Sunday, June 27 Bruges, Belgium On day two, we had a quick breakfast at the Moonlight Sonata, and met six cruisecritic friends, for a shared taxi ride on the Brugse Taxi Service into Bruges (cost was 24 euros for 2). You are not allowed to walk onto the port of Zeebrugge, so the taxi service was a perfect option for us. The town looked like a fairy tale city - quite charming. We followed a walking tour of the city the group's organizer had found on the Internet. We enjoyed a 30-minute canal trip that started near the Church of Our Lady for 6.90 euros each. The guide's English was excellent and he was very funny. After the canal trip, the eight of us saw some sights and then had lunch at one of the cafes in the main square. Our party had delicious mussels and my DH thoroughly enjoyed his Belgian waffle with strawberries, ice cream and chocolate. We then went shopping for chocolates. We were back on the ship by 2 pm. 


Brugge (Bruges)

Tuesday, June 29 Warnemunde, Germany We did not opt for Berlin, so we had a leisurely breakfast on the ship and then strolled onto the port where we took a passenger boat to Rostock. The ride took about 45 minutes and once in town we walked around and visited the small shops. We had some bratwurst and pastries, stayed in Rostock for 2 hours and then took the boat back to Warnemunde where we wandered around the town for a 1/2 hour and then got back on the ship. It was a very hot day, about 100 degrees, so we were happy to be back on board. 


Rostock (Warnemunde)

Thursday, July 1 Stockholm, Sweden In Stockholm, we took the HOHO Boat just as you walked off the ship to your left (10 Euros/$15). Our first stop was Old Town, where we walked along the quaint streets, stopping here and there at the shops. When we got to the Royal Palace, we had a cinnamon roll in the courtyard. We got back on the HOHO and headed to the Vasa Museum, which was very interesting. Our next stop was Grona Lund Tivoli, a small amusement park that was very quaint. Although their currency is the Krona, we had no problem using Euros. We got back on the HOHO boat and went right to the cruise berth stop, then walked onto the ship. Stockholm is a very beautiful city. Since it consists of about 20 islands, the HOHO boat is an ideal way to go. Again, we had perfect weather, close to 75 degrees. 


Stockholm

Friday, July 2 Helsinki, Finland In Helsinki, we took the independent local shuttle bus (8 Euros or $10 roundtrip). The bus dropped us off at the Swedish Theatre in the downtown area. We walked about a block to Stockmann, which is the largest department store in the Nordic countries. We then walked a few blocks to the Kauppantoni Market, the open market, and sampled some reindeer meatballs and fried fish. We bought some licorice (1 euro for 1 piece) and some cinnamon rolls (4 euros for 4). There was a marching band that passed right by the market and we watched as merchant’s filleted fish. The market was filled with both locals and tourists and we enjoyed our time there. We then walked passed countless furniture stores and made our way back to the theatre for the short ride back to the ship. 


Helsinki

Saturday/Sunday July 3-4 St. Petersburg, Russia Excellent. We used SPB tours and shared our tour with six others from the cruisecritic board. The ship arranged for all those taking private tours to meet first at the Tuscan Grille to help expedite the process. We met at 8:45 and by 9 am we were greeted by Viktoria Rother, our point of contact on the Internet, and another Viktoria (Vika), our knowledgeable tour guide. Customs was extremely quick and efficient in Russia. We had asked for a slightly abbreviated two-day tour of the city and SPB could not have been more accommodating. The driver and guide escorted us in a large air-conditioned van (it was about 85-90 degrees) through the city. Vika’s knowledge of the English language was impressive. She pointed out many of the great sites in an engaging and entertaining manner. We made a quick stop for some photos and headed toward our hydrofoil ride to Peterhof. Once there, we walked in the Peterhof Lower Fountain Park and the Upper Gardens – simply magnificent. We then drove to the Tsars’ Village and had a quick stop at a local blinis place. After lunch, we visited Catherine’s Palace, the amber room and then strolled through the park. Our driver had us back to the ship by 5:15. The rest of our party decided to stay a few more hours for shopping and a snack/beer at a local pub, but we were too exhausted to join them. On day two, we walked off the ship at about 8:45 and were on our way to the city sights by 8:55 am. We visited the local farmers’ market and perused the food aisle, where we were given samples of honey and peaches. Our driver then dropped us off at a beautifully adorned subway station where we took a short ride to another stop. We walked along Nevksy Prospect, and had an early lunch at a perogi “stolle” place. The perogis were filling and delicious. We headed toward the Hermitage and bypassed the crowds as our tour guide had prepaid tickets. The line must have been a few hours long. The place was packed and magnificent. We stayed a few hours and then made our way to Peter and Paul’s fortress and cathedral, the burial place of the Tsars. By 4:30, we were back on the ship. We paid $255 per person for a private 2-day tour for eight people and we felt it was well worth it. 


St. Petersburg

Wednesday, July 7 Copenhagen, Denmark We ordered a Copenhagen card a few months before the trip, which was well worth it. The card gives you free or discounted admission to some of the city’s top attractions as well as free entry into the bus, train and metro system. We took Bus 26, which runs from the Langeline pier (a few steps from where we docked) to Radhuspladsen, a street close to Tivoli Gardens. Our plan was to take the guided walking tour in the old city of Copenhagen with Hans Christian Andersen (Richard Karpen, a New Jersey native who now lives in Denmark and dresses like the famous fairy tale author). We missed the first stop at the Tourist Information Office, but caught up with the group of about 15 in the center of the Town Hall Square at 10:45 am. It was easy to find Karpen in his top hat and long coat. The tour was about 90 minutes; it was a most entertaining and educational experience. We paid $20 each and he took Euros as currency as well. After the walking tour, we perused a few of the museums and stopped for lunch at one of the cafes Karpen had recommended. We strolled through the “walking street” where we found a lovely bakery that took American credit cards and we purchased some delicious Danish. We then walked to the Tivoli Gardens, which we entered free with the Copenhagen card and admired the many flower displays and fountains. We found our way to Tivoli’s replica of the Little Mermaid and took various photos. Unfortunately, the real statue was on exhibit in Shanghai during our trip. After a few hours of admiring Tivoli, we took Bus 26 back to the pier and rested for a bit before our dinner at the Tuscan Grille. It was another wonderful feast. 


Copenhagen

Great balcony, quite spacious, perfect location by stairs and elevators.

We took a cab from the South Central stop to the port (a 5 euro cost), left our two bags with the porter, went through the Celebrity line in about 20 minutes and waited another 20 minutes to board the ship.After a few hours of admiring Tivoli, we took Bus 26 back to the pier and rested for a bit before our dinner at the Tuscan Grille.

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Basking in the Baltic Sun with Celebrity Eclipse

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Deluxe Veranda 2A

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