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

[MicCanberra]

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

 

I sure will, one day I may even do a photo review like you.:D

[MicCanberra]

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

 

Thanks for the kind words, as you say taste and food is a very subjective topic but timeliness (or tardiness) is a very easy measuring stick.

I just hope and this is a really great hope, that a lot of the negative experiences are in the very small percentage and are the ones that get talked about on CC, while the majority have great experiences that do not get mentioned.:D

 

I will have to remember to bring my camera (and say the words) to meals as well.

Edited August 9, 2015 by MicCanberra

[perfect match]

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 .

 

Thank you , we have a repair scheduled with the surgeon next week .

 

Oh, Pat, I am so sorry to hear about your knee injury! Since I'm catching up here, I see that you have already been to your surgeon and have done all the necessary pre-op work, and have the surgery scheduled for Wednesday. I will be thinking of both of you on Wednesday and sending thoughts and prayers your way. I know you both were looking forward to your scheduled CB cruise, but I'm sure there will be many wonderful cruises waiting for you once you are back on your feet again.

 

Now, on to your Eclipse TR updates! I had no idea you two had spent so much time in St Petersburg! It is a destioation that is not currently on my travel wish list, but I am looking forward to seeing it through your eyes. Who knows, after my virtual St Petersburg vacation, I may even find myself adding it to my bucket list of places I want to visit in real life. It wouldn't be the first time I added a destination based on a virtual tour! So far, you've got my interest!

[MicCanberra]

I had 2 days there in 2010 and it was wonderful. Joe has obviously a much broader experience so I am learning new things as well.:D

[scubacruiserx2]

I sure will, one day I may even do a photo review like you.:D

 

We would be glad to help if needed . Enjoy the cruise now and take lots of photos . You can always edit and upload later when you have time . ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

Oh, Pat, I am so sorry to hear about your knee injury! Since I'm catching up here, I see that you have already been to your surgeon and have done all the necessary pre-op work, and have the surgery scheduled for Wednesday. I will be thinking of both of you on Wednesday and sending thoughts and prayers your way. I know you both were looking forward to your scheduled CB cruise, but I'm sure there will be many wonderful cruises waiting for you once you are back on your feet again.

 

Now, on to your Eclipse TR updates! I had no idea you two had spent so much time in St Petersburg! It is a destioation that is not currently on my travel wish list, but I am looking forward to seeing it through your eyes. Who knows, after my virtual St Petersburg vacation, I may even find myself adding it to my bucket list of places I want to visit in real life. It wouldn't be the first time I added a destination based on a virtual tour! So far, you've got my interest!

 

Thanks Nancy , we hope that all is well with you and that your recovery is well underway and complete . We do think that diving would be good for Pat so , after surgery , 2 weeks confinement in bed for healing purpose and PT - we will look into the dive option .

 

Yeah , London , San Miguel ( Cozumel ) , and St. Petersburg are our 3 favorite cities - so far . We were surprised that we would like SPB so much . But after our 2 day cruise there , we felt hurried and that we missed a lot , and so we wanted to return and stay . We have also made some nice friends there ( like on cruises ! ) , and it's always nice to see friends !! :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

After a goodnight's sleep in our new surroundings , I was ready to go , but Pat wasn't . She had some pain in the ear and didn't feel like going out . She said that it was fine if I wanted to go to the parade at 10 am , and so I was off and running ( the pace in the city is quite fast ) . But first , I had seen a new Metro station that I wanted to photograph before the parade . It was near freezing with no rain or clouds ( layers if you visit here ) . We would recommend that every visitor here take time to ride the Metro . This is the station nearest to our apartment .

 

 

 

 

The escalator ride down is both steep and deep , as it is one of the deepest undergrounds in the world .

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg_Metro

 

 

Into the abyss :

 

 

 

I loved this station's clean design

 

 

 

 

And with the reflection , it almost looks like a tunnel

 

 

 

As you can see , the signs are in English .

 

 

 

 

Here comes our train , and as you can see at this early hour , there were few riders .

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The station nearest to Palace Square and the parade is Admiralteyskaya . It was decorated for the holiday and has several mosaics .

 

 

 

 

 

Peter the Great

 

 

 

 

 

The troops were beginning to assemble on Palace Square , but we not allowed to stand here .

 

 

 

So I went in search of a place to watch and photograph the parade .

[Bimmer09]

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

 

Tom, thanks for the detailed response.

 

My sea-dining experience in specialty restaurants is limited to Princess ships but of course that will change come January when we sail the Silhouette.

 

I never ate an Italian meal in the USA until I came ashore in New Jersey in 1986 after working on an RCCL ship in the Caribbean. The places I was taken to put me off Italian food for a long time as they were of the "sloppy red sauce, huge portions" variety- "like-a mamma used to make-a". My server was always called "Vinny". ( I didn't eat in an Italian restaurant in the UK-ever)

 

I tried Sabatini's on my first Princess cruise and ate there 3 times-more sophisticated dishes than NJ and my server was called Olga (not Italian). Good food and attentive service in a relaxed ambiance makes for a good dining experience in my book (currently at the printers).

 

Sabatini's though was put into sharp relief during last year's cruise which started in Venice and I got to experience Italian food as it should be. My first trip to Italy was 49 years previous...

 

Simple food with a minimum of fresh ingredients, harmonizing on a plate. If there were sloppy red sauce dishes on the menu my trained eye glossed over them to simple preparations of fish or meat. I think the surroundings (Venice!), the climate and the service all combined to make each meal we had in Italy something to be remembered and I remember all the meals we had on shore (despite my wine intake).

 

The best salad I have ever eaten....minimum of fresh ingredients in harmony

 

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The best Sea Bass I have ever eaten...as above, both taken in Positano and included as part of our excursion fee.

 

 

When it comes to service I would start my stopwatch if the menus took more than 5 minutes to come to the table-the first impression sets the tone and if there were lengthy delays between courses I would be asking for updates so that my frustrations wouldn't build. We have only walked out of restaurants when it seemed like we were invisible.

 

I too carry my camera bag to dinner and have a camera and camcorder on the table. If the waiter makes mention of it I just tell them that I am an undercover writer for the Michelin Guide-"but don't let the kitchen know"...he will usually drop his tray and run to the kitchen while I play some rapid rhythms on the bongos between my knees ( I take them everywhere) like in a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

 

I will try Tuscan Grille and tell the world about my experiences. I am optimistic.

 

As you won't now be sailing with Mic on the September TA I challenge Mic now to take up the slack and give us a photo review of the cruise....how about it Mic?

Alaska on the Crown in June sounds like a good plan and I hope it happens.

Alaska is a photographer's dream if ever there was one. I have over 25,000 photos on my computer and 30% of those were taken in the past 4 years with my Coral cruise to Alaska as the booster rocket.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[MicCanberra]

 

 

 

As you won't now be sailing with Mic on the September TA I challenge Mic now to take up the slack and give us a photo review of the cruise....how about it Mic?

 

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

 

I can't promise anything but will try and do something of a review maybe even with a few pics thrown in.:D

[MicCanberra]

We would be glad to help if needed . Enjoy the cruise now and take lots of photos . You can always edit and upload later when you have time . ;)

 

Thanks, I will take that advice.

Love the photos of the subways and the décor in them.:D

[perfect match]

Thanks Nancy , we hope that all is well with you and that your recovery is well underway and complete . We do think that diving would be good for Pat so , after surgery , 2 weeks confinement in bed for healing purpose and PT - we will look into the dive option .

 

Yeah , London , San Miguel ( Cozumel ) , and St. Petersburg are our 3 favorite cities - so far . We were surprised that we would like SPB so much . But after our 2 day cruise there , we felt hurried and that we missed a lot , and so we wanted to return and stay . We have also made some nice friends there ( like on cruises ! ) , and it's always nice to see friends !! :) :D

 

Recovery is going well. I still have some restrictions on activities to be sure I do not dislocate the hip that was just replaced, and my stamina is not yet back to normal, but overall I am really pleased with my new hip. I have my second post surgery visit with my surgeon on Thursday, so I am anxious to see what he thinks, both about if I'm ready for diving yet (he is a diver, so he knows what is required to be physically ready) and also what he wants to do about my knees.

 

As I said yesterday, I hope Pat's surgery goes well on Wednesday, her recovery and rehab go smoothly, and she is back underwater in no time.

[scubacruiserx2]

I can't promise anything but will try and do something of a review maybe even with a few pics thrown in.:D

 

It looks like you have lots of upcoming cruises , so shoot now and share later . Our threads began with photo sharing and grew from there .

 

 

Thanks, I will take that advice.

Love the photos of the subways and the décor in them.:D

 

 

St. Peterburg was the first underground that we ever rode , so besides being practical , it holds a special affinity for us . We did go to Moscow a week later , and got some good photos in their Metro . :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Tom, thanks for the detailed response.

 

My sea-dining experience in specialty restaurants is limited to Princess ships but of course that will change come January when we sail the Silhouette.

 

I never ate an Italian meal in the USA until I came ashore in New Jersey in 1986 after working on an RCCL ship in the Caribbean. The places I was taken to put me off Italian food for a long time as they were of the "sloppy red sauce, huge portions" variety- "like-a mamma used to make-a". My server was always called "Vinny". ( I didn't eat in an Italian restaurant in the UK-ever)

 

I tried Sabatini's on my first Princess cruise and ate there 3 times-more sophisticated dishes than NJ and my server was called Olga (not Italian). Good food and attentive service in a relaxed ambiance makes for a good dining experience in my book (currently at the printers).

 

Sabatini's though was put into sharp relief during last year's cruise which started in Venice and I got to experience Italian food as it should be. My first trip to Italy was 49 years previous...

 

Simple food with a minimum of fresh ingredients, harmonizing on a plate. If there were sloppy red sauce dishes on the menu my trained eye glossed over them to simple preparations of fish or meat. I think the surroundings (Venice!), the climate and the service all combined to make each meal we had in Italy something to be remembered and I remember all the meals we had on shore (despite my wine intake).

 

The best salad I have ever eaten....minimum of fresh ingredients in harmony

 

[/url]

 

The best Sea Bass I have ever eaten...as above, both taken in Positano and included as part of our excursion fee.

 

 

When it comes to service I would start my stopwatch if the menus took more than 5 minutes to come to the table-the first impression sets the tone and if there were lengthy delays between courses I would be asking for updates so that my frustrations wouldn't build. We have only walked out of restaurants when it seemed like we were invisible.

 

I too carry my camera bag to dinner and have a camera and camcorder on the table. If the waiter makes mention of it I just tell them that I am an undercover writer for the Michelin Guide-"but don't let the kitchen know"...he will usually drop his tray and run to the kitchen while I play some rapid rhythms on the bongos between my knees ( I take them everywhere) like in a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

 

I will try Tuscan Grille and tell the world about my experiences. I am optimistic.

 

As you won't now be sailing with Mic on the September TA I challenge Mic now to take up the slack and give us a photo review of the cruise....how about it Mic?

Alaska on the Crown in June sounds like a good plan and I hope it happens.

Alaska is a photographer's dream if ever there was one. I have over 25,000 photos on my computer and 30% of those were taken in the past 4 years with my Coral cruise to Alaska as the booster rocket.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

 

Thanks for sharing your adventure ( and your food ) , with us . The photos and description keep it fresh , and bring it to life ! It seems that dining in much of Europe is celebrated and that service there is considered to be an honorable profession ( except the time in France where we walked out ) . :eek: We try to treat our hired help with dignity and kindness , and it usually makes a better experience for everyone . :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Recovery is going well. I still have some restrictions on activities to be sure I do not dislocate the hip that was just replaced, and my stamina is not yet back to normal, but overall I am really pleased with my new hip. I have my second post surgery visit with my surgeon on Thursday, so I am anxious to see what he thinks, both about if I'm ready for diving yet (he is a diver, so he knows what is required to be physically ready) and also what he wants to do about my knees.

 

As I said yesterday, I hope Pat's surgery goes well on Wednesday, her recovery and rehab go smoothly, and she is back underwater in no time.

 

Thanks for the report and we're glad that progress is being made ! We really hope that you and Pat will be back in the swim of things soon!! :cool:

[scubacruiserx2]

The first time that we stayed in St. Petersburg ( visa required ) , was after our first TA in May of 2009 . After waking up at our apartment , my DW declared " There's tanks out side , didn't you hear them ? " Well I guess that I didn't . After peering out our window to see them , I smelled a photo op ! Unbeknownst to us , we were staying in the staging area for the weapons displayed in the Victory Day Parade !! :eek:

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Americans , we felt conflicted with regard to our safety .

 

 

 

 

 

What had we gotten ourselves into ? :rolleyes:

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We couldn't find a place to watch the parade , and so we were content to watch the vehicles start up and move out , with no crowds present . But , that was then and this was now . I headed down to the main river in St. Petersburg , the Neva .

 

 

 

 

I could see some warships this time so I walked down to photograph them sans my main model .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the right of the submarine in this photo is one of my favorite churches in St. Petersburg . Very few tourists have seen it and you won't find it in the tour guides , but she's a stunner .

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

I found a place near Palace Square to take photos , but crowd had already moved in .

 

 

 

 

A little further down , I found a good place that was not too crowded - yet .

 

 

 

It was near the Hermitage and a band was marching toward the square .

 

 

 

 

Now why didn't I think of this ? All of the good perches had been taken .

 

 

 

Noticing that I was the only older person , and that the crowd was beginning to interact with me , I became somewhat apprehensive . With no translator , and my basic language skills rapidly failing me , I made a command decision . It might be a smart thing to consider moving . There was almost an hour before the parade began , and I was now standing shoulder to shoulder , in a place far, far away . Noting that the crowd continued to swell - now exponentially , I made a move . A family had formed a single line , moving upstream , against the crowd . Jumping in line , as the caboose in the train , I rode it through the gridlock into a less crowded area . Many routes had been blockaded , but I made my way to a main street and found another train , headed upstream , and joined in . It's was almost a mile's walk against increasing crowds , and I didn't stop until we broke into the clear . I paused for a quick photo about 1/4 mile from the Admirality .

 

 

 

Nearer to our apartment , about 3/4 mile from the parade , the crowd continued to stream rapidly , toward Palace Square , as seen in this video clip .

 

 

 

And now , Only a couple of blocks from my DW , I felt a sense of profound relief . ;)

[MicCanberra]

I do not like crowds at all, I can tolerate some things but prefer to avoid them, especially when travelling.

[scubacruiserx2]

I do not like crowds at all, I can tolerate some things but prefer to avoid them, especially when travelling.

 

I think that smart people avoid the crowds , and that's why so many people were leaving the city on Friday , for their Dachas in the country ! ;) I belive that most of the cruise ship tours probably went to Peterhof , or Catherine's Palace , outside of the city , thus avoiding the crowd . But we had a dinner date that evening with friends , and so they stayed in the city to meet with us . :) :D

[MicCanberra]

I think that smart people avoid the crowds , and that's why so many people were leaving the city on Friday , for their Dachas in the country ! ;) I belive that most of the cruise ship tours probably went to Peterhof , or Catherine's Palace , outside of the city , thus avoiding the crowd . But we had a dinner date that evening with friends , and so they stayed in the city to meet with us . :) :D

 

It is always nice to meet up with friends when abroad.:D

[upwarduk]

The escalator ride down is both steep and deep , as it is one of the deepest undergrounds in the world .

 

I have recently returned from St Petersburg (Eclipse 25th July - 8 th August) and we came up the escalator from what we were told was one of the deepest stations in the world, unfortunately it broke down 3/4 way up!

What a struggle those last 30 or so steps were. Fortunately it restarted, just when I felt I couldn't take another step ( I am experiencing knee problems)

What is the name of the church in post 1017?

 

You were very brave to go out by yourself in St Pete. I must admit I felt totally safe with our SPB guide, but our Somelier told a different story.

Edited August 11, 2015 by upwarduk

[MicCanberra]

I have recently returned from St Petersburg (Eclipse 25th July - 8 th August) and we came up the escalator from what we were told was one of the deepest stations in the world, unfortunately it broke down 3/4 way up!

What a struggle those last 30 or so steps were. Fortunately it restarted, just when I felt I couldn't take another step ( I am experiencing knee problems)

What is the name of the church in post 1017?

 

You were very brave to go out by yourself in St Pete. I must admit I felt totally safe with our SPB guide, but our Somelier told a different story.

 

Being on your own in a foreign place is a nerve wracking adventure at the best of times.

[scubacruiserx2]

I have recently returned from St Petersburg (Eclipse 25th July - 8 th August) and we came up the escalator from what we were told was one of the deepest stations in the world, unfortunately it broke down 3/4 way up!

What a struggle those last 30 or so steps were. Fortunately it restarted, just when I felt I couldn't take another step ( I am experiencing knee problems)

What is the name of the church in post 1017?

 

You were very brave to go out by yourself in St Pete. I must admit I felt totally safe with our SPB guide, but our Somelier told a different story.

 

 

 

We hope that you enjoyed your recent cruise on the Eclipse and trip to St. Petersburg . It's is a very busy and challenging 2 days , at best , while in good health . And if you do have limited mobility , they are not as equipped as some other nations to deal with that contingency , and it should be considered if planning a visit there . Fortunately , it worked out well for you . ;)

 

I've read several names for that church , so I'm not certain . But here's a link with a name , some pictures and the location :

 

https://plus.google.com/116984257869012742548/photos

[scubacruiserx2]

Being on your own in a foreign place is a nerve wracking adventure at the best of times.

 

We usually feel very comfortable there most of the time , because we are familiar and experienced at visiting there . But there times .....

 

 

It is always nice to meet up with friends when abroad.:D

 

They are treasured friends who we love to visit , and enjoy going places with . It's always nice to see somebody that we know - and to hear English spoken in Russia ! :) :D