Optional tours are available from most ports for an additional charge.
Itinerary
Day Copenhagen, DenmarkDeparts 05:00 PM "Copenhagen is one of the easiest European capitals to fall in love with. The sights of old buildings, cobbled streets and the tower- and turret-dotted skyline lend fairy-tale charmâthis was, after all, the home of author Hans Christian Andersen. But make no mistake: This is a thoroughly modern city with international clout.
Restaurants around the world draw inspiration from the New Nordic cuisine pioneered by Noma and other Copenhagen restaurants, while Danish design from this century and the last is universally admired and coveted. Urban planners flock here to try to work out just how the city remains so livable and yet so functional, and despite its wealth of old buildings, Copenhagen's not locked in the past; there are also thrilling examples of modern architecture.
Copenhagen is a city that's easy to find things to do and explore on foot or by excellent public transport, where everyone speaks perfect English, the food is fresh and innovative, and there's plenty of locally brewed beerâwhich, of course, is best enjoyed sitting by the water on a sunny day.
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Day At Sea
Day Tallinn, EstoniaArrives 10:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM "On the shores of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn, Estonia's largest city, is impossibly charming. Northern Europe's oldest capitalâit dates back to the 12th centuryâis also one of its best preserved, with much of its Old Town constructed when it was a bustling port in the Hanseatic League.
Explore the upper portion on Toompea Hill, where there is an impressive castle and the 19th-century Alexander Nevsky cathedral, a vestige from the Russian Empire, then head to the lower section for churches and merchants' homes off twisting medieval streets.
Tallinn isn't, however, simply a historic showpiece. Just a short walk from the UNESCO World Heritage-designated core is a dynamic, future-facing city of glass buildings and trendy restaurants and boutiques catering to the city's young professionalsâas well as visiting travelers.
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Day St. Petersburg, RussiaArrives 07:00 AM "St. Petersburg, Russia, emerged from the vision of one man, Czar Peter the Great, at the beginning of the 18th century and was the country's capital for 200 years, until the Russian Revolution. Pushkin called it Russia's ""window to Europe,"" and like Venice and Amsterdam, two cities that inspired Peter, the city was built on a network of canals.
Among the city's tourist attractions, the Hermitage is its most famous. It is one of the world's greatest art museums, and the largest museum in the worldâwith almost three million objects collected in five buildings. Performing arts, too, abound: Many of Russia's greatest ballets, plays and operas have premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre. Nearby, the summer residences of the czars, including Peterhof, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are dazzling gilded Baroque palaces for sightseeing in St. Petersburg."
Day St. Petersburg, RussiaDeparts 06:00 PM "St. Petersburg, Russia, emerged from the vision of one man, Czar Peter the Great, at the beginning of the 18th century and was the country's capital for 200 years, until the Russian Revolution. Pushkin called it Russia's ""window to Europe,"" and like Venice and Amsterdam, two cities that inspired Peter, the city was built on a network of canals.
Among the city's tourist attractions, the Hermitage is its most famous. It is one of the world's greatest art museums, and the largest museum in the worldâwith almost three million objects collected in five buildings. Performing arts, too, abound: Many of Russia's greatest ballets, plays and operas have premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre. Nearby, the summer residences of the czars, including Peterhof, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are dazzling gilded Baroque palaces for sightseeing in St. Petersburg."
Day Nynashamn (Stockholm), Sweden / Cruising Stockholm ArchipelagoArrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM / Cruising The port of Nynäshamn sits at the southern tip of the island of Södertörn in the Stockholm Archipelago. It's a pleasant town with some 26,000 residents, but for many travelers it's principally the gateway to the Swedish capital of Stockholm, 30 minutes away by train. Among the highlights of Stockholm, one of the most effortlessly enjoyable cities in Europe: elegant Ãâstermalm, with its chic interior design stores; verdant DjurgÃÂ¥rden, with museums and acres of rolling parkland; ancient Gamla Stan, with cobblestoned streets and the Royal Palace; and trendy Södermalm. The city is easy to navigate on foot or by public transport, and wherever you roam, youââ¬â¢re never far from water or green spaces. In recent years thereââ¬â¢s been a marked improvement in the range of dining options in Stockholmââ¬âthough itââ¬â¢s hard to resist traditional favorites such as meatballs or herring washed down with a cold beer. The friendly locals speak flawless English, and the only crime youââ¬â¢re likely to encounter has a dragon tattoo and can be found in the best seller section of a bookshop. In the unlikely event you ever get bored of sightseeing in beautiful Stockholm, there are thousands of islands an easy ferry ride away.
Cruising Stockholm Archipelago
When approaching the Swedish capital by sea, spare a thought for the captain. It can't be easy to carefully navigate the narrow channels of the Stockholm Archipelagoââ¬âchannels densely dotted with somewhere in the region of 30,000 islands. Many of these islands are little more than granite outcrops inhabited only by seabirds. Some have thriving communities year round, but many more see their populations rocket in the warmer months when ferry service from the city resumes and Stockholmers escape to spend time at their summer homes and on their boats.
The larger islands have distinct personalities: Sandhamn, for instance, becomes a major sailing hub, its harbor packed with yachts, while Grinda has a famous värdshusââ¬âan old-fashioned innââ¬âwhere people come for dinner and to spend the night. Whatever time of year you visit, the journey through the archipelago to reach Stockholmââ¬âwhich is itself composed of 14 interconnected islandsââ¬âis always spectacular, and helps you understand why Stockholmââ¬â¢s residents are so proud and protective of this area of outstanding natural beauty.
Day At Sea
Day Warnemunde (Berlin), GermanyArrives 06:00 AM Departs 11:00 PM "Berlin can feel like the exception among Europe's capitals. While Rome, London and Paris emerged as important cities under the Roman Empire, Berlin wasn't established until the thirteenth century and only became a significant commercial center in the nineteenth. During the century and a half that it has been on the world stage, its history is almost unbelievable. This was a city that was synonymous with the glittering excesses of the Weimar Republic and then served as the capital of the Nazi regime. For 45 years, it was divided by an infamous wall, with half its citizens living in communist East Germany while West Berlin was an island of capitalist and western values located behind the Iron Curtain.
In 1990, Berlin resumed its role as the capital of a unified Germany. For the visitor today it's an intriguing, vibrant city. While devastated by bombings in World War II, its museums are still filled with cultural treasures. Thoughtful memorials and museums acknowledged the darker moments of its history, though it is the city's restaurants, bars, boutiques and galleries that tend to impress most visitors. Berlin enthusiastically embraces its artists and entrepreneurs, creating an exciting atmosphere of possibility.
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Day Kiel (Hamburg), GermanyArrives 08:00 AM Departs 04:00 PM "Located a short 90-kilometer drive or train journey from the seaside port of Kiel, Hamburg is one of Germany's most cosmopolitan cities. The city's character is powered by the mighty River Elbe, which passes by Hamburg's stylish neighborhoods on its way to the North Sea. Often referred to as Germany's âGateway to the Worldâ due to its position as the biggest commercial port in the country, the city is filled with an air of maritime mystique and excitement. The city has launched ships since the reign of Charlemagne, but it was also instrumental in launching the musical career of The Beatles, who played in multiple venues in the city before releasing their second single, Please Please Me, in 1962 and rising to fame.
Today, with a newly named UNESCO World Heritage Site, upscale shopping districts and a distinct European flavor, Hamburg retains an energetic and eclectic atmosphere where historic and modern charm meet.
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Day Copenhagen, DenmarkArrives 07:00 AM "Copenhagen is one of the easiest European capitals to fall in love with. The sights of old buildings, cobbled streets and the tower- and turret-dotted skyline lend fairy-tale charmâthis was, after all, the home of author Hans Christian Andersen. But make no mistake: This is a thoroughly modern city with international clout.
Restaurants around the world draw inspiration from the New Nordic cuisine pioneered by Noma and other Copenhagen restaurants, while Danish design from this century and the last is universally admired and coveted. Urban planners flock here to try to work out just how the city remains so livable and yet so functional, and despite its wealth of old buildings, Copenhagen's not locked in the past; there are also thrilling examples of modern architecture.
Copenhagen is a city that's easy to find things to do and explore on foot or by excellent public transport, where everyone speaks perfect English, the food is fresh and innovative, and there's plenty of locally brewed beerâwhich, of course, is best enjoyed sitting by the water on a sunny day.
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