The ship is medium-sized and big enough to have variety, yet small enough to be intimate. As the cruise was port-intensive, being able to easily get off the ship was a real positive. The walk from the ship to the shuttle or excursion buses was short. The entertainment was varied and enjoyable. We had good companions and good food in the main dinning room: what more could you ask for? The Captain was personable and livened-up his announcements with a good dose of humor. We had a female cruise director, something long overdue.

The weather in early September was cool and sunny, with each day beginning with clouds. It was perfect long pants and windbreaker weather. Good weather for comfortable touring. We lucked out: no rain.

We liked all the ports, except for St. Pete. The anachronistic Russian visa requirement effectively forces you to go on a tour, when in reality most cruisers are competent enough to (absent visa restrictions) actually see all the major sights in St. Pete on their own. Many of the major tourist sites are within a several block area. There is no need for old Soviet Union type travel restrictions. Likely, a lot more money would be spent in stores and cafes if we all had the same kind of freedom experienced in all of the other Baltic ports. Read more