Princess Cruises Took Us 15 Miles From Russia! | Klaipėda, Lithuania Shore Excursion
Princess Cruises took us on a Klaipėda, Lithuania shore excursion that brought us only about 15 miles from Russia’s Kaliningrad region — and then we learned about five NATO Baltic Air Policing responses involving Russian military aircraft during the week immediately before our visit. What started as Princess Cruises’ Legends of Witches’ Hill shore excursion became one of the most unexpected port days of our Baltic cruise. We ferry across to Lithuania’s incredible Curonian Spit, walk the Baltic Sea beach, explore the strange legends and carved figures of Witches’ Hill in Juodkrantė, discover the Gates of Hell, sample amber tea and learn about Baltic amber. But this day also became personal. Michael grew up hearing his Lithuanian grandmother tell him, “You’re Lithuanian. Don’t ever forget it.” By complete coincidence, we were standing in Lithuania on her birthday. Later, we head into Klaipėda looking for authentic Lithuanian food — including the potato pancakes Michael grew up knowing as blynai. And instead of taking the Princess excursion transportation directly back to Sapphire Princess, we decide to stay in Klaipėda on our own. That decision becomes a little more interesting when we realize the ship leaves in about 30 minutes. Come with us for the Curonian Spit, Witches’ Hill, Lithuanian food, Michael’s family connection to Lithuania, Klaipėda Old Town and one very interesting race back to Sapphire Princess. Thank you for coming along on our journey. #PrincessCruises #Klaipeda #CuronianSpit The military context in that description is supported by Lithuania’s Aug. 10, 2026 Ministry of National Defence report; Lithuania’s 2026 National Threat Assessment also states that Russia is expanding military capabilities near NATO’s eastern borders and specifically discusses Kaliningrad. ❤️ Love Traveling with Us? Your Support Helps Keep Hubbard’s Journey Going! 👇👇 We are not paid by the cruise lines, hotels, tour companies, restaurants, or destinations we feature in our videos. We make these videos for you — fellow travelers, cruisers, and anyone trying to plan smarter, save money, avoid surprises, and have a little fun along the way. ❤️ 👇 Join our Hubbard’s Journey Membership https://www.youtube.com/@HubbardsJourney/join 👇 Buy Us A Coffee — or a drink! buymeacoffee.com/hubbardsjourney ❤️ Every bit of your support helps us keep creating honest travel videos and sharing real experiences with you. 🌍🚢 Chapters 0:00 15 Miles From Russia 0:36 Klaipėda, Lithuania Princess Shore Excursion 1:48 Exploring the Curonian Spit 2:28 Baltic Sea Beach in Lithuania 3:44 Michael’s Lithuanian Family Connection 4:38 Hill of Witches, Lithuania 5:52 Russia’s Kaliningrad Region 7:01 Walking Witches’ Hill 9:17 The Gates of Hell 12:19 Trying Lithuanian Cider 12:47 Weather Vane & Amber Gallery 13:35 Trying Amber Tea 15:59 Exploring Klaipėda on Our Own 17:30 Authentic Lithuanian Food & Blynai 20:48 Heading Back to Sapphire Princess 21:13 Are We Going to Make the Ship? 23:00 Back Just in Time Shop Our Amazon Favorites: Thank you for supporting us by purchasing Amazon products we promote and use. ✅HUBBARDS JOURNEY Storefront: https://amzn.to/3NOggCA ✅CRUISE ESSENTIALS - Pack Like a Pro: https://amzn.to/4hs473P ✅CRUISE CABIN COMFORTS - Make it Feel Like Home: https://amzn.to/3NQvRSk As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the amount you pay in any way. Thank you again for your support and coming along on our journey. Thank you for watching! 🥰 If you enjoy our videos, please give us a thumbs up 👍 or leave a comment. ❤️ Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more tours, tips, and fun with Hubbard’s Journey! 🎬 If you'd like to see more of our travel videos, we've got lots more Playlists & Videos based on Destinations, or Cruise lines. In addition, we have Cruise Cabin Reviews, Full Cruise Ship Deck Tours, and lots more fun on and off the ship with Hubbard's Journey! And, as always... Thanks for coming along on our journey! All the best, Michael & Andrea Watch other videos by Cruiseline Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-VWZcykBeZG_7kbyU_5T5ZkVp7k3jbmH https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-VWZcykBeZFbf0kmvnmcVOnupiriYtNL https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-VWZcykBeZHgPoHaAWEsQ8mpPVmi9UVv https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-VWZcykBeZEqZ43WkMIzZt-VeQPTrPCH Ship Tours & Cabin Review Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-VWZcykBeZFDyZ_0DVzjjI6RekDcekIK https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-VWZcykBeZEMGMt8z8OfZij--_o5-iAl Try watching videos by country from Our Destination Playlist: https://youtube.com/@HubbardsJourney?si=7LydqyCZGFLCT-05 Follow our Facebook PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/HubbardsJourney Join our Facebook GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hubbardsjourneycrew