Endangered species?
Written: Aug 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great food & service; intimate surroundings; all-inclusive price
Cons: Possibly some vibration and noise in spots
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| mrsibf's Full Review: Radisson Song of Flower |
We just returned from a week in the Baltic (Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm were the important ports) on the Song of Flower. This is a wonderful ship with many, many things to recommend it and few drawbacks. At only 170 passengers, it's also the type of ship that is getting harder & harder to find in today's market. In fact, rumor has it that she's been sold & will be under new management next year. Get on board while you can!
The pros of the "Flower" under Radisson's capable management include:
1. Compact size that enables her to dock in-close in most ports, including all the ones we visited.
2. Some of the best food we've had anywhere - ship or shore! Breakfast and lunch are served both in the main dining room and buffet style outdoors (weather permitting). The main dining room is intimate. Service is impeccable everywhere. Single service, open seating does not lead to crowding. The ship was full on our journey, but we never had trouble getting a table for two. While everything at dinner is good, the main courses are the best. Among our highlights: lobster medallions; rack of lamb; veal chops done to perfection.
3. The all-inclusive tariff covers just about everything except shore excursions, laundry, and casino. You get unlimited drinks, mini-bar setups, and wines with lunch and dinner. We found the house wines to be excellent, with many "premier cru" and "grand cru" selections, and a variety of vintages available at all times. Tipping is genuinely not expected, although we left something for our cabin attendant, who was always available for anything we needed "whenever."
4. It's a happy ship. The crew are genuinely friendly and clearly like their jobs. We had met the captain (Jan Blindheim) and his wife on another ship and were pleased to see them again. They're a delightful couple. She travels with him periodically.
5. For a small ship, there are lots of amenities. Staterooms are, as you would expect, fairly small, but comfortable and well appointed. Bathrooms work well. Maintenance is to a very high standard. There's a great jacuzzi on the rear deck, and even a fairly adequate fitness center with 3 treadmills, two bikes, stairmaster, universal gym, and free weights. There are several bar areas - our favorite was the observation lounge with picture window views of the ship's progress; great for entering port.
6. The shore excursions we went on, exclusively in St. Petersburg, were excellent. They included a tour of the Hermitage museum that began well before the official opening time, which was wonderful because after it opens it quickly becomes a multilingual melange of tour groups and individuals. We also had a private evening at the Yusupov Palace including a tour, champagne reception, and opera recital in costume. This was ideally sized for the 90 or so passengers who signed up and would have been impossible for a much larger group.
7. The size of the ship makes for easy and smooth debarkation and embarkation. Few or no cattle drives.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of things about this type of ship that can be a problem for people who are sensitive to noise and vibration. Since she only draws about 15 ft., the Flower can vibrate and experience "chop" even in moderate seas. We only experienced this on one segment of the voyage. She can also be a little noisy, especially in the after cabins.
On balance, a fine ship and great value for the money in the luxury cruise market - especially for those who like more intimacy in their surroundings than the mega ships provide.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mrsibf
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Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 3 members
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