Back to cruising after the pandemic hiatus, phew! One week around the Baltic, stopping at some fascinating new places and enjoying what felt mostly like Mediterranean weather came as SUCH a tonic after so many months of dreaming of the sea….

Any initial trepidation about COVID procedures and protocols was quickly quashed by the efficient way in which requirements were communicated and then integrated into check-in. All was quick, smooth and polite.

The ship is new and though we have a mild historical preference for the sub-500 passenger style of ship, Silversea have a magical way of upping the size a tad without you noticing anything but the benefits. This is particularly true on Silver Moon, which has a pool long enough for real lap swimming, and a far better array of venues to eat and drink than you’d expect - so much so that we didn’t make it through all of them, and we really did try. Read more