Baltic cruise in July?

Question

OK, I'm trying to compare two cruises here: one is Royal Caribbean, and the other is Celebrity. I want to know the pros and cons of the Baltic from an experienced cruiser. I want to know what are the top attractions, and which cruise I should choose, even though I am leaning more towards the Royal Caribbean one. Please help, my summer depends on you! :)

Royal Caribbean: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cruiseDetails/itineraryAndPricing.do;jsessionid=0000tLMtaIeXs8Iwoys6kdyJy3w:10ktmevl6?packageCode=JW12EHA4&sailDate=1070712&date=20073&selectedCurrencyCode=&promoType=

Celebrity: http://www.celebritycruises.com/search/vacationItinerary.do;jsessionid=0000T3fDxwoQq4g5cvAHePRi_J2:1028etrd4?packageCode=CN12U007&backPageName=Itinerary+Search+Results

And the last question is will I be disappointed with my time in Russia, since there is so much to do?

Answer 1

Go with the Royal Cruise because celebrity has too many kids.  Baltic is a perfect place to go to in July, you are very lucky.  Von Boyage

Answer 2

If anyone has an argument with this statement i welcome it

I have travelled with all the above and found them to be great services but as we became a Little more well healed we travelled with Crystal cruise line and never looked back, by the way both you mentioned are owned by Crystal or are part of the same company.

Scandinavian Symphony, Copenhagen to Stockholm

but if i were you i would check out Crystal cruise line, it would be a little more than most but the rooms and food are to die for.

10 time cruiser

have no fear. just one suggestion i would consider stronly ,

if you get a balcony with your unit it will be the best investment you would have ever made.

Answer 3

I would do the royal one as it has a stop in Oslo ( I haven't been..i have been to amsterdam) and the other does not...I went on a baltic cruise with NCL in May 2006 and my favorite stop was Copenhagen because of the Tivoli gardens...our ship docked in the evening and left the next day...the gardens were beautiful at night....as for Russia, unless you get a VISA you have to travel in a group...we did the Hermitage and peter and paul cathedral.....do as may excursions as you can in russia....I won't do the hermitage again....Tallinn is also very beautiful and is the place to by your Russian souvenirs as they are cheaper here than in St. Petersburg.... there is however a wonderful market across from the church of spilled blood(the church is a must see)...you will love it....i wish i went to a ballet in russia on the evening excursion but I didn't.....so people missed it because the traffic was so bad in st petersburg that some buses were late getting back from afternoon excursions......have a great time!!!

but don't change to NCL because the ship is the Dream and it is their oldest ship and has problems with overcrowding in the sports bar for breakfast buffets and the pizza lounge at lunch was overcrowded...the restaurants were fine however

Answer 4

I can't go into real details about this, but I would suggest that you go with Celebrity.  Royal Caribbean is a economy line compared to Celebrity.  I better comparision is Celebrity with Hollland America or Cunard.

Answer 5

My personal opinion is that Celebrity is a better cruise line than Royal Caribbean, even though Celebrity is owned by Royal. They cater to a higher end clientele. Celebrity typically caters to passengers between the age of 40 to 60. It all depends on what is more important to you, the service / amenities onboard or the ports of call.