ms Rotterdam to the Baltics - tips?

Greetings, RTC'ers,

We've just booked the HAL ms Rotterdam for a one-way July cruise from
Rotterdam to Copenhagen with stops in Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, Arhus
(Denmark), St. Petersburg, Tallinn (Estonia) and Warnemunde/Berlin. We're
spending some time in The Netherlands before embarkation and in Copenhagen &
London post-cruise. For background, we are a family of four (kids 12 and 14)
and will be traveling with another family (total group 7). Both families are
fairly well-traveled. This will be our 13th cruise, we've been on one
similar port-intensive cruise (the Med), and we've been to Europe by land
trip a number of times, although only Amsterdam & London will be repeats for
us this trip.

This will be our first HAL cruise. Any general insiders' tips on HAL to
enhance the experience?

Who's been on the Rotterdam (VI) and can offer tips? What I read about her
is appealing to me--I don't even mind the description of her interior as
"dark," but, of course, I'll have to wait to see it. She completed HAL's
Signature of Excellence upgrade just before repositioning to Europe for the
summer, so we think we'll be quite comfortable even in "the cheap seats" we
secured during a flash sale this week.

Finally, any hot port tips? We generally prefer independent exploration or
private guides. I think I've got most ports covered, but have yet to tackle
the Berlin trek (yes, it's a long day, but we're going to do it), so if
anyone has a strong recommendation there, I'd love to consider it.

As always, TIA for your help!

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

Hello,
If you visit Belgium or Holland by cruiseship you can obtain terminal and
sightseeing tips on my website.
Please visit www.nedcruise.info English section - page cruiseterminals.
If you need additional info please let me know!

All cities you visit are nice and also easily walk to city centre.
Warnemunde as a replacement for Berlin, you can go very simple by train to
Rostock.
Sailing to Stockholm and Oslo is wonderful.
My suggestion for St.Petersburg is to take shiptours to avoid visa problems.
The Hermitage and Folkloric Evening is a must.

Signature of Excellence upgrade on Rotterdam is only partly done. See
HALwebsite, fully completed with new beds etc.end of the year.
Rgds.
Haco


"D Ball" schreef in bericht
...
Greetings, RTC'ers,

We've just booked the HAL ms Rotterdam for a one-way July cruise from
Rotterdam to Copenhagen with stops in Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, Arhus
(Denmark), St. Petersburg, Tallinn (Estonia) and Warnemunde/Berlin. We're
spending some time in The Netherlands before embarkation and in Copenhagen
& London post-cruise. For background, we are a family of four (kids 12 and
14) and will be traveling with another family (total group 7). Both
families are fairly well-traveled. This will be our 13th cruise, we've
been on one similar port-intensive cruise (the Med), and we've been to
Europe by land trip a number of times, although only Amsterdam & London
will be repeats for us this trip.

This will be our first HAL cruise. Any general insiders' tips on HAL to
enhance the experience?

Who's been on the Rotterdam (VI) and can offer tips? What I read about her
is appealing to me--I don't even mind the description of her interior as
"dark," but, of course, I'll have to wait to see it. She completed HAL's
Signature of Excellence upgrade just before repositioning to Europe for
the summer, so we think we'll be quite comfortable even in "the cheap
seats" we secured during a flash sale this week.

Finally, any hot port tips? We generally prefer independent exploration or
private guides. I think I've got most ports covered, but have yet to
tackle the Berlin trek (yes, it's a long day, but we're going to do it),
so if anyone has a strong recommendation there, I'd love to consider it.

As always, TIA for your help!

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

Hello,
If you visit Belgium or Holland by cruiseship you can obtain terminal and
sightseeing tips on my website.
Please visit www.nedcruise.info English section - page cruiseterminals.
If you need additional info please let me know!

All cities you visit are nice and also easily walk to city centre.
Warnemunde as a replacement for Berlin, you can go very simple by train to
Rostock.
Sailing to Stockholm and Oslo is wonderful.
My suggestion for St.Petersburg is to take shiptours to avoid visa problems.
The Hermitage and Folkloric Evening is a must.

Signature of Excellence upgrade on Rotterdam is only partly done. See
HALwebsite, fully completed with new beds etc.end of the year.
Rgds.
Haco


"D Ball" schreef in bericht
...
Greetings, RTC'ers,

We've just booked the HAL ms Rotterdam for a one-way July cruise from
Rotterdam to Copenhagen with stops in Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, Arhus
(Denmark), St. Petersburg, Tallinn (Estonia) and Warnemunde/Berlin. We're
spending some time in The Netherlands before embarkation and in Copenhagen
& London post-cruise. For background, we are a family of four (kids 12 and
14) and will be traveling with another family (total group 7). Both
families are fairly well-traveled. This will be our 13th cruise, we've
been on one similar port-intensive cruise (the Med), and we've been to
Europe by land trip a number of times, although only Amsterdam & London
will be repeats for us this trip.

This will be our first HAL cruise. Any general insiders' tips on HAL to
enhance the experience?

Who's been on the Rotterdam (VI) and can offer tips? What I read about her
is appealing to me--I don't even mind the description of her interior as
"dark," but, of course, I'll have to wait to see it. She completed HAL's
Signature of Excellence upgrade just before repositioning to Europe for
the summer, so we think we'll be quite comfortable even in "the cheap
seats" we secured during a flash sale this week.

Finally, any hot port tips? We generally prefer independent exploration or
private guides. I think I've got most ports covered, but have yet to
tackle the Berlin trek (yes, it's a long day, but we're going to do it),
so if anyone has a strong recommendation there, I'd love to consider it.

As always, TIA for your help!

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

Thanks for the several tips and link to your website, Haco. I am going to
enjoy looking at what you have put together. We are especially looking
forward to exploring all of the wonderful places between Amsterdam and
Rotterdam before we make that historic and exciting departure out of
Rotterdam.

The HAL website PDF doc on Sig of Excell updates represents that the ms
Rotterdam's were completed in the Spring, and I have seen others mention it
was done before the summer Euro sailings. Are you saying they planned to
finish, but didn't?

Diana

"haco" wrote:
If you visit Belgium or Holland by cruiseship you can obtain terminal and
sightseeing tips on my website.
Please visit www.nedcruise.info English section - page cruiseterminals.

snip

Signature of Excellence upgrade on Rotterdam is only partly done. See
HALwebsite, fully completed with new beds etc.end of the year.

Diana,
So far as I know some improvements are done before Europe sailings, but not
all!

For your interest here some links in English of interesting old cities in
the Western Part of Holland.
However Holland is a small country and other interesting places outside the
West part are easily to reach.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft info of city of Delft
http://www.royaldelft.com/ info Royal Delft handmade Delft blue
ceramics
http://www.xs4all.nl/~eleede/ info city of Gouda
http://www.castlesontheweb.com/membe...les/hetloo.htm
Palace Het Loo in the middle of the country about 100 km. east of Amsterdam.
Enjoy.
Haco

"D Ball" schreef in bericht
...
Thanks for the several tips and link to your website, Haco. I am going to
enjoy looking at what you have put together. We are especially looking
forward to exploring all of the wonderful places between Amsterdam and
Rotterdam before we make that historic and exciting departure out of
Rotterdam.

The HAL website PDF doc on Sig of Excell updates represents that the ms
Rotterdam's were completed in the Spring, and I have seen others mention
it was done before the summer Euro sailings. Are you saying they planned
to finish, but didn't?

Diana

"haco" wrote:
If you visit Belgium or Holland by cruiseship you can obtain terminal
and
sightseeing tips on my website.
Please visit www.nedcruise.info English section - page cruiseterminals.

snip

Signature of Excellence upgrade on Rotterdam is only partly done. See
HALwebsite, fully completed with new beds etc.end of the year.

The Rotterdam is now complete with all Signature of Excellence
enhancements.

Don't take cabin 2507! Too small for more than one small person!
BILL

Thanks for the update.

"shipcafe" wrote in message
lkabouttravelling.com...
The Rotterdam is now complete with all Signature of Excellence
enhancements.

Sorry it should be ,2505 !
Bill