Crystal Cruises’ Baltic, Stockholm to Copenhagen: Days 1 to 4

As we board in Stockholm, the 740 passenger Serenity, from Crystal Cruises, undoubtedly lives up to her peaceful name. Immediately, we’re relieved of our luggage and a flute of champagne helps us to flow through brief formalities.

We are about to embark on a 8 nights cruise through the Baltic that will take in Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Visby, Warnemünde and finally Copenhagen.

Even though we can board from mid-day, suites won’t be ready until 3pm, but the Trident Grill, making burgers and wraps to order, and Marketplace’s curving, extensive buffet are open for lunch.

Chatting to fellow guests on the next table we are shocked. A third of guests from the previous voyage have stayed on board for back-to-back cruises; plus our waiter has been with Crystal for more than a dozen years. Guests and crew are incredibly loyal to Crystal.

Most guests on board are repeat Crystal cruisers and know the ropes; in the ship’s jargon, they’ve been “Crystallised”. Never will they contemplate sailing with another cruise line. Our new-found friends recommend that we head pronto to the maitre d’ to book dinner reservations at the ship’s speciality restaurants: Beefbar, Osteria d’Ovido and Umi Uma.

In 2023, the Serenity underwent a $150m refit. Guest capacity was reduced from over 1,000 to 740, giving guests more space, around 90 square feet each. More than on almost any other cruiser sailing the Seven Seas.

That is apparent in our Sapphire Veranda Suite which had been two cabins before the refit. There’s sufficient room to comfortably take meals, delivered by our butler, at the dining table or on the veranda. Appropriately decor is contemporarily serene: calming greys, maritime dashes of aquamarine and flashes of art deco brass recalling the Golden Age of Ocean Liners.

Our butler arrives looking immaculate, as if he’s stepped out of a James Bond casino movie, showing us around the all-inclusive minibar and introducing us to free laundry and pressing. He’ll also announces that daily he’ll be delivering late afternoon canopies. Butlers can also prepare in-suite cocktails …

Crystal is all about choice.

Grab-and-go coffee and pastries begins at 6 am in The Bistro if you are on your way to a morning stretch, mass or a swim in the pool heated to 30 Centigrade.

Waiter service breakfast at Waterside has many options, including healthy but seemingly indulgent Bircher muesli, maple and pecan granola, Eggs Benedict, omelettes, pancakes and the freshest of pastries.

Or there is the informal freedom of Marketplace’s fruit-laden buffet alongside cooked-to order-eggs, hot options and a vast array of breads and pastries. Then for late-risers there’s breakfast at The Trident Grill.

Guests can take the complimentary shuttles, running every half hour, to the Opera House at the heart of Sweden’s capital. Alternatively, guests can book private car, full day and half day tours.

Since Abercrombie and Finch has taken the reigns, Crystal has extended the range of excursions including : Panoramic Stockholm, the Vasa Museum and Stockholm by boat, Stockholm by land and boat, a City Art Walk and for foodies a four-hour walking tour taking in the flavours of Sweden’s culinary diversity.

As the majority of guests are out exploring Stockholm it’s a good day to head to the Aurora Spa to talk to Dr Claire, about anti-ageing treatments, “We only have one face and we have to invest in ourselves,” she persuades.

I opt for a Swedish massage, with rosemary infused oil, to get over the stresses and strains of travelling, whilst my wife, almost overwhelmed by the range of treatments, eventually decides on a frangipani body wrap.

Late afternoon, we sail through some of the islands and that make up the Swedish archipelago of around 30,000 islands. “This is one of the world’s most beautiful sail aways,” announces our cruise director.

Some tiny islands host just one simple but idyllic log cabin, with the Swedish flag flying above, and a rowing boat dragged onto a rock-strewn beach.

We head early into the open-seating Waterside Restaurant, to bag a window table for the continuing archipelago show.

For the second consecutive evening we take dinner, with open seating, in the waiter service Waterside Restaurant. Divided into contemporary and classical sections, the menu completely changes every evening.

Yesterday, we had headed to the Galaxy Theatre for a big Broadway style welcome from the band, dancers and singer Annette. Tonight, we’re back to the Galaxy Theatre for James Fox’s show, “My Life, the Music of Billy Joel.” Fox was handpicked by Joel to star in “The Piano Man “ on Broadway. The boy from Cardiff, whose parents brought him a second-hand piano when he was seven, has come a long way.

During his morning lecture, cultural anthropologist Dr Jim Rowe, had told us to look out for the “Baltic Sun Salute”, as Vitamin D starved Finns catch-up on their rays after the 20 hours of darkness during a winter day.

We hadn’t expected to see Finns heading for the beach during their lunch hours, stripping to swimwear and slathering sunblock on to their pale Arctic-white skin – as the temperature hit a balmy 16 centigrade. After all it’s only around 500 miles from Helsinki to the Arctic Circle.

Rowe had also told us about “sisu”, the Finn’s determination to show resilience, in the face of harsh adversity. Amongst the light grey granite of Finland’s capital, neo-classical public buildings challenged by the Finnimalism of eco-friendly new builds, winter wear dominates the shops: thousands of woolly hats, heavy duty knitwear and countless pairs of socks.

With Lapland as Santa’s second home, where hard-working elves work all year round, Santa figures on shop shelves, even in midsummer. It is revealing that for the Finn’s winter’s always coming.

Back on board, after cocktails, after dinner, the evening entertainment is a collection of Broadway musical classics, sung by Annette, with her husband Mark on the piano, in the intimate Stardust Club.

Dr Jim had told us that Estonia, relishing its freedom, had harbour defences in place, in case of a Russian amphibious attack. Having gained their independence from the Soviet Union, with The Singing Revolution, between 1987 and 1991, the Estonians will not relinquish their independence readily.

It seems strange that Tallinn’s old town of fairy tale spires and towers, now showing anti-Putin placards, could soon be the frontline.

Some guests opt for the complimentary shuttle from the ship to city centre, some for private tours whilst others take the Flavours of Estonia: A Culinary Workshop.

Back on board, our evening meal is booked to enjoy sophisticated French Riviera vibes at Beefbar. Although beef is the rockstar of a show that started out in Monaco in 2005, and has gone global, the credo is now “Beef, reef and leaf”.

Street food, such as jasmine tea marinated wagyu beef in bao buns and tuna citrus ceviche are ideal sharing starters before moving onto steaks cooked to order.

A spicy Salmon Robato, served with a citrusy lemon and lime mashed potato, competes well against the steaks.

Crystal Cruises global itinerary is continually developing, and the next comparable cruise will be a nine-night Southampton to Copenhagen cruise departing 27th July 2026 on Crystal Serenity.

Prices start from £4500pp for a double guest room with ocean view and from £6900pp for a Sapphire Veranda Suite. Price includes all meals and drinks, WiFi, port fees and gratuities.

Crystal Serenity with a maximum of 740 guests has the warm feel of a boutique hotel. Guests particularly appreciate the ease of boarding and of disembarking into ports.

A crew to passenger ratio of around 1.33 :1 not only provides excellent service, it also creates a warm ambience as staff quickly get to know the guests.

Running out of superlatives for the food, with sourcing and presentation often approaching Michelin star levels, guests appreciate that snacks and meals are available from 6 am pastries through to gourmet midnight snacks.

Disclosure: Our trip was sponsored by Crystal Cruises