We selected this itinerary primarily to preview St. Petersburg and LOVED our entire trip! This was our first time on Princess and we enjoyed the Regal Princess very much. We've cruised Norwegian and Carnival in the past, with mixed experiences and were hoping Princess might be a step up. It's actually about the same. We are ok with that!

Wish there were more interesting activities for at-sea days...it seemed like the same old "line dancing" vs. self-serving "art lectures" (designed to get you to buy art) or other self-promoting activities. With three days at sea--the activities can seem redundant. Other cruise lines seem to mix up the activities a bit more.

Having said that...we loved the Movies Under the Stars and the talent on board (guitarist Cassie Matthews and the Static band, in particular)! We didn't see any production shows but the other guests seemed very satisfied with them. The Static band was billed as an "R&B" group but they're more like a great dance band! Within minutes of every performance they would have large groups of people out on the dance floor. They are really fun. Some of the "game shows" were also lots of fun too. The one "act" we didn't enjoy very much was a soprano who performed (quite loudly) in the atrium. Neither of us were able to appreciate her talent. An opera singer seemed very out of place on this ship, especially because it wasn't even a formal night, so we were a bit mystified as to why she was there. We noticed quizzical looks from others, so I think we weren't alone. Read more