We chose this cruise because one of us wanted to go to Russia, and this was the easiest and cheapest way to do that. Embarkation was one of the best we've had (this was our 7th cruise), and we couldn't believe it that our room was ready for us and our luggage by the door before 2pm. Our room (balcony) was huge! The balcony was pretty small but we're so glad we paid the extra $ for it because there were some awesome sunsets on this cruise. The complementary restaurants were ok; the buffet was probably the best we've had. Service was always very good in the restaurants. The bar tenders was great! We especially liked Andy from The Phillipines at the bar outside the buffet area. The shows were really interesting and entertaining. Rock of Ages was amazing. Our cabin attendant, Jesse, was excellent. This is the first cruise we've taken where we didn't keep running into cabin attendants in the hallways, but he was always around when we wanted him. Each and every port was interesting and different from each other. Our shore excursions were really good except for one in Saint Petersburg where the guide repeated everything at least three times. I happen to smoke and there was an outdoor bar/smoking area where we met lots of interesting people. The ship's layout was the best ever. Our cabin was near the back of the boat but the elevator banks were located nearby. And the elevators were quick, especially considering there are 4,000 people on this ship. I would definitely recommend this cruise to people, and I would also recommend they use Louis at vacationstogo.com to book. He was super responsive and helpful.