mom2mybugs Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 So excited that i have booked my first europe trip....8 day river cruise to and from Paris on Viking. So my question is tied to pre excursions and stays. I did book my hotel in san juan before adventure because it was convenient and included the transfer. It worked great but im not sure it was cheaper. We've already discussed that orlando is prob. not cheaper to tie to an rc cruise. Does anyone have knowledge on Paris and whether it makes sense to do a pre-stay with the cruise lines? Also...any not typical paris ideas not to miss? Tied to all this, im determined to travel with my husband while we are "young"(jeff will turn 50 on the river cruise) and im going to save up for an rc europe cruise. What itineraries are "don't miss" ones and what shore excursions in europe do you remember as great!? Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 Whether a precruise hotel is a deal or not through a cruise line is always questionable. I've yet to find a bargain, but you could run the numbers to find out. For Paris, though, the airports are a bit distant, so it could pay off once you add in the transfers. Most memorable shore excursion was our the day tour of St. Petersburg which included canals, hydrofoils, places, churches, museums, the subway, etc. My favorite destination would be Norway, but I think Royal's ultimate Baltics itinerary is the best, which I wrote about here: https://mycruisecourse.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/now-is-the-time-to-plan-your-baltic-cruise-for-next-year/ mom2mybugs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianAlt Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 From what I understand of river cruises, the cruise line usually offers a pre-cruise stay. These are much more tied into the cruise itself than what Royal typically offers. The service is very high and some excursions and meals are usually included. I think you should definitely look into it and go with what is offered unless you're sure you can get comparable somewhere else. mom2mybugs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neaxan Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 Norway or the Baltic Sea are the most impressive cruises in Europe in my opinion. I never did a Norway cruise myself but I went on a camping trip about 15 years ago - the nature is stunning, especially the fjords. I did the Baltic Sea last year on another cruise line - as I don't know your potential itinerary I'll just report what we did in the ports we visited. Every port was very enjoyable and I can't pick a favourite. - Gdansk: We had a coach trip to Malbork Castle and a few hours in Gdansk afterwards. Although the castle is quite impressive I'd suggest spending the whole day in Gdansk - the old town is beautiful. Maybe you could combine it with a visit to Sopot, a nice seaside resort in the vicinity. - Klaipeda: The city isn't something to write home about. But the Curonian Spit is not to be missed! Beautiful landscape and cute touristy villages like Juodkrantė and Nida with endless timber houses as well as some nice sandy beaches are well worth a visit. - Riga: Now one of my favourite cities - beautiful architecture, I'd suggest a walking tour. A trip to Sigulda in so-called Latvian Switzerland is also an option. - Tallinn: We got a taxi to the Upper City in the morning and then explored it on foot. Try to use Pikk Jalg to get down from the Upper to the Lower City in the morning - before it's crowded with fellow tourists. After exploring the Lower City we had a lunch break on the market square and then did a hop on hop off tour to see the rest of the city. - St. Petersburg: We had 2 days and did 4 shore excursions: 1) Catherine Palace - don't do it. The amount of people is frightening, the palace and especially the amber room aren't nearly as interesting as I expected. If you feel compelled to do this - try booking an evening tour after normal opening hours. 2) Walking tour of St. Petersburg city centre in the evening: Thoroughly enjoyed it, you get to see many of the attractions and it feels as if the whole town is out in the street having a party. A word of warning: these tours usually include quite a few kilometers of fast walking. 3) Peterhof Palace - if you want to do one palace, choose this one. The interior isn't that impressive but the Gardens are a must-see. I'll try this again someday as we had torrential rain on our visit :( 4) Boat trip on river Neva and the canals with a visit to St. Isaak cathedral - skip the cathedral but the boat trip was really enjoyable - and quite relaxing after running around the city for 2 days. - Helsinki: We had a tour around the city by bus and boat. Quite nice but I regret not visiting fort Suomenlinna or Porvoo (fishing village). - Stockholm: Whatever you plan for the day - get up real early and watch the sunrise while cruising the archipelago. It's so much more impressive than the trip back in the evening so don't miss it. For shore excursions we did a city tour by bus and boat and really enjoyed it. - Visby (Gotland): We did a bus trip around the island and a walking tour in Visby. Skip the bus trip (with the exception of Högklint - 48 metres high cliffs with a great view over Visby and your ship). A walking tour of the medieval city is enough to keep you occupied for the day. - Copenhagen: We did a bus and boat city trip. The canal tour is a must do, I'd also recommend the changing of the guards at Amalienborg. DocLC and mom2mybugs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeK Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 On 7/20/2017 at 9:45 PM, mom2mybugs said: So excited that i have booked my first europe trip....8 day river cruise to and from Paris on Viking. So my question is tied to pre excursions and stays. I did book my hotel in san juan before adventure because it was convenient and included the transfer. It worked great but im not sure it was cheaper. We've already discussed that orlando is prob. not cheaper to tie to an rc cruise. Does anyone have knowledge on Paris and whether it makes sense to do a pre-stay with the cruise lines? Also...any not typical paris ideas not to miss? Tied to all this, im determined to travel with my husband while we are "young"(jeff will turn 50 on the river cruise) and im going to save up for an rc europe cruise. What itineraries are "don't miss" ones and what shore excursions in europe do you remember as great!? Jane Be very careful of the pick pockets around the Louve and Notre Dame in Paris. We experienced one group that were young teenage girls with clip boards acting like they were taking surveys. They come in all shapes and sizes with many different scams. They are professionals and they are good at what they do. mom2mybugs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 1 hour ago, MikeK said: Be very careful of the pick pockets around the Louve and Notre Dame in Paris. We experienced one group that were young teenage girls with clip boards acting like they were taking surveys. They come in all shapes and sizes with many different scams. They are professionals and they are good at what they do. I was very conscientious of this concern when I was there earlier this month. They even had signs in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin warning of the presence of pick pockets. Fortunately, there were no incidents when we were there. However, I was extra cautious and used cargo pants with secured pockets on a neck holster for money and passports just in case. I've also read of cell phones being grabbed out of people's hands when taking pictures with them, so a case with a strap was advised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2mybugs Posted July 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 3 hours ago, MikeK said: Be very careful of the pick pockets around the Louve and Notre Dame in Paris. We experienced one group that were young teenage girls with clip boards acting like they were taking surveys. They come in all shapes and sizes with many different scams. They are professionals and they are good at what they do. thank you... I remember when my hs freshman daughter went to Italy and had to be careful about all the children who would swarm. I'm pretty much going to have my small crossbody purse and hug it to my body at all times. I'm kinda paranoid now. I really don't want to go the money belt route because I will have my phone and my camera too. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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