Reasonable price for the cruise £600 but once CAPTIVE on board they fleeced every penny (cent) they could from you.NO BAR PRICE LIST'S available, they are at the printers, so we were told, yet they can print a daily events paper !1 x 250ml bottle of Heineken     = $4.95 = £3.00 + 15% autogratuity (compulsory) = £3.451 pint draught Heineken           = $5.95 = £3.60 + 15% autogratuity (compulsory) = £4.141 x 25ml J Walker Black Label    = $6.75 = £4.10 + 15% autogratuity (compulsory) = £4.721 x can diet Pepsi                   = $1.95 = £1.20 + 15% autogratuity (compulsory) = £1.361 x Evian 500ml bottle of water = $2.50 = £1.52 + 15% autogratuity (compulsory) = £1.751 x 25ml Smirnoff Vodka,          = $5.75 = £3.50 + 15% autogratuity (compulsory) = £4.031 x 125ml Merlot wine              = $7.50 = £4.56 + 15% autogratuity (compulsory) = £5.25From the examples above you can get the picture ... cider the same as lager, brandy the same as whiskey etc. .... VERY EXPENSIVE !O.K. being a thrifty Scotsman we went to the bar ourselves by-passing the waiter service but, guess what ?,  the 15% autogratuity was STILL applied.BINGO was nothing more than a total Rip-Off ... no evidence of the monies taken in from ticket sales but after a few visits we estimated prize money to be in the region of 10% to 15% of the gross takings ... the remainder goes to NCL !POKER .. No Limit Hold'em ..  60$ entrance fee but they do not inform you that re-buys are allowed, ALSO 25% of the takings goes to (you've guessed it ) NCL !As for the SHORE EXCURSIONS ....  DO NOT ... I REPEAT .. DO NOT BOOK WITH NCL IN ADVANCE OR ON BOARD THE SHIP. Check on the internet before you sail, you will save a fortune.When it comes to St Petersburg, get your local Travel Agent to arrange for the Visas and again book on the internet ... again you save a fortune.The ship itself ... very nice, excellent food, good entertainment but all let down by the 'RIP-OFF'Would I go again ... NEVER WITH NCL ... ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY.

Neil Moffat.