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European cruise. Yes or No?
DH and I have been on one cruise to Alaska and we are going on our second cruise this summer. (We are going back to Alaska b/c we wanted to bring along my sis and niece)
I am thinking ahead and would love to surprise DH with a trip to Denmark. (That's where his ancestors are from -- but to my knowledge, nobody from his family has ever been there.) I am wondering if we should take a cruise out of Copenhagen and then see Northern Europe or just got to Denmark and do everything by land and see what we can see there.
Going on a cruise seems somewhat easier b/c it is mostly planned out for us. We could pick excursions and whatnot, but a lot of work is done for us. If we just did a land tour, I would really have to do a ton of research . . . which I don't mind doing, I am just clueless.
I figure we would stay a day or two in Copenhagen before or after the cruise to see a little more of Denmark. I don't even know how long we would stay if we didn't do a cruise.
Any thoughts. Recs. Help. 
I appreciate it!!!
Re: European cruise. Yes or No?
Yes.
I'm actually not a big fan of the traditional Mediterranean cruises, but I highly recommend Northern Europe cruises!
1. The ports tend to be very centrally located. In many places, you can walk right into the city from the port (here in Oslo the cruise pier is right in front of the city hall).
2. The ports tend to be interesting and well worth visiting but small enough that you aren't missing out on a ton by visiting for just one day.
3. Parts of Northern Europe are very expensive. By eating, sleeping, and drinking on the ship you will be saving a fortune over a land-based vacation. Seriously, the prices in Scandinavia will shock you. Most cruise visitors tend to eat a large breakfast so that they can stick to a light lunch on shore.
Definitely check out the Northern Europe forums at CruiseCritic.com Shore excursions in this part of the world can be expensive, but most of the ports are easy to explore on your own if you ask for some feedback in advance, and there is a wealth of information there. Unlike Alaska, there aren't a lot of independent tour operators other than in St.Petersburg, so it's more about figuring out what you want to see and then how to get there (either by walking or by convenient public transit).
Northern Europe has two main cruise itineraries, both of which frequently sail from Copenhagen - the Baltics, and the Norwegian coast. The Baltics are definitely more "European" while the Norwegian coast is more about the scenery.
The Baltic cruises visit places like Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn (the adorable medieval capital of Estonia), and St.Petersburg. Try to choose an itinerary that does an overnight in St.Petersburg, because there's lots to see, it's a bit spread out, and this is a unique opportunity to visit Russia without needing to apply for a visa! Definitely look into an independent excursion company or a private tour, because it will save you money and give you more flexibility. Again, CruiseCritic forums are the place to research this.
The Norwegian coast is also an excellent cruise. You visit the Norwegian fjords and depending on the itinerary, you may sail all the way up to North Cape at the top of Europe or even on to Svalbard in the Arctic. It's similar to Alaska in that there's a lot of scenery to admire from the ship, and you stop in some tiny little towns along the way, but unlike Alaska, the whole coast is populated. Instead of spotting bears in the hills, you'll see tiny little farms with colorful little wooden houses. The scenery is still gorgeous, but Norway is greener and more about charm than wilderness. And of course there are those dramatic and world-famous fjords to admire! When it comes to Norwegian fjord cruises, Geiranger is the highlight, and if you sail all the way up to North Cape or beyond, don't miss Troms?. And if you can find a sailing that calls at the Lofoten Islands, even the Norwegians think that Lofoten is beautiful - and that's saying something!
Thank you! Wow, you know your stuff!
I have been looking at cruisecritic (I love that site) but haven't done major major research. And most of what I read is all pro cruise -- so I didn't really get a good idea about just doing a land portion.
I have heard that everything is expensive at port. So maybe a cruise really is the way to go. At least for the first time . . . assuming we would save up enought to do it again!
This trip probably wouldn't be for another year or two . . . so I have time to plan. I actually went to the Soviet Union when I was 15 -- and that when it was still called Leningrad. So, I have seen quite a bit of Russia. Goodness knows it is a lot different now.
Bio
I did see that!
(No need to whisper! LOL!)
But I also live in Orlando and although I know a ton of tourist stuff, my life doesn't revolve around it. Does that make sense? In any case, I am thrilled that one day I will back in that part of the world and bringing DH with me this time!
This might sound bad, back when I went the entire tour group thought Finland was kinda lame . . . that sure changed once we went to the Soviet Union. When we went back to Finland, we all thought it was paradise in comparison.
I remember living off of bread and ice cream b/c the food was so bad. I also remember going to a Pizza Hut in Finland and a medium pizza cost $30. Oh, and nobody had ice. Everything was served warm. I guess nobody knew the recipe for ice back then.
Again, a LOT has changed!
Haha! No, they still don't use ice.
And yeah, I know what you mean about not knowing all the touristy stuff in your hometown. I really couldn't tell you much about Indianapolis, but moving to a new part of the world and knowing that you're not going to be there for more than a few years is pretty good motivation to go exploring! ...And I've been on a lot of cruises!
That would be so cool to be able to go back to SPB and see the changes! That's one place that I bet has changed a lot! If you end up going, I hope you come back and tell us about the comparison!