Well I can say my cruise in the Baltic on the Deutschland was fabulous. The food was great, the liddo was wonderful for both breakfast and lunch. The specialty dinning room called the 4 Seasons was reservations required, but no surcharge.
Service was wonderful and the crew seemed to love Americans onboard. What I learned from the offices was that because the ship is 5 stars, the wealthy Germans feel they must be very prim and proper...the less than affluent germans feel that being a 5 star ship..they better be formal. Well the crew like Americans to be there to liven it up. Well, let me tell you, the more we drank in the fritz pub in the stern...the more lively it got. The beer fest with assorted sausages out by the pool was a riot...the Prim and propper types really let their hair down to sing, drink and dance.
The dinner in the 4 seasons took over 3 hours due to the large number of courses.....it never dragged...the food....wow (one course was a lobster tail sitting on white esparagras on top os rissoto....yum.
The cabins are small as are the fully marbled bathrooms. There is an indoor pool on the lowest deck.
Cabin door use old fashion big heavy keys, which you turn into the hotel desk (the wall boxes like you would find in an old hotel). It really is very nice, polished and accommodating. By the way, the crew all speak english....Germans don't tip much...believe me a few dollars here and there and you are treated even more like royalty.
My TA has dealt with the line whose office is in Virginia.....who are very nice to deal with. The Virginia office takes the requests for a cabin booking and then passes them on to the home office in Hamburg. The air was booked by the line using Lufthansa out of Philly for me, into Frankfurt and a connecting flight to Hamburg. When I arrived there was a private driver for me who took me to the Hotel in Hamburg...flawless transfers. Stayed 2 days precruise in that city...it was great. Bus to Kiel took about 1.5 hours...nice bus. Upon arrival bags were taken from the bus to my cabin. I walked into the building where a German band was playing...I got a glass of Champagne and boarded with no questions, and taken to my cabin. When we sailed, the band was on the top deck playing, the ships horn blowing....it was the way ships use to be.
Would I sail her again.....YES. It is a German product well tuned like a fine made German piece of Machinery.....are Americans welcomed....yes, infact they go out og their way for you...
I intend to sail a river cruise next year either on the Mozart...largest cabins of any river boat in europe or one of the newer ones...but the Mozart goes to Budapest!
One last note...on the last Thanksgiving cruise of the Seabourn Sun I met a couple in the stern bar late one night and she said she worked for a German line, her office was in Virginia, but that I would not know of the line...I said Peter Deilmann....she almost fell off her stool....I told her my name.....she knew exactly who I was, and when I sailed.....we had a grand time.
One last note...in the Lilly Marlene lounge the nuts served in the evening were not peanuts,,,,but the good stuff.....macadamian, cashews, pecans...yum
If you need a TA let me know, mine has dealt with them on a number of occassions.
The wine is not included, nor are the tips...but the overall quality I though very similar to RSSC, and I would recommend it to anyone who does not need everything to be Americanized.