Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
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Topic author - First Officer
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- Joined: February 2013
- Location: Gower, Swansea
Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
The following day see docked in Helsinki we were so tired but decided just to get off on the shuttle and see what Helsinki had to offer. Quite a delightful place and everyone speaks very good English, walked through the town to the water where we paid 12 euro for a 40 mins boat ride round some of the islands. This was superb and very informative. After that we wandered and found the cathedral we didn't go in too many steps to climb but found a lovely big cafe where we had more coffee beer and pastries. Good free Wi-Fi and clean toilets. From there we wandered back to the shuttle.
Side note to Boris the toilets at the Hermitage were clean and okay to use. The ones at the restaurant were unisex.
The singer and comedian were also on our shuttle they had to do extra shows as the headliners couldn't perform some of their shows as there was a problem with the sound equipment.
We then had two days at sea which were overcast and windy so not much sunbathing , but plenty of quizzes.
Last port of call Zeebrugge, we went off to Blankenburg as I had never been again another sunny day. Had our usual coffee and bought some lovely chocolates. It was very busy as it was a Saturday with children and dogs. We went back on the shuttle to pack as are would be in Southampton the next morning .We had booked into Ocean grill for our final evening it was £12.95 per head all through the cruise and had a other lovely meal. Lobster, double old spot pork chop and triple creme Bruges were consumed.
All in all a very good cruise . I had wanted to go to the Baltic for a while but had had insurance problems so it was nice to able to finally go. It did not disappoint, but we did go to the tours office with our concern of the 15 mins lunch break issue.
Food okay in the restaurant but it seemed very Sunday lunch type meals with either beans or broccoli most evenings.
Anyway we are back on Arcadia for a cheeky 12 nighter in November to Iberia.
Thank you for reaching this if you did !!
Lindsey
Food okay
Side note to Boris the toilets at the Hermitage were clean and okay to use. The ones at the restaurant were unisex.
The singer and comedian were also on our shuttle they had to do extra shows as the headliners couldn't perform some of their shows as there was a problem with the sound equipment.
We then had two days at sea which were overcast and windy so not much sunbathing , but plenty of quizzes.
Last port of call Zeebrugge, we went off to Blankenburg as I had never been again another sunny day. Had our usual coffee and bought some lovely chocolates. It was very busy as it was a Saturday with children and dogs. We went back on the shuttle to pack as are would be in Southampton the next morning .We had booked into Ocean grill for our final evening it was £12.95 per head all through the cruise and had a other lovely meal. Lobster, double old spot pork chop and triple creme Bruges were consumed.
All in all a very good cruise . I had wanted to go to the Baltic for a while but had had insurance problems so it was nice to able to finally go. It did not disappoint, but we did go to the tours office with our concern of the 15 mins lunch break issue.
Food okay in the restaurant but it seemed very Sunday lunch type meals with either beans or broccoli most evenings.
Anyway we are back on Arcadia for a cheeky 12 nighter in November to Iberia.
Thank you for reaching this if you did !!
Lindsey
Food okay
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- Senior First Officer
- Posts: 3364
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- Location: Gower Peninsula, South Wales
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- First Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thanks Lindsey, I enjoyed your report which brought back a lot of happy memories.
Maureen.
Maureen.
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- Senior First Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Lindsey I'm exhausted just reading your report - you'll need another cruise to recover - oops I see you've booked one
Thanks for posting - this is one itinerary I haven't done - interesting to read your report - may be one day
Thanks for posting - this is one itinerary I haven't done - interesting to read your report - may be one day
Janis
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- First Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thanks for the report Lindsey I enjoyed reading it.
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Topic author - First Officer
- Posts: 1839
- Joined: February 2013
- Location: Gower, Swansea
Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thanks
Meant to add on one of the final sea days we had the loyalty lunch, the loyalty drinks party and then a formal evening.
Quite a lot of food and drink in one day.
Lindsey
Meant to add on one of the final sea days we had the loyalty lunch, the loyalty drinks party and then a formal evening.
Quite a lot of food and drink in one day.
Lindsey
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- Senior First Officer
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- Location: Derbyshire
Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thanks for the review Lindsey I've really enjoyed reading it
Jo
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- First Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thank you for your review, I did read all of them:)
We have been on two Baltic cruises and would like to do another, your review brought back good memories.
We have been on two Baltic cruises and would like to do another, your review brought back good memories.
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- Senior Second Officer
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- Location: South Northants
Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thanks for the report Lindsey.
We were onboard Arcadia in June and had a great time. Didn't do both days in St Petes.
RB
We were onboard Arcadia in June and had a great time. Didn't do both days in St Petes.
RB
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- First Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thanks Lindsey, really enjoyed that - always fancied St Petersberg ourselves but the visa rigmarole and the tours sounding very full on (if brilliant) means we keep putting it back. Sounds a great cruise, thanks for posting your report.
Funnily enough, we disembarked Arcadia as you got on
Funnily enough, we disembarked Arcadia as you got on
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- Second Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thank you - I enjoyed reading that and it brought back memories
DtM - St Petes/Russian visas was no problem for us. We did it the easy way with a Cunard trip though.
DtM - St Petes/Russian visas was no problem for us. We did it the easy way with a Cunard trip though.
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- Senior Second Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Do it, DTM, but book a private tour - TJ Travel are superb, but there are others - so that you can do and see just what you want at your own pace. There is no visa rigmarole, they take full responsibility for (even!) you.Dennis The Menace wrote:Thanks Lindsey, really enjoyed that - always fancied St Petersberg ourselves but the visa rigmarole and the tours sounding very full on (if brilliant) means we keep putting it back. Sounds a great cruise, thanks for posting your report.
Funnily enough, we disembarked Arcadia as you got on
Good to hear from you - hope you are continuing to cope.
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Topic author - First Officer
- Posts: 1839
- Joined: February 2013
- Location: Gower, Swansea
Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
We did chat to a mother and daughter who had booked a private tour and they did have more rest intervals then we did, but all these tours are subject to changes at last minute. One couple missed their evening at the ballet as the St Catherine's palace tour date was changed and they were late back.
We had three changes of timings before we even got off.
As for our tour even though it was high activity in the blurb it said an easy paced tour with opportunities to to go at a relaxed pace.
Having said all that looking back it was an incredible experience.
Small thing in the dining room for coffee they used to have a small white rectangular dish on the table with sugars and sweetness in, this has now disappeared and you have to ask for everything else unless its white sugar .
Lindsey
We had three changes of timings before we even got off.
As for our tour even though it was high activity in the blurb it said an easy paced tour with opportunities to to go at a relaxed pace.
Having said all that looking back it was an incredible experience.
Small thing in the dining room for coffee they used to have a small white rectangular dish on the table with sugars and sweetness in, this has now disappeared and you have to ask for everything else unless its white sugar .
Lindsey
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- Senior First Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
Thanks for your review. St Petersburg sounded very busy. When we were there, in 2007 we did a City Tour on the first morning, seeing most of the main sites, The Hermitage and a classical concert in the evening and the tour to St Catherine's Palace on the second day. That was all tiring enough, and I was still in my 40's at the time!
I always like Arcadia. I think it's my favourite ship
I always like Arcadia. I think it's my favourite ship
Gill
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- First Officer
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Re: Arcadia to the Baltic July 16 part three
[quotae="sunseeker16"]Thank you - I enjoyed reading that and it brought back memories
DtM - St Petes/Russian visas was no problem for us. We did it the easy way with a Cunard trip though.[/quote]
Yes, a tour definitely seems to the way to do things in St P I'll take another look at 2017 I think cheers.
K, I've made a note of TJ Travel too cheers
DtM - St Petes/Russian visas was no problem for us. We did it the easy way with a Cunard trip though.[/quote]
Good to see you guys too, hope alls well. Good here thanks, just recovering from our little trip on Arcadia that preceded Lindseys.kaymar wrote:Do it, DTM, but book a private tour - TJ Travel are superb, but there are others - so that you can do and see just what you want at your own pace. There is no visa rigmarole, they take full responsibility for (even!) you.
Good to hear from you - hope you are continuing to cope.
Yes, a tour definitely seems to the way to do things in St P I'll take another look at 2017 I think cheers.
K, I've made a note of TJ Travel too cheers