8/7/05 Jewel of the Seas - Scandanavian Review

[JodiBB]

Before I begin, I want to let everyone know how we prepared for this trip. We bought Rick Steven's Scandanavia book and spent hours on the web (CC included!). We purchased the London Pass with Travel Card (http://www.londonpass.com) as we were staying in London for 3 nights pre-cruise. We also purchased the Oslo Pass and Stockholm Passes. We chose not to buy passes for the other countries as what we decided we wanted to see wouldn't offset the cost of the pass. Each pass also included use of transportation systems.

 

We also purchased currency for each country except Russia and Estonia through AAA. Because we're members and we had a AAA MasterCard, they allowed us to purchase currency as a cash advance without the CA fees. We got about $50 USD worth except London, we got about $150 USD worth. We found that this was adequate, especially since we had the passes. We also didn't want to take our ATM bank card in the event it was lost or stolen, so we purchased a AAA travel money card, which acted as an ATM/debit card. This way, if it was stolen, I wouldn't have to cancel and change bank accounts.

 

That being said, here's our review!!!

 

8/7/05:

 

We originally got into London on the 4th, so on this morning, we packed our things and ate breakfast. The RCI bus showed up promptly before 10:00 am. There were 45 people in the hotel all going to the Jewel of the Seas!! The bus ride was about 2 hours, but we fell asleep, so it felt more like a ½ hour.

 

We got to the ship and check-in was a breeze. We had all our paperwork completed online before getting to the check-in so we checked in fairly quickly. We were told our rooms wouldn't be ready, but we went up anyway to check out our room and drop off our carry-on luggage. We were greeted by our cabin steward (Alan) and a dozen yellow roses sent by my parents for our anniversary and a bottle of wine by RCI reps my mother works with. We left a message for the couple we made Red October reservations with letting them know we were onboard and to hook up for the send off. We went to the Windjammer for lunch and that was the end of my well-intended diet! The Windjammer has plenty of variety and the seating is either indoor or outdoor, but you can enjoy the view either way. The whole area is encased in glass windows, so you don't miss out on a thing!

 

We had the muster drill and upon finishing, we went back to our room to drop off the life preservers. The wife of the Red October couple was waiting for us to get back! The four of us went up to the pool deck for drinks and watching the boat leave port. We went back to our room (#8542) and the luggage showed up. We unpacked in a matter of minutes. We had a smaller balcony, but the views were just as great. There were 2 chairs and a small table on the balcony for us to enjoy. Upon leaving the harbor and getting into open water, the boat really began to rock. I guess there was a storm prior to our sailing. We had late seating for dinner, so we went to explore the ship. The Centrum is incredible and I love the elevators that overlook the ocean!!! Some great views! The Schooner Bar has a GREAT piano player in the evenings and the Centrum has a wonderful string trio who we listened to practically every evening. The Safari Bar has 2 self-leveling pool tables. These are a trip!

 

We went to our 8:30pm dinner. There are 2 levels to the Tides Dining Room (Deck 4 & 5). You seat numbers will indicate which deck your on 400s = Deck 4, 500s = Deck 5. Our table was right against the window and we had a GREAT view! Heck! We had a great dinner table! There were 4 couples, from NY, Boston, England and us. We all got along splendidly and had a great wait staff. MJ (from India) and Daniel (from Slovakia) made sure that every need was met while at the dinner table. The service was impeccable and their tips were well-earned! Dinners were sometimes the highlight of our day!! After dinner, we went back to our room to go to bed and get ready for the adventure the next day.

 

8/8/05:

 

Today is our Meet-and-Mingle in the Hollywood Odyssey (Deck 12). About 15 people showed up. RCI provided hors d'voures, non-alcoholic drinks, passport holders that doubled as name tags and had raffles. It was a great way to put faces with the names.

 

Since we're at sea for the day, we decide to explore the ship some more. We played pool, hung out in the Solarium (the indoor pool/bar/crepe station). We take a nap (this becomes our ritual) before dinner and get ready for our 1st of 3 formal dinners. We go back to our room to figure out what we want to do in Oslo (tomorrow).

 

8/9/05:

 

I woke up early and watched our ship pull into Oslo from our balcony. After a quick breakfast in the Windjammer, we disembark and make our way to Vigeland Park, which is a park filled with statues that one person made throughout his life symbolizing the lifespan of a human being. We initially had some problems figuring out the maps for the bus, but once we figured it out, we were on easy sailing. Vigeland Park was quite incredible. What we noticed most of all is how clean Scandanavia keeps their parks. Nothing compared to what we see in California.

 

We left Vigeland just in time as all the tour busses from the ships were showing up. We took a bus over to the Viking Ship Museum, Fram Museum and the Kon Tiki Museum. They were all part of our Oslo pass, so admission was easy. My camera battery died and I forgot to pack my spare (duh me!) so we took a ferry back to the ship for lunch and my battery. After lunch, we disembarked again and went to the Resistance Museum and the Akerhaus Fortress. Again, both were part of the Oslo Pass, so the admission was really worth the price! Oslo is a peaceful town (at least the day we were there) and the people are friendly. We got back to the ship, took a nap and got ready for dinner. Because we had late seating, we usually missed all the pre-dinner shows and even missed the Captain's Gala at the 1st formal night! Oh well…I guess that's what vacations are for!

 

8/10/05:

 

We arrive in Copenhagen. Just before leaving, I saw on the RCI TV channel some of the merchandise they were suggesting to buy from the "recommended stores." Normally, I don't play into recommend stores, but one of the items was a gorgeous sterling silver pendant commemorating Hans Christian Andersen's paper cuttings. Copenhagen is celebrating his "200th birthday" and there are knick-knacks everywhere commemorating this celebration. We strolled through the Stroget (a 1-1/2 mile walkway full of shops!) on the way to the TI (Tourist Information Center), which are located in all ports (except Russia). We picked up the "Romantic Copenhagen" walking tour with Hans Christian Anderson. Really HCA was a gentleman from NYC who fell in love with a woman from Iceland, married her and has resided in Copenhagen ever since. He conducts tours as HCA and was highly recommended in Rick Stevens' Scandanavia book, so we decided to go for it ourselves. He was wonderful! Very knowledgeable, personable and humorous. It was about $15 USD pp and about 90 minutes long. He took us to palaces, City Hall and along the canals giving us the history of the city. His website is http://www.copenhagenwalks.com and we'd recommend him in a heartbeat.

 

After the tour, we went to a small shop for pastries/lunch and then proceeded to the National Museum. On Wednesdays the museum entrance was free, so we spent a while in the museum. Afterwards, we strolled through the Stroget and I found the "recommended" store that was selling the pendant. I fell in love with it immediately and bought one for myself. We took the shuttle back to the ship and then walked over to the Little Mermaid statue. It was a 5-minute walk from the ship. She's really small. If you blinked you'd miss her…honestly! But you HAVE to see it all the same. We headed back to the ship and stopped off at the VAT refund center to receive my VAT tax refund. We embarked onto the ship, dropped off our stuff to our room, and went to the Windjammer for a late lunch. Then we took our nap before dinner, had dinner and even made it to the after-dinner show. It was a woman who was a singer/actress in London's West End theatres. She was really a great performer. Normally, the shows involving guests who come onto the ship were wonderful! The cruise ship performers were "okay," but they paled in comparison to the guest entertainers.

 

8/11/05:

 

Another "at sea" day. We played pool in the Safari Bar on these great self-adjusting pool tables that literally "roll" with the movement of the ship so the balls don't move even on the rockiest of days. We took the swing dance class in the Centrum as well. DH and I already know East Coast swing, but we figured it would be fun anyway. After dinner we challenged some dinner mates to a game and played until almost 1:00 in the morning.

 

8/12/05:

 

We've made it to Stockholm. We pre-purchased the Stockholm Passes and put them to good use. We met the couple who we would be going into Russia with and headed for Stockholm. We took the bus to the Nordic Museum, which was fascinating. After that, we went into the Vasa Museum, which was a wooden ship that sunk in its maiden voyage. The boat's outer shell is almost perfectly in tact. After that, we went to the Skansen open-air museum. Then we ran to the Royal Palace and went through the Treasury rooms, State Apartments and Grand Halls. The Passes covered all of this. Afterwards, DH wanted to find a specific store in the shopping district. We split from the other couple at this point. By the time we found the shop, we had to return to the ship. We took our afternoon siesta and got ready for dinner. After dinner, we went to the show, which wasn't that good, and then figured out what we would be seeing the next day in Helsinki.

 

8/13/05:

 

We got off the ship in Helsinki and wondered what there was really to see. Even Rick Stevens didn't give much recommendation to this city. Actually, there's quite a bit to see. We took the ship's shuttle into the city and walked to the Rock Church. It's this incredible church that is built into a rock and then there is also an air raid shelter below the church that holds 6,000 people! We left in time, again, as all the tour buses began to show up. From there, we walked through an open-air market and priced some wares, but didn't buy anything. Then we went to a Russian Orthodox Church with onion domes. Wow! The architecture was incredible! We walked over to another Cathedral and the Senate Square. The marathon was scheduled to be that afternoon, so we couldn't go into the Cathedral as they were holding special services for the athletes. I found a nearby souvenir store and bought postcards of the interior instead.

 

We walked back through the market a 2nd time and then decided to go back to the ship as the marathon was beginning to take a toll on the city's functioning. We had lunch at the Windjammer and then relaxed the rest of the day as Russia was going to be the next 2 days.

 

8/14/05:

 

We've made it to St. Petersburg!! We booked an independent tour through Red October. RCI (and other cruise lines I've heard) really try to put the fear of G-d into independent travelers in Russia through their daily newsletters telling us that we have to register with the Purser's desk prior to debarkation, and would not be allowed off the ship until 9:30 am per Russia's Immigration. All of it is malarkey. We had breakfast sent to our room early, so we could get ready while eating and then met the other couple at the gangway at 7:15 am. We walked right off the ship to the immigration, showed the officers our Red October tickets and passports. They let us through without any hassle at all. We found Red October, who introduced us to our guide and driver and we were off to St. Petersburg by 7:20 am!

 

From that moment on, we were on the go. We first got a van tour of the city, with stop off points to take pictures. The architecture in St Petersburg is strange. The onion-domed architecture that you would think would be "old" (16th century and earlier) is really "new" (19th century and newer). The Church of the Spilled Blood is one such church and looks very "Russian" but was built in 1904. We stopped off and took a tour inside and out. Kind of odd and disappointing, but breathtaking all the same. We then got out to visit the Hermitage. The museum is HUGE!!!!! If you spent 1 minute at each piece of art, you would need 9 to 12 years straight (no eating, bathroom or sleeping breaks) to get through it all! We were there for 3 hours and it was overwhelming!! From there, we took a hydrofoil boat over to our next main destination and ate lunch on the boat. We arrived to a port that was Peterhof's Palace. Again, the fountains were incredible, as well as the architecture. We got a tour of his personal residence, and not the main palace, which was fine as it was more intimate and less gallery-like. The fountains are all operated from natural water pressure….no electrical system in place. It's weird when you're seeing water shot up 70 feet in the air. We went back into the main part of the city and took a ride on the metro/subways to see their stations. WOW!! The stations are works of art!! All marble with carvings reminiscent of the Communist days. Taking pictures are illegal, so all I have is my memory. ?

 

We back to the boat and had dinner reservations for Portofino's. The food and service were excellent. We were initially concerned that we didn't go out for the evening as many of the passengers did for a folklore show, dinner &/or the ballet, but when we got back to the ship, we were so tired that we knew we made the right choice.

 

8/15/05:

 

We were off the ship again at 7:15 am and met with our driver and guide. We were whisked out to Catherine's Palace and got early admission (2 hours early!). It initially looked just like the Hermitage, but then we learned that the architect created both palaces, so then it made sense. Afterwards, we took a city canal boat tour. It was a great way to see the city from the water. There were bridges so low that is you sat up on the deck of the boat, you had to duck under the bridges even it you were already sitting down!!! So weird! From the canal, we were taken to a restaurant for lunch. All the Red October tour groups congregated to this restaurant all at the same time, so we saw several of our Meet-N-Mingle group at the restaurant. After lunch, we saw Yusopov's Palace, which is where Rasputin was assassinated. Also very interesting. From there, we were taken to Peter & Paul's Fortress where the Church of the Golden Spire was located. The Church has the tombs of Catherine the Great, Peter the Great and other famous Rulers. Then we were taken to the Red October Store where we settled our bills (you don't pay a dime to them when making the reservations) and shopped. We also got a discount for being Red October tour patrons. Our last stop was was St. Isaac's Cathedral, the largest in the world and got the royal tour there. Then we headed back to the ship, tipped our guide and driver and shopped in the port souvenir store and bought family souvenirs.

 

That night, dinner was relaxing and we shared our stories with dinner mates. It was interesting to see our experience with a private company versus all who took ship excursions with 40 to 50 people in a group.

 

8/16/05:

 

Today was Tallinn, Estonia. We remained in old Tallinn and saw beautiful churches and fortress towers, which made up most of the city. I convinced DH to take a 376-step climb up a church spire. He wanted to kill me on the way up, but the view was SO worth it!!! We shopped for souvenirs and got back to the boat with an hour to spare.

 

That night, we ate in Chops, the other specialty restaurant with our RO mates. Again, the food was wonderful and the service was impeccable!! We couldn't have felt more pampered. If you like steaks, this is definitely one NOT to miss!!!

 

8/17/05:

 

Today's our 1st of 2 days at sea before we disembark ? . We played miniature golf on a VERY windy deck, played pool in the Safari Bar and took a couples' massage class. We also took a Tango class. It was a very low-key day on the ship. It was also the 3rd formal night, so we rested up for a fun evening.

 

8/18/05:

 

Our last day at sea. At least the North Sea is MUCH calmer than it was going away from England. We packed in the morning and then laid low the whole day knowing that the trip was coming to an end. Provided tips to all of our stewards and waiters. We realized that we didn't get crepes from the Solarium as the line was usually too crowded. Now we have a reason to go back!!

 

In case you're interested...here are the links to our pictures!

 

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AYtGThu5Ytn3A

 

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AYtGThu5Ytn7w

 

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AYtGThu5Ytn_g

[NH Cruiser]

We were on the Jewel July 2-14. It was a great cruise and the ports were great. We used Denrus in St Petersburg and had a great tour. Both companies give an outstanding tour. We found the same scare tactics in the Compass you did: you had to register with the Purser and you couldn't leave the ship until 9:30 a.m. In fact, we noticed this was the only port in which an announcement was never made that the ship had cleared. You just need to do what you did: walk down at 7:15 and leave. Thanks for posting your review and pictures.

[DON M.]

Great review Jodi, brings back memories from the 7-14 cruise. One side note, St.Isaccs is the 3rd largest dome church after St. Peters abd the one in London.

[JodiBB]

Don...thanks for that clarification...however, St. Isaac's seemed so much bigger than St. Paul's...maybe it's all the mosaic in St. Isaac's that adds to the ambiance and the feeling of grandiosity????

 

Glad you liked the review!!!