Basically, a wonderful cruise.

The positives: Actual embarkation was a breeze (finding the ship was very difficult - some temporary signage would have been helpful). Entertainment for the most part was stellar. Bar service was excellent, they were always willing to make a Cosmo with Finlandia vodka so it was a no-charge drink. It was wonderful docking right near all the action in St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Waramunde and Travemunde. Our cabin 6012 was kept beautifully by the team of Luis & Luis, no complaints there. I also appreciated greatly the complementary laundry facilities. We are Discoverer level, so we also had 1 free laundry bag, but it's per cabin, not per person as on Celebrity. It sure would have been nice to have that extra bag as the laundry facilities were quite crowded on our one sea day. And I'm talking at 7 a.m.

The negatives: Main dining has slipped a little. This was our 3rd Azamara cruise and we were somewhat disappointed in the food and the service. There apparently was noro or some other virus on board so everything - I mean everything - was served to you by the waiters and that may have contributed to the long waits for service, or maybe they have cut back in staff. Hard to tell. Food was just ok, whereas the 2 prior cruises it was wonderful. We did not go to any specialty restaurants because from talking to people that had gone, they were not impressed. Several wished they'd sent their meals back. Read more