Viking 'Footsteps of the Cossacks' (Ukraine)

[Peregrina651]

Poolplayer, I'm really enjoying your play by play. Thank you and keep it coming.

[Peregrina651]

Silkismom, I wore no skirts on this trip, and it was fine. Bringing a scarf or something to cover your head is a good idea, but no worries. I wore slacks and capris and was fine. I can't find your email, Silkismom and wanted to write a personal note to you. Can you write to me with it, please? Thanks.

Ocean

However, ladies, shorts are an issue.

 

 

.

[poolplayer]

Did the winery tour today five wines 1 dry the next four sweeter than the next the amount of wine bottles I pressive. Bought shoes made in ukraine for 300 ukraine or 35 usa dollars noticed a lot of people on the ship with the shoes. The did a tour not in the brochure optional to the market with the chef for 55 ukraine.

[silkismom]

Is it possible to do a description of the shoes? Ladies or mens? LOVE shoes!

[poolplayer]

There is every style and colour ofsandals high heeled shoes colours of shoes. You must know your european size though. Most stores edid not have a sizer or understood what the conversion size was in us sizing. We had a great canadian night that one of canadian organized

[silkismom]

Thank you, looked up my size.

[poolplayer]

Lunch today was on the skydeck with ukraine dishes. After lunch bus trip around the city of khrrson. It was just somethi g to keep us busy as the ship must stop in kherson as it is there registry port and must reeport there everytime they pass it by. They took us to four stops . Ome had a lo al painter h7s pricds wer 8 to 15 american dollars. One had linens another with easter eggs wooden crom 10 to 15 ukraine dollats. They take you to one church but you only need to cover your head no worries about other clothes. Tonight is pirates night, it appears someone else from cruise criti is on this ship but i have not found them yet. Alot of lurkers though admitted to reading all the comments

[poolplayer]

Mosquitos are bad as soon as we entered the river. Bring deet. They do have washcloths but no stopper in the sink inthebathroom

[Peregrina651]

Mosquitos are bad as soon as we entered the river. Bring deet. They do have washcloths but no stopper in the sink inthebathroom

 

Mosquitoes or black flies? In any case, don't open your windows for fresh air once you are on the river. Once those little bugs get in your cabin, there are impossible to get rid of.

[poolplayer]

At the captains discussion they talked air condition that they turn if off or down thru the night for you comfort. But everyone was complaini g how hot in the night. One of the places inthe river you pass a fish farm in order to attact more fish they breed fish bugs it is so thick that at thenight after they pass they power washthe outside of the ship windows and deck. It did wake up some guests. Today is the talk on tips . To prior guests wnat have you felt is fair.

[Peregrina651]

We followed the guide lines in the precruise booklet and put that amount on our bill. Then we tipped the bus driver separately and then handed tips to a couple of the dining room staff whose tables we sat at regularly and our guide.

[silkismom]

About how much for guide & bus driver, is it the same ones everyday?

[Peregrina651]

About how much for guide & bus driver, is it the same ones everyday?

 

You are assigned to one bus for the included tours, and you will have the same escort/guide and driver for the entire trip--or so it was when we traveled since we were pretty much divided into three groups--one large tour group traveling together, the German speaking passengers and the English speaking passengers who weren't part of the tour group. The drivers and their buses follow the ship from port to port and handle all of Viking's land transportation needs--airport pick up/drop off, tours, etc. For the optional tours, you will be divided by tour rather than your assigned buses. We did not tip the guides or drivers on the optional tours, except for the one tour where they used an outside guide.

 

I don't remember how much we gave the driver but I do remember that we tipped him based on the 12 days of the cruise.

[poolplayer]

We were told everyone except the bus driver snares in the tips. However if you want to give to someone special hand it direct tothem. Speaking of tips our dining guests last night discussed toilet paper and felt ineeded to post how rough it was and perhaps you should bring some

[Peregrina651]

Speaking of tips our dining guests last night discussed toilet paper and felt ineeded to post how rough it was and perhaps you should bring some

 

:D:eek: LOL. Interesting dinner table conversation!!

[silkismom]

HUMMM, lets's see-- cold medicine, bug spray and now TP!! What else??

[poolplayer]

Yesterday afternoon we were taken for free to an area of shopping from 330 to 630 since the ship is dock not in its usual shop. On the bus was the tour guides to put their tips in the bank. Some asked to exchange us dollars with us since the bank will not except older bills. At the shopping their was a street with almost everything we szw along the trip. They bartered a d one even took canadian money. Watch the streets though as they are sloped and lots of flower pots, pipes and unexpected steps. One of our ladies fell on a simple spot but since there is so much to see it is easy to miss. The tour guides were near but really have nothing to help just like the last fall at one of the places. The classic line is you will see the ships doctor.

Today we transferx to radison blue in kiev. Our walking tour was hard for some and with the 35 degree celcius and steep roads made it hard to complete. They dont tell you but they leave you or you can come back to the hotel at your expense on the metro. Some could not do the metro and some complained about paying. We started ba k and found a nice ukraian restaurant aircontioned for lunch..korchma was its name. Www.tarasbulka.kiev.ua/url] the bill was 231 umraine and they suggested 3 tips, 5, 7 or 10 %

Edited June 26, 2013 by poolplayer

[Mark_T]

Thanks for the updates, this cruise is on our list for the future so it is all useful information.

 

Taking new $ bills with you is good advice over there as there is a general reluctance to accept anything that isn't in perfect condition.

 

Regarding the walking tour, I just wanted to be clear, was it just those who could not keep up that were left behind to find their own way back, or were you saying that the tour itself ended some distance from the hotel?

[Peregrina651]

Thanks for the updates, this cruise is on our list for the future so it is all useful information.

 

Taking new $ bills with you is good advice over there as there is a general reluctance to accept anything that isn't in perfect condition.

 

Regarding the walking tour, I just wanted to be clear, was it just those who could not keep up that were left behind to find their own way back, or were you saying that the tour itself ended some distance from the hotel?

 

Mark, the walking tour in Kiev starts at the hotel; it is an activity to keep you busy until you can check into the hotel. It ends at Independence Square. We left the group before the tour actually ended because we were ready for lunch. Our guide had pointed out a couple of places where we could eat lunch.

 

poolplayer, you should contact Viking about the walking tour. You have some valid observations that I am sure they would appreciate hearing about.

 

However, regardless if the guide walks you back to the hotel or leaves you in Independence Square, it is an uphill walk to the hotel. Perhaps that is why they end at Independence Square rather than leading the group back to the hotel--so that folks who are tired can find transportation and those who are hungry can head to one of the restaurants that were pointed out before they head back.

 

Sounds like the shopping area you are talking about is Andrew's Descent. When the ship docks at its regular pier, you have to find your own way there. You were lucky that they bussed you. For those who don't want to spend those hours shopping, Andrew's Descent is not far from St. Michael's Monastery, which is gorgeous and well worth the visit--and also St. Andrew's Church which is right there at Andrew's Descent.

 

[poolplayer]

It was indende ce square that they were going to but our group was bailing before. Thefe were a couple cases of heat exhaustion since it was close to 100 degree fah. The temperature gauge said 34.5 c. They really need to consider the temp as well. With no earplugs it waz hard to hear unless you could stay beside her with all the traffic noice. The viking rep said she has been asking for 2 years for ear devices. The group before us said it was the same for them hard to hear her. Tomorrow we are going to pirogovo open air market cost of tour 50 american. We suppose to start at 10 but they have changed to 11

[Mark_T]

Mark, the walking tour in Kiev starts at the hotel; it is an activity to keep you busy until you can check into the hotel. It ends at Independence Square.

 

Thanks for the details.

 

It does make sense to end the tour at the point when people are likely to split up to do their own wandering/lunch, perhaps they need ot make it clear that is the heat/distance/walking is a challenge that guests should moderate the distance they go accordingly rather than spring it on them at the end (if that is what happened).

I can recall a few similar problems on other cruises where people greatly over-estimated their ability to manage the planned walking segments and it does cause problems for the guides and the group for that matter, but if there was insufficient warning of what was involved then better information could help.

[id est]

..cost of tour 50 american...

poolplayer, could you list all optional tours prices, please? Have attended "Black sea fleet band" performance?

[poolplayer]

Black sea concsrt was 485 uah mom went it is a concert just for the cruise ship she liked it the danci g and singing it was exactly 1 hour. The next morni g the si gers were at the prior singing to another ship that was docked singing in english anda couple polkas . Odessa opera ballett was 485 uah. If you are in kiev the kiev opera house is 200 uah and perform in afternoon and 7 pm

Wine tour is 410. Chersonese was 295 bakaklava sub tour was 370 open are market in kiev was 50 americsn. I had the tour brochure but lost it sorry but they were close to the prices others have quoted. The kiev jewish tour was excellent from what people have said but they were disappointed with the odessa tour

[poolplayer]

They take pictures on board the cd is 150 ukraine

[Grandcruisevirgin]

$50 US is a lot to pay to go somewhere to shop.

Thanks for the tips on the Kiev and Odessa tours. I may try to book my own tour in Odessa, may even try to visit my grandparents city