Oceania Insignia

July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise Critic and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med, and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer

On Feb 11, 7:17*am, "Jo Tambornino Chayer" wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise Critic and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med, and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.
- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port
- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

Enjoy!
Mark

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

On Feb 11, 7:17 am, "Jo Tambornino Chayer" wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise Critic
and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med, and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.
- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port
- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

Enjoy!
Mark
thanks, Mark...we have signed on for a private tour to hold a space but
could change if we hear about a better "way"....getting our own Visa's seems
like a hassle but perhaps not.
We definitely are going into Berlin with a private tour group...I'll check
out the Tallinn report




Jo Tambornino Chayer

On 2/11/11 11:04 AM, Mark (SF) wrote:
On Feb 11, 7:17 am, "Jo Tambornino wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise Critic and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med, and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.
- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port
- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

Enjoy!
Mark

In Copenhagen, you want to get down to Nyhavn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyhavn

It's the famous wharf area where all the Copenhagen pictures are taken.
Hop on one of the canal boats to get a ride around the canals. Very
nice. Once back, get something to eat and drink in Nyhavn. Then wander
the cobblestone streets down toward Tivoli Garden. It's a nice walk,
maybe a couple of miles, but you go past wonderful streets and shops
(Armani, Rolex, Luis Vuittan, etc.). If your ship stays long enough to
do Tivoli Garden at night, that's a wonderful treat. It was the worlds
first amusement park. A bit "tacky" but that's part of the charm.

Amsterdam is a large city. Tons of stuff to do, including the
Rijksmuseum (with a huge collection of Rembrandts and several Vermeers).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum_Amsterdam

There is Anne Frank Haus, for those interested in the story and short
life of Anne Frank.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_House

The flower gardens are famous, along with some of the "weeds" you can
buy there. A canal boat ride there is a must do as well. And if you're
there in the evening, there is of course the world famous "Red Light
District".

In Stockholm, there is the famous Old Town where you can spend a day
wandering and strolling around. There's a good hop on hop off bus
system in Stockholm.

I kind of found Helsinki a bit boring. I didn't think there was much to
do there. I liked Tallinn 10 times more. Follow Mark's lead there.
Just stroll around. Have a local micro beer. It's that kind of place.
Wonderful old shops.

Just as a "curiosity"... there is the worlds second longest suspension
bridge in the world that ships sail under while sailing between the 2
large islands of Denmark (it's not the bridge you see from Copenhagen).
When we sailed there, we had an escort of a half dozen dolphins for a
while in front of the ship's bow. Note that the larger ships can't sail
southward from Copenhage, they must sail north, and then around the left
side of the island of Zealand (where Copenhagen is located). Not sure
about a smaller ship like Oceania has.

--Tom

"Tom K" wrote in message ...

On 2/11/11 11:04 AM, Mark (SF) wrote:
On Feb 11, 7:17 am, "Jo Tambornino wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise Critic
and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med, and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.
- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port
- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

Enjoy!
Mark

In Copenhagen, you want to get down to Nyhavn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyhavn

It's the famous wharf area where all the Copenhagen pictures are taken.
Hop on one of the canal boats to get a ride around the canals. Very
nice. Once back, get something to eat and drink in Nyhavn. Then wander
the cobblestone streets down toward Tivoli Garden. It's a nice walk,
maybe a couple of miles, but you go past wonderful streets and shops
(Armani, Rolex, Luis Vuittan, etc.). If your ship stays long enough to
do Tivoli Garden at night, that's a wonderful treat. It was the worlds
first amusement park. A bit "tacky" but that's part of the charm.

Amsterdam is a large city. Tons of stuff to do, including the
Rijksmuseum (with a huge collection of Rembrandts and several Vermeers).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum_Amsterdam

There is Anne Frank Haus, for those interested in the story and short
life of Anne Frank.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_House

The flower gardens are famous, along with some of the "weeds" you can
buy there. A canal boat ride there is a must do as well. And if you're
there in the evening, there is of course the world famous "Red Light
District".

In Stockholm, there is the famous Old Town where you can spend a day
wandering and strolling around. There's a good hop on hop off bus
system in Stockholm.

I kind of found Helsinki a bit boring. I didn't think there was much to
do there. I liked Tallinn 10 times more. Follow Mark's lead there.
Just stroll around. Have a local micro beer. It's that kind of place.
Wonderful old shops.

Just as a "curiosity"... there is the worlds second longest suspension
bridge in the world that ships sail under while sailing between the 2
large islands of Denmark (it's not the bridge you see from Copenhagen).
When we sailed there, we had an escort of a half dozen dolphins for a
while in front of the ship's bow. Note that the larger ships can't sail
southward from Copenhage, they must sail north, and then around the left
side of the island of Zealand (where Copenhagen is located). Not sure
about a smaller ship like Oceania has.

--Tom
thanks, Tom. I have done the research on these ports and read the cruise
critic stuff but it is always better to have a first hand suggestion from
those who are regulars here. Was it just my imagination that you wrote about
your St. Petersburg experience...quite possibly you had a private tour with
someone you could recommend.

Jo Tambornino Chayer

On Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:04:18 -0800 (PST), "Mark (SF)"
wrote:

On Feb 11, 7:17*am, "Jo Tambornino Chayer" wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise Critic and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med, and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.

Second this recommendation enthusiastically. One thing the non-ship
tour guide did for us was to get us early admission to the Hermitage.

- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port

We didn't go on a ship's tour - we just got the shuttle into town and
I picked up a bike-rickshaw driver who gave us a really nice tour for
an hour.

- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

I was here on HAL and the ship had a tour that took us in and we saw
east and west Berlin an then went out on a boat to Potsdam. I was
interested in doing Potsdam because my daughter and mother went there
in 1976 and my mother almost got arrested for taking a picture from
inside the east side of the boarder. It was a really long day -
started at 6 and got in after dinner, although they held dinner for
us.

Copenhagen - our cruise started from here and had a few days here. We
did take the hop-on-hop-off (HOHO) bus here. Sometimes a ship will
be right on this bus line. There's also a HOHO ferry system. We also
went to Tivoli which I remember from when I was a young teen.

Stockholm - I should have done the harbor tour which I think you can
do without taking a cruise excursion. Also you probably will want to
get out to the boat museums (Vasa, Viking and Kon Tiki).

Helsinki - We took a city tour which went out into the country where
we saw an old church and a farm. We got to sample some local food.

Amsterdam - I was advised by friends that for a limited time I should
skip Anne Frank as there isn't much to see and there are very long
lines. We took the HOHO canal boat tours (we were not there on the
ship which docked in Rotterdam). The main thing we did here other
than the HOHO boat was go to the Van Gogh museum. There is also an
extensive Rembrandt museum.

On 2/11/11 2:19 PM, Jo Tambornino Chayer wrote:
"Tom K" wrote in message ...

On 2/11/11 11:04 AM, Mark (SF) wrote:
On Feb 11, 7:17 am, "Jo Tambornino wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise
Critic and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med,
and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.
- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port
- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

Enjoy!
Mark

In Copenhagen, you want to get down to Nyhavn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyhavn

It's the famous wharf area where all the Copenhagen pictures are taken.
Hop on one of the canal boats to get a ride around the canals. Very
nice. Once back, get something to eat and drink in Nyhavn. Then wander
the cobblestone streets down toward Tivoli Garden. It's a nice walk,
maybe a couple of miles, but you go past wonderful streets and shops
(Armani, Rolex, Luis Vuittan, etc.). If your ship stays long enough to
do Tivoli Garden at night, that's a wonderful treat. It was the worlds
first amusement park. A bit "tacky" but that's part of the charm.

Amsterdam is a large city. Tons of stuff to do, including the
Rijksmuseum (with a huge collection of Rembrandts and several Vermeers).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum_Amsterdam

There is Anne Frank Haus, for those interested in the story and short
life of Anne Frank.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_House

The flower gardens are famous, along with some of the "weeds" you can
buy there. A canal boat ride there is a must do as well. And if you're
there in the evening, there is of course the world famous "Red Light
District".

In Stockholm, there is the famous Old Town where you can spend a day
wandering and strolling around. There's a good hop on hop off bus
system in Stockholm.

I kind of found Helsinki a bit boring. I didn't think there was much to
do there. I liked Tallinn 10 times more. Follow Mark's lead there.
Just stroll around. Have a local micro beer. It's that kind of place.
Wonderful old shops.

Just as a "curiosity"... there is the worlds second longest suspension
bridge in the world that ships sail under while sailing between the 2
large islands of Denmark (it's not the bridge you see from Copenhagen).
When we sailed there, we had an escort of a half dozen dolphins for a
while in front of the ship's bow. Note that the larger ships can't sail
southward from Copenhage, they must sail north, and then around the left
side of the island of Zealand (where Copenhagen is located). Not sure
about a smaller ship like Oceania has.

--Tom
thanks, Tom. I have done the research on these ports and read the cruise
critic stuff but it is always better to have a first hand suggestion
from those who are regulars here. Was it just my imagination that you
wrote about your St. Petersburg experience...quite possibly you had a
private tour with someone you could recommend.

Jo Tambornino Chayer


We used Red October in St. Petersburg. We went to Catherine's Palace,
Peterhoff Palace, several churches, and a river boat cruise.

--Tom

wrote in message ...

On Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:04:18 -0800 (PST), "Mark (SF)"
wrote:

On Feb 11, 7:17 am, "Jo Tambornino Chayer" wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise Critic
and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med, and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.

Second this recommendation enthusiastically. One thing the non-ship
tour guide did for us was to get us early admission to the Hermitage.

- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port

We didn't go on a ship's tour - we just got the shuttle into town and
I picked up a bike-rickshaw driver who gave us a really nice tour for
an hour.

- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

I was here on HAL and the ship had a tour that took us in and we saw
east and west Berlin an then went out on a boat to Potsdam. I was
interested in doing Potsdam because my daughter and mother went there
in 1976 and my mother almost got arrested for taking a picture from
inside the east side of the boarder. It was a really long day -
started at 6 and got in after dinner, although they held dinner for
us.

Copenhagen - our cruise started from here and had a few days here. We
did take the hop-on-hop-off (HOHO) bus here. Sometimes a ship will
be right on this bus line. There's also a HOHO ferry system. We also
went to Tivoli which I remember from when I was a young teen.

Stockholm - I should have done the harbor tour which I think you can
do without taking a cruise excursion. Also you probably will want to
get out to the boat museums (Vasa, Viking and Kon Tiki).

Helsinki - We took a city tour which went out into the country where
we saw an old church and a farm. We got to sample some local food.

Amsterdam - I was advised by friends that for a limited time I should
skip Anne Frank as there isn't much to see and there are very long
lines. We took the HOHO canal boat tours (we were not there on the
ship which docked in Rotterdam). The main thing we did here other
than the HOHO boat was go to the Van Gogh museum. There is also an
extensive Rembrandt museum.


....thanks for the info...I will add that to my list
Jo Tambornino Chayer

"Tom K" wrote in message ...

On 2/11/11 2:19 PM, Jo Tambornino Chayer wrote:
"Tom K" wrote in message ...

On 2/11/11 11:04 AM, Mark (SF) wrote:
On Feb 11, 7:17 am, "Jo Tambornino wrote:
July 25-August 8
Ports of call: Stockholm, Helsinki,St.Petersburg,Tallinn,Riga,
Visby,Copenhagen,Warnemunde(Berlin),Amsterdam,Brug es(Zeebrugge) and
London(Dover)
Looking for suggestions as to these ports...I have been to Cruise
Critic and
now looking here.
First time on this ship but have cruised Crystal, Princess, Club Med,
and
America West.
Thanks

Jo Tambornino Chayer


My advice for some of the ports:
- St Petersburg - investigate third-party tours (CC will have details
on specific providers) Hopefully, you'll get to dock downtown and not
on the island (which is isolated in the evening when they raise the
drawbridges) If you're adventurous (or have a private guide, as we
did) - the process for a Russian Visa isn't all that difficult or
expensive, scare stories nothwithstanding. You DO NOT need one if
you're on a ship's tour or one of the 3rd party group tours, however,
if you have one, you've got total flexibility.
- Talinn - there's a great walking tour posted on CC - highly
recommended. This is a great and convenient port
- Warnemunde - if your ship gets in early enough, you'll have time to
catch the fast train to Berlin at the station which is adjacent to the
port (very short walk) - A couple of years ago a fellow named
"Heinbloed" had a wealth of info (he lives there)

Enjoy!
Mark

In Copenhagen, you want to get down to Nyhavn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyhavn

It's the famous wharf area where all the Copenhagen pictures are taken.
Hop on one of the canal boats to get a ride around the canals. Very
nice. Once back, get something to eat and drink in Nyhavn. Then wander
the cobblestone streets down toward Tivoli Garden. It's a nice walk,
maybe a couple of miles, but you go past wonderful streets and shops
(Armani, Rolex, Luis Vuittan, etc.). If your ship stays long enough to
do Tivoli Garden at night, that's a wonderful treat. It was the worlds
first amusement park. A bit "tacky" but that's part of the charm.

Amsterdam is a large city. Tons of stuff to do, including the
Rijksmuseum (with a huge collection of Rembrandts and several Vermeers).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum_Amsterdam

There is Anne Frank Haus, for those interested in the story and short
life of Anne Frank.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_House

The flower gardens are famous, along with some of the "weeds" you can
buy there. A canal boat ride there is a must do as well. And if you're
there in the evening, there is of course the world famous "Red Light
District".

In Stockholm, there is the famous Old Town where you can spend a day
wandering and strolling around. There's a good hop on hop off bus
system in Stockholm.

I kind of found Helsinki a bit boring. I didn't think there was much to
do there. I liked Tallinn 10 times more. Follow Mark's lead there.
Just stroll around. Have a local micro beer. It's that kind of place.
Wonderful old shops.

Just as a "curiosity"... there is the worlds second longest suspension
bridge in the world that ships sail under while sailing between the 2
large islands of Denmark (it's not the bridge you see from Copenhagen).
When we sailed there, we had an escort of a half dozen dolphins for a
while in front of the ship's bow. Note that the larger ships can't sail
southward from Copenhage, they must sail north, and then around the left
side of the island of Zealand (where Copenhagen is located). Not sure
about a smaller ship like Oceania has.

--Tom
thanks, Tom. I have done the research on these ports and read the cruise
critic stuff but it is always better to have a first hand suggestion
from those who are regulars here. Was it just my imagination that you
wrote about your St. Petersburg experience...quite possibly you had a
private tour with someone you could recommend.

Jo Tambornino Chayer


We used Red October in St. Petersburg. We went to Catherine's Palace,
Peterhoff Palace, several churches, and a river boat cruise.

--Tom


....thanks, Tom...I was looking for the tour group you used...we also want to
have plenty of time at The Hermitage and are investigating the river boat
cruise..
Jo Tambornino Chayer

On 2/12/11 11:15 AM, Jo Tambornino Chayer wrote:


...thanks, Tom...I was looking for the tour group you used...we also
want to have plenty of time at The Hermitage and are investigating the
river boat cruise..
Jo Tambornino Chayer


We did the Hermitage too... forgot to mention that. And yes our guide
got us in the front of the long line, instead of waiting for hours
outside at the back of the line.

One point to at least consider... the tours there will provide lunch on
the bus. I opted simply to bring a Peanut Butter/Jelly sandwich from
the ship that I made my self. And I brought a bottle of ship water.

Why? I figured I'd probably be in St. Petersburg maybe once in my
life... and I had no intentions of spending my second day there in the
ship's bathroom, instead of seeing the Hermitage. Was it a necessary
precaution? Who knows. But I would do it again if I ever went back.

Why take a chance?