So, yesterday I had everyone have the photo copy of their passport stamped because that’s what we had been told to do. This morning the Russian Immigration Officials changed their minds and said that a stamp wouldn’t be needed…….. and if hadn’t been for the fact they he was armed to the teeth and that I didn’t want to spend 20 years sharing a Siberian prison cell with a man called Boris the Butcher ………I would have punched him in the face.
This meant that yesterday we spent hours and hours stamping everyone’s photocopy and this meant wasted time for the guests and the staff…………and this was only part of the fun this morning. It started at 6:45am when the officials came onboard. Usually this means a few Immigration officers, one from Customs and maybe the Port Manager accompanied by a representative of the Agency who we pay to look after us…………so maybe ten at most. Today, in St.Petersburg we had a few more than usual……………..28 to be precise. I have no idea what they all did or who they were but I do know they were hungry as they devoured the huge tray of pastries we had prepared for them…………one man………….who had a green uniform and a hat the size of a massive frying pan on his head took half a dozen pastries, wrapped them in tissue and put them in his briefcase.
Eventually………after breakfast………..they gave permission for guests to disembark the ship. It was very smooth from our side but the lines to Immigration were awful ……………… the guests have to walk through what is nothing more than a hut where more frying pan heads checked the passports. Have a look at the lines this caused.
I used the PA system to apologize to guests and most of them understood that they definitely were not in Kansas anymore………….so far the staff reported all the guests were happy and certainly the ones I spoke to understood patience would definitely be something they needed.
However, some guests were not happy. These were the ones who booked private tours but whom Immigration refused entrance to because they either did not have the required paper work showing proof of visa. So far we have a group of 80 who all said that they had private tours booked but because they had no copy of the visa they were refused……………they are not happy and for some reason they seem to think this is our fault. Anyway, we are trying to arrange a Carnival tour for them. I therefore remind everyone that if you book a private tour in St. Petersburg please make sure you have a copy of the visa…………….and if I were you……….I would take a ship tour and not have to worry about anything.
In situations like this you flood the area with as many staff as you can, make lots of announcements and keep people informed as much as possible……..this really seemed to have helped today.
Its now 10:35 am and we have only 288 people left onboard……………the 80 people who had a private tour but no proof are on an afternoon tour but are not happy…………….and there is nothing I can do for them. We will have to change one or two things but overall operationally ………it went well……….but there is little we can do about Immigration ……………except use one of their hats to cook some bacon and eggs in.
Tonight we have many guests on tour as well with some amazing options to the Ballet and a show at the Imperial Palace.
Here are some of the most popular tours with some brief descriptions. Heidi made this so if you find this useful we could do for other ports.
TITLE LENGTH BRIEF DESCRIPTION FOOD SERVED
Alexander Nevsky Lavra
& St. Isaac’s Cathedral
3½ hoursAlexander Nevsky LavraTikhvin cemetery, Trinity Cathedral, St Isaac’s Cathedral .
NoAn Imperial Evening at the Catherine Palace
5½ hoursCatherine Palace Staterooms, concert at the Throne Room, cocktail reception, performance at the yard; Carriage Museum; Dinner at the restaurant in Pushkin
Lunch
Catherine Palace & Hermitage
8 hoursCatherine Palace and Park; Lunch at the restaurant; Tour of the Hermitage Museum.
Lunch
Catherine Palace in Pushkin
4 hoursCatherine Palace and Park
No
City Tour & Catherine Palace
9 hoursCatherine Palace and Park, Lunch at the restaurant, City tour /photo stops.
Three course lunch
City Tour, Neva Cruise & Folkloric Performance
9 hoursCity Tour / several photo stops; Neva Cruise; Dinner at the restaurant; Folkloric performance at the concert hall.
Dinner
Evening of Russian Ballet
3½ hoursBallet performance at the theatre
A glass of champagne
Grand Tour of St. Petersburg
8½ -9½ hours each dayDay 1: Visit to Peter & Paul Fortress inside visit; City tour with photo stops and drive to the Hermitage; Tour of the Hermitage Museum; Lunch at the restaurant; Drive to Spilled Blood Cathedral, photo stop there; Time for shopping at the souvenir market. Day 2: Grand Palace and Lower Gardens at Peterhof. Lunch at the restaurant, Drive to the boat pier, canal boat ride; Drive to Yusupov Palace and inside visit of the palace.
Three course lunch
Hermitage Museum
3½ hoursHermitage Museum
No
Hermitage Museum
& Gold Room
4 hoursHermitage Museum & Visit to the Gold Room
No
Life of St. Petersburg’s
Jewish Community
3 hoursGreat Choral Synagogue, Meeting with the rabbi; Concert of cantor music; Visit to the small Synagogue.
No
Musical Evening at the Hermitage
3½ hoursHermitage Museum
A glass of champagne, mineral water
Neva Cruise, City Tour
& Ballet Performance
9 hoursCity Tour / several photo stops: Neva Cruise, Dinner at the restaurant, Ballet at the theatre.
Three course dinner; 1 shot of Russian vodka, 2 glasses of wine, 0.5 liter of mineral water, tea or coffee
Panoramic St. Petersburg
3¼ hoursCity tour /photo stops: St. Isaac’s Square, pass by: Palace Square, Winter Palace, Spit of Vasilievsky Island
No
Peterhof:
Grand Palace & Fountains
4 hoursGrand Palace and Lower Garden
No
Peterhof & Hermitage
9 hoursGrand Palace and Lower Park; Lunch at the restaurant; Tour of the Hermitage Museum.
Three course dinner; 1 shot of Russian vodka, 1 glass of champagne, 0.5 liter of mineral water, tea or coffee
Russian Folkloric Evening
3¼ hoursConcert Hall
Folkloric PerformanceA glass of champagne at the intermission
Russian Museum &
Spilled Blood Cathedral
4 hoursRussian Museum; Spilled Blood Cathedral; Shopping at the neighboring souvenir market.
No
St. Petersburg City Tour
& Hermitage
7 hoursCity tour/ photo stops: Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, pass by: Palace Square, Baroque Winter Palace, Neva River, Spit of Vasilievsky Island, Artillery Museum, photo
opportunity of the Church of Resurrection on the Spilled Blood; Lunch at the restaurant; Tour of the Hermitage Museum
Three course dinner; 1 shot of Russian vodka, 1 glass of champagne, 0.5 liter of mineral water, tea or coffee
The Fountains of Peterhof
3½ hoursLower Garden of Peterhof, Hydrofoil ride.
No
White Nights Neva River Cruise
2½ hoursNeva Cruise
A glass of champagne at the boat
Yusupov Palace, Peter & Paul
Fortress, Canal Cruise & City Tour
8 hoursCity tour / several photo stops Inside visit to Peter & Paul Fortress; Lunch at the restaurant; Boat Pier Canal boat ride; Yusupov Palace
Three course dinner; 1 shot of Russian vodka, 1 glass of champagne, 0.5 liter of mineral water, tea or coffee
I am off to try and get a tour of the Eurodam which is sitting in front of our bow. I am taking my camera with me so we can all have a look at what I hear is an amazing vessel.
Here I am………….and what a fiasco that was. I got through the border of our ship but when I reached the area in front of the Eurodam I was stopped by another frying pan head who gave me two choices………..bugger off…………or bugger off…………….I buggered off.
I am really upset, not only am I really desperate to see the ship but the way I was spoken to…………..honestly, if he hadn’t been 6 foot and carrying a machine gun and I had had the 101st Airborne Division with me I would have kicked his bottom.
Anyway, I thought that I could call the agent and make arrangements to see the ship tomorrow…………but she sails at 7 p.m. tonight………I am destined it seems never to visit the Eurodam.
Here are a few photos for you to enjoy of Heidi and I and one of the brilliant cast of dancers, musicians and singers.
Here is today’s comment of the day.
Guest: Mrs _______: 002801330A Owner: (LAEP) Laszlo Pergel
Cabin: ________ Booking#: ___________ Added-Changed: 07/18/08 – 07/18/08_____ – NEIGHBOR MAKES NOISE DURING THE NIGHT
Ms_________ called the pursers desk and told purser that the guest in the next cabin was sitting on the balcony chanting very loudly and ringing a bell. Guest stated she could not sleep. Security was asked to go to the cabin where the guest who is a Budhist was asked to kindly please not ring the bell and chant softer. Guest apologized. No further action.
Yesterday we featured the Casino Manager Gareth in the first of our series of interviews with Department Heads. Today, we feature another in Chief Purser Lui. I feature him this morning because he has been up all night preparing the vast amount of paperwork needed to comply with the ever changing Russian rules and regulations…………he is also upset today as the officials ate all the pastries and left him with nothing for breakfast.
Here then is Lui.
NAME Lui Toro
DEPARTMENT AND POSITION Pursers information desk, Chief Purser
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
13 YearsWHAT DOES YOUR JOB INVOLVE
Guest relations manager, Liase between immigration, customs, and port authorities.WHERE ARE YOU FROM
Puerto RicoWHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB
Talking to guestsTELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY BACK HOME
Close to family, miss them a lot!WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT BEING IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY APART FROM FAMILY
The nightlife!!FAVORITE THINGS
MOVIE – Shining through, Madagascar
MUSIC – Dance music, I love to dance!
FOOD – Italian, Chinese
IF YOU COULD MEET ANY FAMOUS PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO WOULD IT BE
Madonna, she is fab!IF YOU HAD TO DO ANOTHER JOB ON THE SHIP WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO AND WHY
Cruise director, I imagine it being a fun job!!
It seems that the cigar bar issue raised lots of thoughts from you out there. One comment came from PA 007 who started with the company just about the time the Carnival Destiny was delivered (there’s a clue)……..here is what he or she has to say.
I don’t believe the cigar bar was originally designed for that purpose. On the Carnival Destiny it was an upper and lower disco connected by an open dance floor. The upper for loud music the lower where people can talk. It didn’t work and it was around the time when cigars became chic, so Carnival began searching for cigar bar location and….Voila (that’s French).
PA 007 is of course correct. ……………….except using the word Voila which he or she did just to annoy me of course……………The Destiny class ships up until the Carnival Triumph I believe or it may have been the Carnival Victory. Anyway, eventually the stairs separating the disco and the lower level were filled in thus as PA 007 mentioned we created a cigar bar. Back in the late nineties the cigar became much a symbol of success as driving a Bentley or flying 1st class. Such was the success that an affluent magazine celebrating life and cigars was born. It was called Cigar Aficionado edited by Marvin R Shankin and full of 100 plus pages all about cigars and the people that smoked them. Celebrities and politicians were splashed on the front cover all smoking cigars. These A list celebs included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jordan, John Heald and Kevin Costner.
These days the magazine has changed with only a few pages given to Cigars and the rest to features about Golf, Wine and celebrity interviews. Certainly, as an occasional cigar smoker myself I have seen less people smoke them these days. However, when I do, they are usually smoking with people they have never met as nothing strikes up conversation and new friendship like a cigar.
Last night I met a football player, apparently he is quite famous and plays for a team from New York called the Giants…………….I won’t mention his name now but will after the cruise has finished. He is a one heck of a big lad and unlike that miserable git Howie Mandell he has had no problem signing autographs and taking photos.
He and I had a nice chat and he said he and his family were having a wonderful time. He is also a cigar lover and I gave him one from my collection. It was a huge Cohiba Siglo 6, which in any normal persons hands would look massive but considering he has hands the size of shovels it looked like he was holding a toothpick.
I like American football very much and I have many opinions about who should do what and when, but never having played I do not have the first bloody clue what’s going on. I have no idea why it’s called football when only one man uses his feet and I have no idea how the heck any player understands the Enigma codes that the quarterback shouts out to the rest of the players. Just when I think I understand what’s happened and what’s going to happen next the game stops to allow for 7 hours of advertising for Budweiser, Depends and Anti Acid pills which may stop your stomach feeling like you have eaten a bowl of chilies coated in chili sauce with chilies on the top but side effects may include uncontrollable diarrhea, headaches and bed wetting.
And Football makes even less sense when 140 tons of all American beef lands in a big muddy lump on top of the ball and you have no idea what on earth is going on in there. Not until the referee blows his whistle, does some signing for the deaf and decides that the running back person at the bottom of the pile has fumbled the ball which is not surprising as something the size of a fully stocked refrigerator just fell on him. Of course he fumbled the ball……..he probably dropped it to free his hands which he needs to use to remove a helmet which is now lodged up his bottom.
Despite all this, though, you have to love the collisions, the moments when someone with thighs made from oak and a chest the size of a tugboat smashes into a runner back thingy with such ferocity that you wonder how his skeleton hasn’t just disintegrated into a million pieces.
That and the fights, those cherished moments when a man mountain smashes his fist, which is the size of a Christmas ham, into someone else’s helmet and all hell breaks loose…………………. Brilliant.
And that brings us on to the referees who are usually old and have the physical build of Pee Wee Herman yet are expected to stand in between two man mountains and ask them to calm down.
At least Football is played by real men. I am ashamed to say that soccer is now played by a bunch of big girls who cry when the win, cry when they lose and if they score they run around the pitch as though they have just discovered the meaning of life waving and blowing extravagant kisses to their girlfriends, wives or both. Then, if they are tackled they roll on the floor as though they have just been hit in the back by a wrecking ball. If they are good enough actors (the Italians are the best) and the performance is strong you can guarantee the referee will dismiss the player who made the tackle.
Nope, American football referees are fantastic and I admire their courage.
Compare this attitude with the slightly feminine refereeing nonsense we see in basketball………… Flick someone’s earlobe in a game of basketball and some jumped-up little gnome, will mince over and give you a technical foul or throw you out of the game.
It’s a contact sport after all and viewing figures would certainly go up if Kobe and Dwyane were allowed to have 2 minutes Kung Fuing in the fourth quarter. …………….come on referees……. I was going to say that they are the most important feature in all sports. But obviously that’s not true. The most important thing in sport, of course, is watching the Miami Heat win………..which they will.
Again.
Goodnight
Your Friends
John and Heidi
Filed under: Europe, Tales from the Ship, Travel | Tagged: Carnival Splendor, Russia
Well… it looks like those wonderful Russian immigration folks were just looking for a hand out… like hungry bears invading a camp ground. Perhaps the Chef should have prepared a stunning breakfast. The frying pan headed gents would have just waved the passengers by and on their way.
What a shame about those folks and their private tour. Did they offer the Russians some pastries in exchange for the privilege of doing the tour that they had paid for? It appears as though the Russians haven’t broken the code on tourism yet, eh??
God Bless Mr. Lui Toro for putting up with all the bureaucratic nonsense… I wouldn’t have his job on a bet!
Just one last point….
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
Oh… and if you have a second… SAVE THE CIGAR BARS!!
Thank you for your kind attention…
Host Mach
Hi John,
I sure don’t envy Lui Toro’s job in the Russian Port. It must be quite a job trying to please all those imigration people in all of the different ports.
Great photos and the tours sound wonderful. Looking forward to whatever photos you can share of St. Petersburg.
I do enjoy listening to the music in the cigar bar. The ambience is very relaxing. Unfortunately, I too, am allergic to the smoke. I don’t mind going early for a little bit, but can’t stay long in there.
Enjoy your bacon and eggs…. if the frypan hats stop back!
Princess Barb & Carl
John, there is one thing wrong with that picture of you and the beautiful Heidi. It’s all that junk on the table in front of you two. Tell the Captain you need to eat in peace.
BIG ED
By the way your raspberry is ringing it’s me answer it NOW, LOL
John, I don’t see what the issue is. If the cigar bar is a designated place for men/women to smoke,then why would anyone complain? I respect the parts of the ship where people can smoke and try to stay away from those areas. I expect the same respect from the ones that smoke to not smoke where they shouldn’t. I do worry when someone smokes in their cabin lest they go to sleep with a cigarette in their hand and set the ship on fire. I don’t know if there is a rule against that or not. But you have never had any complaints from me. If someone sits down next to us on the Lido deck and is smoking we just
move. They paid for their ticket the same as I did.
Like I said I am highly allergic to cigarette and cigar smoke, so I’m not going to go where it is allowed.
Carolyn
dude! you are right about football. it makes NO sense at all. they have a goal and no goalies! yeesh… just sayin’.
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
John,
Thanks for the on going blog. My husband, sister and brother-in-law and I are sailing on Splendor the 18th of August. I am so ready for this trip and look forward to Carnival’s newest ship and the ports. Understanding what to expect is a great benefit.
Thanks for the football, basketball, soccer humor. I am a big football fan and a newly fan of futbol (soccer). So really had a nice laugh.
So glad to be cruising with you again. Finally, we have reached our 10th cruise on Carnival! Looking forward to many more.
Sorry you didn’t get to tour the Eurodam. I’ll definitely be blogging from it beginning 8/4! Please get the frying pan heads straightened out by then:-) We will ONLY take ship tours in St. Petersburg! Who needs their hassle?!!!
Duchess Sandy in GA
Hi John,
Just wanted to say that diet must be working by the looks of the photos of you,you look great..I have been losing since the first of Dec and am down almost 40 pounds and every pound is a hurdle.I will be seeing you again in November and can not wait..
Wow the Tour Summary is fantastic, great job Heidi!!! I am not thinking I would venture on any such private tour in Russia any time before many many visits!! I am sorry for that group and I think it was just like you and Carnival to do what you could to help…
And those lines , OMG, I hope you can get this place up to speed quickly!!
Lui must have the patience of a saint, takes special gifts to handle what you guys have to handle!!
I’m with Mach. You must do something to save the Cigar Bars John, please. It’s just not right!
Love you all,
Eva
Hi John,
Just wanted to point out that while I was made fun of at dinner in Miami a few months back for pulling the entire “Nokia store” from my handbag, you and Heidi seem to have plenty of raspberries and apple in the eye phone looking thingys on the table in front of you too!!
Hope you’re keeping away from giant mutant potatoes!!
-Mr & Mrs Bentley’s daughter
John:
No wonder those 80 people booked a private tour….Carnival gave them such few choices!!!
LOL
My goodness that list went on FOREVER!!!
I did not know there was THAT much to do in St. Petersburg.
Whenever someone mentions Russia, I think of our dear friends from Moscow. She was a Pediatrician that came here to the US for cancer treatments. She brought her two daughters with her. She was the first physician to properly diagnose DJ’s Autism. Unfortunately, the treatments were unsuccessful. Her two teenage daughters spent several months with our church after their Mother’s death and we tried to show them as much of the good ole USA that we could. (even Bourbon Street in New Orleans)
The one thing that amazed them the most was Wal Mart. When their father came to the US to pick them up and take them back to Moscow…he spent 6 HOURS in Walmart. ( I am not exaggerating. I thought we would never get him out of there!)
Sorry today was such a pain in the “helmet”…but just think what an interesting Chapter it will make in your book!!!
Linda (Mom of your friend DJ)
I can see where the original design on Destiny would have been a 2-story disco – I’ve sat in the cigar bar on later ships and watched the ceiling overhead flicker in different colors from the floor lighting in the disco directly above. Nevertheless, at least by the time Victory was designed, the space was intended as a cigar bar. To quote from Mr. Farcus in the Carnival Victory inaugural book: “Greek influence is also prevalent in the Ionian Bar, Carnival Victory’s grand bar…. The function of this room dictates a quiet, elegant ambience, as it is a cigar bar….”
If the thinking is that there simply aren’t enough cigar smokers to justify the space, what about turning the port side lounge on deck 5 between the disco and the aft lounge into the cigar bar? That lounge has space for a jazz band.
I can’t imagine the red tape involved in going to St. Petersburg. My oldest son just returned from China and had very few travel issues, despite what you may have read about travel in China. However, the St. Petersburg tours look like they’ll be worth the hassles. I’d love to see the Hermitage.
make sure you take a pictue with the giant player take good care of him
Not sure if this made it….(sorry for a repeat if it did)….
Wow with the throngs of people lined up………. ( yes throngs…. not thongs …. because that many people (including John) wearing thongs would be….well… downright revolting)………… That many people in line….. glad it wasn’t raining that day….
John,
I love the cigar bar and I think every ship should have one. It’s the only time where US citizens can buy a good Cuban cigar and smoke it in an overstuffed Corinthian Leather chair!!
However, I have to say putting the Internet Café behind the Cigar bar was bad planning. For those who don’t smoke, it is annoying to walk through the Cigar Bar to get to the Internet Café. Why not move the internet café to the Library. I think that would be a perfect place.
Please don’t let anything happen to the Cigar Bar –it is such a great room! and I love the smell of a good Cigar!!
Thanks for continuing to send the great videos and the normal complaints from the cruise – just love cruising virtually with you and Heidi again!!
All my best to you both,
Debs
There is one problem with the Heat winning, it is called “THE PISTONS”.
Lori
I agree with Carolyn on the smoking. I don’t like it when I try to sit on my balcony and read and next door they are smoking. I enjoy sitting out on the balcony.
Jennifer
I was laughing at your description of the soccer team, I knew you were talking about the Italians, my favorite team btw ( love them). Tell Lui Hola! Siento mucho que sea haya pasado toda la noche con el papeleo para nada, suerte para la proxima. Buen trabajo!
I hope you have better luck next time in Russia and that soon you can visit the Eurodam, John.
Nanni
PS : John I just saw Mama Mia! You have t get it for the big screen as soon as it is available.It would be great to see it on the big screen. It’s a feel good movie.
I love it!!
When we sailed into St. Petersburg a few years ago as we docked a Russian nuclear attack sub surface right besides us.
The Russian attack sub escorted us in submerged. Good thing our Captain and pilot behaved himself coming into St. Petersburg.
Isn’t it amazing how people differ.
The Buddhist was simply observing his (or her) religious beliefs. Yet, rather than getting incensed that his Faith was being interfered with, he calmly apologised and promised to be quieter.
What a difference to many other people’s reactions. Not a case of “German music insults Jews” or any of the other over-reactions we have seen at all.
Maybe, if we all behaved like the Buddhist, we might just get on together a bit better.
And maybe the Buddhist’s neighbour should learn a little more tolerance.
Hi John,
I need to hijack your thread for a minute.
Hi Nanni,
I wish you were on this cruise with us. Last year was the best one ever. We’ll be in St. Thomas in Setember but we’re not going to make it to Puerto Rico this time. Hope to see you again soon.
John, we could really hear the frustration in your voice yesterday morning when you were making your announcements about stamps, etc. Hope this process gets easier as time goes by.
See you soon
George and Linda
herr john
bier fest & german music,,,
for the bloggers,,,,can you make this happen?
that would be great.
FANTASY BIER FEST & OMP PA PA
just a little hint DUDE,
PROST from fla.
tom & jane
http://www.bloggersbierfest .guten
Hi John & Heidi,
First, thank you to Heidi for the brief on the St. Pete tours, excellent help for planning our days. Second, GO GIANTS WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Sorry, I got carried away, sorry. Was there a plaque ceremony in Russia? I think the long lines would go faster if you passed out a pastry to each guest debarking for tours and they gave them to Immigration in the trailer! Whadda you think?
According to the Carnival Home Page, we cruise with you all in 5 days but who’s counting. Ciao’ for now!
Dominick & Linda
New York
P.S Love the Cigar Bar!
John, why does Carnival Corp. even bother going to Russia? Screw ‘em! They need Carnival more than Carnival needs them. Go somewhere else, or stay somewhere else longer. Why put up with that attitude and nonsense? Fight the good fight. Simply do NOT give them your money!
John, I don’t know if you read these comments, but here’s how I feel about the cigar bar situation. I hate smoking and everything about it. That being said, I’m not some whiny PC liberal, so I think people should be allowed to smoke all they want. However, my favorite bar on the Carnival ships is the cigar bar. I love the atmosphere of it, and I love the jazz. That being said, I could never go in the cigar bar because of the smoke. Why can’t Carnival have a bar like the cigar bar for non-smokers? It’s just such a great place that I never got to enjoy.
I’m not a Buddhist, but you have to appreciate the response of the Buddhist in this situation. If it were a member of a certain other “religion of peace” famous for terrorist acts (I wouldn’t dare say the name!), the complainer would probably be dead.
Hey Lori, there is one problem with the Pistons winning. It’s called the Celtics! HAHAHAHA!
…and by the way, I’m very proud of you for spelling Dwyane’s name correctly!! Go Heat!!
Well John,
If the French are the rudest people in the world then I have found the 2nd rudest group. It’s the French Canadians. With the US $ being down and the Canadian $ being up we are seeing more and more of them in the US. We spent a week in Myrtle Beach, SC this past week and they were everywhere. You know I can get past the being rude part by just not being around them unless you have to interact with them. But the majority of them didn’t speak English or should I say understand English. So everytime you were behind them in line that was fun waiting while the workers tried to get them to understand.
As for Russia maybe if Carnival would host a buffet breakfast for the Russian Customs people prior to debarking it would go faster and be less of a pain.
Hi John
Football as the name says is played with the foot not the hands. (well it is in Europe)
She who must be obeyed smokes, so I must say that, there should be a place for those, without the willpower to give up can drag us to.
The recent blogs and photo’s have encouraged me to book my tours for my cruise starting 08/30/08, BUT the website will not allow me is there any other way to book in advance.( I don’t want to end up being added to the list of 80) Also how can any non U. S. citizens complete a funpass without putting in a State or Zip code. I have tried always to overcome this!!!
You being a Brit must have got round this somehow.
Brian
p.s. please reply
Hi John & Heidi,
Sorry to hear about the people who had arranged the private tours, but we are sure there were warnings about having double copies of everything for Russia? Guess we will benefit from your first couple of cruises as we will know all the pitfalls before joining the tour on 30th August. Sometimes part of the fun is the eccentricities of different countries and learning not to get upset about what isn’t the “norm” for us. After all we are on holidays and should be laughing not pushing our blood pressure up because of a few little hold ups. I can remember in Tuscany last year we got the guide from hell, she had been on a binge the night before and was only interested in sleeping it off and knew very little about the countryside. The driver with limited English tried to compensate for her and did his best, but some/most of our fellow travellers couldn’t wait to get back on board and complain with the aim of getting a refund for the tour. We said what the heck we saw what we wanted to we had a great day, we just didn’t tip the guide. So on to the cigar bar, we don’t smoke and we use the internet cafe when we are on board, but we also choose some nights to have a drink before dinner in the cigar bar, we don’t enjoy it if there are too many people smoking but it is our choice, we like the atmosphere and if we have met people who like to smoke it gives them the opportunity. There are plenty of other places to enjoy if you don’t want smoke wafting around and we don’t think it impedes on the short time you are on the internet.
Basically our philosophy for cruising is go with the flow, enjoy the new experiences, treat everybody with respect don’t worry about the little annoyances they are few and far between, just be happy. We are looking forward to our 3rd Cruise with Carnival very much.
Regards
Suzanne & Lisa
(Downunder)
Hi John/Heidi:
My thoughts go out to Lui for I can only imagine the nightmare he has to go through over the next few months as you re-visit Russian Immigration. Hopefully you’ll be able to meet up with the Eurodam next time around and you’ll be able to get on.
That’s pretty interesting of your interaction with the football player. I just ask that you don’t become a Giants fan.
Great blog today and thanks for posting.
Good luck and hope all is well.
Take care,
David
Too bad about the people with private tours. Private tours have been a standard way to see Russia from cruise ships for many years now. Companies like Red October (certified Russian Tour Companies) generally do not send visas, they only send tour confirmations and the Russian Border Guards consider that confirmation as good as a visa. I have does it myself – never even saw a visa. We were there three days and by the third day the guards just waved us through.
I hope that gets sorted out. I have never heard of people on tours being refused entrance before. What a shame – St Petersburg in the most important reason to take a Baltic cruise.
Maybe you needed anoer dozen dozen pastries?
Glad you are working out all the kinks. Could you please tell us what company was in charge of these private tours that couldn’t take place. A word to the wise would be great. Thanks.
John,
We’ll be on the Aug 6th cruise with you.
Are booked on a private tour in St. Petersburg. Do you know if the problem with the visas has been straightened out yet.
Thanks and we look forward to meeting soon in 11 days.
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!