We have been on Cunard, mainly the Queen Victoria, quite a few times and had decided a change was probably necessary, but when we were offered a last minute Queens suite (Q7 guarantee) for absolutely silly money (less than the cheapest balcony) realised it was simply too good to miss. We were duly given a penthouse Q3 complete with butler and under-butler and all was set fair. The priority embarkation proved to be smooth the suite all we hoped for and the food in the Queens grill truly exceptional, with service to match. We had a table for six and again lucky enough to meet really interesting and convivial table companions.

The itinerary was Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg (2 nights) Tallinn and Bruges, the highlight being St. Petersburg. We had booked a private tour which proved to be a master stroke, as we were whisked in effortless comfort, accompanied by an extremely knowledgeable guide to the various venues. The Peter and Paul fortress, the church of the spilled blood, a fabulous river tour and finally The Hermitage, (definitely not to be missed) The second day we visited the Winter palace, Peterhof and took a ride on the underground the see the incredible stations built by Stalin in the 1930's. On both days there was never any queuing or waiting, including the complimentary lunches in really good small Russian restaurants. It is also worth mentioning that the price was considerably less than Cunard charge for their tours.

We have seen the ships shows many times so don't go any more. But did enjoy the guest speakers and comedian, Allan Stewart. Read more