Marina Review

4.5 / 5.0
813 reviews

Best Cruise Ever

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Marina
User Avatar
bbretzi
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Jun 2011
Cabin: Inside Stateroom

We wanted to visit several Scandanavian countries and taking the Baltic and Viking cruises on Oceania allowed this to be possible. Flights and transfers were included and without issues. Embarcation was quick and easy. We found service to be excellent both with room stewards and dining room staff.The nearly new Marina was everything promised. We had great weather and smooth sailing. Most ports were great. It was fun to visit more out of the way places, like small towns in Iceland and Visby, Sweden. We avoided the overpriced shore excursions, except the train in Flam, Norway, which is difficult to book on your own. We used ShoreTrips.com in St. Petersburg, which provided an excellent two day tour at half the price. Oceania was great about providing local experts, city maps, and free shuttles to town to allow us to tour independently in all other stops.The high point of Oceania is the dining experience. We were able to book specialty restaurants for 19 of the nights, although the grand dining room was quite good as well. I liked the filet mignon at Toscana, the desserts at Jacques, appetizers at Red Ginger, and prime rib at Polo Grill. I am more of a beef eater, but my travelling companion has dined at some of the fine restaurants in Napa, such as the French Laundry, and he said the sea bass and trout were on a par with these. We went to the Terrace and Waves when there was no other option, and found them to be fine, but informal. One tip is to order the shakes and malts with double ice cream, which is made on board, if you like them thick. I gained 10 pounds and am starting my diet.For entertainment, if you keep in mind that this is a midsized ship with food as a focus, you will not be disappointed. The eight singers and dancers were fine, with some stand out performances. The magic act and pianist were fun to watch. This is not Broadway, but a nice way to wrap up the day.Due to the cost of two cruises together, we opted for an inside stateroom, which was very adequate, and especially nice in the land of the midnight sun. One suggestion is to put signs in each foyer to make it easier to locate odd and even hallways.

Cabin Review

Inside Stateroom

Cabin F

Good cabin in the middle of the ship. Quiet location. Shower is small, but adequate.

1 Helpful Vote
previous reviewnext review

Find a Marina Cruise from $2,184

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.