Embarkation - Busy but well handled. Food: In Horizon's, always good choice and quality generally very good. Serving areas looked too small but never really had an issue getting our food. Seating area obviously busy but, again, always got a seat. Usually had to share a table but great way to meet people. Da Vinci/Michaelangelo restaurants - Ate twice in Michaelangelo and service was slow but never so in Da Vinci.where we dined 12 nights. Some of the waiters a good laugh, considering the pressure they're under. Twice got a pager for a table and didn't wait more than 15 mins, even at peak times. Didn't use speciality restaurants as main dining was so good. International Cafe on Piazza excellent for light-bites so a bit busier for seating and service(again, didn't wait more than 10 mins for either).

Cabin - interior. Lots of storage and hangers. Toilet/shower fine. Room space not crampt. Room attendant v. good. Bars/Lounges - really liked Crooners, Explorer's, Club Fusion. Wheelhouse a bit dark and depressing but seemed popular. Prices - expensive for drinks but prices at home catching up fast. Soda package excellent value. You can ask for a form at the main desk to waive your daily gratuity add-on($11.50per day per person). Just say you want to do personal tipping. No hassle. Getting drink on board on embarkation and at each port-Easy! No checks made of hand luggage when getting back on board at each port.(Just put it in a soft-drinks bottle). Theatre - ok, but filled up quickly. Entertainment - as you would expect - some good, some ok, some dreadful. Entertainment staff - really, really good - tried really hard and looked as if they were enjoying ourselves. Pool area - generally quiet due to the 'baltic' weather, tho' they did remove towels from reserved loungers (hurrah!). Poolside band very good but most people seemed to not notice.

Excursions - didn't use any due to high prices. Did our own which were cheaper and much better in some cases(eg saved £186 on St Petersburg two-day tour which was for a party of ten and which therefore was very flexible and we visited places the Ship's tour didn't. Ship's tour was more expensive(by far) and comprised of coachloads( +50?) sticking to a pre-defined schedule). Really, we saw LOTS more on our small 'tour'. Ports - Oslo - Vigelund Park a must. Otherwise, it rained so heavily be went back to ship early. Ship docks minutes walk from town centre. HOHO stops at dock. Gothenburg - missed due to stormy weather preventing ship from docking. Tallin - great wee place. Picked up at dock by (external) excursion company, small party - driver flexible if we wanted to stop somewhere. St Petersburg - all it's made out to be. Staggeringly good, but you are rushed around some of the places due to time restainsts. Very, very busy inside some of the museums. Stockholm - 'old town' part is terrific and take the change to wee the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace({last an hour and if free - go early). Loved stockholm. Copenhagen - Maybe my favourite after St Petersburg. So much to see and do. Bruges - took tour to there from Zeebruge( 20 drive in coach). Alternative is to walk to Zeebrugge train station from port and get train, - dirt cheap but more convenient doing our coach-shuttle. Only issue with taking a coach to Bruge is that you have a 20 walk into the city centre from the coach park as the streets are too narrow in Bruges for coaches(so had to watch our time for getting back to the coach. If going to Bruges - get a map! We got lost due to small streets and confusing street names. Otherwise, Bruges is gorgeous. Take the canal tour early as they had long queues later on. Belgian chocolate shops everywhere and get more expensive the closer to the city centre you get. Read more