Years ago, in the Navy, I was on the Dartmouth (Officers) Training Squadron. Each autumn we took the young trainee officers on a cruise, alternatively Baltic and Round Britain. Both are brilliant, but both are better in May than September. When we finished either of these cruises, at Dartmouth, we swopped the young officers for Royal Marines and, in company with DFDS Ferries and Fred Olsen ships, on both of which I served as liaison, we steamed up to Norway to land the marines for winter exercises. I can hugely recommend both merchant shipping lines, especially Olsen, and both cruises - we did a Royal Caribbean Baltic (Northern European Capitals) cruise for our 40th wedding anniversary and while the Kyle of Lochalsh is absolutely stunning, it cannot really compare to the entrance to Stockholm by sea, but you ‘pays your money and makes your choices’ !! Get to it, you have so much to gain and nothing, apart from a bit of cash, to lose, and have fun.