Cruising the Baltics with a Teen and Tween on the Getaway; A Review

[Travel R]

Travel R...A friend has asked that I purchase a replica Fabrege egg. Would you suggest I get it at the museum or a souvenir shop? Thanks.

 

The souvenir shop we stopped at had a fairly large selection starting at about $30 US for small ones, and they go up from there. You will see a few souvenir stands near some of the attractions, such as church of blood which have much better prices, but you cannot count on visiting them. Also note that you can purchase them much cheaper online at home - however, even knowing that, we figured that the novelty is that we purchased it while in Russia.

 

But ensure that you will be stopping at a souvenir shop on your your, or the museum may be your only choice - and as mentioned, they do charge a premium.

 

Also note, on our sailing, they had a relative of the faberge family hawking eggs as well. His name is Theo Faberge, so you may want to do some quick research on his stuff. Not cheap, but could be a good investment (I don't know enough about his stuff - I missed the lecture and sales pitch)

Edited August 21, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Independence Day, And We Even Got Fireworks

 

After along day abroad, we returned to our ship. Although we had 8:30 reservations for Taste, it was a little after 6 and we were all tired and hungry. My DD17 went to the Buffet to pick up something quick to eat so she could meet up with her friends, while the remainder went to Savor for an earlier meal. There was only a three minute wait until we were seated, and a few more until we ordered dinner. A member of our roll call that we had met at the Meet and Greet was seated by himself at a nearby table. Once I noticed him, we invited him to join us. He has a great personality, and we had a lively conversation while dining. I did not jot down what I had for dinner that night, but it was most likely okay since I do not remember hating it – but then again, I was hungry, so anything would have tasted good. Come to think of it, I had Beef Stroganoff (named after the Stroganoff family of Saint Petersburg),and I believe it was on that day. [Fun fact: For the course of the cruise, we had begun to pronounce Savor with a French accent, so that it would sound like “Savour.”]

 

 

After dinner was done, we brought DD12 to the Splash Academy, and then went to take in the Russian Folklore show that was being presented in the main theater of the Getaway. We attended this instead of going into town that evening because we figured it would be a great topping to our first night in Russia, not to mention we would be too exhausted to go out and the price was right – it was free. It was worth every penny we paid for the show, if we paid a penny we would have paid too much. Okay, I take that back, it was not completely horrible, but it was close to it. A number of people in the audience walked out during the performance. First of all, the title threw me a little bit, I thought that there may have been some storytelling of Russian folklore, or at the very least, performers acting our or singing the folklore of the Russian people. However the show compromised a few singing and dancing performances with absolutely no context. The dancing was not bad, with one dancer that was pretty good, but the singing was close to horrible. If they would have at least narrated (in English) the reasons and meaning behind the songs and dances it would have atleast enhanced the experience. The troupe the ship hired (presumably from Saint Petersburg) should also be upgraded. Maybe if I was to do this itinerary again, I would skip the ship’s show and either do a dinner in the town or the ballet.

 

 

It was an amazing experience being in Russia during a day that the United States of America celebrates its own independence and freedom from tyranny. Earlier in the day while walking to dinner wetalked about how it was July fourth and how we should be grateful for the freedoms we have, and talked a little about how the Russian people had only recently received many of these same freedoms (the tour guide did briefly discuss perestroika that morning).

 

The ship did put together a virtual fireworks display on the big screen in the atrium while playing American/patriotic songs. I thought that it was very nice of them to do (I had sung the Canadian National Anthem a few days before in honor of their celebration). There were a number of us sitting and standing while watching the screen (from both floors) and singing the songs. It was a great feeling celebrating the holiday overseas in a country that had had been deprived of their freedoms for so long – and singing these songs with my fellow shipmates. [Note: not to complain, but the song list could have been a little better – but it was fine.]

After the firework show, my beautiful DW and I took a ride up to the Garden Buffet for some quick sweets before heading back to the stateroom. It was going to be another early day tomorrow, so we took showers and went to bed after early returns by our daughters.

[Travel R]

Back in the USSR

 

In 1968 the Beatles released a double album entitled the White Album. The first track on the album was “Back in the USSR,” a Beach Boys sounding, Chuck Berry inspired song about the Soviet Union, the beautiful woman, and the teens that had a suppressed rebellious spirit akin to other youth in Great Britain and the United States. Paul McCartney wrote this song without ever visiting in the Soviet Union [note: The Beatles were banned from playing there in 1964. In factt he first time Sir Paul played the song live there was during a 2003 concert in Moscow. On the way to Moscow, he stopped in Saint Petersburg where he received an honorary degree from the Saint Petersburg Conservatoire.] Today we were going to have the opportunity to have the opportunity to once again walk upon the Russian soil for another day of high adventure in the city of Saint Petersburg. [Fun Fact: Ringo Starr did not appear on this song (or “Dear Prudence”); amongst much tension between the band mates, he had “quit” and walked out during the early sessions when this was recorded. He did return to the band two weeks later. BTW, the drums were performed by McCartney for the song.]

 

Brrrrrrng. Brrrrrrng. Brrrrrrng. Huh? Brrrrrrng. Brrrrrrng. Brrrrrrng. Ohhhhhh. Brrrrrrng. Brrrrrrng. Brrrrrrng. Okay, time to get up.

 

It was another early morning rise in preparation for our second Russian outing. Having showered the evening before, we needed only dress, brush our hair and teeth, and other basic necessary to get ready for the day, including packing the necessary clothing. The previous day had become warmer towards the afternoon and I usually only wore my t-shirt (my DW still wore her sweatshirt or light jacket throughout the day). Today was starting out a lotclearer and both the weather and temperature (mid-60s) looked promising.

 

Still sleepy, we repeated the same routine as the day before and headed to the Express Breakfast at Moderno (where they served the same items – although one item in the hot chaffing dishes I believe was different), met up with our group and headed down to customs. Customs was even quicker today, and took us only a few minutes to make our way through, after which we walked to our waiting tour bus and guide.

Of course, as soon as I made my way out of the customs area, I begun to sing “Back in the USSR.” At first I sung it out loud, but my DD12 became quickly embarrassed and wanted me to stop. At which point I still sang, but at a much lower volume. I had visited the Hermitage, and sang “Back in the USSR” on my return to the country – I was not complete – everything after this was all just a bonus piece of cake. [As an adult, I find it quite easy to embarrass any teenager or tween.]

 

 

[Neva with part of the Hermitage at left:]

Our chariot took us into the city center towards our first attraction of the day, but also made a few additional stops for photo opportunities. The first stop was on the shore of the Neva, directly across from the Hermitage to give us a rear view of the Winter Palace. We took a drive by of the Peter and Paul Fortress that we had planned on visiting later in the day. We also made a photo stop nearby the historic battleship Aurora, who had a part to play in the Russian Revolution and a quick stop (we did not leave the bus) at Peter’s Cabin, which was the first dwelling/palace of Peter the Great in Saint Petersburg.

[Driving by Peter and Paul's Fortress:]

 

[battleship Aurora:]

 

[Peter's Cabin (the best shot I got from the bus):]

[Travel R]

Choral Synagogue and the Metro Experience

Our first scheduled stop of the day was at the Great Choral Synagogue, where we got out and took a few pictures – and some visited the adjoined shop. This was also something that we were able to modify from their regular published tour. It was interesting to see this huge old synagogue in a country that suppressed all religion and had been especially anti-Semetic (even prior to Soviet rule). Today there are a little over 20,000 self-identifying Jews in all of Russia, but it is promising that where anti-Semetic incidents are on the rise throughout many countries of Europe, it is actually on the decline in Russia.

 

 

 



 

The next stop was a visit to the metro (subway system), which is built far underground, so we needed to take a long escalator down to the bottom. Coming from the NYC MTA system, this was comparatively very, very clean, and nicely decorated. From what we were also told,it is also very efficient (which is also in contrast to the NYC subway system.). It would have bee cool to take a ride, but that was not in the cards.

 

 



 

 



 

 



[Of course I was innocently taking a picture of the train, and I am going to stick to that story.]

[cpl100]

The souvenir shop we stopped at had a fairly large selection starting at about $30 US for small ones, and they go up from there. You will see a few souvenir stands near some of the attractions, such as church of blood which have much better prices, but you cannot count on visiting them. Also note that you can purchase them much cheaper online at home - however, even knowing that, we figured that the novelty is that we purchased it while in Russia.

 

But ensure that you will be stopping at a souvenir shop on your your, or the museum may be your only choice - and as mentioned, they do charge a premium.

 

Also note, on our sailing, they had a relative of the faberge family hawking eggs as well. His name is Theo Faberge, so you may want to do some quick research on his stuff. Not cheap, but could be a good investment (I don't know enough about his stuff - I missed the lecture and sales pitch)

 

Thank you.

[Travel R]

On the Road to Catherine's Palace

 

It was now time to take our journey further abroad to the town of Tsarskoye Selo (otherwise known as Pushkin) to visit the summer residence of the former Russian Tsars as the architectural marvel known as Catherine's Palace. The ride took about 50 minutes, so put on some travelling music and take a look at some of the sites along the way . . .

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

[Travel R]

Catherine’s Palace

 

If you have untold wealth and want a place to spend the hot summers while impressing your friends, Catherine’s Palace would be the place you may have built. It is impressive in both its size and elegance – both within and without. It is a shame that the structure was mostly destroyed during WWII bombings and subsequent dismantling by the German forces. What we are seeing today is a great restoration job that has brought the Palace back to its former glory.

 

We were sprinkled with pixie dust once again, and the magic of the private tour group allowed up to once again skip the crowd and go right inside the palace grounds.

 

 

The structure is nicely decorated, but everyone in my family agreed that after the first few rooms, they all began to look the same. Yes, some of the furniture or paintings were different from room to room, but there was monotony in its repetition. The Amber Room, which is the main attraction of the palace (and a location you are not allowed to take photos), was not a big “wow”factor. It was nice, but it was like all the other rooms, just a different color – the big gathering room before you go down the corridor the Amber Room is located is a much more impressive (at least to us).

 

 

 

The grounds and well manicured flora and fauna surrounding this Russian chateau were breathtaking and worth the walk outside.

[Travel R]

Lunch and the Tour Guide Lady

 

In the morning there was a little to-do with the tour guide lady while at the Choral Synagogue. Originally it was supposed to be a quick photo opportunity, but it turned out to be a little longer. There was some miscommunication between the tour guide, the company, and the person that organized this tour for us. I know that the organizer was upset and so was the tour guide.

 

We went to lunch at a nicer restaurant for lunch than the day before, although the food was not great. They served us some type of soup, which was okay, then they served us dumplings (possibly pelmeni). The filling did not look like chicken, but pork, and several members of our tour expressly stated no pork. There was a lot of confusion with the language barrier and the wait staff, so we never found out what it was – but some people did not eat it. Then for desert they served a crepe-looking dessert with chocolate, but my DW is allergic to chocolate – and they did not have anything to replace it with.

 

Then later, citing timing issues, we did not return to Peter and Paul’s Fortress, so the earlier pass-by was all we got. Which was disappointing not to see it, but looking back, we saw a heck of a lot in the two days, so not a huge disappointment for us.

 

My own issue with the tour guide was probably not a big issue for most people. I thought that – for me – she did not provideenough extra stories or historical facts about some of the sites we visited. For instance, I had to bring up the history of the Germans taking the decorations from the original Amber Roomand it never finding it, or the story of Stalin selling some of the items in the Hermitage (which became the base of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.). She briefly went over the Siege of Lenengrad, where there could have been a lot more detail, or while the Germans salvaged Russia of its treasures when it tried to invade, she did not mention that the Russians did the same later in the war when it pushed the Germans back. There were a lot of otherstories that I believe she did not tell us – and knowing a lot already of the history, I would have liked to hear something that I did not know. That being said, for most people, that would probably have been overkill. She also seemed not to tell us much about life under Soviet rule, except how everyone embraced perestroika. She was very pleasant, but she also had a very matter-of-fact attitude that a train of many of my Russian friends that had lived in Russia for a while, so maybe I would have preferred a more “bubbly” attitude like the tour guide from Tallinn.

 

Overall, the Tour Guide and DenRus did a very good job with running our tour, and I would recommend to others in the future – with the above caveats.

 

Now that lunch is over, back to the remainder of our tour. There are still a few things left to see and do, but before you leave let's take another look at Catherine's Palace:

 

 

 



 

 



 



 

 



 

 



 

 

 

[Travel R]

The Fountains of Peterhof

 

Our next stop, Peterhoff Palace, is known as the Russian Versailles due to its architecture and gardens. The bus ride to Peterhof was about 35-40 minutes, and I did not take very many pictures during this ride, so you know I was a wee bit tired.

 

 

For now, until I visit the one in France, I will have to take everyone’s word for it. The tour did not include an inside visit of the palace (it was never scheduled), but we did take a long stroll through its gardens to see examples of many of the amazing fountains, as presented below (too bad there were dark skies behind the palace):

 

 



 



 

 

 

 

Just a note about my teen and tween - they thought the fountains were "pretty cool," but after a littel while, especially after we left Peterhof palace itself, it just became a little boring. Except for the trick fountans, which are placed across some paths so you do not know when they will shoot out water. I tried my luck with one, but was quick enough not to get wet.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

One more pic, just for good measure (the umbrellas and the plastic over the shirt was just perfect for illustrating our visit) . . . .

 

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by Travel R

[Glide_Path]

Travel R, you got any pictures of your lunch in SPB?

Did you have to use any of the local currency at any time during the 2 days?

 

I thought your words were way too kind regarding the food mix up. The inclusion or exclusion of certain type food is very important. People have the need to avoid certain food for various cultural, religious, and especially medical reason. If the travel agency cannot properly communicate this want/need to the tour guide/restaurant, to me that's a huge negative.

[napoxoguk]

Hi, TravelR, thanks for your comprehensive write-up.

A quick side comment: you said that Russian Jewish community is estimated at 20 thousand. Is that a typo - or are you referring exclusively to those practicing Judaism?

[Travel R]

Travel R, you got any pictures of your lunch in SPB?

Did you have to use any of the local currency at any time during the 2 days?

 

I thought your words were way too kind regarding the food mix up. The inclusion or exclusion of certain type food is very important. People have the need to avoid certain food for various cultural, religious, and especially medical reason. If the travel agency cannot properly communicate this want/need to the tour guide/restaurant, to me that's a huge negative.

 

Lunch in SPB - I will have to double check it. I did not specifically take pictures of the food, but I may have taken a few of my family while in both restaurants which may have captured their plates. If so, I can crop out my beautiful family and display the food porn.

 

Use of Currency in SPB - I did not exchange any cash for Rubbles. We used credit cards (and one of our tour mates used US dollars to purchase something from a street vendor). The only time Rubbles were needed was at the metro station, when someone asked about the bathroom. It was a pay toilet, with someone taking payment. Our tour guide paid in Rubbles and we paid her back in Euros.

 

Allergies/Dietary Restrictions - I have been married many years to someone that has chocolate allergies, and I have contracted an allergy to cheese two years ago, so I guess I/we already expect people/restaurants not to understand. Pork restrictions are also probably not as common in Russia as well, so everyone was wary of it. What was interesting is that the tour guide came over to tell me the previous day that she made sure there was no cheese in the meal, but did not make any comments to that affect about chocolate, pork, or cheese that day - she was not in the room with us while we ate. The fact that they brought my wife the chocolate dessert, however, was circumstantial proof that the food may have also contained port. The language barrier with the waiters was also barrier - so I cannot blame them. Being allergic is a life of always questioning everything you are served, and have Benadryl and an Epi pen with you just in case.

[Travel R]

Hi, TravelR, thanks for your comprehensive write-up.

A quick side comment: you said that Russian Jewish community is estimated at 20 thousand. Is that a typo - or are you referring exclusively to those practicing Judaism?

 

Ooops, I made a mistake, I believe she said 200 (two hundred) thousand people "identifying" as Jewish.

[Glide_Path]

Travel R, thank you for your feedback and review. No worries about the food pictures if it's going to be extra work.

 

I know between your mud runs, cookouts and 1000 other things going on, your plate must be full.... I just hope you can finish your review before I leave for the trip in Sept ;p

[Travel R]

Hydro Foiled

 

A short walk to the east of the park brought us back to the water’s edge, where we boarded a hydrofoil, which we sailed upon the Gulf of Finland until we reached a dock near the cruise port.

The passenger cabin for the hydrofoil is enclosed in (not very clear) glass. Because of the clouds the visibility was not the best for such a trip, but it was interesting to see Saint Petersburg and the outlaying area via this mode of transportation.

 

 

The hydrofoil was “okay.” It was nothing like what I had expected (In my mind I pictured something like the duckboat ride in some cities, like they have in Boston) or something like thehydrofoil between France and England. It was just okay, and my family would agree with me. There was also a sales presentation for some Russian/Saint Petersburg souvenir items during the trip.

 

I would have rather spent the time visiting Peter and Paul’s Fortress than spending the time on the hydrofoil – it did not really add anything to our Saint Petersburg experience. Maybe I would feel different if the skies were clearer shedding more light upon the beauty of the harbor or if we were not so tired after two packed days of touring – but as it was, I could have done without it.

[Travel R]

Note: the views as we came closer to the dock and along the canal were a lot nicer than when we were sailing across the wider bay.

 

 

After we docked, we boarded the bus for one last time, and were brought back to the port. I will note that the bus needed to take a detour around the port, but not because of congestion, but due to some construction near one of the terminals (the construction vehicles were blocking our path).

 

 

On the short bus ride back, the tour guide began to go over some Russian vocabulary. She had begun the first dayin the morning teaching us one or two words, but that was as far as she got. For some reason she decided to go back to this at the end of the two days of touring, before we were leaving the country, and taught a few more words. Note, I had learned a little bit of Russian myself (including to read the some of the Cyrillic alphabet) when Iused to work with a Russian man back in my restaurant days, so none of the words were unfamiliar to me. Also note that the ship does provide two “Learn Basic Russian” classes on the ship prior to the day we arrive in SPB.

 

We bid the tour guide and driver farewell after arriving at the terminal and made our way back on board the waiting Getaway.

[Travel R]

Travel R, thank you for your feedback and review. No worries about the food pictures if it's going to be extra work.

 

I know between your mud runs, cookouts and 1000 other things going on, your plate must be full.... I just hope you can finish your review before I leave for the trip in Sept ;p

 

I am trying to move through this review more quickly - as you probably have noticed, I have moved away from the more flowery style to more of a colloquial dialog prose. I am through with Russia (at least the tour of the city) - but still need to finish with the evening's activities and then create a consolidated index to include all of the most recent posts.

 

I only have two more ports to review (Helsinki, although one of our favorite days in port, will most likely be very short), but I would like to provide some information and tips about the ship itself. I have already begun writing a dialog on "Getting Around the Getaway" and the Public Spaces.

 

[The following was taken from the hydrofoil - even without the painted bow, it is easy to see by its size which one of these cruise ships is the Getaway:]

[Travel R]

A Farewell to Russia and Escaping the Big Top

 

When we returned to our stateroom exhausted from our whirlwind tour of Saint Petersburg,it was to our staterooms that we made our way. It was already late afternoon and almost early evening. Once again, we had late reservations at one of the MDRs, but knew we were not going to be able to make them since we booked Escape The Big Top for that evening.

 

After resting (I on the balcony, the young lasses in the cabin) for a while, we got up to go to Taste upon the first half hour of their opening. A quick note on dress - some may be offended by this, so please hold onto something when you read this so the faint at heart do no fall -- on this evening and the prior evening myself and my family attended these venues in the same clothing we had worn during our days in Saint Petersburg. Yes, I wore a t-shirt to dinner, and I believe that I may have even worn my baseball cap on at least one of the evenings. I had seen people do it this and prior cruises, but after twenty years and eight cruises, I have joined the ranks of the uncouth. I am sorry to those that I may have offended, but those days were just too long and we were too tired to change our apparel. The remainder of the cruise I had worn my polo or button-down shirts, but on these Russian White Nights, I had forgone etiquette for exhaustion (shhhhhh . . . I did not mind, and on future cruises I hope to do it again),

There was no wait and we were seated immediately. This was probably the best meal I had on the entire cruise. They had some type of escargot appetizer, which was delicious, then for my entrées I chose the steak again, sans the sauce (which was good, and nicely cooked the way I like – between medium well and well done), along with a dish of lamb provincial, which I made a note to myself that it was outstanding. Yes, it may have been because I was once again famished from the long day, and measly lunch, but to tell you the truth, I really enjoyed the meal.

 

We were finsihed with our evening meal before 7:30 and walked around the ship a little while with our daughters until we arrived at the Illusionarium at about eight (the game begins at 8:30). We were the first people on line to “register.” However, they did not have us on their list. I said “how can that be?” They really did not have an answer, but looked at the previous day’s list and alass, we were listed there. I knew that we did not sign up for the prior day, it was not the date the person at the Ticket Booth had told us. I had even written the event down on this date (see my scheduling cheat-sheet below). It is not very often that I make a mistake in scheduling (I am not perfect, but when it comes to scheduling, I am pretty good). One of the assistant cruise directors was nearby and they said do not worry, we will be the first on the standby list.

 

We sat on the nearby bench waiting our turn to enter. A few minutes later, I heard an argument from another group with the registration person - you guessed it, these people had also signedup for this evening’s event, but were not on the list (they were on the list of the prior day). There was even a third group that also had the same issue. I felt vindicated, and we were able to get a seat for the game. [Tip: If you book anything through the Ticket Office, double-check the date and time, because humans are not infallible, and mistakes do happen.]

We were in a group where most of us were in our fourties and over, but there were two twenty-somethings and my DDs to round out the team of ten. Although they (the MC from NCL - a faceless voice on a loudspeaker) tried to explain how the gamewas played, I lost something in the translation (as did all of us “older” people.” There are six different puzzles that need to be solved. One member of our team and myself chose to solve a numerical puzzle. She has a PhD in math, and I have two advanced degrees myself, but we could not figure it out (technically, we did figure it out, but did not know how it fit into the overall puzzle). First of all, we were completely over-thinking the problem, second of all, we were both clueless as to what exactly we were looking for – once we discovered that there was a page for corresponding numbers to an answer key it became a bit more obvious, but without that knowledge all we did was wrack our brains forthe first 20 minutes of the game.

 

For those of you that enjoy cryptology, it is a very entertaining game prying you against 10 other teams as well as being up against the clock. Luckily, one of the twenty-somethings on our team had done this before while on land and with her assistance, we solved most of the clues, but not quickly enough. A team of mostly young teens won the game with only a few minutes to spare. Now that I have thegist of the game down, I look forward to the next time I am accorded with such a challenge.

My teen and tween both enjoyed it. My DW and I also enjoyed it, but on a different level. It was a great family activity. My suggestion, if you are not a teen and doing this for the first time, go online before you sail and do a quick search on how to play the game so you will be set to play as soon as the clock begins.

 

My notes for this evening simply state “sleep” following the game. It was a long two days and I am sure that it was not long after entering the room that I was quickly abed. To be honest, if we did not have the EBT, I probably would have crashed after dinner.

[Note: I did not take any pictures of Escape the Big Top (I believe they told us that it was prohibited), nor do I have any evening pics from the balcony since I was just too tired.]

[cpl100]

How and when did you sign up for Escape the Big Top? Was it held every evening or just a couple? Thanks!

[Travel R]

How and when did you sign up for Escape the Big Top? Was it held every evening or just a couple? Thanks!

 

When:

We signed up for this on the ship on the first day we boarded.

We waited until the evening to make the reservations and the first day was already filled (I believe it was the day at sea). We should have made them earlier in the day.

 

Where:

We went to the Box Office to make the reservations (which is located near the main theater). I had read (or thought I had read) that you could make the reservations from the TV monitor in your room or the TV kiosks around the ship - I was unable to make the reservations via this system. We did not have the iConcierge App, so I am not sure if you can use that for these reservations. In hindsight, there is a written sign-up sheet, so I believe the only way to make reservations is physically at the Box Office. [if anyone has any other experiences, please let us know.]

[Travel R]

Saint Petersburg, In Hindshight

 

In two days we saw a lot - and I mean a lot. The only major sight that we did not see (well, we saw, but did not go into) was Peter and Paul's Fortress. Besides that, we saw every major tourist attraction the city had to offer.

 

Although I would have loved to spend more time in the Hermitage, it would have meant cutting out something else - but if I ever return, an extended visit will be a must.

 

I am very, very pleased that we were able to go to the Gold Room, which is not on most tour's itineraries. As I had mentioned before, if we could have skipped the hydrofoil ride in order to see the inside of Peter and Paul's Fortress, I would have liked that (however, I know that logistically, that would not have made sense, since we would have needed to spend that time travelling anyway back towards the port).

 

I am also glad that my family wanted to go to the Faberge Museum - it was an unexpected highlight.

 

Even more than a month after I have returned from the cruise, I still cannot believe I had visited Russia. If the vacation would have ended from there - I would have considered it an amazing vacation, but there were still two more ports to go, including what we all considered to be our most enjoyable day of the vacation.

[Travel R]

CUMULATIVE INDEX

 

I am more than three quarters of the way through this opus magnum, so thought it would be helpful to you (the readers) to provide a linkable index to quickly find the specific information you may looking for. I will update the index again when this discourse has come to a conclusion.

 

INDEX OF MAJOR DISCUSSIONS

 

Clothing (“Clothing – How to Dress”) - Page 2 – Post #28

Copenhagen – see Page 3 – Begins with Post #59

“Coming Down to the Wire Checklist” within post #25

Currency, Exchange - Page 6 – Post #107

Dailies, previous itinerary - Page 2 – Post # 25 (at end)

Getaway

• Boarding & 1st Day/Evening (“Time to Getaway”) - Page 5 – Post #88 & 89
  
• Bus to Port from Central Station - Page 5 – Post #85
  
• Entertainment - Page 8 – Post #154
  
• Escape the Big Top - Page 14 – Post #271 thru #273
  
• Garden Buffet - Page 8 - Post #154
  
• Howl at the Moon - Page 8 – Post #154
  
• Sea Day #1 - Page 9 - Post #162
  
• Tropicana - Page 8 – Post #154
  

Iceland – see Page 3 – Begins with Post #44

Teenagers and Tweens

• 18-21 Year Old Group - Page 7 – Post #s 137 and 139; also see Page 8, Post #143
  
• The Baltics and Teens/Tweens, In General - Page 6 – Post #s 102 & 103
  
• Country-by-Country Rundown of Likes and Dislikes - Page 6 – Post #104
  
• Rules (we gave them) - Page 6 – Post #109
  
• Splash Academy and Entourage Teen Clubs – Begins Page 7 – Post #125
  
• Top Favorite Things My Daughters Liked - Page 4 – Post #70
  

Saint Petersburg -see Page 10 - Begins with Post #196

Tallinn -see Page 9 - Begins with Post #176

Warnemunde/Rostock –see Page 8 – Begins with Post #146

 

 

COMPLETE INDEX (THROUGH TODAY’S POST)

 

18-21 Year Old Group - Page 7 – Post #s137 and 139; also see Page 8, Post #143

Allergies& Food Impairments - Page 9 - Post #175

Background (“There and Back Again”) – Page 1– Post #4

Baltic Cruise (“Why And How We Decided Upon a Baltic Cruise”)- Page 1 –Post #13

Berlin [see Warnemunde, below]

Booking the Cruise (“Signing Up For the Journey”) - Page 1 –Post #14

Burn theFloor - Page 9 - Post #164

Cabin

• Bathroom Smell - Page 9 - Post #164
  

Cirque Steam and Dreams - Page 10 - Post #185

Clothing (“Clothing – How to Dress”) - Page 2 – Post #28

Copenhagen

• Copenhagen Morning - Page 4 – Post #65
  
• Day In, Proposed Itinerary (Wed) - Page 3 – Post #59
  
• Day In, Proposed Itinerary (Thu) – Page 4 – Post # 64
  
• Day In, Proposed Itinerary (Fri) - Page 4 – Post #80
  
• Getaway, by Bus - Page 5 – Post #85
  
• Hotel Nebo, Safety of Area – Page 5 – Post #83, and Page 6 – Post #118
  
• Poem - Page 4 – Post #61
  
• Tivoli Gardens - Page 3 – Post #60
  
• Walking Tour of Copenhagen, Full DIY Tour – See post
  
• Walking Tour of Copenhagen, Review - Page 4 – Post #s 71-73
  

Currency, Exchange - Page 6 – Post #107

Dailies, previous itinerary - Page 2 – Post # 25(at end)

Dining

• Quick Review - Page 1 – Post #s 19 & 20
  

Escapethe Big Top - Page14 – Post #271

Excursions,Summaries - Page 2 – Post #26

Food [see Restaurants]

Getaway

• Boarding & 1st Day/Evening (“Time to Getaway”) - Page 5 – Post #88 & 89
  
• Bus to Port from Central Station - Page 5 – Post #85
  
• Entertainment - Page 8 – Post #154
  
• Garden Buffet - Page 8 - Post #154
  
• Howl at the Moon - Page 8 – Post #154
  
• Tropicana - Page 8 – Post #154
  

HotelNebo (Copenhagen)

• Choosing the hotel - Page 6 – Post #118
  
• Hotel Nebo, Safety of Area – Page 5 – Post #83
  

How to Dress [see Clothing,above]

Iceland (“24 Hours in Iceland” Parts I and II)

• The Arrival & IcelandAir - Page 3 – Post # 44
  
• The Drive, A Golden Circle, Mostly - Page 3– Post #s 45 & 46
  
• Filling Up the Tanks & The Way Back - Page 3 – Post #s 47 & 48
  
• Reykjavik - Page 3 – Post #s 51 & 52
  
• Reykjavik, Proposed Itinerary - Page 3 – Post # 55
  

IcelandAir

• See Page 3 – Post # 44
  
• See Page 7 – Post #s 136 & 138
  

[

Continued in next post]

Edited August 25, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

[continued from prior post]

 

Independence Day Celebration - Page13 – Post # 254

Insurance - Page 9 - Post #171

Introduction (“We Are All On Our Own Journey”) – Page 1 – Post #2

Itinerary (“Why And How We Decided Upon a Baltic Cruise”)- Page 1 –

Post #13

Meetand Greet - Page 9 - Post # 163

Packing (“Packing and Getting Everything Together”) – Page 2 – Post #25

• Also see “Coming Down to the Wire Checklist” within post #25
  

Planning (“Over Planner and List Maker”) - Page 2 – Post #55

Ports of Call

• Copenhagen – see Page 3 – Begins with Post #59
  
• Iceland – see Page 3 – Begins with Post #44
  
• Saint Petersburg - see Page 10 - Begins with Post #196
  
• Tallinn - see Page 9 - Begins with Post #176
  
• Warnemunde/Rostock –see Page 8 – Begins with Post #146
  

Reservations, for the Ship – Dining and Entertainment (“Reservations, and More Reservations; A Checklist for the Rest of Us (Especially Nubile Freestylers)” - Page 1 –Post #16

Restaurants

• Moderno - Page 9 - Post #164
  

Reykjavik [see Iceland, above]

Saint Petersburg

• Canal Boat (Neva River) – Page 12 - Posts #240 - #241
  
• Catherin’s Palace - Page 13 – Post #259
  
• Church of the Spilled Blood - Page 13 – Post #247
  
• Choral Synagogue - Page 13 – Post #256
  
• Currency - Page 14 – Post # 265
  
• Customs and First Morning - Page 10 - Post # 200
  
• Drive Through SPB (Day 1) - Page 12 - Posts #239, #249
  
• Drive Through SPB (Day 2) - Page 13 – Post #255 and #269
  
• Drive to Catherine’s Palace - Page 13 – Post #258
  
• Faberge Museum –Page 13 – Post #246
  
• Hermitage – Page 13 – Post #243 thru #245
  
• Hydrofoil - Page 14 – Post #268
  
• Lunch - Page 13 – Post #250
  
• Metro - Page 13 – Post #256
  
• Peterhof’s Palace – Page 14 – Post #261
  
• Private Tours - New Rules - Page 11 - Posts # 200 - 202, and 217
  
• Proposed Itinerary - Page 10 - Post # 196
  
• Saint Isaac’s Cathedral - Page 13 – Post #248
  
• Saint Petersburg, In Hindsight - Page 14 – Post #274
  
• Selecting a Tour Guide - Page 11 - Post #203
  
• Souvenir Shop - Page 13 – Post # 249 and #253
  

Stateroom [see Cabin]

Tallinn

• Tallinn, Day In ("Going Medievel: Tallinn, A Baltic Surprise") - Page 9 - Post #178
  
• Tallinn, In Retrospect - Page 10 - Post #195
  
• Proposed Itinerary - Page 9 - Post #176
  
• Walk Through Tallin - Page 9 - Post #179 thru #181
  

Teenagers and Tweens

• 18-21 Year Old Group - Page 7 – Post #s 137 and 139; also see Page 8, Post #143
  
• The Baltics In General - Page 6 – Post # 103
  
• Boys vs. Girls - Page 10 - Post #191
  
• Country-by-Country Rundown of Likes and Dislikes - Page 6 – Post #104
  
• Dailies, Entourage - Page 7 – Post #129
  
• Dailies, Splash Academy - Page 7 – Post #128
  
• Entourage Teen Club Review - Page 7 – Post #140 & 141 (on Page 8)
  
• Family Activities and Non-Club Activities - Page 8 – Post # 145
  
• General (“An Ode to Teenagers and Tweens: A Baltic Cruise on the Getaway”) - Page 6 – Post #102
  
• Kids Clubs: An Introduction - Page 7 – Post #126
  
• Kids Clubs: In General - Page 7 – Post #127
  
• Rules (we gave them) - Page 6 – Post #109
  
• Splash Academy Review - Page 7 – Post #s 130 and 131
  
• Top Favorite Things My Daughters Liked - Page 4 – Post #70
  

Rostock [see Warnemunde, below]

Tips (“Top-Eleven Tips Off The Top Of My Head”) – Page 1 – Post #5

Traditions - Page 9 - Post #172

Traveling, To Copenhagen (“On Our Way to the Forum. I Mean – Getting to Copenhagen) - Page 3 – Post #58

Traveling, To Reykjavik (“Getting to Reykjavik”) - Page 3 – Post #42

Tweens and Teenagers [see Teenagers and Tweens, above]

Warnemunde

• Additional Pictures - Page 8 – Post # 155
  
• Rostock, Getting to, by Train - Page 8 – Post #150
  
• Rostock, In Hindsight (summary) - Page 8 – Post #156
  
• Rostock, Walking Tour, Review - Page 8 – Post #s 151 - 153
  
• “To Berlin or Not to Berlin” - Page 8 – Post #150
  
• Warnemunde, Proposed Itinerary - Page 8 – Post #s 146 and 149
  

As noted, I am more than three quarters of the way through and can begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. Besides my review of two more ports (Helsinki, and Stockholm), I still have some information and tips I would like to share about the following:

• Finding Your Way Around the Ship
  
• Public Areas
  
• Our Stateroom
  
• Restaurant Reviews – Also, Are the Specialty Restaurants (SDP) Worth It?
  
• What I Did Not Do
  
• Comparison With RCI & Carnival
  
• Final Invoice – Misc Charges
  
• Coming Home
  
• Summary
  

If there are any topics I have not yet discussed, and are not listed above that you would like me to write about or discuss, please feel free to make a request.

Edited August 25, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Travel R, thank you for your feedback and review. No worries about the food pictures if it's going to be extra work.

 

I know between your mud runs, cookouts and 1000 other things going on, your plate must be full.... I just hope you can finish your review before I leave for the trip in Sept ;p

 

I was talking to my DD17, and asked if she had any photos of the food from our lunches in St. Petersburg, and she said she might. If she does, she will forward them to me so I can post them.

 

But speaking of food in Saint Petersburg - In the gardens of Peterhof, we passed by the Hermitage Pavilion. The unique thing about this place is that it was used by the Tsars for entertainment, including dining - and the entire main table is raised to the dining room through the floor. [it was closed, so we did not get a chance to go inside, but there are tours where they show you how the mechanism works.]

 

 

 

 

I did not take any photos of where we ate in SPB (as my DW would say, I would rather take photos of strangers and random buildings). The closest I got was a random photo while waiting outside for the remainder of our group to leave the facilities (that is a part of the restaurant on the near left).