First-time cruiser: Please help me choose my ship. I know what I'm looking for, but not how to find it.
 

I hope that experienced cruisers can help us zero-in on the right ship for us. Here's what we hope to find:

-- want to do a north Atlantic/Baltic sea cruise (Copenhagen/St. Petersburg, etc
-- don't want a ship that's huge
-- want an "up-scale" ship, but not one that's snobbish or formal; would like NOT to have to "dress" for dinner, are not interested in "formal" nights, etc.
--we're in our late 60's, and would prefer a ship with a large contingency of that population; we're not "swingers" (though we are very active-- which is why we've avoided cruises in the past)
--we definitely want balcony for our room and very pleasant accommodations
--we wish we could have flexibility in when we have meals; and we appreciate good food
--don't want and can't afford ultra-luxury-- but definitely do want very comfortable and handsome surroundings
--again: very much wish we didn't have to do "formal" stuff

Which is the right ship for us? In-put from frequent cruisers much appreciated. Thank you!

Hello Poss,
To me you've described the Radisson Voyager ship perfectly! It holds up to 600 people if completely full but you never feel crowded, there is nothing snobby about it whatsoever, 4 dining alternatives (even on formal night there are alternatives where people don't need anything formal), the cabins are all large and all have balconys. I've been on this ship several times and would highly recommend it and YES they do have the Baltic cruise you're looking for.
Here is a sampling of the 2005 Baltic cruise itineraries:
http://www.brownandkeenetravel.com/0...LTIC'S.htm
(if you're considering 2004, they will list those as well)

I have been to the Baltics before on other ships as well, but none that so closely describe what you're looking for. Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising!

As you've posted this question before, which I previously responded to, you might look into NCL. I won't go into the reasons as I've already done so.

Good luck making your decision!

Happy Travels!

Rosemary: Thanks for responding again. My inquiries indicate that NCL doesn't have balconies-- except, I think, on the very most expensive suites. It doesn't seem to be a very high-end ship-- ranks well below Holland America, e.g. (I know that we can't afford the Crystal line, e.g., but I'm looking for something better than NCL --tho maybe I got the wrong impression of NCL?) In any case, I appreciate the feed-back.

You have described Oceania to a tee.

5-star, 600 pax instead of 2000, no formal nights, just "country club" attire, mostly over-40s, no kids. Jaques Pepin is the executive chef, no surcharges for specialty restaurants, very port-intensive itineraries into smaller cities (since the ship is smaller); lovely rooms with balconies (majority of cabins), and plenty of specials including airfare. http://www.oceaniacruises.com/

I AGREE that Oceania sounds like the prefect choice. Medium/small ship, OUTSTANDING food, wonderful service, lots of time spent in ports, and less expensive than Radisson, Silverseas, Seabourn. I just returned from the Oceania Baltic cruise, and it was wonderful. One bonus is that Oceania spends 3 days in St Petersburg, which makes for a wonderful experience. We got our Russian visas, which allowed us to explore on our own (easy to do). We hired a local "escort/translator" who made it a very special experience. If you want more details on how we got visas, how to get private guide, etc., let me know via email and I'll fill you in. ([email protected]) At any rate, it sounds like you will LOVE Oceania.

A little OT but is Oceania all inclusive? Is it considered one of the luxury lines? Are the cabins real spacious? The size of the ship sounds good...I'll have to read up on some reviews. (didn't mean to hijack poss's question)