We chose Oceania based on the ports for this cruise. We wanted to see the Baltics, and we were well rewarded! The stops included Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia; plus Helsinki, Finland; and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Oceania is a classy experience, where the passengers are treated very well by the crew and the chefs especially. The best parts of the ship were the special restaurants, like Jacque's (Jacque Pepin), the interior decor (spectacular), well-designed staterooms, and the smooth organization of getting folks on and off in port.

To compare to our experience earlier this year with Viking Ocean Cruises, I have to say that Viking had better food, much better pastry (you can see where my priorities are), better coffee (also important), and a better arrangement for getting a glass of wine. Oceania, overall, seemed rather costly. You get what you pay for, but some of the costs were a little much (like $28/day for internet; $10,000 for two people; just two examples). Read more