A great cruise made so in no small part by the friendly service of its staff. This was our second European cruise on the Constellation, and would strongly recommend the outstanding Scandinavian Russian itinerary. Great destinations with every city unique in its own way. St Petersburg was the focus of this cruise, and is a world treasure. We booked the two day with STB on the Internet after reading the numerous recommendations on the Cruise Critic boards. The guide was outstanding, and the group was limited to only 16 passengers and traveled in a Mercedes van. A savings of $130 from the cruise tour offering for the same two day tour. There were a number of at sea lectures by a US based history professor, which greatly enhanced the St Petersburg visit. The Siege of Leningrad, as it was known in WW II, caused the greatest destruction and the largest loss of life ever a modern city. One and a half million people starved to death. That's more than all the casualties suffered by the US, UK, and France combined! The sites in that city were quite intense, but our guide Alexander was very knowledgeable and accommodating to special requests. He carried an ipad with him to show us photographs of how each of the sites visited looked during the siege of Leningrad. If you are interested in this city's fascinating history it would take one week to do it justice.

Warnemunde (Rostock) was a delightful seaside town where many Germans have vacationed for generations. Some passengers took the tour to Berlin but 6 hours on trains seemed unreasonable for the short stay. Stockholm and Helsinki were also very stylish and strikingly beautiful cities. Amazingly clean and very green ecologically. Their usage of bicycles to commute was very remarkable. The Vasa museum in Stockholm is a must! Tallinn was the icing on the cake. A medieval walled town that was very walkable and charming.

Kudos to the Constellation's excellent chef for the daily fresh offerings that would be purchased at each port. Fresh seafood offerings including mussels and varieties of herring and other Scandinavian dishes that were served daily during port visits in the Ocean View Cafe with its excellent outdoor aft deck. Read more