Viking 'Footsteps of the Cossacks' (Ukraine)

[silkismom]

How about wash cloths, I remember lots of hotels in Europe didn't have them.--of course this has been years ago.

[BlueAngel1009]

I have always had a plug in the bathroom sink when I went with Viking. Did you ask for one? Maybe the last people took it....

 

No...our friends don't have one either. I remember somewhere waaay back in this thread, someone suggesting you bring one. Doesn't make sense that there is none, but it's only a small irritant.

 

We went to the Cossack show yesterday and I was thrilled. It definitely does not disappoint. What a fine display of horsemanship...and other physical skills as well. Afterwards we were happy to pay 10 hrynias to have photos taken with the horse (and my husband got a ride), but discovered later that if you wandered around the complex, you could find where they were tethered and take pictures for free.

[BlueAngel1009]

How about wash cloths, I remember lots of hotels in Europe didn't have them.--of course this has been years ago.

 

Yes, the ship has washcloths. i brought 2 just in case and have not needed them. It may be different whe we get to istanbul, however.

[Grandcruisevirgin]

Blue Angel -

What's the chatter on the ship regarding potential US airstrikes in Syria?

Is anyone (staff, guests) concerned about this?

If you get CNN World or BBC in your cabin - what have they been saying? I've noticed that when I travel, I get different news overseas than that shown in the US.

Thanks,

GCV

[silkismom]

Blue Angel, another question, did you have to wear a skirt for anything, wasn't planning on a "day" skirt, just a long black for evening.

[Peregrina651]

Silkismom, you don't even need the long black skirt for evening. If you want to 'dress up' for dinner, take a fancy top that you can put over a pair of whatever pants you wear during the day and you don't need anything more fancy than that. A skirt for during the day is a matter of personal preference but pants and capris will take you anywhere you need to go.

 

New thought. I just finished reading BlueAngel's blog entry of the day for Kherson. She said, "Two hours into the tour, I was getting the feeling that the tour guides had been told to get us off the ship for 3 hours and they had all that time to fill. " BA, that is exactly what is going on. The ship has to stop in Kherson to do paperwork and the crew wants to keep you busy while you are there. It is not the most dynamic city on the itinerary but actually, I thought that it was an interesting look at what the rest of the country looks like. It isn't much of a tourist destination and there aren't very many cruise ships plying the Dnieper. I think actually there are only three. Compare that to other navigable rivers in Europe.

 

Also, Alyona is the cruise director but who is the Hotel Manager and who is the Executive Chef? Last year, it was Henry and Matteus respecitively. Are they still there? I recognize the head chef in your pictures; it looks like the same Ukrainian woman who was turning out all the local delicacies last year. YUM!!

[silkismom]

Doing the "docs dance" today, they finally came via FedEx. It's a nice looking package.

[poolplayer]

great blog .....makes me remember seeing all the same things. Enjoy the journey I look forward to more in the blog

[silkismom]

Blue Angel, have you needed the bug spray??

[BlueAngel1009]

Blue Angel, have you needed the bug spray??

 

Haven's seen a bug since we've been here. We missed that fly infestation, I guess! Also weather has been my favorite...not too hot, a little light rain, but not needing an umbrella. Clouds have been spectacular.

 

The House Manager is Frank, who is also a sommalier. Don't know the name of the woman who is the chef. In truth, I am a little disappointed in the food. Not nearly up to the standards of our previous Viking cruises. Nothing really wrong, just nothing exciting. And without exception every piece of meat we have had has been tough--even the chateaubriand. My husband has eggs benedict, which I love, every morning, but they don't toast the English muffins and must make lots in advance because the eggs are always luke warm. I stopped ordering it after the second day. Sorry there is no way to toast your own bread, as there was on the long ships last year.

 

As for skirts, if you are going into some churches (like the chapel in Livadia Palace), you must wear a skirt and head covering, but there is a woman who will drape you with scarves at the door before you enter, so if you show up bare-headed and in pants, you can still enter; you'll just feel a little silly.

 

My husband and I were saying today that if this had been our first Viking cruise, we might not have come back for a second. Like I said, there's nothing wrong per se, but there is a spark that we found in the previous three that is not here. Our traveling companions agree. . This ship is old and tired and that's how the tour feels. Also, my knees have never been so sore, having to climb all the way up to the sky bar every day for briefings. I've given going to the briefings because I just can't bear to think of another 3-deck climb. When the ship is refurbished, they will be adding elevators and telephones, which will be wonderful.

 

Alla is the head guide, and is giving the lectures. She is comprehensive and I've learned a lot, especially since she is also our bus guide.

 

As for news of Syria, I have heard NOBODY discussing it. We do get CNN, though for several days that particular station had no sound. Now it does, but I haven't watched much. I decided I'm on vacation and it's nice to just be away from it all for a few days.

 

BTW, an optional tour is the Marine band, which we saw in Sevastopol. Do not miss it. It was a real high point, but then I'm a theater person and would never give up the opportunity to see any theatrical performance while on these toursl

 

I can't believe we are so near the end already!

[BlueAngel1009]

Correction...Chef de Cuisine is Elena. Just read my Viking Daily. Duhhh,

[id est]

In truth, I am a little disappointed in the food.

I am sorry but have to disagree: food was delicious on our July cruise. Thanks to chef Elena. There were other issues though but not related to the food.

Sorry there is no way to toast your own bread, as there was on the long ships last year.

There is a toaster on the left side in Kiev restorant. Is it still there?

[BlueAngel1009]

There is a toaster on the left side in Kiev restorant. Is it still there?

 

Maybe I've been looking in the wrong pace. I go to the right side of the buffet and no toaster there.

 

Mind you, i'm not saying the food isnt good, but in comparison with the other cruises, not up to par. Everybody has had complaints, but all very minor. I remember the soups and sauces on the Russian cruise so good I wanted a cookbook. The soups are uninspired and the sauce seems to be all the same brown sauce, like thickened consomme. It tastes fine, but I can't think of one meal I have raved about and there were many on the other cruises. When you are all excited because your lamb is actually TENDER, there is something wrong. A woman at our table last night loves fish but 'doesn't trust it" because the piece she had the previous night was so bad.

 

I'm also wondering if the have lost servers mid-cruise because suddenly service is very, very slow in comparison to the begining. Last night the restaurant manager was helping serve and still we waited and waited and waited for someone to take our order and for our order to come...and we were some of the first to come to dinner.

 

Like i said, it's not BAD, but in comparison with other Viking cruises, it falls short, for me. I haven't had a pastry that tastes fresh since we've been here. They all feel like they were bought a month ago and put in storage.

[doobieb]

Maybe I've been looking in the wrong pace. I go to the right side of the buffet and no toaster there.

 

Mind you, i'm not saying the food isnt good, but in comparison with the other cruises, not up to par.

 

I'm also wondering if the have lost servers mid-cruise because suddenly service is very, very slow in comparison to the begining. .

 

We were on this ship in June and I also remember a toaster- on the side of the buffet right in front of where you enter the restaurant, beside the slice it yourself bread. My husband really liked all the food, and I found it barely tolerable. I ate fish most meals and by the end was almost a vegetarian. We both love bread and found that and the ice cream were a daily treat. And the serving girls....they were our favorite staff on board! Funny, friendly, and we actually had lots of fun with them. I hope they did not lose their jobs for any reason because they told us how stiff the competition for those jobs was. We were told that all the ship staff except for two work for the Ukranian gov't. I think it was the hotel manager and the head chef.

[id est]

... We were told that all the ship staff except for two work for the Ukranian gov't. ...

If so it explains why the service is so low on these cruises. Most likely Viking just leases the ship and the crew from them.

In our cruise there was literally no entertainment on board and no live music after 9.30 - 10 pm. even though we and other guests were still in the Sky Bar.

Edited September 8, 2013 by id est

[BlueAngel1009]

If so it explains why the service is so low on these cruises. Most likely Viking just leases the ship and the crew from them.

 

That's very interesting. I overheard something yesterday that made me wonder if these were acually Viking ships.

 

With opening a new ocean line and extending river cruises to S. America and the US, I'm wondering if Viking is taking on too much too soon.

 

We had dinner with a woman who has made 23 river cruises, most with Grand Circle. I am thinking of looking at what they have to offer for next time. She seems extremely happy with them.

 

(BTW, I did find the toaster this morning!)

[Peregrina651]

If so it explains why the service is so low on these cruises. Most likely Viking just leases the ship and the crew from them.

In our cruise there was literally no entertainment on board and no live music after 9.30 - 10 pm. even though we and other guests were still in the Sky Bar.

 

Yes, Viking leases the ship from a private company, just as they do in China and I believe Russia. The crew works for the owner of the ship -- same as in China. It has to do with the laws of the country they are operating in. Over the winter, the Lomonosov will get a whole new look (including verandas and new bathrooms) and be renamed.

 

My guess is that at one time there was entertainment after 9:30 pm but that no one was in the bars after that hour and so they stopped it. There is no way of determining which bunch of passengers is going to late owls and which is going to be early birds and so they have stuck with the no-entertainment plan. The only way to change that is to tell the company; put it on a comment card--or say something about it here.

 

I very strongly got the impression that the tourist industry in Ukraine was in its infancy. I remember being told that there were only three passenger ships on the Dnieper. It is a short cruise season; in that time Viking can fit perhaps sailings of 200 people each. That is only 3000 passengers in a season--a drop in the bucket. Compare that to the Rhine and the Danube. As we were traveling, I always had the impression that they just weren't ready for tourists. But, the country has other economic woes that it must address as well and building a tourism infrastructure does not happen overnight. Languages must be taught; sites must be refurbished and readied for visitors; guides must be educated and trained, etc.

[id est]

Yes, Viking leases the ship from a private company,

Still owned by the goverment I think: http://www.ukrrichflot.com/en/about-us/about-company.html

My guess is that at one time there was entertainment after 9:30 pm but that no one was in the bars after that hour and so they stopped it. There is no way of determining which bunch of passengers is going to late owls and which is going to be early birds and so they have stuck with the no-entertainment plan. The only way to change that is to tell the company; put it on a comment card--or say something about it here. ...

We did put it on a comment card and unfortunately for us it was the least enjoyable cruise from all our Viking cruises. However I have to admit unlike let's say Rhine or Danube cruise I'll never do a Ukraine cruise again. And I guess for all other cruisers it is onetime journey too.

Edited September 8, 2013 by id est

[BlueAngel1009]

I very strongly got the impression that the tourist industry in Ukraine was in its infancy. I remember being told that there were only three passenger ships on the Dnieper....I always had the impression that they just weren't ready for tourists. But, the country has other economic woes that it must address as well and building a tourism infrastructure does not happen overnight. Languages must be taught; sites must be refurbished and readied for visitors; guides must be educated and trained, etc.

 

Yes, that is the impression we are getting. It is only in major cities where credit cards are accepted, and in some places you couldn't even pay with a larger hryvnia note. They wanted only exact change. Those who want postcards can't always get them. But, as you say, it takes time to learn that infrastructure...and something of the Ukrainian culture will be lost in the process.

 

They are also adding an ELEVATOR, Peregrina, when the ship is refurbished. I am skipping a lot of things in the sky bar because my knees just rebel at climbing the stairs again, and others who walk with canes are agreeing with me.

 

With the few negatives we have encountered here, this is still a marvelous experience and I'm so glad we came. As with our trips to Russia and China (not so much the Danube), we have learned much that has changed how we viewed those countries...and any time you can make those boundaries closer, the world is a better place.

[Peregrina651]

 

With the few negatives we have encountered here, this is still a marvelous experience and I'm so glad we came. As with our trips to Russia and China (not so much the Danube), we have learned much that has changed how we viewed those countries...and any time you can make those boundaries closer, the world is a better place.

 

I so agree with you!

 

I knew before I booked the cruise that I would not be getting a 'first-class- you could still be in the good ole USofA except that signs are in a strange language' kind of Viking vacation. I knew I wasn't booking a trip to Paris or Amsterdam or Vienna and that things would be different--very different. It is one of the reasons we booked with Viking rather than a land tour; we knew that Viking would smooth over the rough spots and take care of us.

 

I think it makes a real difference in how you react to the cruise when you understand in advance what you are getting into and that it will not be the run of the mill Viking cruise; it is not a run of the mill destination.

 

I'm always surprised at the number of people I run into on a cruise who book the trip and then make no effort to learn what to expect. They also seem to be the ones who are complaining about everything they encounter. And, no, I'm not making a back-handed reference to the comments and criticisms on this thread. I'm talking about the ones that have no idea about CC

Edited September 8, 2013 by Peregrina651

[Grandcruisevirgin]

I'm not sure I understand the tipping policy explained in my documents.

$15 day for the ship staff, I get that part.

I don't understand the $10 day for tour staff. Do I just count cruise day where there are tours I go on? Do I feel delete the day the cruise starts, the day it ends and the one day there are no stops?

If I'm taking a private tour one day, not a Viking tour, do I delete that day too?

[silkismom]

We had our credit card spammed this weekend, so have a new one ordered on "rush". They know we'll be traveling where & when and promised it will be here next week.

 

I've put clothes in my "maybe, possibly, probably" piles and now will look at everything every day and decide. Just not sure about weather, long sleeves, short sleeve sweaters etc etc.

 

My sink plug, electric socket plug, Advil, sleep & regular, travel alarm clock, vitamins, scarf, & rain jacket are packed.

 

Still fretting about a skirt for some places, my heavy walking shoes really look goofy w/skirt--so what goes. I used to have a wrap skirt that I got in Thailand to throw on over shorts, but it went by the wayside, sometime ago. Would a sarong over my pants work??

[BlueAngel1009]

I'm not sure I understand the tipping policy explained in my documents.

 

:confused: Welcome to the club! We just went to the ship briefing on the subject and are more confused than ever. I hope we will figure it out by tomorrow. Odd that we have to have our bill paid THREE DAYS before we get off the ship and then pay any other bills in cash or by credit. Haven't encountered that before.

 

Today was the cast off party from Yalta, where we all gathered on the sun deck and were each handed a glass of champagne and a bill for it!!! :eek:

 

However, all that said, tonight was the Captain's Dinner and it reminded me of all the top notch meals we have had on Viking. It was perfection, and the mushroom veloute to die for. Thank goodness there is still goodness in the Viking kitchen!! :)

[id est]

I don't understand the $10 day for tour staff.

Our tour guide asked all of us to tip them individually and disregard that ridiculous $10 per day advice. Apparently they do not trust each other or maybe there are other reasons I do not know.

[id est]

I so agree with you!

 

I knew before I booked the cruise that I would not be getting a 'first-class- you could still be in the good ole USofA except that signs are in a strange language' kind of Viking vacation. I knew I wasn't booking a trip to Paris or Amsterdam or Vienna and that things would be different--very different. It is one of the reasons we booked with Viking rather than a land tour; we knew that Viking would smooth over the rough spots and take care of us.

 

I think it makes a real difference in how you react to the cruise when you understand in advance what you are getting into and that it will not be the run of the mill Viking cruise; it is not a run of the mill destination.

 

I'm always surprised at the number of people I run into on a cruise who book the trip and then make no effort to learn what to expect. They also seem to be the ones who are complaining about everything they encounter. And, no, I'm not making a back-handed reference to the comments and criticisms on this thread. I'm talking about the ones that have no idea about CC

Although I’d agree with you I still think in order to learn something we need to try it too. In our case after this cruise we’ve learned our lesson and decided not to go to either Russia or China in the near future. And to me Kherson or Yaroslavl in Russia is more run of the mill destination than let’s say Antwerp, Belgium. We’ll stick with Europe for now…