Brilliance Cruise to Scandinavia and Russia, planning, cruising and LOT of photos

[Kevin's girl]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us! Your pictures are great and I am enjoying it!

I'm so glad you are enjoying the review. It's a lot of fun going back through all of the memories.

[Kevin's girl]

We headed back to the van and were on our way back to the port. The following photos were sights we saw along the way back.

 

Constantine Palace, where the G8 and G20 Summits were held. Also the newly renovated Presidential residence.

 

 

 

 

Once back at the port, we found an open customs line and were checked back through and on the ship in about 15 minutes. Our timing was really good. You see, I had booked an evening tour through Royal Caribbean. I was going to book this through TJ, but the cost would have been absolutely too high for just the two of us and they were no longer offering it for others to purchase. I found this tour listed in the excursions page and booked it right away. We had about an hour and fifteen minutes to grab coats and a quick bite to eat as we would be missing dinner altogether.

 

Here is a look at the cruise port in St Petersburg. We stopped on deck 5 so DH could grab a breathing treatment (quick smoke) and were on our way up to deck ten. Grabbed warmer wear, excursion tickets and then to the Park Café for a quick Kimmelweck. Then back off the ship, out through customs and on to our bus.

[Kevin's girl]

“Evening Neva River Cruise with Folkloric Show” booked through RCCI

 

Our bus took us to Palace Square where we had a few minutes for pictures and then a short walk to the pier.

 

Palace Square where you can see just how close together things are. There is the Hermitage to the right, The Peter and Paul Fortress and then to the left of center is St Isaac’s Cathedral. That is the Alexander Column in the center. I can suddenly hear my DH saying they are as close together as The Tower of London was to Westminster Bridge (LOL).

 

The Hermitage, closed and quiet for the night

 

The pier, and our boat for exploring the “Venice of the North”.

 

 

 

and here we go

 

 

Looking back at the boat behind us.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Kevin's girl

[dln929]

You two are just the cutest couple! I am thoroughly enjoying your cruise report. Isn't the Brilliance wonderful? She's the perfect ship for an itinerary like this.

[Kevin's girl]

When we boarded we took seats in the outside portion of the boat, thinking this would be where the best views would be. This was true for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

During the day, Irina thought I was a bit crazy because I was fascinated by these red columns. They are called Rostral Columns. The Rostral Columns were originally intended to serve as lighthouses. The tops of the columns are fitted with gas torches that continue to be lit on ceremonial occasions.

 

[Kevin's girl]

You two are just the cutest couple! I am thoroughly enjoying your cruise report. Isn't the Brilliance wonderful? She's the perfect ship for an itinerary like this.

Thank you very much. The Brilliance really is beautiful. I think the Radiance class ships are just perfect for an itinerary like this. We will be on the Explorer next may, going to Norway and I'm not sure about that class of ship in these cooler ports. I'm thinking I will be skipping the bathing suites altogether.

[Kevin's girl]

As the sun went down it got colder out there on the open deck. Our guide (who’s name I can’t seem to remember tonight) called to us to come down as the music was about to start. When we got below we took seats up towards the front – yep, a really good idea. There was vodka and champagne being served as well as canapés. Then the party started. It was great fun, refills on all drinks, Russian folk music and sing-a-longs. If anyone didn’t have a good time it was because they chose to freeze outside on the open deck and missed out on the fun below.

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2014 by Kevin's girl

[Kevin's girl]

I have a short video of the musicians, but tinypic won’t give me a message board friendly URL. They were really very good.

 

When the last song was sung, and the final shots of vodka drank, we arrived back at the little pier and all walked back to the bus. The sun was still setting and the streets are lovely at night. I was really hoping to get back to the ship to catch some nice sunset pics.

 

 

We are nearly at the port.

 

 

Back on board, and feeling as though today was more of a dream than reality.

 

 

 

Ready for bed and thinking of all we may see and do tomorrow when we set out for day two in Saint Petersburg.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Kevin's girl

[Kevin's girl]

Day Seven: Second day in Saint Petersburg, Russia

 

We were up really early this morning. We grabbed a quick bite of breakfast in the Diamond Lounge and were off the ship, through customs and ready for our 08:00 pick up. Irina and Gennady were right on time and we were off. As soon as we left the port area Irina started explaining the time table for the day and what to expect. The feeling today was so very different form starting out yesterday. Today it was like getting picked up by friends. Conversation started out with questions about the night before and if we were well rested. Eventually we got around to the timetable for our day and what to expect from our day. This is when we noticed that Irina seemed a little concerned, she spoke to Gennady in Russian and then explained that he was going the wrong way and that he explained that there had been traffic the other way. She seemed to except this answer until he made yet another turn she hadn’t expected. She seemed to be giving him very stern directions and turned again to explain he thinks he has a better way. What happened next still warms my heart and brings a tear to my eyes. We come out of the neighborhoods and to a busy street with a roundabout on it. Gennady speaks in Russian, then goes around the roundabout. There in front of us is the WWII monument we had asked about the day before. He says he knows where to park if we want to get out. I was amazed. He had actually searched for and found exactly what Kevin had wanted so badly to see. Irina reminded us of the time we had and said there was enough time for us to make a quick stop.

 

 

 

It was a very sobering memorial. We learned that for the Russians, it was not WWII. They called it The Great Patriotic War. This refers to the time of the Soviet Union’s war against Germany and it’s European allies.

This is a short synopsis from Russiapedia that explains why this was such an important place for us to visit and pay our respects:

 

Leningrad’s horrific siege was one of the most lethal in world history. It lasted for 900 days, from September 1941 to January 1944. The city’s civilian population of almost three million refused to surrender, even though they were completely surrounded. By the first winter of the siege there was no heating, no water supply, almost no electricity and very little food. Despite non-stop air and artillery bombardment, the city’s greatest enemies were hunger and bitter cold. Exhausted people collapsed and died. The streets were littered with dead bodies. The only life-line to the mainland was the ice of Lake Ladoga – known as the “Road of Life”.

Somehow, the city survived, its heroic resistance summed up in the motto: “Troy fell, Rome fell, Leningrad did not fall”. The blockade took the lives of at least 670,000 people, although some estimates suggest that as many as 1.5 million people died. The city became the symbol of Soviet resilience and invincibility. The siege was commemorated by the Green Belt of Glory, a unique complex of memorials along the historic frontline. You can still see warnings in St. Petersburg advising which side of the street is safe from the German shelling.

 

We had hoped to bring flowers and leave them here as others had, but given the fact our visit was totally unexpected we were just happy to have made it here at all.

[Kevin's girl]

Off to fold laundry and get into bed. Hopefully I can write more tomorrow. Good night all.

[dln929]

Day Seven: Second day in Saint Petersburg' date=' Russia

 

It was a very sobering memorial. We learned that for the Russians, it was not WWII. They called it The Great Patriotic War. This refers to the time of the Soviet Union’s war against Germany and it’s European allies.

This is a short synopsis from Russiapedia that explains why this was such an important place for us to visit and pay our respects:

 

[i']Leningrad’s horrific siege was one of the most lethal in world history. It lasted for 900 days, from September 1941 to January 1944. The city’s civilian population of almost three million refused to surrender, even though they were completely surrounded. By the first winter of the siege there was no heating, no water supply, almost no electricity and very little food. Despite non-stop air and artillery bombardment, the city’s greatest enemies were hunger and bitter cold. Exhausted people collapsed and died. The streets were littered with dead bodies. The only life-line to the mainland was the ice of Lake Ladoga – known as the “Road of Life”.

Somehow, the city survived, its heroic resistance summed up in the motto: “Troy fell, Rome fell, Leningrad did not fall”. The blockade took the lives of at least 670,000 people, although some estimates suggest that as many as 1.5 million people died. The city became the symbol of Soviet resilience and invincibility. The siege was commemorated by the Green Belt of Glory, a unique complex of memorials along the historic frontline. You can still see warnings in St. Petersburg advising which side of the street is safe from the German shelling.[/i]

 

We had hoped to bring flowers and leave them here as others had, but given the fact our visit was totally unexpected we were just happy to have made it here at all.

 

Terri, now that you've seen this memorial, you may want to read (if you haven't already) this absorbing and heart-wrenching book about the seige of Leningrad. It will stick with you for a long time. http://www.amazon.com/The-Madonnas-Leningrad-A-Novel/dp/0060825316

Edited November 3, 2014 by dln929
spelling

[Kevin's girl]

Terri, now that you've seen this memorial, you may want to read (if you haven't already) this absorbing and heart-wrenching book about the seige of Leningrad. It will stick with you for a long time. http://www.amazon.com/The-Madonnas-Leningrad-A-Novel/dp/0060825316

This looks like an interesting read. It's now downloaded to my Kindle. Thanks for the suggestion. I had not realized just how much worse the war had been for the Soviet Union and Leningrad. I imagine the book will be a difficult read at times.

[Kevin's girl]

Our next stop was The Summer Palace, or Catherine Palace. The palace was named for Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great. Catherine ruled for two years following her husband’s death. Built as a modest two story building, it was later remodeled by their daughter Empress Elizabeth.

It was pouring when we arrived at the palace, we waited at the gate while Irina got our tickets.

 

 

[BillOh]

This seemed to be a good point to pile on with the "Thank you" message. You did say, "Never say never" so I won't, but all this wonderful pictures sure are persuasive. I also do know the amount of work it takes to put this together, so one more thank you.

[hebbie67]

Loving your review! We are doing this itinerary next July and have fallen in love with the Peterhof gardens - beautiful! The evening cruise has also caught our eye!

 

Just wondered if you have details of all the excursions offered by RCI for St Petersburg that you could share?

 

Thanks

[Kevin's girl]

This seemed to be a good point to pile on with the "Thank you" message. You did say, "Never say never" so I won't, but all this wonderful pictures sure are persuasive. I also do know the amount of work it takes to put this together, so one more thank you.

I'm glad you are enjoying the review and the photos. It was a big bucket list trip and I'm so glad we did it.

[Kevin's girl]

Loving your review! We are doing this itinerary next July and have fallen in love with the Peterhof gardens - beautiful! The evening cruise has also caught our eye!

 

Just wondered if you have details of all the excursions offered by RCI for St Petersburg that you could share?

 

Thanks

You will love this itinerary and the gardens of the Peterhof. The evening cruise was also a lot of fun.

You should be able to see the excursions for Russia if you log into your reservation online. Just look under the Cruise Planner section of the "Overview" page and click the Add button. This will allow you to scroll through the excursions available for your cruise.

If you want a more general listing of what is offered for St Petersburg follow this link:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/destinations/shoreExcursions/subGateWayByPort/search.do?LocationCode=LED&DestinationCode=EUROP

 

This is the listing of excursions for St Petersburg with descriptions and pricing. There may be a few differences of what is available for your actual cruise.

 

I hope this helps.

[Kevin's girl]

As we came up to the entrance, we saw that there was a huge line. Irina said that this was because they were part of the large tour groups and that they were limited to how many people could enter at a time. She said we didn’t have to follow that rule as there were only the three of us. She grabbed my hand, I grabbed Kevin and she said “don’t let go” and in we went. I did feel a touch guilty, but it was pouring and we were only three people after all. Once inside you need to check your coats, umbrellas and any bags you brought in with you. After that you go to a room where you need to put on shoe covers, this was the only place where we had to do this and once inside you can see why. The floors are just beautiful.

 

Catherine Palace – The Great Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know, here I go again with the ceilings. They are just such beautiful pieces of art, I couldn’t resist.

 

Edited November 4, 2014 by Kevin's girl

[Kevin's girl]

The Chevaliers’ Dining Room

 

 

 

The heaters

 

A peak at the gardens

 

 

The Main Staircase and it’s ceiling

 

[Kevin's girl]

One of the rooms that belonged to Nicholas II and Alexandra. Set up as it would have been when the family lived there.

 

 

 

The Study of Alexander I.

 

The Green Dining Room, created in the 1770’s by Catherine II fro her son and his first wife.

[shipshape sam]

I will second the Thanks!

 

Lots of great pics and I enjoyed the pubs/beer pics too! I enjoy a good pint from around the world. :)

 

We are thinking of sailing Brillance of the Seas next year.

[Kevin's girl]

We were not allowed to take photos in the Amber Room. It really was just as pretty as I imagined.

 

The Cameron Gallery Ensemble (The Cameron Thermae) – Gallery, Gardens and Roman style Bath

 

The gardens

 

Look right:

 

Look Left:

 

Look straight ahead:

While the view from here is very nice, you can just tell that something was a bit off. They are very careful not to ruin anyone’s experience here with the fact that they are doing some major renovations. The entire side of the Palace was covered in painted tarp. This tarp covered the workers and from a distance made it hard to tell that you weren’t looking at the real thing. Nice camouflage.

[Kevin's girl]

I will second the Thanks!

 

Lots of great pics and I enjoyed the pubs/beer pics too! I enjoy a good pint from around the world. :)

 

We are thinking of sailing Brillance of the Seas next year.

We have cruised on the Brilliance twice and would not hesitate to sail on her again. I love the Radiance class ships.

 

By the way,

I love your "Outlook on Life" and could not agree more :)

Edited November 4, 2014 by Kevin's girl

[Kevin's girl]

Can you see the tarp? It really is nice camouflage.

 

On our way out

 

A bit of fun while waiting for Gennady.

 

Lunch and another savory pie for me.

 

As we left our little café after lunch, the skies opened up and it poured buckets on us. We were of course walking, so Irina said we could run into the store she had been talking about earlier. I was intrigued. She had described the store as a very small Russian version of Harrods in London. The store was Eliseyev Emporium and it was really cool inside.

After buying a few gifts Gennady came to pick us up. We went to the “portable “ office to pay for our tour. Yep, we didn’t pay the agreed price until the end of the tour. We actually went to a gift shop where I paid the total for the two day tour and Kevin had free Vodka tasting while he waited. Hehehe happy husband!

Edited November 4, 2014 by Kevin's girl

[Kevin's girl]

With the bill paid I was wondering what was next. We met up with Irina and Gennady and were once again on our way. Irina was telling us about the St Petersburg subway. I was again very excited. We were dropped off near the Admiralteyskaya Station. This is the deepest subway in the world. The total depth of the station is 86 meters or 282ft. Because it is very difficult to build an escalator that long, they built two escalators the first on is 125 meters (410 ft) and unbelievably steep that goes to an intermediate level and the second shorter one 25 meters (82 ft) long.

 

Here is our subway experience in photos: