We chose this cruise for the reputation of Silversea for luxury and service, and went with their top-of-Line Owners Suite. The suite was was indeed roomy and beautiful but unfortunately it was very unwisely located directly underneath the pool deck. Especially bad were certain times during the day when the crew must have rearranged the chairs on deck. It was close to impossible to be inside our suite at those times - it sounded and felt like a construction sight or an earthquake, complete with a shaking ceiling and rattling furniture. Plus, whenever anyone moved a chair, we could hear it loud and clear inside our suite. Forget relaxation and afternoon naps.

Otherwise, we liked pretty much everything. The food was great, the excursions fun and interesting. Disembarking in St. Petersburg was a bit of a mess, and waiting in lines on some of the excursions was unfortunate, but that’s just Russia, not the cruise line’s fault. We will definitely come back, but will choose a different suite next time.