In the early 2000s, when Vladimir Putin began rolling back rights for the LGBTQ+ community, Russia was no longer a place that I felt welcome in or comfortable writing about.
The result was that with St. Petersburg as the Baltic's prime selling point, most dedicated cruise itineraries in the region had also become a self-imposed "no" for me. But now, after Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the general instability that has ensued, Russia is pretty much off-limits to most foreigners, of all walks of life.
The silver lining in this tragic circumstance for me is that the major cruise lines have stricken St. Petersburg from their Baltic itineraries. Of course, potential cruisers may lament not visiting the Hermitage, wandering the halls of the Peterhof and Catherine palaces and savoring a night at the ballet. Hopefully, at some point things will settle down and those attractions will again be safe for all, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, to enjoy.
In the meantime, savvy cruise lines have realized there is still a smorgasbord of other reasons to cruise the Baltic, which is back and perhaps better now than ever.
The Viking Jupiter at Warnemunde, a quaint German seaside town. Photo Credit: Peter Knego
My recent 10-day Scenic Scandinavia cruise aboard the 930-passenger Viking Jupiter began in Copenhagen and ended in Stockholm. The same itinerary is offered in reverse and, either way, is packed with gorgeous scenery and steeped in European history and culture.
There is a practical plus to a Russia-free cruise: No visas are required for American cruisers. Another plus is those beginning and end points, where overnights in port provided guests a chance to take long excursions deep into the hearts of Sweden and Denmark.
In Copenhagen, offered tours included Tivoli Gardens, the Castles of North Zeeland and the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum, although we were more than happy with the included walking tour from the cruise terminal into town, stopping at the Little Mermaid sculpture and the Royal Palace just in time to catch the changing of the guard. As with most of the places we visited, once we finished our guided sampling of the town, we were free to go back and shop, dine in a delightful cafe and still have time for a nice run along the waterfront.
Copenhagen's picturesque canals are within walking distance of the main cruise terminal. Photo Credit: Peter Knego
In Stockholm, with two nights and a full day, we took the ship's free shuttle into Old Town and ventured off on our own to visit the Museum of Modern Art, went to see the Vasa (the Swedish warship that sank in 1628 and was raised largely intact and then restored over 29 years) and then, of course, indulged my utmost guilty pleasure, a visit to the ABBA Museum.
One of the main attractions of this cruise was Warnemunde in Germany, where Viking chartered a train for an included-in-the-fare, 2.5-hour ride (each way) to Berlin, where we were given a short bus tour, then had a few hours to visit places like Checkpoint Charlie, the Holocaust Museum, the TV Tower and other attractions. For those who weren't up for the long excursion, the seaside town of Warnemunde was an idyllic spot to take a swim in the Baltic or just relax in a cafe.
Another highlight was Gdansk, Poland, which brims with stunning pastel stucco facades overlooking one of the most charming waterfronts in Europe. Again, we opted for the included walking tour and time on our own to explore the city, but other guests purchased excursions that visited, among other places, the Stutthoff concentration camp and the Amber Museum.
The ruins of Hammershus Castle in Ronne, Denmark. Photo Credit: Peter Knego
Less traveled but equally scenic ports of call included Arhus in Denmark and Ronne on the Swedish island of Bornholm, home to the 13th-century Hammershus Castle. In the Swedish city of Karlskrona, which spans 30 islands, we took a walking tour focused on maritime history. Visby, on the Swedish island of Gotland, features medieval ruins and more roses than I have seen just about anywhere else.
Our penultimate stop was at the charming Finnish island of Mariehamn, which is part of the Aland archipelago that is scattered halfway between Sweden and Finland.
With Viking, which includes an excursion in every port, an added bonus was that we paid nothing extra for the tours we chose.
Baltic cruising remains a delight