Baltic Cruise Review

We returned recently from a Baltic Cruise on the Voyager. This was the last cruise of the season in this area so there weren’t hoards of tourists in many of the sites (with some exceptions). Since we were planning to go to Europe anyway, this cruise became increasingly attractive as Business Air and other perks kept getting thrown in to increase bookings. In fact, we took advantage of a price drop in our category, free internet (although we already had that perk), and a four-category upgrade. Since all of the basic suites are the same, upgrading to concierge didn’t sweeten the pot that much. What did sweeten the pot was a call from our travel agent that if we were willing to go back to a lower category, they would refund $2000!

This was our fourth Regent cruise (3 on Voyager and 1 on Navigator). The downside of traveling multiple times with Regent is that we don’t have the excitement and anticipation that we once did. We know what to expect and where everything is located. We did decide to mix it up a bit by rarely going to the Observation Lounge for cocktails. Instead, we opted for the Horizon lounge, which was often empty after high tea and trivia. The bartender (who’s name I forget…I’m sorry…a lovely young woman from the Ukraine) would start our drinks as we walked in the door. I am a fanatic about fresh ingredients and specific liquor and she seemed delighted to follow my specifications. The weather was brisk, but refreshing, and there is an area outside of this lounge with comfortable lounge chairs and blankets. This was a perfect setting to review the day as we watched the sea and the clouds go by.

The food and service were wonderful, as always. I prefer Compass Rose because of the setting and the variety on the menu. I especially like breakfast and lunch there on sea days. I have never found the service to be slow, as other reviewers have mentioned. There were only two wrinkles in the trip. I don’t think the Observation Lounge is well managed. On two occasions, the staff was more concerned with cleaning up then serving. I think I sat about 10 minutes while 3 people busied themselves, looking everywhere but at us. The other occasion was in Signatures. The Head Sommelier was so intent on upselling wine, we had NO wine while our first courses sat in front of us. I complained in my mid-cruise comment card. We got a phone call to apologize and then we got over the top service wherever we were. I think our pictures were posted below deck. :rolleyes:

In any port-intensive cruise, I view it as a “taste test” to see if we would be willing to return. Of the ten days, we had 2 sea days (most welcome) and some early departures from port so we felt we had a rest from touring. The itinerary included St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Klaipeda (Lithuania), Gdansk (Poland), Malmo (Sweden), and, finally, Amsterdam.

St. Petersburg was my least favorite city – in large part due to the swarms of Chinese tourists at the Hermitage. Our guide hustled us through, which was just as well as it was often difficult to see their world-class collection. The curating of the collection – natural light cascading onto the paintings, artificial light that created a glare so you were unable to see detail, also disturbed me. They were concerned about the use of flash…I think they should have been more concerned about sunlight.

Helsinki was my favorite stop. We took a boat tour of the harbor and surrounding islands then walked around the city before taking the shuttle back to the ship - delightful town and delightful people.

Stockholm was the place I really want to see again. Unfortunately, we docked at about 9am and the ship left at 3pm. We ditched our tour, took the shuttle into town and walked around the old town. We didn’t see any of the sites we would most like to see, so this calls for another trip to Scandinavia!

We continue to be Regent fans and have a trip to Greece and Turkey booked for next year. Our friends have already cancelled this trip due to the unrest in Turkey. They are doing their best to convince us to do the same, but I’m holding strong!

If you have questions about the other towns or tours, please feel free to ask, otherwise I won’t bore you with an already wordy review!

We returned recently from a Baltic Cruise on the Voyager. This was the last cruise of the season in this area so there weren’t hoards of tourists in many of the sites (with some exceptions). Since we were planning to go to Europe anyway, this cruise became increasingly attractive as Business Air and other perks kept getting thrown in to increase bookings. In fact, we took advantage of a price drop in our category, free internet (although we already had that perk), and a four-category upgrade. Since all of the basic suites are the same, upgrading to concierge didn’t sweeten the pot that much. What did sweeten the pot was a call from our travel agent that if we were willing to go back to a lower category, they would refund $2000!

 

This was our fourth Regent cruise (3 on Voyager and 1 on Navigator). The downside of traveling multiple times with Regent is that we don’t have the excitement and anticipation that we once did. We know what to expect and where everything is located. We did decide to mix it up a bit by rarely going to the Observation Lounge for cocktails. Instead, we opted for the Horizon lounge, which was often empty after high tea and trivia. The bartender (who’s name I forget…I’m sorry…a lovely young woman from the Ukraine) would start our drinks as we walked in the door. I am a fanatic about fresh ingredients and specific liquor and she seemed delighted to follow my specifications. The weather was brisk, but refreshing, and there is an area outside of this lounge with comfortable lounge chairs and blankets. This was a perfect setting to review the day as we watched the sea and the clouds go by.

 

The food and service were wonderful, as always. I prefer Compass Rose because of the setting and the variety on the menu. I especially like breakfast and lunch there on sea days. I have never found the service to be slow, as other reviewers have mentioned. There were only two wrinkles in the trip. I don’t think the Observation Lounge is well managed. On two occasions, the staff was more concerned with cleaning up then serving. I think I sat about 10 minutes while 3 people busied themselves, looking everywhere but at us. The other occasion was in Signatures. The Head Sommelier was so intent on upselling wine, we had NO wine while our first courses sat in front of us. I complained in my mid-cruise comment card. We got a phone call to apologize and then we got over the top service wherever we were. I think our pictures were posted below deck. :rolleyes:

 

In any port-intensive cruise, I view it as a “taste test” to see if we would be willing to return. Of the ten days, we had 2 sea days (most welcome) and some early departures from port so we felt we had a rest from touring. The itinerary included St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Klaipeda (Lithuania), Gdansk (Poland), Malmo (Sweden), and, finally, Amsterdam.

 

St. Petersburg was my least favorite city – in large part due to the swarms of Chinese tourists at the Hermitage. Our guide hustled us through, which was just as well as it was often difficult to see their world-class collection. The curating of the collection – natural light cascading onto the paintings, artificial light that created a glare so you were unable to see detail, also disturbed me. They were concerned about the use of flash…I think they should have been more concerned about sunlight.

 

Helsinki was my favorite stop. We took a boat tour of the harbor and surrounding islands then walked around the city before taking the shuttle back to the ship - delightful town and delightful people.

 

Stockholm was the place I really want to see again. Unfortunately, we docked at about 9am and the ship left at 3pm. We ditched our tour, took the shuttle into town and walked around the old town. We didn’t see any of the sites we would most like to see, so this calls for another trip to Scandinavia!

 

We continue to be Regent fans and have a trip to Greece and Turkey booked for next year. Our friends have already cancelled this trip due to the unrest in Turkey. They are doing their best to convince us to do the same, but I’m holding strong!

 

If you have questions about the other towns or tours, please feel free to ask, otherwise I won’t bore you with an already wordy review!

Great review, we also didn't get to see Stockholm but hope to go back again some day.

Good to hear your bartender got your drinks the way you liked them.

Well done on the refund too!

Pam.

Really enjoyed reading your review and I could identify with much of what you said - especially the slight lack of anticipation and excitement when you cruise multiple times on Regent. My DH and I remind ourselves how fortunate we are to be able to take luxury cruises and try to appreciate every moment.

The last time we were in the Baltics was July, 2014 and we did find it more crowded than our first visit in 2006. I suspect that there will be many more Chinese tourists in many ports -- increasing as the number of ships being built for the Asian population grows.

Agree that Helsinki is an amazing port. Actually, the itinerary we did last year on the Voyager (28 nights - Stockholm to Copenhagen that included Russia and multiple stops in Norway) was our favorite itinerary to date.

IMO, you should not cancel your cruise that includes Turkey - unless things take a dramatic turn for the worse in the coming months (which I do not believe will happen). Follow the news, U.S. travel warnings and reassess the cruise prior to date you need to cancel without penalty (except for the $200 that will be applied to your next Regent cruise).

The bartender's name is Paulina and she's wonderful. She makes great drinks. We would go to Horizon before and after dinner and enjoy our drinks and chatting with her. We were on the Voyager in May. It was Barcelona to London and it was one of our most enjoyable cruises. The ports were wonderful (we enjoyed Northern Spain) and Bordeaux became a favorite. We also love Stockholm. Our Balkan cruise was Copenhagen to Stockholm and we stayed in Stockholm for three days. A beautiful city! I concur with Travelcat. I wouldn't cancel your next cruise because of unrest in Turkey. Istanbul is a beautiful city with very nice people. I haven't heard anything since the bomb in Ankara and you won't be going there. We now look forward to our cruises in Regent because we get to see crew members we know and like. We will be boarding The Mariner in November and are looking forward to it.:)

Enjoyed reading your review, and I agree completely about St. Petersburg and the Hermitage particularly.

And please don't cancel Turkey unless things change drastically. We felt as safe there last month as we did 12 years ago.

I would respectfully disagree on St. Petersburg. Our three days there were the highlight of our trip (and many of our fellow cruisers). The history was fascinating and the restoration of the palaces amazing. Perhaps we were lucky that our guides all three days were outstanding. Contrary to some posters advice we hired a private guide in Stockholm on our day of embarkation (many suggested a self guided walk). Those five hours were fabulous and there was no way we could have seen so many sights in an informed manner. I believe that Regent should offer an optional tour of the embarkation cities rather than just the debarkation cities.

Thanks for the review forgap, I always learn something from this board. Regards.

That's what makes cruising so interesting - we loved St Petersburg and didn't much care for Helsinki at all. Loved Stockholm but didn't enjoy Gdansk (that was more for the included tour to the Ancient Water Smithy - we STILL joke about this one years later). Loved Talinn and Riga...I guess what it boils down to is that we enjoyed the entire cruise, just some ports more than others. The only downside we had was probably our fellow cruisers - I think it was just luck that we feel that we encountered more rude, grumpy people on board this cruise than any other we've been on.

I guess this falls into the category of different people having different experiences on the same cruise (or the same ininerary, in this case) - I always try to stay positive whenever and wherever I travel. I think I'm about 97% successful. :D

Just had a major itinerary change on our cruise next summer, and we're still looking forward to going. And now that I think about it, we're overdue to go back to the Baltic...hmmmm....

That's what makes cruising so interesting -

...

but didn't enjoy Gdansk (that was more for the included tour to the Ancient Water Smithy...

 

which we enjoyed (city and tour). Different stokes...

which we enjoyed (city and tour). Different stokes...

Hahahahaha! Different strokes indeed! Once we got out on our own, we really enjoyed the city of Gdansk - but the Water Smithy tour...oh, Lord, what a day that was!! The stuff of legends!! Man, I'm laughing just thinking about it. But like you said, different strokes!

Ho, man...the Ancient Water Smithy...a tour I'll never forget...hahahahaha!

:D

Hahahahaha! Different strokes indeed! Once we got out on our own, we really enjoyed the city of Gdansk - but the Water Smithy tour...oh, Lord, what a day that was!! The stuff of legends!! Man, I'm laughing just thinking about it. But like you said, different strokes!

 

Ho, man...the Ancient Water Smithy...a tour I'll never forget...hahahahaha!

 

:D

You have spiked my curiosity. Tell us about the Water Smithy tour (please?)

Oh yes, yes! Inquiring minds want to know all about the Water Smithy! Please tell us!!!

You know, the funny thing is - it's probably not funny to people who weren't there...and truth be told, I don't even know why it's funny to us, either!

When we went to Gdansk, the selection of excursions was pretty slim so we chose to tour the smithy. Getting there was a string of hiccups and delays, and when we finally got there we were one of many, MANY groups touring the smithy. Everyone was packed in like sardines, and the hammer was pounding...BAM BAM BAM BAM...we couldn't hear the guide, there was no place to escape to, and some of us in the back of the mass of humanity started getting the giggles. And it spread. And it became outright laughter. Some of us finally squeezed out of the smithy and started walking around the grounds, and we saw a road sign for a frog crossing - which set us off that much more. I'm sure that under more normal circumstances it would have been an interesting tour - but when you get to the point that you're laughing at a frog sign, by then you're too far gone to gain any cultural significance at all.

When we got back to Gdansk and finally found a nice place for pierogies and pivo, well, things got back to normal and we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. But the smithy, for us, was one of those days we just look back on and chuckle.

Not nearly as fun a story as the infamous Turkle Snortle in Barbados, but that's a tale for another day...

The frog sign gave me the giggles - I can just imagine it! Thanks for sharing the story.

The frog sign gave me the giggles - I can just imagine it! Thanks for sharing the story.

It translates to 'Frogs on the Road' but I captioned it 'Polish Death Toads' in my online album...

:p

Great story and yes, I think it's funny too. Would love to hear the turkle snortle tale as well....!!!!!

That's what makes cruising so interesting - we loved St Petersburg and didn't much care for Helsinki at all.

 

We also loved St Petersburg and will certainly visit again but next time will get a Russian visa so that we can explore at our leisure.

I 'illegally' abandoned our tour group and whilst we had some free time sprinted from the main square outside the Hermitage over to St Isaac's Cathedral (my beloved hubbie wimped out) as my iPhone ran out of battery the previous day and I wanted a photo. Missed getting any photos of the Church of the Spilled Blood though. The only thing we didn't enjoy was the canal cruise which was a complete waste of time. The Harbour cruise in Helsinki, however, was great but wasn't so keen on the bit of the city we saw whilst walking round afterwards.

Since all of the basic suites are the same, upgrading to concierge didn’t sweeten the pot that much. What did sweeten the pot was a call from our travel agent that if we were willing to go back to a lower category, they would refund $2000!

We are looking at booking this same trip for next summer. I sent you a friend request so that I can contact you to find out who your TA is. I hope that's alright.

That's what makes cruising so interesting - we loved St Petersburg and didn't much care for Helsinki at all.

 

We also loved St Petersburg and will certainly visit again but next time will get a Russian visa so that we can explore at our leisure.

I 'illegally' abandoned our tour group and whilst we had some free time sprinted from the main square outside the Hermitage over to St Isaac's Cathedral (my beloved hubbie wimped out) as my iPhone ran out of battery the previous day and I wanted a photo.

Hahahaha! My wife and I may or may not have also abandoned our tour group as she wanted a fur hat from Russia and we just happened to pass by a fur shop just about a mile from the Church of the Spilled Blood (which we had toured the day before). So we had our church photos and a fur hat (or maybe not).