Despite the restless Friday night, they embarked with ambitious plans during their only full day in Copenhagen. Ray purchased 48 hour Copenhagen cards (~$83 each) which turned out to be quite a bargain (which are few and far between in Copenhagen!) as it covered all admissions, canal boat tours and transportation (metro, train and bus) for their visit. They took the metro from the airport Hilton to the Nytorv stop where the Blue Netto Canal Boats are docked. Ray and Traci enjoyed their 10 AM cruise around Copenhagen’s canals and harbor – highlights included the famous Copenhagen Opera House with its signature profile and roof spanning 3 football fields. Another interesting architectural feature about the city is the recycling of old structures such as expensive apartments built inside of an old aircraft hangar. After their one hour boat ride, Ray and Traci walked to Amalienborg where 4 different rulers built similar looking palaces all adjacent to each other. Apparently, the Egyptian pharaohs weren’t the only ones who didn’t share hand me down publically financed palaces. During Ray and Traci’s visit to Amalienborg, the Danish military conducted their ceremonial changing of the guard routine which attracted a huge crowd. Those who have witnessed the event in England’s Buckingham Palace would be a bit disappointed at the Danish version. Leaving Amalienborg, the visitors went to Rosenborg Slot (Castle). While the outside was hardly up to fairy tale standards (made worse by the scaffolding in place for construction), the inside with ornate regal dining and throne rooms was quite impressive.
A collection of crown jewels and old military weapons also attracted tourists. While Ray and Traci encountered a couple of showers during their long day, the mostly cloudy skies were optimal for traversing the city and taking pictures. After Rosenborg, Ray and Traci visited the Round Tower (Rundetaarn) which is Europe’s oldest functioning observatory built in 1642. Currently, most of the observations today are not scientific, but by tourists looking at the cityscape.
The stylish Stroget Street was found nearby, attracting large crowds of shoppers and tourists alike – the usual designer boutiques co-exist with the more affordable H&M. During a brief rain shower, Ray and Traci ducked into the factory store one of Denmark’s greatest contributions to civilization – Lego. The very busy store had the expected variety of Lego along with some very impressive custom displays. Ray and Traci took a late lunch at wagamama, the European chain featuring Japanese food where both had ramen with chicken – as with most Asian restaurants in Europe it was a bit bland. Christianborg Palace was the next stop, again with the usual accouterments found in royal palaces. Outside the palace, scores of swimmers were participating in some sort of organized race as the canals were filled with bobbing heads and lifeguards in rafts and on paddleboards.
Ray and Traci finished their citywalk with stops at the National Museum and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Late in the day, the National Museum’s Viking exhibit was fully booked so Ray and Traci made only a brief stop before going to the nearby art museum (Glyptotek). Ray was quite fascinated with the unusually large collection of Egyptian artifacts – while the best pieces such as golden burial masks are found at other museums, the many 4,000 year old wood, stone and clay objects were captivating. From the Glyptotek, Ray and Traci boarded a train at Central Station, transferred to the metro at Norreport station and took a short ride to the Christianshavn stop. Here was found Our Saviors’ Church, with its distinctive tower over Copenhagen.
Not for the faint of heart or those with a fear of heights, the 400 steps to the top pose quite a challenge due to the steepness and compact space. Visitors feel like they are climbing ladders until reaching the top of the main church at which time the ascension turns into a steep spiral staircase around a spire. The views were impressive but the climb was neither easy nor organized and during a busy time one wonders what chaos may develop with only a single narrow stair path. With the completion of their planned daytime itinerary, Ray and Traci went back to the Hilton for a brief rest. They then took a regional train from the airport to Kobenhavn Central Station which is next to Copenhagen’s Tivoli Park – basically a Danish Disneyland, the park has a large number of eateries, concert venues and some impressive rides. Ray and Traci arrived in time to watch Illuminations – a Bellagio like water show with laser light and some fire effects set to music. The show was quite well done. Afterwards, Ray and Traci shared an organic hot dog and fries. The fries came with a tiny fork which Traci thought was genius!
Dessert followed with chocolate dipped soft ice cream cones. The final event at Tivoli was a closing fireworks show which was a nice end to a long day. Both Ray and Traci arrived back at the Hilton for much needed rest well after midnight. Even in the wee hours of the morning, the trains ran every 12 minutes or so.
Ray started Sunday morning with a run from the Airport Hilton to the adjacent neighborhood which borders the Baltic Sea. Both Ray and Traci then repacked and took a taxi to the cruise port where the NCL Star waited. Copenhagen is an interesting city which is easily navigated – their public transit system is well organized. Despite hearing Dutch spoken everywhere, Ray and Traci met no one who didn’t speak English well. All of the signs in the airport are labeled only in English (while the advertisements are in Dutch). Copenhagen has a reputation of having expensive prices and it is well deserved with almost $10 per gallon gasoline, $13 Hot dog/fries, and $20 chicken ramen and tap water (yes, they charged for tap water!). Bicycles have reserved lanes everywhere, and trains have special areas for people to ride with their bikes. The city is extremely easy to navigate especially with a little advance planning. Ray and Traci hit most of the major attractions without assistance.
Ray and Traci began the cruise portion of their adventure with a smooth check-in and unpacking on the NCL Star. Much of the ship architecture and routines paralleled the NCL Jade, a ship Ray and Traci sailed on twice previously. Passing showers and breezy conditions made enjoyment of their balconies challenging but a pretty rainbow appeared which Ray and Traci took as a good omen to start their voyage.
After a restless night (still not fully adjusted to European time), Ray and Traci woke for the longest of their tours – Berlin. The ship docked at Warnemunde, a port city 3 hours drive time from Berlin. Ray booked a 5 city package shore excursion with SPB Tours and strongly recommends it for a quality experience at a great price. While tourists have debated the value of 6 hours of bus ride to spend 6 hours viewing a completely reconstructed German city, both Ray and Traci felt missing even a brief visit to Berlin would be a mistake. The tour started shortly after the NCL Star docked at 8AM with a 3 hour bus ride to the Olympic Stadium, built for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After breaking into smaller 25 person groups, Ray and Traci’s guide Espin gave an excellent tour of Berlin including highlights such as the Brandenburg Gate (originally built in 1788 to mark the entry to Berlin) and the newly constructed Holocaust Memorial.
Building monuments to wars lost is especially challenging given the horrors of the Holocaust, but the German memorial composed of thousands of differing sized concrete blocks leaving visitors to ponder the meaning and encourage self reflection. With over 80% of Berlin leveled in World War II, most of the construction is modern although pre-existing structures such as the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and the New Synagogue (built 1959) serve as a bridge between pre-war and modern eras. Berlin resides in swamp land and every construction site has to build temporary drainage pipes to drain water when digging the foundation. Europe’s (and probably the world’s) most visited parking lot resides in Berlin where Hitler committed suicide at the end of World War 2 in an underground bunker. Another popular historical attraction is the Berlin Wall which used to prevent East Germans from leaving the Soviet dominated East – most of the wall has been torn down but a section remains in place, ironically now protected with its own security fence.
The extremely tight schedule limited the Berlin tour to mostly drive by photo ops, but the chance to see one of the world’s great cities was well worth the journey.
The Baltic Cruise itinerary is very port intensive and probably not very popular among those who just want a vacation at sea. The ship had only 2 days at sea in the 9 day cruise. The NCL Star is a relatively older ship (built 2001) compared to the new super ships but it is well maintained and contains most of Norwegian Cruise Lines signature features. Criticisms on the internet boards range from food quality to loud music. The public areas are clean and facilities updated. Ray loved their ¼ mile running track on deck 13 – like the NCL Jade, having a separate running venue from the typical promenade walkers looking for a morning constitutional always wins big points in his reviews. The crew has typically received rave reviews as far as friendliness and hard work.
Ray felt the food was quite comparable to the NCL Jade although the buffet seemed to be more limited in selection. NCL is not known for their haute cuisine in contrast to other lines such as Holland America, but most of their dishes were quite tasty. A richer selection of desserts would be most welcome. In contrast to NCL Jade cruises, Ray and Traci ate at two of the “pay” restaurants thanks to a promotion – they both enjoyed the Italian La Cucina where Ray had lobster fettuccine and tiramisu and Traci had spaghetti with olive oil, chili flakes and sausage followed by an affogato. Ray’s favorite meal in the main dining room was steak and lobster on the first night (with the baby back ribs and coconut shrimp as a close second) while Traci enjoyed the pork loin. The NCL Star has a more American flavor than the NCL Jade – most of the music played and performed is American 70s-80s pop and what little dress code NCL has in place is even more relaxed on the Star. One valid criticism is the music – it was quite loud and everyone in cabins surrounding tall atrium heard it even late at night. The same applies to anyone in the main pool area. The ship had many barbecues during the cruise (as if people needed even more food!) and tried to promote a party atmosphere. Of course, Ray and Traci’s NCL Jade sailings were in the winter which limited much of the outdoor activities onboard.
Entertainers on the NCL Star included performers previously seen on the NCL Jade including the Sanders and Alison Magic show and Alexey & Anastasia who put on an amazing Cirque du Soleil type show. Alexey’s show was especially appealing – it started with three very strange segments involving costumes resembling fat chickens racing around stage on razor scooters followed by a modern dance segment with instantaneous costume changes and then a shooting gallery segment with toy guns – some unknowledgeable viewers got up and left! After the strange start, they brought the house down with mind blowing gymnastic stunts both on the stage and high above the crowd worthy of any Las Vegas Cirque production. The NCL cast put on two excellent shows including Band on the Run and the renowed Elements grand finale. Ray continues to be impressed with the quality of entertainment even on itineraries where the exotic ports are the real entertainment.
Wednesday brought sunny weather and a new port – Tallinn, Estonia. This port city plays a critical role in European trade as its Baltic Harbor is the only one that doesn’t freeze in the winter. The NCL Star docked next to four other large cruise ships all visiting on the same day. Ray and Traci joined their SPB Tours guide Vadim and proceeded to the upper level of the city. Ray and Traci had high expectations after talking to previous cruisers who have visited Tallinn, and unfortunately they may have been too high. The quaint European city has medieval buildings including the tallest building at the time of construction in the 16th century. The beautiful St Nicholas cathedral resides in upper Tallinn. Vadim gave intriguing insights into his country – political, social and economic. Estonia seems to follow a melding of liberal and conservative philosophies – Government paid universal health care, tuition free universities, free public transportation along with a flat 21% income tax rate, policies favoring small and medium sized businesses and strong personal privacy protection from the days of KGB spying. Vadim ended the tour at Tallinn’s Town Hall sporting dragon heads and public shackles for misbehaving wives. Estonia gives glimpses into life during medieval times but other than entertaining stories from an excellent guide, little unique experiences.
In contrast to Estonia, sailing into St. Petersburg on a sunny Thursday was a very unique experience. Getting off the ship was a major hassle as immigration will only grant temporary visas to those registered with approved tour groups in advance. Ray & Traci’s 15 person SPB tour group required nearly an hour for everyone to assemble and depart the port for the famous museum, the Hermitage. Like its French counterpart, the Louvre, the Hermitage is a giant collection of art from ancient Egyptian to modern day Picasso. The SBP Tour guide Nina led the group to the museum’s highlights including works by da Vinci and Rembrandt as well as Russian works focusing attention on the nation’s rich history. The Hermitage currently occupies 10 buildings. However, only 5 are open to the public including the Czar’s former Winter Palace. More space is being readied – the former St. Petersburg Army headquarters will soon house the impressionist collection including Picasso, Van Gogh and Cezanne. After the museum tour, the group went to the Church of Spilled Blood which is a colorful structure where the Russian Czar Alexander II was murdered.
Apparently,
regicide was a common method of ascending to the throne in Russian history. Now
a historical landmark and not a functioning church, the interior is covered
with mosaic tiles creating beautiful wall coverings. A lunch break at a Russian restaurant
specializing in Russian pies was next – Traci had a pie stuffed with salmon
while Ray had one with apples. While Ray was quite pleased with himself for
eating an apple Russian pie, his meal was indistinguishable from an American
apple pie. After the “authentic” Russian meal, the group went to Peter and
Paul’s fortress and cathedral located on the smallest island making up St.
Petersburg – Hare island. Supposedly the island was named for a rabbit that
jumped into a czar’s boat to avoid flooding of the island. On the island one
finds the fortress and cathedral famous for its sarcophagus containing bodies
of the Romanov royal family including Peter the Great. The ornate
cathedral/mausoleum served as a house of worship for the Russian Orthodox
Church. Another grand cathedral was nearby – St. Issac’s, the fourth largest
Catholic cathedral in the world. The
first day touring St. Petersburg ended with the tired group returning to the
NCL Star.
On Friday, beautiful weather again greeted the travel group. After viewing some additional landmarks in
St. Petersburg including the battleship Aurora and imported miniature Egyptian
Spinx, the bus headed to Catherine’s Palace where President Obama was planning
on an important dinner that evening with the G20 conference. Catherine’s Palace
was the Royal family’s summer home and contains breathtaking opulence. Large
gold plated wall coverings adorn the amazing ball room.
Another famous locale in Catherine’s Palace is the Amber room with tree sap covering walls like stained glass panels. Unfortunately, Ray and Traci were not invited to what must have been an amazing G20 dinner. The final destination of the tour was Peterhof Gardens. Built to resemble the incredible French Versailles, the parallels are obvious – enormous luxurious royal palace with large garden and multiple fountains scattered around. Ray and Traci’s group did not tour the palace but the gardens were spectacular.
A visitor who had not previously visited Versailles would find the experience quite extraordinary. Ray and Traci enjoyed their visit but noted the many parallels with Versailles. President Obama and the G20 had their own visit to Peterhof on the prior evening so again, Ray and Traci missed an opportunity to see the American President staying nearby. Overall, visiting Russia was an amazing experience – the beauty of Paris with the intrigue of Istanbul. SBP tours did an excellent job of organizing a great introduction to St. Petersburg and Ray recommends their experience to future Baltic cruisers.
Their trip rapidly ending, Ray and Traci encountered even more spectacular weather in their next stop – Helsinki, Finland. Their SPB guide for their 4th of 5 tours emphasized the unusual warmth and cloudless sky encountered by today’s group. Unlike the previous tours, Helsinki's program consisted of a short 3 hour bus ride with a few stops and commentary about the country. The highlights included visiting the Olympics Stadium where the 1940 Olympics were held, a park with unique monument composed of 527 steel pipes honoring the great Finnish composer Jean Sibeilus. Another famous site in Helsinki is the Rock Church which is a house of worship dug into the rockery which is ubiquitous in the city. The unique structure of the church consists of hollowed out bedrock.
This type of
building is also used to construct some residences in Finland. After touring
the city the SBP bus returned Ray and Traci back to the NCL Star to complete
their 4th Baltic port visit.
On Sunday (day 8 of the cruise), the ship made
its final port call in Stockholm, Sweden. Ray and Traci’s SPB bus took them
first to City Hall. Ray found it quite odd that Stockholm charges people to
visit city hall. Remarkable features included a large gathering room used to
host the annual Nobel Prize Dinner and a room covered with golden mosaics
promoting Stockholm as the center of the universe. After leaving city hall, the
group stopped at the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a warship built 300 years ago
and delivered to the King of Sweden. Unhappy with the standard armament of the
ship, the King ordered a second level of cannons be put into the hull of the
Vasa, dramatically affecting weight and stability. Unfortunately, 20 minutes
after the vessel’s maiden voyage began the ship took on water from the lower level
of cannons which led to the vessel sinking. Hidden in the mud for centuries, in
1955 the vessel was rediscovered and raised. An entire museum was constructed
to house the salvaged vessel and to focus on the life of sailors during the 17th
century.
The tour ended with a brief visit to old town which was busy with tourists looking for souvenirs. Sail away from Sweden was spectacular thanks to the 72 degree weather and bright sunshine. Ray and Traci completed their 5th tour arranged with SPB travel and found the organization, guides and transportation to be excellent.
Their final day on the NCL Star was a quiet one – the weather changed with windy and rainy conditions limiting outside activities. The crew did an excellent job taking care of the passengers and the great tour of historic cities provided a fantastic cultural experience. The NCL Star docked in Copenhagen the next morning, and Ray and Traci had a smooth 15 hour journey back to Seattle via Amsterdam.
