ts636

We did Dave's Warnemunde, Shwerin and Wismar tour last July and loved it. Dave was suffering from health problems at the time so the tour was led by his assistant Christian and I would have to say that it was his input that really made the tour so memorable and enjoyable compared to others we took in the Baltics. Where the St Peterburg tour (with Alla tours) felt very scripted and controlled (the guide was hugely knowledgeable but I was suffering from severe information overload by the end of it) Christian's style was much more laid back and informal and he peppered his commentary with little anecdotes from his own life growing up in the area (he was born in Warnemunde 3 months before the Berlin wall came down). These little personal insights really brought the tour and the places we visited alive for us and I would highly recommend this tour.

Zoom77, I too was looking for a Baltic Cruise for summer 2015 for something a bit different to my usual holidays in the Med. I eventually settled for the 14 night cruise on Celebrity Eclipse leaving Southampton on 25 July (also 11 July). Two main reasons for choosing this option were the itinerary, which looks superb, and the consistently high scores given to the Eclipse on Cruise Critic. 90% 'I loved it' rating is about as good as it gets on here.

The ship offers 'Select Dining' which means you can dine anytime between 6pm and 9.30pm and are not restricted to the same table at the same time every night. How it compares to NCL's offering I can't really say as I've yet to sail with either line.

There are 3 formal nights during the cruise, which may not suit you, however from what I've read there are plenty of alternatives to the MDR on these nights if you don't want to get dressed up. Maybe worth a look.:)