I chose this cruise in the Baltic region because there were places on this itinerary I had never visited before. I was particularly interested in transiting the Kiel canal. I flew into Stockholm on the day of the cruise so was unable to visit the city as the ship sailed at 5pm. Embarkation was swift and easy as check-in was conducted on board in the Insignia Lounge. My preference was for a mid-ships ocean view on a guarantee basis.

The meals in the main dining room were excellent, as was the food in both speciality restaurants, Polo and Toscana. The Terrace Cafe provided a selection of meals to suit every taste. The service was excellent throughout the ship but having a particularly good waiter in the Grand Dining Room early in the cruise, we asked to be sat at his table every time we dined there. In fact, I would say he was the best waiter we have ever had in the many cruises we have taken.

We had a generous amount of on board credit so decided to book a number of shore excursions. On some Oceania cruises if you book 5 excursions the company applies a 25% discount. This doesn't apply to cruises of only 7 days duration. I enjoyed all but one of the excursions and found them very interesting and informative. Read more