Baltic Sea Ocean Cruise Bike Tour

Straight Talk

We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.

SHIPS

The ships we sail on are like a floating luxury hotel, so you can visit a new destination each day without touching your suitcase once you've settled in. Our ships are custom‐designed with a variety of inviting spaces that offer plenty of room for both relaxing and socializing. These ships are vastly smaller than most cruise ships, with up to just 150 passengers on our river trips and up to only 250 on our ocean trips.

BACKROADS SUPPORT ON BOARD AND ON SHORE

We sail with up to 40 Backroads guests. Occasionally there may be more than one Backroads group on board and you may cross paths with the other group on some routes or at restaurants. For instance, we may have a group of 20 hikers and another group of 20 bikers. When this occurs, each group will have their own dedicated onboard Backroads leaders. On shore, you'll have up to three additional land-based leaders to support your group, offering the same high ratio of Backroads Trip Leaders to guests as you'll find on our hotel trips.

BACKROADS CRUISING LIFE

If you're new to Backroads active cruise trips, there are a few things you need to know. Our cruises are smaller, and much more intimate than a typical cruise. They are also quite lively, social experiences, shaped by both our Backroads group and the larger ship community. Additionally, even with an itinerary subject to fixed nautical schedules that may occasionally limit our time on shore, we get out and explore far beyond the cruise norm. If you love meeting new people, enjoy the ease of unpacking once, and don't mind a set schedule of port departure times, you'll love our approach to active river and ocean cruising. Nobody does it like we do.

MEALS

On our active cruises, we seek out diversity by including regionally authentic and inventive meals for onshore lunches, picnics and the occasional onshore dinner. On-ship meals, though delightful, are meant to appeal to a wide cross section of passengers and may at times feel more conventional for some, and less reflective of the region than on Backroads hotel trips.

Stateroom Categories

In contrast to our usual land-based trips, which have similar room categories, the Ponant ships offer a wide range of stateroom categories. The top-tier staterooms often fill fast so book as early as possible if this is important to you.

Local Bikes & Support in Russia

Due to government regulations, a local cycling company in St. Petersburg supplies us with bikes and route support for our rides in Russia. Your Trip Leaders will accompany you on the routes but Backroads vans and bikes are not permitted to enter Russia. Rest assured, these quality bikes are ideal for urban maneuverability and you'll find the same high level of support along our routes.