The Ship
The Regent Princess is in her inaugural year and she is all sparkly new and ship shape. She carries 3,500 passengers but, because of her size and design, never feels crowded. It is one of the most beautiful ships we have been on, with many bars and restaurants, activity areas, and nooks and crannies to escape to.

Day 1
Our journey to the ship itself was a long haul. The Copenhagen Ocean Quay port is relatively new and about 6 kilometres from the city centre. Rather than pay big money for a taxi or hop on and off a couple of buses with luggage, we took a train to the closest station and walked the final 3.3 k. The weather was lovely, the ground flat, and we had plenty of time to kill so we quite enjoyed the walk. We arrived ahead of the boarding time we had been given, but they boarded us immediately. Well ahead of the crowds meant we sailed through (pardon the pun) smoothly and speedily and were on board ready to settle in feeling very relaxed.

Day 2 - First port of call - Oslo, Norway
Another country, another perfect day. We docked close to the city centre under a clear, blue Norwegian sky after sailing to the northern most end of the 100 kilometre long Oslofjord. The captain said that we were lucky because it was their best weather day all season.

We loved strolling around this relaxed city with its wide, tree-lined streets and gardens spilling over with brightly coloured summer flowers. In fact, we did more than stroll. We clocked up over 15 kilometres exploring far and wide. We saw the medieval Akershus Castle and fortress (dating back to 1299), the Holmenkollen Ski Jump (site of the 1952 Olympic ski-jumping competition), the Royal Palace (surrounded by more beautiful gardens with signs telling you to walk on the grass and hug the trees), and also enjoyed some quiet time in the lovely halls of the National Gallery admiring some famous works of art including Edvard Munch's "The Scream". But the most impressive thing we saw here was Vigeland Sculpture Park, an 80 acre park set out to showcase the work of Gustav Vigeland. There are over 200 bronze, granite and wrought iron sculptures depicting the complete human lifecycle. The various poses are alive with emotion and movement, and the absolute highlight is the central tower of entwined bodies rising into the heavens, which took him 14 years to complete.

The magnificence of this whole day cost us the princely sum of $6 to enter the National Gallery and $1 to use a toilet. The dollar was well spent, but I'm a little offended by the $6 as the attendant charged me the senior's discounted fee without even asking my age.

Day 3 - Second port of call - Aarhus, Denmark
Back to Denmark and another beautiful day, this time in Aarhus on the east side of the Jutland peninsula. Known as Scandinavia's oldest city, with an interesting Viking history, we again explored on foot. The main points of interest were the Aarhus Cathedral (Denmark's longest and tallest cathedral begun in 1190), ARoS (an art museum topped by a circular footbridge from which you can view the city in all the colours of the rainbow), and the laid back cafes and wide promenade that follow the river through town. The people here were very warm and welcoming. On arrival there was plenty of written information set up, locals were available for advice, and samples of the delicious local bread were available for tasting. More greeters were posted throughout the streets, ready to assist with guidance and information. The local band was playing in the Latin Quarter and the musicians were having fun interacting with the public. Of course there was much more to do here, but we left having enjoyed the best part of the city - its hospitality.

Third port of call - Warnemunde, Germany.
Day 4, and the ship's crew members are still going on about how amazing the weather is. I think it is all due to me and my great affinity with the weather gods who seem to look after me whenever and wherever I travel. (Hey, Margot McGreggor, remember that one time you wouldn't travel with me though Russia in winter because you were afraid it would be be all grey and overcast and it turned out to be six weeks of clear skies and sunshine?)

Most people chose to travel to Berlin today, but as we have been there before we decided to explore locally instead. This turned out to be an excellent decision as we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of this seaside spot. A former fishing village, it is now a very popular seaside resort due to its lengthy, expansive beaches (almost as good as Australia's Gold Coast). The sand is fine and white, and a wide promenade stretches beside the beach, providing numerous access points via rubber matting and/or timber planked paths almost down to the sea. The beach is covered in rows of little lock up cabanas just big enough to sit two people. Hundreds of sun worshippers come here on pilgrimage, and when not on the beach they are sitting in sidewalk cafes or eating smoked seafood from one of the many stalls that line the Middle Pier. Where the beach front meets the harbour entrance sits a 32 metre tall lighthouse and an interestingly shaped building known as Teapot. Another great day counting our blessings to be alive.

Day 5 - at sea
Whew, a day off at last. All this sightseeing is exhausting and we relished the chance to relax and see more of the ship. It is so extensive that we are continually surprised by new and unexpected sections. The design is really outstanding in that it feels so intimate and uncrowded.

Day 6 - Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn is as beautiful as all the guide books claim. The port is only a couple of kilometres from the well-preserved, medieval, walled city and, with such perfect weather following us, we enjoyed a full day of strolling its cobblestone streets. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, and in 1991 the country declared its independence from Russia. From medieval charm to modern day tech-savviness, Estonia is full of surprises. Skype was invented here and every part of the country has wifi access, even in the deepest forest.

Day 7& 8 - St Petersburg, Russia
St Petersburg averages 34 days of sunshine a year. We were lucky enough to be here for two of them. It was also quite warm - about 24 degrees. Last time I was here (four years ago when Sue and I did the Trans-Siberian trip in the middle of winter) it was minus 24 degrees and covered in snow, though I do claim bragging rights to having sunny days then too.

For the first time ever we did a ship organised shore excursion. Russia is strict with its visa requirements and you can't leave the ship unless you are booked on an officially organised tour. It turned out well, but was pretty exhausting, with two long days on the go to cover the main attractions. Our guide was excellent and we had our fill of amazing churches, palaces, museums and vodka. We also got to sip a few champagnes as we did an early morning canal cruise. I am happy to have had the chance to experience this beautiful city in winter and summer. This time I got to experience some different things such as the canal cruise, seeing trees and flowers in full bloom, and fountains flowing, but I think it was more beautiful under a blanket of snow and all lit up for Christmas.

Day 9 - Helsinki, Finland
Some of you will be happy to know that it does sometimes rain on my parade. Fortunately I have seen this lovely city before under snow and sunshine, so I have nothing to complain about. It still has a beauty in the rain and the fountains were flowing and the flowers still blooming colourfully against the grey.

Day 10 - Nynashamn, Sweden
Nynashamn was a lovely surprise in our itinerary as we had visited dear friends here about 20 years ago. Many cruise ships dock in Stockholm, so it was exciting for us to find we were docking here instead. We first met Lennart and Anci when we were living in Laos. They taught in the Swedish School which was attached to the International School in which we worked. Not only did we get to spend a delightful afternoon over lunch with them, but to begin the day we joined a Viking tour led by Lennart. This was a last port of call on our Baltic cruise and we couldn't have chosen a more perfect last stop.

Day 11 - at sea
The itinerary on this cruise has been very exciting, but it is nice to have another sea day at last to give us time to relax, catch our breath, pack and prepare for the next part of our trip. The day was not without excitement, however, as we had an emergency medical evacuation during the morning. Some poor passenger was winced up to the hovering chopper and whisked off to hospital - a cruel reminder that not all holidays have a happy ending.

Day 12 - Copenhagen, Denmark
All over, Red Rover. Back to where we started. A fabulous cruise, but now on to other things. We are catching the train to Hamburg at midday.

Summing up
We loved this ship. It seems Princess really does take passenger feedback seriously and incorporates improved ideas into new ships. The best thing about this ship is that, despite its size, it is so designed that it feels intimate and uncrowded. We loved the light and airy feel about it, the excellent furnishings and the stateroom layout. We had an interior room midship. There was plenty of storage space and the bed and pillows were very comfortable. There was a huge TV screen with an outstanding choice of on demand movies and shows.

The fact that the gym is open 24 hours a day was impressive and the usual morning free stretch classes were a great way to begin each day. You could also dance your way around the ship all day if you wanted to, with Zumba and Salsa and so on. Just when you had completed one work out and walked into another area, the infectious beat of more music would draw you into another dance class.

Although hard to believe, the food quality and choices were even better than other Princess ships we have been on. Free style dining is great and we never had to wait for seating. Our favourite spot was the International Cafe, open 24 hours with the best panini sandwiches ever. Oh, and their peanut butter chocolate cups were divine. (Ta-wa, you would love them.)

The other thing about this ship that impressed Reg was that, unlike the round Australia trip where everyone was in walkers and wheelchairs, the passengers on the Regal were more sprightly and varied in age.

As usual, the professionalism, attentiveness and the warmth of the staff was of the highest standard. AND I cannot tell a lie - we did enjoy being a part of the elite class this trip. Not quite at the top of the pile yet, but we have travelled on enough cruises to have reached the platinum level of the loyalty program. This allowed us such privileges as priority boarding, a generous free internet package and a special reserved Club lounge where cheap cocktails and delicious pre-dinner treats were served each day.

Not many negatives to report. I am not sure where they found their Destination Expert. Perhaps he knew something of the places we were visiting, but he was a boring speaker. He didn't motivate me to want to visit any of the destinations, but he did make me want to get off the ship just so I didn't have to listen to him.

The only other thing we would have improved upon was to have a map somewhere on board (as other ships have had) showing the route of this cruise.

I think it is sad that so much paper is used to advertise things on the ship. There are always notices handed out daily to each cabin. A plus is that more and more information is available on wifi devices, such as the daily program and access to your account, but I guess sales are important and more effective when a bit of paper is shoved in front of you.

All in all, this ship deserves top marks - best of the Princess line we have been on so far.