scapel

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Jacketwatch, Haven't been to St.Petersburg since 2000, but we used Nikita Zonin. Didn't know about Red October. We got our Visa's from the Russina Tourist Agency out of N.Y. Our invitation was Celebrity cruise line. At least that is what I put and it worked. At that time they were only $75/p. They ask lots of questions and you just had to jump through the hoops. It was worth the trouble. We still came out cheaper and had a much nicer time with just four of us with a driver and English speaking guide. I have heard lots about Red October and it appears they do a good job. My impression is that they use a group Visa to get you off the ship and through the passport control. You of course have to show the passport each time you pass through the control. The ship is just doing the same thing using a group visa. You can't go anywhere without the guide. Don't try it.

Clothing, Mostly casual. Formal night can be just a dark suite for men and fancy dress for women. Port stops- you could just get off the ship and wonder into town, sit at a bar or streetside table and watch people that are watching you. Meals- Two types of evening meals- eat in the dining room at scheduled time or at the buffet which is casual. Seasickness- usually doesn’t happen on a cruise ship, but if it does ask the guest relatios desk for some pills. Take them and go to bed. You will feel better when you wake up. Food- Is usually good aboard ship, any ship. Some ships have better food than others just like some reataurants. Cabins- All types- inside simple to extravagant outside with balcony and too much. An ocean view with a balcony is wonderful- Hang out your breakfast list and be awaken at the time you desire and have breakfast on your veranda. Always carry the cruise compass or ships events paper with you at all times so you know what is going on. Have your cabin steward put two copies every night of this paper. One for you and one for your partner.

Disabled, Well, I don't know how disabled one would be. We had a very nice gentleman at our table once and he had a mental problem because of a stroke, but he made fun of it and we did to. He actually became the life of the party trying to speak. His wife would interpret at times. Everyone loved Jerry. I don't think I would ever be put out by a so called disabled person.

No mistake. A Balcony on an Alaskan cruise is wonderful. You will be able to use it. You will be out on deck also. Layered clothes is always the recommendation. I have been to Alaska where the temperature in July on the water out of Seward must have been 23 Deg. F and on the same trip above the Artic Circle it was 70 Deg F. You will have different temperatures. If you have a stern balcony it will be wonderful.

Pack liquor in your checked luggage with it well padded and protected from leakage with zip loc bags and you will have no problem. You could even mix drinks in your room and walk on deck with them.

Aruba

Antigua

Bicker, I think you have made an excellent choice. I am now partial to Celebrity, but have sailed on Monarch of Seas and Splendour of Seas. Celebrity does have children on the cruise but most of them are in the children programs on the ship and I think you will find the same on RCCL (which owns Celebrity). I think they would have some dining on RCCL that would not be in the formal dining room. I always hate to dissappooint my table mates by not showing up. A dark suite is all that is needed. Once out the dining room many people just go and change into something more comfortable. It's your cruise do what you feel comfortable with.

karbob, Well as promised I did some checking. Here is as you know what went down. =================================================== This is what I have been able to find out. Apparently Carnival called the cruise.com customer service rather than the cruise.com travel agent and offered the customer an upgrade. The customer service representative called the customer to get permission for the upgrade, but the customer did not call back. When Carnival called again offering an upgrade the second time, the cruise.com customer service agent not the booking travel agent took it upon themselves to grant the upgrade. This took the customer out of the original adjoining rooms and into rooms that were not even next to each other. Apparently working around things they were able to get the customer two rooms next to each other, but not the original type of adjoining rooms. So the cruise.com customer service agent thought they were doing the customer a favor, but messed things up big time. She or he should have checked with the original T.A in charge of the booking, or gotten permission from the customer. No one should ever change a booking without the customer’s approval. The original booking travel agent did not find out about this change until the poor customer called notifying that the rooms had been swapped. This has put a new rule into place at cruise.com that no one moves anyone anywhere without approval from the customer, even if it is to move from an inside cabin to the penthouse suite at no extra charge. This was an unfortunate situation, and I am sorry it put a dent on your vacation. I hope you will continue to cruise. I have also had bad experiences with merchants and travel agents in the past. I know how you feel, but you now have some sort of an "In" with cruise.com. I would use them particularly that travel agent again and remind him or her who you are. I would think that you should get the most expert service. I would also use that same travel agent, since it was not the TA fault. I would ask for free upgrades if possible and I can assure you that these Travel Agents have more pull in swinging things your way with cruise lines than we as individuals have.

Thanks for the link. Don't think I'll show it to the wife. She would be looking for the chance to pull it on me.

I have a lot of respect for cruise.com. I will have someone check this.

We have eaten at several captain's tables. Don't know why, but once I went to the social hostess and told her that I had met some people that seemed interesting and asked to be invited. We were. One of my new found friends trained bengal tigers. We put her to the right of the Captain, the position of honor. I don't pursue this anymore, because my wife doesn't like all the attention. You know the photograper standing buy, the bar waiter standing there just waiting for you to ask for something. Makes her nervous. Recently we had one of the ships officers come to our table. That was better. They buy the wine just as at the captain's table, and we didn't have to parade in and sit at the table with our named place settings. For those of you that haven't been invited and want to get a group of four and go and meet the social hostess and visit and even mention you would like to. My only reason is that they buy the wine. The social hostess is expected to get some people on the ship to eat with the captain. It makes her job easier if she sees you together mixing. Of course they always separate you at the table so you converse with other people rather than your close friends. If she doesn't find anyone that she thinks is a better at conversing than you, you will probably get invited. Be sure and go if you are invited, and be at the meeting place on time so as not to embarrass the social hostess. When I first got invited to the captain's table, it was because I had met the captain on another cruise when he was a passenger. It was a round table and he put my wife at his right. I was at the other end of the table. HA!! Have never beens seated since separated from my wife, but it didn't make that much difference to me that time. Fun Times.

Get one with anti shake, Get one with a 10:1 Optical Zoom. Do not get confused with Digital Zoom which is not good. Be sure you can use the view finder as well as the LCD screen. Be sure it has the IEE 1394 attachment plug. I like mini DV. I think you have to edit your pictures no matter what. You can put them on DVD later if you like. My camera has the ability to put a wide angle lens on, but I don't thnk that is necessary. I bought one and don't use it very much. The new Digital Videos have memory strips or whatever to take stills. I don't have any experience with that. Digital Still camers- I have a Canon 3:1 zoom. I watch a friend that has a 10:1 zoom on his and noticed him using a tripod. Unless it has an anti-shake, I would bet there is a frequent blurring of the shot, but again I have no experience with that. The digital technology is a little different than the old shutter speed and lens aperture, though there are comparison settings.