Nordic and Baltic cruises Kiel Warnemünde
Ever since my sons were old enough to go to summer camp independently, my cruise life has been unstoppable.
August 2024, Nordic itinerary, Denmark and Norway, MSC Euribia. Ocean view cabin, two days at sea. Departure port: Kiel, Germany. Take Flix train from Cologne to Hamburg. Stay overnight in Kiel the next day. Actually, you can skip Kiel altogether; it's a bit boring. The train station is a 20-minute drive from the cruise port. Avoid Flix trains in the summer or during heat waves; they lack air conditioning and a dedicated luggage storage area. Since they share the tracks with Deutsche Bahn, they can still miss their final destination if there's a problem. The upside is the super affordable price and no reservation fee.
August 2025, Baltic itinerary, MSC Poesia, inside cabin, one day at sea. Calls in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, and Denmark. Purchase two tours and a transfer. Departure port: Warnemünde, northern Germany. As soon as I exited the train station, I saw the cruise ship docked at the pier. It's a lovely town, but the day before, hotels within a hundred miles were charging over 200 euros a night. The port, which is extremely difficult to reach by car, plane, or train, takes over seven hours. Even taking the ICE express train from Berlin still takes over two hours. I stayed overnight near Berlin Train Station on both the departure and arrival dates. This time, I took the ICE train from Cologne to Berlin, and it was delayed by an hour both ways. You can get cheap Deutsche Bahn tickets by purchasing a 25% discount card and booking at least a month in advance. This time, I booked too late and didn't get a good deal. Deutsche Bahn tickets, like gasoline prices in Germany, are priced on a sliding scale; the later you buy, the more expensive they are.
My experience: The interior cabins slept incredibly soundly and were incredibly quiet, perfect for sleeping.
Although the former cabin was large and new, and the entertainment was amazing, I had more fun this time around. Perhaps it was because I was forced to share a table with strangers. It went from awkward to engaging in conversation, and by the last day, the boat was filled with friends greeting me. Conclusion: Those who like scenery and new ships are suitable for the Norwegian fjords itinerary, while those who like city monuments are suitable for the Baltic Sea itinerary. #NordicCruise #BalticCruise #MSC