To go on a Baltic cruise holiday is something which I would most definitely recommend and after a highly enjoyable trip around the Baltic nations last year, I cannot wait until August when it will be time to enjoy another. I have been on quite a few cruises in the last decade and they are my preferred type of vacation at the moment and this trip to the Baltic was probably my favorite of them all. If this is the type of trip which you fancy then here are some tips on making sure that you get the most out of a cruise like this.
Early Bird
I would recommend that you get to the point of embarking at least 1 day early. The reason for this is simple, if you are not there then the ship will leave without you, no questions asked. Speaking with someone on the cruise they told me a story about how their flight from London to Copenhagen was delayed and they had to get a different flight. Unfortunately there were people on that original flight who didn’t make it to Copenhagen and so they missed the boat entirely, and there wonderful cruise experience, not to mention the money.
Paying Off Deck
As you can well imagine there aren’t too many ports which will offer you sun, sea and sand so you will need to get creative with your excursions to make the most out of each port visit. Buying tickets for these on-deck will always be more expensive that finding an operator on-shore and these will be the best people to buy from, as long as you can guarantee that you’ll be back to the ship in time. As long as you can get a guarantee like this then you can save a lot of money and still have a brilliant time.
Port Guide
Here are a few tips on some of the ports which you may visit.
Helsinki – Cool and small city, if you wish to see the attractions then take a tour as they are pretty far away from the port.
Oslo – The tour bus passes right by the port which means that no excursion is required, simply grab a ticket and then hop on and off as you please.
Talinn – The Estonian capital also has the Turibus passing right by the port and they will whisk you around all of the sights and guide you through the city.
Warnemunde – Berlin is reachable and touted as an option from this port but with a 6 hour round trip it simply isn’t worth it. The best plan here is to visit Warnemunde and the surrounding villages which are very interesting to explore.
Stockholm – I would recommend an excursion here in Stockholm as the port is not central and the sights are widely spread out. If you are short on time then a tour may be off the cards, instead head to the center of town and simply wander around a beautiful capital city.
A Baltic cruise is fun and fascinating in equal measure and I have no doubt that you will enjoy yourself immensely.