Cruise prices are per person in US dollars. All hotel and cruise ship accommodations, motor coach transportation, port charges, land excursions, admissions, entertainment, sightseeing, special dinners, porterage, and the services of the Tauck Directors, hotel and ship staff, and local guides and drivers are included. Bar & restaurant beverages are included throughout the day aboard ship, including house wine & spirits. Transportation from Copenhagen Airport in Kastrup to the Scandic Copenhagen Hotel or the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, according to your booking, is included, regardless of the time you check in to the hotel, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight arrival information at least three weeks before the start of your tour. Transportation from the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel or Sheraton Stockholm, according to your booking, to Stockholm Arlanda Airport or Stockholm Central Train Station is also included when you check out of the hotel. Transportation to and from the airport may be shared with other Tauck guests.

The tour price includes all hotel and cruise ship accommodations. Our standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality may differ slightly from one hotel to another, our commitment to your comfort is unwavering. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are usually two-bedded rooms plus a rollaway cot and are not recommended for comfort.

Le Dumont d'Urville accommodates a maximum of 184 guests. All 92 cruise ship staterooms include private bathrooms and are outfitted with two twin beds or one queen bed. All staterooms face the outside and most have private balconies. A limited number of triples are available. Amenities for each stateroom include: Internet access, safe, flat-screen TV, video on demand, minibar, radio, telephone, individual air conditioning and 24-hour room service. In addition, Le Dumont d'Urville flies under the French flag and cruise at an average speed of 14 knots, features:

• 6 Decks
• 2 Restaurants
• 3 Bars, including a piano bar
• Library and Internet room
• Beauty center, spa and fitness center
• Laundry
• Outside heated pool
• Shop
• Medical facilities
• Theater with 260 seats
• Elevators to all decks

Triple accommodations are available in Superior Cabins on Deck 3 and Prestige Suites on Decks 5 and 6 only.

Children under the age of 18 must be booked in a room with at least one adult.

Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary. There are two restaurants. Room service menu is available 24 hours a day. Complimentary alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, tea and coffee are available throughout the day.

The legal drinking age aboard the cruise ship is 21.

Please let us know about your special dietary requirements when booking your cruise; vegetarian and special diets are available with advance notice, however kosher meals cannot be accommodated. We will be pleased to meet your special dietary requirements whenever possible.

Each departure is hosted by one Tauck Director for every 40 Tauck guests, who will remain with the group throughout the duration of the tour. Your Tauck Directors are professional, fully trained employees of Tauck.

All appropriate gratuities for Tauck Director, bellmen, doormen, housekeepers, dining room servers, drivers, ship staff, local guides and drivers are included.

Tauck will contact guests 90 days prior to departure to assist with shore excursion selections (included in tour price but subject to availability).

Checked Luggage – General

Due to space restrictions, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one suitcase per person weighing no more than 50 pounds (23 kg) and with overall dimensions (length + width + height) not exceeding 62 inches (158 cm).

Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and luggage exceeding airline standards for size or weight may result in expensive overage fees or other consequences.

Airlines are free to revise luggage policies without notice, and certain airlines have different baggage allowances for different classes of service. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies.

Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home!

Carry-on Luggage - General

Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or on the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may be inaccessible during daytime travel.

Tauck Directors assist with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but they will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed and pleasant experience for you.

Transportation to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included.

To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your cruise. As a service, we will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through us. Hotel room charges will be added to the cruise cost. Airport transfers are included for these extended stays as described above under Inclusive Prices. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult Extend Your Trip in the Accommodations section above on this webpage and discuss it with your reservations sales consultant or your travel agent when you book your cruise.

Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, cruise ship, airline, train and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to the Tauck Travel Protection Product section below on this webpage for more information.

Lost luggage is an unfortunate possibility in today's world of airline travel. We suggest that you:

• Pack at least one change of clothing in your carry-on bag
• Split your items between your suitcase and a traveling companion's suitcase
• Do not pack any vital medications or valuables in your checked luggage
• Confirm that your luggage is checked and tagged to your final destination at airport check-in
• Place your luggage claim tags in a secure place for your flight
• File a claim for any missing luggage immediately before leaving the baggage claim area
• Secure a case number and contact information for follow-up communications
• Make certain that the airline has your onward itinerary

Your Tauck Director will assist you with airline and other carrier communications, but has no inside contacts to guarantee or expedite recovery of lost luggage. All recovery costs, including the communication costs, are your responsibility. Check your travel protection details for covered expenses.

Personal Expenses such as phone calls, room service in hotels, alcoholic and other beverages not specifically included, laundry, dry cleaning, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees and services, airport arrival and departure taxes, individual airport transfers (when applicable), and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Journey Start and End Times are provided at time of booking. The tour begins at 6:00 PM at the Scandic Copenhagen or the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, according to your booking. You or your booking agent will be advised of any change to this schedule. When making flight arrangements, allow sufficient time to claim luggage and clear customs in order to join the tour on time. The tour ends following breakfast on the final day of the tour; you will be provided with transportation from the Radisson Blu Waterfront or Sheraton Stockholm in Stockholm, according to your booking, to the Arlanda Airport or Stockholm Central Train Station. Each carrier and each airport has different rules regarding how early you must arrive for flight check in. Please contact your individual carrier for this information.

Tauck will contact guests 90 days prior to departure to assist with shore excursion selections (included in tour price but subject to availability).

We pledge to make every effort to operate all tours as advertised. We reserve the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to you. Any resultant added expense will be covered by us. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecast at the time of publication.

Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many state, religious and civic holidays locally observed. You may wish to log on to Wikipedia to view a list of holidays by country by clicking here.

During the spring months the temperatures in the cities surrounding the Baltic Sea are moderately cool, averaging 40 to 60°F (6 to 16°C). These cities experience fresh sea breezes, which moderate temperatures, as well as some humidity. Summer temperatures have been somewhat warm in recent years. Rainfall can occur throughout the year, and an umbrella and light raincoat are recommended for the occasional rainy day.

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, noaa.gov, by clicking here.

Occasionally, we will use photographs and/or video taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your cruise for print, Internet and other media promotional purposes. If you prefer that your image not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.

Membership will be granted to all persons. We reserve the right to terminate the tour of any persons who are abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.

We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing on your journey to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be “suspicious” charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen. Be sure you know your pin number as it is often required with use of the chip.

We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that you refrain from using your cell phone during motor coach travel, group functions, when sightseeing and when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There are usually ample opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not affect others.

Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine limitations and services that exist in your destination.

Age Recommendations ― Children 8 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, we have a minimum recommended age for each journey to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.

Babysitting ― Our journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. If you require babysitting services, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer on-site babysitting services; however, babysitting services may not be available at all of our hotels. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.

Safety and Welfare Responsibility ― We welcome the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with us, you release Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.

Special Travel Documentation for Children
Authorization for Travel

If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a notarized note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.

If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (parent deceased, sole custody, etc.), other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, or a death certificate, will be useful.

Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment

In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents (including other pertinent documents as cited above) authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.

We are not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by the improper documentation of any guest, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.

If you are traveling from the U.S., the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that your name, as it appears on your domestic or international airline ticket, must precisely match your name as it appears on the government-issued photo ID (i.e., passport or driver’s license) that you present during security screening. The ID name must also match any additional airline data, such as frequent-flyer information. For example, if you present your driver's license to security and it says John T. Smith, your ticket must also say John T. Smith, not John Thomas Smith, Jack Smith, or any other variant. Your date-of-birth and gender information provided to the airline must also match your passport.

If you make your air travel arrangements through us, please ensure that the name you provide us precisely matches your name as shown on the identification you will use while traveling. If you make your own airline reservations, please ensure that the airline has the correct information.

For more information on the TSA's requirements, please visit their website by clicking here.

If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S., you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.

Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter, or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times.

All motor coaches, hotel rooms and Le Dumont d'Urville are air conditioned for your comfort. However, European air conditioning in hotels should be considered as a climate-control system; most have three settings for the fan, plus a "cool" setting. Very few of the European systems actually have a temperature setting. In general, the amount of cool air that is produced from a European air-conditioning system may be less than what you may have in your own home.

The official currencies of the countries visited on this tour are:

Denmark - Danish Krone
Sweden - Swedish Krona
Finland - Euro
Estonia - Euro
Russia - Russian Ruble

All convertible currency can be exchanged at banks and foreign exchange bureaus, which are located at hotels, airports, railway and bus stations and some local shops. ATMs offer convenience, the best exchange rates, and are widespread throughout the areas visited. Contact your bank in advance of departure to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. U.S. dollars are not accepted anywhere on the land portions of this tour; only local currency is accepted as cash. A typical fee for foreign exchange is approximately $4 U.S. dollars.

Please note that in Russia it is best to use cash rather than credit cards.

If you are a citizen of the U.S., you may bring into or take out of the U.S., including by mail, as much money as you wish. However, if it is more than $10,000, you will need to report it to CBP. The penalties for non-compliance can be severe. “Money” means monetary instruments and includes U.S. or foreign coins currently in circulation, currency, travelers’ checks in any form, money orders, and negotiable instruments or investment securities in bearer form.

Each country imposes its own restrictions on the amount of money that may be brought into or out of its borders. Some countries' restrictions be far more strict than the those of the U.S.

Onboard Le Dumont d'Urville, personal shipboard accounts may be settled in euros, U.S. dollars, American Express, Visa, Mastercard, or traveler's checks. There is no foreign currency exchange facility on the ship.

To obtain the most current exchange rates for all national currencies, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to oanda.com by clicking here.

Each country visited has its own Customs clearing process. You should familiarize yourself with each country’s specific required declarations before you travel. In general, you are not permitted to bring live plants, fresh fruits and other produce items into most countries. You may find additional information on each country by visiting VisaHQ.com by clicking here.

If you are a U.S. resident traveling internationally who will be returning to the U.S. at the end of the tour, you are entitled to a duty-free exemption based on the total value of merchandise purchased abroad, as long as you physically bring them with you. There are limits to the amount of alcohol that can be a part of this exemption. Certain restrictions apply to unaccompanied goods mailed from abroad to the U.S. Please call your local customs office or consult the U.S. government's customs regulations as contained in their publication entitled Know Before You Go.

If you are a resident of another country, please refer to your own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance upon your return.

Many countries levy Value Added Taxes (VAT) on consumer goods and services. (The tax rate may be higher for luxury items and lower for basic goods.) As a rule, if you are not a resident of the country (or of the country’s intergovernmental economic community, e.g., the European Union) in which the purchase is made, you may be entitled to a VAT refund and should inquire about the refund policy where you shop.

The electrical current in Stockholm and Copenhagen is 230 V, 50 Hz, AC. The electrical current on Le Dumont d'Urville is 200 V, 50 Hz, AC and 110 V (U.S. standard). If you bring electrical devices that do not conform to this standard, then you may need to bring the appropriate adapters and converters.

Internet Access is available as indicated below:

Hotels - Complimentary basic Internet where available in hotel rooms; service levels are not guaranteed.
Le Dumont d'Urville – Complimentary access via satellite is available on board, but please note that it is very intermittent. There are three computers in the Observatory Lounge on Deck 6 and Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship.

Stockholm and Copenhagen are 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time); Tallinn is 2 hours ahead and St. Petersburg is 3 hours ahead. From late March to late October, these locations switch to Daylight Savings Time and are 2, 3, and 4 hours ahead, respectively.

To determine current time in major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to timeanddate.com by clicking here.

The maximum elevation on this tour is 200 feet (61 meters).

For reservations, call 800-788-7885 or contact your travel agent to book today!

Reservation Sales Center hours – North America Eastern Time Zone (New York City time):

Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM  
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM  
Sunday: 12:00 Noon – 5:00 PM  

The Deposit and the fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking. Your deposit is $1,500 per person.

We will be happy to advise hotels of any special requests, provided we receive them at time of booking. We regret that requests cannot be guaranteed.

Final Payment is due at Tauck’s Wilton, CT office 90 days before departure. Any bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice.

Final Documents, which may include airline tickets, when applicable, are sent by first class mail upon receipt of final payment. They include joining instructions, hotel lists, tour itinerary, clothing suggestions, luggage tags and other pertinent information. We recommend overnight mailing service for any reservation that is made within 30 days of the tour departure date to ensure timely delivery. The additional expense will be added to your tour cost.