My Curse at Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia (Part 2)

Posted on January 2, 2015 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

One of St. Petersburg’s Most Popular Attractions

It’s about a 45-minute drive from the Oceania Marina to the palaces and gardens at Peterhof, often called the “Russian Versailles.” Peterhof Palace is a place I look forward to with anticipation and dread. (Note: See previous post for origin of the curse)

Our lively guide Marie briefs us on St. Petersburg’s history and Vladimir Putin. We pass through countryside that is green and eye-catching. There isn’t a single visible scar from the horrific 900-day German siege of St. Petersburg, at the time known as Leningrad. When the Germans attacked in 1941, the city was an important industrial center and as well as the country’s second largest city.

The Germans almost surrounded Leningrad and its major supply lines cut off. The effort to keep the city from falling was both heroic and horrific. An estimated one million Leningraders and Russian soldiers died in the conflict. It’s believed hundreds of thousands of city residents perished not from bullets or bombs but from starvation and cold.

The fountains operate only from May to mid-October

Peterhof palace and its surrounding grounds were occupied by German troops for 28 months. Leningraders knew of the impending German attack and Peterhof staff and volunteers were able to send numerous paintings, statues, and art objects to other parts of the country. Unknown to the Germans, many of Peterhof’s famous marble and bronze sculptures were hidden beneath their boots, buried in the ground. Anything that wasn’t removed by the Russians was stolent by the Germans.

At the end of the war, Peterhof’s Great Palace was almost destroyed by the retreating German army. Other nearby palaces and buildings were also severely damaged. After the siege ended, the grounds were opened again to the public. However, it would take many years for the Soviet government to restore or replace Peterhof’s eight palaces and more than 150 of its fountains. The lion cascade reopened only in 2000.

We begin our tour of Peterhof in the 284-acre Alexandria Park located east of the main palace grounds. The park is named after Empress Alexandria, wife of Tsar Nicholas I, who granted her the land as a present. The property became one of the imperial summer residences of the Romanovs.

At Alexandria Park we’re supposed to take a “miniature train” to Peterhof. I’m not sure what kind of miniature train I expect, probably something similar to the ones at Disney parks, certainly something that runs on tracks . The “train” turns out to be a regular parking lot tram with a locomotive-shaped engine pulling the carriages. Most carriages are open air but we’re herded aboard one with windows that don’t open.

When Things Start to Go Wrong

Before boarding the carriage, several Oceania passengers ask to use the restrooms located about 10 yards from the tram. A sign with the letters WC–denotes Western commode or water closet but also a flush toilet–points the way. Marie insists everyone wait until our “train” arrives at Peterhof. So we sit there, perhaps another 5 to 10 minutes, waiting for another group to arrive and board their carriage. We have more than adequate time for a quick restroom break. Marie’s refusal to allow us to use those empty restrooms will create a series of needless problems.

The train tram at Alexandria Garden: note the WC sign

Rocking and swaying, our train tram travels non-stop along a wide walkway shared with pedestrians. Bright glaring reflections cover our locked windows, making photos impossible. Too bad since some of the park’s buildings are intriguing. My favorite is an elaborate Gothic-style building the imperial Romanov family used as their private church.

It takes the tram over 20 minutes finally to reach Peterhof’s Lower Garden and the long awaited restrooms. Peterhof is the most popular day trip from St. Petersburg and the restrooms have agonizingly long lines. Thankfully the men’s queue moves efficiently. Waiting for the other passengers to return, I test my wireless receiver. Each of us has one of this devices to hear Marie’s descriptions as we navigate the palace crowds.

One passenger complains the women’s line isn’t moving, an exaggeration since several from our group are just outside the restroom entrance. To the annoyance of the women who’ve already waited 30 minutes for relief, Marie calls them back. Instead of touring, she will lead us to a more remote restroom “just 5 minutes away.” She guarantees fewer people there. Our Peterhof visit is disintegrating into a restroom quest.

When Things Really Go Wrong

On our walk we soon encounter the Checkerboard Fountain where water spills over a long sloping checkerboard. As it happens, a group of musicians start to play long Swiss-style horns in front of the checkerboard display. Several of us stop for photos. I pay attention to Marie’s comments as I quickly check that my camera hasn’t crashed as in the past. The camera works well. Images are recorded for my first time ever!

Abruptly, Marie’s commentary ends in mid-sentence. Her words don’t gradually fade away but suddenly cut off. Scanning the area, I don’t spot anyone from our group, including Linda, who is seriously interested in finding that next restroom. But they all were here only seconds ago. I even saw Linda out of the corner of my eye when I checked my camera.

The sidewalks in the Lower Garden are filled with tourists, making it difficult to pick out anyone even a short distance ahead. Marie’s logical route should be to the restaurant in the Lower Grounds, though that’s also likely to be crowded. But it’s the only possible place within her promised “5-minute walk.”

Wrong location. Plenty of people but none from our group. Yet there are no other buildings anywhere nearby. Perhaps on the upper terrace near the great Palace? That would probably take more than five minutes but I check anyway, hoping to hear Marie’s voice in my earbuds. Not there, either. I check my watch: 11 a.m.

Normally losing track of one’s group isn’t a serious concern since a guide typically details a departure point and the departure time. Not today. Marie briefly mentioned our bus would leave from a different place but she never said where that would be. And I don’t recall her stating a departure time, either. Still, by now she must know she’s lost one of her group. I search again back in the Lower Gardens restaurant in case she shows up there. Again no luck. I have no idea where to look next.

This is turning into a bad morning. Is my curse striking again?

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Oceania Marina Visits St. Petersburg, Russia

Posted on December 30, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

Exploring St. Petersburg, Russia

Probably the main reason we book the Viking Trails cruise is the Oceania Marina three-day visit in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the free tours offered for this port. Linda and I each schedule six Oceania St. Petersburg excursions two months before departure. Normally, the tour packages would cost close to $1,000 for each of us.

Aboard the Marina, we meet frequent Oceania passengers who ignore the ship’s no charge tours in favor of using a local tour agencies like SPB which caters to smaller groups. Among those touring independently are the new friends we made the first day over lunch. Understandably they do not want to be herded around with 40 other Oceania passengers as on previous cruise tours. That may have been a problem elsewhere but in St. Petersburg, our large bus tours aren’t a problem.

On my two prior visits to St. Petersburg, I enjoyed having complete freedom to explore the city on my own at any time of day or night. That’s not an option now due to Russia’s high visa fees for independent U.S. travelers. At the moment a personal visa costs between $200 and $300 a person. Cruise ship passengers, however, do not need visas for stays up to 72 hours as long as they join government-authorized tour operators when they go ashore.

Marine Facade Terminal, St. Petersburg

We arrive in St. Petersburg early enough for a 9 a.m. tour departure. We dock at the mouth of the Neva River beside a cruise terminal with the odd name of Marine Façade. Well, the terminal building is a façade of sorts, filled with lots of empty space that easily could be made to accommodate much greater numbers of passengers. Outside, in front of the cruise terminal, is a huge expanse of barren ground temporarily occupied by a flock of sea gulls. No doubt lots of development is planned for this land, too.

Immigration & Russian Politics

As in the Cold War days, Russia remains security conscious. In St Petersburg, we must not only carry passports ashore but pass through immigration in the terminal each time we leave and reboard the Marina. Returning to Marine Façade, the cheerful morning atmosphere disappears, replaced by a cold official reception. The immigration officers are all business. They never smile, never offer a hint of friendliness. These passport stampers act annoyed at our presence.

Perhaps they are, considering the disdain Russian President Vladimir Putin has for President Obama. St. Petersburg is very Putin friendly. This is his hometown, where he was born, where he graduated from law school and, according to one Russian guide, where he routinely allocates generous projects to benefit his city. Moscow may be the capital but Putin also has an official residence here at Konstantinovsky Palace, also called Putin’s Palace, which is open to visitors.

Russian presidential residence, a.k.a. Putin’s Palace

The Russian immigration staff may appear permanently grouchy but the average Russian in my experience is almost always friendly towards American tourists. As one Muscovite told me during the Cold War after we sled raced down a steep snow-covered hill well outside Moscow, “We are all the same. It’s the leaders who create the differences.”

Some of the ship passengers are troubled by their immigration experience. They voice their concern to our guide. She attempts to defuse the cold St. Petersburg greeting by reassuring everyone.“In St. Petersburg there is a saying that only fools smile for no reason.” She explains the absence of smiles also reflects the St. Petersburg temperament due to the freezing Russian winter here which brings 19 hours of darkness during the day. Her explanation seems to mollify those upset, even though I think she’s just advised them to stop behaving like smiling fools.

This morning we visit my old nemesis, the famous parks and palace of Peterhof built by Tsar Peter I (Peter the Great). Located about 20 miles from St. Petersburg, Peterhof means “Peter’s Court” in Dutch. Peterhof was changed to Petrodvorets (“Peter’s Palace”) in 1944 apparently because Peterhof sounded too German. The Peterhof title returned in 1997 after the Soviet era, although the area around Peterhof is still known as Petrodvorets.

Peterhof’s assembly of palaces and gleaming golden statues, one of Russia’s most recognized landmarks, sustained heavy damage during World War II. By 1947, the grounds and structures were largely repaired and for the 300^th anniversary celebration of St. Petersburg in 2003, everything was restored fully. Which means the gardens and statuary will be more impressive than my last visit, and I was thoroughly impressed then.

My Peterhof Curse

Peterhof, built at the beginning of the 1700s, is most famous for its spectacular series of spewing fountains spread over several acres. No pumps of any type ever powered the fountains. Instead, large reservoirs built at palace level above the statues provide the immense water pressure to power the fountains and the famous statues depicting ancient gods, goddesses, horses and fish. Peterhof’s most important formation is The Grand Cascade, a series of terraces, fountains and statues that stretch downhill from the Grand Palace to the Marine Canal.

Despite two previous visits, I have not a single picture of the palace or the fountains or the statues. Oh, I definitely tried to take photos each time I visited, several years apart. I even used different pairs of Nikon SLR film cameras on each trip; I always carry two cameras in case one fails. A lot of good that did. On both visits, cameras that worked perfectly before and immediately after my Peterhof visit inexplicably stopped working while at Peterhof itself.

The cameras simply would not function there. Naturally I changed camera batteries, did everything I knew how to do to make those damn cameras take a picture. My equipment seemed cursed. Or perhaps it was me. No one with me experienced any camera malfunctions.

I never suffered such complete camera paralysis anywhere else, at home or while photographing on all seven continents. Another similar camera disaster can’t possibly happen again today. I’ve come loaded for Russian bear, carrying three cameras this time. It’s inconceivable every one of them mysteriously will break down again.

Also, the weather is perfect this morning. I take that as a good omen. This time, no camera or anything else possibly can ruin my Peterhof visit Third time is the charm. Has to be.

Oceania Marina Visits Helsinki

Posted on December 26, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

Classic Architecture And Strange Art

We have a promising day with bright sunshine, blue sky and only a few small clouds when the Oceania Marina enters Helsinki harbor. A Celebrity cruise ship follows in our wake, passing between the small ice age islands forming the harbor entrance.

Helsinki Harbor entrance

From the cruise dock, we take a shuttle bus provided by the Helsinki Tourist Board to Market Square, a major landmark near the city center and by the harbor edge. Stepping off the bus, we’re greeted by the statue of a tall cartoonish pink-colored man peeing into the harbor.

Our first Helsinki landmark! Although prominently displayed, the statue is here only temporarily. The previous summer the statue (or is it a mobile fountain?) known as Bad Bad Boy was featured in a different Finnish city. Not everyone in Helsinki is happy to have the statue here. A member of the Helsinki tourist board is embarrassed to admit the statue locally is known as “The Peeing Man” or something similar. He says it’s temporarily present for an upcoming Helsinki fringe/arts festival.

The statue is decidedly arresting, and its location near several government buildings could also be a political statement. Hmmm…what if this was moved to Washington, D.C., and the Bad Bad Boy’s spray aimed at Congress. Most Americans would love it, based on the opinion polls of the last two years.

The Bad Bad Boy Statue

Classic Helsinki Highlights

Behind the “The Peeing Man “ statue the historic green and gold onion domes of the Uspenski Cathedral rising above a small grove of trees a few blocks away. Uspenski Cathedral is the largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe. Its golden cupolas and deep red brick facade gleam in the sunlight, a popular photo subject for the numerous tourists roaming the cathedral’s grounds. Uspenski cathedral, built between 1862 and 1868 and designed after a 16^th century church near Moscow, is one of many lingering but still popular monuments related to past Russian dominance. (By treaty, Finland was annexed from Sweden to Russia in 1809 as the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland until Finland gained its independence in 1917.)

It’s a short downhill walk from Uspenski Cathedral to Senate Square and the Helsinki Cathedral, two more of Helsinki’s best-known historic landmarks. Helsinki Square is a large open area bordered by the University of Helsinki, Government Palace as well as Helsinki Cathedral, the Square’s main attraction.

Bikes lined up below Helsinki Cathedral

The neoclassical cathedral, also known as Toumiokirkkor and the Church of St. Nicholas, is also designed after another Russian church, this one in St. Petersburg.

Most countries topple the statues of their former rulers once they gain freedom, so it’s surprising the statue of Russian Tsar Alexander II is still a prominent Senate Square landmark and that the statue’s base is richly decorated with flower baskets. Tsar Alexander II obviously earned enduring gratitude from Finns as a result of his reforms that increased Finland’s autonomy from Russia. Once Finland gained its independence, there definitely was talk of removing the statue, yet Alexander II remains, a very popular place for family photos and selfies.

There’s a festive air in Senate Square today, as if everyone is waiting for a marching band or a rock concert to start. Concerts indeed are held here but not today. Time for us to move onto Helsinki’s famous bronze mermaid statue locally known as Havis Amanda.

The Mermaid Trapped in a Box

Where is the celebrated bronze mermaid standing on seaweed as she rises from the water? The statue, Helsinki’s unofficial symbol, is nowhere to be seen in the wide open spaces of Market Square. We learn she has been “disappeared” by city officials for reasons that sound like a bad Saturday Night Live comedy sketch. It seems the Helsinki Art Museum chose an artist to hide the iconic image inside a big black box—the Hotel Manta–which also is considered an inspired work of art. To me, Hotel Manta looks as “inspired” as a cheap prefab plywood box. I don’t get it. Or the idea of removing the mermaid statue from public view by another art object. This is like New York City deciding to hide the Statue of Liberty inside a black skyscraper.

Art hides art as Hotel Manta obscures the famous bronze mermaid

However, it soon becomes apparent the real purpose of Hotel Manta is to be a cash cow for the city. There’s now a 3 euro fee for the privilege of viewing the caged mermaid standing inside a hotel room instead of outside under the sun. Even more money is generated by renting out the hotel room at night for those wanting to sleep with the mermaid inside the fenced off, elevated observatory over Market Square. (The hotel stopped taking reservations following the summer season.)

Ironically, the mermaid’s confinement to a hotel bedroom may have fulfilled the worst fears of some Finns when the mermaid first appeared in Helsinki in 1908. Those objecting to her nudity considered her a “whore.” Made to pimp for tourist money, some might say that’s what she’s become. We like to think the hotel is present to raise money for any needed restoration of the statue so she can return to the outdoors, though we saw no indication the hotel was only a temporary prison.

Taste of Finland

We wander to Market Square’s famous outdoor summer market known for its variety of crafts, souvenirs and food stands. Wonderful looking vegetables and fruits, most far larger than the ones we ever see back home, are displayed in numerous stalls.

The popular summer market in Helsinki

The most striking souvenirs are colorfully dressed dolls and other crafts from Lapland, Finland’s northern most region. Lapland’s inhabitants are known as the Sami, the indigenous people who have maintained their traditional language and culture. They are best known for their distinctive colorful clothing, for raising reindeer, traveling by dog teams and the wintertime Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle.

The Sami make wonderful dishes with reindeer meat. During my several visits to Lapland I developed a strong fondness for the region’s famous stew of reindeer, lingonberries and mashed potatoes. One of the things I hoped when we arrived in Helsinki is we’d find Lapp food so Linda could taste it. At a tented restaurant selling “Lapland Food” she agrees to order the stew. Then she smells the delicious aroma of ground reindeer formed into meatballs. That not only smell scrumptious but has a flavorful spicy taste. When we order, although Linda’s choice may be more flavorful I remain loyal to the reindeer stew . I’ve wanted to taste reindeer stew again for a long time.

This simple meal will be a perfect memory of Finland. Our time in Helsinki ends as jet lag catches up with us big time. It’s like we feel hung over and it’s time to take care of it. We don’t want to feel like this tomorrow in St. Petersburg. It’s back to the Oceania Marina and a long uninterrupted sleep.

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Settling in on Oceania Marina Baltic Cruise

Posted on December 21, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

As much as we ‘d like to sleep through the first hours of our Oceania Marina Baltic Cruise, the call to the lifeboat drill interrupts our nap. Aftertwards we start to unpack before grabbing something to eat and sacking out again. Finding places to store clothing takes longer than normal since the drawers are not placed near the closet but scattered throughout the stateroom.

The hunt-and-seek for storage may reflect the imaginative design needed to squeeze both a bathtub and shower stall into our 282-square-foot stateroom. The computer desk,located near the veranda is.an unexpected storehouse It has several side shelves and nice deep drawers.

Terrace Cafe Offers Nightly Lobster, Steak, Sushi

The Terrace Café is our choice for dinner. Serving ourselves should be faster than any other dining option including room service. The Terrace Café is surprisingly empty, perhaps because most passengers have gone to sleep, are seated in the main dining room or sampling one of the Marina’s five specialty restaurants.

Cruising through the Stockholm archipelago

With so few people present, we easily find a window table for two. It has a good view of the Marina’s passage through the Stockholm archipelago, a cluster of islands and rocks leading to the Baltic Sea. The larger landfalls, popular summer vacation spots, contain not cottages but sizable homes.

At the buffet, Linda is elated to find fresh sushi and sashimi in the salad bar. I’m more interested in the cafe’s grill that prepares cooked-to-order steaks and lobster tails. Since the Terrace Café serves many of the items on the main dining room, it becomes a favorite dining spot. The café is more relaxing than the main dining room with its harried waiters and sometimes long waits between courses. Besides, in the cafe it’s easy to combine several entrees or quickly replace a disappointing one and not disrupt the pace of anyone else’s meal.

Back in our cabin, a card placed on a bed pillow contains the unwelcome news that we’ll lose an hour of sleep tonight when the ship moves into a new time zone. How much sleep we’re likely to get is debatable. Jet lag is bound to play havoc with us. It was a mistake to take a nap before the boat drill. Better to stay awake until afterwards, order room service and then call it a day without much unpacking. Sleep, wonderful sleep, so taken for granted.

Marina Concierge Lounge Sparse, Disappointing,

Not unexpectedly I awake the next morning at 6 a.m., four hours before we arrive in Helsinki. I decide to check out the concierge lounge before breakfast. The lounge is accessible 24 hours but not staffed until around 8 a.m. The lounge is about the size of two inside cabins. with a desk near the entrance door and a computer for any passenger on the concierge deck to use.

On this trip, that computer isn’t likely to be in much demand considering the free internet in the cabins. Next to the computer is a small stack of Helsinki maps. These same maps are available downstairs when we disembark. At almost all other Baltic ports, the concierge lounge contains better, more detailed city maps than any brought aboard by local tourist boards. Oceania Marina Concierge Lounge

Overall ,the lounge resembles a mini-library with a reading room. Full size copies of today’s major newspaper from the U.S., Canadian and British are displayed on a table beneath a large flat screen TV. Behind the TV is a long counter stocked with chilled juice dispensers, coffee, tea, pastries and cookies.

Although various web sites claim the concierge lounge serves daytime sandwiches and evening canapés, it offers only cookies and pastries during our trip. Unlike the concierge lounges on some other ships, wine and beer are not served in the evening. Unless you want to read a newspaper or consult with the concierge staff about what to see in port. there is little reason to visit. For concierge class, the lounge isn’t much of a perk .

I glance at my watch. Time for Linda to get up and for us to go to breakfast before arriving in Helsinki.

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Oceania Marina Lacks Stockholm Terminal Berth

Posted on December 15, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

Never a second chance to make a good first impression

Deplaning in Stockholm, we move through immigration and customs amazingly quickly. No serious concerns about terrorism here. At the luggage carousel, we meet an Oceania representative collecting luggage for passengers taking a bus tour of Stockholm before boarding the Marina. We tell him we’d just like to go to the passenger terminal and nap in a chair before the ship is ready for boarding. He assures us the Marina’s terminal not only offers a comfortable seating area but also a café. Sounds perfect. Little did we know that of all the cruise ships in port, Oceania Marina lacks a berth at the Stockholm terminal.

Our 28-mile taxi ride to the terminal may be lengthy but we see mostly highways and only a small bit of Sweden. The small bit of Stockholm we view reminds Linda of Stieg Larsson’s famous Millennium series, a best-selling trilogy starting with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She imagines heroine Lisbeth Salander walking the streets we pass. Her vision of Lisbeth looks like Noomi Rapace, the Swedish actress who starred in the original movie.

Our taxi driver is an interesting man. An immigrant from Iraq, he says he abandoned Baghdad in 2005 after his two supermarkets were set on fire a second time. He says he has no plans ever to return despite close family still living there. His family reunions aleays take place in a European country..

Arriving at the cruise port, we find the Marina is not at the Vartahamnen 523, the terminal address provided by Oceania. The port section, known as Vartahamnen South, has five quays but they are all dedicated to ferry service. Our driver takes us to the northern port section and soon locates a Holland America ship with a Celebrity vessel docked behind it. The Marina is located opposite them, easily identified at a distance by its white smoke stack with a big “O.”

Oceania Marina’s absent Stockholm berth–why?

Instead of the promised cruise terminal, we discover a curiously long column of Oceania passengers just outside the fence gate leading to our ship. As our taxi draws up, several passengers quickly approach our driver to secure a ride back to the airport. It’s 8:45 a.m., which seems late for so many people still to be disembarking. We pay our fare with a credit card and grab our luggage. Our cab driver greets his new passengers with energy and pleasure. He is surprised to pick up a new fare so quickly.

Still early, the temperature is chilly and the overcast sky has the look and feel of rain. We ask the way to the terminal building. Terminal? There isn’t one for Marina passengers. The only terminal is located at the pier opposite us where Celebrity and Holland America ships are berthed. We are advised to wait outside the fence gate. Fortunately there is a tiny gift shop there with only five plastic chairs and a large wooden deck already occupied by others waiting to board. We sit on the deck edge which feels as hard as the plane seats we had flying over. With hours to wait before we can board the Marina, we pass the time people watching and getting to know our new shipmates.

Disembarking passengers have formed a taxi line of 40 to 50 people..With new people taking the place of those able to depart, the line doesn’t shorten for more than hour. Taxis, slow in coming, depart sporadically with handfuls of people. It’s almost 90 minutes before the last person to catches a ride. I’ve never witnessed such a haphazard disembarkation procedure.

After a sleepless SAS flight, this bed is what we seek most.

Oceania cruise staff have no explanation for the lack of a cruise terminal or the lack of any facilities; nor do they seem to care. Their attitude and the situation don’t reflect well on Oceania’s claim to offer a “luxury experience.” Nor does it match our previous Oceania experiences.. Makes us wonder what to expect once on board. Will it be better or worse? Can’t believe we’re questioning our wisdom about booking Oceania for this cruise. Fortunately the darkening sky still only threatens rain.Around 11 a.m. a large truck arrives with baggage from the airport. Once the truck unloads, we add our luggage to the pile to be taken aboard.

About 20 minutes later, wonderful news! A large canopy is erected at the ship’s gangplank and officials assemble under it so we can begin boarding. As expected, no staterooms are ready yet but we learn that a full lunch buffet lunch is waiting at the Terrace Café on deck 12. Finally stepping inside the ship, Linda and I agree the Marina’s interior is classy but décor is hardly foremost in our minds. Where are the restrooms?

Terrace Cafe best part of the day

At the Terrace Café, the buffet reassures us how good dining on Oceania can be. Although Linda limits herself to soup and a salad, I graze the hot courses. It will be the next day, when I’m more awake, that I discover I can have a fresh, personally prepared Caesar salad at the salad bar for lunch or dinner. Claiming a table near a window, we have a birds-eye view of those still waiting to board. The weather has changed. Anyone standing outside the canopy leading to the ship is standing in a light rain. Strangely, there are no umbrellas being passed out by the crew..

After lunch, we remain at our table to talk with another couple as everyone waits for an announcement that rooms are ready. The couple, from the northeast, was on our SAS flight, also in SAS Premium Plus. We compare note on our experiences. They didn’t sleep much on the flight, either, due to SAS’ hard seats. It is 1 o’clock when the first rooms are ready for occupancy. They are the ones in the top category: the suites. At 1:30 our concierge category is announced. The bulk of the rooms are ready just before 3 p.m.

As planned, our room is just a few decks below the Terrace Café and convenient to elevators. Our stateroom is impressive. Nice and spacious. A laptop computer with unlimited internet is on a small desk for our use. A bottle of champagne chills in an ice bucket. Our bathroom is expansive, offering both a large tub and a sizeable shower stall. Unexpectedly, we find we have a mini-fridge stocked with an assortment of soft drinks (no charge). Also two impressively large bottles of water that will be replaced every day. This is going to be very nice.

Our luggage soon arrives but we leave it unpacked. One more thing to test: the comfort of the bed. It must have been suitable since we instantly fall asleep, only to be jolted awake two hours later by a blaring announcement to prepare for the lifeboat drill.

Abruptly, normal shipboard life begins .

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Married Middle Name Difference Causes Cruise ID Nightmare

Posted on December 12, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

By Linda O’Keefe

Passing through immigration in Stockholm, I can finally relax. I’ve arrived at our departure port so no more worry about being denied boarding by an airline. My concern? The full name on my passport is different from the full name on both my flight reservations and the Oceania cruise manifest. This inconsistency is my middle name. It’s partly due to the conflicting ID requirements on the state and federal levels, a situation many married women may encounter when they travel internationally.

Passport name vs maiden name

A woman’s U.S. passport is supposed to have her middle birth name. My Florida driver license usses my maiden name for my middle name. That is due to the marriage license requirements in the county where we were married. It requires a woman to use her maiden name for her middle name.

I’ve had to work around this ID contradiction ever since when it comes to overseas travel. Men are lucky. They never deal with this problem since their names usually remain the same for life.

Obviously I should have booked the cruise under my “passport name” as I usually do, not my “Florida name.” For my flights overseas, I wondered if I would be able to use my tickets. The airlines and TSA also woul;d expect my airline tickets to match my passport. Overlooking this mistake until the last-minute is inconceivable. It puts me in a great panic about whether I will be denied boarding in Orlando or Newark going to Europe or on my flights coming back.

Will I ever get out of here, Orlando International Airport?

My first call was to our travel agent. She says she can’t make ticket changes since Oceania issued them. And Oceania probably can’t make a name change at this point but if it did a new ticket likely would come with severe penalties. Worse, she indicates it’s unlikely I’ll be able to board any flights. Her suggestion is that I call the different airlines to report my problem and check the TSA website. But there are no guarantees these steps will get me on an airplane.

This is turning into a horror story. I call TSA and encounter a recorded message with more options than toothpaste brands at a grocery store. Eventually I speak with a real person, a woman who asks my name. Then I hear only computer keys clicking. Her next question: “Where are your flights going to?” I reply “Orlando to La Guardia (incorrect) to Stockholm.” Silence again on the line. Then, “Mrs. O’Keefe, you are flying United to Newark (she caught my error) and then SAS to Stockholm on August 20 and returning British Airways from Amsterdam to Gatwick and BA Gatwick to Orlando on September 4th.” Now it is my turn to be silent. She knows all this better than I do because of just my name? Good to know the government can be on top of something as small as this so quickly.

The TSA call is the smartest thing I could have done. The TSA representative is extremely helpful and informative, assuring me this was not a big deal and that it happens all the time. Her advice is to carry my Florida driver license, my social security card and a copy of my Florida marriage license with my passport to show as much ID as possible.

Will flying to Euope even be possible?

Checking in at Orlando International, a woman at the United counter immediately questions the middle name differences. I’m ready, full of explanations and a fistful of documents. The problem quickly disappears when a supervisor is called: a female supervisor. What luck! She has the same middle name problem and is questioned about it sometimes at OIA—where she works. We’re part of the same sorority!

I receive boarding passes for both Orlando to Newark and for Newark to Stockholm. The tickets are stamped with the notation my documents are checked. Ironically, and happily, my home airport is the only place on our entire trip over where the middle name problem comes up. I could not stop worrying about be turned back until I board the Oceania Marina.

Once on board, I’m given my official ship ID card–which carries no middle name. That’s more than convenient. It means I will have no problem in St. Petersburg where I must pass through Russian immigration and show my passport and ship ID card each time I leave and return to the ship.

In the 13 or 14 years Tim and I have traveled together internationally, this never was a problem. It came up only now because four years ago we were married. Thus, it’s all his fault!

Tim: Linda and I both wrote this post together and I am responsible for much of it. I also wrote the last sentence. I am the guilty party who made the reservations using her driver’s license and not her passport. But she should have noticed my mistake at the time.

Tim & Linda: A learning experience for us both and this silly mistake won’t be repeated. All international bookings will carry Linda’s passport name, her middle birth name. Thanks, State of Florida, for all the confusion.

Oceania Marina Baltic Cruise An Easy Choice

Posted on November 23, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army, St. Petersburg

It’s been too long since Linda and I cruised (or blogged) so last January we began looking at cruise itineraries. The Oceania Marina 12-day summer Northern Europe Viking Trails itinerary appealed immediately to us but especially to me since it includes three full days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Having visited St. Petersburg twice decades ago, I’m interested to see how much it’s changed after the end of the Soviet era. For whatever reason, Russia is a long-time fascination. My first visit there was is in the 1970’s U.S.-Soviet Cold War era with four more trips over the years.

In addition to St. Petersburg, other interesting Marina stops include out-of-the-way ports in Estonia, Lithuania and Poland along with Helsinki, Copenhagen and a German port convenient to Berlin. It ends with an overnight in Amsterdam. Oceania is one of our favorite cruise lines but the price quoted in January seems a bit too high.

Linda and I always are interested in anything new Oceania offers. We have a long history with them, going back to its previous incarnation when it was known as Renaissance Cruises. The first cruise Linda and I ever made together was on one of the 684-passenger “R Ships.” That was in the spring of 2001, just months before Renaissance went under due to the 9/11 Twin Towers attack, when all their ships were stationed in Europe. It was a sad ending to a wonderful cruise line.

We scan the promotional materials Oceania sends at regular intervals, as new features are added to the Vikings Trails end of season cruise. Now included are free shore excursions for all three days in St. Petersburg ($1,000 value), prepaid gratuities, free unlimited internet in our stateroom and a $300 on-board ship credit to use for whatever we want.

When Oceania offers the option to upgrade round trip air to premium economy for just $198 from Orlando, we’re ready to book. Oceania always includes round trip air in its cruise prices and we’d be crazy not to use it. It costs us $850 to use Oceania’s air package. The best online economy flight rates for our itinerary would cost two to three times that amount. Premium economy would be considerably more.

We decide to treat ourselves to an early wedding anniversary and go concierge class, which allows us first choice of the St. Petersburg tours and early reservations in the Marina’s five specialty restaurants. Unlike most cruise lines, Oceania does not demand an extra charge for its specialty restaurants; only advance reservations required. The Marina is one of Oceania’s new ships, almost twice the size of the original “R-Ships” and carrying 1,250 passengers. It will be interesting to see how much of an improvement this new class size is over the smaller vessels.

Klaipedia, Lithuania, located on the Dane River

Oceania books our flights, not our travel agent, and the itinerary is a surprisingly good one. We fly from Orlando to Newark with a layover of under three hours before taking Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) to Stockholm, our departure port. The return flight from Amsterdam takes us to London Gatwick and another short layover with a direct flight back to Orlando. The schedule is fine though we wish we could avoid the United Airlines flight to Newark since it wants $100 for a second bag. Especially since our other carriers, SAS and British Airways, both allow two free bags. We’re extending our trip for several days in Amsterdam after the cruise, so packing at least one extra bag for the two of us is kind of necessary.

When we check in at Orlando International we encounter the usual summer crowds that often increase TSA screening lines to 30 minutes. Unexpectedly, our tickets send us to the TSA fast-track lines, which proceed quickly. This is one of the benefits of premium economy class.

Arriving at Newark, we look forward to boarding the SAS overnight flight to Stockholm. Our only previous premium economy experience was on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles to Auckland and that truly was something special. Premium economy had its own cabin, comfortable space age style seats and meal service better than the business class of some other carriers. Descriptions of SAS Premium Plus appear equally appealing.

The SAS flight begins impressively. During takeoff, SAS allows us to watch the takeoff from different views on our personal TV screens. I watch the takeoff starting from the cockpit view, switch to a rear angle as we lift off the runway and then look straight down at the area we fly over. Very nice touch. The selection of recent American movies is good, too.

Windmill in Holland

But about an hour after takeoff, the SAS Premium Plus experience is not so pleasant. The seat bottom lacks any kind of padding, assuming it ever had any. It’s extremely uncomfortable. Linda says she feels like she’s sitting on a concrete slab. In addition, I find it impossible to maneuver my legs around the large left leg on the seat in front of me. That support blocks almost half of the normally available legroom, leaving no way to stretch my legs, much less place my laptop under the seat without on Linda’s leg space. I’m convinced the design engineers never tested this arrangement in real life conditions.

The evening meal choices are chicken with plain white rice or salmon with plain white rice. They’re just as bland as they sound. The run-of-the-mill airline salad, rice entrée and dessert come clustered together on the usual typical economy tray. This is nothing like SAS’ classy website description: “For dinner, there is a starter, main course (choose between two alternatives) & a good dessert with coffee or tea.” The accompanying photos are equally misleading

For the first time ever on a flight, I’m unable to sleep. Normally I can fall asleep on a bus, train and every airline until now. A mild sleeping pill doesn’t block the pain of my lead-lined seat. I read my Kindle until breakfast. Would have liked to have read SAS in-flight magazine but my overhead reading light is out. Stewardess said she would report it. Linda squirms in her seat much of the time. She also is awake most of the night.

Landing in Stockholm, and shuffling like zombies, we gladly leave SAS Premium Plus behind. We’re more than ready for our next stop. The Oceania Marina and its usual flavorful welcome aboard lunch buffet.

Dining on the National Geographic Endeavour

Posted on April 13, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

Classic Spanish paella with shellfish but no shrimp

Sustainability may guide the ship’s dining choices—but yum!

Lindblad Expeditions takes its dedication to conservation seriously, extending it even to the National Geographic Endeavour’s dining room. Although seafood is a staple on the ship’s menus, you’ll never find a shrimp cocktail, fried shrimp or shrimp of any sort. Lindblad banned shrimp from its kitchens more than a decade ago, in the summer of 2001 as part of its sustainable dining program to help preserve fish stocks worldwide.

Lindblad says it could not find any shrimp suppliers who could prove that their shrimp harvesting methods did not damage the marine environment. One of the serious problem shrimp trawlers create is the “bycatch” of unwanted fish species that end up being killed and thrown away. And in some areas the trawlers may sweep the same section of sea bottom several times a year, which leaves no time for re-growth or recovery of the marine habitat.

No shrimp allowed

Shrimp farming also has serious negative impact because shrimp growers have made their pond water poisonous due to the large amounts of artificial feed, pesticides, chemical additives and antibiotics used for the highest possible production rate. Typically, the ponds are located in coastal areas to provide easy access to new fresh water sources to refill them. Unfortunately, instead of reducing pressure on overharvesting, shrimp aquaculture’s toxic effluent is blamed for reducing local shrimp and fish populations in some regions

When it comes to the fish served on board the Endeavour and other Lindblad ships, they are species considered not to be over-fished or caught by environmentally destructive practices. Lindblad Expeditions is not extremist in its sustainability approach. According to Ocean Wise, a Canadian non-profit education and conservation association, an estimated 90 percent of all large, predatory fish have disappeared from the world’s oceans. It states that one recent scientific study predicts a world-wide fisheries collapse by the year 2048. Obviously, this is a topic that impacts all of us and one we all should be concerned about.

Placing the serious aspects of the Lindblad Endeavour’s menu aside, as you’ll see from the accompanying photos and the week’s menus on accompanying pages, no one starves. There is a serious emphasis on flavorful food, although the preparations are not always ones we have every day or perhaps ever have had before. But trying new foods always has been an essential part of travel. The menu emphasizes Ecuadorian cuisine, as you would expect.

Here are some sample signs that are posted to explain unfamiliar dishes:

Lindblad Expeditions does try to cater to the diverse tastes of its passengers. The photo at the top of this post shows paella served once a week at lunch that definitely would not suit vegetarians. So, a vegetarian paella is served at the same meal.

This kind of catering is routine on large cruise ships. But the Endeavour carries fewer than100 passengers. Below is a photo of the vegetarian paella. .

Vegetarian paella, a rice dish from Valencia, Spain

See for yourself what the dining on the Lindblad National Geographic Endeavor is like. You won’t be disappointed, I promise you. If I didn’t like it, I say so. But I do wish that just one time during the week there was an option for a hamburger with all the trimmings. But maybe that was just me.

Lindblad Endeavour Galapagos Cruise Links

Grazing Auckland New Zealand – SKYCITY Visual Restaurant Menus

Posted on March 19, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

SKYCITY Restaurants dine by Peter Gordon and The Grill by Sean Connolly
are world-class dining experiences. See their menus in photos.

At precisely 1076 feet and 1.38 inches (328 m), the Sky Tower not only is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand it also is one of Auckland’s signature attractions. The Sky Tower also marked the location of SKYCITY Auckland, a casino-hotel complex with 25 cafes, restaurants and bars.

This visual menu is from the SKYCITY Grand Hotel’s restaurant called “dine by Peter Gordon.” The word dine certainly deserves to be in all caps at this award-winning restaurant featuring a mix of Asian, Pacific and traditional European cuisine. This is a true fine dining experience and one not to be rushed.

dine by Peter Gordon Visual Menu

Appetizers (or “entrees” as they’re called in NZ)

Seared yellowfin tuna with nori sauce, crispy squid, wakame salad and wasabi jelly

Crispy free-farmed pork belly and smoked mackerel fritter with lemon,
coriander, bean sprout, cherry tomato, macadamia salad and lime dressing

Roast Cambridge duck breast with green beans, caramelized
shallots, smoked eggplant, beetroot relish, pastille of five-spiced confit
duck leg and chestnuts

Main Course

7-hour braised Firstlight grass-fed wagyu short rib with
eggplant, shitake mushroom, salad and toasted almonds

Dessert

Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate terrine topped by lemongrass ice cream
with pistachio white chocolate mousse, popping candy, manuka honey crisp

The Grill by Sean Connolly Visual Menu

The Grill by Sean Connolly is another excellent restaurant at the SKYCITY Grand Hotel. More casual than dine, the menu is just as delicious and memorable. The emphasis here is on fresh local foods with the natural flavors allowed to shine through.

Seafood Entrees

This seafood appetizer for four is a meal in itself: Queensland prawns,
Cloudy Bay clams, king crab claws, scampi and oysters. Single servings
also available.

Queensland prawns with garlic butter and pesto. We should have stopped
right here.

Main Course

XXX

There should be a picture above of a 1-1/2 inch dry aged savannah Angus rib eye on the bone. I tried to arrange this great piece of cow into a more
photogenic position but made the mistake of cutting into and tasting the rib eye
while doing it. The results were not pretty or suitable for public viewing. The rib eye, however, was magnificent and you have my word –if not my photo—attesting to that.

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Lindblad Endeavour Arrives at Puerto Egas

Posted on March 19, 2014 by M. Timothy O'Keefe

Puerto Egas, where wildlife offers a warm welcome

Everyone who takes a Galapagos cruise usually has a favorite shore landing. Mine comes unexpectedly almost midway through the trip when Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour takes us to Puerto Egas on Isla Santiago (also known as James Island and Isla San Salvador).

During our afternoon stop there, everything comes together: the sunlight is gorgeous, we encounter a good variety of birds and mammals and also witness lots of lively animal interaction, including a large bellowing male Galapagos fur seal. Best of all, this is one of the most leisurely walks, without the usual and constant push to keep moving.

Ironically, when the Endeavour arrives and anchors off Isla Santiago, there is no hint this will be a special afternoon. Instead, once our Zodiac lands on a narrow rocky beach, the scenery is almost depressing. A dilapidated house sits on a small cliff above us. After we exit the beach for a better view of the old deserted homestead and its empty, fenced fields, the spot seems even more dismal.

Man’s intrusion leaves an unwanted mark

There may be 30,000 people living in the Galapagos, but this is the first evidence of human occupation we’ve seen since sailing from Baltra on Saturday morning. This unexpected detritus of human intrusion is an irritating reminder of past efforts to harvest salt here. Attempts were made between 1928 and 1930, then again later in 1964.

Both attempts caused significant environmental damage. Settlers burned native and endemic trees for firewood and introduced new plants and animals. The Puerto Egas name refers to the last salt company operation, run by Hector Egas. His venture failed when the price of salt in South America dropped so low that operating in the Galapagos became impractical.

Jarring reminders of the humans who once lived here

Darwin’s Toilet

We quickly leave the settlement area and make the short walk across the island’s narrow point to the other side, which is surprisingly different. It’s long black lava coastline that seems to extend endlessly along James Bay, where Charles Darwin’s ship anchored and he explored the interior of Santiago Island. The shore, comprised of an old lava flow that poured into the ocean, has many large inlets and tidal pools created by the erosive force of the rough wave action.

One of these inlets, a vertical chute where the water rises and ebbs as waves regularly crash against the rock, carries the appropriate if undignified name of “Darwin’s toilet.”

In search of fur seals

This lava shoreline is a favorite haunt of fur seals, the smallest of the pinnipeds and creatures we really haven’t encountered closely before. Endemic to the Galápagos Islands, an estimated 40,000 fur seals are spread throughout the islands, apparently much smaller than just a few decades ago. Scientists say the fur seal population was reduced significantly in the 1980s due to the effects of El Nino, which also reduced the local fish populations.

The best known place to see fur seals is Gruta de las Focas, which has a natural bridge above the inlets where fur seals are normally found. They’re present today because, thankfully for us, Galápagos fur seals are the most land-based of all the fur seals, spending at least 30% of their time out of the water. Fortunately, they also do most of their fishing at night since they prefer to spend as many days as possible warming themselves on the lava rocks and only occasionally sunbathing on sandy beaches.

American oyster catchers were common place at Puerto Egas

Climate changes

Hopefully, the fur seals will be as prevalent here and throughout the Galapagos in coming years since the current climate change seems to have prompted an ambitious group of Galapagos fur seals to look for better fishing waters in Peru. No one is sure why, perhaps because there are more fish there. This migration happened in 2010 when a group of Galapagos fur seals traveled 900 miles (1,500 km) to the northern waters of Peru and established a colony there. It was the first recorded instance of Galapagos seals migrating from their homeland.

Rising water temperatures have been credited as the motivation but the water still averages warmer in the Galapagos. Water temperatures off northern Peru have increased from 62F (17C) to 73F (23C) in the past 10 years; Galapagos water temps average 77F (25C). It’s speculated more such colonies might be established in northern Peru. Still think it’s due to better fish populations in Peru and not the water temperature although the two are often. connected.

Darwin paid scant attention to the fur seals during his visit, perhaps because fur hunters had almost hunted the animals to extinction. On this day fur seals are prominent at Puerto Egas, along with Sally Lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas, American oyster catchers, a Galapagos hawk and more. Two fur seals are in a contest with a sea lion to dislodge the sea lion from its flat rock perch just above the waves.

The sea lion ignores the fur seals’ loud noises and aggressive threats, holding its head high with an expression we interpret to mean something like “Well, there goes the neighborhood!”

Lava gull stalking the Puerto Egas tidal pools

The matter is semi-resolved when one of the fur seals jumps on an adjoining rock and gradually nudges its way into sharing part of the platform. The sea lion refuses to retreat and both animals end up sharing the space. The second fur seal stays in the water, preferring to swim around and keep out of the way. Once the action subsides, we wander away, careful not to trip over or step on the marine iguanas littering the craggy lava surface like washed-up seaweed.

Tidal pools harbor abundant birdlife

As we walk the shoreline in the direction of the ship, it’s obvious the Puerto Egas tidal pools are attracting the largest variety of birds we’ve ever seen in one location. Even several Darwin finches land in the trees bordering the shoreline only a few yards behind the beach. I lag behind the others for the unusually prime photo ops. It’s what photographers call the “golden” or “magic” hour, very close to sunset. The colors are amazing. This one afternoon almost makes up for the cloudy days on most of the trip.

When I finish photographing the birds in the tidal pools, I catch up with my group and see they are watching a Galapagos hawk dine on a sizable marine iguana. We are perhaps 20 yards from the hawk, which is well aware of our presence but continues to feed while keeping an obvious watch on us.

Close animal encounters

We’ve seen numerous marine iguanas along the coast, more than in most places, and it’s not surprising there would be a natural death the hawk would take advantage of. The hawk carefully watches on us as we photograph/view it.

puerto egas fur seal tidal pools-1
Galapagos hawk feeds on its prize meal. Fur seal pup.

The day’s highpoint comes near the end of our walk where we encounter a huge male fur seal and his harem. The males are supposed to grow no larger than 5 feet (1.5m) in length and weigh no more than about 145 pounds. This fellow not only looks much larger and scarily impressive because he sits on a rock plateau just a few feet above us.

Seen in profile, this huge male should emphasize why the Galapagos fur seal’s scientific name is Arctocephalus galapagoensis, from Greek words meaning “bear headed.” It doesn’t. The fur seal does have a short, pointed muzzle, along with a small, button nose and large eyes. The muzzle of most bears I’ve seen are considerably longer and the noses larger than button-size.

Think hound dog, instead. However, when the male fur seal starts bellowing at one of his concubines, he draws his lips back and flashes sharp, triangular teeth that make me think of something as deadly as a bear.

Male fur sea offering us some advice: “Stay away!”

Fur seal mating psychology

Dominant male fur seals are enormously protective of their breeding territory, often required to challenge and chase away challengers. This fellow also obviously expends a lot of effort trying to keep his women in line, though he doesn’t seem to have much success. He seems to be loudly coaxing, or whatever—with hands, he might act like a gorilla beating its chest–to impress the only female sharing the platform. She acknowledges his “whatever,” occasionally swaying her head like a boxer in the ring, but eventually just turns and descends to join the other girls below.

Our guide (a woman) explains, “She’s out to prove she wants more than a one-night stand. He needs to step up his game and romance her.”

It seems absurd that a creature this size and fearsome could ever court (date?) a mate. But males of may species do it. Whales and male sharks do it. Magnificent frigate birds do it (remember the males’ big red sacs?). Male blue-Footed Bobbies do it (by building impressive nests and their dancing). Human males do it, too. Instead of impressive nest building, we offer dinner, a show or a concert. We’ve evolved to not interacting in person with a potential mate and sending text messages instead.

In the Galapagos, you realize a lot about life and love.

Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour off Puerto Egas

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Sustainability may guide the ship’s dining choices—but yum!

No shrimp allowed

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dine by Peter Gordon Visual Menu

The Grill by Sean Connolly Visual Menu

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Puerto Egas, where wildlife offers a warm welcome

Man’s intrusion leaves an unwanted mark

Darwin’s Toilet

In search of fur seals

Climate changes

Tidal pools harbor abundant birdlife

Close animal encounters

Fur seal mating psychology

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