bunch of luggage on a train, so am looking for private car transportation from airport to hotel, hotel to port and port to airport. Anyone have any links to car services in London?

 

[lzj21428]

Just cking out all the other Baltic cruiser threads and thought we should start some kind of cruiser list. It can include who's cruising, what cabin/ship location, any celebrations while cruising. I'll start.

Cruising with, Me (Nina), DH (Sam), DD (Laura, 22), DS (Zach, 17), DD (Julie, 14) We have two connecting Cat. 5 rooms, Deck 7. We will be celebrating my ?? birthday on 7/2. This is our 5th Disney Cruise.

Ok, who's next?

 

[cindy18]

The Ball was not even on my list of considered tours. Just not something the kids, who are older, would be interested in.

As for all the different tour companies, I think you just have to email them all and see what kind of price you get for what they offer. Also, what kind of feeling you get from the person you deal with. The reason I went with SPB, was not so much price, but the feeling I got from Viktoria.

What plans have you all made getting to Dover? We will be coming into London the day before the cruise and staying in a hotel, most likely the Sheraton Park Towers on Knightsbridge. I have absolutely no interest in trying to lug 5 people and a bunch of luggage on a train, so am looking for private car transportation from airport to hotel, hotel to port and port to airport. Anyone have any links to car services in London?

I agree with that. At the end of the day, all the "known" tour companies, large and small, are good and the experience will be great. The only way to choose is to go with your gut feeling.

We are doing something a little risky and flying into Heathrow the morning of the cruise, then having someone drive us to Dover. We've been to London several times before, and I can't really add any vacation days to the trip, so that's what we're doing. We live in NY, and there are so many flights out that we feel pretty comfortable with this approach, and have a very big cushion (we land at Heathrow at 6:30 am), but obviously, it is a little on the edge. We might change our minds and come in a day earlier, in which case we'd stay overnight in Dover and just try to deal with the jet lag.

 

[ktkspider]

OK my turn,
Traveling Me (Kellie), DH (Tom), DD12, My mom and Dad, Mom's sister and her husband
We are celebrating our anniversary (21yrs) on the 24th
Dad's Birthday on the 21st (a couple of days late)
Mom and Aunt's birthday (twins) on the 28th

Lots of celebrating!
We are in cabins 6634, 6632, 6630

this is my 5th Disney cruise but everyone else ranges from 1st cruise to 4th cruise...
We are flying into Paris spending a couple of days.. then the Eurostar to Canterbury for a couple of days.. then to Dover. After we are spending several days in London!

 

[TDC Nala]

I was given a list of times for Disney excursion times(I'm in a suite so concierge passed them along to me) and they are not good at all.........so we have completely given up doing any tours with them and have decided to go private....I have emailed all the tour operators I'm aware of Red October, SPB, Alla, Anastasia, and Denrus......they all look great but have no idea who to chose.....I have serached for reviews and they all seem to be excellent....I am traveling with 3 young kids so would want someone tolerant of that for sure....if anyone can offer suggestions I would appreciate it.

I don't know what "not good" means. There isn't any way I'm going to do a private tour. I'd be interested in knowing how the excursion times are "not good at all."

Flying into Heathrow overnight on 6/23 and taking Disney's transfers to Dover.

 

[cindy18]

Kellie and Nina, we should our DDs connected. I have a DD (Samantha) who will be 14 when we cruise and a DD (Charlotte) who will be 12. Other than that, it's me and DH (Matt). We're in 2 connected 6s (no way we're sharing even a split bath with two girls!!) on Deck 6, I think 6072 and 6074, but I may be remembering wrong.

 

[mehaul]

We are going to be staying in London at the Renaissance Chancery for a few nigths before the cruise. We are going to use Disney transportation to get us to Dover. It's DW(Lisa), DH(Michael), DD (Emma-9), and DD (Mia-6). We wil be having our 11th wedding anniversary on the cruise. We had our 8th on Disney Med cruise in 2007.

 

[mardonna]

The Ball was not even on my list of considered tours. Just not something the kids, who are older, would be interested in.

As for all the different tour companies, I think you just have to email them all and see what kind of price you get for what they offer. Also, what kind of feeling you get from the person you deal with. The reason I went with SPB, was not so much price, but the feeling I got from Viktoria.

What plans have you all made getting to Dover? We will be coming into London the day before the cruise and staying in a hotel, most likely the Sheraton Park Towers on Knightsbridge. I have absolutely no interest in trying to lug 5 people and a bunch of luggage on a train, so am looking for private car transportation from airport to hotel, hotel to port and port to airport. Anyone have any links to car services in London?

I am trying the folllowing:

www.britishairportcars.co.uk

Rates were good, online site very good. I am using them for 3 of my transportation needs....the person I dealt with was Chris Mills....I have nnever used them before though.

 

[mardonna]

I don't know what "not good" means. There isn't any way I'm going to do a private tour. I'd be interested in knowing how the excursion times are "not good at all."

Flying into Heathrow overnight on 6/23 and taking Disney's transfers to Dover.

It means the way the tours are set up...it will be very hard to do the same things you could do with tour compnay.....you have to come back to ship between excursions which seems to waste a lot of time....I thought it was strange the way it was set up.....maybe they will chnage it before sailing....who knows.

 

[TDC Nala]

ah I see, I was anticipating returning to the ship between tours anyway, I've already done that in France and Monaco. I would just like to be able to get an afternoon and evening tour in on the first day, the evening boat tour at the very least. Maybe just the private White Nights tour thing, wonder if they'll put one person on that.

 

[lzj21428]

I am trying the folllowing:

www.britishairportcars.co.uk

Rates were good, online site very good. I am using them for 3 of my transportation needs....the person I dealt with was Chris Mills....I have nnever used them before though.

Thanks for the link. I will ck them out.

 

[mardonna]

I am very confused now.....just talked to Red October and many of the things I asked to see and do he now mentions is just not possible in the time frame we have.....but the other guides seem to see we can do it......who do I believe.....this is all so confusing.

 

[lzj21428]

I am very confused now.....just talked to Red October and many of the things I asked to see and do he now mentions is just not possible in the time frame we have.....but the other guides seem to see we can do it......who do I believe.....this is all so confusing.

Get in touch with all the other tour companies and see what they have to say.

What type of schedule and what particular sights do you want to see?

 

[mardonna]

Get in touch with all the other tour companies and see what they have to say.

What type of schedule and what particular sights do you want to see?

We planned on the following:

City highlights
Catherines Palace
Hermitage
Peterhov

Spilled blood
St Issacs
Peter fortress

just 30 min stops at church nothing crazy.....eatig on the go...sandwiches or something.....some of the tour guides even offer metro ride and some shopping....so a little confused.