Total Eclipse : A pictorial review of the Tradewinds Transatlantic crossing 2015

[MicCanberra]

Boy , that's for sure . Being in SPB for Victory Day strangely reminded me of my baby boomer , childhood days in the 50's , when our country used to really celebrate the end of WW II . But in the big picture , the number civilian causalities in SPB exceeded the total number of American military lives lost . :( :(

 

Yes, very tragic. :(

[MicCanberra]

I am devastated for you both having to cancel. I just hope Pat is okay, we will have to catch up on another cruise.

[Gracie115]

 

For all future visitors to SPB : We are trying to interject some history as well as showing the sights that you may care to visit . After our first visit , we felt somewhat surprised and overwhelmed , so we hope to help prepare those going in the future . Our next stop was at a soggy Palace Square where we would pick up our SPB cards .

]

 

Thank you for this, I am going to be one of those visitors, and your thoughts and pictures are much appreciated...

 

So very sorry you will miss your cruise, but getting healthy comes before everything! I suspect there are more TA's in your future...just a bit farther off than you thought!!:)

[scubacruiserx2]

Are there any computer experts out there ? While editing some photos this morning with Picasa ( google ) , I received a warning : This computer has low disk space . Without losing photo work , how can I best free up sufficient disk space to continue editing ? :confused:

Edited August 7, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

I am devastated for you both having to cancel. I just hope Pat is okay, we will have to catch up on another cruise.

 

Thanks Mic , us too , we were really looking forward to meeting face to face , cruising , shooting photos and yes , having a few drinks and laughs together with you and Rosie . Pat is doing OK , and the pain medication helps . ;) We hope to continue on this journey for awhile and as we look forward to future cruises , we hope that our relationship will continue , and our paths converge in the near future . :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Thank you for this, I am going to be one of those visitors, and your thoughts and pictures are much appreciated...

 

So very sorry you will miss your cruise, but getting healthy comes before everything! I suspect there are more TA's in your future...just a bit farther off than you thought!!:)

 

We're happy to share ! And even if it's from a DIY viewpoint , many of places and experiences are the same - just at a slower pace because we had more time . This injury reminds us that we're not getting any younger - just more experienced !! Pat did experience a similar fall in Ireland in 2011 which required surgery . And certainly that didn't prevent this TA !! And so , in preparing for surgery , we will continue look forward to future cruises ( tentatively , Alaska on Princess next June ) . :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Because we are DIY's and have stayed in SPB before , we are very comfortable there . But sometimes we need a guide and Polina filled that need , driving us from the airport , showing us the cemetery and helping us obtain future independence with the SPB card and a Metro multi trip pass . She also took us to our apartment and provide some necessary translation skills . We had purchased our SPB cards on line , prior to our arrival , but needed to pick them up in person . When went to the visitor information booth at Palace Square , we found out that we had not received the necessary paperwork to complete the transaction . :eek:

While they do speak English there , Polina was more fluent in English and able bridge the gap using the paperwork that we did receive , thus securing our 5 day passes ( more later ) . Future visitors may want to consider the SPB card as a affordable option when visiting SPB .

 

 

 

This is Palace Square . It includes , from left to right , The Winter Palace / Hermitage , the Alexander Column and on the right , The General Staff Building .

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Are there any computer experts out there ? While editing some photos this morning with Picasa ( google ) , I received a warning : This computer has low disk space . Without losing photo work , how can I best free up sufficient disk space to continue editing ? :confused:

 

I didn't put my hand up when you asked for a computer expert...but I had the same issue as you. I was down to less than 5GB storage on my Macbook so I got an external hard Drive called a Passport which holds 1 Terrabyte of memory and exported my HD video files (memory hogs) to the Passport, then deleted them from the Mac. I freed up 150 GB this way. Those files now live on the Passport and anytime I want to I can import them from there.

 

On Amazon storage like this costs $60 and up. I just saw one that holds 4TB for $80.

 

Another benefit is that my Mac boots up iMovie much faster as it doesn't have to load the files that now live on the Passport.

 

Very easy to use-USB connect and it shows up on your desktop.

 

I also have 1,000 of old photos stored there.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Norris

[scubacruiserx2]

I didn't put my hand up when you asked for a computer expert...but I had the same issue as you. I was down to less than 5GB storage on my Macbook so I got an external hard Drive called a Passport which holds 1 Terrabyte of memory and exported my HD video files (memory hogs) to the Passport, then deleted them from the Mac. I freed up 150 GB this way. Those files now live on the Passport and anytime I want to I can import them from there.

 

On Amazon storage like this costs $60 and up. I just saw one that holds 4TB for $80.

 

Another benefit is that my Mac boots up iMovie much faster as it doesn't have to load the files that now live on the Passport.

 

Very easy to use-USB connect and it shows up on your desktop.

 

I also have 1,000 of old photos stored there.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Norris

 

It sure did Norris ! I forgot that I had WD external hard drive , so I moved some movies and now it's time to get back to editing !! Thanks again . :) :D

[MicCanberra]

Thanks Mic , us too , we were really looking forward to meeting face to face , cruising , shooting photos and yes , having a few drinks and laughs together with you and Rosie . Pat is doing OK , and the pain medication helps . ;) We hope to continue on this journey for awhile and as we look forward to future cruises , we hope that our relationship will continue , and our paths converge in the near future . :) :D

 

Good to know Pat is not in pain and doing okay. I am sure our paths will cross somewhere.:D

Check out our future cruises (9) and join us if any take your fancy, some of them are just short Aussie trips but we have 2 Med cruises and couple NYE cruises that may tempt you.:D

[MicCanberra]

It sure did Norris ! I forgot that I had WD external hard drive , so I moved some movies and now it's time to get back to editing !! Thanks again . :) :D

 

Good result, I wasn't going to claim super computer know how but that is a very logical step to take, and I had done this several times, if only to have a back up of the files and photos in case of computer failure.:D

[scubacruiserx2]

Good to know Pat is not in pain and doing okay. I am sure our paths will cross somewhere.:D

Check out our future cruises (9) and join us if any take your fancy, some of them are just short Aussie trips but we have 2 Med cruises and couple NYE cruises that may tempt you.:D

 

An Aussie and New Zealand Fjord trip has always been on the list but we thought that we may need 4-6 weeks , to do it properly . But with co-parenting the grandsons , that time frame has not become available to us yet . But they are growing more independent everyday , so here's hoping . We made some Aussie friends from Sydney on our last SA cruise who offered to put us up ( or should I say , put up with us ! ) , if we ever make it to Sydney . ;) Antarctica is also high on the list also , but both of these trips are very expensive . After today's 5 hour sit fest in 5 different locations for the pre op. screening , it seems hard to focus on much but Wednesday's surgery . Hopefully , by the time that your TA begins , we'll be in the recovery and future planning mode ! :cool:

[MicCanberra]

An Aussie and New Zealand Fjord trip has always been on the list but we thought that we may need 4-6 weeks , to do it properly . But with co-parenting the grandsons , that time frame has not become available to us yet . But they are growing more independent everyday , so here's hoping . We made some Aussie friends from Sydney on our last SA cruise who offered to put us up ( or should I say , put up with us ! ) , if we ever make it to Sydney . ;) Antarctica is also high on the list also , but both of these trips are very expensive . After today's 5 hour sit fest in 5 different locations for the pre op. screening , it seems hard to focus on much but Wednesday's surgery . Hopefully , by the time that your TA begins , we'll be in the recovery and future planning mode ! :cool:

Our thoughts will be with Pat (and you) for the surgery and the recovery. If you get to Australia, make sure you schedule in a few days for Canberra (free accommodation here as well).

:D

[cruisin'rose]

If you enjoy the thread , it may be good news . We had hoped to finish it within 3 weeks , before we left for our next cruise . But it may run longer now . My wife slipped and fell yesterday , landing on her left Patella ( kneecap ) , breaking it into 3 pieces . :eek: We are getting ready to meet with the surgeon in an hour or two , and we fear that our trip may be in jeopardy. :( We'll update and continue when we return home .

 

So sorry to hear of Pat's accident. We have so enjoyed your review of our wonderful cruise and London transfer. Best wishes for her speedy recovery!

[Tangocherie]

All the best to you. Thank you so much for this great review. Hope to meet up with you on a future cruise. Bon voyage!

[Bimmer09]

We're happy to share ! And even if it's from a DIY viewpoint , many of places and experiences are the same - just at a slower pace because we had more time . This injury reminds us that we're not getting any younger - just more experienced !! Pat did experience a similar fall in Ireland in 2011 which required surgery . And certainly that didn't prevent this TA !! And so , in preparing for surgery , we will continue look forward to future cruises ( tentatively , Alaska on Princess next June ) . :) :D

 

Joe, sorry to hear about Pat's fall. It only takes a second to end up in a world of severe pain and for all your plans to be turned on their head. I am wishing her well for a successful surgery and speedy rehabilitation!

 

I know you were planning another cruise (CB?) and this was the one you were going to meet Mic on- I'm bummed that that is now canceled as that meeting would have made a great cruise even better. The anticipation must have been intense.

 

I'm glad you sorted out the lack of disc space issue.

 

While I am on here I want to ask you if you have been reading the thread where a party left the Tuscan Grill in high umbrage. Several others weighed in saying that the food and service isn't up to par. I didn't get that impression from your review and in my upcoming 1st X cruise I have a free specialty dinner and was going to hit Tuscan on an empty stomach. I will probably go anyway for the aft view and let my palate and stop-watch (LOL) be the judge.

 

Now you hint at a possible Princess Cruise to Alaska next year....that was what got me hooked (even with 5 days of drizzle and cold). Which ship are you looking at?

 

Best wishes and hopes for Pat's speedy recovery,

 

Norris

[MicCanberra]

Our experiences in the Tuscan Grill was wonderful (Solstice 2013). :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Our thoughts will be with Pat (and you) for the surgery and the recovery. If you get to Australia, make sure you schedule in a few days for Canberra (free accommodation here as well).

:D

 

Thank you so much for your sentiments , active participation in this thread , and generous offer of accommodations ! It means a lot to us . We will continue to follow our cruise with interest , and hopefully see a review . Take lots of photos and have a NiceInga time ! ;) :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

So sorry to hear of Pat's accident. We have so enjoyed your review of our wonderful cruise and London transfer. Best wishes for her speedy recovery!

 

Thanks Rosie , we enjoyed it so much that we wanted to relive it ( and share it ) !

[scubacruiserx2]

All the best to you. Thank you so much for this great review. Hope to meet up with you on a future cruise. Bon voyage!

 

You're welcome , us too . As our cruisecritic family , and number of cruises grows , it increases the chance of traveling with new and old friends . We're also grateful that cruisecritic exists and allows these threads . ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

 

 

 

Meanwhile , back in the port of St. Petersburg , with the aid of our guide and driver , Polina , we were starting to settle in . There were 2 cruise ships in port on that rainy , cool Friday , May the 8th . I'm pretty sure that is was the X Silhouette and the Princess Regal or Royal . I think that they were both post TA , Baltic cruises . They were also in town on Victory Day - Saturday . There was a BIG military parade on Victory Day in Palace Square and you can see that on that Friday , it was decorated for the 70th anniversary of surrender by Germany . We tried to get seated tickets from a friend with contacts , but they explained that the current political made it impossible .

 

Our next stop was the Metro station for a pass . You just swipe it at the turnstile in the metro station and away you go .

 

 

 

The last stop on our tour , was our apartment . Our usual driver from the airport is the manger of the apartment , and she gives us the keys and reviews how everything works in the apartment . But she was out of town and so we would be meeting her husband instead . But once again , we needed translation help from Polina . We felt bad that we had used Polina's driving and translation skills so much and her guiding skill so little . We wanted to use her as a guide in the future , so we inquired about open dates . We were going to book her through tours by locals , as we had done originally , but she said that we could just call her instead , giving us her number . She also gave us a better price by booking her independently . After saying our goodbyes , it was time to visit the local supermarket .

 

The first thing was to get some money . It's nice to feel that at the ATM , people wouldn't be watching you .

 

 

 

 

At that time , this was about $100 American .

 

 

 

And it was nice to see some familiar faces in the store .

 

 

 

 

 

I'm glad that we were doing a lot of shopping because it's sometimes hard to get people in Russia to make change for a large bill . Because of the holiday we were concerned that the store may be closed , so we stocked up . In Russia BYOB has a different meaning . If you do bring your own bottle , they can fill it with draft beer .

 

 

Edited August 8, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[Mystymom]

Thank you for taking the time to post this great review and the outstanding pictures! I wish your wife good luck Wednesday and a speedy recovery!

Evelyn

[scubacruiserx2]

Thank you for taking the time to post this great review and the outstanding pictures! I wish your wife good luck Wednesday and a speedy recovery!

Evelyn

 

You're welcome Evelyn , and thank you for Wednesday's note of encouragement . :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe, sorry to hear about Pat's fall. It only takes a second to end up in a world of severe pain and for all your plans to be turned on their head. I am wishing her well for a successful surgery and speedy rehabilitation!

 

I know you were planning another cruise (CB?) and this was the one you were going to meet Mic on- I'm bummed that that is now canceled as that meeting would have made a great cruise even better. The anticipation must have been intense.

 

I'm glad you sorted out the lack of disc space issue.

 

While I am on here I want to ask you if you have been reading the thread where a party left the Tuscan Grill in high umbrage. Several others weighed in saying that the food and service isn't up to par. I didn't get that impression from your review and in my upcoming 1st X cruise I have a free specialty dinner and was going to hit Tuscan on an empty stomach. I will probably go anyway for the aft view and let my palate and stop-watch (LOL) be the judge.

 

Now you hint at a possible Princess Cruise to Alaska next year....that was what got me hooked (even with 5 days of drizzle and cold). Which ship are you looking at?

 

Best wishes and hopes for Pat's speedy recovery,

 

Norris

 

Thanks again for computer input and accurate assessment of our current demise . Yeah we met Mic , Bob and their wives on the roll call for the Caribbean Princess TA coming up on September 6th . We're all Canon shooters and were looking forward to spending time together socializing and taking photos of Iceland , Norway etc. That cruise has the best group of people on any roll call that we've been on , with several hundred hundred going to the M&G . Additionally , Mic , Bob and I had hoped to charter a FROM group , with the new members having to announce publicly , First Round's On Me , in order to join the club . ;)

 

I haven't followed the Tuscan Grille thread too much , but I respect both Mic's and Gracie's comments . They have had many more X cruises , than us , and we consider their insight to be invaluable . Dining tastes can be very subjective , but measurement of time is more objective . And the time line did seem to suggest , a problem . Point of Reference is major intangible for food reviews also . Our best Italian food at sea was actually in the MDR on MSC Melody , where every night they put out consistently great pasta etc. BUT ,and it's a big but , the best Italian Specialty Restaurant , for us , was Tuscan Grille . Sabatini's on the CB good , but not great and the ISR on the NCL Dream was our least favorite of the three ISRs that we have tried . Because both you and Gracie have spent a lot of time in Italy , so we suspect that your Point of Reference is much higher . Thus , with her POR and greater dining experience on X , Gracie could give you a more accurate opinion . Our personal rankings of the Eclipse special dining experiences that we tried are :

 

1. Chef's table

 

2. Qsine

 

3. Murando

 

4. Tuscan Grille

 

5. Tie - Bistro on 5 , Pub food at the Passport Bar

 

Finally , if we really want great service , we have a simple plan . As we're being seated , I park my SLR with my largest telephoto lens and speedlight in the middle of the table , and announce in a voice just loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear " WE'RE DOING A THREAD ON CRUISE CRITIC , AND WE WILL BE TAKING PHOTOS . "

 

Works like a charm ! :) :D

 

 

Next cruise ( we hope ) Crown Princess June 11 , 2016

Edited August 8, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

On the day before Victory Day , it seems that everybody grieves . But after the grief come the joy , and the celebration of Victory Day . Feeling ill we were in no mood to party and settled for a quite dinner across the street . It's an Armenian Restaurant called Kilikia .

 

First was Kamatz Matzoun ( Yogurt meatball )

 

 

 

 

Next was Kharcho - A Georgian lamb soup

 

 

 

 

Followed by a Greek Salad

 

 

 

 

 

For a main course - Chicken Kabobs with wild rice

 

 

 

 

And , of course , some alcohol . After all , we are beginning to celebrate in Russia ! Three bears beer !

 

 

 

 

It was almost like being on a Russian river cruise because the beer was working it's magic ! ;)