If you are considering a Baltic cruise, you probably have a lot of questions.
I’ve been on two Baltic cruises and I’d wholeheartedly recommend these itineraries. It is a beautiful part of the world.
Several things are specific to Baltic cruises that it is good to know about before you cruise.
In this post, we will explore popular questions like, When should you go? What should you pack? Which cruise lines are best and lots more.
Baltic Cruise Tip #1: Don’t Bring Every Currency
Which Currencies Do You Need For a Baltic Cruise?
Many Baltic countries accept Euros while others will take local currencies such as British Pounds, Danish Krone or Swedish Krona. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, especially in cruise ports so it may be worth putting the majority of purchases on your card.
I have been on full cruises and never once needed to use cash.
Baltic cruises visit multiple countries, all of which have their own currencies. I wouldn’t suggest that you keep withdrawing and exchanging currencies because not only is this time-consuming but you can also lose quite a bit of money if the exchange rates aren’t favourable.
In some places, countries that don’t use the Euros will actually take Euros as an alternative.
Many of the countries visited on a Baltic cruise take Euros, so I would recommend that you do take some cash in the form of Euros and use a credit or debit card in the other countries.
It’s always important to have some small coins (Euros are usually fine) for things like public toilets.
In a lot of Europe, there is a charge to use public toilets so it’s always better to keep a few Euro coins in your purse. An alternative, of course, is to find a McDonald’s or Starbucks where you’ll almost always find a toilet that you can use for free.
I recently took a Christmas Markets cruise and found the thing applies in Germany. I had to have coins for the public toilets or nip back to the ship. Luckily River Ships dock in the centre of town, so it wasn’t too far to walk!
Find out about that River cruise here:
If you do decide to take cash, make sure you read this guide which takes you through everything you may need to budget for. Some of these you may not even consider, so do make sure you have a read:
How Much Cash Should I Bring on a Cruise? Budgeting Guide
Which Countries do Baltic Cruises Visit?
The ‘Baltics’ when referenced in regards to cruising are any countries that border the Baltic Sea. Baltic cruises often visit Poland, Sweden, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Denmark.
The ‘Baltic states’ are slightly different and refer to only Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Popular cruise ports include Oslo, Stockholm, Riga, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tallinn, Warnemunde, Gdansk and Hamburg,
A Typical Baltic Cruise Itinerary
A typical Baltic cruise itinerary would be either a week or two weeks long. There are frequent Baltic cruises from the UK, most of which are two weeks long and visit ports along the Baltic Sea before returning.
It is possible to take a Baltic cruise which doesn’t visit the UK, these tend to be shorter and may start somewhere like Copenhagen or Amsterdam.
Baltic Cruise Tip #2: Book an Itinerary With Overnight Stays
It is very common for a Baltic cruise to include an overnight stay at some point of the cruise.
It is worth checking that the times of your port stay are useful for you though. I recently took another cruise which featured ‘two days in Amsterdam’ it docked at 3 pm – and left at 10 am the next day!
Baltic Cruise Tip #3: Prepare to be Busy!
Baltic cruises are very port intensive and will visit a new port almost every day. In a 14-night Baltic cruise you may have 2 or 3 sea days but generally speaking, as the countries are quite close together, you won’t spend a long time at sea.
Baltic cruises provide passengers with the opportunity to visit multiple countries in a relatively short period of time.
During a 14-night Baltic cruise, it is possible to visit 8 or so different countries.
If you were to try to replicate this type of trip on land, it would be very expensive and very time-consuming.
When is The Best Time to Take a Baltic Cruise?
The best time to take a Baltic cruise is in July and August. May, June, September and October are also fairly popular. Winter months are generally less desirable because the weather is poor, but cruises do still sail in the Baltics year-round.
July and August are the most expensive months, with cruises out of this season being considerably cheaper.
Baltic Cruise Tip #4: Cruise Between July and August For The Best Weather
In the summer months of July and August, there will be the greatest number of cruise lines sailing the Baltics.
This does mean that passengers have more choice of who to sail – with but it can also mean that the cruise ports are busy.
It isn’t uncommon for 3 or 4 cruise ships to dock in the same place at the same time.
What Is The Weather Like on a Baltic Cruise?
The weather on a Baltic cruise is generally mild. In summer temperatures may rise in places to 80F but in winter temperatures can drop to 30F. Rain is common year-round.
There is no guarantee of good weather even in the summer months.
If you really do care about having warm sunny weather, the Mediterranean or Canary Islands may be a better option for you than the Baltics -that said, you could get lucky!
I’ve been on two Baltic cruises and both times we had rain almost every day. I took a two-week Marella cruise to the Baltics in 2018 and although we travelled in September, we had some really bad weather.
We had some really lovely weather too!
On a few days of the cruise, I did manage to sit out on the balcony and try to do a little bit of sunbathing. It wasn’t really ever ‘hot’ – but compared to the UK, it did feel warm!
Baltic Cruise Tip #5: Consider a Walking Tour or Bike Tour
We visited Tallinn in Estonia which was brilliant, we took a bike tour but it rained continually.
We were soaked through and the ink genuinely came off of my socks and dyed my feet funny colors.
That said, we had an amazing time and it was a great way to explore.
My coat and cardigan in the photo below aren’t usually that colour, they’re soaked. I particularly like the people in the rain ponchos in the background, I think that says a lot.
Baltic Cruise Tip #6: Pack a Waterproof Coat
On a Baltic cruise, you should pack the following:
- A waterproof coat
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Clothing essentials
- Any medicines needed
- Passport/Documentation/Visa(s)
- Travel adapters
The most important things you can pack for a Baltic cruise are a good comfortable pair of walking shoes and a coat.
Regardless of the time of year that you visit the Baltics, you may get rain, so it’s much better to be prepared.
Pack clothes which you find comfortable, as you’ll probably be doing a lot of walking.
Clothing Essentials
As far as clothes go, I’d recommend you start by packing more underwear than the number of days that you’re away, I always do this. I’m not too sure why but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Baltic Cruise Tip #7: Pack Travel Wash
If you bring travel wash on a cruise you can wash some little items in the sink if you are running low on clothes.
Cruise ships do have laundries but these can be expensive and it’s usually easier if you just want to wash a few small items, to do so in the sink. I use a travel wash, like the one below:
For a 14-night cruise, I always try to pack :
- 10 t-shirts/shirts/blouses
- 4 jeans/trousers
- 4 shorts (if warm)
- 6-day dresses (if warm)
- 6 evening dresses
- 3 hoodies/sweaters/jumpers
- 2 smaller cardigans/cover-ups
- 3 skirts
- 2 pairs of tights/leggings
- 1 swimwear
- 1 set of pajamas
- 2 sets of gym wear
Baltic Cruise Tip #8: Pack Multiple Pairs of Shoes
When it comes to packing, the most important thing is to pack comfortable shoes.
I’d recommend at least one or possibly two pairs of sneakers/trainers/walking boots. During my last Baltic cruise, I got so wet that it took my shoes days to dry out. Having another pair that you can change into is always a good idea.
I’d also recommend you pack another pair of flat shoes for daily walking around the ship or in port.
I usually bring a pair of lightweight (cheap) trainers/sneakers as a backup.
Packing a pair of heels or similar for evenings onboard is usually a good idea. Most cruise lines have some form of formal nights and having at least one, or maybe two pairs of ‘nice’ shoes to wear in the evenings is good.
If The Weather is Warm, Consider Sandals
If you are going to be travelling in summer, I’d recommend that you bring some sandals or flip-flops.
It may be worth packing 2 or so pairs so that you can alternate if needed.
As far as walking goes I’d say that Baltic cruises are one of the most intensive. Most countries visited on Baltic cruises are so easy to explore by foot, that it would be a shame not to because you haven’t packed the right footwear.
Baltic Cruise Tip #9: Pack a Small Umbrella
In addition to your coat, it’s probably a good idea to pack a small umbrella.
It might sound strange that I’m telling you to pack an umbrella and I’m now going to tell you to pack sunscreen but trust me, you might need that too!
The Baltics provide extremes of all weather and it can change with very little warning.
In Tallinn, Estonia, it rains roughly every 3 days – even in the summer season.
Don’t Forget The Essentials
As far as cruise essentials go, make sure that you pack things like your passport, travel documents, luggage tags, travel adapters, phone, camera, credit/debit card, chargers, medicines, and toiletries!
Find out more about what to pack here:
Planning And Packing For Your Cruise, Things to Organise in Advance, Packing Essentials And More
What Should You Do in Baltic Cruise Ports?
Of course, the activities offered do vary by cruise ports, but there are some things which you are able to do in almost all Baltic cruise ports.
Baltic Cruise Tip #10: Take a Hop-on Hop-off Bus
In almost all ports on a Baltic cruise, you’ll find Hop-on Hop-off buses. I’m personally a big fan of Hop-on Hop-off buses because they provide you with everything that you need for a day of exploring.
When you cruise, you will usually only have one day in port, so it’s important to make the most of it.
A daily Hop-on Hop-off bus ticket usually costs around $40/£30 and this is a 24-hour ticket. 48-hour and 72-hour tickets are usually available for longer stays.
Hop-on Hop-off buses allow you to explore a city on set routes.
Most Hop-on Hop-off bus providers will have a couple of routes and these are usually identified by colours or letters.
The best part about Hop-on Hop-off buses is that you can join the bus for any part of the journey you want and repeatedly get on/off the bus.
The buses usually have commentary in multiple languages so that you can learn some facts about the place that you are visiting.
I did this in Stockholm and learned that Stockholm translates to ‘Log Island’ – Fun fact!
Baltic Cruise Tip #11: Take a Walking Tour
There are usually walking tours you can join in most countries in the Baltic cities.
Some have a charge and some are free, on the free tours, you are usually expected to give a tip, which makes sense.
An alternative is to download a walking tour to your phone. If you’re from the UK or most of Europe you can use the mobile data on your phone in Europe at no extra cost.
Walking is one of my favorite ways to stay healthy on a cruise, many people worry about putting on weight on a cruise but to be honest I genuinely feel as though I come back healthier!
To find out the little things I do that make a big difference, check out this post:
Avoid Cruise Ship Weight Gain – 7 Easy Things You Can Do
Baltic Cruise Tip #12: Use Public Transport
Most countries visited on a Baltic cruise have relatively cheap and easy-to-use public transport systems.
If there is a particular thing you want to see or do, it’s usually possible to buy a bus or train ticket and make your own way to the attraction.
You really do see the country that you’re visiting when you travel on public transport, I much prefer it to sitting on an organised bus excursion with other British people.
It’s usually a good idea to bring some cash for things like public transport, although this isn’t necessary for most places. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in most ports.
Booking attractions ahead of time can also save you money, so it is worth considering this. Make the booking early in the morning once you’ve docked – just in case the cruise ship cancels the port for any reason.
Baltic Cruise Tip #13: Consider a Cruise Line Excursion
If there is something in particular you would like to do. it might be worth considering a cruise line excursion.
Cruise line excursions can be quite expensive but they are often the easiest way to explore a place. Most cruise line excursions are based, at least in some parts, on buses.
Groups will usually be of at least 20+ passengers and you might end up following a tour guide around with a flag on a stick.
Baltic Cruise Tip #14: Consider Independent Excursions
Another option is to take independent excursions with other companies. These are often much cheaper than booking through the cruise line but it does take a bit more organisation.
There are lots and lots of companies in the Baltics which provide independent excursions.
The main downside of booking excursions independently is if your cruise port is cancelled you won’t get your money back – although some do offer a money-back guarantee.
To learn more about what happens when itineraries are changed, and this happens a LOT, check out this post:
Do You Get Compensation For Missed Cruise Ports?
Baltic Cruise Tip #15: Consider a Cruise With NCL, Princess, Royal Caribbean, P&O, Marella or MSC
Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, P&O, Marella, and MSC are good options for Baltic cruises. They offer itineraries in a variety of lengths starting and ending in multiple countries.
I've been on 5 MSC cruises in Europe and the US. Cruising with friends and family, I've always had a great time!
Several luxury cruise lines also cruise the Baltics which usually offer smaller less well-known cruise ports.
Azamara, Silversea, Oceana, and Seabourn are just a few of the cruise lines that cruise this route.
Choosing a cruise line can be a very confusing process, there are so many things to consider. Dress codes, dining, entertainment, and more. To help you to find the perfect cruise line for you, I’ve put together this video:
A Cheaper Alternative To A Baltic Cruise
The Baltic Sea is crossed by various ferry routes, and you can cheaply and easily hop from one country to another.
I took a cruise with Silja Line, onboard Silja Symphony. She is a giant ferry, with a central street – similar to those found on Royal Caribbean and MSC cruise ships.
The ship I took sailed from Stockholm in Sweden to Helsinki in Finland and back. It cost around £22/$28 per person, per night.
Find out all about that trip here:
Before You Go
Find some useful hints and tips for getting off of your ship in port here:
Find out whether you get the best deals booking with the cruise line or using a travel agent in the article below:
Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide
Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.
This FREE guide shows you everything you need to know to find your perfect cruise line.