I picked this cruise because of the itinerary - the opportunity to visit a range of fabulous cities and fjord towns - on what was billed as a new, stylish and not too large cruise liner. I was not disappointed. The ship is the style of the show - like living for a fortnight in a 'boutique museum', a mix of the modern scandi and a wealth of historical detail. It had all the facilities you might need and all of a high quality, designed with function and beauty in mind.

Cabins were well designed, comfortable and attractive and well maintained by the friendliest room service you could wish for. Similarly, the dining facilities and food were of a high quality, from the homely Mamsens with its jam and waffles to the highly innovative, taste bud tingling Chef's Table. And make sure you have a cocktail in the Explorer's Lounge whilst passing through the Stockholm archipelago, the fjords or whilst watching the sun go down - a recipe for a magical moment. The pool areas were attractive and well maintained and swimming in the infinity pool in sunshine in St Petersburg was one of the unexpected highlights of the journey.

A free trip was included at each port - I only paid for extras in St Petersburg (Gold Room and Hermitage - well worth doing), the ballet in St Petersburg and the jazz cruise in Copenhagen (pricey but a wonderful evening out). After feeling very herded on the Helsinki trip (lots of ships in port and the city felt under strain) we decided to do most of the other ports on our own which enabled us to miss the groups and investigate things of particular interest to us. We did, however, participate in the free trip in Warnemunde (alternative to Berlin) and this turned out to be a lovely day with a brewery visit (beer at 9.30am!!), guided tour of an incredible cathedral and a boat trip with fabulous views - a surprising gem of a day and all included! Read more