Regent Seven Seas - Voyager

I discussed this Baltic Cruise line in a previous post. I have been on a few different cruise lines, and it's not just the destinations, you need to take into account your preferences on the size of the ship, the typical traveller on board, family cruises, culture immersion cruises, luxury, age-appropriate, etc.

On this particular cruise, we decided to see if we could visit the ship's galley.  With our request granted, a group of approximately 20 people assembled to go the ships galley. The head chef took us on the tour through the galley and explained the mechanics of storing, cooking and serving the 700 passengers on board to the standard they need to meet.

The amount of bread baked daily is astronomical; fresh food is brought on board at every stop and usually consists of whatever is the local fare.  There are descriptions and pictures of how each plate is cooked and presented. The head chef comes in at 5 pm to do a run through, and all items on the menu are prepared and submitted for inspection. If all is satisfactory, then the staff get ready for the passengers selections. Before each meal goes out it must be like the picture, or they must start again and at the end of the night explain as to why their plates weren't up to par.

On board our particular ship we had a young but capable Swedish Captain. He was seen around the vessel often and was readily available. Our cabin being approximately three suites from the bridge made it more likely to bump into the captain, which we did. He was a delight to chat with and had a great sense of humour.

I would recommend that you choose your cruise line carefully as it can make the difference between a good cruise holiday and an excellent cruise holiday.  If you're interested, my new book on 'Who What Wear of Cruising' is to be released end of February. In it, I discuss cruise lines, dress regulations, ship terminology and tips on getting the most of your cruise. Please email me for more details at tanyalococo@gmail.com

St Petersberg Day 2

While I was disappointed that we were unable to wander freely around St Petersberg, I did enjoy all the knowledge our guides imparted to us. The history of St Petersberg is something you should consider learning about while there.

There was no love lost between the family of the Tzars and plenty of drama, but the architecture is something to be admired. The Winter Palace is a prime example of this, which now houses the Hermitage Museum, which in turn houses over million dollars worth of art.

     

We were fortunate to see a folk concert, with an army choir and local folk dancing. Although it was all sung in Russian, the music and melodies were wonderfully emotive. The dancers re-enacted the different kinds of dancing that told stories through the ages.

 You could see the love of the Russian songs by the all-male army choir & band, and the pure enjoyment of the folk dancers. It was an excellent concert and showed the love the Russians have for their land and culture.

     

A must on any agenda is the Hermitage Museum to see the Faberge eggs, also the history of the Babushka dolls and the art on the lid of the renown wooden boxes. Beautiful, skilful art by fabulously talented people. Also, a visit to Peter & Paul's fortress, Peter the Greats and Catherine's resting place allows you to witness the incredible workmanship of the Russians and their love of their Tzar. There are many monuments to Peter the Great throughout St Petersberg that are an example of the way his people felt about him.

Stalin's architecture- stark and uniform & Catherine's resting place - embellished and rich

In contrast, the building Stalin had designed and erected is an entirely different style of architecture.
Its stark architecture feels as oppressive as the time under Stalin's reign.

If you do go to St Petersberg, get your visa and your private guide and do some homework to know what you want to experience. For me, the freedom to explore was sorely missed and of course to have the chance to try the local fare.

St Petersberg

We arrived at St Petersberg for a 2-night stay. The one thing you need to know is that entry into Russia is very tight. If you arrive by ship, you are only allowed off via immigration with your ship organised tour. If you wish to visit on your own, you need a pre-organised visa and a private guide.

We took a night tour and loved the architecture of St Petersberg and the city lights along the rivers and ever so many bridges.  St Petersberg's known as the Venice of the North with all the rivers, canals & bridges. The bridges open and close to allow boats to get through, and can cause havoc in the city at these time with traffic, and with pedestrians trying to get around.

 Catherine's Palace was built by, Catherine I in 1717 and renovated and extended by Empress Elizabeth in 1773, which in turn was completely overhauled again in 1752 to what it looks like now. It is a stunning palace that is slowly being refurbished after the Germans left only a shell when they left at the end of WW2. The German army had left bombs to destroy the palace when they left the Russias were able to find and defuse them before they destroyed the building. It has taken nearly ten years just to bring the ballroom back to its former glory with the all the gold leaf used. There are still many rooms to be brought back to life but what you do see now is the grandeur of the palace and the times and wealth of the Tzars of Russia.

The architecture and design of the Russian churches are quite beautiful and very impressive, the colours and the symmetry is a delight to the eye. Learning more about the history of Russia and St Petersberg, as well as the drama of the Tzar's history shows a turbulent time with a very powerful and competitive family wanting to rule this land.