Just back from the baltic cruise

[LouiseB]

Dear all, I thought I'd share the experience of my first regent cruise with you all.

 

Some background first of all, I'm 37, travelling with my mum who is in her sixties, we've cruised many times before (over 30) but mainly on 'mainstream cruiselines' (inc. RCL, P&O etc)

 

So, we happened to come across the Regent line at a cruise exhibition event last year and booked spur of the moment on the baltic cruise leaving on 21 August.

 

21 August

 

Flight left UK at 7am (and with the time difference) we were landed by 9.30 and allowed to board the ship straight away (about 10.30 by the time we reached the port) Check in was easy, we'd booked H guarantee but were pleasantly surprised to be allocated a D Grade (deck 9 midship) cabin on arrival. Was glad later on the cruise, having spoken to others who were in the aft of the ship and hd trouble sleeping due to vibration.

 

Got straight off the ship as the cabin wasnt ready and took a short walk to find the Little Mermaid Statue (about 10 minutes walk) away, having completed the obligotory photo taking, spent some more time wandering around the harbour and the local shops before reboarding and finding our cabin. Nice size. We stayed in cabin 953.

 

That evening went to the compass rose for dinner, which I really enjoyed, the food was plentiful every night, with a wide variety of choice, always served piping hot. My only slight complaint is that you could end up suffering from a severe Vitamin C shortage!! There was a distinct lack of vegetables on my plates! (one night I was highly amused to see I had been served with 1 (yep just 1) slice of carrot!!!)

 

Day 2 - Visby

 

Arrived at Visby about lunchtime, we took advantage of the free shore excursions and completed the tour - 'a taste of Gotland'. Visby was a nice enough town, however the tour did not meet expectations, we had a short coach ride and ended up at a local farm where we were promised local beers and a selection of local delicacies, this ended up in reality being a small square of cheese per person and a thimblefull of rhubarb juice!! - still the settings was nice enough. We then drove back to Visby, got off the coach at the top of the town for a guided walk, however this is where we left the tour. Despite good descriptions of cobblestones and walking distances int he guides, the tour consisted of persons using zimmer frames and walkers, who struggled considerably. This resulted int he tour frequently having to wait 15 minutes or more for persons to catch up. We decided that we would enjoy it more going on our own and left the guide and made our own way around the town and back to the ship.

 

That evening - compass rose again, followed by an evening in the voyager lounge, litening to the 'spontaneous duo' - a two peice group who sang mainstream music

 

Day 3 Tallin - estonia

 

Woke up to pulling into Tallin. Tour today - 'Soviet Navy and KGB' - Excellent tour - cant recommend it highly enough, we had a very inofrmative guide who delivered personal stories of the soviet occupation of estonia, visited the cemetary, then onto the maritime museum for a look at the inside of a submarine and ice breaker - very interesting. The climbing in and out of the submarine was a fun experience and I have some great photos of my 60 something year old mother trying to negotiate the ladders!! Onto the museum of occupation, which was poignent and a credit to those who run it. Followed by a short tour around the really very pretty town.

 

All in all a great day - loved Tallin and would certainly consider going back

 

Day 4 - St Petersberg

 

Took the 'Highlights of St Petersberg' trip which was one of the best of the week, St Petersberg is a beautiful city, with masses to see, this tour gave a great overview with plenty of photo stops and 15 minutes in a souvenir market for shopping.

 

We treid Prime 7 tonight and I have to admit being a little disappointed, food wasnt anything special and all in all I think I preferred the Compass Rose.

 

Day 5 - St Petersberg

 

So today we spent the morning ont he ship, then int he afternoon visted Yusoprov Palace and took a canal cruise. The palace was stunnign and it was a real interesting tour. The canal boat ride was lovely (if a little long) we had lovely weather for the cruise.

 

Tonight after te experience fo Prime 7 we cancelled Signatures reservations and decided to eat in the compass rose instead.

 

Day 6 Yep we're still in St Petersberg

 

Busy day today, took a tour to the Hermitage this morning - great, wonderful, fascinating. Spent three hours wandering around the museum, with a guide highlighting the most interesting pieces. The tours were allowed early entrance, which was great because by the time the public were allowed entry the place got a little crowded - word of advice, wear your best walkign shoes - the place is massive!!

 

In the afternoon we took a tour entitled metro and shopping, this involved a ride on the subway, and then visted a local food market and souvenir shop. The metro was very crowded, but a good experience, the food market however was not pleasant, quite dirty and not masses to look at, the souvenir shop was a useful stop at the end of three days in Russia.

 

Now for some tips. Many of our fellow passengers had booked either 2 or sometimes 3 tours per day but ended up cancelling many of them having got very very tired by day 3. Also the talk on the ship was that many persons were 'palaced out' having tried ot visit all of the palaces, they were very jaded. Try and vary your tours to see a variety of areas of interest.

 

Day 7 - Helsinki

 

Loved Helsinki - am already looking at how I can go back. Took the tour entitled sailing adventure in themornign. A 2 hour tall ship cruise around the harbour - this was very nice but preferred the afternoon when we were dropped off in town, had the opportunity to walk about a local market on our own, wander around the town and then make our own way back to the ship - a lovely relaxed wonderful afternoon.

 

Day 8 - home from stockholm

 

Booked a transfer from the ship to the airport (good greif - it was expensive - 70 dollars per person) however disembarkation was efficient and the flight home very comfortable

 

All in all this was a fantastic cruise, saw a huge variety of places.

 

The good: the food was plentiful, the service was exceptional, the cabin spacious, those little extra touches above and beyond the mainstream cruiselines made a difference. Met some wonderful people ( a little strange being just a handful of brits aboard a ship made up predominantly of americans, but our fellow passengers were for the most part courteous, friendly, and welcoming)

 

The not so good: 3 days is far too long in St Petersberg, prticularly if you dont get your own visa and cant get off the ship on your own. Prime 7 was a disappointment. The entertainment was basic but nothing special. (and did I mention the lack of vegetables??!!)

 

Would I cruise with Regent again - yes absolutely, although I think next time I would plan to visit different areas.

[mrlevin]

We were also on same trip and loved it. For those thinking of future Baltic cruises, I must disagree with one of Louise's points. St Petersburg is the highlight of the trip. We took it easy in Visby and Tallin just so that we could take advantage of the time in St Petersburg. Unlike Louise, we took the full eight hour Classical St Petersburg tour on the first day followed by three tours on the second and two on the third. The tours were fantastic and well run. Yes, we were exhasuted by the time we left St. Petersburg which is why we chose a relaxing tour in Helsinki.

 

There is a lot to see in St Petersburg. Three days is not enough...

 

...but is better than two days.

 

Take advantage of your time in St Petersburg and the free tours. Also, the Evening with the Tsars is worth the $149 premium.

 

Marc

[OrpingtonT]

Intersting reviews. Thank you both. I think Prime 7 caters to US tastes and though, I think, very good, is nothing more than a quality steakhouse and I preferred Latitudes, but I know I am in a minority. What a pity you cancelled Signatures, that is a quite different concept. Did you realise that you can ask for whatever vegetables you want in Compass Rose? My wife is a mashed potato fan (as she is a vegetarian) and they do those happily. I like their Aberdeen Angus steak with chips and salad, and up it comes cooked perfectly. You didn't mention La Veranda. Did you try that?

 

I am so pleased you enjoyed Regent though.

[Border Rat]

Dear all, I thought I'd share the experience of my first regent cruise with you all.

 

Thanks for your succinct and informative overview. This is our current dream cruise because my wife grew up in Helsinki. Your observations and tips look very helpful. The comments about Prime 7 interested me because my low opinion of Prime 7 is very much in the minority around here. You reinforced my belief that Prime 7 was designed to appeal to American tastes, heavy on meat and large servings, the complete opposite of Compass Rose and Signatures. It's too bad that Prime 7 put you off Signatures. I think you would have enjoyed it.

[Travelcat2]

I think Prime 7 caters to US tastes and though, I think, very good, is nothing more than a quality steakhouse and I preferred Latitudes, but I know I am in a minority. .

 

Although we will not be able to try Prime 7 until next Monday, we are part of the minority that will miss Latitudes. We do enjoy a good steak and have had excellent steak in Compass Rose. We are looking forward to see if there is any difference in the quality of steak we receive in Prime 7. Just thinking about the food on Regent makes me hungry (and it's only 7:40 a.m. on the west coast!)

[Border Rat]

Further proof of my assertion. OrpingtonT is also a Brit. As someone else has previously posted, Prime 7 is just a steakhouse and not an great example of the genre. There are much better steakhouses on land, in almost every city. I never got the chance to try Latitudes but I think I would have liked it.

[Cruisewoman79]

Although we will not be able to try Prime 7 until next Monday, we are part of the minority that will miss Latitudes. We do enjoy a good steak and have had excellent steak in Compass Rose. We are looking forward to see if there is any difference in the quality of steak we receive in Prime 7. Just thinking about the food on Regent makes me hungry (and it's only 7:40 a.m. on the west coast!)

We TravelCat I guess it will be our DUTY to go online on the 8th and report back on what we thought of Prime 7 on the 7th of September. :o

[OrpingtonT]

We TravelCat I guess it will be our DUTY to go online on the 8th and report back on what we thought of Prime 7 on the 7th of September. :o

 

 

Yes, it is your duty. I think the rest of us ought to pay you to do it!

 

Though as it is a duty, perhaps not.:)

[RachelG]

Intersting reviews. Thank you both. I think Prime 7 caters to US tastes and though, I think, very good, is nothing more than a quality steakhouse and I preferred Latitudes, but I know I am in a minority. What a pity you cancelled Signatures, that is a quite different concept. Did you realise that you can ask for whatever vegetables you want in Compass Rose? My wife is a mashed potato fan (as she is a vegetarian) and they do those happily. I like their Aberdeen Angus steak with chips and salad, and up it comes cooked perfectly. You didn't mention La Veranda. Did you try that?

 

I am so pleased you enjoyed Regent though.

 

I preferred Latitudes over Prime 7 as well, and I am American. It is a take on an US steakhouse, and I can have that at home anytime. Also very difficult to eat there if you are vegetarian (my son made a dinner of side dishes).

[metalsman]

Further proof of my assertion. OrpingtonT is also a Brit. As someone else has previously posted, Prime 7 is just a steakhouse and not an great example of the genre. There are much better steakhouses on land, in almost every city. I never got the chance to try Latitudes but I think I would have liked it.

 

I am very interested in these comments on Prime 7 as we will be aboard in just over 3 weeks time for our first ever cruise and have an advance booking made for the restaurant. As I come from Aberdeenshire (Aberdeen Angus beef land!) in Scotland where we eat this prime beef each week it will make for an interesting comparison. I, too, wondered about American cuts (I had to ask on this forum for an explanation of what some of them were - strange names to us Brits like New York strip) and the size of the portions - it is obvious that American portions are WAY over what we are used to. We also have a booking for Signatures so will be able to make a comparison between them both.

Will definitely post a review on our return in early October.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I wasn't a big fan of Latitudes, but not sure I'll really enjoy Prime 7 either. A big steak for me is about 6 ounces, with lots of sides. I prefer the small portions that Compass Rose has, so you can have several different things to eat. I love vegetables too, so we'll see. Presentation and preparation will make or break it I guess.

[mrlevin]

I only ate in Prime 7 once; I enjoyed it immensely. We shared crab legs as appetizer; plenty to go around. I had the Maine Lobster as that is not served in Compass Rose; gigantic and very tasty. I also tried prime rib; very good. We shared a number of side items that were all good.

 

I would never let someone else's opinions of food lead to you either partake or not partake of a restaurant; all of our tastes are different. Try it out; you might love it and try to book again or not like it and skip it on future cruises.

 

Marc

[Island Cruiser]

LouiseB thanks so much for your thoughtful review. I enjoyed reading it very much. I was surprised to learn you thought three days in St. Pete. too much. We departed St. Pete wishing we had three more days. We really hope to return again in October when the crowds are much smaller but before heavy winter sets in. That way we'll be able to soak up the wonder of that city in leisure. Pat

[Border Rat]

I would never let someone else's opinions of food lead to you either partake or not partake of a restaurant; all of our tastes are different. Try it out; you might love it and try to book again or not like it and skip it on future cruises.Marc

 

That strange sound you hear is the instantaneous sucking-in of breath as restaurant critics all over the world have a sudden chill. ;)

 

Of course, you are absolutely correct and that's exactly what I did, I tried it and now I can skip it. The hard part is figuring out how to pay for that future cruise. Oh well, as my dad used to say "If it was easy, everybody would do it."

[mrlevin]

That strange sound you hear is the instantaneous sucking-in of breath as restaurant critics all over the world have a sudden chill. ;)

 

Of course, you are absolutely correct and that's exactly what I did, I tried it and now I can skip it. The hard part is figuring out how to pay for that future cruise. Oh well, as my dad used to say "If it was easy, everybody would do it."

 

Good points; I stand corrected. The hard part is finding the "food critic" whose tastes match your own. If you have read the same critic for years, and you found you had the same favorites and dislikes, then it would be natural to believe that critic in the future.

[franosu]

We were also on the cruise and believe that the food was a little below Regent standards. Enjoyed the cruise but we arrived home exhausted as we took advantage of all of the excursions that were available for us. Also did three tours in one day at St. Petersburg and really enjoyed the Evening with the Czars. Wish we had skipped the excursions in Visby, Tallin and Helsinki and done those ports on our own.

[NC&KY]

We were likewise on the cruise. I knew it would be a busy schedule, but we are also pretty tired. I don't think 3 days in Russia was too much--in fact, an extra day so you didn't feel like you had to push to see so much might have, in fact, been better. My wife said no more cruises that don't have some sea days!

 

Disappointed in the food at Prime 7, and we are Americans. The food at Signatures was exceptional, though, so the person who cancelled because of the bad Prime 7 experience made a mistake. Service at Signatures, however, was a very different matter. We had a terrible waitress, who made repeated mistakes and blamed us every time. She had what I would term for my kids as "an attitude." I spent several minutes afterwards in a heart-to-heart with the person in charge there and told him how disappointed we were.

 

We both eat lots of vegetables (I have a huge garden that feeds us throughout the year), and we had no problem getting them at any restaurant. You just have to work at it occasionally. The only surprise in that vein was the absence of any spinach the whole cruise. But other greens and lettuces were in easy to find and wonderful beets were in abundance!

[Border Rat]

Disappointed in the food at Prime 7, and we are Americans. The food at Signatures was exceptional, though, so the person who cancelled because of the bad Prime 7 experience made a mistake. Service at Signatures, however, was a very different matter

 

Should have known if I said nobody agreed with me that you all would prove me wrong. ;)

 

I didn't mean to say that you had to be American to like Prime 7, just that it seemed tailored to popular American tastes. Since I am thoroughly American, Texan actually but not all of us want to secede with our lunatic governor, I feel somewhat qualified to make that observation. There have been several recent comments about the service in Signatures on Mariner, one of which I made. We also experienced poor service in Prime 7. Looks like this might be another area where Regent needs to step up its game.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm thinking that if I ever do the Baltic with St. Petersburg, I will do my best to get my own visa so I can feel unconstrained.

[gfranzen]

If you get your won visa you need to be sure the cruise doesn't dock in the industrial area.

[gfranzen]

Where did you dock in STP - the industrial area?

[Travelcat2]

If you get your won visa you need to be sure the cruise doesn't dock in the industrial area.

 

I could not agree with you more. Wish there was a way to know this way in advance!

[UUNetBill]

Okay, I guess I have almost a year to read up on this and find an answer, but maybe someone can type out a quick reply - I understand that you need a visa to 'freelance' in Russia, but what does this have to do with docking in the industrial area? Is there no easy way to get into town or is it closed off completely for all but ship's tours? Not quite sure I understand. . .(but that's a fairly common occurrence with me!)

 

:confused:

[Travelcat2]

I am sure there must be some way to get away from the area. We were docked there -- there appears to be nothing around. There are some Duty Free shops in the Customs building. Someone there no doubt understands English and could call a cab for you. Once you are out of the building, it may be difficult to find someone to understand you.

 

We saw the other area -- you just walk off the ship and can walk to many places.

[gfranzen]

The industrial area is not open to taxis and is reputed to be very congested and difficult to walk through. I think a freelance visa only makes sense if the dock is close to the city proper.