SHORE EXCURSIONS

Visit the environmentally friendly House of the Future for a glance into how people might live more sustainably and talk to Berliners that are already doing it. The Futurium, as the house is also known, showcases green construction as it was built with technologies that maximize renewable energies. It also contains exhibits that will get you thinking about better and perhaps controversial ways to live in the future, and the obstacles that first need to be overcome. Later, you will meet some restaurateurs that only serve vegan and vegetarian dishes made with organic, sustainably grown ingredients. Some of that produce comes from community gardens that have popped up throughout Berlin. You may want to visit one of these for lunch on our own. You may talk to a few of those gardeners or to local farmers at a communal market. Berlin’s near obsession with eco-conscious goods extends into clothing, as you will discover while browsing stores with forward-thinking brands whose merchandise is ethically made and sustainable.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Browse the House of the Future in Berlin and learn about its sustainable technologies.
• Get an idea how people might live in the future and make less of an environmental impact.
• Converse with the owners of vegan restaurants or with community organic gardeners.
• Meet shop owners whose merchandise is ethically made and sustainable.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Board your exclusively chartered train for your journey to Berlin. Upon arrival, you'll depart on an exciting tour, covering the top ten highlights of this bustling city. Depart the pier and take a short walk to the train station to your chartered standard train for an approximate 2 1/2 to 3 hour journey to Berlin. Whilst relaxing and watching the German countryside pass by, you'll be served a light snack. Upon arrival, you'll be met by your local tour guide and transfer to a coach.

You exciting city tour of Berlin will cover the top ten highlights of the city. Photo stops will be made at the East Side Gallery, a 3/4 mile section of the Berlin wall, Checkpoint Charlie and at the Bebelplatz, one of the most beautiful squares in the city. You'll pass by Potsdamer Platz where the first hole in the Berlin Wall was made and which today is a block of glass and steel skyscrapers. At the Holocaust Memorial, you'll have another opportunity for a photo stop before making your way over to the Brandenburg Gate.

After enjoying a traditional German pub-style lunch at a local restaurant, you'll have an outside visit of Charlottenburg Palace, the oldest surviving Prussian palace. You'll drive into the former western part of Berlin, where you'll pass by the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and see the Victory Column commemorating the Prussian victories. Depending on the order of the tour and timing, you'll have the opportunity to spend some leisure time, before transferring to the train station for your return journey.

For those travelers who prefer an added measure of intimacy and flexibility, we are pleased to offer this Exclusive tour. With a minimum of 10 guests and a maximum of just 16, each tour benefits from a higher level of personal attention and the added flexibility and agility that comes from traveling in a small group. Board your chartered train for your journey to Berlin. Upon arrival, you'll depart on an exciting tour, covering the top ten highlights of this bustling city.

Depart the pier and take a short walk to the train station to your chartered standard train for an approximate 2 1/2 to 3 hour journey to Berlin. While relaxing and watching the German countryside pass by, you’ll be served a light snack. Upon arrival, you’ll be met by your local tour guide and transfer to a coach.

Your exciting city tour of Berlin will cover the top ten highlights of the city. Photo stops will be made at the East Side Gallery, a 3/4 mile section of the Berlin wall, Checkpoint Charlie and at the Bebelplatz, one of the most beautiful squares in the city. You’ll pass by Potsdamer Platz where the first hole in the Berlin Wall was made and which today is a block of glass and steel skyscrapers. At the Holocaust Memorial, you’ll have another opportunity for a photo stop before making your way over to the Brandenburg Gate.

After enjoying a traditional German pub-style lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll have an outside visit of Charlottenburg Palace, the oldest surviving Prussian palace. You’ll drive into the former western part of Berlin, where you’ll pass by the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and see the Victory Column commemorating the Prussian victories. Depending on the order of the tour and timing, you’ll have the opportunity to spend some leisure time, before transferring to the train station for your return journey.

Board your exclusively chartered train for your journey to Berlin. You'll visit the former Nazi Concentration Camp at Sachsenhausen and take a panoramic tour of bustling Berlin. Depart the pier and take a short walk to the train station to board your chartered standard train for an approximate 2 1/2 to 3 hour journey. While relaxing and watching the German countryside pass by, you’ll be served a light snack. Upon arrival, you’ll be met by your local tour guide and transfer to a coach.

Established in 1936, Sachsenhausen was one of the first concentration camps built by the Nazis. About 6,000 Jews were forcibly brought here after the “Kristallnacht” (Night of Broken Glass), and it was here that some of the first experiments in organized mass murder were made. The scale of the terror remembered here can be very disturbing, however, simply by visiting you can help change the future; as Winston Churchill put it, “the further backward you can look, the further forward you are likely to see.”

An approximately 45 minute scenic drive brings you to Berlin, where you’ll enjoy a traditional German – pub style lunch. Your panoramic tour of the German capital will pass by Bebel Platz, one the most beautiful squares in the city, remnants of the Berlin Wall, the former border crossing - Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. From the comfort of your coach, you’ll also see the Berlin Cathedral,the old Jewish quarter and the New Synagogue, Berlin’s most prominent Jewish landmark. You’ll make a stop at the Holocaust Memorial, a central place of remembrance, before heading to the train station for your return journey.

Board your exclusively chartered train for Berlin. Discover the extraordinary city of Potsdam and enjoy a panoramic tour of bustling Berlin. Depart the pier and take a short walk to the train station and board your chartered standard train for an approximate 2 1/2 to 3 hour journey. While relaxing on the train and watching the German countryside pass by, you’ll be served a light snack. Upon arrival, you’ll be met by your guide and transfer to a coach for a 40 minute ride to Potsdam.

Enjoy a panoramic tour of this city steeped in Prussian royal and imperial history. Pass by the charming Dutch and Russian quarter before you stop at the magnificent summer residence of Frederick the Great, the Palace of Sanssouci. Dating back to the 18th century, it is believed to be one of the most beautiful rococo buildings in Europe. You’ll be transferred to a local venue to enjoy a traditional lunch. Stop for a photo of Cecilienhof Palace, constructed in 1915 – it was also the venue for the 1945 Potsdam Conference, attended by Truman, Stalin and Churchill.

Continue to Berlin crossing the Bridge of Glienicke, a popular spy-exchange location during the Cold War. During your panoramic tour you'll stop at a remnant of the Berlin Wall and the famous former border crossing, Check-Point-Charlie. Proceed to the Brandenburg Gate and close by you'll pass the Reichstag government building, the Holocaust Memorial and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. You’ll circle the Gendarmenmarkt, home to the German and French Cathedrals, before proceeding to the train station for your return journey.

This tour will introduce you to some of Berlin’s major highlights and you’ll have free time to explore further on your own. Depart the pier and take a short walk to the train station and board your exclusively chartered standard train for an approximate 2 1/2 to 3 hour journey to Berlin. While relaxing and watching the German countryside pass by, you’ll be served a light snack. Upon arrival,your local tour guide will welcome you and you’ll transfer to a coach.

Your sightseeing tour begins with an overview of some of the major highlights of Berlin, you’ll pass by remnants of the Berlin Wall, Alexanderplatz Square, Checkpoint Charlie, the Red City Hall, Gendarmenmarkt Square, Potsdam Square, the Victory Column, Bellevue Palace and Brandenburg Gate.

You’ll have approximately 3 hours of free time to explore further or perhaps enjoy lunch on your own. Then, meet your escort at the central location point of Gendarmenmarkt square to transfer to the train station for your return journey.

Are you the type of person who wants to explore a destination entirely on your own? Then don't miss this convenient opportunity for an organized transfer into the heart of Berlin. Depart the pier and take a short walk to the train station and board your exclusively chartered standard train for an approximate 2 1/2 to 3 hour journey to Berlin. While relaxing and watching the German countryside pass by, you’ll be served a light snack. Upon arrival at one of Berlin’s train stations, your escort will hand out information about the city and will explain the procedure of the day. You’ll return to a central train station in the early evening, as your escort has instructed you, for your return train journey.

This tour covers the top ten sights of the Hanseatic city of Rostock and is the best way to ensure you do not miss the highlights during your visit. Begin with an approximate 30 minute ride into the heart of the city, followed by a panoramic tour of the city by coach before you disembark and cover most of the sights on foot. Step back in time on a city walk through Rostock, Mecklenburg Vorpommern's largest city, passing by the University of Rostock, the oldest and largest university in continental northern Europe, a city gate which survived the ravages of time, the 'New Market' Square lined with six original carefully preserved, gable houses from the 15th and 16th centuries, the Town Hall and St. Mary's Church, an imposing brick Gothic church built in the 13th century.

See the convent of the Holy Cross and the adjacent medieval city wall. View the modern functional buildings (concrete slab structures) built during the 1960s and in contrast the little fishing village Warnemunde, acquired by Rostock's town council in 1323, before returning back to your ship. This tour is a compilation of the best sightseeing attractions Rostock has to offer!

Discover Wismar, a medieval, Hanseatic town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival you’ll enjoy a guided walk, along cobbled streets with Gothic houses, Baroque buildings and Renaissance facades. The classic Town Hall, the water tower, the historic drainage system and merchants’ houses are just some of the fascinating buildings this town has to offer. Stop for refreshments at a nostalgic brewery dating back to the Middle Ages to taste some medieval beer and enjoy a traditional German snack. You’ll return to Warnemunde in the afternoon.

Depart Warnemünde by coach and transfer directly to the fairy-tale city of Schwerin. Upon arrival, you’ll be taken on a guided walk of the Old Town. Your walk will cover the main highlights, such as the historical buildings, the Mecklenburg State Theatre, medieval Schwerin Cathedral, and the imposing Romanesque-Gothic red-brick building. You’ll also get to see the magnificent Schwerin Castle, a historic castle located on a picturesque island, considered the capital’s most famous building.

Enjoy some time on your own for lunch, maybe a boat ride, depending on the schedule or some shopping. Next, enjoy a guided walk through Schwerin Castle to admire the beautiful interior. The gardens with their majestic beauty offer a stunning view of the castle.

Depart the pier in the late morning for an approximate2 1/2 hour scenic coach tour that covers the main attractions within the Warnemuende/Rostock area. Drive to Rostock past the typical Eastern Block living quarters of the area. Upon arrival in Rostock’s center, you’ll see its century’s old red-brick architecture, experience the local Hanseatic ambience, and pass the old ‘New Market’ with its beautiful City Hall and St. Mary's Church – Rostock's famous landmark.

Continue past ruins of the old city walls and a former STASI prison (State Security of former East Germany) before continuing into the countryside. You’ll pass by the Bad Doberan Cathedral, one of northern Germany’s largest and mightiest medieval churches that towers above the rest of the village and nearby fields. From here you’ll continue through lush countryside and small villages before returning to your ship. This is a perfect tour for guests with walking difficulties.

Journey back in time and discover the highlights of the Hanseatic city of Rostock on a guided walk and take a relaxing cruise along the Warnow River. After a short transfer to the station, board an exclusive tram, which is still Rostock’s main transportation system and ride into the heart of the city. Your guided walk will take you to one of the oldest universities in Europe - the University of Rostock, founded in 1419 and built in Italian Renaissance style. Continue on a leisurely stroll through and explore the quaint shopping streets, which have flourished since the reunification Germany in 1990.

You’ll see the 15th century Town Hall with its 18th century Baroque front structure, and St. Mary’s church built around 1398. Enjoy a guided tour of this church before spending some time at your leisure - time permitting. After reuniting with your guide, walk down to the jetty for a relaxing cruise along the Warnow River, transferring you back to Warnemunde. During your approximate 50 minute cruise, you’ll be served some typical snacks and refreshing German beer.