We travelled in late Sep - Baltic sailing. Despite the fact that temperatures on this later season sailing were quite cool (10 C – 16C), I would say that this is an excellent time to do a Baltic cruise. Firstly, there are far less crowds and secondly, the cruise fare is more reasonable. We were also able to secure a Haven 2 bed cabin at an excellent fare. Embarkation We took a taxi from Copenhagen centre (Hotel Bethel) to the Oceankaj port where the Getaway was berthed. Embarkation was quick and easy and NCL are very efficient. We arrived just after 11am and were on the ship before 12pm. Haven guests could either have lunch in the Haven restaurant or at Margaritaville (complimentary). We decided to go Margaritaville and the service was excellent and the shrimps were delicious: large, firm, tasty. This was the standard throughout the ship – wherever we had shrimp it was the same excellent quality. We spent an hour exploring the ship and our bags were already at our suite by 2pm so we unpacked. The mandatory safety drill was at 4pm and this is the one area that NCL could drastically improve. The drill took at least an hour because all the information was repeated in three different languages. Many people are rude and talk over the languages that they don’t understand and the crew then has to request them to please be considerate of other guests. There was not enough space for seating in O’Sheehans for everyone and it was tough standing for all that time. In addition, the crew would not let us sit on the floor. So I suggest that you try to get to your meeting point before the required time so that you don’t end up like us standing all the time. Further, the crew member who demonstrated how to put on the life jacket literally got “stage fright” and was unable to do it correctly. He tried 3 times, before another crew member took over and correctly demonstrated how to do it. Many people just put their heads down on the tables in O’Sheehans and blotted the “noise” out. It just got too much. But hang in there, because after a bad start, it was all positive after that! Haven 2 bed family suite 15108 We absolutely loved our suite. With 2 adults and 2 children, there is ample space and it really is wonderful for the children to have their own room and bathroom. Our steward (Moncito), set up the Pullman bed for our 10 year old son (similar to a bunk) and made the sleeper couch below into a comfortable bed for our 12 year old daughter. There is ample storage space in the suite. The king bed in the main bedroom is the most comfortable bed I have had in over 10 cruises. We requested memory foam pillows and this was handled by our Butler, Stefan. Stefan also made sure we had coffee pods for the Nespresso machine and brought a lovely selection of snacks each afternoon (including choc chip cookies which were the best!) Stefan really was an excellent butler – always willing to go the extra mile and always offering helpful advice. The master bathroom in this suite is absolutely amazing with its bath and shower that look out to the ocean. The cost of the suite is worth that view alone! This Haven suite is so wonderful – you feel like you are experiencing the best of the best at sea in every way. The only negative is that there is some noise at night which sounds like a door slamming shut. It appears to be a door used by the night crew. After a couple of nights, it didn’t bother us as much anymore. Layout of the ship Although this is a massive ship (over 150,000 tons), it is so well layed out that you never feel it is so large. The flow of the ship is excellent. There are ample elevators so that they only time we really waited was when we returned from a port and a number of people were returning to the ship at once. Photography I honestly wonder when NCL is going to phase this out. No-one seemed interested in having their photos taken especially at the ports. Same in restaurants, no-one wanted their photos taken. Art The biggest waste is the Art Auction section – they must waste tons of paper with all the flyers for Art Auctions that get delivered to the rooms. I wonder if they even cover all the cost of paper and printing with the amount of art they sell?? Shows We attended three shows: Burn the Floor – absolutely fantastic dancers. We thoroughly enjoyed this show. Russian Folk Show – very talented performers. Make sure you get there early as it was extremely popular and the Theatre staff are clueless at trying to assist with checking who has been waiting for a seat and who is just walking in and pushing past. Million Dollar Quartet – vey long show. It became tedious and boring. The guy who portrayed Jerry Lee Lewis was excellent as well as the guy who portrayed Johnny Cash. Restaurants We had all our breakfasts at the Haven restaurant. A special word of thanks to Johnson who always ensured that my daughter had gluten free meals and who provided the most delicious gluten free bread. He also ensured that there were gluten free muffins and toast at breakfast as well as waffles and French toast. Breakfasts at the Haven restaurant are a real treat but I did feel that some of the waiters were not up to scratch. A little extra training is needed. For example, some waiters neglected to take juice/coffee orders and some just plain rushed us by bringing plates of cooked breakfast when we were still trying to finish fruit/yogurt. Tropicana We came here for dinner at 5.30pm when we had Burn the Floor show booked at 7.30pm. Edwin, our waiter was amazing. He ensured that we had ample time to enjoy our meal without feeling rushed and also ensured that my daughter’s gluten free requirements were met. He was extremely professional and the next time we ate there, we requested a table in his section. Savor The food and service were acceptable. Nothing spectacular but a pleasant enough evening. Teppanyaki Great evening, fun chef who made us laugh and have a great time and a great meal. Gluten free for my daughter was carefully taken care of and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Cagneys Loved the beef fillet and the service was excellent. Le Bistro Probably our least favourite of the specialty restaurants but still enjoyed it. Warnemunde We had planned to take the train to Rostock, but we so enjoyed the seaside town of Warnemunde that we stayed there and enjoyed strolling around all the lovely little shops. We enjoyed a lunch of fresh fish and chips and then we went on a cruise around the harbor. Very interesting to see the construction of ships at Neptun Werft. Tallinn We took a taxi into the town centre. Tallinn is a wonderful town to spend the day wandering around. We also walked to the Balti Jaam Market just outside the town centre (near the railway station). We enjoyed lunch there. There is a lovely confectionery shop at the ground floor of Balti Jaam which has a wide selection of chocolates suitable for souvenirs at very reasonable prices. The market is frequented by locals so it is an authentic example of Estonian produce. St Petersburg We took a 2 day tour with TJ Travel. Our guide was Daria and her knowledge is absolutely astounding. She never stopped giving us interesting facts and making the history come alive. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Catherine’s Palace and the walk in Peterhof with its utterly stunning gardens. September is a great time to visit as the trees are changing colour for autumn/fall so it is especially beautiful. We also found the metro trip very interesting and enjoyed the boat canal ride although it was the one time that it was raining. The weather was cool but there were minimal crowds so it was possible to really appreciate the sights especially at the Hermitage and Church on Spilled Blood. Daria took us to two modern Russian restaurants for our lunches on the two days and I must recommend Russian dumplings- they are light and delicious! St Petersburg is the place to really soak yourself in history and transport yourself back in time to another world. Would highly recommend Daria and TJ – they also give discounts to Cruise Critic members. Helsinki We met friends in Helsinki and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. We were there on a Sunday which is not ideal as the shops only open at 11am (and we had to be back at the ship at 3.30pm) and many of the stalls in the market are closed. There is far too little time spent in Helsinki. NCL should only leave at 6pm. Nynashamn (for Stockholm) We took the HOHO bus into Stockholm which is about a one hour bus trip. We had $50 credit for each port so it was well worthwhile to use this option. The HOHO buses were parked within easy walking distance from the ship and they recorded your ship cabin details so you did not pay at the pier – instead you were charged directly to the ship account. We spent most of our time in the Old Town and then walked to the modern side of Stockholm. We also watched the changing of the guard which I honestly would not recommend. This is nothing like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. There are 4 guards marching around (no band) and a bit of shouting. We really felt we wasted our time here. Stockholm is a beautiful city and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. The HOHOs return between 3.30pm and 4.30pm. This was a fantastic cruise – both the ports and the service on the Getaway and we wish we could do it all again. We would not hesitate to cruise with NCL next time. Read Less

Loved the ship. The layout was not as open as some ships I have been on but there were tons of drinking and dining options to enjoy. The top deck and outside areas were not used much due to weather on this particular cruise. Having said that a balcony room is a great plus on this cruise as the Baltic is small and you will get to see lots of things out your window on a daily basis especially getting in and out of the ports. I was amazed at the number of cruise ships in the Baltic (there were 8 other ships in port in St. Petersburg). The destinations were great with the exception of Germany. The Berlin for a day trip was very expensive and really not very enjoyable. 3 hours each way on an a non-air conditioned train with 6+ hours on a bus in between. We were very rushed. Little opportunity to get off and take pictures. It was also a brutal heat wave while we were there (close to 100 degrees F). The centerpiece destinations on this cruise are St. Petersburg and Stockholm as they are both incredibly beautiful sightseeing opportunities. You will not be able to take pictures fast enough in the palaces and churches in St. Petersburg. I would also recommend arriving into Copenhagen Denmark a few days early and explore that beautiful little country. Tivoli Gardens, all the castles and fortresses scattered in and around the city are very impressive. The dining in general was very good. We really enjoyed the food in the main dining room and the buffet was well appointed. What wasn't worth the cost, was the upgraded dining package. The Brazilian steakhouse was excellent and we enjoyed it the first night and the Cirque dinner show was excellent bu the food was a set menu from the main dining room. Ocean Blue and Cagney's were big disappointments. They ran out of lobster 2/3 way through the cruise so our "upgrade" meal at ocean blue was fish or shrimp similar to what was on offer at the main dining room. We dined at Cagney's our last night and the steaks were tough with very little flavor. Got better cuts of meat at the main dining room in the evening. My family that I was traveling with had gone Norwegian last year and raved about the upgraded food only to be let down this year. The on board entertainment was decent. This really isn't a big factor in cruising for me to begin with. We enjoyed the upgraded cirque show and a dance show called Burning the Floor. We enjoyed a night at the dueling piano bar and a night with an 80's cover band. To be honest many of the excursions were so long and required so much walking that we went to bed early many evenings as our departure times for excursions were also very early (between 7 and 8 am). Not complaining about this but we needed our rest. Read Less

We chose this cruise mainly because we've enjoyed all previous Princess cruises and we wanted to see new countries. We arranged our travel time so we could spend a day in Copenhagen before embarking on the cruise. With the medallion system embarkation went smoothly and we were on board within 20 min. of arriving at the ship. Our luggage arrived at our room very shortly after we did, which hasn't always been the case on previous cruises. Our oldest son travelled with us as he did last year and this made our trip even more enjoyable! This ship was the largest of any we've cruised on but everything ran smoothly. Our cabin steward made sure our room was always taken care of. As on any cruise, one of the highlights is the food. This was no exception. We dined at the second sitting and Dan Lee and Wilson took excellent care of us each evening. We also enjoyed lunch most days at Horizon and never failed to be amazed at the variety and quality of food. We enjoyed several of the musical shows at the Princess Theater, the talent of the singers and dancers was Broadway quality. Each one of the ports was so different and interesting. We took 4 port excursions and one shuttle bus trip. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and helpful. All in all, this cruise is probably the best of many we've enjoyed over the years. Truly an unforgettable experience! Read Less

Exceeded our expectations from embarkation to debarkation. Crews are very friendly and helpful. You don’t get hungry as lots of yummy foods on board and lots of sporting activities you can do on board to ensure you don’t get extra kg while indulging with lots of good variety of foods. Medallion class made everything on board really easy. They have a very systematic system where everything really works very well. We have enjoyed all the activities on board, in particular, the shows daily. Our crew steward always ensure that our room is being looked after daily. Live TV updates is also very helpful for everyone as you will be informed on what’s happening on the ship, ports and shore excursions very important informations and tips. We will definitely cruise with Princess again and will recommend them to our friends and families. Keep up the good work and hope to see you again soon. Read Less

We chose to sail for the Baltic cruise with Princess after trying other cruise lines for other cruises. Nothing beat Princess in term of services, itineraries, and values. We're group of 11 people (yes, odd numbers) and the dining room able to accomodate all of us in one table which make the dining experiences more enjoyable. Great menu on traditional Dining room (good options considering we have different people with different preferences). Get the wine packages when you board the ship (great values). Regal Princess is a great ship especially since it becomes the medallion class (very convenience tool and now we can locate the rest of our group at any given time on the ship). We love all the countries listed in the itineraries although we feel that the stop at Oslo is too short. The weather were perfect during our visits. Our kids love the destination cruise like this one because they get to visit different countries everyday without having to pack and unpack daily). Overall experience, we had an amazing time sailing with Princess. Can't wait to do another cruise with Princess again. Read Less

Our first cruise with NCL and we were not disappointed. We are used to Royal Caribbean but chose this ship for itinery and it fitted our schedule. We travelled as a family with 2 teens and 2 friends. We had 2 days in Copenhagen beforehand which was good and extended our holiday, Pretty and safe city but expensive. Tivoli good but better in evening with the lights and a light show over the lake around 10.45 pm. Good river cruise. Stayed in Scandik hotel which was modern and comfy with good breakfast. Cruise embarkation and disembarkation seamless. On board ship there is a smaller public atrium than we are used to but it served its purpose and there are plenty of bars and restaurants and outside space in which to relax. We had an inside interconnecting cabin on the 11 th deck which was comfy and not too small. The bathrooms were spacious. It was extremely quiet down its own corridor. The beds were comfy and it was clean and modern. Our cabin stewards were hardworking and kept the rooms spotless. The food we had no complaints with. If you can get a speciality dining plan you will find it worth it to sample some very good restaurants. We are in Le Bistro, Tepanyaki, Cagney's Moderno. All excellent. We had the drinks package and it works out better value if individual drinks are as expensive as people say although we are not heavy drinkers but enjoy the odd drink from the many bars available. Try the ice bar for a small extra cost as it's fun but yes cold! Our 18 year old had the drinks package and could order unlimited wine beer and cider as well as intermittent cocktails and spirits as no one seemed entirely sure what was included. We found service excellent. No complaints and they were more flexible than we had experienced before. A word on tips. We prefer to tip as we go and had our service charges refunded on request without argument. The shows were excellent. Yes the theatre is smaller but we didn't reserve all shows and got in fine if we got there a bit earlier but some we had reserved which is easy to do on board or better still before you sail. There is an extra cost for Cirque steam but worth it for sure. The rest I believe were included for free. Shows are are a matter of personal taste so try them but they may not be everyone's cup of tea. Excursions : We had been on this itinery before so we did most alone this time. Stockholm lovely and we got an Uber to town which was quick and cheap. Vasamuseum is in town so easily done alone. Tallin you can walk to easily. Beautiful. Helsinki we got hop on hop off and ended up at great amusement park and lovely park at top of town. Worth a visit. No charge for entry and rides reasonably priced. Visby we walked to easily. Beautiful. At Petersburg we did evening ballet and through the eyes of russian people. Both good and you see things off the beaten track. The ballet was expensive but a once in a lifetime experience. If you check the ports beforehand it is easy to do trips alone but do check this out if you have mobility issues and be mindful of timing. Otherwise go with ship excursions which we did on our first visit. Our teens made amazing friends by going to the club's but you have to be brave and do it otherwise it's difficult to meet other people of similar to age. It makes their cruise. The teen club activities are good if you want them but ok to just hang out if you don't. There was an X box apparently! We didn't try on board activities but they are available and seemed well maintained and plentiful. Overall we found this to b a good ship for our purposes and a good cruise. It is more or less suited to families than other cruises we have done but yes if you want a small quiet cruise it may not be your taste. We thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely sail NCL in the future. Read Less

We've loved all that Norweigan has to offer; food, entertainment, consistency in a great travel experience. The staff is more than welcoming and they are very organized. Some minor tips for a better experience: The Getaway should not be used in cold areas. Without a big lounge at one end of the ship, the open areas are way too crowded without the pool being an option. Chocolate Lava cake should be offered every night. We love it! In the Tropicana, tables should be placed a few feet from the wait stations. If you are unlucky and are seating near one, you will be bumped all night and interrupted by staff just trying to do your job. It's not the typical experience. We could detect a little friction between staff at times. Not good. A woman and her fiancé got into a big argument in Ocean's Blue. This was at the next table. It was extremely disrupting and caused a scene. I wish the staff had just escorted them both out. Our drinks were covered and we received three apologies, but it went on for too long. Overall, it was a great experience and we know any cruise line can't prevent minor issues. Read Less

Very beautiful ship. Clean room public arias. The stuff that I connect with was the best. Our balcony room was great and clean. The food was delicious and there were a lot of choices. Everything was organized great while going to and from the ship . We had so much fun. Not our last cruise for sure... We took a cruise to the Norway fiords and we were excited to see that it was as we expected it to be and much more. I highly recommend at this particular cruise to book a balcony room in order to enjoy the breathtaking views. Another great tip is to get to the embarkation as soon as You can to avoide the lines and to enjoy the ship longer. Our room was ready at 13:00 so we were happy to start our day with a good coffee on our balcony and relaxing room. Read Less

I chose it because I wanted something that will include St. Petersburg with it and the Baltics. I thought since the ship was carrying 4500 passengers and 2500 crew members that it will be like lining up for a blockbuster movie. Anyway, most days it was organized, the only times it was in disarray was the embarkation and disembarkation day which happens on all cruise ships. Ship really big, with most of the activity in the garden cafe on the 15th deck, the rest of the restaurants are ok. We stayed in a mini suite and it was an upgrade from our usual inside stateroom and i will probably never go back to the inside stateroom Dining in most restaurants are ok. Specialty dining is good if its offered free at sea otherwise, I wouldn't buy it. Entertainment and activities are good, although we went out to port everytime, we didn't have time to try out everything Help for someone with limited mobility like me is ok, although at 2 ports, we couldn't find wheelchairs and attendants to it because they were all under the shade whiling their time away and coudln't care less about people who actually needed their help. Crew is great always Read Less

We wanted to see the Baltics and this cruise was just right! The ship was amazing and I rarely felt like there were 4600 guests aboard. The only time it felt crowded was in the buffet for breakfast, sometimes it is difficult to get a seat. The food was great and they were very accommodating for my wife's egg allergy. The itinerary was great and we really enjoyed our excursions, though they were very expensive, they were worth it. The entertainment was wonderful and we saw everything we wanted to see. Burn the Floor and .million dollar quartet were very good the others were just good, not the best I have seen but enjoyable. The magician was the notable exception he wasn't very good at all. Moderno was a great specialty restaurant and a good value for a brazillion Steakhouse. The weather was great but not really warm so we didnt use the pool as much as we would have liked but it was nice when we did. Read Less

There were 13 of us on this cruise ages 85 to 6. Everything from embarkation to disembarkation went smoothly. We had a dining table in the dining room for all 13 of us. The food and service was excellent. Our dining staff became friends and like family. They were wonderful with the 4 children. The children really liked their play area on the ship. They made friends with children from several countries and enjoyed the activities provided for them there. We did not take any of the tours provided by the ship. We enjoy researching the ports and going off on our own. However we did have a private tour each day we were in St. Petersburg. We enjoyed the entertainment in the Princess Theater, in the lounges and bars. The days at seas kept us all busy and entertained. I would highly recommend this cruise for a family reunion or just a wonderful adventure for anyone. Read Less

Excellent experience. Ship was fully staffed. Never had to wait for a drink at the bars. Public areas kept tidy and clean. Made reservations in advance for the shows and select dining. Found we did not need reservations in two of the main rooms. Taste and Savor, we were walk right up and get a table with little wait. Heard it can be hard to find quiet spots on board. The sunset lounge was our favorite bar, located in the middle of the ship on the inside. Never too crowded or boisterous. Take the time and spend the money to see the cirque dreams steam punk dinner show. Very good production for a ship. The best shipboard entertainment I have ever seen. Burn the floor is good too. Just make your reservations before setting sail! Syd Norman’s Pour House had excellent rock cover band. Very entertaining there. For shot excursions, be sure to explore non ship options. We booked privately with Alla Tours for both St. Petersburg and Stockholm. We saved a ton of money compared to the excursions (relatively identitcal itineraries) by booking with Alla. Do it about 3 months in advance, They take care of your Visas for Russia, no worries! Read Less

We chose this cruise for the ports. Neither of us had been to any of the Baltic ports and we were looking for an overview. We absolutely loved the ports and could have spent more time everywhere, but we knew that in advance. Cruising on such a large ship has its disadvantages. On a minor point, it simply takes a while to figure out the deck plans, and how get from one point to another. More serious is the issue of always being at a pier that's far from the city center. We were lucky to get to dock in Stockholm, the Getaway often has to be in a town a hour away. We shared sevel ports with an Azamara Cruise, and as a much smaller ship, they were docked right downtown. When time in port is so valuable, arranging transportation to get to the actual city becomes a drain. Although we really enjoyed the ship and Baltic cruise itinerary, if we were to take the same trip again I'd consider a different, smaller ship. Someone who uses more of the entertainment available, or traveling with active kids, might have a completely different view point. We used a private company (there are many) to tour Berlin and St. Petersburg. We were able to have a much smaller group and more flexibility than if we'd taken a ship's excursion. Luckily we were in Stockholm on a Sunday and the company Stromma has a 3 hour brunch cruise available on that Sunday only. It was actually one of the highlights of our trip. In Helsinki and Tallinn we were able to enjoy the town on our own without a tour. They are both beautiful, but very different cities. Read Less

A wonderful cruise on the sensational fabulous Regal princess. I couldn't fault this cruise and I have been on a few cruises especially Princess. The staff are extremely professional and it ran like clockwork. It had a great vibe to the ship. The food in mdr was of a high quality along with other food outlets. The entertainment was great with a wide variety of entrainment options. The ports were great especially St Petersburg was sensational and 2 full days were needed. Only a short time in Oslo Norway only criticism as needed more time as shore excursion was rushed. The cabins are spacious and comfortable and maintained we had s balcony and woke up one more with a view of a castles and churches not bad. As a Elite passenger we were able to use Club 6 for our wine time. My time on The Regal princess was brilliant one of my favourite cruises Read Less

This was our first Baltic cruise. Princess cruise lines did an excellent job. Embarkation was a breeze. The Medallion service still has start up problems as many employees are not up to speed, but it has worthwhile features. They only updated one account with the Beverage package and the waiter had to get the other one added. The Medallion really does not do too much more than the cruise card did and it allows them to track you. The ship is beautiful, but with the number of passengers the elevators were always packed. They can't add more elevators, but maybe they can make them run more frequently or more efficiently. We had a mini-suite on the Riviera deck. It was very quiet, very well laid out with sufficient storage. Our steward, Jeff, tirelessly maintained our cabin and did a superior job. We had Club Class dining which was very nice for the special attention, but did not get to meet as many other passengers. The food although tasty and well-prepared, was not exceptional. The entertainment was outstanding. The Russian Folk dance performers were great. The Regal Princess Singers and Dancers were talented. The Princess band has some of the best musicians we have seen. The entertainment in the Piazza and the Wheelhouse lounge always is amazing and relaxing at the end of the day. The band We Are Evolution can really get the ship rockin'. Getting to listen to and to meet Lou Gazzara and Peter Cutler was an unexpected pleasure. Princess shore excursions cost more than the local tours as every Cruise Critic member knows. We did not need 2 days in St. Petersburg. We only had a few hours in Oslo. Estonia and Stockholm were our favorite ports. Princess cancelled our Stockholm excursion at the last minute due to the Royal Palace closing and did not offer even a free shuttle into town. The Front Desk did not seem to care. They also did not provide our Disembarkation information on the last night. For that and other mishandled problems, Guest Services was our biggest disappointment on the trip. We will sail Princess again because overall they do everything well. Read Less

Dining: Freestyle dining is probably the best part of this cruise from a family perspective. We tried all the complimentary restaurants but the buffet remained our preferred dining area since it offered the widest selection. Our favorite non-comp restaurant was Moderno because the meat was delicious and there was a wonderful variety. The waiter brings different types and cuts of meat to the table which you choose whether to try or not. It also had an excellent salad bar with seafood, sushi, green salad, soups, cheeses, and cured meat. Family activities: Our family enjoyed having so much to do onboard. The water slides, ropes course, climbing wall, pools, and games in the library were all viable alternatives to just putting the kids in the very popular kids club. Kids club: The kids club was excellent. Our youngest (3) never wanted to leave and woke up every morning asking to go back to the club. The 9 and 11 year old also enjoyed themselves. The 11 year old could sign in and sign out after two hours. We left our youngest onboard in the kids club while we toured St Petersburg. There was an additional charge for meals on port days ($6 per child per meal) if the kids received their meal while at kids club. We booked our kids in/reserved a place for them ahead of time to ensure that there was space for them while we did our St Petersburg shore excursion. We had to change our day 2 SP excursion since kids club opened at 8am so we changed to an afternoon excursion. On sea days kids club closed for lunch and dinner. Kids club also put together a wonderful circus variety show for parents. During the cruise they taught the kids circus tricks and then the kids performed them in the theater as a big group on our final day at sea. Kids club was no charge until 10:30pm. From 10:30pm-1:30am it was $6/hour $4/hour additional sibling. Teen club: Very happy with their teen club. Our teenager probably had the best time of anyone in our family and was definitely the most hesitant about the cruise. Didn't actually hear much from our tight lipped teen except that it was "really good" which is high praise from that child. It was open until 1:30am, no charge. Guppies: For 2 and under it was a parent/caregiver playroom where parents stayed with the baby and it had opening/closing times. Exercise: The gym was excellent and the jogging track offered lovely views for runners. There was a separate weight room and another room with boxing equipment plus the cardio area which had seaviews. Cons: The ship is huge and it's also quite crowded in the atrium area. Depending on the time of day it was impossible to get a seat and all public spaces in general were often crowded. We didnt mind the crowds. When you book on a huge ship then it's reasonable to assume that there will be crowds. Shore excursions: The shore excursions were all excellent. Some family members booked NCL excursions at every port and there were no complaints. It was really easy to explore the German port town on your own. The train in Germany was literally 5 min walk from the ship and the port had a lovely boardwalk. Tallin was about a 20 min walk from the port and easy to do independently. SP needed an organized shore excursion and our only issue was with timing and kids club opening hours which was solved by doing a half day afternoon excursion on day 2. The HOHO in Helsinki was perfect for our family. Our only issue was the Hoho in Stockholm which had a badly organized return to the ship. Public transportation in Copenhagen: Transportation from the ship to the airport was easy. We used the public bus which had a ticket kiosk literally in front of the debarkation area. The bus took us straight to the metro station where we caught the metro directly to the airport. It took us about 40 minutes. The bus stops right at the ship and is far cheaper than a taxi. One adult ticket allows two kids 12 and under to ride free of charge on the bus and metro. Read Less

We did this cruise because we'd never been in the Baltic before. We've sailed with Princess before with mixed results and this trip was par for the course. The destinations were excellent. (St. Petersburg was the surprise disappointment, Talinn and Warnemünde was outstanding!) Embarkation and disembarkation in Copenhagen was really easy. Actually, with the medallion, getting on and off at all the ports was easier than we expected. One of the problems we had was room size. There were four of us, and once the upper bunks were lowered at night, moving around the room was awkward and difficult. Also, because there were four of us, we couldn't push the bottom beds together. I'm pretty tall and my wife is pretty short and with a double bed it works out. This trip my feet were dangling off the end and the mattress was just wide enough for my shoulders. Ugh. We took advantage of the Elemis Spa Enclave, a room that has a large soaking pool, some steam rooms and heated seats. We went there almost every day and felt that it was worth every penny. We were pleased that we had the place mostly to ourselves for the duration of the trip. We had a lot of fun. We like exploring on our own, so we didn't do any of the Princess Excursions but we did make arrangements for an SPB tour on our own for St. Petersburg because the only way to see Russia without a visa is through a tour. The food was pretty standard, both in the main dining room and the buffet. Not amazing, but not terrible, and even on an eleven day cruise, they kept the menus varied enough so we didn't feel like we were eating the same stuff over and over. One complaint was the soup; the thick soups (jambalaya, albondigas, etc.) tasted like they used the same base and just swapped ingredients, while the clear soups (miso, chicken noodle, etc.) were really, really salty. And that's all I've got. I'd recommend it. Read Less

Great service from Viking during planning stages. Air departure had a problem due to equipment and weather. Viking was able to reroute us in about 20 minutes and we arrived in Copenhagen only about an hour later than originally scheduled. We spent a couple extra days in Copenhagen before our departure and really enjoyed the touring of the city. Boarding the Viking Sky went very smoothly and our cabin was just as described in the cruise brochure. Dining was a great experience with very attentive staff that provided excellent service throughout the cruise. The food choices for dinner were varied and delicious. Shore excursions, both included and those with extra costs, were excellent and informative. The tour guides provided incite into the local culture and history of the sights we were seeing. Overall our experience was excellent and we will definitely recommend Viking Ocean Cruises to our friends. We will be planning additional cruises on Viking. Thank you for such a great cruise. Read Less

I chose this cruise because of the ports: departing from Copenhagen, then Stockholm, Tallin, st Petersburg, Helsinki, back to Copenhagen. Overall - Amazing location, very friendly cruise staff, great service and food, we were surprised by how swift embarkation at ports were. Just check in was a little long. We arrived CPH on day of embarkation at 7am. There was already cruise staff holding a sign asking if anyone has booked cruise transfer to port. Nonetheless , my group used public transportation to Oceankaj by train then bus 25/27. We spent about 1+ hour at check in counter, we were told that it is the first sail of the year, staff was still on training to the new system as happens that system was down. I completed online check in but staff can not locate record so we have to complete whole check in process again. Team did not collect passport from us at check in, which again create a little hassle when we are on board. Cruise staff has to come to us to collect it. Once we board, staff with yellow t shirt was at every floor to help answer questions and help people familiarise with the cruise. This is my 2nd cruise with RCI, serenade of the Seas is a smaller cruise then before (quantum class cruise) which means less people, and less crowded. Never very difficult to get table at Windjammer. Dinner at main dining room was fab. Good food and attentive service. Same table and wait staff everyday Remember to download their app if you need to know info in other language. My family benefited from using the app as info were listed in chinese for them. Not really long lines at customer service. Staff are much more friendly, Cruise Director David is always around, can feel that he cares about customers. The cruise is a little dated but well maintained. Lots of storage space. Our housekeeper Sean is amazing, always checking if we are ok. Great shows and always good music on board. Less entertainment facilities on board then quantum class cruise, but I did enjoy my ‘do nothing’ time. Amazing ports especially Stockholm. Hop on hop off bus was waiting right outside departure gate for travelers. Tallin is an easy port, within walking distance to old town. Helsinki ‘s port was a little far away from downtown. Even excursion staff is unsure which port cruise will use 2 days before arrival. Wrong info given at the leaflet distributed on board. We joined independent excursion at St Petersburg, we can only depart ship 90 min after docking time. Have to let those joined cruise shorex depart first. We traveled in smaller group and with early entry to Hermitage plus an additional subway ride. Overall good cruise experience again. I would recommend this cruise and route. Read Less

Transatlantic cruises are such a great value and this particular cruise visited 4 different ports after embarking in Copenhagen. Wonderful friendships are made during this 14 day cruise and we love the rest and relaxation during the final days of the cruise after some super excursions. Our best excursion was in Ponte Delgada and was arranged by Darlene through Cruise Critic.....be sure to check the excursions available with other Cruise Critic members for your trip....smaller groups, less expensive...lots of pluses over the excursions offered by the ship. We chose an outside cabin on deck 5 and were very pleased with it....lots of room, good location close to elevators and easy access when we left the ship and the various ports. The ship itself was very clean and the crew was wonderful. We wish we had taken advantage of the "free" drink package offered during our cruise. The hidden loophole is that you have to pay $280 for taxes and tips so it actually isn't "free". We aren't big drinkers so we passed. However, the cost of 2 average drinks on the ship averaged $22 which gets pricey on this long trip. Also didn't like the fact that you could earn free drinks in the casino with 1500 points....I reached the points and was told "only standard drinks....no kahlua and cream, no old fashioneds, no cosmos, etc.... house whiskey, vodka, gin with mixer only." Seemed rather "cheap" to me and a slap in the face. I'll avoid the casino next time. Read Less

My first transatlantic Cruise. I enjoyed the cruise from the stateroom, buffet, shows, and dinning experience (especially The Crown Grill). The ship was beautifully decorated. The decor was exceptional. I looked forward to afternoon tea everyday. I arranged excursions to make it back in time for tea. The medallion system worked great. The minute you got close to the door, it unlocked the door. Dining staff gave outstanding service, especially the staff under supervisor Herman. Every morning they remembered our favorite drinks and filled them without a request. My family and I met many interesting people from many different countries. We were disappointed the weather was so cold that we were unable to watch movies under the stars. However, the movies in the theaters and on the TV in our stateroom needed only popcorn and hot chocolate. Embarkation went well, but disembarkation was unpleasant. Waiting in the casino and finding our luggage was not a good experience. We barely made our flight. Although some of the problems was getting through TSA. I wish you offered smaller drink packages. We drink very little wine and occasionally sodas. The packages are too large and too expensive. I tend to order an occasional glass of wine and order soft drinks only on shore. Read Less

This cruise offered all of the ports we had been wanting to go to. We were with several family members and good friends which made it extra special. The ship was beautiful and spotless. Great service from all staff. This was the largest ship we have sailed on which made the Horizon dining area seem quite busy but I enjoyed many of the other dining options (Alfredo's Pizza, Sushi bar, International Cafe, dining rooms). For having so many people, the service still felt warm and personal which was great. Great entertainment and lots of variety. The one disappointment was not having a large walking/running deck that went all the way around the ship but everything else was great. The embarkation was the very best and quickest I have had on any ship on any cruise line. Super impressive and easy which was a great start to the trip. I have never before needed medical service on a ship. I didn't this time but two in our party did and it was efficient, affordable and so comforting to have, especially with some elderly travelers in our party. Read Less

We enjoyed our cruise on the beautiful Norwegian Breakaway immensely. We started in Copenhagen the day before and just did a canal cruise, Tivoli Gardens, and walked around. Copenhagen was somewhat crowded and we just looked forward to getting on the ship. The day we embarked the clouds rolled in and it poured. The checkin process was very quick and smooth and we ran to the ship in the rain, but so glad to be on board! Let me say right away the crew and staff were excellent. Everyone tried so hard to keep the almost 4,000 passengers efficiently fed, entertained, in the know, and able to find their way here and there. The question and answer sessions with the ship department heads and captain and the ship port talks were always informative. The department heads even met with our Cruise Critic group one morning on a sea day. I have heard complaints about the food. Don't believe it. The food in all the dining areas we visited was superb. And such attention to detail and service by the wait staff! We had the Drink package and they were constantly asking us what we wanted to drink next. We did not do any specialty dining, because we found the food and entertainment in the Manhattan Room superb. We also ate in Taste and Savor and while the food was just as savory, we liked the atmosphere of the Manhattan Room. We especially enjoyed the night when we shared a table with two other couples and got to know them. Part of the fun of cruising is meeting new people and this ship certainly afforded that. Our favorite ports were Berlin (so much history but only one day there!) and St Petersburg. We also loved Tallin, but it was smaller, very crowded, and mostly was a town for walking, shopping, and eating. Having five ports in a row was tough on the body, but we got up early every day, looking forward to our adventures. Berlin was amazing. We want to go back there and spend time in the museums. We had a private tour with about 25 people and a good tour guide, but there is just SO MUCH to see there (Brandenburg gate, Jewish Holocaust Memorial, Alexanderplatz, the WALL,etc). The architecture is amazing. St Petersburg - WOW - I would like for the ship to add another day in port there. Two days was just not enough. We arranged a private tour for a Cruise Critic group of about 12 people. This worked out so well, as we were able to move quickly, and we were in a small van, not a large Megabus. We saw it all and our tour guide, being from there and young and smart, did an excellent job. BEST EXCURSIONS was the tour group. We were charged $230 per person, half of what the ship was charging and we saw all of the same sites, had two delicious lunches included, a hydrofoil ride included to Peterhof, all museum admissions included. It was a bargain! We were a little disappointed in the Helsinki port, as it was not architecturally or historically as interesting. We did a HOP ON HOP OFF bus, which was not worth the price. We could have just as well taken the metro around town. Stockholm was a joy. We had to ride an hour into town on the HOP ON HOP OFF bus, and then took the HOP ON HOP OFF boat to the Abba Museum, which was so much fun and interactive. We figured the VASA museum was crowded. This was a very good idea! We recorded songs interactively with Abba. FUN...the museum is in a nice area if you want lunch too. But we took the HOP ON HOP OFF bus back to the town by the castle and did the market, ate a reindeer burger, walked around some more, then boarded the HOP ON HOP OFF bus back to the ship. I would love to do another day in Stockholm. SO OUR suggestion is to skip Helsinki, add a Berlin, St Petersburg, and Stockholm (or Norway port), and make this a 12-day cruise! We met so many nice folks on the ship. There were many large groups from all over the world. A couple of groups were pushy and loud, but for the most part, people were courteous. I agree with another Cruise critic entry that the entertainment was not up to the usual standards. The theater was too small. We had heard the ROck the Ages show was raunchy and did not attend. This was NOT the type of crowd for a vulgar show. We loved BURN THE FLOOR. Amazing talent. While the FLYBOYS were talented, their show of 30s and 40s music did not appeal. We really loved the PIANO players and Arvin and Emily in the Atrium are the BEST! We loved the Beatles performer. All in all, good entertainment in the small areas, but the theatre acts were not up to par and we do not want to pay for entertainment like Cirque de Soleil on a ship. Take this cruise. We will return to NCL and the Breakaway as we loved the ship. The experience was very much worth the money. Read Less

Mainly chose the cruise for St. Petersburg but the whole itinerary was amazing. Flew into Copenhagen a day prior and was able to walk around town and see the sites. Boarded the next day and boarding could not have been easier. We purchased the Ultimate Explorer excursion package and added on Best of Estonia and a Night of Russian Ballet. This turned out to be a good idea. Our first port was Warnemunde and a train ride into Berlin. Our guide was Heike and she was very good as were all of our tour guides. We saw the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall and checkpoint Charlie. It was a nice tour but we would have preferred a little more time in some areas such as the Brandenburg Gate and Wilhelm Church than the time we had at checkpoint Charlie which was mostly a cheesy photo opp. Wilhelm church turned out to be a very interesting jewel we found during a shopping stop. We had train problems on the return trip and were delayed almost three hours so we were glad to be on an NCL excursion. Then we had a day at sea. Our next port was Tallinn Estonia and our tour guide was Annie. She did a great job and we had the opportunity to hear her personal experiences during the occupation. We saw Estonia castle and the wall which was built between1200-1500. Lunch was included with their dark bread and the best piece of chicken I have had in my life. I’m not sure how they did this for a large crowd of almost 400 people. Here though, I would have preferred more time seeing the wall and its history. Next was St. Petersburg. Our tour guide here for two days was Julie and she was great. It’s hard to come up with words to describe what we saw. From the Church of Spilled Blood, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Hermitage, Catherine’s Palace, Swan Lake at the ballet, to the Winter Palace, it is wonderfully overwhelming. We saw Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son, the Peacock Clock, Michaelangelo’s sculpture, and the Jasper Stone. All of these items were removed during WWII to protect them except the Jasper Stone which was too big so the whole room was sandbagged. The palaces with all of the gold was absolutely amazing and has to be seen to believe. Everything we saw was amazing and linking it to the history was fascinating. This description is a minute part of what we saw. AMAZING!!!!!! Then we were off to Helsinki. Our guide was Matti and she did a great job. The outdoor theater where they get more than a thousand people to sing was beautiful and would have been nice to hear. We saw the city building where Trump and Putin met and Porvoo. After seeing all of this we wondered what Stockholm could have to offer. Turns out it was able to hold its own. Unfortunately, we had to dock at Nynashamn. This was disappointing because it would have been amazing to sail through the archipelago. Our guide was Eleonora and once again she did a great job. We had time at the Vasa museum to see the Vasa which sank on its maiden voyage and was fully recovered. We then had the opportunity to explore other parts of Stockholm and it’s an amazing city. We saw the reception hall in city hall with the 19 mm tiles in the gold room and the changing of the guard. On the way back to the boat we stopped high on the hill to get an overview of the city. Once again, not enough time and not enough words to describe all we saw. Another day at sea and then one last day in Copenhagen. We opted for the hop on hop off bus and it was a great idea except for the rain. Had to run down to see the little mermaid and then decided to grab a bite out of the rain. We ate at Jensens Boefhus and had a wonderful meal and service. We had wonderful weather the whole week until this final day but it was topped off with a double rainbow so I’ll keep complaints to a minimum. The next day we were off to the airport to head home. Oops. American Airlines changed our flight to one two hours earlier and only notified us via email which we did not see on the cruise. It was changed to a flight two hours earlier so we missed it. There is also no AA assistance there so we were scrambling to find and make a flight. Fortunately a lady from Aviator, Malene Botner, contacted AA and was able to get us a flight. It was going to get us in at midnight instead of 10 pm but no big deal. then when we landed in JFK, We received notification, the proper way in a text, that our Chicago to Pittsburgh flight was canceled and they had us booked home the next day. Fortunately there were some people there with some sense and we were able to rebook through Charlotte and get home that night. American has some serious manageman and systems problems. Overall, an amazing vacation. So I rated the entertainment as poor for a couple reasons. One, this is a mega ship. Every night the theater was packed because it was TOO SMALL. There were no balconies and to me seemed poorly planned which is disappointing because NCL has been in the business long enough to figure out flow problems. To me this was a design error. I’m not sure the capacity but I’m guessing 1000-1200 seats on a ship with 5000 passengers. BAD. Plus with the exception of the violinist and Burn the Floor, the entertainment quality was not there. It also seems they are trying to shock people with the entertainment we have seen on our last two cruises. Lots of f bombs without meaning. I’m not a prude but I found the crew spitting water fountains on a previous cruise to be much more entertaining than Rock of Ages or Priscilla. Also, the buffet ran out of coffee cups at breakfast and then started putting out paper cups. How does this happen? Not just one day either. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the sailing dates and ports and had an amazing family holiday. This is a great way to see the many different destinations in the Baltic and we really enjoyed our time in every port. Except Stockholm, which was a 50-minute drive, the ports were close to the city so we were able to maximize our time in every place. We explored some destinations on our own (Tallinn, Warnemunde and Stockholm) and booked excursions for the others. We liked the Hop On Hop Of buses as an easy and convenient way to explore the cities without having to commit to guided tours. We didn't go to Berlin as we visited before and didn't really want to do the long journey into Berlin from Warnemunde on the first cruise day. I think a longer port stay is needed to see Berlin properly. (you can also board the ship here so that's an option on this cruise). Our cabin was spacious, modern and clean and our room attendant was super efficient and friendly. He made our daughter's bed every evening and changed it back into a living room sofa during the day which was great and very thoughtful. Really comfortable beds, big shower and good storage space for our family of three. We enjoyed breakfast and pre-dinner drinks in the Haven Lounge on most days, ate at the three main dining rooms, O'Sheehan's and Garden Cafe and all our meals were great. We had a specialty dining package which we used for the Le Bistro, the Cirque show dinner and La Cucina, which was our least favorite. We also tried the Noodle Bar which was ok. Not sure I would book the specialty dining package again as there were a lot of options available as part of the complimentary dining program. We really liked Rock of Ages and the Cirque dinner show, Burn the Floor was nice but not our favorite. Embarkation/disembarkation was super fast and convenient at every port and service overall was excellent throughout our stay. We did the Back of House tour on the last sea day and really enjoyed that too. Our daughter liked the Kids Club, rope park and mini golf and she had a great time in the Aqua Park as well. We used the gym on most days, which was very spacious with modern equipment. I had a massage in the Spa which was lovely, but didn't like the fact that the therapist tried to sell me all sorts of products after the treatment. We took the unlimited wifi package and that worked well throughout our stay. You can only connect one device at the time, but switching between them was pretty easy and straightforward. I can highly recommend this cruise for families with children, the ship caters well to all age groups and there is plenty to do for kids of most ages. Read Less