First time cruising outside of the Caribbean and first time on NCL. This is NOT a one and done but a forever go-to cruise line. Exceptional food, service, cleanliness of the ship, professional staff and there is always something to do. The suites were perfect size with modern features and lighting along with the balcony being the perfect size for coffee in the morning. The food was exceptional at EVERY place we went with La Bistro being a 6 star restaurant. The shows were truly off-Broadway with the acting and variety. The excursions were very well organized, understandable in what to do and courteous staff to answer any questions one may have before embarking for the day. For night life - Bliss is a fun place to meet up with new friends and end the evening with a twist either on the dance floor or in your drink,. If you haven't cruised NCL, then you truly haven't cruised yet! Read Less

Looking forward to Amsterdam and Iceland. Booked >400 days before the sail date. We had 4 fabulous days in London before sailing. We planned private excursions at every port at great expense. Embarkation went smoothly since I'm a gold latitudes member. The ship had only 2018 passengers and was in need of upgrading. The cabin was small. Meals at the paid restaurants were excellent. Other than breakfasts, other meals we're not so good, except at the blue lagoon. The meat was consistently tough. Entertainment was great, especially acoustic soul brothers. Cabin service was excellent and room service was on time and hot. The servers were attentive and pleasant. The original itinerary already had 3 stops in Norway which would have been plenty. When 2 more stops in Norway were added, it got quite redundant. Missing Amsterdam, then Le Havre, then the two stops in Iceland, then Scotland before finally docking g at Belfast was extremely disappointing. It was also very costly since we had prepaid for private excursions at each of these stops. As changes were being made to our itinerary, we managed to book excursions at the new ports only to have them also canceled. There was a very disruptive group of unhappy passengers that intimidated the rest of the passengers and crew. My travel companions and I avoided the atrium, the gathering place for the protesters, as much as possible. Overall, my friends and I made the most of a troubling situation but are not satisfied with the offer of 25% toward a future cruise. We've had financial losses that we can't recover and a cruise that didn't even remotely resemble the planned trip. Although I appreciate the captain’s efforts to keep the passengers and crew safe, I feel that more should be done to make up for the extreme changes to the long-awaited cruise. Read Less

Choose the Pacific Princess as we enjoy the small ship atmosphere. Arrived 2 days earlier and stayed at the new Holiday Inn, Terminal 4. Took Princess shuttle to Dover cruise port. Small ship plus is that you really get to know your fellow passengers, disadvantage would be that you do not have the movies under the stars. Balcony rooms are larger then the stand balcony. Highlight of the cruise was the 2 days in St. Petersburg. We did an excursion with ALLA TOURS and would highly recommend them to anyone. Did the St Petersburg 2 Day Grand Tour. Had early admission to most points of interest, 2 lunches, ours was a group of 10, and they take care of your tourist visa requirement. Another plus was the Kiel Canal - another plus for being on the small ship. Captain and staff were all very friendly. Disembarkation was very organized and just took the shuttle to the airport and we had early flight. Read Less

Every detail about the Homelands Cruise was planned and carried out to an excellent standard. The use of Viking Air made getting from my home city to the city of embarkation very easy. I was met at the airport and taken by transport directly to the ship on time for the first day of the cruise. Embarkation ran smoothly and efficiently. Departing the ship at the end of the cruise also ran smoothly and the transport to the airport was pre-arranged and on time. The stateroom was spacious and well maintained by efficient and friendly stewards. The restaurants and buffet served excellent meals with top notch service. The tours were well organized and there was minimal waiting or lining up to board transports or to enter/exit the ship. The tour leaders were knowledgeable, friendly, entertaining and helpful. The ship itself was spotless and inviting in all areas. The entertainment was excellent and the main theatre was very comfortable. I found the service in all areas of the ship to be excellent. Staff were willing to help and answer any questions. I highly recommend the Homelands Cruise on the Viking Jupiter ship to anyone who wants to see the Baltic Sea area of the world. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. We had never been to Iceland and we thought this would give us an idea of what to see there. The embarkation process was horrible. Long lines and only two windows open when we arrived. We had to drag our luggage with us through the whole line. We were assigned the wrong dining time. It took us three days and a lot of haggling to get it changed. The head maitre d “ Anton” was not helpful or caring. Every employee on the ship seemed as though they had never cruised before. No one knew what they were doing and could not make a decision by themselves. We were offered a “welcome” cocktail party one evening. The waiters were very efficient bringing out dozens of trays of cocktails for the guests. However, not one officer from the ship showed up to “welcome” us on board. When we bought our cruise we were offered an incentive of 12 drink coupons per person. When we arrived on the ship there were no coupons. We asked at reception and were told that the offer had expired so we would not get the coupons. I sent an email to my travel agent. The next day we received a message in our cabin to come to reception. Our coupons were waiting for us. Usually on other cruise lines I have a case of water sent to our cabin. MSC did not offer only water. You have to buy a drink package that includes water. Our interior cabin was adequate. It did have two closets which was nice. No one had tissues in their cabin. We were told it was an environmental reason but if we really wanted them we could call the front desk to request them which we did. If it was environmental there were a lot of other things they do they could change. The food in every venue was horrible. The buffet was so crowded at all times. The food was comparable to a low end restaurant. The dining room was the same with food that could have been prepackaged frozen items. Mushy shrimp cocktails, fishy fish and white rice with everything. Our server Widiana was excellent and the head waiters Mircea Bercaru and Jamal also went out of their way to make our dining the best they could with what they had to work with. We bought a specialty dining package they offered online. When we got on the ship we had so many conflicts with shows we wanted to cancel it. We were told anything we bought online was not eligible to be cancelled. We juggled our schedules in order to fit it in. We were very disappointed in all the specialty restaurants. All the food was no better than the dining rooms. Also, you expect a more upscale dining room. This was not the case. The rooms were just an area stuck in the side of the ship painted a different color. The shows were typical MSC. There was a lot of opera and classical music. The production shows were mediocre. The premise for some of the shows was something you would make for grade school. One of our seatings was cancelled in the middle of the show because the curtain got stuck and the could not open it. However, the dancers were exceptional. They all deserve a better place to work. The Cirque de Soleil show “Sonor” was cancelled for the whole cruise. We did not find out until we arrived for the show after having skipped our dinner because of the time conflict. The other Cirque show “ Viaggio” started on time only to stop three times due to “ technical difficulties “. All the shows such as the ventriloquist had to be translated into five or six different languages which was very annoying. The showroom was beautiful but the stairs had lighting that was very bright and blinding. We saw three people fall at different times. The grand staircase in the atrium was the same but accented with crystals which was supposed to be beautiful but was only blinding. Our room steward Dixon did an excellent job. Most ship employees were good. A lot were unfriendly. The captain interrupted our day every day an noon to tell us the weather and the ships position. Then his announcement had to be translated into six languages again. They did not make any other announcements on the PA system leading to the passengers not having any knowledge about what was going on. The ports were very nice. We only took one excursion with the ship. It ran smoothly. We were told by other passengers that the excursions in Iceland left so late they were touring in the dark and visited the stops in the dark. They went to see the geysers in the dark. The restrooms on the ship were all outfitted with new fixtures that were supposed to be automatic but never worked. You could never get any soap and the water was always running all over the floor. Every charge on the ship was in Euros. Even if you registered your credit card online before you left as you do with every other cruise lines, you had to go to a kiosk on the ship to authorize a minimum $250 (275 euros) before you could buy anything on the ship. One thing we learned that was very upsetting was that even though all their charges were in Euros they pay their employees in American dollars. They lose a lot in the exchange rate. The Meraviglia was the largest cruise ship to ever dock in New York. We were to spend two nights on the ship in New York. We were advised to leave the ship on our full day there and not return for at least 6 hours. This was because customs would be coming on the ship and they were not sure when they would finish. We did this only to return to the ship full of outside people touring the ship. We and many other people on the ship that we spoke with have decided this is the last chance for MSC. We will never travel on one of their ships again. Read Less

First off, we were told we had a free upgrade. I tried to contact the travel agent to no avail. When we got onto the ship, I asked about the upgrade and had a sign literally pushed into my face which said there are no free cabins. We were told to board the ship at 5.15 pm. We discovered that the ship had been parked at Southampton all day and most people just got on when they felt like it. Like wise disembarkation, we were told 10.15 am. We left at about 10am and discovered that most people had already left. Dining:- The quality of the food was poor, lukewarm at best and it was impossible to get a hot drink. The buffet area was horrendous, doesn't do to be a shy retiring Brit. Survival of the fittest (loud Europeans). Excursions:- Extortionate. Bruges transfer approx. 55 Euros. Lovely lady gave us information (including safety) on the coach into Bruges. Very pretty town. Rotterdam:- Transfer to Amsterdam about 55 Euros. Horrendous. The ship was parked up all night (until 6am next day) and yet we had to be back on the ship by about 4pm. It took 1.5hours to get into Amsterdam and nearly 2 coming back, and so we had about 2.5 hours in Amsterdam, time to do next to nothing. There was a commentary going on all the way to Amsterdam, in German. We asked the German guide where we were when we arrived, he drew a circle on our map, we asked him which direction we should go in and he pointed to a street, which was a very seedy back street selling undesirable items in the shops. Best value was taking a trip round Amsterdam on one of those bikes that holds two passengers. People who had been to Amsterdam before said Rotterdam is much nicer. We complained at Excursion reception and we were told by a very rude lady that there was no guide on the bus. True but there was no safety instructions either on or off the bus. Don't bother complaining about anything, you are wasting your time. Hamburg:- We took the shuttle which was about 15 Euros. Unfortunately it was Sunday so all shops closed. We took a HOHO bus which was good value. Once again we had to be back on the ship way before it left. Le Havre: we just stayed in Le Havre because most of the trips were expensive. E.g. Paris 119.99 Euros. 11 hours but takes a good few hours to get there. Le Havre is a dump. Entertainment:- Most shows were very samey and only lasted for about 30 minutes. Cabin: We had an indoor cabin which we will never do again. Cabin staff were very good though. The ship itself was fantastic, but trying to partake in any activities was difficult due to overcrowding. We will not travel with MSC again and cannot recommend it. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we love cruising. We find this way of travelling very relaxing and at the same time interesting. You can visit many cities and have a general idea of all the places the ship stop. The ship has all you need to have a fantastic vacation time. We never have to wait for a table to eat. The restaurants, all of them are amazing. The chef Ivan, from Chile took really good care of us. He showed as the kitchen and we were surprised how everything was being prepare for each meal in all of the restaurants. The cabin was very comfortable, as well as the bed and pillows, but the best part in the cabin was the bathroom. Really big for a ship bath with warm floor. They have service twice a day to keep the cabin always tidy and clean. We love the entertainment, the 4 young vocalists were exceptional, same as the pianists and the 2 girls who played stringed instruments. We only were sad because the ship couldn't stop in Poland port due to weather conditions.The excursions were very interesting same as the guides, specially Helen in Saint Petersburg. We did some included excursions and some prepaid ones. We already booked a future trip to Egypt in a Viking river for 2021. We recommend the pre and post cruise extensions, both great options, we enjoyed them a lot. We value very much; the quality of service Viking has. Although we did many other cruises with other companies, this last one was overall the best ever. Thanks Viking crew and everyone on the ship for a great experience and a phenomenal vacation. Read Less

Never been on a cruise before (myself and wife) and I would NOT enjoy any type of formal dressing up; so, chose this for a beginner. The embark and disembark went well and if you are fearful of sea sickness...the ship is too big to be rocked by a few waves. The GOOD - Large ship with a few entertainment options. Initially I thought it was massive, quickly realized that it was just right. - Cabin was comfy (balcony), the room was made up every day (twice) and all was good. - Food was acceptable, although the chefs from the various restaurants (even the a La Carte) has a VERY similar menu with minor variations. The BAD - Shore Excursions. Book your excursions with OTHER companies as the Prices NCL charge are equal to Robbery! However, be warned, if for whatever reason the ship does not make it to any port (due to weather etc...) you have lost your money. The UGLY 1. The information disseminated was poor; as the ship did not make it to Gothenburg; instead made it back to initial port (Copenhagen). NCL put on free transport to the city centre HOWEVER announced NOTHING. 2. As I was not pleased, I went to Customer Services (CS) queued for 20 min and asked for a gesture of good will from the ship (like additional credit etc..) the response someone will be in touch... I am still waiting... 3. I had credit due so I went to Customer Services (queued for 20 min) and asked if it was possible to get the dollars due put back into the account; the response certainly sir. So, I went away. The next day message on the cabin phone to report to Customer Services; again (queued for 20 min) went to CS discussed the refund and was given the same response that it will be paid to my account. The following day cruise over went to leave got pulled to the side and was given a wad of cash... I explained to no avail... Final Assessment To me it appears that when staff do not have an answer to either a complaint or an issue the resort to saying that someone will be in touch... do notice that when they resort to this they immediately avoid eye contact... I am not alone in this assessment; I believe that NCL staff are trained to deal with things in this way as you have no way of getting anywhere. I noticed this more than once with others on the cruise as well. I won't say that I will NEVER cruise with NCL again however be VERY wary as they have your money and they REALLY DO NOT CARE!!!! Read Less

It was a family reunion. Nine of us sailed with N.S. on my strong recommendation. I had good experience with Massdam years back. This time nine of us were so disappointed. And I was the only one to be blamed to take this ship. I was not happy for the entire cruise holiday and now. My brother-in-law said he would not come back to this ship even it is free. 1) Lido Buffet - there was ALWAYS long line-up for food as most of the time there was only ONE server. Those servers only put a little food on the plate and thus made guests to line up again for food. We ate the same type of food for 15 days - just BORING. I remember vividly that one time I sailed with another cruise line on Asia route, the day I was in Thailand I had Thai food, while I was in Vietnam I had Vietnamese food. 2) Entertainment - very weak casts and artist/s usually repeated in two nights in such a tiny stage of the WORLD THEATRE. 3) Cruise Director - I have been cruising for 13 times. Justin had an easy job. He showed up at the WORLD THEATRE only on the 3rd night of the cruise. Through the 14-night cruise Justin only showed up for about 7 times. At one time he was watching the show with his friends and enjoying drinks. When the show was over Justin just left without going to the stage to greet the audience/guests informing what activities for the night, and for next day. I seldom saw him nor heard his announcements about activities on board. Guess he was paid very little, so he did just that little. 4) Sea Days - it was particular boring on sea days. I did not notice any activities on the pool side but only those seniors taking sun bathing. It was dead quiet. There were NO talks about history of the next ports. Read Less

We chose biking Ocean cruise because we traveled on 5 other Viking Rivet Cruises. The staff make you feel comfortable from the moment you step on the ship. Availability of restaurants, variation of menus and service were outstanding attributes of the food and beverages. We were able to schedule a cooking class and tour of the food prep area. All was terrific. Access to fitness center was always available. Making connections on all tours and excursions were well planned and staff prepared guests on what to expect and what to bring with us each day. The entertainment provided was excellent and for our age group, heather clancy made our trip exceptional and with the 4 entertainers made the evening presentations a night to remember. Locating our ship and making connections by air was consistently on time and without flaws. Viking did everything we hoped for and more when traveling with them abroad. I highly recommend Viking Ocean cruises and River cruises Read Less

Pick this cruise based on its Baltic itinerary, which was all that was expected.. Plus * Music offerings both in variety and quality was great * Food was good both in dinning and buffet( had very good variety) * Staff was very friendly * Excursion personnel were helpful * Had a wide variety of things to do on the ship from Microsoft training to art and alcohol informational sessions * Was compensated for the negative cabin experiences, but could have been better, i.e. they provided free dinner at premium restaurants, but made use pay for our individual (1 each) pop/drinks Minus * Cabin was underneath pool area and it was miserable, ship crew rearranging chairs and washing area, late night and early mornings * Movie's volume in pool area was so loud, could hear it in my cabin one floor down * To get answers from service desk staff had to ask 2 or 3 different persons to get an accurate answer * Pop/soda cards was for bar pop only, can of pop cost more and charged to room * Had frustrating experience playing Texas Holdem in Casino..in short was winning!, then dealer got full house, I got four of a kind, winner again..dealer called pit-boss over, they both looked at each other for a several seconds .. pit-boss said count the cards..then he said replace the deck... All of this was to affect the flow of the game and re-establish the casino's odds of winning..bad gaming sportsmanship... Again protecting the ship's profits.. I walked away.. General Observations * Ship is new and understated, wonder what it will look like/hold up in the future * Ship was overall the nosiest ship I have been on * It felt like the ship and personnel where there/measured to make a profit Read Less

We flew to Hamburg to join this cruise and were very impressed with the price. Boarding in Hamburg took forever.. we queued for at least 2 hours and we arrived early. The ship itself is beautiful and balcony cabin was lovely. There's plenty of bars and we always found someone to sit. Food was disappointing in the main restaurant. We had no rapport with our waiter who wasn't really interested..meal sizes were tiny and not very uniform. Greek salad had 1 tiny piece of feta. Tables are also shared which is difficult if you don't all speak the same language. Buffet food was good if you could find a table to eat at. Staff generally were very lacklustre and didn't seem particularly happy. Entertainment was poor with not great singers or any sort of direction. I probably would do MSC again as their prices are good but maybe set my expectations a bit lower. Read Less

We chose this cruise as we had never been to Russia. The ship was amazing. So much entertainment in so many parts of the ship. Definitely the best entertainment that we have had in all our cruises. The cruise staff weren’t great but their cruise director, Francisco was outstanding. The food on board was excellent, better than we expected. The ports that we visited were worth seeing. Although the ship is geared to families with children with all the Amenities that they have for them it didn’t impede on the wonderful nine days that we had on the Getaway. We went to the Cirque night. Well worth it. The dualling piano show was very good as were all the shows. We really liked Sids Bar and it’s outside bar. Never seen bars and restaurants on the port and starboard sides of a ship before. Fantastic idea. Well done Norwegian Getaway. 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 did the 15 day Baltic cruise from Stockholm to Southampton. The itinerary was great and the shore excursions excellent. We choose not to take the long bus/train rides into Berlin, Paris or Brussels but instead enjoyed exploring the smaller cities near the ports. The Norwegian Spirit is in need of refurbishing but we didn't spend much time on it. The food was mediocre but adequate. Unfortunately the dining availability did not match the excursions and sail away times. We came back late from excursions twice to find only a very small cafe open to get any food at all. Another issue was that the ship docked in many industrial port areas away from the nearest cities. There were cruise ships docked much closer to the ports but it seemed that we always were docked much farther away requiring shuttles and such. It also seemed that some of the entertainment was repeated or at least the blurbs about the shows were identical. We enjoyed one group and were looking forward to seeing them again but it was the same show. Read Less

First, our impression of the ship. The ship is not the newest or largest so usually it did not have priority to tie up a the closest piers and we almost always had to take a shuttle.The entire ship is decorated in a Chinese style. Even Cagney's steakhouse looks more like a Chinese restaurant than the Sushi Bar. La Trattoria is a section of the Raffles Buffet that is closed off in the evening and not very cozy. It appears as though Norwegian tried to adopt the ship to their style and include their restaurants. The Bier Garten consists of some picnic tables by the pool. The Blue Lagoon and Shanghai Bar are only some wide spaces on a main fore and aft passage. The Pub is nice, but small and crowded. Le Bistro is pleasant and Raffles works well. Rooms were up to par and very clean. The staff was very professional, helpful and friendly The fitness room was well equipped, clean, and quite empty. Dining at le Bistro, Cagney's Steakhouse and Teppanyaki was outstanding. The food was always delicious, properly prepared and served. I can't say enough good things about them. The Main Dining Rooms, not so much. They were very spotty. A good meal was a pleasant surprise. Examples were waiting over half an hour for an cold appetizer, fish being served lukewarm or dried out, a salad with cheese that had no cheese in it, a picatta dish with mystery white sauce on it with no capers or lemon seasoning, bananas foster with raw bananas. You get the idea. Although we were in port every day, the ship was out of things that were on the menu (fresh eggs, sorbet, baked potatoes) and not always for only one day. Salt and pepper shakers were missing from sections of Raffles Court. Small things, but that what you pay for and not up to Norwegian standards. Would I take this cruise again? Yes. Our reason for making this cruise was for the ports of call and they were terrific, but as expected, not long enough. Hope this helps you. Read Less

My wife and I have cruised many times in the past. we usually cruise with some friends who decided that we all should cruise the Baltic for our annual cruise in 2019. They chose Viking Ocean cruises, due in no small part to the excellent reputation of which they had read and the fact that what could be better than to take a Scandinavian ship to cruise the Baltic. At the outset, we were shocked to find that the entire cruise needed to be paid at least one year before the cruise. That has never been our experience in sailing with multiple lines and future patrons need to be aware of this requirement. The ship is beautiful.The public rooms are wonderful especially the Explorer Lounge. Our cabin was quite roomy and the bathrooms excellent. special kudos for a lovely shower without having to step over a tub.I found the heated floors in the bathroom to be a nice touch. The spa area is spectacular and if going to a spa with virtually everything-hot tub, small therapy pool, sauna and ice room is your thing, this is your ship The company touts its multiple channels of communication available to those who are scheduled, but that is primarily limited to receiving one way announcements from them, done well, but not to any dialogue or getting personal support for questions which arise and may not be answered in their stock announcements.Poor communication seems to be common on these cruises. For example,special meals opportunities, lobster tail and steak, special buffets, at the grill were never announced well and one learned to look for these each day by dropping by the grill itself or asking of the crew in a restaurant or bar. The ships plan is good but when the special meals take place in the grill area there is inadequate seating for the number of cruisers wishing to partake in the meal. The seating in the cinema is wholly inadequate for the number of passengers. Quite a few performances occurred with many passengers standing in the back to observe the show. The back two side areas were totally inadequate both for seeing the show and hearing it.The need to get to the venue 30 minutes before shows began was difficult for those of us who tended to to eat dinner at about 7 to 7:30. I was quite disappointed to discover that we did not receive services comparable to what we had received ion either Oceania or Azamara in spite of the fact that the per night per person cost to sail with Viking was considerably more than either of the other two. My concern with the cabin service is that when I wished ice, I had to go to housekeeping, when I wished lime I had to go to room service and when I wished to change my complimentary liquor and the amount of tonic I needed to speak to the drink steward.This in my view is rather poor considering the price of the cruise and the plaudits from other cruisers. Viking offers one free shore excursion at each port.The walking tours we took, 4, were excellent, but those in a bus were not worth the time spent at all. I was quite disappointed in the meals in the Restaurant ,in the Chef's special restaurant both times and at Manfredi both times. To be fair, one night the prime rib served at the restaurant was amongst the best I have ever had. The waffle at the Explorer Lounge was exceptional. On at least 4 occasions the cookies offered with the buffet were stale. the wines with meals were acceptable if unremarkable. One could upgrade wine selection and liquor for an extra daily per person charge. The speakers/lectures seemed excellent, for those we could make, but we missed the largest number as they were scheduled during dinner hour or just prior to dinner hour. Getting on, on the day of sailing from Bergen, and off the ship in Stockholm, with our luggage, were superbly handled even though we left the ship at 6 am to make our plane. Read Less

Our second time on Celebrity and certainly our best cruise so far with the company.. Two weeks of bliss although the weather could have been better - wet Ireland! Choose an Aqua cabin and meals in the Blu Restaurant. The cabin was well equipped and just slightly smaller than what we're used to but the Blu restaurant shone. Delicious meals, both healthy and flavoursome. The service was top notch and the shows amazing.We never met a staff member so wasn't happy or willing to help, when needed. We used the spa and a treat for us too. Went after the excursions and great to relax before dinner. Had a drinks package which meant no working out the bill at the end of the cruise. The ice bar was amazing. All in all a great cruise. If you can afford it, try the Aqua experience for better dining memories and fantastic service. Read Less

We arived one day before embarkation to Copenhagen after a week in other parts of Europa so we mostly just explored the nyhavn area which is very pretty. Embarkation itself was super smooth we maybe took 15 min to board, rooms where ready at 1:30p and our luggage arrived at night as expected. The ship is beautiful, we could definitely tell it was recently renovated no complains on cleaniless and the public areas are spacious. We stayed in a family room for 4 for the first time and at first we where confused as the sofa bed was clearly only meant for 1 person. Only by asking around did we realize there was a ceiling bed that could be opened. We were very happy to hear this but I think they should include some sign or paper with this information in the room already because we grew upset at the beginning. The room is tight but there was enough storage for our family of four. We mostly at at the buffet and food was varied and good to great flavors, we could always find a table in the first few minutes we came. Other than that we dined twice at savor/taste and food is very good but it is missing a bit of presentation and flavor to be great. We also had lunch once in o sheenans but were disappointed with the mini portions and the service. We actually left before he could bring us all our orders or ask for dessert with how slow service is despite not being booked. The only specialty restaurant was Moderno and definitely recommend the quality of the meat os fantastic. The entertainment crew always had something to do its a shame the don't always have enough space or material for everyone interested to participate. The atrium simply does not have enough seating and the need to bring more paper for everyone to play. We had a great time in family dictionary for example but the only had paper for 7 teams it doesn’t make sense.This ship also has so many activities such as the arcade, bowling, mini golf the rope course and we enjoyed a bit of all it had to offer. Service overall is very good besides O Shennans we had no complaints. It may not be as personal than other cruises but everyone is kind and gets the job done. Though the cruise supposedly had 4600 guest (that not the capacity they advertise) we never felt it was so full we couldn't enjoy you just have to organize yourself to be at the activities before the begin and the shore excursions where fun. Btw the Cirque show is amazing you shouldnt miss it! Read Less

We went on this cruise for a family trip to get to know the Baltics. The ship has a lot of things to do, but if is going to cruise the baltic sea it should have an indoor pool and more indoor activities, the weather was good only the first two days, the rest, all the outside was impossible to use The baltics are beautiful countries, but the amount of time you stay there is very low and my perception is the only reason is because Norwegian wants you to consume inside the ship vs in the city. One example was when we were in Tallinn, we had to be on the ship by 15:30, in front of us there was another ship from TUI, they were asked to be there at 23:00, the next morning when we arrived to Helsinki, the TUI ship was already in front of us, so the reason is not only to be able to travel. Another complain is that Norwegian apparently lost a lot of what a cruise is, no welcoming reception, no animal towels every night, etc. They are going to far with this free-style experience. The food was awful in almost all the restaurant, no typical food, no variety. The only one where we had a good dinner was Cagney the Steakhouse. The Seafood restaurant was fully booked since the first day, meaning that it should be bigger to allow all passengers to try it. Entertainment was nice, particularly the Cirque of Steam and Dreams. The arcade areas were also nice for the kids, but I didn't want them to spend that much time inside. The service was average, some people were very nice, some were not. Generally a disappointment from the ship and crew perspective Read Less

Exceptionnal logistics to embark, disembark and access to excursions on shore. Very efficient, well oragnised, easy to deal with. Roomy cabins with balconies for almost everyone. Very usefull medaillon (RF ID). The cabin door unlocks automatically as you approach it. You can buy anything on board and even on shore (to access hop-on hop-off bus tours starting at the dock), without further identification. The boat personnel equipment allows them to confirm your ID with a picture on their tablet. Exceptionnal food variety and quality at the buffet (Bistro Horizon). Conversely, dissapointing food preparation, cooking skills, and wine serving service at standard (Symphony, Harmony, Concerto) and specialty (Crown Grill, Sabatini's) restaurants. The best bet, after the buffet is to eat at small bistros (Crab Schack, Alfredo's, International Café and the like), which are all very good with food quality and service. Efficient room service, albeit very present in the corridors. High quality shows production with a good spectrum of styles to please everyone. But humour is difficult with such varied cultural background in the audience, especially when guests ar asked to participate on stage. Both the comedian and the ventriloquist generated some uncomfortable moments. 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

Booked this cruise to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. The Baltic was chosen and Royal Caribbean as we were in Tallin on the day, a fab place we have visited before. The cruise to the Baltic was pleasant with reasonable weather, no rain!!!. However sun tans would have been missing unless you were an addict who went to the sunbeds when the sun was out. All ports were easy to access with the exception of St Petersburg, where you either had to have a Visa or be on an organised approved trip. We only did did ship trip in St Petersburg as we were able to get ashore with local transport very easily. If you use the ship shuttles they will cost at least double. A mixture of nationalities, British, Canadian Australians and some Europeans and Russian noted. As usual with a cruise during school holidays feral children were around in abundance, I think that some parents thought they could not get into mischief and left them to their own devices!!. Dining, well we had My Time Dining in the Sapphire, tables crammed in, and waiters have to manage more tables. We were very lucky, I had pre booked a time and we ate with the same waiters, location every night so did not have any concerns and did not wait long. Although I know that some other areas did complain etc. Food generally good but lack of niceties, no flowers on the tables, after dinner coffee served in large pot mugs not the thing for a delicate tea. Main bug bare was the lack of enforcement for dress code. On the 3 formal nights noticed many people in shorts and tee shirts allowed in for the evening dining. If they want to dress down then either go to the buffet or order cabin service!!!, the dress code was not enforced at all and as this is the only time that we can dress up and feel even if we are not a 1000 dollars. Entertainment was varied, in the bars very loud and always the same. Shows were lackluster as the group had only recently joined the ship, magician, hypnotist, several solo singers and several comedians. The in house band were always loud and with the solo singers blocked them out. Dizzies bar on the 14th floor very good until the disco arrived at 10pm and forced the over 50's to leave, offered headphones!!.Enjoyed Perry Granr very much but you have ti like his srt of entertainment. We had membership of the Diamond Lounge the savior in our opinion. The only place on sea days to find somewhere quiet to read, staff excellent and views wonderful. This place made the holiday enjoyable. One thing we noted seemed lack of organisation. Went down to see the ice show but had my ship card reviewed at the door to be told I was the next sea day Apparently the shows were viewed by the muster station we we were allotted to. I even know people who went and stood by the muster station expecting to be led in. Once I knew the method I looked at the ship paper each following sea day but our muster station details did not appear. On the last sea day I queried with reception to be told my viewing was the 1st sea day at 3pm. I very politely told them that they had not informed passengers of the method and had missed out and I was not happy. No apologies were forthcoming. at all. Disembarkation was a breeze as Diamond member we were no 3 off the shop at 0620am. Breakfast for us consisted of a cookie that I brought down to the cabin from the afternoon before and a coffee made in the cabin. The restaurant opened at 0530am, however, there was not time to get to breakfast, back to the cabin to pick up carry on and be down in the area for departure which was listed at 0610am for a 0620 departure. I would add that my husband and I only had 2 meals a day, we do not ever go on a cruise with the intention of loading a plate every 2 hours. Sitting with a couple who had a 9 hour journey to Scotland also departing at 0620 they had joined a line of 200 people at 0515 waiting for the restaurant to open. They did not get a proper breakfast at all. All in all we did enjoy the cruise, however we have traveled on a varied selection of cruise lines and prior to this cruise only 1 Royal Caribbean, based on this trip we would not travel with them again. For the evening of our 50th we did get a small cake with a candle to be asked how many years?. On returning home our travel agent asked did we have a good celebration as she had informed them it was our 50th wedding anniversary. As noted before a cheap bottle of wine would have been nice but I fear the accountants have a great say in what happens on board. As comparing with Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Regent to name a few we have traveled with they are a budget line. Read Less

We chose this cruise as it was sailing to a number of tick box locations. The embarkation process was amongst the easiest of all, after 8 previous cruises, we are big fans of cruise embarkation, this was excellent. We made our way to our cabin 7204 - Ocean view, very clean and as we took our own phone chargers it didn’t matter that the only part of the cabin that didn’t work was the hub socket. We have now had cabins at the stern previously and chose a front facing cabin. Our first two week cruise, we took clothes to fit this, however we believe the wardrobe wasn’t big enough, perhaps during the next refit this could be addressed without losing too much. After checking out and being pleased with our cabin, as is our normal practice we look at the restaurant and where we were to spend our evening meal. We had informed Royal Caribbean of our request for early dining and a table for two. As far as we were concerned this was agreed however on reaching our table we were to be sat at a table for eight. Speaking to the chap with the laptop, we were told, “we decide table seating, not Royal Caribbean “, as we were an early sitting, he advised us to eat at 2000, when a two seat table would have been arranged. At 2000, we returned to the restaurant and were dealt with by embarrassed staff, who could not do enough for us. We ended our meal with the promise that our table for the next meal was a two seater table at 1800. This was confirmed with a note posted to our cabin. The following night we went to our nominated table at our nominated time and unfortunately another couple were sat having ordered their meal. Further embarrassment all around amongst the staff, eventually we had to be in the restaurant at 1745, we could then eat at the same table (for two) for the remainder of the cruise. On our return home I contacted Royal Caribbean to inform them and received the following reply “We have received your correspondence regarding the table issue. We apologize that it did not work out as you said it has in the past. When you request a table for two that is exactly what it is a request its not a guaranty”. (It would be impolite to alter the spelling) the evenings entertainment on day one was a make shift performance to introduce everyone to the guests, day two the entertainment on the first sea day was a Beatles tribute band, excellent they were to, standing ovation The entertainment was a series of guest artists appearing nightly, including Mick Miller, who was quite funny in the 70’s, 40 years later, not so! Visiting male singer, female singer, a juggler, a hypnotist, a magician all of whom were simple fare passing the time until the next days visit. The scenery of a Baltic cruise is exceptional unfortunately 50% is during the night, but it must be said the ports and shore excursions were second to none, however all when booked on the ship were very expensive due in main to the rubbish exchange rate between the dollar and the pound. We needed to book the shore excursion in St Petersburg to enable a visa to be covered for the trip. Otherwise normally we do not book onboard excursions, these were very expensive, what we did though was book the hop on, hop off buses for $18 each. Visiting Oslo, Copenhagen, Tallin, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Skagen, Stavanger, all superb places to visit, though the majority were not suitable for wheelchair users as explained in the ships daily post, still ignored however, particularly on the cobbles of St Petersburg, it was painful to watch the struggles of pushing or being pushed on the treacherous paths. The entertainment team (not singers or dancers) tried very hard to make the cruise enjoyable with lots of quizzes, these were in the main very difficult. They ran the bingo, very expensive at $56 for two pages of four and two dabbers. The session we attended was a very long session for one house which was $500. We think there were four singers in the entertainment team, they were brilliant but only put on four shows in the fortnight we were on our cruise, the team of dancers were equally talented but also only gave the four shows. Further entertainment was provided by the Wild boys, again brilliant and also another comedian who was up to date and funny Speaking to other passengers who had sailed with Royal Caribbean they agreed the ship was the worst they had been on, it was our first Royal Caribbean cruise and yes it will most probably our last. A shame, a very good crew, a very funny Cruise Director but the first weeks food was bland, the second weeks food was better. All in all if this was our first cruise we would not be upset, but after nine cruises, it was no where near the best one. Read Less

My first impressions began with late lunch on embarkation day in Kings Court. Dodging employees with food carts, they didn’t give way for guests - to the point of being dangerous. Good food selections available, although meat over cooked to toughness. First day party impressive poolside and music was excellent as we watched NYC fade away. Our eight-person seating companions at dinner each evening were excellent and we promised to stay in touch. Disappointed in repeated shows in planetarium. Was hoping for something other than dark matter and meteorites. Arson lecture was really good. As was lecture on British history. Live shows excellent in theater but very short. My very favorite restaurant was the Golden Lion. Trivia contests and space sharing brought us in contact with so many fine people for the fun competitions. My biggest concern was uneven flooring that felt like rotting wood under carpets, especially in the casino. With all the alleged grandeur, this seemed dodgy. Would not opt for balcony cabin again. North Atlantic, even in dead summer, is not conducive to enjoying outdoors. We didn’t use it. Food good in Britannia but as I don’t drink much alcohol, waiter acted as if I was less than when I ordered a soft drink with my dinner. Public spaces are beautiful. I might do it again, but looking at nothing but water for seven straight days was trying. I was excited on day six when I saw actually spied a bird as we approached land. All in all, I wasn’t all that impressed after reading all the glorious reviews about this glamorous ocean liner. Read Less