Russian around the Baltic with some spice to finish off!

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Urrrggh. Having not long completed a cruise in Asia heavily marketed to Russia I'd rather pay for the visa.

No way! We traveled on the Princess Anastasia from St Pete to Helsinki a couple of years ago and had a great time.

Our room was the cheapest available and was tiny with double bunks (the "V" on the room type stands for vertical) but we were only onboard for one night and by the time I got to bed I could have slept standing up.
 
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Late aboard but settling in.

Cool, I'll print off an extra luggage label then :p

No way! We traveled on the Princess Anastasia from St Pete to Helsinki a couple of years ago and had a great time.

Our room was the cheapest available and was tiny with double bunks (the "V" on the room type stands for vertical) but we were only onboard for one night and by the time I got to bed I could have slept standing up.

Mmm, ok, my cruise was 14 nights from memory and let's say I've now witnessed a physical assault on other passengers who dared use seats that other people wanted. And as for myself I was told to move from my window seat at the buffet again because it was someone else's preferred seat. Needless to say I shrugged and just said Nyet.
 
Mmm, ok, my cruise was 14 nights from memory and let's say I've now witnessed a physical assault on other passengers who dared use seats that other people wanted. And as for myself I was told to move from my window seat at the buffet again because it was someone else's preferred seat. Needless to say I shrugged and just said Nyet.

I'll ask +1 if she can did out some photos if you wish....
 
Cool, I'll print off an extra luggage label then :p



Mmm, ok, my cruise was 14 nights from memory and let's say I've now witnessed a physical assault on other passengers who dared use seats that other people wanted. And as for myself I was told to move from my window seat at the buffet again because it was someone else's preferred seat. Needless to say I shrugged and just said Nyet.
Yes, I remember hearing about the 'large lady' from the former republic and her interesting take on good manners :shock:
 
Well, packing hasn't got off to a good start. Freshly washed and ironed clothes rolled up ready to pack.
ImageUploadedByAustFreqFly1498436515.040478.jpg

So many last minute eofy things to do this week.
 
Reminds me, where's Grumpy Cat?
He's already packed in the hand luggage. Still Grumpy.

Progress today - have printed off all the paperwork and will sort this tonight. And did treat myself to the new ipad pro 10.5 :p. Damn their cases are so expensive so will sort out my own protection :eek: It is still in its box as I've had to send off some Invoices out to clients. Hate it when work gets in the way. Fluffy cat now sulking upstairs so time to get into the packing.

I think I can use the Visa I purchased for Sri Lanka for our QM2 trip back in April as it wasn't 'used' at the time - I squeak in by 2 days which is fine. I found this out when trying to apply for another one and the SL website wouldnt let me proceed with the dates as it said there was one already registered to my passport, so just MrP to sort out.
 
He's already packed in the hand luggage. Still Grumpy......

Good to hear. He would be even more grumpy if you forgot to take him!

And did treat myself to the new ipad pro 10.5 :p. Damn their cases are so expensive so will sort out my own protection :eek:

I like my mini iPad as I find the larger ones too big to hold comfortably. Though it is getting increasingly difficult to read the screen these days.

I think I can use the Visa I purchased for Sri Lanka for our QM2 trip back in April as it wasn't 'used' at the time - I squeak in by 2 days which is fine. I found this out when trying to apply for another one and the SL website wouldnt let me proceed with the dates as it said there was one already registered to my passport, so just MrP to sort out.

That's a win at any rate. I see Galle Face Hotel made a mention in one of the weekend paper's travel section (http://www.traveller.com.au/six-of-the-best-sri-lankan-heritage-stays-gwu05k)
 
I'll ask +1 if she can dig out some photos if you wish....

OK; +1 managed to find a couple of photos. Not that exciting but for what they're worth...

The Princess Anastasia:

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Leaving St Pete:

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1-30AM (this is as dark as it got):

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there was a floor show followed by dancing:

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Best I can do:(
 
MrP informs me that sunset is 10.30pm and sunrise is 3.30am. Hope we are on the sunset side of the ship :eek: We are starboard if anyone is clever enough to work that out mainly heading south.
 
MrP informs me that sunset is 10.30pm and sunrise is 3.30am. Hope we are on the sunset side of the ship :eek: We are starboard if anyone is clever enough to work that out mainly heading south.

At this time of year the terms sunset and sunrise are a little misleading as I'm sure you are aware.

"Sunset" will be on the port side heading from Stockholm to Helsinki to St Pete, and on the starboard side after leaving St Pete.
 
At this time of year the terms sunset and sunrise are a little misleading as I'm sure you are aware.

"Sunset" will be on the port side heading from Stockholm to Helsinki to St Pete, and on the starboard side after leaving St Pete.

Thankyou - I was hoping for that! Maybe the terms are 'bright and less bright' :p

So I'm packed now as I expect Thursday through Saturday will be busy with tax stuff for 2 businesses. Just hope the ATO portal is working. They seem to do maintenance at critical times. :(.

And it's complicated this year as it's No1 sons birthday on Monday but his partner has arranged a surprise dinner for him Sat night and as they have somewhat returned from Sydney and currently our abode then the weekend will be rather crazy. We didn't get invited to the dinner as we are not sweet young things but having a breakfast on Sunday. When MrP will no doubt be packing. We are being picked up by chauffeur at 3.30 pm on Sunday. That's the plan.
 
At least you won't have to fill in that pesky green departure card any more
 
Mmmm, decisions decisions
Selection of cheese served with accompaniments.
At Qantas we are passionate about the quality of every ingredient we use, and cheese is certainly no exception. Our cheeses are carefully selected by our suppliers from port to port who understand that good cheese is seasonal, and all about individual characters and distinctive flavours. The cheese accompaniments may include quince paste or dried fruits and water crackers. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of wine selected by the customer.
Dhal soup with coriander yoghurt.
Made with red lentils, tomato, coconut cream, onion, garlic, ground spices and fresh lemon juice. Served with a natural yoghurt which has been blended with fresh coriander. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of medium bodied white i.e. Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.
Baked polpette with rich tomato sauce and herb crumb.
Tender veal meatballs made with garlic, thyme and a little chilli; immersed in a rich tomato sauce and garnished with herbed bread crumbs and finely grated gruyère. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of medium to full bodied red i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz.
Barbecue beef brisket sandwich with pickled daikon, baby cos and sesame mayonnaise.
Beef brisket is slow roasted with coughin, smoked paprika, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, coriander seeds and a little maple syrup. Slices are layered in a crusty bread roll with pickled daikon, baby cos leaves and sesame mayonnaise. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of medium to full bodied red i.e. GSM or Shiraz.
Pan fried ling with braised silverbeet, dill potatoes, oregano and lemon.
Broad flaked white flesh fish, pan seared and served with herbed caper butter, lemon scented silverbeet and dill potatoes. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of aromatic white i.e. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.
Cinnamon and walnut braised chicken with saffron carrots and couscous.
A Persian chicken stew flavoured with dried spices, pomegranate molasses and thickened with ground walnuts. Served with pearl couscous, saffron glazed carrots and fresh herbs. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of textured white i.e. Semillon or Chardonnay.
Roast lamb and capsicum salad with eggplant, lentils, rocket, mint and Dijon vinaigrette.
Slow roasted lamb shoulder is gently shredded and served with braised Puy lentils, roasted capsicum, eggplant and fresh rocket and mint leaves. Dressed with a red wine and Dijon vinaigrette. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of medium bodied red i.e. GSM or Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Burrata with grilled artichoke, pickled radish, broccolini, sugar snaps and yuzu dressing.
Fresh, cow's milk cheese encasing a cream centre is accompanied by a combination of chargrilled artichokes, blanched broccolini, sugar snaps, pickled radish and Ligurian olives. Drizzled with a toasted sesame and yuzu dressing. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of aromatic white i.e. Pinot Gris or Arneis.

Reckon I will stick with Risotto in the lounge.
 
looking at that menu mrsdrron would be stuck with the fish.But she would enjoy it with a glass of Sav.blanc and if they didn't load a sav blanc she would be mightily displeased.And if that happened I would end up unhappy.
 
looking at that menu mrsdrron would be stuck with the fish.But she would enjoy it with a glass of Sav.blanc and if they didn't load a sav blanc she would be mightily displeased.And if that happened I would end up unhappy.
It isn't inspiring it it! And do we have Masterchef to blame for this new fixation on BRISKET. What an awful word. I used to like such rich meats but lately I can't eat them so much so this new fashioned pulled <insert protein> has stopped working for me. And when has PROTEIN been a substitutional word for meat.

I am avoiding doing the ATO figure work, can you tell? I could do a BAS statement I guess on one the companies that isnt currently conducting business.......

But on a happier note I love the size of the 10.5 Ipad pro. A little bigger than the mini ipad Dame! but not too big. Movies all downloaded (I have this 'Thing" for Sex and The City 2 - Abu Dhabi do - and watch bits of it all the time. I would download some netflix ones but they seem to expire too quickly.

But have made doubly sure that I am all synched with Foxtel Go so I can watch GAME OF THRONES somewhere in the Baltics. July 16 I think?

When booking the cruise I spent a little more and purchased the Go BEST package. So ALL drinks, tips and 24 hour wifi for the duration of the cruise. Last cruise in the Med they ran out of nice white wine (Sauv Blanc) and the crew knew it. Their next cruise was a charter so basically everything gets cleared out and new supplies brought in for them. The crew knew what they were serving as SB was rubbish and we would take a sip, screw up our faces then they would try another label. I think at one stage we had five different glasses within a few minutes. The joys of a drinks package.
 
Looking forward to this trip report!

It isn't inspiring it it! And do we have Masterchef to blame for this new fixation on BRISKET. What an awful word. I used to like such rich meats but lately I can't eat them so much so this new fashioned pulled <insert protein> has stopped working for me. And when has PROTEIN been a substitutional word for meat.

Now now, don't go lumping brisket in with those other inferior meats you need pull apart and lather with sauce to make taste good! :P If Brisket was featured on Masterchef I'm sure they would have butchered it. The point of brisket was it was the poor man's off cut. But, people with lots of time worked out that given 12 hours it could be made to taste great! Ironic that it's now being featured on pretentious cooking shows :)

Back on topic:

Stockholm - As has been pointed out, Gamla Stan is the main historic tourist area you need to tick off. Södermalm is my favourite area though with the best cafes and shops.

Tallinn - With just the day here you'll have a good opportunity to see a lot of the beautiful old town. It's probably the best city in the world to visit by ship as the main tourist sites are all together and just a short walk from the port.

If you're feeling adventurous I would highly recommend the restaurant Noa. It's 20mins drive from the port around the coast, but to me it's well worth the trip. Great food and beautiful views of the harbour. You can also see a couple of things along the way such as the Song Festival Grounds which if you read about is pretty important in recent Estonian history. Taxis in Estonia are very cheap anyway, just be sure to read the rates on the window before you jump in as they vary from ridiculously cheap to just cheap.
 
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