We recently sailed on the HAL Zuiderdam for the third time in May 2019. Our captain is Wouter van
Hoogdalem, the hotel director is Ron
Bontenbal, and the cruise director is
Andy Levitt. Our cabin is 4078 and our cabin stewards are Ketut and Eka. Our
dinner table is #59 and our servers are Sarino and Catur.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019 -
Embarkation (15166 steps/5.81 miles)
We went
for breakfast, with our suitcases in tow and that is when my hubby agreed with
me that maybe he overpacked. I used a much smaller suitcase and packed half the
amount that I usually do for a cruise and it was so easy to manage. After
breakfast, we took a bus to the cruise terminal and dropped off our bags. We
still had a couple of hours, so we took the bus to The Citadel park and walked
around before returning to the terminal. We were on the ship around noon and in
time for lunch. Our ship left Copenhagen
around 5pm. We are seated at a table for 6 but only one other couple showed up,
David and Emily from Virginia. She arranges for Au Pairs to work in our country
and he works for the Treasury Dept. in DC. After dinner, which started at 8, we
went back to our cabin and watched a little of Aquaman but by then I was so
tired it was time for bed.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019 – At Sea (12947 steps/5.02 miles)
After
breakfast, we went to a couple of talks. One was about the shore excursions.
The other given by Bonnie was about getting around and what to see in Estonia
and St. Petersburg. She did an excellent job. After lunch, we did our exercise
walk around Deck 3. Then it was time to go to another talk about Helsinki and
Stockholm. Happy Hour was at 4 and the second drink was only $2 so we had
Bloody Marys. Before dinner, we went to the show which featured the pianist,
Martin Kaye from Manchester, who was excellent. It was Gala night at dinner.
Before going to bed, we watched a little more of Aquaman.
Thursday, May 9, 2019 – Tallinn,
Estonia (22331 steps/8.69 miles)
We had
a wonderful day in Estonia. We got off the ship around 11am and it was a 15-20
minute walk into Old Town. We walked to St. Catherine’s Passage and found 2
yarn stores. Then we walked to the Town Square and found the Visitor’s
Information place to get maps and information. Then we walked to Kiek in de Kok
(which means Peek in the Kitchen) and to several cathedrals. Along our walk, we
found some artists and Don bought some etchings of mermaids from one of the
artists. Then we found an antique store where Don bought some Soviet and German-occupied money for 1 euro each. We got back to the ship around 4pm and saw the
Captain so I took a picture with him. Then we had a late lunch. We went to the
show to see the dancers before dinner. After dinner, we finished watching
Aquaman and Don watched the movie about Ruth Ginsberg but I fell asleep.
Friday, May 10, 2019 – St.
Petersburg (8324 steps/2.9 miles)
Since
we didn’t have an excursion booked, we couldn’t get off the ship because we
didn’t have a visa. After breakfast, we sat on the deck and used our binoculars
to look around town. We relaxed and read until it was time for lunch. After lunch,
we relaxed and watched movies on TV. We ate dinner in the Lido restaurant
because we thought we would see The Mule in the main stage theater, but it was
canceled. So, we went back to our room and watch movies until bedtime.
Saturday May 11, 2019 – St.
Petersburg (15327 steps/5.85 miles)
We got
up at 4:30am so we could eat breakfast before our shore excursion. We had to
meet at 6:30 and at 6:45 they sent us to the bus. First, we had to go through
Passport Control. When Don went through, the guard had to make a phone call.
After many long minutes, his passport was stamped, and he was allowed to go
through. I went through quickly. We got
on the Bus 22 and our guide Marina and our driver Maxim took us on an 11-hour
tour of St. Petersburg ($229 pp).
First,
we made an unscheduled stop to take photos of St. Isaacs Cathedral with huge
columns. Then we drove about an hour to Catherine’s Palace in Pushkin. It was
an amazing palace. I took tons of pictures, but we weren’t allowed to take
photos in the Amber Room. After the palace, we had lunch at the Home Café. Lunch
was some kind of salad, beef stroganoff, green beans, and mashed potatoes, and
apple cake. We were also given a bottle of water, a glass of wine, and coffee
or tea. Next, we went to Peterhof Gardens which was a huge place. We only saw
the East part which our guide said was more luxurious. There were beautiful
fountains and gardens. At 2:15 we went
to the Hydrofoil and at 2:30 it took us back to St. Petersburg. When we arrived,
it was pouring down rain and we all got wet running to the bus. Then they took
us to a souvenir shop where we got to taste vodka and cherry liqueur. We got
back to the ship around 5:20 and the ship was leaving at 5:30. We had to go
through Passport Control and once again,
the person had to make a phone call when they were inspecting Don’s passport.
After more long minutes, he was allowed to go through.
It was
a wonderful day in St. Petersburg! The guide gave each of us a radio receiver
and headset so she could talk into her small microphone and we could hear
everything she said. She talked nonstop from the time we left until we
returned.
Sunday, May 12, 2019 – Helsinki
Finland (15622 steps/6.02 miles)
All
night long the fog horn sounded! When we woke up, the fog was so thick! We
didn’t know what to expect when we got off the ship even though we read about
the area. When we got off the ship in (Hernesaari port), there was a cruise
ship shuttle (10 euros or $12 USD each) and there were Hop On Hop Off buses for
30 euros each. We decided to give the HOHO bus a try and felt it was well worth
the money. First, we did a full circuit of the route and then on the second
circuit we stopped at a local flea market. After the flea market, we walked to
Hard Rock Café. Then we walked to the Open-Air Market near the water which was
nice. We walked back to the area where the flea market and got on the HOHO bus.
We thought about getting off at another place but by then it was getting late
and we had to get back to the ship by 3:30. We got back around 2:30 and had
lunch. After lunch, we went to the Crows Nest to hear the commentary about the
surrounding area. Then it was time for happy hour. After that, we went back to
the room to watch The Mule with Clint Eastwood.
Monday, May 13, 2019 – Stockholm
Sweden (18054 steps/7.16 miles)
Our
pilot got on around 2:15 am and guided us into the port. At 8am. we got off the
ship and got on another HOHO bus for 32 euros each. Hubby doesn’t think it was
worth the money but I do. There were 22 stops and one of the stops took us
pretty far away and only a mile from Hard Rock Café. Since Hard Rock didn’t
open until 11:30 and we got on the bus at 8, we rode the bus the entire route
which took two hours. Then we got off in the Old Town and walked around. Around
11:30 we got back on the bus and took it to the Concert Hall. From there we
walked to Hard Rock. Somewhere around the Concert Hall, I lost a mitten. Then
we went back to the bus and went back to Old Town. We got back to the bus stop
around 2:30 and it was packed. People were cranky and pushy. Don and another
man had nasty words because the man thought he would cut in front of us. We
watched the ship pull out and would have the pilot until after 10pm as we went
through the archipelagos.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019 – Sea Day (9413 steps/ 3.41 miles)
We had
a nice day at sea. After breakfast, we relaxed until it was time to go to our
Mariner’s luncheon. We sat with 8 other people and enjoyed lunch. After lunch, we went to the showroom to listen to the Captain and ask him questions. After
that, he opened up the bow on the 4th deck so we can experience the
drill he was having. It was an Emergency Crash stop and he stopped the ship in
2 ship lengths, but the vibrations were strong. After that, we went to the lido
deck for a snack and to get Don on the internet. In the afternoon we relaxed in
our cabin and watched movies while I worked on some stuff for my summer class.
Before dinner, we went to the show featuring The comedy and variety of Goronwy
Thom, who did juggling and comedy. We had Gala night for dinner.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 –
Rostock, Germany (17940 steps/7.08 miles)
We
arrived around 6am but we didn’t go ashore until 8:00. There was a free cruise
shuttle into town which was 20 - 30 minutes away. The bus let us out in front
of the Radisson Blu Hotel and we walked around town. I found two yarn stores,
so I was happy. We found the town square and tourist information where there
was a free bathroom. We went to the park and had some bratwurst which was
wonderful. Then we had a pretzel and a pastry later in town. On the way back to
the bus, Don found a Philately shop where he bought some stuff. We were back on
the ship around 2pm and had lunch. In the afternoon we watched movies in our
cabin. At one point, they interrupted the movie to announce that first
responders were needed on the Lido deck across from the Pasta station. We found out later that it was a woman who had a stroke and was unresponsive.
Thursday, May 16, 2019 – Kiel
Germany (20253 steps/8.06 miles()
We got
off the ship around 8am and walked right into town. Since it was early we
strolled through a non-touristy area and found a grocery store. We found a
dollar store and bought some great souvenirs. We also found City Hall where
there were free toilets. Then around 11am, we walked through the main tourist
area with lots of shops. We even found tourist information. Around 1pm, we
returned to the ship for lunch. The rest of the day we relaxed since we didn’t
have to pack to leave the ship like other people had to. At dinner, we said
goodbye to our dinner mates, Emily and David.
Things I Learned:
1.
Copenhagen,
Denmark
a.
There
are 6 dkk to 1 USD approximately.
b.
Thanks
in Danish is Tak (Tock).
2.
Estonia:
a.
Thanks
in Estonian is Tänan.
b.
Taxi - 20-30 euros
c.
Tere hommikust - good
morning
d.
Please - palun
e.
Goodbye - Head aega
f.
$1.12 = 1 euro
g.
City train for 6 euros
h.
Look up at architecture
i.
Skype was invented here
j.
Free wifi in town square
k.
Kohuke - cheese curds
covered in chocolate
l.
Sport - wife carrying; Finland
- wins wife’s weight in beer
m.
Language- Russian, Ukranian
n.
2.357 miles of coastline
o.
Is about 50% forest
p.
Occupied from the 13th
century to the 20th century.
q.
Regained independence in
1991.
r.
50 miles across from
Finland
s.
Look for Old Thomas at top
of spire; Original in city hall
t.
Town wall still standing
about 1.2 miles; Wall from 14th century
u.
Toompea Hill - highest
point in Old town, seat of Estonia parliament
v.
Alexander Nevski Cathedral
built in 1900; Put in spot where there used to be a statue of Martin Luther
w.
St Mary’s Cathedral - built
in 1233, can climb bell tower
x.
Kiek in the Kok - “peek
into the kitchen”
y.
Town Hall Square -
souvenirs and restaurants, oldest running cafe, free walking tours on the hour
at tourist information. Round stone, compass rose - see all 5 spires of
the churches
z.
Worlds oldest pharmacy -
check out restrooms
aa. Olde Hansa - house schnapps is called Monks Bride
bb. St. Olaf’s Church - used to be tallest building in the world. Great
view of city.
cc. St. Catherine’s passage - neat passageway, craft shops
dd. Song festival grounds - revolution happened here
ee. KGB museum at hotel
ff.
Freedom Square - Europe Day
2019 is happening, free tours of embassy
3.
St.
Petersburg, Russia:
a.
Thanks
in Russian is Spasibo.
b.
Largest country in the
world
c.
St Petersburg - 5 million
inhabitants
d.
St. Petersburg is the 2nd
largest city in Russia
4.
Helsinki,
Finland
a.
Thanks
in Finnish is Kiitos.
b.
The
HOHO bus in Helsinki was well worth the price.
c.
317 islands in Finland
d.
5.2 million people
e.
Summers - sun doesn’t set
for 73 days
f.
Language - Finnish,
Swedish, Russian
g.
Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa
- found Helsinki 1550
h.
“Daughter of the Baltics”
5.
Stockholm,
Sweden:
a.
4 million people
b.
4350 miles of coastline
c.
Language - Swedish,
Finnish, Sami dialects
d.
Currency - Swedish krona
$1 = 9.58kr
e.
15% of Swedes are foreign
born
f.
2000 lakes
g.
220,000 islands
h.
57 bridges
i.
Old Town - Gamla Stan 30
minute walk
j.
The iron boy - behind
Swedish church (5.9 inches)
k.
City Hall - spire has 3
golden crowns, 18 million gold tiles. - 45 minute walk from ship
l.
Royal Palace - 600 rooms;
one more room than Buckingham Palace, 5 museums
m.
Ice bar 23F inside
n.
National museum - art and
design ; free
o.
Skansen - oldest open air
museum, zoo,
p.
Nobel museum
q.
Nordic museum - largest
cultural museum
r.
The Vasa Museum - old ship
90% original
s.
ABBA Museum $30 USD
t.
Coffee is around the idea
of a break
u.
The
only free bathroom we found in Stockholm was at Hard Rock Café.
v.
Tack
is thank you in Swedish.
6.
Downloading
Google Maps of the cities we were in was very helpful. I didn’t need internet
connections to find locations on the maps.
7.
Germany
a.
uses
euros for currency. Euros to USD was about 1:1 at this time.
b.
Danke
is thank you in German.
Original
photo by Pat Hensley
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