Have a look at www.Rostock.de. Going to Berlin by train will take about 3.5 or 4 hours one way, so it's a matter of time. Further information at www.Bahn.de.

I lived in Rostock for a year and I would say if you only have a day to kill, you may as well spend it in Rostock. There is plenty to see and do there (whether it be shopping, sightseeing) and Warnem��nde, esp in the summer is lovely, a real holiday town. If you like fish, then I really recommend dining at one of the fish restaurants there.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed with Berlin as a city. Having grown up near London, I was rather hoping to feel the same buzz when I went to Berlin but it just didn't happen.

I was lucky enough to spend an entire week in Rostock (and Warnemunde) last summer, visiting a former exchange student. We could take the tram from her family's condo to the central Banhof, then the train out to Warnemunde. We spent time exploring the back streets and beaches, as well as several days in the old section of Rostock.

Since I was there for a week, her family also took me to the island of Rugen with its lovely beach towns, the city of Stralsund and the maritime museum, Ribnitz/Damgarten and the amber museum, as well as the factory/showroom along the main highway.

If I could afford the time to go back tomorrow, I would find the money! If you want to rent a car, I highly recommend the amber museum at Ribnitz and Karl's, the biggest farmer's market in Germany, which is just outside the city.

BTW, Stralsund (maritime museum) and Fischland, the peninsula northwest of Rostock, were great too, especially the thatched cottages and painted doors of the old villages, but with only one day there, you really couldn't cover it all.

Berlin is definitely worth a visit :-) but you should have at least 2 days there. If you don't have so much spare days than you should spend your time in Warnemünde and Rostock. Warnemünde is a cute seaside town and especially nice when the weather is good. It's fun just to wander along the beach and around the town.

I, too, am leaving for a Baltic Cruise on Sunday. We will spend one day in Warnemunde. Would you recommend spending it in Warnemunde or in Rostock? What is there is to do in either place?

>I, too, am leaving for a Baltic Cruise on Sunday. We will spend one day in Warnemunde. Would you recommend spending it in Warnemunde or in Rostock? What is there is to do in either place?

Assuming your ship stays in Warnemünde until 10pm to give people time to get to Berlin and return you can do both. Take the local train to Rostock, stay for a few hours (e.g. early afternoon), then you can return by either train or boat and walk around Warnemünde for a while. I did that last year and was back on the ship in time for dinner.

warnemuende.de/Internet/…w_default.htm

www.hhog.de/en/showCity_en.php?cityID=10016

Are there some good areas to walk around on your own in Rostock and Warnemunde? Places to people watch, shop, eat interesting food?

We were on the Norwegian Dream several years ago. Rostock is nice. We visited the brewery and got some great beer steins. The town is also very nice and worth getting some pictures. Waramunde has a shopping area along the water that was a nice walk in the evening. With a full day you should have time to see both places. Check the tours that are available. I think we also went to a beautiful church in the area. Forget the name at the moment. Have a good trip.

We just returned from a wonderful cruise which spent one full day there. In the morning, we took the train from the port and went to Rostock. The high point there was St. Mary's Church which has an incredible astronomical clock built in 1472. The clock will "run out" in a few more years but it's quite amazing to see the craftsmanship and skill that went into it.

We spent the afternoon and early evening walking around the delightful village, down to the beach, enjoying the sidewalk biergartens and cafes, and just generally people watching! It was very, very enjoyable.

I'm sure Berlin was a wonderful experience for those who chose to go there but we felt that the 7-8 hour train ride just didn't justify the expense of the ship's tour, and didn't allow for enough time to actually experience the city.