Baltic cruise tips

pointers you can trust

Helpful insights

What to expect
in the Top 5 ports

Sightseeing

Great: St Petersburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn

Middling: Helsinki

Taxis & public transportation

Very good

English

Widely spoken except in St Petersburg

Local hospitality

Superb

Where you start and end
your Baltic cruise makes
a big difference

Some cruisers can save airfare by beginning and ending their Baltic cruise in non-Baltic ports likes Amsterdam and Dover. There are trade-offs. Such cruises add sea days. And, there's the risk of encountering a North Sea storm, even if your ship takes the Kiel Canal shortcut.

Cruising from Copenhagen or Stockholm eliminates those drawbacks.

Official currencies

In the Best 5 Cruise Port countries:

Denmark: Danish Krone

Estonia: Estonian Kroon

Finland: Euro

Russia: Russian Euro

Sweden: Swedish Krona

The US Dollar and especially the Euro are widely accepted except in St Petersburg. Generally, your best bet is to use a credit or debit card.

More helpful cruise tips

Click Hillman Cruise Guide to read my 14-page Cruise Guide. It's filled with cruising advice on:

Cruise booking
Cabin selection
Shore excursions
Dining
Costs
Etiquette
Family cruising
and more