Holland America Line's Eurodam

Cruise & Maritime Voyages Ocean Countess will make her inaugural turnaround in the Port of Tyne, UK, in 2010 which will be the first of many, according to Fergus Poole, terminal manager. This is welcome news and will make up for the withdrawal of Thomson Spirit this year after five successive seasons.

There will be 10 turnround and 10 transit calls this year including first ever calls from P&O Cruises with Artemis and Princess Cruises with Ocean Princess. Saga’s Spirit of Adventure will also be calling for the first time. A total of 16,430 passengers are expected.

For 2009 the numbers were slightly higher at 24 calls, of which 16 were turnaround, and a total of 20,183 passengers. Mr Poole says although the figures for 2010 are “disappointingly down this year”, given the economic situation they are “still reasonably bouyant figures and worthy of optimism for future years”. Holland America Line returns to the port as a transit caller for the third year running this year.

The Tyne is the gateway to Northumbria and the only cruise port between Harwich and Leith. The recently refurbished Cruise and International Passenger Terminal can handle 2,000 passengers in a turnaround call. The Northumbrian Quay has a length of 335m and a depth alongside of 8m with deeper vessels by arrangement. Smaller quays are also available.

It helps to know a few foreign phrases when traveling. The 6½-minute video, “Simple Swedish – Episode 1,” provides a funny way to familiarize yourself with a few of the complexities of the Swedish language.

Sara Eriksson and Liselott Bjärving, representing the city and port of Göteborg, welcome P&O's Arcadia — on a winter cruise in Northern Europe.

Göteborg, Sweden, December 16, 2009 — A blustery and frigid day in Sweden’s second largest city, as P&O Cruises Arcadia embarks bundled-up passengers returning from shore excursions. Temperatures are in the mid-30s (Fahrenheit), but the unrelenting gusts make it feel much colder.

Yes, it is true that Northern Europe is cold and dark during winter, but as someone who spends a great deal of time in the region during what you might perceive to be an uninspiring season, I will let you in on a little secret: Winter is one of the best times to enjoy Northern Europe.

Despite darkness at 4 p.m., Göteborg's Liseberg, Scandinavia's largest amusement park, was festive and bright on the day that Arcadia docked here.

Part of the reason is that the Christmas season is so very present here. Göteborg’s Liseberg, Scandinavia’s largest amusement park, was festive and bright on the day that Arcadia was docked here. And for those who needed to break the winter chill, there were glowing fires, some with chestnuts roasting over them, and plenty of warm glögg, the mulled, warm red wine.

Like Göteborg, other cities, such as Helsingborg, Sweden, erect large Christmas trees in town squares, and as if the trees’ lights weren’t enough to illuminate and pierce the darkness, there are ornamental fires and flames casting warmth in more ways than one throughout the cities. Restaurants are aglow under candlelight to create what the Swedes refer to as mysig. There is, in fact, a difficult-to-convey coziness that you can only experience by being here.

There probably are hundreds of examples that illustrate the novelty of winter cruising in Europe (the opportunity to visit to Copenhagen’s Tivoli at Christmas, the experience of St. Petersburg’s White Days, Germany’s colorful Christmas markets), and it appears that year-round Northern Europe cruises aren’t far off.

Dirk Moldenhauer, chairman of Cruise Europe, says that 2012 will see the first year-round deployment from Hamburg. The itinerary, yet to be finalized, will likely include Western Europe, a region that Moldenhauer refers to as the authentic “Old” Europe (see related story below).

Seven lovely Swedish girls boarded Arcadia for an afternoon performance of the traditional ceremony Lucia.

Back in Göteborg, seven lovely Swedish girls boarded Arcadia to perform Lucia, the traditional ceremony where one girl wears a crown of candles in honor of light. Dressed in long white gowns and performing a series of traditional songs, all seven girls stood to enthusiastic applause to a ceremony so beautiful that more than a few people in the audience shed tears. It sounded like angels singing.

Yes, similar experiences and emotions could be evoked during the peak cruise season in Northern Europe, but why not winter? The season that people who live here are most challenged by has lots to offer outside observers fortunate enough to visit Northern Europe during the darkest and coldest months, a period when light shines through — triumphantly.

Western Europe: Lucky Seven

Western Europe, marketed collectively under Atlantic Alliance, boasts seven of the world’s most best-known capitals (think Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Paris, Madrid and Lisbon) and seven of Europe’s primary cultures. “From World Heritage sites to museums to shopping, Western Europe has perhaps more to offer than any other region in the world,” says Dirk Moldenhauer, chairman of Cruise Europe.

January marks the month that cruise ships begin their longest sea journeys. While it’s too late to embark on such an epic adventure in 2010, it’s not too late to begin charting your course for a 2011 world cruise. Even for those who call themselves seasoned travelers, world cruises invariably will open the window to new destinations, new cultures or a new way of looking at the world.

Since the first world cruise in 1922, by Cunard’s Lanconia, the world cruise has been seen as the pinnacle of luxury travel. Traditionally, these voyages circumnavigated the globe, or at least as close as you can come to doing so on a ship.

The classic itineraries embarked in New York or Southampton and worked their way westward. Routes varied, either traveling through the Caribbean and then into the Pacific Ocean via the Panama Canal, or around Cape Horn. From there ships usually made their way to Hawaii, the islands of the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, then northward to Hong Kong, South East Asia and India.

At that point, again, courses varied: One route went through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean; the other was around the Cape of Good Hope and then up the west coast of Africa. These cruises ended in the port where they started.

Today, world cruise itineraries focus less on the strict definition of circling the earth and more on the concept of a fascinating voyage. In most cases, a world cruise can be broken into segments that allow travelers to join the journey for three weeks or a month.

First timers often commit to one or two segments in order to be sure that they are comfortable with the extended itinerary. This option also works for people who don’t want to buy the complete cruise or for people who can’t get away for up to four months at a time.

Special moments occur regularly on a world cruise as the ships call on the great wonders of the world and other destinations that are off the path that American travelers typically follow. A world cruise will provide access to exotic cultures, enchanting islands and jaw-dropping natural wonders.

Australia and New Zealand are excellent examples of these juxtapositions of culture and nature that one finds on a world cruise. The welcoming nature of these destinations are well known, but what a stark contrast they offer: Their cast open spaces and dramatic landscapes are populated by curious wildlife, and yet their cities are clean and modern, surging with an upbeat spirit and some world class attractions.

Unless you are so well read and so well traveled that there can be nothing new under the sun, a world cruise is sure to deliver you to new experiences, people and places – a trip to be savored and remembered.

The Avid Cruiser visits Storforsen, one of Europe’s largest rapids and only an hour’s drive from Luleå, Sweden.

“The initiative has vastly improved the welcome the port provides and is seen as something that the other ports in the region can aspire to,” says Mike Reynolds, Falmouth’s port operations director.

Falmouth's Ambassadors come together in the spirit of helping. Click on the image for an expanded view of the photo and the uniform that reads, "Can I Help You?"

Some of the Ambassadors, all volunteers, say that passengers show greater appreciation in being greeted by locals who are enthusiastic about their home turf as opposed to being pestered by someone hawking taxi tours and trinkets.

Ambassadors provide a variety of services, foreign-language assistance, narrative on board the port's complimentary bus shuttles, distributing maps and other info.

The Ambassadors group was formed in 2007, an initiative undertaken by a few local cruise enthusiasts in partnership with the port. The local tourist authority kicked in some initial assistance. During the first year, there were only enough volunteers to greet a few of the ships that called on Falmouth, but word spread throughout the local community, and nowadays, with more than 50 volunteers, all ships are greeted.

The Ambassadors range from 30 years old to 70 years old and come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have gone on to get their professional guide licenses.

Reynolds says that are up to ten volunteers “on duty” when a ship calls and that there are enough of the volunteers who have language skills that there’s always someone on dock to meet and greet in German, French, Spanish and other languages. “Some have taken guiding courses and not only meet and greet but also professionally guide,” Reynolds says.

The volunteers meet passengers quayside and travel with them on the complimentary shuttle busses that the port provides, narrating along the way. Volunteers wear uniforms and have a good supply of maps and other material to inform passengers. But it is their genuine enthusiasm and their love of sharing the best of Falmouth that passengers appreciate most.

Last month, Oprah and Obama were in Copenhagen to push Chicago’s failed Olympic bid. Obama arrived and returned home on the same day; Oprah stayed in the exceptionally pricey Karen Blixen suite at D’Angleterre. Fortunately, Oprah has money to burn in what Mercer’s Cost of Living Index cites as the world’s 7th most expensive city. You don’t.

What then are the implications for you on Baltic cruise pre/post stays in Copenhagen or Stockholm–the two main turnaround ports in northern Europe? How can you avoid emptying your wallets in these two must-see capitals?

For the past two years, I’ve lived about an hour away from Copenhagen, in a small city situated at the gateway to the Baltic Sea. One of the reasons I chose to live in Helsingborg, Sweden, was that Copenhagen was just too expensive. $8 for a glass of water; $7 for a cappuccino; such pricey accommodations and dining that after prolonged exposure, the mind eventually concedes defeat with regard to any aspirations to travel cheaply.

Well almost. Last week, I paid $38 for a beer and a caesar salad at Radission SAS Scandinavia. My reaction? Ouch!

Here’s how to avoid dumping wads of cash when overnighting in the Baltic’s leading homeports.

Forget Four Star Hotels? Not Necessarily

In Copenhagen, put yourself in the four-star Hotel TwentySeven. It’s a Clarion Collection Hotel, and the rate is about $150 per night for one person and around $180 for two. Rooms are small, but breakfast and dinner (buffet style) are included, which can save you a bundle over dining out. WiFi is included, and there’s an IceBar next door, where hotel guests get a free refill on a cocktail, a $17 value. Total cost per couple for two nights: $360.

How about Stockholm? Let’s say you are on Silver Whisper, departing July 28, 2010. You arrive July 26, staying two nights. You’ll pay $450 for the two nights at the Sheraton Stockholm, where WiFi from your room is an additional $30 per day (free terminals, however, in the lobby); Radisson SAS Strand, $490; Hilton Slussen, $820.

To save a bundle, book the Scandic Anglais, situated in trendy Stureplan, a 10-minute walk from Gamla Stan, but only two minutes from the best shopping in Stockholm, WiFi and breakfast included, and free use of bicycles. Total cost per couple for two nights: $300.

• Big Spender? In Copenhagen, put yourself in The Nimb, a 13-room property situated within Tivoli. In Stockholm, book the Grand Hotel.  Both are nearly $1,000 for two nights for two.

Skip The Bus Tour; Walk Instead

With the exception of St. Petersburg and Warnemunde (for Berlin), the Baltic ports are highly walkable cities. In Tallinn, Estonia, start your walks in the Upper Old Town and head back to the ship through the Lower Old Town, with a guide to explain the history.

Other Baltic walks: Stockholm’s Old Town, Djurgarden and Strandvagen; Copenhagen’s Stroget and from Langelinie (the Little Mermaid won’t be there, however; she is at the World Expo in China during 2010) to Nyhavn; Helsinki’s Kauppatori market and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Suomenlinna Fortress (you will need to take a 10-minute ferry from Kauppatori market to get to the fortress).

Skip The Train To Berlin

Sure Berlin is a wonderful city, but from where the ship docks in Warnemunde, it’s nearly three hours by train to get there — and nearly three hours back to the ship. I’ve watched fellow passengers board the ship exhausted from the long day in Berlin. Do yourself a favor and travel by train (20 minutes) to Rostock instead. You’ll get a taste of former East Germany as well as a Hanseatic city founded in 1218 that features one of Europe’s first universities, a town wall and gothic churches.

Return by boat to Warnemunde (40 minutes) and enjoy a walk on the wide, sandy beaches. You’ll be back on board ship hours before those who traveled to Berlin. Germany’s capital is worthy of an extended visit, not just several hours on a shore excursion.

Don’t Deny Yourself The Fairy Tale

Despite the crushing costs of the Nordic capitals, both Copenhagen and Stockholm are worthy of two nights pre/post. You are only visiting, not moving to or living in the Scandinavian capitals. Yes, you may spend more for hotels and dining than you would back home, but how often does one get the chance to visit such fairy-tale nations? Think Tivoli, Hans Christian Andersen and the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, and Astrid Lindgen (creator of Pippi Longstocking), Skansen and Gamla Stan in Stockholm.

Do you have tips for saving money on Baltic Sea regions? If so, please comment below.

The Avid Cruiser visits Swedish Lappland, where reindeer and elk (called “moose” in North America) are still herded by the local Sami people (also known as Lapps).

The Avid Cruiser visits Gammelstad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that represents the best-preserved example of a “church village.” Villages like Gammelstad were once found throughout northern Scandinavia. The 424 wooden houses that radiate from the early 15th-century stone church, were used only on Sundays and at religious festivals to house worshippers from the surrounding countryside who lived too far away from home to return on the same day. Gammelstad is fewer than 20 minutes by car or bus from where the cruise ships dock in Luleå.

Posted from my Blackberry.