0

Seabourn Sojourn Review

Seabourn St. Petersburg Cruise with history and art

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Seabourn Sojourn
User Avatar
Keys88
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2011
Cabin: Suite

As professional musicians from Jacksonville, Florida, we don't usually take expensive luxury cruises, but there is no question that the Seabourn Sojourn delivers the value and exceptional quality of food, facilities/stateroom and service expected for the price. One night we had amazing Nigerian shrimp that were 10 inches long! The staff members were always helpful and attentive. While we know it's their job to be friendly, they were sincere. With less than 400 passengers on board, we had all the amenities of the big ships, but none of the crowds for dining or disembarkation. The people on the cruise were mostly interesting professionals from the US. We enjoyed dining at Restaurant 2 seated with other passengers, with exceptional food and tableside informance about each of the dozen dishes served. Toward the end of the cruise, we got a tour of the galley with the head chef to see what goes on behind the scenes to make the magic happen for the passengers. All the artists, performers and cruise director were excellent, not over amplified, and they went out of their way to engage with the passengers - and even stay in touch after the cruise. We also like the all inclusive policy - no bills for drinks or tips at the end to worry about.

As amazing as the ship was, it was the great port cities that were the highlight of our trip. Seabourn provided a travel/history expert on board to speak about each destination to help plan excursions or activities. With the exception of Stockholm, the Sojourn ports right in the city center. We are good walkers and like to explore on our own, so we easily walked to all the city highlights in Helsinki (such as the Church of the Rock), Tallin (Alexander Nevsky church, shopping for amber) and we covered all of the quaint city of Visby. Though you might not choose this cruise for the purpose of going to Tallin or Visby, both were surprisingly delightful medieval walled cities.

The Stockholm embarkation port was quite a ways from the city center and not at all glamorous. Fortunately we arrived in Stockholm a few days early to see the sites and insure our arrival for the cruise. The Arlanda Express train got us from the airport to our hotel in 15 minutes. We stayed at the Frey Hotel (mentioned in Stieg Larsson's 3rd book) which was reasonably priced, friendly and perfectly located to walk to the Royal Palace, Gamla Stan, Opera House, Skansen, Vasa Museum and central downtown. When the ship leaves port in Stockholm, it goes by the 24,000 islands in the archipelago with great views on both sides of the ship. Though it was raining hard when we departed, delay dinner and stay out on deck to experience this!

Cabin Review

Suite

Cabin A1

We liked the 4th floor because we could easily move on that level from the front to the back of the ship to get to the spa, restaurants, pools, etc. without having to go up or down levels. Nice bathrooms with lots of counter space. Quiet

previous reviewnext review

Find a Seabourn Sojourn Cruise from $3,637

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.