TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Afloat Serenade of the Seas - Baltic Cruise

Every ship, every cruise can be different and provide different experiences and opportunities. Our approach to each cruise can be different depending on the itinerary and the ship - is the ship more the destination or is it the ports. For us, the Baltic cruise was very much about the ports and the tours. Getting to know the people we would be touring with really increased the enjoyment of the entire cruise. In the Baltic ports we did so much sightseeing and walking that the ship was primarily the place to rest up. We just were on Oasis August 29 sailing and Oasis itself is the destination to a great extent - we focus more on the meet and mingle group on the Cruise Critic Roll Call and the onboard entertainment and activities.

On our cruises, we pay for some extras - such as the specialty dining - the prices can seem too high, but we get some discounts as Diamond Plus - we almost always eat at Chops on first night. The MDR experience is just not what it used to be - although if we are with a group on a cruise, then the MDR is fine. Staying in suites (which we have been doing mostly as of late) and being Diamond Plus can make our experience different from the experience of less experienced cruisers not in a suite.