loum140

On board - as Andrea said, food is wonderful. Cabins spotless. Love the beverage station. So far only taken one optional tour, Jewish Kiev which included visit to ravine at Babi Yar, Very emotional. Our guide is Alla and she's terrific. We have 5 tour groups, all English speaking. City tours have been great. Really enjoyed Cossack Horse show. Sailing now for Kherson. After slow start, A/C in our room is exceptional as it is in the Kiev restaurant, but it is a little stuffy in other public areas. Weather has been good today - sunny and not too warm. Will answer questions and provide more details later. Marsha

Peregrina651: Just wondering -- is there a movie channel on the TV? Or just news, sports, etc.? How were the evening activities? Thanks for reminding us about the wake-up "knocks". We're bringing a small travel clock, as well as a travel coffee mug. What optional excursions did you take and were they interesting? Marsha

Can anyone please tell me if Viking supplies maps of the towns ?

If not I plan to print some off the computer before we go.

I seem to recall city maps during our European river cruises. Don't remember if there were maps on our Moscow/St. Petersburg cruise, but that was ten years ago. Perhaps someone who has already done "Footsteps" will respond.

grandcruisevirgin: You might want to check out insuremytrip dot com. They will provide you with a number of companies who sell travel insurance and you can compare coverage and cost side by side.

Thanks everyone for responding re: clothing to pack for our trip. :)

Hi loum,

with bermuda shorts, forget visiting all the churches. Women in

bermuda shorts are not allowed in.

Guess I'll pack a skirt that can be popped over my shorts for church visits?

What about bare arms (sleeveless tops - not tank tops)? What about men's attire for church visits?

Guess I'll have to examine itinerary closely to see how many church visits there are.

Welcome home! Thanks so much for all your reports. We're very excited to be going to Ukraine and appreciate all your helpful hints. Finally getting down to packing.

How did your packing scheme work out? Did you need more of anything or were there items of clothing you packed and didn't need? I know it all depends on the weather and we're sailing south from Kiev so it should be warmer as we go.. How about the daily tours? Sneakers/walking shoes every day? Or can I get by occasionally with comfortable rubber soled velcro-strap sandals (not flip flops). I plan to wear my heaviest (weight) clothing on the plane and am taking 2 pr. long (to the knee) bermuda shorts for day (plus the capris I'm wearing) with 4 sleeveless tops and 5 T-shirts (plus sweater and windbreaker) for days.

DH is a shorts kind of guy (for days) Haven't quite gotten his wardrobe worked out yet.

Thanks again for all your assistance. Can't wait to see your photos. Marsha

Cruzer 2: Thanks so much for the link to your photos/video. They're wonderful. Our level of anticipation is rising.

Peregrina651: Really enjoying your updates. Sounds like you are having a terrific time. Has the trip met (or exceeded) your expectations? Thanks for the reminder about taking bug spray -- I would not have thought of it. Always travel with hats/visors but will also carry a scarf as you suggest.

Re: the lectures/enrichment talks -- do they happen during the day or in the evening? If during the day is the sound piped to the deck area? (We like to sit outside when we can) Or must you be in the lounge to hear?

Almost ready to start packing!!!

Thanks for the tip about walking the promenade in Yalta in the evening. Sounds like a wonderful idea. Really enjoying all your observations. Ah yes, the food! Do they offer a lunch time buffet in the lounge option in addition to the sit-down in the dining room? That's how it was on the Danube - salads, finger sandwiches, soup, etc. That satisfied us. (Especially after the mid-morning sausage and beer tastings!!)

One of the advantages of doing multiple cruises is you automatically qualify for the best cabin available. On our last cruise we were given the room number to our third cabin before our suitcases had even arrived.

 

This will be our 4th with Viking. When we booked there was no choice of stateroom - it was the only one available. I know about the automatic upgrade, in theory. Is this something I should ask my TA to confirm and request on our behalf, or wait until we arrive at the boat? :confused: (The website is showing availability in higher category)

EEK! The coffee machine is right outside our door! That will make DH very happy, me less so.

Thanks for these tidbits of info. I'm living our upcoming cruise (in reverse) vicariously through your posts. Anxiously awaiting your impressions of Yalta. Have been longing to see the Swallows Nest for years - it's pictured in all the Viking literature so I'm sure we'll actually get close enough for a photo.

I plan to take copious notes on our trip but will probably post as a review when we get back.

Reagrds

CGV, Odessa is beautiful and really not super touristy right now. The downtown area is not crowded and very pleasant to wander around. Tomorrow we will strike out on our own. I look forward to blending in with the crowd and checking out the shops. FYI, there are a number of single travelers on the ship, including one woman who is probably in her 70s--and it is not her first solo with Viking,

 

Marsha, yes there is a 24 hour caffeine station. Bottled water in the cabins (even though the water is potable) plus smaller bottles for the tours

 

The ship does not seem filled to capacity since will all fit in three buses--one tour group, one German-speaking and one English speaking.

Loving your reports! Hope you enjoyed your free day in Odessa. We were just talking about whether or not we would need to hire a private guide for our free day. I've been there before but not DH. How easy/hard was it to get around?

Capris? Jeans? walking shorts (Bermuda length)?

I have a couple of more questions: on the Danube boats in the reception area there was a 24 hr. self serve dispenser for hot beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate) and another one for ice water. Do they have this on your boat? Is there bottled water in the staterooms? Is water provided before your excursions? Thanks. Really appreciate your feedback. Hope you're having a wonderful time. Can't wait to read your impressions of the cities and tours.

Glad you arrived safely. Please let us know about temperature on the boat -- staterooms and public areas. Trying to figure out what to pack -- sweaters/wraps for evenings? Anxious to hear your impressions of the included tours and what optional excursions you take. How's the food? Do you have to be in the lounge for the enrichment lectures or are they piped outside so you can sit and enjoy the scenery as you sail? Thanks for the info about no safe in the room. Will leave the good cz's home!!! LOL Enjoy.

I e-mailed Viking Customer Relations who contacted the ship directly to make sure that we had the right information. Here is what the ship's hotel manager said:

In general we have the normal Schuko plugs like in Germany with 220 V. If your equipment needs 170 V or something like that, than you need a transformer.

Bob's experience confirms this as well.

Thanks for this info. I guess that means that the plug we used on their ship for our Danube cruise should work. Marsha

I just checked the 10-day forecast so I can start packing. It is going to be a bit chillier than I expected. Boston's unseasonably warm April has completely thrown me off and my original packing list is out the window. Back to the drawing board! Where are my turtlenecks?

 

Good thing we are starting in Odesa, because it will be raining in Kiev through the weekend. I hope it clears up by the following weekend when we arrive.

Wishing you safe travels and a wonderful, enjoyable cruise in Ukraine. Can't wait to read your reports on the ship, the food and the ports.

That is good to know. Can you share with us the specifics of what kind of adapter they are recommending or give us a link to the information? Thanks.

According to Viking, in the former USSR standard plug and socket is similar, but not identical to Schuko plug - known as Europlug. The 2 wire plug is ungrounded and has two round 4 mm pins. Schuko plugs might not work as they are a different distance apart and a different depth. The picture they enclosed of a sample adapter was labeled Travel Smart.

Sorry - there was a lot of technical info, but if you contact Viking I'm sure you'll get the same or similar response.

Just heard back from Viking re: use of personal electronic devices on ship and they are recommending a specific type of adapter/converter. If you plan to bring any chargers, etc., you should be aware of a possible problem with prongs that are too short.

We leave in four weeks from today. According to UPS, our documents are scheduled for delivery tomorrow.

 

If you have any specific questions about the trip, post them now and I will watch for the answers as we go along. It is much easier to answer specific questions and it is much easier to have he questions in advance so I can be on the look out for answers--or can go looking for them.

 

I'm hoping to keep up a running commentary as we go along but it really depends on how much down time we have during the cruise and how good the internet connections are.

 

As your cruise leaves before ours, please let us know about the temperature in the dining room. On prior Viking ships, it was a little warm for me and I plan to pack only sleeveless, light weight tops for dinner (with a wrap). Also, daytime temps on daily tours. On European ships we did not need a voltage converter....what about this one? :confused: Can't wait to read your take on the cities and optional excursions. Thanks.

Enjoy your cruise!!! Marsha

Another Willie Aames fan.

 

We had Willie on his first cruise, and again when he was CD.

Times two!!!! :D:D

Hello, GCV! Welcome to the chat. We have 3 months to go and I can't wait so I don't know how you are going handle a year and three months.

 

Our 4th Viking cruise will be Kiev/Odessa in June -- and previously we have never been able to get much of a response on a CC Roll Call. Peregrina651, since you're sailing soon please, please, please post a review when you get back. Especially interested in life on board and stateroom size. We're in a CX.

You do know you can fly into a different city than you return from.

Hi...we're booked on this trip for early June 2012 and I have lots of the same questions you do. There have been reviews of this itinerary on Cruise Critic but they're somewhat dated, so would like to hear from 2010/2011 travelers.

I can answer one question that you posted. Ukraine does not require Americans to have visas. Also, we're taking Viking's air.

This will be our 4th with Viking, including Waterways of the Czars, so we know and trust them to do a great job. Still, current comments are always appreciated and CC members always come through!

I just read on Viking's website that you can bring local wine onboard and have it during dinner, with no corkage fee.

Thanks for the info -- good to know!

We're not great drinkers but on our last Viking Cruise - (Amsterdam to Budapest) - if memory serves, I believe we purchased a bottle of Amaretto at a local shop in one of the cities along the route. We kept it in our room and occasionally had a drink there before dinner. There was no objection from Viking. I believe that as long as it's consumed in your stateroom there will be no problem.

DDean52: We are also taking this cruise in June, but the reverse, Amsterdam to Budapest. Marsha