Being a World Club platinum member we knew what to expect in our cruise aboard Queen Victoria.

Embarkation was smooth. Food quality and service in the Britannia dining room were very good, though short of being excellent. However our dinner one night at The Verandah restaurant was truly one of the finest we've had on land or sea! Remarkable! One peeve I had related to the "Coffee Card" , or whatever it is called. You pay about $ 35 and are entitled to ten coffee drinks at the Carinthia Cafe and other venues. The first day I wanted to use the card for a large iced coffee the waitress asked me for an extra $ 1.00 or so, saying the included coffee drinks were regular size only. That to me defeats the purpose of having the cards and not having to have your room card swiped, a receipt signed, etc not to mention it gives one the impression of being nickled and dimed. I tore up the card and forgot about having my coffee drinks for the length of the cruise.

Our shore excursions were very good by and large. St.Petersburg turned out to be a tour de force, however. We had booked a two-day, small group shore excursion and it turned out to be a marathon. We saw as much as can be included in such a tour, it was truly comprehensive. The flies in the ointment were Russian immigration, which took forever to process the hundreds of travelers coming off the ship and getting back on at the end of the day and St. Petersburg traffic. Tour members that had booked evening activities and came back to the ship to change and for a bite didn't have time to do both before having to run off. Also, at the end of the second day when everyone was tired and the group was already late the suggestion was made to leave off the ride on the metro during the rush hour and to forget about the visit to a flower/gift shop but the tour guide would not hear of it, so we ended up being over an hour late getting back to the ship. The Soviet mentality is still alive and well. Read more