Prior to leaving the United States, we booked a private 2-day tour of St. Petersburg with TJ Travel and had a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience!! We had no problem quickly disembarking, our tour guide and driver awaiting our arrival. We were able to see what WE wanted to see and spend extra time in those places that we most highly valued. Our guide Natalya was absolutely amazing with the breadth and depth of her knowledge. We NEVER had to wait for admission at any of the crowded sites and we visited places that do not even allow large groups. I can't say enough good things about this experience--outstanding, fantastic, awe-inspiring, the BEST event of the entire trip! Five+ stars!!

This was also our first cruise. We were impressed with the size of the cabins and how well designed they were to allow plenty of storage space. We were a little worried about the fact we had an inside cabin with no window, but it was never a problem. In fact, since we were sailing in July with about 20 hours of daylight on the Baltic, we were very happy we had normal hours of darkness at night. Moreover, the money we saved from NOT having a cabin with a window or balcony actually paid for six nights in a hotel, touring the countryside before we left on the cruise!