Regal Princess Baltic Cruise Review
May 22, 2017
Just the Facts:
Ship: Regal Princess (2014)
Captain: Tim Stringer
Hotel Director: Richard Harry
Cruise Director: Kelly Rose
Ports: Copenhagen - Oslo - Warnemunde - Tallin - St. Petersburg - Helsinki - Stockholm - Copenhagen
This is my 22nd Princess cruise, the first time on the Regal Princess, and 129th cruise overall. I am cruising with the dear wife (DW) and this is also her first cruise on the Regal. I have never cruised the Baltic so this a certainly a cruise I am looking forward to experiencing.
Sunday-Monday / Travel / Embarkation / May 21-22, 2017 / Day 0
We left Carnival Breeze about 8:30 am on Sunday and made our way to George Bush airport in Houston arriving about 11:00 am after parking our car at FastParkRelax remote lot. Since we were arriving early both the KLM check-in and TSA Security was a breeze and we could relax and use the Airport wifi until boarding of our KLM flight about 2:30 pm. First time to fly on KLM and there is more leg room and good food, but the entertainment system was not functioning and nine hours is a long time to endure a long overnight flight. We were just happy to get off in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport at 7:00 am local time, but the worst was yet to come. Our short KLM flight to Copenhagen boarded at 9:20 am plenty of time we thought…but no…we had a two hour wait standing in line for Passport Control. In addition to being stressful standing for two hours after a nine hour flight we began to wonder if we would even miss the connection. We made it but just barely, I know I will never fly through Amsterdam Schiphol again…never. Arrival in Copenhagen was better and the baggage was easy. We had Princess transfers so we checked our bags with Princess and didn’t have to deal with them. The bus from the airport to cruise terminal took about 45 minutes, but we did drive through town and saw some sites along the way. That and the nice weather began to lift our spirits…we were certainly not in Texas any longer. There is a seven hour time difference from Texas to Denmark. Overall it was almost exactly 24-hours in travel time from the Port of Galveston to the Port of Copenhagen.
Monday / Embarkation - Copenhagen / May 22nd / Day 1
We arrived at the Regal Princess about 1:00 pm. and security was not difficult. We finally got to skip a long line with our Elite status on Princess as we were immediately checked-in and proceeded to board the ship. There is a WOW factor…the Lobby or Piazza area look great. We went to our balcony cabin on deck nine and DW settled down for a needed nap and I went up the the Horizon Court on Lido for a nice salad then a nap. Preparations for muster drill started about 4:00 pm so we soon took our Life Jackets to our muster station and listened to the instructions. Our bags also arrived just before safety drill…yea. The Horizon opens for dinner at 5:30 so we went up to eat about 6:00, DW had a great Salad and I had a very nice Pasta. After dessert we found the Cloud Nine Bar, this is the specialty designed bar for Elite and Suite guests. Great h’orderves as usual and I ordered a Mojito ($5.75). This is a much better space than having this daily Elite event in another space or lounge. DW found a nice new nautical top to purchase in the shops while I listened to a great Jazz group in the Piazza. We returned to the cabin and watched us sail away from Copenhagen and it felt good to shower off all that travel and get into relaxing clean clothes as we sailing into the sunset and enter the Baltic sea. The day got better as it went along…a nice first day on the beautiful Regal Princess.
Tuesday / Oslo / May 23rd / Day 2
Smooth seas overnight and we both slept very well. We had room service delivered about 8:30 am and we ate our breakfast as we sailed up the Oslo Fiord on this bright sunny and somewhat chilly morning. We were docked by 10:00 am below Akershus Castle. This is our second visit to Oslo so we are enjoying our morning and allowing it to warm up a bit before debarking and it did became a beautiful Spring day. I had lunch in the Horizon Grill: Lamb with mint jelly, Brest of young hen from carving station, Mashed Potatoes, Meatballs in tomato sauce, and more. We left the ship about 1:00 pm ready for our lovely day in Oslo. The primary cruise ship pier is well within walking distance of the city center, but I was a bit lazy and we did the Hop-on Hop-off train. My plan was to get to the Royal Palace, one of the highest points in the city then walk down hill the rest of the day. The train did get us fairly close. Palace tours of the interior do not begin until June, but we enjoyed the beautiful grounds, wonderful views, and the Changing of the Guard. As we were on the backside of the palace and looking through the back gate we noticed a limo pull into the main entry (yes into the interior entry) from the back doors. Unusual we thought but as we determined later as we walked down from the palace they were picking up King Harald as his motorcade then passed us as we approached Karl Johans Gate. We spent time on the beautiful boulevard and park enjoying ice creme and the weather. As we headed back by Oslo University we noticed the motorcade and some activity so we got luckily into the inner photographer station and only waited a few minutes and King Harald V appeared. Hello King of Norway…nice to see you. Following our visit with the King we took the HoHo train around to Acker Brygge the location of the former old docks and now restored as trendy boutiques, shoppes, restaurants, and businesses. The area was packed with locals enjoying the exceptionally nice weather. I enjoyed several Ringnes beers and DW an Elderflower Spritzer at Lekter’n a famous very Norwegian Bar & Restaurant. It was good beer and a great people watching experience. After beers we walked along the docks, visited City Hall, enjoyed a Crepe, and returned to the cruise terminal arriving back on the ship after 6:00 pm. I went to the Horizon Grill about 8:00 and they have an excellent dinner set up including wine service…very nice. I attended the Norwegian Folk Show in the Princess Theater at 9:00 pm it was nice…I’m pretty familiar with the costumes since I live in a Norwegian community. Amazing that it is still daylight at 10:00 pm…we are so far north and approaching long days…beautiful late views, we got to see a sailboat race across the harbor from our balcony side we don’t sail away until 11:00 pm. It was a wonderful day in Oslo.
Wednesday / Day at Sea / May 24th / Day 3
Again very calm seas over night and another good nights sleep. We again had room service for breakfast. Princess is one of few cruise lines that serves a nice
warm breakfast sandwich option for mornings, most are just a continental
breakfast. I also had melon and citrus as well as hot milk. It’s
another sunny day and we are enjoying a relaxing morning with wonderful
views from the balcony on this sea day. We went to lunch about 1:30 in
the Horizon Court…they have really altered the menu to offer a large
variety of Asian foods since half the guests are Asian. Interesting. I
worked on airport transfers for the end of the cruise and got those
arranged, but used a lot of my internet time. I’m still on the original
250 minutes allotted to the Elite guests for now. At least the
internet is working very well this week. With the hourly system guests
do log out when not online. We also had an easy afternoon but I did a
walk about ship and guests were sitting in the sun on Lido Deck and
there were activities all over the ship. We went to dinner in the
Concerto Dining Room…very classy room with wonderful place settings and
table cloths…we actually had a table for two at a window. Tonight I
ordered: Shrimp Cocktail, Spaghetti Carbonara, Yorkshire Pudding: Roast
Beef with Horseradish-Carrots-Peas-Potatoes, and two desserts: Ice Creme
selection and Vanilla Creme Brûlée. We retired to the cabin after
dinner and about 10:00 pm we sailed under the famous Østbroen Bridge. It was very cool as the ship’s horns played the theme to the Love Boat as we passed under…got a kiss from my sweetie too. It was a very nice relaxing sea day on the Regal Princess.
Thursday / Warnemunde, Germany / May 25th / Day 4
Calm seas and another good nights sleep. We had an early room service breakfast as we needed to meet our excursion at 7:30 am. We booked the Regal Princess’ Schwerin Castle, Lake Schwerin Cruise & Rostock excursion and were on the bus and on our way by 8:00 am. We had an hour+ drive to the town of Schwerin located in a forested area with several lakes and a historic castle in the Mecklenburg area of northern Germany. Our first stop was for a photo op of Schwerin Castle from above the beautiful park area, after which we enjoyed a 30-minute boat ride on Lake Schwerin, Germany's third-largest lake with unique views around Schwerin Castle. Leaving the boat we had a walking tour of the city of Schwerin, the old market square, and Schelfstadt district, popular for its very old half-timbered houses. We then boarded a trolley train for a short tour of other areas of Schwerin. Finally it was time to visit the very unique Schwerin Castle itself. We enjoyed a guided tour of the former living, social, and ceremonial rooms...now used by the palace museum to exhibit pictures, sculptures, furniture, weapons, medals, jewelry and other objects d'art. We saw the grand living quarters and the ceremonial rooms including the ancestral portrait gallery and the beautiful throne room. After the tour we had lunch at a local restaurant along the lake shore adjacent to the castle. It was a nice meal and following we boarded our buses for the drive to Rostock. We had a tour of Rostock then stopped for an inside visit to St. Mary's Church, the most famous of Rostock's seven medieval churches. Constructed in the 13th century, St. Mary's features an exquisite, working astrological clock that is today maintained by the mathematics faculty of the University of Rostock. We arrived back at the ship about 5:00 pm. After a brief cabin visit we went down to the Club 6 Lounge as it was both Shrimp Fountain day and Cosmopolitan cocktail day for the Elite guests. We did take advantage of both until the 7:00 pm last call. We went down to the International Grill for a dessert and cookies, our first visit there, but DW discovered some perfect vegetarian snacks there so we will return. While on deck five we visited the Gelato Shop and I enjoyed a nice sampling of gelato while listening to Prestige the wonderful jazz group performing in the Piazza. No need for dinner tonight so we retired to the cabin to relax from such a busy excursion day. We turned our clocks forward one hour tonight and will be the same as the next four ports. It was a great day in Germany and the Regal Princess.
Friday / Day at Sea / May 26th / Day 5
Smooth seas overnight and I slept very well, almost too well, I didn’t get up until after 10:00 am. We did play the special Sleep Music available on the interactive TV system for the first time so that may have had a part in the nice sleep. We have a special luncheon at noon so I had some fruit and a cookie for breakfast. The luncheon was for the Elite passengers with the most days traveled and I was very happy that I received the invitation. We met at Sabatini’s on deck five and everyone had their photo taken with the Captain as we entered. We had individual printed menus and place cards…very classy. As a starter I ordered the Symphony of Seafood: Cured Salmon, Ahi Tuna Poke, & Lobster Medallions. My entree was Sterling Beef Chateaubriand with Napoleon Vegetables, the other choice was Pan Seared Halibut. DW had the Freshly-made Leek and Potato Ravioli, For dessert we had Love Boat Temptation: White chocolate and peach melba mousse, raspberry rose center and sable breton. They also served a selection of Petit Fours. My food was outstanding and prepared perfectly. DW did some shopping and I returned to the cabin with the mementoes of the luncheon and to do the paperwork for our debarkation transfer. This afternoon we watched the recent movie The Accountant with Ben Affleck, a great movie. One that would never be shown at the Cliftex back in Bosque County. DW watched another movie, Jackie, and I did a walkabout the ship. It was a beautiful day of Baltic sunshine and guests were enjoying it on Lido deck. Also a lot of activities in the Piazza and Theater today. It was formal night on the Regal Princess but we chose to eat at the Horizon Court that was set very nicely with placemats and long stemmed glasses for dinner. I had a basic, but wonderful meal. They had Strip Sirloin Beef at the carving station that I had sliced into thick steaks then additionally grilled to perfection on the grill behind the station…excellent. I had sides of Mashed Potatoes and Mixed vegetable and an additional steak for dessert. We met the Captain and staff at lunch so didn’t participate in any of the formal night functions, but retired to the cabin for another movie: The Infiltrator with Brian Cranston. It was a great relaxing movie and food day on the Regal Princess.
Saturday / Tallinn, Estonia / May 27th / Day 6
Smooth seas overnight and we again had a nice sleep. We were already docked in Tallinn when room service breakfast was delivered about 8:30 am. Forecast was for rain, but it as a nice sunny day as we left the ship to meet our private tour. We had a small group of 16 on a nice full size bus so it was easy touring. This was a combination two hour bus tour and two hour walking tour. The bus tour passed by the new New Tallinn area with lovey squares and modern building, the 1980 Olympic Yacht Park, and a stop at Kadriorg Park and Kadriorg Palace founded by Peter the Great (the palace's main hall is one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in all of Northern Europe). We had an additional stop at the UNESCO recognized Song Festival Ground, this concert arena can accommodate 30,000 singers on its vast stage and is home to Song Festival, an Estonian tradition since 1869. The walking portion of the tour began at Toompea Hill (Upper Old Town) and Toompea Castle, the current home of Estonia's Parliament. Then a quick visit into the historic Russian Alexander Nevsky Cathedral that serves as the dominating landmark in Palace Square. This cathedral serves as a living relic of the Russian Empire, and a strong testament to the influence of years under the rule of Russian Tsars in Estonia. Next we visited the overlook of the lower and modern city of Tallinn. Last stop in the upper old town was at Gothic St. Mary's Cathedral. Simply called the "Dome Church" by the locals, St. Mary's Cathedral is the city's oldest church and an architectural landmark that has played a prominent role in Tallinn's history. We then walked through the Uhike Jalg gate down to the Old Town (lower) of Tallinn to St. Nicholas Church (1230-1275) then to the beautiful Old Town Square and old City Hall. The square is dominated by old buildings from Gothic to Medieval with various businesses, restaurants, and more. We did visit the oldest continuous pharmacy in Europe and visit some shops. The highlight was lunch in an old restaurant Liisu Juures severing genuine traditional Estonian food and beer (recommended-would never of found it on our own). I ordered Saku Original (local beer) and Mylgikapsad Keedukartuliiga (Sauerkraut Mulgi style with boiled potatoes) and DW ordered Potato Pancakes with Loganberry. After lunch we walked the streets of Old Town seeing the smallest house, the old walls, St. Olaf’s Kirke, and Stout Margaret’s Tower. We then walked back to the Cruise Terminal arriving back about 4:30 pm. We planned an easy evening after all the walking today and big plans for tomorrow, so we just had a light snack from the International Cafe retired early. It was a great day in Tallinn Estonia.
Sunday / St. Petersburg, Russia / May 28th / Day 7
We had a very early room service delivery that served as our wake up call for a very busy day. Fortunately it’s a sunny day although cold with temps from 45°-55°. There are six large cruise ships docked this morning. We left the cabin about 7:00 am and it took 45 minutes to clear Russian passport control so we met our private tour about 8:00 am the designated time. It was 8:15 am when the stragglers arrived but soon our group of 14 tourists plus driver Sergi and our guide Catherine were off. We drove downtown to view monuments and stop at a very nice souvenir store for a WC break, but actually we were delaying time until the time to board a nice Hyrofoil boat to Peterhof Palace. After a 30+ min ride we arrived at the Lower Park of Peterhof Palace. We walked the grounds of the Versailles of the North
admiring the many fountains and Gold statuary. Afterward we ate lunch
(Vodka, Salad, Borscht, Chicken & Rice, and Apple Cake Dessert) that
was served banquet style in a nice Russian Palace styled facility
specifically for tour groups. We then drove about 45 minutes to the
town of Pushkin to visit Catherine’s Palace. This is perhaps
the most beautiful of all the former Royal Russian Palaces in the St.
Petersburg area. Room after room of beautiful salons most trimmed with
gold and the feature salon being the Amber Room filled with Amber and
Gold decor. There were just so many tourists that it took away from overall enjoyment of it all, but Catherine’s Palace is beautiful. We returned to St. Petersburg and drove down the main avenue passing the Leningrad Siege Memorials, the Theater, Department Stores, and more before returning to the sea port about 7:15 pm. We were very tired and kept it simple going to the Horizon Court where I had a nice plate of Fried Scallops before retiring. It was a good first day in St.Petersburg.
Monday / St. Petersburg, Russia / May 29th / Day 8
Again we ordered room service as a wake-up, but we were up and around earlier as we actually meet our tour earlier than yesterday @ 7:30 am. Again there are six large
cruise ships in port. We left the cabin about 6:50 am and Russian
Passport Control goes much faster on second day in port so we had time
to look at souvenirs (TIP: prices are really much better at the port
than in the City) and I did get a Russian Hat. Our nice group of 14
were all early so with our guide and driver we were off to the City of
Petersburg. First stop was an hour long River Boat Ride, I thought it would be touristy, but it really is the best way to see all the Palaces built along the river and I enjoyed it. We visited Yusupov Palace it belonged to the House of Yusupov, an immensely wealthy family of Russian nobles, known for their philanthropy and art collections. The building was also the site of Grigori Rasputin's murder in the early morning of December 17, 1916. Next we visited a beautiful and interesting Subway Station and then took a break at a McDonald’s (always a great Coca-Cola). Next site was the world famous Hermitage Museum and Royal Winter Palace. Supposedly closed on Monday it was full of tourist groups, but it did go fairly smooth through the numerous grand halls of the Winter Palace and exhibition rooms of adjoining Palaces. It is a huge building and complex with many wonders and the #1 must see in St. Petersburg. Lunch was next at Legran a very nice Russian restaurant located in a cellar downtown. We had a very nice Mixed Slaw Salad, Mushroom Soup, and Beef Stroganoff. Much nicer lunch than yesterday. We did a speed tour to get in all the sites needed after lunch and next was the one I personally liked best: Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. This church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded in March 1881.The church was built between 1883 and 1907. The construction was funded by the imperial family and is a colorful iconic Russian Church that harkens back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It has been beautifully restored inside from damages during the War and Soviet era. Next we visited St Isaac’s Cathedral, the largest of all St. Petersburg churches, again with beautiful religious icons. Our final stop was Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral located at Peter & Paul Fortress, This fortress location was the founding location of St.Petersburg and the first church. The smaller but old Cathedral is the final resting place of all the Romanoff Czars and families from Peter the Great to the last: Nicholas II who was killed by the Bolsheviks in 1917. We were delivered to the sea port just after 5:00 pm in time for our 5:30 boarding call. The two day Deluxe Tour by local SPB Tours was excellent and a better value than the Princess ship tour with a smaller group. Our guide Catherine was very knowledgeable, very attractive, and her English was very good, I felt as though we were listening to Melania Trump for two days. Perhaps a little scatterbrained, but it added to her charm. We went strait to Club 6 for some much needed cocktails and snacks…they had guacamole & various cheeses. We skipped dinner and retired to the cabin after such a busy and tiring day. St. Petersburg was a wonderful experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Tuesday / Helsinki, Finland / May 30th / Day 9
Smooth seas every night of the cruise and a good nights sleep although I was up in the night updating review and on the internet just as I would be at home because of bandwidth speeds. BTW-the sun was coming up about 3:45 am…amazing this far north. We were docked in Helsinki when I awoke the second time about 8:00 am so I went to the MDR for the first proper breakfast. I ordered a Banana, Blueberry pancakes, and Two Eggs with Ham, Bacon, and Hash Browns. We did not have plans for Helsinki although I had “HoHo?” on Calendar so when we stepped off the ship about 10:00 am and saw the HoHo bus we did their tour of the City. We saw: the Sibelius Monument, Olympic Stadium, Finlandia Hall, and the retail center including the huge Stockman’s Department Store. We got off and walked a portion of the Esplanade to the Market Square along the waterfront where they have stalls selling fresh fish, fruits, sweaters, souvenirs, and more. I bought a mixed fruit basket of Cherries, Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries. We walked by the Uspenski Cathedral then by the Presidential Palace to Senate Square. We walked up the many steps to the Cathedral and were there as noon services began. We caught the HoHo bus at Senate Square for the return to the Regal Princess arriving back before 2:00 pm. It was a nice quick tour of Helsinki and we beat the masses back as we have a very early sailing today. We had a nice late lunch in the Horizon Court, I had Virginia Baked Ham from the carving station, Salad, and Mashed Potatoes & Vegetables. We then enjoyed much needed rest in the cabin. We did watch the movie Allied starring Brad Pitt, they have a nice selection of current and classic movies available in the cabin. About 8:00 pm, I went up to the Horizon Court for a nice dinner: Pork Tenderloin With Remoulade Sauce, Beef Steaks, Mashed Potatoes, and Vegetables…then retired to the cabin. It was a very nice day in Helsinki and on the Regal Princess.
Wednesday / Stockholm, Sweden / May 31st / Day 10
Smooth Seas over night and we moved our clocks forward one hour back to Central Europe Time. We were sailing into Stockholm when we opened the balcony drapes this morning. I had time to go up to the Horizon Court for a light breakfast before our excursion meet time this morning. DW had room service as usual. Our Princess excursion today was: The Royal Palace and Gamla Stan walking tour. We left the ship at 9:15 stopping for a photo op at a nice city overlook and arrived at the Royal Palace at it’s 10:00 am opening time. The Palace is one of the largest in Europe with over 600 rooms and the King and Queen were in residence. We toured several staterooms, chambers, and more. Not as opulent as many in Europe, but a very nice tour of a stately palace. Gamla Stan is the original old town area with the oldest city square with original medieval structures. We had some free time for some shopping and a Swedish beer, then found a great spot back at the palace to watch the changing of the guard. The guard ride in on horseback including a mounted band. Very impressive. Soon we boarded our bus back to the ship as we have an early sail away at 1:30 pm and upon arrival went strait up to the Horizon Court for a very nice lunch. It was really busy as all the tours were arriving back at the same time today. We spent the afternoon watching us sail away from Stockholm, with a Love Boat salute, and through the beautiful Stockholm Archipelago with thousands of islands. Twenty-four thousand to be exact. We were in Club 6 having cocktails at 7:00 pm when we past the final channel buoy so it took five hours to sail through the archipelago…it was a quite an experience…glad we could experience it in full daylight…sort of combination of sailing the inside passage of Alaska and the coast of Maine or Nova Scotia. Tonight is Italian night in the MDR so we went to Concerto Dining Room where I ordered the Melanzane Parmigiana and Spaghetti & Meatballs. It was a very good dinner. We also viewed perhaps the best movie of the cruise: Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge (excellent). It was a great busy day in Stockholm and on the Regal Princess.
Thursday / Day at Sea / June 1st / Day 11
Smooth seas overnight and we slept very well. I went to Horizon Court for a nice breakfast. Found the fried eggs and love the Danish bacon. We began the packing process and watched movies this morning. Very sunny day so decks were busy on this last cruise day. We went to lunch again in Horizon and I had Turkey from the carving station and Mashed Potatoes. They have had Bread Pudding several times this cruise and that’s what I had for dessert. Movies and finished packing this afternoon, then put the bags out in passageway for pickup before dinner as requested. Trifecta on Horizon Court for meals today as we went again for dinner this evening and the Minute Steaks were very good. Our bags were gone when we returned to the cabin so the cruise almost over. We did pass under the Beltway Bridge again about 9:50 pm and I got another trifecta with a photo of the bridge, sundown, and a warship also passing. Since this was a very port intensive cruise we really didn’t attend the Production shows this cruise. We really didn’t do many of the daily activities offered each day either, but the time seemed to pass so fast over the 11 days. We were always busy doing our ‘thing’ or watching movies and relaxing from a lot of site seeing and walking done in the eight busy days in port. We really enjoyed this cruise and it will probably be in my top three of all time enjoyable cruises. It was a relaxing final day on the Regal Princess.
Friday / Copenhagen Denmark / June 2nd / Debarkation
Smooth seas overnight and we were docked about 5:00 am in Copenhagen. We were up about 6:30 am and finished our small bag packing and I had a quick breakfast in the Horizon Court. Your to leave cabins by 8:00 am and we were out about 8:15 for our designated meet location of the Casino for our 9:15 am designated departure time. Our tags (White-2) are actually the last color on debark schedule so guests leave early and I suspect most are on airport shuttles or tours the end up at the airport…so off very early. We actually waited in Club 6 as it was more comfortable and they called our group a bit early. We walked down to deck 4 and were ‘clicked’ off strait away without huge lines. We walked to the White-2 luggage and our bags were the first in White-1 actually but right in front of us…easy. We then rolled them the the Taxi line and only waited a few minutes for a taxi…it was very well organized. The taxi had us at our hotel by 10:00 am for our two day Copenhagen visit. Very smooth debarkation.
Cabins - Crew
We had cabin D616 a balcony cabin located on deck 9 towards aft on port side. Good location between mid and aft elevators. Typical Princess room plan with dressing area and long clothes hanging area next to bath area. It’s fine for two people with small couch, button type safe, one electrical outlet on counter/dresser, Telephone on desk, Chair at Dresser, Hair dryer in drawer, and large flat screen TV with the interactive features. There is an empty refrigerator and as an Elite guest I had a bar set up. The bed and bedding were great. Great shower pressure and water temperature too. Wonderful large flat screen TV mounted opposite bed was perfect for watching movies. The only disappointments for us were the bath towels: cheap motel quality, and bath robes (very old and shabby). I acquired some alternative towels. The ships crew we encountered were very friendly, they themselves can make the cruise more enjoyable for the guest. Luis, our cabin steward, was good, the cabin was always clean and ice container filled.
Dining / Food / Bars
We relied on the Horizon Court on Lido deck for most dinners and many lunches, the food was good and there was a varied selection. The MDR was very good the limited times we did go for dinner. The International Cafe and Gelato Shop were very good. Our favorite bar was the Club 6, but we really didn’t go to many this cruise.
HiGHLIGHTS OF THE CRUISE
St. Petersburg Two-Day Deluxe Tour of the numerous sites
Schwerin Castle tour in Germany
Tallinn Day and tours.
Oslo Day with beautiful Weather
Club 6 lounge for Elite guests
Horizon Court
Ship: Regal Princess (2014)
Captain: Tim Stringer
Hotel Director: Richard Harry
Cruise Director: Kelly Rose
Ports: Copenhagen - Oslo - Warnemunde - Tallin - St. Petersburg - Helsinki - Stockholm - Copenhagen
This is my 22nd Princess cruise, the first time on the Regal Princess, and 129th cruise overall. I am cruising with the dear wife (DW) and this is also her first cruise on the Regal. I have never cruised the Baltic so this a certainly a cruise I am looking forward to experiencing.
Sunday-Monday / Travel / Embarkation / May 21-22, 2017 / Day 0
 |
| KLM Airlines |
Monday / Embarkation - Copenhagen / May 22nd / Day 1
 |
| First Baltic Sunset |
Tuesday / Oslo / May 23rd / Day 2
 |
| Regal Princess & Akershus Fortress |
Wednesday / Day at Sea / May 24th / Day 3
 |
| Østbroen Bridge |
Thursday / Warnemunde, Germany / May 25th / Day 4
 |
Schwerin Castle - great excursion
|
Friday / Day at Sea / May 26th / Day 5
 |
| Regal Princess Piazza |
Saturday / Tallinn, Estonia / May 27th / Day 6
 |
| Old Town Square Tallinn from Pharmacy |
 |
| Grand Cascade - Peterhof Palace |
Monday / St. Petersburg, Russia / May 29th / Day 8
 |
| Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood |
Tuesday / Helsinki, Finland / May 30th / Day 9
 |
| Helsini Waterfront & Market Square |
Wednesday / Stockholm, Sweden / May 31st / Day 10
 |
| Royal Swedish Guard |
Thursday / Day at Sea / June 1st / Day 11
 |
| Østbroen Bridge at Sunset |
Friday / Copenhagen Denmark / June 2nd / Debarkation
Smooth seas overnight and we were docked about 5:00 am in Copenhagen. We were up about 6:30 am and finished our small bag packing and I had a quick breakfast in the Horizon Court. Your to leave cabins by 8:00 am and we were out about 8:15 for our designated meet location of the Casino for our 9:15 am designated departure time. Our tags (White-2) are actually the last color on debark schedule so guests leave early and I suspect most are on airport shuttles or tours the end up at the airport…so off very early. We actually waited in Club 6 as it was more comfortable and they called our group a bit early. We walked down to deck 4 and were ‘clicked’ off strait away without huge lines. We walked to the White-2 luggage and our bags were the first in White-1 actually but right in front of us…easy. We then rolled them the the Taxi line and only waited a few minutes for a taxi…it was very well organized. The taxi had us at our hotel by 10:00 am for our two day Copenhagen visit. Very smooth debarkation.
Cabins - Crew
We had cabin D616 a balcony cabin located on deck 9 towards aft on port side. Good location between mid and aft elevators. Typical Princess room plan with dressing area and long clothes hanging area next to bath area. It’s fine for two people with small couch, button type safe, one electrical outlet on counter/dresser, Telephone on desk, Chair at Dresser, Hair dryer in drawer, and large flat screen TV with the interactive features. There is an empty refrigerator and as an Elite guest I had a bar set up. The bed and bedding were great. Great shower pressure and water temperature too. Wonderful large flat screen TV mounted opposite bed was perfect for watching movies. The only disappointments for us were the bath towels: cheap motel quality, and bath robes (very old and shabby). I acquired some alternative towels. The ships crew we encountered were very friendly, they themselves can make the cruise more enjoyable for the guest. Luis, our cabin steward, was good, the cabin was always clean and ice container filled.
Dining / Food / Bars
We relied on the Horizon Court on Lido deck for most dinners and many lunches, the food was good and there was a varied selection. The MDR was very good the limited times we did go for dinner. The International Cafe and Gelato Shop were very good. Our favorite bar was the Club 6, but we really didn’t go to many this cruise.
HiGHLIGHTS OF THE CRUISE
St. Petersburg Two-Day Deluxe Tour of the numerous sites
Schwerin Castle tour in Germany
Tallinn Day and tours.
Oslo Day with beautiful Weather
Club 6 lounge for Elite guests
Horizon Court
