Baltic Sea cruises
 

Looking for Baltic Sea cruises which include St. Petersburg on itinerary. Any information on ships, prices, discounters etc. much appreciated. <BR> <BR>Dennis Holland

The Royal Princess does the Baltic area starting around June or so. I think most cruise ships that go to St. Petersburg do an overnight there which is great - make sure whatever you find does that too so you can have more time there. <BR>

Holland America (Maasdam) also does this itinerary June, July, August with an overnight in St. Petersburg.

NCL, Royal Caribbean and Orient Lines also does this itinerary. I'm looking those brochures myself.

<BR>Dear Dennis, <BR> <BR>I am a TA and I would advise you to stay away from Norwegian. They are running their ships into the ground (not maintaining them). They are in the process of selling the line. Hope it is soon. Do not be persuaded by the low price. <BR> <BR>The three ships I have sailed on in the past 8 months all had serious problems culminating with the crash of the Dream into a huge barge in the North Sea. Very close to sinking. No staff works in the early hours of the morning. <BR> <BR>All the other cruise lines are fine except the Royal Princess is showing her age in places. But still a fine cruise. <BR> <BR>Happy planning. Paul

Interested in the response stating that the Norwegian Dream was not a good idean. I've booked passage on the Dream for the Baltic in October using GCT. Thought the price was right, but now I'm having ssecond thoughts. Does anyone have additional information on NCL's Dream?? I've also considered Costa, but a friend was on a Costa cruise very recently and claimed it was her worst cruise experience ever - and she's a cruiser. Bad service, bad food, etc. <BR>Trip I'm considering to Baltic is on not yet launched Costa Atlantico.

Well,hate to disagree, but we took the Royal Princess from Dover thru Norwegian Fjords, etc., last summer and had a super time. We think it (Royal) is among the best of Princess fleet, because cabins are roomy, have actual tubs instead of showers, public areas are roomy and there is little pitch and roll, even in rough weather, which we experienced. Crew is very professional and friendly.

Try Celebrity Cruise Line. I spent two weeks last July on the Century. It was fantastic.The itinerary included 2 days in St. Petersburg,also a day in Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Germany,Poland, Estonia, Sweden and back to Amsterdam. <BR> I highly recommend it. Excellent food, great crew and staff. I never had one problem. The prices were great also--even with a single supplementit was below $4,000. (I just called the #800 for Cruises Only to book. I don't work for them but have booked over 20 cruises with them.) <BR> Get a brochure and check out my favorite---Celebrity. <BR>Happy cruising! <BR> <BR>

<BR>Reply to Bruce, <BR> <BR>Believe it or not, Costa is rated as an upscale cruise line but is is not for everyone. This is the norm for all foreign cruise lines. <BR> <BR>It is definitely an unusual experience, especially if you are used to cruising U S fleets. <BR> <BR>My customers are divided, leaning towards the positive. Some think it is extraordinary and others hate it. <BR> <BR>Some absolutely hate the food and others rate it excellent. <BR> <BR>It is gourmet. Many Northern Italian dishes. If you are a meat and potatoes person, stay away. <BR> <BR>One good thing about cruising is if you do not like what is served send it back and choose another.....do not be shy. <BR> <BR>There is of course language difficulties (same as other foreign lines, or for that matter, visiting any foreign county). The announcements are made in two languages. <BR> <BR>I have been on the line twice and plan to sail their new ship next year. I enjoy the experience. I am getting bored with the standard U S ships. <BR> <BR>You will note I mentioned only two negatives (not bad). Everything else is perfect. The price is right. I would advise giving Costa a try, they are very experienced and know their product. Ask any European. <BR> <BR>I have many repeat cruisers who have discoverd Costa and will not go back to another line. <BR> <BR>The service is excellent. The decor is definitely melanise and beautiful. Their party evenings are the best of any cruise line. The cabins are very well appointed and the huge round picture windows are just gorgeous. <BR> <BR>Paul <BR> <BR> <BR>