Vision of the Seas Baltic Cruise

Jessica has arrived safe and sound and we hit the ground running!

Today we are heading to Paris for a Dream Come True Mother/Daughter trip (and it's my birthday).

Thanks so much for all of the sweet and encouraging comments.

It means so much to have her here with me even if it's only for ten days.

On the blog today, I'm going to start telling you about our Baltic Cruise.

It certainly did not disappoint and just once again reinforced the fact that we love to cruise.

I'll do a quick rundown of the ship and the cruise part of our week,

but it was really all about the ports!  More on the cities that we visited in the coming days.

We sailed on the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas out of Copenhagen for a seven night Scan Russia Cruise.  We had two Sea Days and stopped in Tallin, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm before returning to Copenhagen. 

 
The Vision of the Seas is one of the Royal Caribbean's Vision Class and first sailed in 1998.  She is one of their smaller ships and flips between Northern Europe and Caribbean Cruises each season.  Her ten passenger decks can accommodate 2,416 passengers and she has a staff of 765 to make sure they are all comfortable.   

To be honest, this was my least favorite ships of the five I've sailed on, not to say that there are any major complaints.  I've been on another ship that was less tonnage but this one felt smaller.  It's also one of the few times that I felt a bit crowded on a ship.  The ship is clean and well-maintained, however, it is very dated.  But, this is completely irrelevant as she is scheduled for dry-dock and a major overhaul in the next few weeks.  Things will be very different after her makeover. 

We also experienced a little bit of an identity crisis aboard the ship.  We both fell in love with cruising in the Caribbean and obviously Royal Caribbean is completely branded for that type of cruise.  Calypso and reggae on the sundeck, waiters in bright flowered shirts and white shorts serving fruity rum drinks with umbrellas.  Perfect for a Caribbean cruise, right?  Not so much when you're cruising the Baltic Sea.  Of course, we don't expect them to completely re-brand but it was a bit off.  They tried to give the drinks names with a more Scandinavian twist but the Copenhagen Key Lime Daiquiri just doesn't work. 

 

We really lucked out and had almost perfect weather all week.  On our last sea day, we could have been in the Caribbean.  It was sunny and warm and we were able to enjoy the sun deck.  We spent a little time in the Solarium, but it was my least favorite part of the ship and I think will probably benefit the most from the revamp. 

The food was okay.  We keep our expectations pretty realistic and research so we know what to expect on whichever cruise line we are sailing.  We ate lunch in the Windjammer for the few days we are on board during the day.  The Windjammer is a buffet with many different options.  We were somewhat disappointed with food in both the Windjammer and the Solarium.  There were also some timing issues when we went in search of food, but one or the other was closed.  It's been our experience in the past that you can pretty much get food anytime of the day.  

However, dinner each night in the dining room was very good.  We had one bad night, but again it was a timing issue.  We tried out My Time Dining with this cruise and we were at the very end of the serving, so I think the food had been sitting for awhile.  I'm not quite sold on the My Time Dining option.  We had to remember to make a reservation ahead of time.  I also missed the camaraderie of dining with the same people each night.  We've met some great people and that has always been a highlight of the cruise.  (We've been very lucky and have had some great table mates.)

We also purchased an All-Inclusive Drinks Package for the first time.  This is something new that they are trying out.  Normally on a cruise sodas, juices and all alcohol is extra.  You purchase with your sailing card as you go, and at the end of the cruise you are presented with your bill.   You pretty much just hold your breath to see if you need to mortgage the house or not.  This new option allowed us to pay the daily per person rate and everything was then included.  
 

Well, not exactly everything.  The wine selection was limited to their house wine by the glass, only Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet. Being a Pinot Grigio girl, I was disappointed and might have pouted until Matthew let me order a glass or two outside of the package deal.  The rules for liquor and cocktails were pretty complicated.  Even the bartenders weren't always sure which drinks were included in the package.  I don't think the bar staff are too keen on the plan either as gratuities are included in the deal, but they don't go to your individual server, they are divided amongst all of the serving staff whether they ever serve you or not.  

 

In the end we definitely saved money.  But, there is also the effect of "Well, it's paid for, so of course, I'll have another!"  We probably drank a bit more than we normally would on a cruise without the deterrent of a 10-page bill sliding under our door on the last day.  The comfort of knowing exactly how much we'll be paying means that we will definitely consider this option again if offered.

  

Our room was just about perfect (aside from the 10" box TV that you'll remember from your childhood which I'm pleased to report will be replaced during dry dock.)  Because the Baltic Cruise is one of the more expensive itineraries we decided to forgo the balcony and just went with an outside room with a view.  Our bed was comfy, we had a little couch and table.  The bathroom was a tight squeeze but that what you get on a cruise. 

We had fun with all of the entertainment on offer.  We won some ballpoint pens at pub trivia and even some gold medals during a rousing game of "Majority Rules" (out of 51 teams, I might add.)  We often park ourselves at the piano bar in the evenings but this one didn't quite capture our devotion like some others.  The evening shows were good, particularly the Argentinian Gauchos with their bolas juggling.  

But, the best part about cruising is just hanging out with Matthew.   Our time between ports isn't all about juggling suitcases on public transport.  It's about enjoying a leisurely dinner together, watching the sunset, letting the gentle movement rock us to sleep each night and waking well rested for another day of exploring a new city.
 

What's your favorite part of cruising? 

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