Baltic Cruise -Regal Princess

The Regal Princess is 1 year old and is in excellent condition. The service on board is excellent and the waiters in the two anytime dining restaurants are attentive and look after your every need. The food is very good and a changing menu every night in Concerto and Symphony restaurant meets all tastes. Anytime dining works very well and we occasionally made a reservation to sit near friends or have a particular waiter. When we had not made a reservation we did not have to wait more than 5 minutes. We ate our breakfast mainly in the Horizon court as it allowed flexibility and greater choice but breakfast in concerto on sea days was a good experience.

The Pizza in the centre of the ship is a great focal point and the place for cruise parties and some entertainment. The Beatle maniacs, Rhapsody and the string quartet were all excellent to listen to before or after dinner. The theatre shows were all of a good standard. Although a massive ship we rarely felt crowded and there were always quiet spots to read and chat.

The lido deck is excellent with pool jacuzzi and movies under the stars and ready access to the Horizon buffet for a light lunch. There is a quiet adult only are but we did not need to use it. Lots of wind protected ares to allow you to sit out in the warm sunshine.

The ports of call are a delight, hence our choice of this cruise. Tour excursion were via Cruising excursions .com recommended by Bolster. They were fantastic and the guides excellent at half the price of Princess. Recommend tours of Tallinn and St. Petersburg but with good preparation you can do the other capitals by yourself. Our tour of St.Peters. with Olga of Tour de Force organised by Cruising excursions was amazing but be prepared to walk.
Helsinki – small capital able to stroll the central area easily.
Copenhagen – Hop on hop off bus meets you at the cruise terminal.
Oslo – Viking biking do a great cycle tour of this great city.
Stockholm – catch the train from the cruise dock. It is a doddle and really cheap. Giving a transport ticket for trams and ferries. catch the Ferry from Gamlastam to the Vassa museum. Get there as early as possible. Stockholm is a great city to stroll and sit in the harbour etc. super free boat museum near the Vassa museum.
Aarhus – catch the shuttle and visit the cathedral. Lovely place with good historical museum. It can all be done by yourself.

There were a couple of hitches that meant the cruise was not 5 star.
Upon arrival at Berlin all organised by Princess we had a 3 hour plus wait for our transfer and upon arrival at the port we were not greeted at all and Princess officers were not really interested.
There is a feeling on board that money and extra charges pervade a lot of things. Coffee in the Piazza and after dinner is chargeable. Basic coffee such a cappuccino are chargeable. Cover charges for particular restaurants. The food on board is very good and you do not need to use these areas. I feel it cheapens the experience slightly. What a shame as everything else was spot on.

I will seriously consider Princess in the future but feel potential cruisers should have a balanced report.