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finland

Cruise Travel, Destinations, Estonia, Europe, Finland, Poland, Russia, Sweden

Sailing the Baltic Sea with Viking: Our First Ocean Cruise

Catherine Sweeney
October 23, 2019
20 Comments
Sailing the Baltic Sea with Viking: Our First Ocean Cruise

Cruising the Baltic Sea with Viking

cruise travel, Cruises, estonia, Europe, finland, Poland, russia, sweden, viking cruises

About Catherine Sweeney

Catherine Sweeney is a travel enthusiast with a lifelong passion for going places. A weekend getaway, an international journey, a cross-country road trip, or a local jaunt — they’re all on her radar. And it’s all made extra special when she’s enjoying the finer things in life with Mr. TWS, her husband and co-blogger. Get inspired as they share photos and stories highlighting the best of destinations, food, wine, history, culture and the arts.

Thank you, Getting on Travel!

Traveling with Sweeney, Best Baby Boomer Travel Blogs 2022, Getting on Travel

2018 NATJA Silver Award Winner

Recent Posts

  • Finding Love in Slovenia on a Collette Guided Tour
  • Exploring the Balkans with Collette: Our First Guided Land Tour
  • Destination Spotlight: Split, Croatia Walking Tour
  • Sights and Sounds of Saravejo and Other Bosnia Highlights
  • A Taste of Croatia from Dubrovnik to Zagreb

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I found love in Slovenia … literally. Check out I found love in Slovenia … literally. Check out our latest blog post (link in bio) to find out more about that and what places and things to do we enjoyed in Ljubljana and beyond on our “Taste of the Balkans” tour with @gocollette. It was the fourth country on our itinerary and our first-time visit. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #europe #europetravel #balkans #slovenia #ljubljana #lakebled #lipicastudfarm #jozeplecnik #kremsnita #beautifuldestinations #guidedtravel #guidedtour #smallgrouptours #lovetotravel
Counting down to 2023! We kept our NYE tradition o Counting down to 2023! We kept our NYE tradition of going to Las Noches de las Luminarias at Desert Botanical Garden for the lights, art, entertainment, general good spirits and ending the year on a high note. Then back home for omelets perfectly made by Mr. TWS and there’s a bottle of Taittinger Champagne in the fridge for midnight. Toasts 🥂 to you all for a happy and healthy new year! #newyear #newyearseve #desertbotanicalgarden #phoenix #arizona #welcome2023 #luminarias #lasnochesdelasluminarias #botanicalgardens #happynewyear #happynewyear2023
2022 was a great year of travel for the TWS duo an 2022 was a great year of travel for the TWS duo and a highlight was our first organized guided tour, Taste of the Balkans with @gocollette. For years, we had a preconceived idea that guided travel wouldn’t offer the kinds of itineraries, activities, and immersive experiences we like most when we travel. We’re so glad that Collette has shown us that is not the case — at least when traveling with Collette! In fact, we were absolutely delighted by our experience. By the way, that’s Djukan who was our wonderful tour manger hugging the bear in Plitvice Lakes National Park in #Croatia. Link in bio. #catherinexcollette #guidedtours #travel #balkans #collettetours #balkanstour #beautifuldestinations #europeantravel #travelblogger #travelgram #seeingtheworld #ifwtwa1 #ifwtwa #gocollette
We had so much fun last night at Enchant Christmas We had so much fun last night at Enchant Christmas in Scottsdale. We loved the holiday spirit, decorations, strolling through the maze of lights, the search for reindeers, and especially watching the kids as they skated, looked at the lights with awe, danced on stage with the Christmas carol singer, and tried to catch the snowflakes (not real, of course, but pretty cool). #enchantchristmas #experiencescottsdale @hallmarkchannel @enchantscottsdale #enchantchristmas #christmasdecorations #holidayspirit #christmasinarizona #christmaslights🎄 #scottsdale #arizona #saltriverfields #absolutelyscottsdale #experiencescottsdale #visitarizona #travelblogger #travelgram #christmas2022
The @bellagio Las Vegas knows how to capture your The @bellagio Las Vegas knows how to capture your attention and imagination during the holidays. It’s fun to visit the conservatory throughout the year to see the seasonal decorations. This was our first time being there to see what they had in store for Christmas. #bellagio #bellagioconservatory #christmas #christmasdecor #lasvegas #visitlasvegas #holidayspirit #travelgram #holidaydecor #conservatorydecor
Take me back to Chicago, my kind of town at Christ Take me back to Chicago, my kind of town at Christmas! Next up in our Christmas memories series — Chicago, my old hometown, is a sentimental favorite place to visit any time of year, but the holidays can be extra special. A few pics from a December visit a few years ago, including the Christmas market, Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo, Michigan Avenue, the water tower and more. #chicago #illinois #choosechicago #christmasdecor #christmas #travelblogger #travelatchristmas
Just me and Santa on the Champs-Élysées in Paris Just me and Santa on the Champs-Élysées in Paris — one of many Christmas travel memories crossing my mind today. Check out my post “Christmas in Europe: Dazzling Markets and Rich Traditions” from our Christmas archives on the blog for more about favorite places in Europe to spend time during the holidays. (link in bio) #paris #europe #france #santa #holidayspirit #holidayineurope #chistmasineurope #santaclaus #santasighting #christmasmemories #travelblogger #travelgram #christmastime #ifwtwa
What a great day at Zion! Hiked the Emerald Pool T What a great day at Zion! Hiked the Emerald Pool Trail — to lower, middle, and upper pools — and later took the Riverside Walk to the entrance of The Narrows (too much water to do this long hike right now). Here are a few pics from the day. #zionnationalpark #utah #beautyofnature #naturephotography #nationalpark #waterfalls #usatravel #hikingtrails #northamerica @zionnps
During a walking tour of Split, Croatia with @viki During a walking tour of Split, Croatia with @vikingcruises, we visited the Diocletian Palace and walked through the historic city center within its walls. We also had a good amount of free time to enjoy the city on the own and we spent it on a lovely lunch at a restaurant recommended by our guide and a pleasant stroll on the waterfront promenade. The Diocletian Palace was built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence during the 4th century AD when his health prompted him to abdicate the position voluntarily. The exceptionally well-preserved palace (one of the best preserved of ancient Roman palaces) and the entire historical center of Split were designated in 1979 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of many on this particular Viking Mediterranean cruise). Inside the 15th-century walls surrounding the palace is a pedestrian only center of narrow streets with shops, squares, and markets. Read the full article on the blog. (Link in bio) #myvikingstory #vikingcruises #cruiseshoreexcursion #walkingtour #guidedtour #split #croatia #europeantravel #balkans #traveldeeper #beautifuldestinations #UNESCO #travelblogger #ifwtwa #ifwtwa1
From a new post on the blog (link in bio) — One From a new post on the blog (link in bio) — One of the most impactful experiences we had on our @gocollette “Taste of the Balkans” tour in Bosnia was an excursion that immersed us in what is a defining historical time — the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo in the early 1990s. Although we followed the war closely in the news while it was going on, this excursion brought back to mind those tragic times and really gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation of what the people of Sarajevo endured. Led by a local siege soldier and survivor, Amir, we visited the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum and the Tunnel of Hope. During the war, the 800-meter long/1.5-meter high tunnel was the sole source of food, arms, medical supplies, other humanitarian aid, and even cables providing power and communications that helped enable Sarajevo to survive the siege by Bosnian Serbs that lasted for nearly four years. Today, visitors can walk down a 20-meter portion of the tunnel to get a feel for what it would have been like. Of course, the conditions were significantly better for us than what it would have been like during the siege. During the war, there was no ventilation and many had to wear masks and there was often water on the ground. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #bosnia #tunnelofhope #sarajevo #tunnelofhopesarajevo #siegeofsarajevo #europeantravel #bosnianwar #travelblogger #guidedtour #traveldeeper #history #visitsarajevo #visitbosnia
Sarajevo, Bosnia - where East meets West. Blog pos Sarajevo, Bosnia - where East meets West. Blog post coming soon about our special experiences in this Balkans city. These photos are hints if the food, music, and culture. And there will be more. @gocollette #sarajevo #bosnia #bosniaandherzegovina #catherinexcollette #gocollette #balkans #formeryugoslavia #travelblogger #europetravel #europetrip #guidedtour #cityscenes #bosnianfood #visitsarajevo #visitbosnia
Lake Bled is a gorgeous place on earth! On our @go Lake Bled is a gorgeous place on earth! On our @gocollette “Taste of the Balkans” tour we took a Pletna boat to picturesque Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption of Mary. It’s about a lovely 20 minute ride each way. You’ll see our awesome guide Djukan in one of the pics as he talks about the lake. What a great trip! #gocollette #catherinexcollette #lakebledslovenia #lakebled #balkans #balkanstrip #slovenia #lovetotravel #guidedtour #colletteexplorations #boattrip #pletnaboat #lakes #beautifullakes #beautifuldestinations #travelgram #travelblogger
How lucky were we to be stopped on the road somewh How lucky were we to be stopped on the road somewhere in Bosnia by these sweet sheep —- lots and lots of them! We were in our @gocollette coach somewhere in Bosnia. The fun things you experience when you travel! #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #sheep #sheepfarming #sheepontheroad #europeantravel #travelblogger #travelgram #bosnia #herdingsheep #lovetotravel #balkanstrip
Must do in Dubrovnik, Croatia — ride the cable c Must do in Dubrovnik, Croatia — ride the cable car for panoramic vistas of the city and sea below. You can also grab a snack and drink for dining with a view. This is a hint of what’s coming soon on the blog. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #visitcroatia #visitdubrovnik #dubrovnik #dubrovnikcablecar #cablecar #travelblogger #traveleurope #beautifuldestinations #croatia #croatiatravel
Have a little taste of the Balkans for #foodiefrid Have a little taste of the Balkans for #foodiefriday -- From top left, we tasted baked pumpkin and cream strukli in Zagreb, Croatia; a hearty djuvec rice dish in Mostar, Bosnia; incredibly delicious Kremsnita cream cake at Lake Bled, Slovenia; Klobasa sausages with sauerkraut in Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Burek (spinach and cheese stuffed phyllo version shown -- also had the main meat version) in Sarajevo, Bosnia. This is just a sampling of the scrumptious dishes we enjoyed on our @gocollette tour. #catherinexcollette #gocollette #ifwtwa **************************************** #foodie #balkans #kremsnita #burek #strukli #djuvec #klobasa #travelforfood #traveleurope #travelblogger #travelbalkans #lovetoeat #lovetotravel #ifwtwa1
Take a minute to listen to the soulful sounds of “sevdah” music performed by Damir Imamović, the acclaimed singer and composer of this traditional folk music of Bosnia and Herzegovina. @gocollette arranged for us to spend a memorable evening with him in his Sarajevo home. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #bosniaandherzegovina #sevdah #travelbloggr #traveldeeper #bosnia #folkmusic #musician #culturalexperience #ifwtwa #ifwtwa1
And so our Taste of the Balkans tour ended in the And so our Taste of the Balkans tour ended in the vibrant and intriguing city of Zagreb, the largest and capital city of Croatia. It is a city of beautiful parks, Austro-Hungarian architecture, museums, markets, and deep history going back to times of the Romans. Although the trip has ended, stay tuned for more of its many highlights. #gocollette #CatherinexCollette #balkans #zagreb #croatiatravel #ifwtwa #travelblogger #beautifuldestinations #intriguingcity #guidedtourcroatia #traveleurope #europeancity #prettyparks #architecture #austrohungarianarchitecture #travelgram
Feeling the love with Mr. TWS in Slovenia, the onl Feeling the love with Mr. TWS in Slovenia, the only country in the world with “love” in its name. ❤️❤️❤️ #gocollette #catherinexcollette #loveslovenia #heartmemes #lovesculpture #lakebledslovenia🇸🇮 #romantictravel #boomertravel #visitbalkans #traveleurope #hearts #travelgram #travelbloggers #tasteofthebalkans
A real treat to see the Lipizzaner horses, the fam A real treat to see the Lipizzaner horses, the famous breed of the Habsburg Empire, at Lipica Stud farm in Slovenia. We also enjoyed a carriage ride on the vast and beautiful property. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #lipicastudfarm #slovenia #balkans #horses #horsesofinstagram #collettetours #tasteofthebalkans #traveleurope #europe #travelblogger #travelgram
A fun and delicious “Taste of the Balkans” wit A fun and delicious “Taste of the Balkans” with @gocollette — truffle hunting and brunch with @prodantartufi in Buzet in the Istria region of Croatia. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #croatia #istria #istriaexperience #trufflehunting #truffles #beautifulistria #visitcroatia #travelblogger #travelerslife #instatravel #europeantravel #ruraltravel #beautifuldestinations
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