We have recently returned from a wonderful cruise of the Baltic and enjoyed every place en route. We had sunny weather every day, except for one morning and this helped in our enjoyment of the lovely cities on the Baltic, especially Oslo and Stockholm. Many people on the cruise seemed to be there for one main purpose and we were no exception - this was to visit and see the sights of St Petersburg. We were certainly not disappointed. We had followed some previous advice and had booked a two-day tour with Alla Tours, who are based in St Petersburg. There were five other couples and we shared a mini-bus with an excellent driver and the best guide we could have hoped for. Her name is Julia and over two long days she gave us a real insight into the lives of her fellow Russians. She had a wealth of information to impart to us and knew every building and which Ministry or Museum occupied it. She brought Catherine's Palace, Yusopov's Palace and the Hermitage alive with her knowledgeable descriptions and background information. Her lovely soft voice was easy to absorb and she didn't have the usual heavy Russian accent you might expect. The meals on the cruise were excellent and the fish dishes especially good. The entertainment was very good and we were treated to an excellent cello player on a couple of occasions. There are several places you can go for a drink in the evening and all have entertainment but one thing we did find rather a shame was that no particular band could be found in a particular bar each evening. Therefore the most relaxing and easy to listen to group - The Tritones - whom we enjoyed very much were not often to be found in the most relaxing bar - The Crow's Nest. This was unfortunate as most people were there for a quiet chat or to read, and sometimes were bombarded with heavy loud music from Natural High, or the John James Trio. There was also a classical pianist who could have been delightful but he preferred to play strident, flashy music that showed off his abilities rather than something beautiful which we could have all enjoyed. Now to the Vibrations. Well our cabin A273 was situated at the rear end of midships portside. When we lay down the first night our bodies were riddled with the vibration and it was impossible to sleep. When we got up and looked at the bed, the pillows were literally jumping. My husband set off to find an easy chair in one of the lounges to try to get some sleep and was found in the middle of the night by a crew member who arranged an inside cabin right at the front of the ship for him to sleep in that night. We asked the next day whether we could be moved to a forward cabin and Carlos the Accommodations Supervisor told us there was absolutely nothing available and the cabin he had been allowed to sleep in was going to be occupied. The ship was complete full he said. When we went in desperation to Reception, Emma listened to us sympathetically and had three keys made to show us three alternative cabins. We chose one right at the front starboard but it was a lower grade of cabin with bunk bed layout and portholes for which we would get no refund. She said we would be moved by Carlos and would have only to empty our safe - but when Carlos came to see us he ordered us to pack our cases and would only take clothing on hangers. An extremely unhelpful man to say the least. We were moved whilst at dinner and had to then unpack in our new cabin at 11.00 pm when we returned. We subsequently came across two other couples on A deck who were also moved to cabins other than the three we were shown. Although not the lovely cabin we had been looking forward to, at least there was no vibration and it was very quiet there. Speaking to regular passengers on the Oriana, we were frequently told that the Oriana has had propeller vibration problems for a long time and there is work planned at some time in the future on the propeller vibration dampers.