baltic .... help
 

We are going on the 21may on costa , has any one had the wine package ??? we thought we would do the hop on hop off in all towns except st peters where we thought we would book thru red october any hints with this /?. It sounds as if a warm jacket is a must even though its spring/summer ?? we are from australia and live where it is quite warm so feel the cold

What are your ports of call?

What is the wine package and why are you thinking of taking it.?

yes bring a jacket(watch):)
Percy

Please remember that if you don't book all your St. Petersburg excursions through the ship you must get a visa to visit Russia. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to disembark in St. Petersburg.

Hello Percy: Wanna swap dollars? :D :D Actually do bring a jacket and perhaps a sweater or fleece so you can layer. Cheers, Larry

jacketwatch:

I just bought another $1,000.00 US$ yesterday , it cost me $924.67.

I keep adding as our dollar goes up.!

It is like geting 9% return on your money the minute you buy it.!!:)

Percy

Doug - YOu do not have to book St Petes tours through the ship. The tour companies take care of that if you book with one of them privately. yakka mentioned Red October and Denrus is also very good. There are a couple of others as well. Yakka you might want to read this post from Cruise Critics
http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/article.cfm?ID=149

Let me try to put this St.Petersburg Disembarkment in point form.

1. First of all you need a visa to get off the ship in St.Petersburg.

2. You do not need a visa IF you are taking a ship tour excursion.

3.You do not need a visa IF you have a private local tour guide waiting for you on the other side of the customs building.

But you will need this when you disembark :

1.Your passport
2.A copy of your passport.
3. Your tickets from your private tour guide verifying that you do have a local private tour guide waiting for you on the other side of the Customs Building.

4. On Day #1.. Customs will keep the copy of your passport and hand you back your original passport booklet.

5. Customs will give you a Red Card, this is your pass for the day...don't lose it, you have to hand it in on your way back through Customs after Day 1

6. Day 2 ...the next day , you do NOT have to have a copy of your passport ...just your Original passport, which they stamp and give right back to you.

Red October and Alla are two very good local Tour Companies and if you contact either one of them....they will handle your paper work smooth as glass. :)

Oh yes, if you have no local tour company guide booked and you are not taking the ship's tour...then you might as well stay on the ship.............

because ,brother!! you are not going anyway.( unless of course you got your own visa before you left.)

If you should get your own visa(I do not recommend this),then you will disembark and be standing in a shipyard about 35 minutes from the city with little or NO taxis available.

Percy

Thanks guys ,
Last time we were cruising one bottle of wine was approx $36.00 us on our exchange rates at the time that was one very expensibve bottle of wine . Fifteen nites later .boy i could have almost booked another cruise ...
our ports are Copenhagen , Stockholm , tallin, helsinki .
The wine package is your choice of wine at lunch and dinner , i am checking if there is a limited number of glasses per serve .Hubby drinks red , i like very sweet white .

Many of us here have done your ports of Call.

So if you have any question about specific places...just ask
.

Percy

Thanks Percy ,
Well the questions did you do the ships tours for these ports or the hop on hop off busses in Cities such as Copenhagen , Stockholm and Helsinki, We are going to do the private tours off St Petes thans for your advise on this . I would like to see the royal palace in Copenhagen because of Princess Mary , but as time is very limited this may not happen Any places you can recommend . I read alot of the talk advise and am certainly learning from it . Thanks

yakka

If your cruise is leaving from Copenhagen then come to Copenhagen about 2-3 days ealier and thatway you will see all you want to see.

There are several Palaces and Castles in Copenhagen ..but if you are referring to the Royal Palace...then

that one is at Fredenborg and it is out of the City of Copenhagen.

What you should do is get a private tour guide, she( he) will show you the major sites in Copenhagen ( ie ,like the Little Mermaid , the Stroget,the City Hall Square etc.) then you will head out to the contryside.

Let me explain some of the Castles and Palaces to you because I am sure you will get mixed up reading about them!!

1. Amalienborg Palace... this is in Copenhagen near the canal.
There are four identical building set at corners almost like a baseball diamond.

The Royal Family has offices in some of these four building but not all of them.

2. Fredenborg Castle/Place outside of the City is the Royal Family's Summer Home.

3. Since you are Fredenborg you might as well go to Frederiksborg Castle..this is a very nice place in the middle of the town of Frederiksborg....
4. From here...

go to Kronborg Castle.
You will like this place,the Shakespeare play Hamlet is done here every August/September.

The Kronborg Castle is at the closest point of Denmark to Sweden and you can stand on the Castle grounds and look across the water at Sweden.

From here(Kronborg) drive back to Copenhagen (with your tour guide ) along what is called "The Copenhagen Riveria"....

on your way stop off at Karen Blixen's Estate...visit her gravesite under this huge lovely tree.
(What !! you are asking me who is Karen Blixen?? one of Denmrk's most famous authors... a movie was made from the book she wrote entitled O-- o- A-----!!!

Anyway since you are passing right by here place it is worth to stop in.

Okay back in Copenhagen, and in the middle of the city is Christianborg Palace...you will spent some time here.... for sure.

Also not far away ( walking distance is the Rosenborg Castle with the Danish Crown Jewels.

I think you have had enough Castle and Palace names for now.!!

Percy