10 night Baltic cruise on Holland Eurodam

Horses in Hawaii.

An acquaintance wrote about his experiences during a 10 night Baltic cruise on the Holland Eurodam in July.  He visited Copenhagen (Denmark), Tallin (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland), Stockholm (Sweden), Berlin and Hamburg (Germany).

First, he flew on a 10 hour direct flight from Honolulu to Washington, D.C. via United.  After a 2 hour layover, he flew for 8 hours directly to Copenhagen, Denmark via Scandinavian Airlines.  He took a bus from the airport to the dock.  On the way, the bus driver showed the passengers the city.  The highlight was the life size statue of the Little Mermaid on a large rock in the ocean.  The weather was in the 60s.

He recommended a cabin with a balcony on the ship.  It seemed the ship sailed at night between destinations, and the land tours occurred during the day.

Next morning, he toured Tallin, Estonia, an old medieval town with cobblestone streets and the staging area for the Crusades.

Next morning, he toured St. Petersburg, Russia.  He saw Peterof Palace and Fountains.  There were hundreds of rooms filled with paintings and gold leaf.  The 64 fountains were run without pumps.

Next morning, still in St. Petersburg, he saw Catherine Palace and Gardens.  Again, there were hundreds of rooms with paintings and gold leaf everywhere.  The so-called Amber Room was covered with amber, made from prehistoric tree sap.  Then, he toured the Hermitage Museum, the largest museum in the world, with over 8 million artifacts.

Next morning, he toured Helsinki, Finland.  He went to the Ice Bar and Winter Wonderland, where he was served drinks in glasses made of ice and sat in chairs made of ice, covered with fur.  He enjoyed the dog sled ride.

Next morning, he arrived in Stockholm, Sweden, and visited the banquet hall where the Nobel Prizes are awarded.  It was in Stockholm that Duke Kahanamoku received his first Olympic medal.  He saw the Vasa Museum, which houses King Gustav’s warship, built 400 years ago and raised intact from the dark depths of the ocean in 1961.

Next morning, he arrived in Warnermunde, Germany and took a 3 hour train ride to Berlin, where he saw the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Allied Museum.  East Berlin looked drab, compared to West Berlin.

Next morning, he arrived in Hamburg, Germany, which looked more affluent than Berlin.  This is where the Beatles performed for years after they left Liverpool.

Next morning, his cruise ended in Copenhagen.  He flew to London, spent the night there, and then flew to Washington, D.C., and then directly to Honolulu.  Home sweet home!

What do you think of this cruise?  Should David and I take it?  Tempting!

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