Baltic Cruise info, and general cruise shopping tips

[LeaveVT]

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Originally Posted by pullmyfinger I just have to put in a plug for Helsinki. If you have good weather I highly recommend taking the short but beautiful ferry ride to the Suomenlinna Fortress. It is a world heritiage site and it is stunning! Helsinki was such a pleasant surprise for me. I loved the beautiful buildings, nice pedestrian streets and the Russian flavor of the city. Last fall when we went there for the first time we only spent 1 night there before heading off to Tallinn, this upcoming trip we will spend 3 nights there. I saw the tour buses dropping people off at the sites but I think this city is best appreciated while walking. IMHO this city is quite underrated.

Totally agree - I grew up in Finland and lived in Helsinki for several years. Still visit family there every few years and usually take a day trip to Tallinn by ferry, or an overnight to Stockholm.

[Nemo2]

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Originally Posted by Moemg . Royal Carribean has the Splendor of the Seas doing baltic. That is one of their smaller ships but still very nice . I know Nemo uses Pullmantur cruises which is basically older ships from RCL and Celebrity that have been redone Their cruises tend to be cheap but Nemo enjoys them and he likes basic cruising .

Currently about to leave Krakow, Poland, for Warsaw, we were on the Pullmantur Monarch from May 09 to June 10.......(boarded in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, and disembarked in Bergen, Norway)......the Monarch has a GW of ~74k tons, and while it's not 'small' it's not huge either.

Loved the ship, (although, for foodies, the fare would likely be considered 'repetitive'...we're not foodies so it was a minor issue), it was cheap and all-inclusive, and even though we're not drinkers per se we did suck back a couple free Tecates after a warm day ashore.

(Post cruise we've had contact with other passengers, (who in one instance have spoken with other-other passengers), and a number of them have already booked an eastbound transatlantic with Pullmantur for next Spring.

One couple, (who have already booked), we had previously encountered on the CDF Croisières de France Horizon, which we've been on three times.........don't know the operational details but Croisières de France, which was also a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean, has, (or will be shortly), been absorbed by Pullmantur.)

VTG are offering a 'past guest' rate (for an inside cabin) of $949 p.p., their 'fastdeal' #10187 on the Monarch from Helsinki to Rostock, (stopping at St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Stockholm).......there are others.