St. Petersburg, Russia has been on our bucket list for years as has the Scandinavian Countries. We chose this cruise because it encompassed all of the countries we wanted to visit without having to pack and unpack, haul luggage on trains or to planes and it was our hotel, our meals and our entertainment neatly packaged!!!
We were impressed with how Princess handled the 3500 passengers both embarking, disembarking and on board. The ship was booked solid but it did not feel like there was a crowd with the exception of certain meal times when the Horizon Court was packed. However, there was always an alternative and we ate many of our meals in the Dining Rooms where service, food and presentation was impeccable.
Every area of the ship was immaculate and the staff was friendly, knowledgeable and professional. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
This particular 11 day cruise included 6 ports which was hectic if you took shore excursions in each one, which we did. We valued the Sea Days for rest and relaxation! This was our first cruise in the 49 years we have traveled together and it will not be our last!
Hotels should take a lesson from Princess Cruises. There was plenty of storage space to keep our luggage out of the way, plenty of closet space with an abundance of hangers and very adequate drawer space. Our Cabin Steward was wonderful as he took special care of our personal belongings and of us!