By Lisa Parnell, Holiday Dialysis Co-ordinator, Dialysis Holidays.co.uk

The Delphin Voyager is a smaller vessel carrying around 580 passengers. The ship has an intimate feel where one quickly gets to know fellow guests with a friendly good morning, good afternoon and a friendly chat. Upon embarking the ship on deck 1 the first impressive feature is the chandelier filling the main atrium. The shore excursion desk, the dialysis centre, the hairdressers, beauty salon and hospital are all conveniently located on this deck.

The amazing chandelier on Delphins atrium

A circular flight of steps or the lifts take you up to deck 2 where you will find the reception, the internet cafe and a duty free shop which sells clothes, jewellery, perfume, aftershave, cosmetics and handbags. The photoshop is also located on this deck where you can view various photographs taken during the cruise and whilst on excursions. The photographs are reasonably priced at €5.90 which compares favourably with other ships where photographs can cost up to £14.00.

The main public areas are located on deck 3 including the Pacific and the Atlantic Restaurants. The Atlantic restaurant is a large open space on differing levels where our table was located next to one of the wonderful picture windows. Our fellow dining guests throughout the cruise were Maureen and Tommy (clients and now friends!) and also German guests Klaus and Margaret and Peter and Rosie. Klaus and Margaret had enjoyed many cruises before onboard the Delphin Voyager and contined to be impressed by the whole experience. The Pacific Restaurant is the smaller restaurant and is decorated in a French style. The food onboard is of a high standard with plenty of variation and choice. Breakfast is generally buffet style including bacon, eggs, cereals, fruit and cheeses. Lunch and dinner are a'la carte ordered from the menu including a starter, appetiser, pasta, main course, dessert, cheese followed by coffee or tea.

Good food complimented by great company!

Afternoon tea is an experience not to be missed as the chefs onboard make wonderful cakes and pastries! A highlight of the cruise there is the apple studel buffet during the afternoon. In addition to apple strudel there is a wonderful array of chocolate cakes, pastries and all manner of wonderful temtations. You can also meet the head pastry chef and his team responsible for all those extra calories! Talking of sweet things, I should also mention the baked alaska parade which features on most cruises however never ceases to impress

.

The Delphin Bar and the Piano Bar is also situated on deck 3 along with the Show Lounge where various entertainment is provided including operettas, singers, magicians, bands and also a crew entertainment show. The bars serve all of the popular alcoholic drinks along with cocktails, tea and coffee and a fantastic hot chocolate.

Cabins are located on decks 4, 5 and 6 and the fitness centre, pool, jacuzzis, sun deck, pool bar and outdoor grill are located on deck 7. Breakfast and lunch are also available around the pool for guests who prefer to eat al fresco.

The Panorama Bar on deck 8 takes full advantage of wonderful views over the sun deck out to sea or your port of call. Every night a disco takes place in the Panorama Bar.

The Delphin Voyager is a German cruise vessel and consequently attracts a mixed but predominently German clientelle. However wefound our fellow cruisers to be very sociable and spoke fantastic English. The staff onboard made us feel very welcome and took every opportunity to chat to us in English. The daily programme and shore destination information delivered to our cabin was in English. The lifeboat drill was announced in German followed by the same information in English. The staff onboard went over and above their call of duty to make sure we were enjoying our cruise and the cruise director Steffan did everything he could to ensure we were kept fully aware of everything that was happening.

The average age of the passengers onboard was around 55 - 60. This is not an all singing, all dancing cruise where you come home and feel like you need another holiday, this cruise is very relaxing and all about taking your time and eating far too much! However, one must not forget the wonderful destinations and the fabulous sights to be seen ashore. Our 8 day cruise included visits to Tallin, Helsinki, St Petersburg (2 days) and Stockholm. Shore excursions are available at all ports of call. Although the excursion guides essentially speak German a member of crew from the ship attends each shore excursion and are happy to translate. Of course you may wish to explore your ports of call independently or alternatively a private car and English speaking guide can also be arranged prior to your cruise.

Our cabin was nicely decorated in neutral tones and had a balcony which was very pleasant to sit on and watch the world go by. The cabins are a decent size and include an en-suite bathroom with shower, a dressing table, plenty of wardrobes, a safe, fridge with mini-bar (reasonably priced) and a television which mainly shows German programmes. The ship offers a wide choice of cabins including interior, cabins with window, balcony or suites.

The dress code onboard is relaxed with very few passengers wearing a tuxedo on the Captain's Welcome and Captain's Farewell evenings although most gentlemen wore a suit or jacket and tie and the ladies a cocktail dress or smart trousers with sparkly top. On the remainder of the evenings the dress code was described as "elegant". For men this consisted mainly of a shirt (and sometimes tie and jacket) and for the women a smart but not overly dressy outfit. This is a cruise where you can leave the tuxedo and the long dresses at home ready for your next cruise.

The dialysis centre is equipped with 8 beds and staffed by an onboard nephrologist and nursing staff. All staff speak English and the dialysis sessions are arranged around the ports of call and excursions as far as possible.

The Delphin Voyager has two wheelchair accessible cabins onboard. The cabins are located on deck 4 and have wider doorways into the cabin and into the bathroom, a roll in shower (wet room) with grab rails and plenty of turning space within the cabin. The cabins have two windows, one with a view of the sea and the other with a view of the promenade. The ship has passenger lifts from deck 1 to deck 6 and a wheelchair platform lift from deck 7 to deck 8. However all doorways (except those in the accessible cabins) have slightly raised door thresholds. If you require a wheelchair access onboard please contact us for further information and suitability.

Overall the cruise onboard the Delphin Voyager was wonderful. As an English passenger you will be in the minority however your fellow German passengers will make an every effort to get to know you and the staff are extremely accommodating and friendly. This ship would not suit anyone looking for a very lively experience and a ship full of English speaking passengers. However if you are looking for good accommodation, excellent food, service with a smile and a friendly attentive crew then this cruise couldn't be better.

a chance to go through all the menus etc... If I get around to unpacking this week! Comments from our client and friends who travelled with me

"My wife Maureen and I recently had a nine day cruise of the Baltic Sea aboard MS Delphin Voyager calling in at the cities of Tallin, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. The weather was magnificent and we had a wonderful holiday. The ship was a small one consisting of eight decks and capable of accommodating 590 guests. The cabins were clean and comfortable and the ship was well maintained on a daily basis. There is a ship hospital and a dialysis unit available.

Delphin Voyager is a German ship and announcements, tour commentaries and entertainment was all in the native tongue but when they learned there were four Britons on board they provided an English interpretation, that is apart from the stage shows. All the staff on board could speak English and we found them extremely helpful, friendly and attentive to all our needs, we couldn’t praise them highly enough.

The clientele on board were mature in some cases very much so and though there was a disco on the eighth deck and a fitness centre the pace of all else on the ship was rather sedate and this was shown particularly in the entertainment of cards, board games and darts that were offered. The stage shows were all in German when one would have expected a more cosmopolitan type that would have catered for all languages. The catering was excellent, the food served was plentiful and adventurous, we were served a number of plates never before experienced but all were delicious.

Delphin Voyager is a three star rated ship, personally I think it is better than that and deserves at least four.

My wife is a dialysis patient therefore all our holidays have to be in a place where facilities are available for treatment. We know of many such patients who have never taken or are too frightened to take a vacation. I would have no hesitation in recommending Accessible Cruising, a company who cater for those with disabilities. We have used them many times and they have never disappointed. Lisa Parnell and her team bend over backwards to help and their assistance goes far beyond the call of duty, so much so, that you will find that you aren’t dealt with as a customer but as a friend. If it were possible to give them a rating of 10 out of 5 then I would."