Baltic Sea Cruise

The day arrived for us to board our cruise ship for the next ten days to explore the Baltic Sea.
We chose to cruise with Regent Seven Seas Voyager a luxury cruise ship that carries approximately 750 passengers. Cruising on the smaller ships allows you to visit ports that the superliners cannot get into, makes disembarking at each port easier and has the feel of a resort where you make new friends easier.
I love the smaller cruise ships, having been on some others up to 3,500 people I found that this size services the traveller who wants to explore places not as often visited and can cater for the serious traveller who enjoys luxury, service and all inclusive prices.

While awaiting to be transferred to the ship from our hotel, I asked one of the crew members that was organising us when we'd be allowed into our cabins after embarkation and was promptly informed 'there are no cabins on this ship, only suites!' Yep, I'd been told! I have to admit that he was right, and you can't call them rooms or cabins they're all too large for that and yes I agree they are all suites.  We enjoyed a penthouse suite about mid range on the cost scale. Being prone to sea sickness and not a good sea traveller I wanted a suite that was high up in the decks, this one was on deck 10 just behind the Captain's bridge.

We had a personal butler, who was friendly and made you feel that nothing you asked for was too much. The Regent Seven Seas is all inclusive from food, alcohol to the tours at our destinations. It wasn't necessary to put your hand in your pocket unless you wanted souvenirs.

This ship has the two main dining rooms, one a la carte and one buffet, plus two speciality restaurants, one French restaurant and one Steak- house and of course, a coffee area with a good Barista, if you're Australian you'll appreciate that, and it served delicious snacks.

Our ship left Copenhagen to arrive in St Petersberg a day & 1/2 later. Being at sea gives you time to relax and explore the ship, enjoy the food, bars, shows and get to know your fellow passengers. The onboard Spa was a hive of activity on an at sea day and the staff are quite gifted in their area of expertise. Not to forget, you can also have a flutter at the casino or end the day at the nightclub. With the ratio of the crew to passengers being 1 to 2, we were taken care of so well.

Copenhagen Denmark

Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and a beautiful city. It's so clean and orderly; they have the best bicycle paths and traffic conditions for such a large city, it made an impact on me. The architecture of the buildings is both full of history and filled with modern technology. The Tivoli Gardens area delight to explore and at night, the music plays for you to enjoy. It only runs through Summer, and we caught it on its final night.

The shopping district is a 2-kilometre strip that has every luxury brand well represented. Locals and tourists alike wander along shopping or stopping to eat or drink while people-watching. The one thing that stood out to me about the people was that black is the colour of the day, nearly as bad as Melbourne in winter and that the youth were full of vitality and well groomed.  It's very busy, but you can still find somewhere to eat or have a coffee. Even their public restrooms underneath the centre of the shopping strip should be on your list to see.

We stayed at Scandic Copenhagen hotel with its very modern Danish decor. From the graffiti wall decor to the minimalistic hotel room. The view across the city from our room shot out all the way to the sea and the modern windmills. The concierge & reception staff were extremely helpful and
friendly, Happy to chat while efficiently getting on with the job.

We wanted to experience local cuisine and we were directed to a well known local restaurant  Frk. Barners Kaelder, Helgolandsgade 8A, Copenhagen 1653, Denmark. It had such wonderful meals that we returned the following night to try some other dishes. From the local herring dish (not a particular fan of herring but must say this was good) to their yummy stews, liver& bacon and huge schnitzel to a most delightful traditional berry desert. The dishes are hearty, has a higher fat content than we're used to, but they work well in a country that has the cold weather they experience.

All in all, I would love to return to Copenhagen and explore more of the beautiful city and its countryside. Another to add to my long list of places I yearn to return too, but still so many places I haven't seen yet that if it takes the rest of my life,  I'll get there and enjoy every minute of every adventure.