Oceania Insignia

Cruising on Oceania Insignia ship July 25-August 8, 2011
Scandinavian Splendours
The Port Intensive 2 week cruise is going to be jam packed.
Anyone sailed this itinerary before ?
Anyone with experience and reviews of your port calls in:
Helsinki, Finland
St.Petersburg,Russia
Tallinn,Estonia
Riga,Latvia
Visby,Sweden
Copenhagen,Denmark
Berlin(Warnemunde) Germany
Kiel Canal Transit, Germany
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bruges(Zeebrugge) Netherlands
London,Dover Port, UK
First experience with Oceania but have previously cruised on Crystal,
Princess, Club Med, America West and Delta Queen


Jo Tambornino Chayer

As others have said regarding Copenhagen, there are canal bout tours
leaving quite regularly that, should you circumnavigate over the
course of an hour and a half, will get you some really impressive
views of various landmarks in the city. The Little Mermaid is
scheduled to return to its usual resting place in the harbour this
year from the Expo 2010 pavilion in China, and aside from the boat
there isn't any other way to really see it that makes sense.

Once off there, I would personally skip Nyhavn (outrageously priced
and overtly touristy) and instead go down some of the alley ways for
more affordable cuisine. Truth be told, people in Copenhagen eat hot
dogs and chocolate milk. If you want an "authentic Copenhagen
experience", you're better off getting one of the wildly made up hot
dogs through the various carts and trucks you'll see. There's some
good ones near the main square by town hall. As far as museums go, the
Nationalmuseum is free to enter and pretty expansive. You could kill
hours there. For art, there's the Ny Carlsburg Glypotek which is
located near the south entrance of Tivoli. Tivoli, as much as I love
the place, is a night time destination. Further, its more than likely
going to be where you'll have the best meal you'll eat ashore should
you choose to dine there. Don't be fooled into thinking the food is
lousy because its an amusement park - locals buy season passes so they
can go and eat there. Two of the 34 food locations have Michelin
stars. You can spend as little or as much as you want. I've spent
$4.50 on a hot dog and $250 on The Paul's tasting menu.

Stockholm has a number of boats that cruise the harbour. Again, like
Copenhagen, this is a must do. As far as museums go, the best the city
will offer are over in the Djurgarden island - Vasa, Skansen, and the
Scandic Museum are located there. If you want art, I'm fond of the
Modern Museet located on the island of Skeppsholmen, located just
across the waterway from Djurgarden. The Vasa is, in our opinion, the
absolute must do attraction in the city. If you don't get to Tivoli
and want a taste of what it might be like, consider getting a day pass
for the waterway boats - it comes with free entry to Grona Lund
(located near the Vasa Museum on Djurgarden) and has a couple decent
sit down restaurants and bars in addition to all the fun that the
scandic amusement parks can offer. The fun house is, quite seriously,
the best operating in the entire world and you will never, ever find
anything like it in North America.

More on Copenhagen & Stockholm:

Copenhagen - Agree on the canal tour boats. If we're visiting a city
with canals, rivers or a port that offers a boat tour, we're usually
on it. However, the Copenhagen tour was especially delightful - and
convenient.

If your cruise begins or ends at Copenhagen, I recommend staying a
couple of extra nights. As the previous poster mentioned Tivoli is
basically a nighttime attraction and I second the comment on the food,
When we visited a couple of years ago, we met a local who showed us
around and we ate a very reasonable dish (highly uncommon in
Copenhagen!) which is a local favorite. It was called Fisherman's
Plate - and consisted of a hearty baked meal of mixed roast pork and
potatoes served family style (it's so named because the Fishermen ate
it upon their return, it has no fish) - and free refills on request.

IF you have a spare day and you enjoy modern art, I heartily recommend
the Louisiana Museum just outside of town. It's a very convenient
train ride and a short (10-15 min) walk (there are signs). The museum
has an extensive (and somewhat interestingly idiosyncratic) collection
in a beautiful estate on the sea. Not only is the art interesting and
the setting amazing, the curation was wonderful. Time and again, I'd
enter a gallery and see witty connections (almost conversations) among
pieces in the same gallery. It's about a 4-5 hour day trip.

Stockholm - Agree - you must see the Vasa museum. Again, the public
transit is convenient. No need to sign up for an excursion.

Mark

If your cruise begins or ends at Copenhagen, I recommend staying a
couple of extra nights. As the previous poster mentioned Tivoli is
basically a nighttime attraction and I second the comment on the food,
When we visited a couple of years ago, we met a local who showed us
around and we ate a very reasonable dish (highly uncommon in
Copenhagen!) which is a local favorite. It was called Fisherman's
Plate - and consisted of a hearty baked meal of mixed roast pork and
potatoes served family style (it's so named because the Fishermen ate
it upon their return, it has no fish) - and free refills on request.

I think this might be served at Groften, which is located not far from
the main entrance on the northern side of the park. That's the
"traditional Danish" restaurant that one can pig out at should they be
really into herring. If price is no option but time is, Paaflugen and
Cafe Ketchup are good choices also for meals at the park. Divan 2 has
a solid reputation also.

Stockholm - Agree - you must see the Vasa museum. Again, the public
transit is convenient. No need to sign up for an excursion.

I should note too - the easiest way to the Vasa from the cruise port
is probably by the scenic boat rides, since they show up close to the
cruise port. If you want to get to the center of the the city after
visiting the Vasa, line 7 of the Stockholm metro system also happens
to be a special above ground line featuring the occasional historic
tram.

On Feb 11, 7:36*pm, GodsOnSafari wrote

I think this might be served at Groften, which is located not far from
the main entrance on the northern side of the park. That's the
"traditional Danish" restaurant that one can pig out at should they be
really into herring. If price is no option but time is, Paaflugen and
Cafe Ketchup are good choices also for meals at the park. Divan 2 has
a solid reputation also.

That may be the case, I recall it was next to a major bandshell area
where the Copenhagen or Danish National Orchestra were performing.
IIRC, the item I mentioned was a great deal (especially considering
the location, the quanitity and the quality). In any event, the
evening was magical. I'll always remember soaring above Copenhagen on
the twirling swing seat ride - with the City Hall tower and the
twinkly lights, it reminded me of a real life version of the
Disneyland Peter Pan dark house ride as you soar over the twinkly
little lights of London. (Thought you'd appreciate the reference, GoS)

I should note too - the easiest way to the Vasa from the cruise port
is probably by the scenic boat rides, since they show up close to the
cruise port. If you want to get to the center of the the city after
visiting the Vasa, line 7 of the Stockholm metro system also happens
to be a special above ground line featuring the occasional historic
tram.

Especially considering your ship, you'll likely dock there, but we
docked in a secondary, more industrial port - so those connections
weren't available.
In any event, there was an information booth where they sold bus
passes and gave us instructions and a map. It was an easy ride. (The
bus left us off at the bridge across from the Vasa, we took the ferry
across to the old town and took the same bus back to the ship, If I
recall correctly)

One more item on Tallinn - Be sure to ask a local about the Song
Festival. There was a recent Oscar-nominated documentary about it
called "The Singing Revolution." It's a festival where every (some
number) years the nation comes together to sing. For years and years,
through different occupations, they still held the festival. It's how
they kept their culture alive. I'll never forget my friend telling us
of the first festival after independence when hundreds of thousands of
Estonians sang their national anthem - his eyes were moist as mine are
recalling it. I'm sure most Estonians have a story about the festival
and would love to tell it. The amphitheater where they hold it, a few
kilometers out of town is quite impressive and also provides a great
photo opportunity of the ship in the distance.

Mark

"GodsOnSafari" wrote in message
...

As others have said regarding Copenhagen, there are canal bout tours
leaving quite regularly that, should you circumnavigate over the
course of an hour and a half, will get you some really impressive
views of various landmarks in the city. The Little Mermaid is
scheduled to return to its usual resting place in the harbour this
year from the Expo 2010 pavilion in China, and aside from the boat
there isn't any other way to really see it that makes sense.

Once off there, I would personally skip Nyhavn (outrageously priced
and overtly touristy) and instead go down some of the alley ways for
more affordable cuisine. Truth be told, people in Copenhagen eat hot
dogs and chocolate milk. If you want an "authentic Copenhagen
experience", you're better off getting one of the wildly made up hot
dogs through the various carts and trucks you'll see. There's some
good ones near the main square by town hall. As far as museums go, the
Nationalmuseum is free to enter and pretty expansive. You could kill
hours there. For art, there's the Ny Carlsburg Glypotek which is
located near the south entrance of Tivoli. Tivoli, as much as I love
the place, is a night time destination. Further, its more than likely
going to be where you'll have the best meal you'll eat ashore should
you choose to dine there. Don't be fooled into thinking the food is
lousy because its an amusement park - locals buy season passes so they
can go and eat there. Two of the 34 food locations have Michelin
stars. You can spend as little or as much as you want. I've spent
$4.50 on a hot dog and $250 on The Paul's tasting menu.

Stockholm has a number of boats that cruise the harbour. Again, like
Copenhagen, this is a must do. As far as museums go, the best the city
will offer are over in the Djurgarden island - Vasa, Skansen, and the
Scandic Museum are located there. If you want art, I'm fond of the
Modern Museet located on the island of Skeppsholmen, located just
across the waterway from Djurgarden. The Vasa is, in our opinion, the
absolute must do attraction in the city. If you don't get to Tivoli
and want a taste of what it might be like, consider getting a day pass
for the waterway boats - it comes with free entry to Grona Lund
(located near the Vasa Museum on Djurgarden) and has a couple decent
sit down restaurants and bars in addition to all the fun that the
scandic amusement parks can offer. The fun house is, quite seriously,
the best operating in the entire world and you will never, ever find
anything like it in North America.


....thanks for the help...all the info will help me sort through the choices
and decisions

Jo Tambornino Chayer

"Mark (SF)" wrote in message
...

More on Copenhagen & Stockholm:

Copenhagen - Agree on the canal tour boats. If we're visiting a city
with canals, rivers or a port that offers a boat tour, we're usually
on it. However, the Copenhagen tour was especially delightful - and
convenient.

If your cruise begins or ends at Copenhagen, I recommend staying a
couple of extra nights. As the previous poster mentioned Tivoli is
basically a nighttime attraction and I second the comment on the food,
When we visited a couple of years ago, we met a local who showed us
around and we ate a very reasonable dish (highly uncommon in
Copenhagen!) which is a local favorite. It was called Fisherman's
Plate - and consisted of a hearty baked meal of mixed roast pork and
potatoes served family style (it's so named because the Fishermen ate
it upon their return, it has no fish) - and free refills on request.

IF you have a spare day and you enjoy modern art, I heartily recommend
the Louisiana Museum just outside of town. It's a very convenient
train ride and a short (10-15 min) walk (there are signs). The museum
has an extensive (and somewhat interestingly idiosyncratic) collection
in a beautiful estate on the sea. Not only is the art interesting and
the setting amazing, the curation was wonderful. Time and again, I'd
enter a gallery and see witty connections (almost conversations) among
pieces in the same gallery. It's about a 4-5 hour day trip.

Stockholm - Agree - you must see the Vasa museum. Again, the public
transit is convenient. No need to sign up for an excursion.

Mark




....thanks, Mark...getting a lot of useful info on the board
Jo Tambornino Chayer

"GodsOnSafari" wrote in message
...

If your cruise begins or ends at Copenhagen, I recommend staying a
couple of extra nights. As the previous poster mentioned Tivoli is
basically a nighttime attraction and I second the comment on the food,
When we visited a couple of years ago, we met a local who showed us
around and we ate a very reasonable dish (highly uncommon in
Copenhagen!) which is a local favorite. It was called Fisherman's
Plate - and consisted of a hearty baked meal of mixed roast pork and
potatoes served family style (it's so named because the Fishermen ate
it upon their return, it has no fish) - and free refills on request.

I think this might be served at Groften, which is located not far from
the main entrance on the northern side of the park. That's the
"traditional Danish" restaurant that one can pig out at should they be
really into herring. If price is no option but time is, Paaflugen and
Cafe Ketchup are good choices also for meals at the park. Divan 2 has
a solid reputation also.

Stockholm - Agree - you must see the Vasa museum. Again, the public
transit is convenient. No need to sign up for an excursion.

I should note too - the easiest way to the Vasa from the cruise port
is probably by the scenic boat rides, since they show up close to the
cruise port. If you want to get to the center of the the city after
visiting the Vasa, line 7 of the Stockholm metro system also happens
to be a special above ground line featuring the occasional historic
tram.
....thanks we are staying a few days pre trip in Stockholm and will be seeing
the Vasa Museum on our own...not a ships tour.
Jo Tambornino Chayer

"Mark (SF)" wrote in message
...

On Feb 11, 7:36 pm, GodsOnSafari wrote

I think this might be served at Groften, which is located not far from
the main entrance on the northern side of the park. That's the
"traditional Danish" restaurant that one can pig out at should they be
really into herring. If price is no option but time is, Paaflugen and
Cafe Ketchup are good choices also for meals at the park. Divan 2 has
a solid reputation also.

That may be the case, I recall it was next to a major bandshell area
where the Copenhagen or Danish National Orchestra were performing.
IIRC, the item I mentioned was a great deal (especially considering
the location, the quanitity and the quality). In any event, the
evening was magical. I'll always remember soaring above Copenhagen on
the twirling swing seat ride - with the City Hall tower and the
twinkly lights, it reminded me of a real life version of the
Disneyland Peter Pan dark house ride as you soar over the twinkly
little lights of London. (Thought you'd appreciate the reference, GoS)

I should note too - the easiest way to the Vasa from the cruise port
is probably by the scenic boat rides, since they show up close to the
cruise port. If you want to get to the center of the the city after
visiting the Vasa, line 7 of the Stockholm metro system also happens
to be a special above ground line featuring the occasional historic
tram.

Especially considering your ship, you'll likely dock there, but we
docked in a secondary, more industrial port - so those connections
weren't available.
In any event, there was an information booth where they sold bus
passes and gave us instructions and a map. It was an easy ride. (The
bus left us off at the bridge across from the Vasa, we took the ferry
across to the old town and took the same bus back to the ship, If I
recall correctly)

One more item on Tallinn - Be sure to ask a local about the Song
Festival. There was a recent Oscar-nominated documentary about it
called "The Singing Revolution." It's a festival where every (some
number) years the nation comes together to sing. For years and years,
through different occupations, they still held the festival. It's how
they kept their culture alive. I'll never forget my friend telling us
of the first festival after independence when hundreds of thousands of
Estonians sang their national anthem - his eyes were moist as mine are
recalling it. I'm sure most Estonians have a story about the festival
and would love to tell it. The amphitheater where they hold it, a few
kilometers out of town is quite impressive and also provides a great
photo opportunity of the ship in the distance.

Mark

....all of this is just great info...we want to see what there is to see but
in a limited time it is good to know how we can do this on our own w/o ships
tours when on our own is just as easy.
Jo Tambornino Chayer