Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany

We took the train to Rostock which was easy to do but the real gem is Warnemunde itself.......such a gorgeous seaside town with a great beach, lots of lovely restaurants and quaint shops. Just spend time wandering around and enjoy.

I have been to Berlin before, so we did not do the $300/person, 3 hour (each way) bus/train trip. Reviews from most people who went were positive. However, you do not get a chance to go into some of the important sites, such as the Holocaust Museum, the Pergamum and other museums, the Berliner Dom (cathedral). I am not sure it is worth doing that. We spent the day in Wannrmunde (pleasant area along canal and white san beaches), Rostock (St. Mary's has a 600 year old astronomical clock similar to Prague's and a charming central city), and Bad Doberan (terrific 12th century abbey and cathedral)

Visited: Aug 17, 2018

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Went on a tour to Wismer & walked around the town which went back to the 1200's. Viewed building damage still remaing from WWII. The tour also included a stop at a local brewery where we sampled 3 different beers. The brewmaster also explained his brewing process. After the tour we walked around Warnemunde. A beautiful seaport with interesting shops adjacent to where the ship docked. Before we returned to the ship we had beer & hotdogs. This was a mistake because when we returned to the ship the Lido Deck around the pool area was offering German food & beer & we were too full to partake,

Visited: May 05, 2017

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Ship was in port for 18 hours, so arranged independent travel to Berlin. Cruise tours to Berlin were very expensive and mostly involved riding a bus around Berlin, but it is easy to book train accommodations from Deutche Bahn online. The Warnemunde train station is adjacent to the cruise port so you can just walk from the boat to the station. The trip requires changing trains in Rostock, which is a 20-minute ride from the port via a regional train (which runs about every 15 minutes). In Berlin visited the Pergammon Museum (a must!), but you need to book entry time in advance to avoid two-hour lines, also the Neues Museum (stunning antiquities), which is next door. Took city bus on Unter den Linden to Brandenburg Gate (driver sells tickets and gives change), then visited the moving Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (sometimes called the Berlin Holocaust museum). A short walk to the Reichstag where you need to book in advance for a (free) timed entry to visit the glass dome, which provides stunning views of the city and an audio guide describing the landmarks visible to you as you ascend the spiral ramp on the inside of the dome. It is a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag back to the main train station. The entire outing cost us about $100 for two adults for the day, which included 1st class train seats in an air conditioned compartment (which we had to ourselves). Normally I would ride 2nd class in Europe, but those cars do not have AC and given the extreme temperatures in Germany this summer it seemed worthwhile to spend a little extra to ensure a comfortable five hours during that part of the day.

Visited: Aug 14, 2018

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Make sure you see Schwerin Castle (Alla Tours) and then spend time down by the water eating local cuisine & drinking German beer before getting back onboard. DO NOT MISS DISEMBARKING FROM THE DOCK! The ship plays the theme song from The Love Boat as it leaves and the residents come out to watch it leave. Great time to be on deck (dock side) and watch the sun go down as you pull out.

Visited: May 10, 2018

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