Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas | 8 Countries, 1 Cruise (Baltic Sea)

 

If you've been with us since the beginning, you know cruising holds a special place in our heart. It was a world cruise project that made us quit our full-time jobs and pursue Levitate Style full time (short video here). So, when Royal Caribbean invited us on a press trip to sail the Baltic Sea for 12 nights to explore 8 countries and 9 cities we were ecstatic! We hadn't explored most of the countries the Serenade of the Seas visits and we quickly fell in love with not only the ship but the experience itself. Here we are giving you a short breakdown of our trip with Royal Caribbean to Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden.

THE SHIP

Serenade of the Seas is one enormous ship and has everything you can imagine. From their basketball court, mini golf, and rock wall to 16 lounges and bars, 2 swimmings pools, and 3 jacuzzis - it's impossible to run out of things to do. There were endless restaurants to choose from and the buffet was definitely one of the best. We had the opportunity to do a bridge tour and that was definitely my highlight activity of the ship. I made sure to wear my military inspired blazer for that perfect "I'm the captain now" look.

 

1. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Before boarding the ship, we had some time to explore Copenhagen. Be sure to check out the Nyhavn waterfront,  Amalienborg Palace, and Rosenborg Garden.

 

2. FREDERICIA, DENMARK

We started our day at the Kongernes Jelling Viking Museum, made our way to the Fredericia Ramparts and had an excellent meal at Ti Trin Ned Michelin Star restaurant.

 

3. BERLIN (ROSTOCK), GERMANY

From the ship port in Rostock, we took a 2.5/3 hour drive into Berlin. We went to the Reichstag Building, Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Check Point Charlie, and Charlottenburg Palace.

 

 

4. KLAIPEDA, LITHUANIA

We had a really relaxing afternoon enjoying the old city main square and perusing all of the beautiful handmade crafts and paintings. From there we also went to the Curonian Spit National Park and a few Amber shops.

 

5. RIGA, LATVIA

We started our day admiring the unbelievably beautiful architecture in the Nouveau Arts District, the made our way to the Riga Cathedral and got to listen to it's well known vocal organ, visited the VERY HARRY POTTER-LIKE Black Magic Bar (a must go!!), and the House of the Black Heads. 

 

 

6. TALLINN, ESTONIA

We strolled by St Mary's Cathedral (Dome Church), Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and took in the view from the Patkuli Viewing Platform. From there we went through Tallin's Old Walled Town and enjoyed the very medieval feel of Town Hall Square.

 

 

7. SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

Of the trip, we had the most time in St. Petersburg (3 days) and we were thankful for that because there are just so many amazing things to see here. In short summary, we started our time here at the Hermitage Museum, Yusupov Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, and ended the first day with a Neva River Cruise relaxing and taking in the sites. Day 2 we began at Catherine's Palace, to St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, and the most famous Church of the Savior on Blood. We also went to St. Issac's Cathedral and saw a Russian Ballet that night. Day 3 we went to the Grand Palace of Peterhof and Vladimir Palace.

 

 

8. HELSINKI, FINLAND

We explored Senate Square, went to Winter World, and had lunch with a local family on their farm. Such a unique experience!

 

 

9. STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

We offboarded the boat in Stockholm and before flying home took in some sights. This time we only had time to quickly see Gamla Stan and stroll along the waterfront.

That's our rundown of the Serenade of the Seas experience! Now we have visited 34 countries via cruise ship and it is hands-down our favorite and leisurely way to explore the world. Thanks again to Royal Caribbean for this amazing experience. Can't wait to cruise with you again!