A miscellany of questions Copenhagen

If I were in your situation, I would not try to visit Kronborg Castle or the Louisiana Museum on this visit. You are trying to organize so many activities in less than a day and a half, and you won't have any time to just enjoy wandering around and seeing the city.

I would recommend you take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy your time in Copenhagen. Twenty-nine hours (minus sleep time and minus the time it takes you to get on and off the ship) is just enough time to get a feel for the city. The tour of Christiania sounds like a nice idea, but if it means rushing to get there by a certain time, maybe just consider visiting Christiania on your own. Maybe rent a bike for 24 hours and use it to get around more quickly than on foot.

If you have never been to Copenhagen and you have one day, I don't recommend running out to see Christiania, if you have ever been to a crafty hippy town in the U.S. or UK it is the same. Enjoy the harbor, Stroget, Roundtower, parks, castles,maybe a museum and Tivoli will more than fill anyone's day! Louisiana is a beautiful day trip but you only have a day. Getting around by bicycle is an excellent idea! Don't miss you ship whatever you do! If you go to Christainia, you don't need a tour...just walk around.

Sorry, I failed to mention we visited Copenhagen previously. We were there two and a half days and, as you suggest, wandered through the city on foot, including Nyhavn, the Round Tower, along the Strøget, a tour of the Rådhus, a visit to Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, and many other venues, but not those mentioned in my post. It rained every day on our previous visit. We had lunch one day at a café on the Strøget and watched a couple close to us have lunch with each holding an umbrella--this was under a canopy mind you. We didn’t use a Copenhagen Card on the previous visit, thus my question about it for this visit.

On a side note, on several internet sites describing Christiania, I was taken aback by the recurring warning “don’t take photographs”. Is this really so? Also re Christiania, is there an alternative to the DFDS Orange Line harbor tour? We’d like to see the place from the water, but prefer something in a smaller boat; what about the “FriendShips”?

Maybe I can't be much help in regards to the practical questions concerning passes and cards etc, but I would just like to share my experience from my visits to Copenhagen. I would say (as others have) that you'll probably have to cut a few things out from your wish list. But I would highly recommend Louisiana and Christiania if you have already seen the citycenter. Together with Nyhavn I would say Louisiana and Christiania has been the best and most interesting parts of my three visits to Copenhagen.
Make sure though of course that you can make it back to your ship on time :) since Louisiana is a bit of a ride out from Copenhagen. And last - you don't need a guide in Christiania.

You can easily see Rosenborg Castle and Christiania on the same day....Rosenborg is quite small and easy to see in an hour or two, including the royal jewels in the "basement". You truly don't need a tour guide for Christiania - it isn't too large, the "commercial" core is easily navigated on your own, and if you want to see some of the houses all you have to do is walk out of the main part of town to the north and east. The restaurants are like any other restaurants. I just went there by myself in September and had no problem...the only pictures you don't really want to take are of the pot/paraphernalia vendors. Some people don't want their pictures taken but it's just rude to take pictures of people in most circumstances anywhere regardless of where you are. I took plenty of pictures there and had no issues. There is a small visitor center for Christiania at the corner entrance and you can go in there for more information or buy a small share in the community!

Thanks for the responses. Based on these, we are definitely going to visit The Louisiana, as best I can tell, the train is about 35 minutes each way and if we arrive at opening time of 11:00, we can spend maybe three hours before heading back to Østerport We'll have to pass on the Kronborg Castel.

I understand Christiania could be a DIY, I just thought it would be interesting to hear the description of the place from the point of view of a resident. I'd also like to ask her/him some questions about how the place operates. I did successfully arrange for a tour on Monday; this will free-up Tuesday for Louisiana. I also had some "success" in getting an answer to my question about the performance at the Glass Hall at Tivoli. "Into The Woods" is being performed, but not on Monday--too bad.

I noticed the Rosenborg Castle closes at 16:00 hr. Is this is last "admission" or is everyone "ushered out" at 16:00 hr? Since it is open on Monday, we'd like to try to visit then, but if we have to be out the door by four, so to speak, this would be too rushed.

An associated follow-up question about food: what would be a good place for dinner on Monday evening, a place in Christiania, a restaurant in Tivoli Gardens, or some place on Papirøen ?

Re. Christiania: The reason they do not want photos taken is because A. they sell drugs there. B. most folks are under the radar types C. they want their community privacy respected. So, it is best to follow the rules. Have fun!