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

[lzj21428]

Welcome Emily and Family. Sounds like you'll be busy for the next month with all the planning. That's part of the fun!

Our family is also on deck 7 and I also have a DD who is 14 (15 in Sept.) We should get all the 14 yr old girls together. It would be great for them to "know" kids ahead of time.

Enjoy your planning and welcom aboard!!

Nina

 

[3bebe]

Nina, thanks for the welcome! Yes, it will be fun planning all of this in such a short time, but crazy! It would be nice if all the girls could meet up! My daughter is a moody freshman in high school, my son is in 7th grade and my younger daughter is in 5th grade. It looks like there are quite a few kids around this age going, that is great! They can't believe we are really doing this!

Found out room #'s this morning- connecting rooms 7028 and 7030. The grandparents are a few doors down! Looking forward to reading more about everyone's plans! By the way, this is our 2nd Disney cruise(and 2nd cruise period), we went on a 7-day Disney Western Caribbean cruise last year over the 4th of July, never went on these boards for that one, never had heard of these Fish Extenders! We also go to WDW almost every year and we were last there the week before Christmas. We were going to WDW this summer, but this cruise is now taking its place!

Glad to have found this board!
Emily

 

[mehaul]

That's a great pic! Thanks for sharing.

I am worried about the lines to pick up the Oslo Pass, but it does seem worth the money. How long did it take for your Stockholm cards to come? Maybe I should turn to Stockholm next and get that taken care of.

I would agree with KTKSpider the Stockholm cards came very quickly (1-2 weeks).
Too bad we are doing a Med Cruise, the Euro is taking a beating.

 

[cindy18]

We received our Stockhom cards very quickly.. I want to say in less than a week! As for Oslo, I have been worried about the same. .. Long lines... I have scoped out a second TI office just a short ways from the cruise line one (near the square) I am hoping to jump over there if the line is really long at the closer one. My other concern is how crowded the first few ferries will be to get across the the museums. That is where I guess we need to just go with the flow...

Thanks for the timing on the Stockholm cards. Where did you find the TI office near the cruise terminal? According to VisitOslo, there are only the 3 in town, no? I also agree about the ferry plan. Seems like going over to Bgydoy first for the ship museums and then coming back is the best plan. Haven't found a working link to the ferry schedule yet. Someone suggested that they are at 5, 25 and 45 minutes past the hour, but if we're standing on line to pick up our Oslo Passes, it's hard to time the ferry...

Welcome to our cruise, 3bebe! I'm the mother of 14 and 12 year old daughters finishing 8th and 6th grade, so I think we'll have a nice group of similar aged kids.

On currency issues, I'm watching the euro and the pound regularly. We bought about half the amount of pounds and euros we think we'll need last Friday, after the UK election. A weak euro will at least be helpful in Berlin!

 

[mehaul]

Thanks for the timing on the Stockholm cards. Where did you find the TI office near the cruise terminal? According to VisitOslo, there are only the 3 in town, no? I also agree about the ferry plan. Seems like going over to Bgydoy first for the ship museums and then coming back is the best plan. Haven't found a working link to the ferry schedule yet. Someone suggested that they are at 5, 25 and 45 minutes past the hour, but if we're standing on line to pick up our Oslo Passes, it's hard to time the ferry...

Welcome to our cruise, 3bebe! I'm the mother of 14 and 12 year old daughters finishing 8th and 6th grade, so I think we'll have a nice group of similar aged kids.

On currency issues, I'm watching the euro and the pound regularly. We bought about half the amount of pounds and euros we think we'll need last Friday, after the UK election. A weak euro will at least be helpful in Berlin!

Yes there only 3 TI centers in Oslo, the location "close to the terminal" is "downtown". The disadvatage with this location is that it opens later.

click the red fonted "Ferry Schedule" towards the top of the page for the schedule
www.magicalbalticcruise.com/oslo.html

 

[TDC Nala]

For those looking for St. Petersburg tours, take a look at the Baltic forum on www.cruisecritic.com

They will give you some ideas. There are a number of reputable tour companies who work from St. Petersburg, and you can contact them via e-mail. Some of them will even help you link up with other groups to keep costs down, because the more people you have on your tour, the less it costs per person. (I have been placed with a group of 13 through SpB tours, others are using Anastasia or Alla, there are several other companies that will work with you).

If we want to have an onboard meet, maybe during the sailaway (that might work, but I don't have kids and wouldn't have much idea about arranging a meet in a good spot for lots of kids - any help with brainstorming locations/times from parents would be helpful, at the sailaway maybe it should just be somewhere on the upper deck), or maybe the first sea day, which I am not so sure about because there may be activities planned that people want to take part in.

 

[ktkspider]

Yes there only 3 TI centers in Oslo, the location "close to the terminal" is "downtown". The disadvatage with this location is that it opens later.

click the red fonted "Ferry Schedule" towards the top of the page for the schedule
www.magicalbalticcruise.com/oslo.html

From the website...
All three tourist informations:
- at Trafikanten
- by City Hall
- at the Cruise Terminal (summer)

there is one at the cruise terminal and one at City Hall which isn't that far away. I am hoping that the one at the cruise terminal will open upon our arrival. From my reading many of these places will open according to the schedules of the cruise ships.

http://www.visitoslo.com/en/tourist-information.49121.en.html
here is a map that shows all three.
you can see the Cruise terminal one towards the front and the city hall one just down the street... They are both scheduled to open at 9am.

 

[ktkspider]

Hi Everyone! My husband just booked this cruise earlier tonight! We would love to participate in the Fish Extender if it is still open. I have been reading and cramming all night since I am just beginning to plan this cruise! The prices were too good to pass up, but we will definitely not be as prepared as most of you! We have 3 children
DD Caroline (14, will turn 15 in August!)
DS Daniel (13)
DD Emma (11)
My husband's parents are also cruising with us. We have 3 rooms booked, but since it is 2:30 a.m. here, my husband is asleep so I will have to get the room numbers from him tomorrow! I'm pretty positive we are on Deck 7 though! I probably won't get any sleep from now until the cruise as I have so much to do and plan in so little time! I'm so thankful to have found this board and all of the wonderful information!!!

Thanks everyone for all of your wealth of information! Any advice/tips appreciated!

Sincerely,
Emily(my huband is Dan!)

Welcome Emily, I will add you and your family to the Fish extender list..

Anyone else? I think we need to close it up pretty soon... let's say this Friday.

Have a fun time with all of the planning! The links on the first page have been super helpful!
I have a lot of info to share so please ask whatever questions you might have. That would probably be easier than spewing everything at you at once...

My daughter just turned 12 and is going into the 7th grade. She is the only child traveling with a bunch of adults so I know she is really looking forward to making some friends!

If we want to have an onboard meet, maybe during the sailaway (that might work, but I don't have kids and wouldn't have much idea about arranging a meet in a good spot for lots of kids - any help with brainstorming locations/times from parents would be helpful, at the sailaway maybe it should just be somewhere on the upper deck), or maybe the first sea day, which I am not so sure about because there may be activities planned that people want to take part in.
Today 11:36 AM

This might work.. any thoughts? My group will be very easy to spot on Sailaway day.. we are all wearing lime green Mickey Tshirts...

 

[mehaul]

From the website...
All three tourist informations:
- at Trafikanten
- by City Hall
- at the Cruise Terminal (summer)

there is one at the cruise terminal and one at City Hall which isn't that far away. I am hoping that the one at the cruise terminal will open upon our arrival. From my reading many of these places will open according to the schedules of the cruise ships.

The City Hall office doesn't open till 9 AM on Saturdays, Trafikanten opens at 8AM, and Cruise Terminal should be open when we dock.
Hope that helps strategically

 

[ktkspider]

I would agree with KTKSpider the Stockholm cards came very quickly (1-2 weeks).
Too bad we are doing a Med Cruise, the Euro is taking a beating.

I have been watching the other currencies and they all seem to be dropping... The pound is just about at a record low.. today was 147.72!yeah for us!! sorry for all of the Europeans out there..

 

[MadHatterMom2]

A meet would be fun. Since this is our first cruise, I'm guessing Sailaway Day is pretty hectic, but we're up for it. I'm glad there are kids of similar ages. My daughter is 11 and going into 6th grade. She is very bummed that she's missing the midnight premier of Eclipse! My son is 7 and loves anything and everything. Also looking forward to the FE.

 

[mehaul]

From the website...
All three tourist informations:
- at Trafikanten
- by City Hall
- at the Cruise Terminal (summer)

there is one at the cruise terminal and one at City Hall which isn't that far away. I am hoping that the one at the cruise terminal will open upon our arrival. From my reading many of these places will open according to the schedules of the cruise ships.

http://www.visitoslo.com/en/tourist-information.49121.en.html
here is a map that shows all three.
you can see the Cruise terminal one towards the front and the city hall one just down the street... They are both scheduled to open at 9am.

Are you sure about the cruise terminal TI opening at 9 AM, I assumed from the statement "(open when cruise ships call)" that it would be opened earlier?

Do you recall if alot of these other countries take Euros, I can't seem to find it in my notes? I bought British Pounds today, will wait for the Euro to tank for another week, while the Greek (and Portugal/Spain) stuff sinks in more.

 

[ktkspider]

Are you sure about the cruise terminal TI opening at 9 AM, I assumed from the statement "(open when cruise ships call)" that it would be opened earlier?

Do you recall if alot of these other countries take Euros, I can't seem to find it in my notes? I bought British Pounds today, will wait for the Euro to tank for another week, while the Greek (and Portugal/Spain) stuff sinks in more.

I missed where is said "(open when cruise ships call)" That is awesome.. hope that means it will be open earlier!

Germany is the only other stop that officially takes Euros.. not sure which others will take Euros... exchange rate may not be great.. but might be better than getting stuck with other currencies...
I did read on one of the other boards that Disney will have currencies for exchange on the ship (all of the ones we will be stopping) and if you get them from Disney and show your reciept you can cash them back in.. You must however purchase them with cash or travelers checks..
What to do about all of these diff. currencies!! Could be very confusing!!!

 

[grizbuzz]

A meet would be fun. Since this is our first cruise, I'm guessing Sailaway Day is pretty hectic, but we're up for it. I'm glad there are kids of similar ages. My daughter is 11 and going into 6th grade. She is very bummed that she's missing the midnight premier of Eclipse! My son is 7 and loves anything and everything. Also looking forward to the FE.

I vote for a meet on sea day as I think Sailaway Day might be a bit hectic. How about people throw out their suggestions and then I'll set up a poll and we can vote to find out the most convenient time/place for the majority of people.

So what are your ideas?

 

[mehaul]

I missed where is said "(open when cruise ships call)" That is awesome.. hope that means it will be open earlier!

Germany is the only other stop that officially takes Euros.. not sure which others will take Euros... exchange rate may not be great.. but might be better than getting stuck with other currencies...
I did read on one of the other boards that Disney will have currencies for exchange on the ship (all of the ones we will be stopping) and if you get them from Disney and show your reciept you can cash them back in.. You must however purchase them with cash or travelers checks..
What to do about all of these diff. currencies!! Could be very confusing!!!

I was thinking even though Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia have their own
currency that they would accept Euro. I thought I read that they would but charge a small percentage. That might be a better alternative than being stuck with Kroner from 3 different countries. Also they built the Oresund bridge that connects Sweden and Denmark that creates a more common market between the 2 countries.
I think it's also worth the 3% charge to use a credit card as often as possible to minimize currencies.

 

[TDC Nala]

Another thread had this list of currencies that DCL will exchange aboard ship:

Euro (European Union)
Dollar (Australia, Canada, Cayman, Hong Kong, United States)
Franc (Switzerland)
Kroner (Denmark, Norway, Sweden)
Peso (Mexico)
Pound (United Kingdom: England, Scotland)
Yen (Japan)

During Northern European sailings, the Russian Ruble may be exchanged
onboard as well.


I do not know if the other countries will take Euros. I have read Estonia might.
Remember when you get rubles onboard that you can't take them out of Russia.

 

[grlzmom]

We just got home from back to back transatlantic/Med and had such a great time we booked for this one.

It will be me, dh, dd15 (turning 16), dd14, dd8, dd7 and ds7 (dd18 and dd20 can't join us for this cruise).

Will be a busy month planning this one and hope my kids make some DIS friends. On the last cruise it was such a highlight of the trip

 

[mehaul]

We just got home from back to back transatlantic/Med and had such a great time we booked for this one.

It will be me, dh, dd15 (turning 16), dd14, dd8, dd7 and ds7 (dd18 and dd20 can't join us for this cruise).

Will be a busy month planning this one and hope my kids make some DIS friends. On the last cruise it was such a highlight of the trip

Welcome we have 2 DD's 9 and 6. They'll probably greet you by name when you reboard

As far as currencies go I'm not too concerned about finding placings to exchange $ for Kroner. I just hate having pockets full of left over coins when I leave countries. I think in the long run you may be better off eating credit card premiums than having pockets full of Kroners (NOK, DDK, SEK) sailing out of port.

 

[nfowife]

madhattermom I pm'ed you regarding st petersburg. Please let me know if you are interested! Thanks!
Margaret

 

[cindy18]

We just got home from back to back transatlantic/Med and had such a great time we booked for this one.

It will be me, dh, dd15 (turning 16), dd14, dd8, dd7 and ds7 (dd18 and dd20 can't join us for this cruise).

Will be a busy month planning this one and hope my kids make some DIS friends. On the last cruise it was such a highlight of the trip

Welcome aboard! I envy you all your amazing cruising!! Lots of kids in this group within all those age ranges (I have a DD14 and a DD12). It's going to be a lot of fun.

On the Oslo ferries, when I clicked on the link on magicalbalticcruise for the ferry schedule, it didn't work for some reason. But at work yesterday I printed out the very long Oslo Pass brochure from the visitoslo.com website, which I recommend because it's got terrific information all in one place, and the ferry information was right there. Looks like first ferry is at 8:45 and they are every 30 minutes until late morning and then every 20. Also, the math on the Oslo Pass is sort of too compelling, so I guess we'll just have to deal with the lines at the cruise terminal TI to pick stuff up. You have to figure that with several cruise ships per day, they know how to deal with this. Or at least I hope so.

On currency, we're going with credit cards (probably one American Express and one Master Card, alerting the card companies of our European travel so they don't reject the charges), ATMs in each port and a small amount of local currency (apart from euros and pounds). We're going to pay our guide in St. Pete in dollars which is easiest.