Europe - Northern Europe Cruise Reviews

This cruise offered a glimpse of several countries at an affordable price. In this present economy, this trip would be unattainable by most working stiffs, such as myself, if one had to lodge, eat and travel between the destinations on their own. Cruising brings it all together. The countries visited were awesome. The itinerary was port intensive but not overwhelming. Ship was well maintained and crew very friendly and helpful.

Because this cruise is on my schedule to take Baltic sea trip and my family had taken it a few of years ago when we went to Alaska. Stateroom is very clean and good services. We also like the entertainment activities. Food is good, I love so many fruits. I think the check-in, check-out, and food providing are not good organized. To access internet is more expansive than the cost on Royal Caribbean Cruise, and not convenient to use because we have to set up an account that cost price too.

I would recommend this cruise to others ship was beautiful crew excellent food very good would do again wonderful trip much nicer than our cruise on Holland cruise line to quebec tours to every city was great was very easy to get on and off the cruise very organized

I enjoyed everything about this cruise except the rain and no one could help that. Everyone on the ship was very nice, Mario the head waiter was exceptional, great. Alien was great also and got a promotion while we were there, which he deserved. Maxium the cabin steward kept our cabin 5185 in tip top shape.

This cruise exceeded our expectations. The food was great. Entertainment very good and Carnival's orchestra was outstanding. We did not use any of Carnival's tours as they are way over priced. On our own we saw everything in all the ports and saved ourselves hundreds of dollars.

This cruise was the first time we stayed in an inside cabin. After some initial claustrophobia, it was quite comfortable. An unexpected perk of the cabin was that with no windows, the cabin got very dark, making it good for sleeping! Of course, it also meant we had no idea of time without a clock and had to rely on the tv for morning weather and view! The ship was very nice and very clean and did not feel at all crowded. Food was good. We did Select Dining because we were with friends.We did not like it as the servers and tables changed nightly. It felt very impersonal and we will return to fixed seating in the future. The specialty restaurant QSine was something unique. The food was excellent with a fun presentation. The cover charge was high at $45 pp but well worth the experience. Shore experiences were interesting and well run. We did not get off in every port and there was plenty to do on board ship. The AqauSpa experience was excellent! We did not attend the evening entertainment but I heard great things from other passengers. Excellent cruise for value! We did book another cruise while on board - another perk worth checking out!

This was a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. The scenary was beautiful and it was definitely a good destination. On a good note, there was no epidemic of norvirus, the ship was clean and staff pleasant, we had no crisis such as some ships experienced over the last year. There was not, however, enough capacity on the excursions to accommodate everyone on the ship so hundreds of people were in a port with population 200 and nothing to do. Our cabin smelled of stale urine, and we were told 'the ship is packed' and there was nothing they could do. They did shampoo the carpet, after which we traded stale urine odor for overwhelming carpet perfume odor. The staff did not know how to 'think outside the box' to meet customer requests - beer available in one bar could not be obtained for us in a different bar, cocoa available in the cafeteria could not be obtained in a bar, etc. Dining room food was mediocre - a result, I'm sure, of having to serve 1000 meals at one sitting because of rigid dining timing rules. The food tasted like it was prepared in advance and kept on warmers. On a good note, the food in the buffet had the same options as the dining room, ,with more flexibility and seemed fresher. But the buffet area did not have enough table to seat everyone trying to eat there. If this had been our first cruise, we might have been less disappointed. Having had 2 prior cruises on a different line, with fantastic service, food and entertainments, made this cruise less enticing.

This cruise provided an excellent opportunity to get a "taste" of many wonderful cities located on the Baltic. We used the tour site recommended by Cruises Only to book our excursions and we were VERY HAPPY we did!! The groups were much smaller than those offered by the cruise line (22-23 people per bus) and the itineraries were better planned. Would highly recommend using the link they provide to book your excursions. Also, for those who are more "independent" travelers, like us, we just booked the "Hop On/Hop Off" vouchers for several of the cities instead of booking an organized excursion. I did my research ahead of time and knew what sites we wanted to see. We particularly enjoy exploring places on our own and at our own pace. We booked tours for Berlin and St. Petersburg which is a necessity. For those "seniors" who are signing up for tours/excursions, please be aware that there is a lot of walking on many of them - particularly in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, some of the people on our tour had canes and some difficulty walking and keeping up the pace. When the tour indicates it is "strenuous," please take that seriously if you have any limitations in walking or stamina! And... we would highly recommend taking an extra 2 days in Amsterdam. We bought an IAmsterdam card which gave us access to their buses and trams as well as admission to some museums and 1 boat cruise. Again, if you are more independent, you will enjoy hopping on and off their very efficient public transportation and walking, walking, walking. We loved our time in Amsterdam. Also... do not automatically book your pre/post cruise stay in Amsterdam with the cruise line!! I did some research into B & B's in Amsterdam and found a small one just on the outskirts of the city limits but only a block away from a bus and tram stop. We paid about $100/night for the room and breakfast which is a lot less than what the cruise line was booking. Again.. this would be for the more independent traveler. We had a wonderful experience with Celebrity. We've cruised 7 times before on 3 different cruise lines and found Celebrity to be excellent. Food was great and the entertainment at night was outstanding. We particularly enjoyed the lectures they provided by a PhD in Balkan history and monarchies. We're not much for other organized activities but enjoyed our sea days for reading and relaxing. This cruise was the last one for the Constellation in the Baltics. Our weather was beautiful - warmer than usual - and it was less crowded than during the summer months. Would highly recommend taking advantage of lower fares at this time of the year.

This was a fine adventure. The ship was modern, clean, well maintained. Staff were competent, friendly, attentive. Dining was pleasant, usually, except for two occasions when the market café was crowded. The stateroom was more comfortable and roomy than I'd expected and it was always clean. Our steward was alert, knowledgeable, and pleasant.

We were very lucky to cruise in late August 2013, when the weather was very unseasonal and warm. It was a picture perfect 70+ degrees everyday. We had never been on NCL before, and the Star was a very nice ship. We liked the freestyle dining, and there were alot of options. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, the ship, and most importantly the destinations. I would recommend this ship and cruise to anyone who is flexible, not looking for perfection, but overall very good. This is not a cruise for someone looking for "top gourmet" food. There was a tremendous choice for music on board, and the performers were all very good. They had a selection for everyone, so if you wanted to dance, sing, be quiet and listen, you had those options. The cities we visited were very interesting, lots to see, and tended to keep you on the go constantly. It was a really good time, and we enjoyed it very much.

Cities we visited were wonderful . Overall the legend was a disappointment. On carnival we have been on the valor and it was great. Entertainment on the Legendbelow average. Food in truffles and lido average at best . Steakhouse outstanding. Overall ship condition and cleanliness lacking. There was little attention to detail. I never once saw anyone cleaning or polishing as I have on other cruises and it showed. The boat looked shabby. We had a problem with ground transportation from London to Dover. We tried to resolve it thru guest services on the boat but to no avail. Carnival did not stand behind this service they sponsored . Our booking agent from cruises only, Sherry Creasey was just fabulous !!! Recommend using her!!!!

The ship was beautiful, the entertainment was very good. The food was fair, the service in the restaurant and cabin was very good. I thought that RCL nit-picked and charged for everything possible. My biggest surprise was when I read about lessons on how to play "craps" in the casino for a charge of $1. The prices for liquor and specialty coffees was ridiculous, considering we were in a "tax-free" situation. The price for internet was obnoxious, I've been to many motels that give free internet access. I've also been on a few Viking cruises that offer 24 hour service for coffee, etc and free internet. I don't know if all the other cruise lines are in the same "boat" regarding charging for all the "extras". Also, I volunteered to "teach" a class regarding elastic band magic tricks. It was well attended and I enjoyed it very much. However, it would have been nice to have gotten a "thank you" from someone.

The beef was not tender In the cafeteria not enough variety in cold cuts IE no corned beef or pastrami I found the drinks really expensive. and the tours also to expensive for me as I was treating my sister. I have cruised many times also with celebrity and always enjoyed them. And would have given them a hire rating.

The cruise was as expected excelpt for the food. There was a large selection, very little of it tasty or tender. The room was adequate but the bed could have used a better mattress. The shampoo and lotion were not replaced when they were finished. The workers were polite and most of them were helpful.

We chose this cruise because we love sailing with Carnival and they were offering the Baltic an especially St Petersburg, Russia which was 1 of the things to do on our bucket list. Well it was beautiful and exceeded our expectations. The palaces and churches was beautiful. We did Carnival's 2 day Grand Tour excursion and were not disappointed. Our guide Natasha was the best. The other places: Copenhagen, Germany, Helsinki, Tallinn Estonia, Amsterdam were also very good and we enjoyed every one of them. Carnival is a very relaxed cruise line and we always feel welcomed there. The evening shows were all very professional and the Legend still has a orchestra which helps to enhance the dancers. I would highly recommend this cruise for anyone interested in the ports, they were well worth the money.

Every port was an adventure, great vistas, lakes, mountains. The ship and staff were great as usual. Being a Diamond member of the Crown and Anchor Society was an exceptional experience on this cruise. Because of late booking got an outside cabin on deck three but it was very good, quiet and near the elevators. Had to use my time dining ( first time) and was pleasently surprised. Good table every night and the staff was great.

We really enjoyed our Infinity cruise from the first day . All of the staff people were very friendly and helpful, the food was wonderful, and the entertainment overall was good. The ensemble acts were the best but many of the solos were good too. Ric Steel was the best of all and the chamber music trio was next in quality. we Like the flexible seating for dinner but since we are not usually late night people, we wish it was easier to eat early and go to the early show without a having to eat as a twosome to get through faster. We loved meeting new people at dinner but finishing dinner by 7PM was hard at a table for 8. We also wished that the travel expert or the concierge had more information about on shore excursions and tours that are not sold by the cruise line. It would be nice to have those options to think about before the day of docking. We did some online research before the cruise but many of the tours and local buses were not easily located in the searches I did. Also, we were some of the twenty or so people from the cruise who attempted to climb Pulpit Rock while in Stavanger. We barely made it back to the ship and some of that problem was the unpredictable changing weather but there is one suggestion that could make it easier for hikers. If the bus line and the ferry line could communicate with each other, then the transportation services would be better. We spent 45 minutes waiting for a bus that suffered further delays in the parking lot near the hike. When we arrived at the ferry, it was just pulling out so we had to wait 30 more minutes for a ferry. If the bus driver could have told the ferry to wait 5 minutes, we would have not had the close call with the ship departure. We loved our stateroom and we really enjoyed the balcony. We like Celebrity as a cruise line and would choose to go somewhere with them again

This was our second cruise with Celebrity and was definitely the better of the two. Everything was great on the ship including food, service, accommodation and entertainment. We did not visit the premium restaurants, as the food in the Moonlight Sonata restaurant was more than adequate and suited our tastes just fine. The itinerary was great and the weather on port days was perfect. We booked a package of tours of five cities (Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Tallinn) though SPb tours, that was fantastic. We only booked limited excursions in Brugge and Copenhagen through Celebrity. The Celebrity excursions were not great and definitely not good value, when compared with the SPb tours. The fellow passengers on this cruise were about 70% Brits, Scottish and Irish, about 20% Americans, 5% Canadians and 5% others. Most were 50 to 70 years old, with few families with young children. Everyone we met was extremely friendly and engaging.

There was nothing to not like about the trip. Although where we docked, for Berlin, was about an 11/2 hour bus ride to Berlin, it was enjoyable to learn more of the history of Berlin while on the bus. Estonia was just beautiful and quaint. Stockholm was a little bit of an issue since we could not dock there do to high winds getting into the channel, so we had to go to another close port and be tendered in. That was a slow process since the ship had only 2 tenders running initially. Russia was fantastic and a surprise. It's so progressive. The Tzars were filthy rich. Food, service, and staff on ship were great.

From start to finish this cruise was perfection; pleasant and painless check-in, lovely room with plenty of storage space - dozens of hangers! - every staff member friendly and eager to be helpful - wonderful meals with very flexible hours - easy to see the sights in the fjords because there were so many places to stand and enjoy the beautiful scenery - efficient handling of leaving ship at port stops - interesting shore excursions - incredible galley which was open for a tour (larger and more extensive than any I have seen before on much bigger ships).