Cruise control

We were four days into the cruise when, in the middle of the night, the engines stopped and soldiers came on board. With guns slung over their shoulders they patrolled the decks, making sure that no-one left their cabins.

After a while, the engines started up again and by peering through the tiny porthole of my cabin, I could see lights twinkling on dozens of ships. Some were huge hulks of warships but as far as the eye could see in this grey light before dawn, there were the long, low, grey shapes of submarines. We were cruising into Leningrad at the height of the Cold War and had to pass through the submarine yard of the Soviet navy. As a schoolgirl on a family holiday – oh, so many years ago – this was the best bit of the trip so far.

Fast forward a lifetime and I was back in those same waters, on a much bigger and grander ship, and the city I was approaching had reverted to its former name, St Petersburg. This time there were no soldiers on board and we sailed through in daylight, with a guide giving a running commentary on how things used to be.

Such are the changes in the magnificent city built by Peter the Great in 1703. Drawing inspiration from Venice and Versailles but with Russian grandeur and extravagance, this is a breathtaking city, and my husband and I had just two days to make the most of it. We set off first to the Peterhof, the gilded summer palace close to the sea.

It was definitely in much better condition that when I saw it last. The gold on the roof-tops shone and the fountains all worked properly, unlike the trickle of water I had seen before. The real change was in the number of people at this busy tourist attraction. Last time our coachload was the only one there, and I remember running around the place, with no danger of getting lost in the crowds. Now there were tour groups everywhere, all jostling for a view of the fountains. But there is more to see now. They have opened up the palace so you can tour the state rooms. With slippered feet we shuffled through glittering ballrooms, throne rooms, dining rooms and boudoirs. No wonder those peasants revolted. The next day we "did" the Hermitage, in as much as you can "do" one of the world's greatest collections of art in a day. The palace itself is a joy to wander round and its history reverberates from the moment you see its prime position alongside the River Neva. Any big art gallery needs a plan, so we wandered through just a small part of the museum, stopping only to admire the very famous and the exquisitely beautiful and ignoring the rest. There are not many places to sit in the Hermitage so it is important to wear comfortable shoes for this tour.

Both these excursions were organised tours from our ship, Emerald Princess. Despite the more welcoming nature of Russia these days, there are still visa restrictions and if you arrive on a cruise ship you can only go ashore with an organised group – unless you have your own Russian visa. I had not had time to arrange one for this spur-of-the-moment holiday, and although hubby's passport bristles with visas to most of the known world, we were stuck with the group tour. However, these charabanc outings do have their advantages. Transfers between ship and site were quick; we were whisked ahead of the queues and the routes were planned so we saw the most of everything.

St Petersburg was the highlight of this Princess cruise around the Baltic. Our 10-day voyage started in Copenhagen, then called at Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Gdynia and Warnemunde. I was glad to see the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, delighted to explore Helsinki on foot and really enjoyed the street market and several beers in Tallinn.

There is a programme of talks to help you find out about the next destination, including plenty of information about tackling each port independently, so you don't have to join a coach tour.

Cruise ships are better than they used to be. Gone are the compulsory fixed-service dining rooms, unless that is your choice. We decided on a flexible dining option and could choose from any of the four restaurants as well as a 24-hour buffet, just in case we got peckish in-between meals. The food was very good, in an international way, although the Italian restaurant Sabatini's was as good as any I have experienced in Italy.

And there is so much to do. We used the gym and swam in most of the four pools. We enjoyed being delivered into the heart of each port of call, primed and ready to soak up the experience, but also enjoyed returning "home" to the ship. We tried the casino, theatre, movies, nightclub and even peeked into the ballroom dancing, but the great thing about a big ship is that you don't have to do any of it. There is enough space on deck to watch the world go by. At the end of our 10 days we arrived home relaxed and invigorated, having sampled many of the delights of the Baltic, without having to pack and repack suitcases.

When I went on my family cruise 35 years ago I was the youngest on board by about 50 years, but things have changed. On this trip our ship represented a slice of life from around the world, with the young and the not-so-young ready to have a good time. We enjoyed it so much we have the brochures for next year.

Cruise around Russia and Scandinavia

Princess Cruises (www.princess.com) offers 10-day cruises of Scandinavia and Russia from 1,319 for an inside room, although it is well worth trading up to a balcony room for 1,842 per person, based on two sharing. This includes flights from London and all food and entertainment on board.