Helsinki

South West Harbor Cruise Terminal - Helsinki, Finland
A regular ferry/shuttle runs between Helsinki and Tallin, Estonia (a favorate vacation spot for the Finns)
Copyright Andy Richards 2022 - All Rights Reserved

BEFORE WE booked the Baltic Cruise, I didn't really know much about Helsinki. Nor about Finland, for that matter. I did know that members of my extended family growing up had Finnish heritage. And I also knew that my home state of Michigan held a very substantial Finn population in its Upper Peninsula (colloquially known in Michigan as "the U.P.," - pronounced "you-pee"). A little bit of Michigan trivia, since Michigan is my heritage. In the five northwesternmost counties in the Upper Peninsula Finns are the largest ethnic group, with approximately 35 percent of the residents claiming Finnish heritage. Originally, Finns immigrated to the U.P. They are the only such counties in the United States that can boast that demographic. Originally, Finns immigrated to the western U.P., to work in the copper mines. At one time, most of the copper in the world was supplied from the U.P. of Michigan. But lest I forget, this blog is not about Michigan - it's about cruising in the Baltic, and stopping in Helsinki, Finland. 😉

Helsinki Cathedral
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THE BACKGROUND, here is interesting. In conducting my pre-cruise research, I learned that while some of us have referred to this region of the world as "Scandinavia," we have been incorrect. In fact, the characterization of the places we visited on this cruise is confusing and a bit convoluted. But technically, "Scandinavians" are inhabitants of The Scandinavian Peninsula (i.e., Norway, Sweden and Denmark). Finland is not considered part of this region and the Finns are not considered "Scandinavian" (even though to my eye, at least parts  of Finland appear to be part of the Scandinavian Peninsula - and was originally a part of Sweden). Did I mention that it is confusing and convoluted? This region is more correctly referred to as "The Nordic Region." It does appear, however, that all of the countries we visited (and a few others) can properly be classified as "Nordic." According to my limited research, the term Nordic includes Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Greenland and The Faroe Islands. Estonia (which we also visited), along with Latvia and Lithuania are considered "Baltic" nations.

Russian Orthodox Cathedral - Helsinki, Finland
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FINLAND WAS originally part of the Kingdom of Sweden. Before these countries formed distinct national groups, the (primarily Scandinavian) Vikings sailed all over the world. As they began to establish national identities, they also became more territorial. The Swedes conquered territory that is now Finland and St. Petersburg, Russia, while the Danes focused more on the Baltics (particularly Estonia). Over hundreds of years, the "Nordic" empires and influence waned, and the Russian empire took over, at one time controlling the Baltic nations and dominating Finland. In 1808 a war between Russia and Sweden culminated in a treaty which ceded Finland to Russia. From then until 1917, Finland was an autonomous region of Russia (The Grand Duchy of Finland). In 1917, Finland gained its independence. Shortly after the outbreak of WWII, that independence was challenged when in 1939, Russia demanded that Finland cede certain territories (primarily around St. Petersburg). Finland refused and the USSR invaded. Initially, the 1939-1940 "Winter War," between the Finns and the much larger, more powerful, and better militarily equipped Soviet Union - surprisingly - went in favor of the Finns who successfully repelled them. However, eventually, upon re-grouping, the Soviets overpowered them, and ultimately Finland ended up ceding about 10% of its sovereign territory to the Soviets. They did (at least in appearance) maintain their independence though. The Finish language began as an unofficial language, as Swedish was mostly spoken. Today, both Swedish and Finish are recognized as official languages of Finland. Of course, a majority of Finns also speak English as a second language.

Senate Square and the Hop on - Hop Off Bus - Helsinki, Finland
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KNOWN AS a reformer with an affinity for Finland (no pun intended) 😃, Tsar Alexander II was revered by the Finns. Alexander established the Finnish Diet (Congress), and instituted other reforms in Finland, strengthening their autonomy. On his death, the Diet commissioned a monument in his honor, which stands in the center of Senate Square today.

Tsar Alexander, II Monument - Senate Square; Helsinki, Finland
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RUSSIAN DOMINANCE is evident in the primary architecture in the city center of Helsinki. The primary center is Senate Square, where Russian influenced governmental buildings surround the square. I have read that that part of Helsinki is so reminiscent of Russia - particularly Moscow, that because of the "Cold War" tensions between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., the "Russian" scenes in the movie, Gorky Park were actually filmed in Helsinki. Coming so recently out of the 2019 pandemic, our excursion planning for this trip was not as well organized as we have been on past cruises. We found that many of the prior resources we had used to book and to join tours were no longer available. As a result, we did not have organized tours in Helsinki or in Stockholm.

Swedish Embassy - Esplanade - Helsinki, Finland
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WHAT WE did do in Helsinki, was join our new friends, Mike and Elaine for the day. I had purchased a Rick Steves book which had a self-guided tour, and we used parts of that along with the Hop on - Hop off bus to see the city. As a photographer, I was particularly interested in Senate Square, the nearby Russian Orthodox Cathedral, and the waterfront area. The plan worked rather well for us.

Like many European Cities, Helsinki has a very nice tram system for public transport
Helsinki, Finland
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I SHOULD point out that these largely waterborne cities often have multiple seaports, and there is not generally a single congregating point for all the cruise ships. We experienced this phenomenon at Helsinki, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. Even with today's wonderfully available on-line resources (e.g., whatsinport.com), I found it a bit confounding to figure out where we would be berthed and how we would get around. While nerve-wracking at first, we were happy to learn that 2 out of the 3 had pretty easy solutions to the concern. In Stockholm, the cruise line provided a shuttle to the center city. In Helsinki, the Hop on - Hop off buses stopped essentially at the base of our gangplank. Both charged a modest fee. Copenhagen didn't have a shuttle. There may or may not have been a Hop on - Hop off bus within easy walking distance. We had a tour guide to meet, so we just grabbed a taxi, which turned out to be convenient enough.

WE ENJOYED our walk around the city and along the waterfront. Before "hopping" back on the bus to return to the ship, we stopped into the Cafe Kappeli, along the Esplanade in the city center. Originally opened in 1867, the restaurant was a favorite of writers, poets, artists, and the like during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Renaissance Revival style building is at once striking on its exterior, and beautiful inside. We had a local beer from the tap and relaxed a bit. We were in the middle of 5 straight days of port stops, and the next 4 would prove to be busy and rewarding. Our next stop was the new, substitute for St. Petersburg: Visby, Sweden.

Cafe Kappeli - Helsinki, Finland
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"Bound for Berlin" (not): Warnemunde, Germany

Harbor Entrance Light - Warnemunde', Germany
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AS I have ranted about before, one of my pet peeves is what I consider the cruise lines' disingenuous naming and advertising of their cruise itineraries. At the same time, I am not sure how I would do it any differently. In some cases, I guess it just has to be that way. For example, in the Mediterranean, Rome, Italy has to be one of the major destinations. And many, many cruises put Rome on their itineraries. But Rome is really not a seaport. The cruise port for Rome is Civitavecchia. But it is only 20 miles away (as the crow flies). So, I don't find it to be too misleading, when they say the port is "Civitavecchia (for Rome)." I also see Rome being the point of embarkation or termination probably more often than just a "day stop." That makes more sense to me.

To me it feels very disingenuous when they say "Warnemunde (for Berlin)"

LIKE ROME is to Italy, it seems like Berlin in Germany is also a major destination. but the distance from Warnemunde to Berlin, on the other hand, is closer to 130 miles. To me it feels very disingenuous when they say "Warnemunde (for Berlin)." Neither Rome nor Berlin, in my opinion, are cities which can be really seen on a "day trip." We have been to Rome 3 times. We were able to see a little of it the first two times. The most recent time, we spent 3 days there prior to embarking in Civitavecchia. It is really the first time I felt that we really "saw" the city. But at least you can reach Rome from the closest port in about an hour. We estimated that a train ride into Berlin was probably around 3 hours. Each way! That carves a huge chunk of time out of a day trip.

Warnemunde Harbor
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I DO think part of cruising is discovering new places; places you may not have considered visiting and that may not be on the popular tourist radar. But I also think it is a bit contrived for the cruise line to "tease" with a major destination that is not anywhere close to the port. Warnemunde is a prime example of this. But seriously, if we are going to see Berlin, we are going to travel there by air or train and stay there - at least one overnight.

Warnemunde, Germany
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TO BE fair to Warnemunde, it really is a nice little beach town, and we had a delightful walk around on shore. I was also able to make some nice pictures.

Warnemunde Lighthouse - from Celebrity Apex deck
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ONE OF Warnemunde's central features is its nearly 102 feet tall, classic, working lighthouse which can be seen from most parts of the town. The lighthouse marks the entrance to the Warnow River, which continues south as a wide estuary to the city of Rostock, before it narrows. Built right at the turn of the century (1898), the structure features glazed "white" tiles, with some bands of green ("white" may well be in the "eye of the beholder," here). The light replaced the old, original range light. A significant part of the rationale for the new light was the ferry lines (owned at that time by the Mecklenberg Railways) that ran between Denmark and Rostock. There is a substantial rail terminal in Warnemunde, as well as its generous ferry terminal.

Warnemunde, Germany
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AS I have stated frequently here, one of the best platforms for landscape photography which includes structures is from the upper deck of a cruise ship. I made most of my Warnemunde images from our Apex upper deck, during the nice morning light, and again, later in the afternoon.

Warnemunde, Germany
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ACTUALLY PART of the larger city of nearby Rostock, Warnemunde is essentially a summer beach resort which is popular with residents of Rostock; but also popular with beachgoers as far away as Berlin. The town center area is primarily designed with that in mind, with many pubs, restaurants and shops lining the small, secondary canal which parallels the Warnow River along the Warnemunde riverfront.

Shops and green space along the canal in Warnemunde
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REACHABLE BY rail, and by both public and private watercraft, the number of private sailing vessels along the canal impressed us.

Private sailboats along the Warnemunde Canal
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AS CAN be seen from the images above showing the beachfront in their backgrounds, and the promenade image below, Warnemunde is a beach and tourist destination at its core.

The Strand - Warnemunde, Germany
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WE WALKED the short few blocks along the canal and shops, and then out the beach promenade, which - together with the beach - is known as The Warnemunde Strand, for a short distance, getting the feel of the place. It was early in the season and on a weekday, and there were really very few people on the beach. But you could easily picture a beach full of hundreds of people.

Warnemunde, Germany
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RETURNING TO the ship, we walked around the base of the lighthouse (right in the center of the beginning of the promenade). Although we didn't make the climb, there is a public observation deck near the top which is said to give panoramic views of the area. I was content with my images from the ship's deck.

Ferry crossing the Warnow at Warnemunde
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BACK ABOARD, I made a few more photos. One of the things that I would see often repeated as we cruised the waterways inland of the Baltic appeared commonplace: the crossing ferries. The one right in Warnemunde appears to be the only way to cross the river until reaching the roadway some 3 miles south of the port. After that, there are no bridges (and only a few ferry crossings) until the river narrows southeast of Rostock. It was interesting to see cars, bicycles and pedestrians all boarding the ferry, which crossed the less than 1/4 - mile back and forth at frequent intervals.

Red. Right. Returning? - Wrong 😀
Warnemunde, Germany
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I HAVE said here before that I learn something new every cruise. I grew up around small boats, mainly in the inland lakes of the U.S. (great lakes and smaller lakes). Over the years, I have had the good fortune to know people who have boats and are generous with their invitations. Before I retired, back in Michigan, I did some small pleasure craft cruising. One of the universals of boating worldwide are the red and green buoys marking navigable channels. One of the little ditties we learned in the U.S. to determine which side of the buoy to pass on is: "red, right, returning." If you are going out, those reds are on your port and the greens to starboard. Returning to port, they are reversed. Being a typical (read, parochial) American, I of course, assumed everyone did it that way. 😕 Nope. There are actually two different systems with the colors the reverse of each other, depending on the region of the world you are sailing in. Germany and the Baltic? Not the same region as North America. Which probably explains why the ship coming into port at Warnemunde has red on its port side and green to the starboard. 😑

Celebrity Apex docked at Warnemunde, Germany
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WHILE CERTAINLY not the highlight of our Baltic Cruise, we did enjoy Warnemunde. We had no planned itinerary (purposely), and no high expectations. We had a relaxing few hours wandering the port, and looked forward to the next few ports, which we did have high expectations of.

Celebrity Apex - A "New" Experience for us (sort of)

Celebrity Apex
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 IN 2018, Celebrity premiered the first of its new "Edge Class" ships. Aptly, it is named the Celebrity Edge. For most of the years prior to that, the "big guys" (RCL, NCL, HAL, Princess and MSC, to name some), had a kind of pattern when they brought out a new class of vessels. More modern, sometimes "better" amenities, but most of all: bigger. This time, Celebrity changed it up, and their approach is - from the best I can tell - still unique among cruise lines bringing on newer ships. They actually made the Edge slightly smaller than the prior, Solstice Class ships!

It seems that Celebrity believes it has found its "sweet spot" at right around 3,000 passengers and we agree!

THE SOLSTICE class ship we are most familiar with is the newest (and final edition) of that class: the Celebrity Reflection. Celebrity has three primary classes in service today: the Millenium Class, the Solstice Class, and the Edge Class. We have sailed on the Reflection 5 times, and it is one of my personal favorite ships. I have been on one other Solstice Class ship - the Celebrity Equinox (in the Caribbean in February 2023). Built in 2009, the Equinox was the second of the 5 Solstice Class ships. It is very similar to my favorite Reflection, which was built in 2012. But I think there are just enough new and nice touches to the Reflection that it is the superior ship. In years past, we have also sailed in the Caribbean on the older, smaller, Millenium class ships a couple of times. While we like them fine, or preference is the Edge and Solstice classes.

Celebrity Apex
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THE REFLECTION is 1,050 feet long and 122 feet wide. It has a passenger capacity of 3,000. The Edge is nearly 50 feet shorter (at 1,004 feet long), and a foot wider at 123 feet. Its passenger capacity is a few less than Reflection at 2,908! Again, this appears to me to be unprecedented in the cruise industry. It seems that Celebrity believes it has found its "sweet spot" at right around 3,000 passengers. My wife and I agree! In January, we sailed on the much smaller, Oceania Cruise lines Nautica, at just under 600 feet, 9 total decks, and a passenger capacity of less than 700. Staterooms and ship layout - though very nicely appointed - were both small and cramped in our view. On the other hand, we have absolutely no interest in cruising on one of the "Mother Ship" (Celebrity is a subsidiary of RCL), Royal Caribbean 7,000 passenger behemoths. So. Sweet spot. Yeah. And what they have done with the Edge Class ships is to maintain that sweet spot, while upgrading, modernizing, and making the spaces feel even more generous.

Out on the deck just outside of Eden is this nice - usually quiet space near the stern. At the far back is an additional smoking area, and can be a good spot to get out of the wind and/or rain
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WE SAILED on the Edge when she was fairly new, in the Mediterranean. We have since sailed on her twice more. Shortly afterward, in May of 2019, the second of (apparently 5 total) "Edge Class" ships: The Celebrity Apex was launched. Covid, of course, put the brakes on things and two different maiden cruises (first out of Southampton, and then later Barcelona) were cancelled. It wasn't until fall of 2020 that she made her maiden cruise in the Western Caribbean. I boarded the Edge the first time prepared to not like it as much as the Reflection. I guess I am like most people - we get set in our ways, and really don't like change. But the old saying that the only constant in life is change, is probably never more accurate than in the cruise industry. I still absolutely love the Reflection and would cruise on her any time she was "going my way." 😍 But we have also grown to love the Edge Class ships. There are so many unique spaces. Celebrity has pushed the envelope on classical cruise ship design. The 4 MDR restaurant setup works very smoothly with "anytime" dining, and we have found the experience to be very nice. They have been able to accommodate us with groups as large as 8 people, and as small as just the two of us with ease. We have enjoyed the Raw on 5 and Eden specialty restaurants (though Eden is not for the budget conscious, LOL). And the signature orange tower on the starboard side of the boat - "The Magic Carpet" is a unique and on a sunny afternoon, very enjoyable bar.

The Magic Carpet - Celebrity Edge Class Ships
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BECAUSE OF our prior experience on the Edge, we had pretty predictable expectations of this ship. And we weren't far off. There were very few uniquely different things on the ship. There was a slight redesign of the Sunset Bar (though the seating was essentially the same - especially in the smoking area). Some of the shops were slightly different. The Apex changed Edge's sports bar to the Craft Social Bar (also found on some of the Solstice Class ships). But otherwise, the Edge and Apex are essentially "twin" sister ships.

Just inside the entrance to Eden there are more quiet spaces to enjoy -Celebrity Apex - 2022
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FOLLOWING OUR stop in Germany, we had another day at sea, while we cruised the length of the Baltic on our way to Helsinki, Finland. And on that day and afternoon, in addition to two couples who had become new friends, my gregarious wife befriended another couple sitting next to her at the martini bar. It may well be that only on a cruise ship will you invite a complete stranger to join you for dinner. We were having before dinner drinks with our friends Jim and Flow from Palm Harbor (who we met just a few days before the cruise), and our other new friends, Mike and Elaine were going to join us. Donna was sitting next to my wife, and they struck up a conversation. She and her husband were from Canada, way over on the east coast of Quebec on The Gulf of St. Lawrence. I opined that although she was very nice and polite, there was no way they were seriously considering joining us. But as we were seated later, there they were! Donna and Pierre joined us every night for dinner for the rest of the cruise. It has been fun keeping up. And, in the small world department, she has a son who lives in Sarasota (less than an hour south of us in Florida).

A much different concept than the popular Solstice Class Martini Bars, the Martini Bars on the Edge Class ships are grand, richly appointed and decorated, and have a dance floor and live music stage integrated into the overall design, which is the central atrium of the ships. We tend to spend a fair amount of time here both before and after dinners.
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WE KEPT on making new friends. Todd and Heather, Bern and Eric are folks we met from suburban New York. They were occasional cigar smokers, and we met on the smoking deck a couple times. One of the highlights of the cruise (particularly for them 😁) was Eric's surprise proposal to Bern, which took place one of the evenings in Eden. For the occasion, Todd and Heather had booked a suite and we were invited to join them for a reception celebrating the event. The 2-story suite was pretty - well, sweet! 😎 By the end of the cruise, we had signed up for a 12-day easter Caribbean cruise on the Celebrity Equinox, with Mike and Elaine. We often have dinner with Flo and Jim. And of course, we hope to catch up with some of our other new friends in the not-too-distant future. I think it is fair to say that on this Apex Cruise, a good time was had by all!

The Baltic - 2022 - The Journey Begins Anew

Celebrity Apex - Baltic Cruise
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BY AUGUST of 2022, it was pretty obvious that we were out of the pandemic, and well on the way back to normal. To be sure, the service industries, including the cruise industry had taken a big hit. Ships were still understaffed, and often the staff was inexperienced. But for the most part, our own experience was very good. Even when inexperienced our takeaway was that they worked hard and had a good attitude (or at least they put a good "face" on). There were isolated incidents where the inexperience came through, but they weren't the norm. At the same time, the economics of things were evident. Food quality in some cases seemed to have slid and portions were curtailed. In some cases, the bar staff was inexperienced and even occasionally uninformed. But again, in our experience, this was not the norm. After all, we were on vacation, which should probably motivate us to relax and roll with it.

Celebrity Apex - Amsterdam, Netherlands
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FROM LATE 2019 on, we had experienced a series of disappointing cancellations. I want to be careful not to sound whiny or entitled here. We were, after all, suddenly thrust into a worldwide pandemic which not only caused panic and instability, but many deaths and serious sickness. The disappointment was that it happened, and we had to postpone plans along with many others in order put more important things on the table. But this is a blog about cruising and should be fun, so it is about time to stop talking about pandemics and talk about cruising.

Celebrity Apex - The Baltic
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WE HAD scheduled a cruise in The Canary Islands due to sail sometime in 2020, which was cancelled. We booked forward to another cruise, which was in turn cancelled. This went on for several cruises until one finally went. This one was to the Baltic Sea. After sailing in the British Channel in late 2021 and the Caribbean in January of 2022, we were excited to be back in Europe and back on Celebrity Again - this time the Celebrity Edge. And we were excited about the itinerary. Perhaps the highlight of this cruise was the planned overnight stop in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Nothern Passage - Amsterdam, Netherlands
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STRATEGICALLY LOCATED on the eastern tip of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic at the mouth of the Neva River, St. Petersburg (a/k/s Petrograd), population approximately 1 million, is the second largest city in Russia and the largest city on the Baltic. Previously the site of a Swedish fortress captured by Peter in order to acquire a seaport in the Baltic, the city was founded by Tsar Peter the Great in the early 18th century when he built the Peter and Paul Fortress. The capital city and seat of the Tsar until 1918, St. Petersburg (as well as Tsar Peter) is widely credited with the establishment of the Modern Russian Empire and has long been thought of as the cultural center of Russia. It was only following the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917, that the newly empowered Bolsheviks moved the capital to its current location in Moscow. After Lenin's death in 1924, St. Petersburg was actually renamed to and remained Leningrad until after the dissolution of the USSR. Peter was a huge fan of western civilization, and strove to "westernize" St. Petersburg, in the mode of the great classical buildings of western Europe. He also strove to "westernize" the Russian military, and St. Petersburg became a military (and especially naval) stronghold of Russia. From the photographs I have seen, the city has incredible, colorful and classically designed architecture. I was, to say the least, "geeked" about visiting and photographing this incredible city. And then Putin invaded the Ukraine. All bets were off. Rightfully, cruise lines and tour groups pulled out of all of their scheduled visits to St. Petersburg. More disappointment. 😞

River Cruise Boat - Amsterdam Cruise Terminal
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ABOUT HALF of the passengers scheduled for this cruise followed suit and cancelled their participation on the cruise. It seemed I wasn't the only one who looked at St. Petersburg as the highlight of the cruise. But we were weary of cancelled cruises and the disappointments of one after another falling through. Besides, there were 6 other ports of call to be considered. It wasn't, after all, a "St. Petersburg Cruise." It was a Baltic Cruise. And truth be told, if Celebrity had not cancelled St. Petersburg, we would have cancelled. I cannot in good conscience spend money or in any way support that regime, though my heart goes out to the millions of innocent Russians who are pawns in his ego trip. One of the 6 stops, of course, was a new substitute stop. While it wasn't going to hold a candle to St. Petersburg, it turned out to be a nice stop. We stayed on. And we are very glad we did. It was a wonderful cruise.

Canal - Amsterdam, Netherlands
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THE POINT of departure was Amsterdam. We had been to Amsterdam just once before, for just a day. It was the termination of a cruise that had started in Dublin, Ireland and ended in Amsterdam. We saw enough of Amsterdam that day to know we wanted to spend more time there. So this cruise, we arrived 3 days early. We stayed in the Movenpick Hotel, literally next door to the cruise terminal. We did that mainly for convenience on the morning of embarkation. But we soon learned that it had been a pretty good choice for convenience of getting around the city. We were a relatively short walk away from the main train terminal, where trains and trams all came together. There was a tram stock just across the street from our motel. So, using a 3-day pass, we came and went as we pleased. We had a couple of nice tours of the city. The highlight was probably a morning walking tour of the Jewish Quarter, and afternoon tour of the Ann Frank house and museum. If you have the chance, I highly recommend you do both those things. Amsterdam is also a very picturesque city, with great canals, flowers and architecture. There are great little pubs and restaurants everywhere. I only missed two things on my list: the Heineken Brewery and the windmills. The windmills would come just a year later. I am still planning on the brewery one day. 😋

WE HAD a mid-morning boarding time the next morning after our long day of tours (Celebrity now boards passengers by appointment and gives you "windows." All of my recent boardings have been efficient and flawless, so they must have something there). So, rather than go back out to find a place to eat, we decided to go down to the hotel's restaurant and get a burger. We were seated at an area where there were a number of side-by-side, two person tables. We struck up a conversation with a couple ladies who were boarding a river cruise the next day, and during that conversation, the people one table down overheard that we were boarding the Apex. It turns out they were too. We ultimately met up with them the next day, and during the course of the cruise, we became well-acquainted with Mike and Elaine. You will hear more about them over the next couple posts. 😁

Northern Passage - Amsterdam, Netherlands
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OUR SAIL-AWAY brought a beautiful, sunny afternoon. This was another cruise where we were destined to meet new people and make some great new friends. Prior to the cruise, I "met" a woman on the Facebook Page that had been established for this cruise. It turns out that they live in the community just a couple miles north of us. We made arrangements to have dinner one night a couple weeks before we left, to meet Jim and Flo and know we would both know at least one other couple on the ship. Of course, we immediately ran into them as we went up on deck for the sail-away. We also ran into Mike and Elaine and introductions were made. We were having so much fun socializing that I completely missed what may have been one of the best photographic opportunities of the trip: the sail through the north passage to the North Sea. Maybe another cruise (though it appears quite likely that cruise ships will no longer be embarking from Amsterdam - at least not Celebrity in the near future. Another topic for another time, but Rotterdam now appears to be the port of choice for Celebrity). I did catch one or two shots. Our first stop would be in Warnemunde, Germany, after a day at sea.