Navigator of the Seas Review
Excellent way to see an expensive part of the world.
Rating by category
Additional details
The ports of call on this cruise were wonderful, the best for me, Bruges. It was busy and crowded but beautiful. I enjoyed every place we visited but do have some complaints about the transportation to city centers. It was expensive sometimes, $20 US in Copenhagen each and then a 45 minute wait for the shuttle to get back to the ship. And, in Bruges, it was basically non-existent. Either you were forced to do an excursion with RC or you were on your own. There are no taxis waiting as passengers disembark as is the case at other ports-of-call.
The shore excursions through RC are expensive and don't always meet expectations. For example, we booked our trip in St. Petersburg with Alla Tours and saw lots more than other people that booked on the ship and we also paid less. This is not a surprise as the companies make money on the shore excursions they sell.
A friend and I were traveling with our sons. A wonderful part of the cruise was knowing that the young fellows had lots of companions on board (they are 17 and 18). The downside, even though my son is 18 (he just graduated from high school like his friend), he was not allowed in the older teen center. This meant he had to skip out on some of the young people's activities. Needless to say, the young people didn't spend all their time at the center so he had lots of opportunity to socialize with them
Cabin Review
Interior Stateroom with Virtual Balcony
We booked late and got the last interior room available. As it turned out it was a handicapped room with a virtual balcony. This was excellent as the room was larger than the regular interior rooms and the bathroom was very spacious. Our housekeeper did a great job, but the room did seem a bit tired.
Port Reviews
Southampton
We arrived in Southampton the day before. The hotel (Holiday Inn) was a short walk to the center of the city. We had a nice walk around and stopped at a great pub, The Titanic, for a drink. It was also a very short walk to the dock for embarkation.
Oslo
We just walked around the city on our own. The ship docked a 10 minute walk away and we were able to take in most sites this way. We did take a harbour boat to the Viking Museum.
Copenhagen
The ship docked far from the center of the city. The shuttle was $10 US each and was reliable on the way into town, but the wait on the way back was 45 minutes (time wasted). We did a local "free" walking tour. It was great. The guide was knowledgeable and funny. We tipped her $10 at the end. Well worth it!
Tallinn
A beautiful city. We again did a free walking tour with another excellent guide. The city is small enough to visit by foot. The ship docked about 20 - 25 minutes away, so this was reasonable for an able person.
Helsinki
The ship docked about 45 minutes from the city center. We did a visit of the city on our own. The highlight was the market with crafts and food near the old center.
Brugge (Bruges)
This was our favourite city. It is very busy but nothing can take away from the wonderful medieval city center. Make sure to take in 4 favs: potatoes, beer, waffles and chocolate! The only down side was transportation from the ship to the city, about 20 minutes by taxi, but make sure you reserve this ahead. It will cost about 50 euros each way, too.