West Med or Baltics
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Topic author - Senior First Officer
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- Location: Lancashire
West Med or Baltics
We have a 14 nt West Med booked for next may on Ventura. We are considering changing to the Baltics on Britannia late June, Any thoughts.?
Mel
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- Commodore
- Posts: 15361
- Joined: February 2013
Re: West Med or Baltics
To my mind it depends entirely on your view on the destinations and whether you've been before. We've done both ships and both areas and enjoyed both. So I'd say entirely down to how you feel about the ports of call.
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- Second Officer
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- Location: Mold
Re: West Med or Baltics
If you have been to the Med before and never been to the Baltic, I would choose the latter. I have done the Baltic cruise 4 times and still find new things to do in St Petes. You never know whether cruises may at some time in the future stop going to Russia just as they have stopped going to the Black Sea.
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- Ex Team Member
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- Location: Dorset
Re: West Med or Baltics
The Western Med is fairly routine and available for at least eight months of the year whereas many of the Baltic Ports are quite unique and tend to operate from May to September only. My advice is to book both but please go on a smaller ship to the Baltic as this will facilitate visits to the lesser known places.
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being
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- Able Seaman
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- Joined: June 2017
Re: West Med or Baltics
We're headed to the Baltic in September. We did 21 days between Rome and Turkey a couple years ago and it was amazing. We've spent a lot of time in the area around the Baltic, but not on a cruise and not to St. Petersburg. There's a lot to see in both areas. This is kind of an apples and oranges kind of thing, isn't it?
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- Ex Team Member
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- Location: Cumbria
Re: West Med or Baltics
We're not keen on the bigger ships. We have tried Ventura and Azura but give me the mid-sized ships any time.
However Med or Baltics? They are two different types of cruise each with their own attractions. There are some magnificent ports of call on the Baltic which are well worth visiting but whilst we have been lucky you obviously cannot guarantee the weather.
Mob mentioned the smaller ships which can get into smaller ports. They also transit the Kiel Canal which is a wonderful experience and, for my money, well worth doing even if only the once.
Indeed it's an apples and oranges decision but if you have never been to the Baltic I doubt you would be disappointed. The sail-in to Stockholm is another highlight.
However Med or Baltics? They are two different types of cruise each with their own attractions. There are some magnificent ports of call on the Baltic which are well worth visiting but whilst we have been lucky you obviously cannot guarantee the weather.
Mob mentioned the smaller ships which can get into smaller ports. They also transit the Kiel Canal which is a wonderful experience and, for my money, well worth doing even if only the once.
Indeed it's an apples and oranges decision but if you have never been to the Baltic I doubt you would be disappointed. The sail-in to Stockholm is another highlight.
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Topic author - Senior First Officer
- Posts: 2861
- Joined: March 2013
- Location: Lancashire
Re: West Med or Baltics
What if any Visa's are req'd for Baltic ports of call.? I understand a 'Group' Visa is issued if on a P&O Tour in St. Petes..
Mel
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- Commodore
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Re: West Med or Baltics
That's the only one when we went. Very easy. Fill in a form on board and take it, your passport and your tour tickets when you go ashore. Immigration was less than 5 mins for us.
Last edited by Mervyn and Trish on 28 Jun 2017, 13:14, edited 1 time in total.
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- Captain
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- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: West Med or Baltics
I don't know whether the procedure has changed, but when we were there a few years back, we were advised to take a photocopy of the passport rather than the original document. The reception desk were very accommodating and copied the passports of virtually the entire ship !
Immigration took rather longer than 5 minutes at peak times and we found it rather intimidating. The desks seemed to be staffed entirely by ex Russian and East German shot-putters !
Immigration took rather longer than 5 minutes at peak times and we found it rather intimidating. The desks seemed to be staffed entirely by ex Russian and East German shot-putters !
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- Able Seaman
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- Joined: July 2015
Re: West Med or Baltics
Didn't need a photocopy although we were advised to take one when we went in May. They just machine read to passport stamped it and gave us a temporary pass which we handed in on our return to the ship. It took a few minutes but not that long as there were quite a few booths open. The second day we just showed our passport which was stated again and went off on our tour. We didn't have to queue so long on the second day.
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- Third Officer
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Re: West Med or Baltics
No visas are actually issued. If your stay is less than 72 hours, then any tour with an approved tour guide is visa exempt. This applies to both ships tours and any land based tour.
Brian
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Topic author - Senior First Officer
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Re: West Med or Baltics
Ok, so we have booked the Baltics for June 2019,long time off yet i know. What is the feeling regarding trips with P&O against booking with an independant tour company,price wise etc.
Mel
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- Ex Team Member
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Re: West Med or Baltics
We did a P&O trip in the few ports that we couldn't do DIY.
List the Ports and I will comment further, if required.
List the Ports and I will comment further, if required.
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being
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Topic author - Senior First Officer
- Posts: 2861
- Joined: March 2013
- Location: Lancashire
Re: West Med or Baltics
Hi Mob,
The main port i was thinking was St,Petes, i believe the others are all ok for DIY.
The main port i was thinking was St,Petes, i believe the others are all ok for DIY.
Mel
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- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 13014
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- Location: Dorset
Re: West Med or Baltics
As you say ... it's group Visa for St Petes with P&O although we also had to provide them with a photocopy of our passport.
Do they still require that I wonder ?
Do they still require that I wonder ?
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being
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- Able Seaman
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Re: West Med or Baltics
I did the Baltic cruise on Aurora last July. In St Petersburg I did the 2 day small group P & O tour, I think it was called Simply St Petersburg. It was very good we travelled on a mini bus in a group of about 15. It was easy to follow the guide, who was excellent. As a solo traveller I would have been worried about the possibility of getting lost or separated from a larger group. Two very full days but I wanted to see a lot as I didn't know if I would visit again. It was such a wonderful cruise and I enjoyed every single port so much that I hope to do it again in a few years.
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- Senior Second Officer
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- Location: Ellan Vannin
Re: West Med or Baltics
No contest, Screwy - private tour every time.
We used TJ Travel, who were superb (other similar operators are available!), as have a number of people to whom we have recommended them and all of whom have been delighted. You see so much more at your own pace and it is probably cheaper, depending on the size of party you choose.
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- Site Admin
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Re: West Med or Baltics
Have you considered doing a "private" tour in St Petes? There are several companies that offer this service ranging from just being the two of you to joining up with others making a group of six or eight.
When we were in St Petes for two days a few years ago we had a private tour for just the two of us and although it was exhausting we saw far more than we would had we been on a P&O excursion, and overall it did not cost that much more. The other advantage of the private tour is that you will be "fast tracked" into the venues rather than staning in a queue for quite a long time.
You will read the "scare" stories about going on a private tour but they are completely safe and well organised - they take care of the visa requirements.
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- First Officer
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- Location: Poole Bay, Dorset
Re: West Med or Baltics
Hey Ho
The much beloved and I cruised the Baltic's on three occasions and was simply captivated
Sea days minimal and all POC simply
St Pete's with overnight stay was "to die for"
Yep, for me a mustdo
Lubooo all
Graham
The much beloved and I cruised the Baltic's on three occasions and was simply captivated
Sea days minimal and all POC simply
St Pete's with overnight stay was "to die for"
Yep, for me a mustdo
Lubooo all
Graham
Gentle Giant of Cerne Abbas
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- First Officer
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Re: West Med or Baltics
We were in the Baltic's in June on Arcadia, you only needed to have your passports and excursion tickets to go ashore. We used P&O excursions and were very pleased with them. We have been three times now