First time cruisers going to Scandinavia
 

DH and I are seasoned European travelers and usually plan trips on our own. After taking a Viking River Cruise in 2016 we decided to book a Viking Ocean Cruise to Scandinavia next year. We are in our 60s and moderately active. We've already been told to arrive a day early to the departure city and to take something for sea sickness (I crossed the Channel on a ferry during rough seas 30 years ago with no issues but one can change in 3 decades). What advice would you seasoned cruisers give to newbees?

Can you go in more than a day early? It could be nice to see some of that city before you go and it would give you more time to get over jet lag assuming you are coming from a long way away.

For ocean cruises it is recommended to get a cabin low and amidships if there is any question of motion sickness. We usually do though we get a balcony which is on the higher decks.

What about excursions? If you are going to SPB which most Scandanavian cruises do you will need a Russian visa but if you book a tour with either the ship or one of several good Russian tour groups w=then this suffices for your visa.

What are your ports? Except for SPB most are doable on your own.

Do be aware you will cross several time zones so be sure you arena the right time for the next day. You should be reminded of that onboard several times.

As for mal de mer its always best to be prepared as meds obtained on board will be quite costly so yes get them before you go.

Jacketwatch, we are considering whether to stay additional nights in our first port, Bergen, or the last, Copenhagen. We like the idea of visiting ports on our own when possible. This cruise visits Bergen,Stavanger, Kristiansand and Oslo in Norway; Gothenborg Sweden where we will visit a friend, Alborg and Copenhagen in Denmark. I think all are in the same time zone. There is also a stop in Warnemunde to visit Berlin but we are going to forgo 6 hours on a bus and look into other excursions. We have a balcony cabin midship. Thanks for the advice about taking sea sick remedies with us. We also plan to consult with our doctors before we go.

Ok, I see, this is not a Baltic cruise. Does it go to the Scandinavian fiords?

There is one day in the fjord(s).

For Warnemunde, look at Friends of Dave Tours. We had a great time with them.
We spent several days in Copenhagen, friendly and walkable with lots to do. We were there during jazz festival, even better.

I always recommend Sailor's Secret to those concerned about sea sickness. My husband is very sensitive to motion. We found Sailor's Secret in the sundry shop on board the ship, and he found that it worked almost instantly. It is a ginger capsule, and can be found on Amazon very inexpensively.

Quick comments:
Ginger works best for motion sickness
Spend extra time in Copenhagen
Look into Schwerin Castle and Rostock for Warnemunde

Thank you lyn, burta and Eschew I will look into these.

As the OP I thought I would provide an update. We are actually sailing on the Viking Sky which gave us pause when the ship was in distress. Apparently Viking cancelled only one cruise date and the Sky is underway again having departed from Copenhagen this weekend. I was surprised they could put everything to rights so quickly. I'm glad our cruise is later this summer, not the first one after the incident.

We have decided to reserve a few included excursions but will see most ports on our own and maintain our own schedule. Oslo will take further research and I have started planning our own walking tour of Copenhagen so we see everything there that we want. Our last stop of the cruise will be Tivoli Gardens which I loved at twilight in 1983. I expect we will splurge on a taxi to return to the ship that evening.

I sailed last summer on Viking Sky. It's a wonderful ship, and I'm sure you'll have a nice time. I did some but not all the ports you did (I did a Norway/Scotland cruise ending in London). Everything should be back to normal on the ship by the time you sail.

My advice would be to spend the extra time in Copenhagen, where there's much more to see than in Bergen, which can keep you busy for a couple of days but probably no more.

The concierge on Viking Sky keeps non-drowsy Bonine, and they gladly hand it out for free when seas are rough. If you think you need something more potent or long-lasting, then talk to your doctor about a patch, but otherwise, you don't need to buy expensive remedies unless you are really prone to seasickness. There are definitely places on the west coast of Norway where the seas can be rough even in summer, so it's possible you'll need something at least one day, but most of the cruise will likely be pretty smooth unless there's an unexpected summer storm.

And if there's anything else you want to know about the ship, I'd be happy to answer questions.

Oslo - Frogner Park is a must stop (a bit further way) and Akershus Fortress is right at the harbour front. Some nice museums and the Palace and Cathedral are all near each other. Skip the Ski jump / museum which is a favorite for some people.
Copenhagen - look into the Church of Our Savior. If the weather is nice (not windy), you should take the external winding staircase onto the roof. The view is stunning. It is on the other side of the canal and maybe a bit of a walk. It looks far but in reality, it's not.

For sea sickness- ginger pills, ginger ale, green apples, crackers, acupressure wrist bands. Always keep your belly full with light food and no liquids. Starchy food helps the most. If none helps than take a Dramamine or Bonine, but make sure they are non-drowsy.
Copenhagen-We enjoyed Tivoli Gardens ( you can easily spend the whole day there)
Oslo-It happened to be a gay parade when we were there, and they had concert organized in the center. It was June, and I am sure for the summer they have a lot of things organized. The Holmenkollen Ski Museum is worth visiting too.
Warnemunde- It is an adorable place. You can easily do it on your own and there is so much to see and do. We booked the whole day tour to Berlin with Anastasia Travel and I highly recommend them if you want to visit Berlin from Warnemunde. Berlin is something you must see in your lifetime.

Thank you for the advice on sea sickness and keeping something in our stomachs. We hope it won't be a problem but its been over 30 years since I crossed the channel in rough seas so my reactions may have changed over the decades. I appreciate know that there is much to do in Warnemunde as we will not be making the trek to Berlin. That will have to wait for another trip.