Princess Cruises

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All photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2013 unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Royal signage.

As our coach neared Ocean Terminal, it was nice to see a series of custom-made yellow street signs for the ROYAL PRINCESS upcoming christening. The powers that be at Princess have always done a spectacular job in promoting their newbuilds but in this instance, Princess was upping the ante with its largest ever ship and the first in an entirely new platform for parent company Carnival Corp.

First glance at Southampton.

Long before we reached Ocean Terminal, the megalithic ROYAL PRINCESS came into view. Only three months prior, she was engulfed in a sea of giant cranes and scaffolding at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard. Nineteen stories tall, she is crowned with a long, domed funnel that gives her a somewhat racy profile.

Blue and white at Ocean Terminal.

An elegant realm of royal blue and pristine white awaited at Ocean Terminal. Clearly, these were the official colors of the christening event to come.

SeaWalk
overhead.

Once through security and across the gangway, I stepped onto the starboard outcrop of Deck 7 and instinctively looked up. Projecting out some 28 feet from the side of the ship and nine decks overhead, the SeaWalk is the ROYAL PRINCESS instant “wow” feature and the heir apparent to the vertiginous Skywalker’s pods perched atop the sterns of three of Princess’ Grand Class ships.

Orbiting the Piazza.

The top level of the Piazza was directly inside. This expanded, multi-function atrium is another significant evolution in Princess’ ship design and will be explored in depth in an upcoming Decked! feature.

Deluxe Outside D507, facing starboard.

With only two decks to go to reach my stateroom, my instinct was to climb the midships stairwell but I soon discovered that there was no such thing. A short elevator ride brought me to my handsome Deluxe Outside Stateroom D507 on the starboard side of Deck 9. There are 702 Deluxe Outsides and they are slightly larger than Standard Balcony staterooms but smaller than Mini-Suites, offering enhanced bathroom amenities, waffle bathrobes and upgraded duvets.

Cabin 507 balcony, facing starboard.

The balcony was standard size and quite adequate for my needs, especially in the cool, frequently wet Southampton climes.

507 wc.

Cabin 507 shower.

The bathroom featured a large shower compartment and a massage shower head.

En suite dispensers (bath gel and shampoo/conditioner).

My bathroom had dispensers for shower gel and shampoo. Less glamorous than the mini-plastic bottles of yore but far more friendly to the environment.

The Sanctuary, facing starboard.

ROYAL PRINCESS was already filled with fellow media, travel industry VIPs and a gaggle of visitors, so I decided to postpone my interior documentation and focus on the upper exterior decks. I began on forward Deck 17 with the adults-only Sanctuary, which is 20 percent larger than its Grand Class equivalents. It also features four private Sanctuary Cabanas and two Lotus Spa Cabanas for spa treatments for an additional fee.

Retreat Pool, facing aft. Note six part mural of sea life by Wyland.

Aft of the Sanctuary, there is the adults-only Retreat Pool which also features its own assortment of Retreat Cabanas, which can be rented for an extra fee. At night, this area will becomes a “Chill Lounge” with a relaxed ambiance featuring drinks and music.

ROYAL PRINCESS, facing aft from Deck 18.

Technically on Deck 19 as it is two levels above Deck 17, there is the Deck 18 observation platform, the forward portion of which is sheltered by glass windscreens. An open terrace aft provides spectacular views of the midships pool area.

Seaview Bar, facing forward.

On the port side of midships Deck 16, serving the pool area, the SeaView Bar juts out from the side of the ship like the SeaWalk on the starboard side. In lieu of the gaping mouth of SeaWalk, there is 30-seat bar traversed by a walkway with 1.1 inch thick glass panels that look directly down upon the sea 128 feet below.

SeaWalk to naming pavilion.

On the starboard side of Deck 16, the SeaWalk juts out beyond the ROYAL PRINCESS’ balconied superstructure.

Historic tug CALSHOT at Southampton.

While exploring the ROYAL PRINCESS’ outer decks, it was hard to not swoon over the preserved steam tug CALSHOT in the adjacent berth.

OCEANA, nee OCEAN PRINCESS, passes.

Late that afternoon, the former OCEAN PRINCESS, now P&O’s OCEANA, sailed past and sounded her horn for ROYAL PRINCESS. In return, she was heralded with the newer ship’s “Love Boat Theme” salutation.

Gym, facing aft.

I laid my cameras to rest for a quick workout in the Gym, which is way up on aft/starboard Deck 17. This is another evolution from the Grand Class ships, whose gyms are located atop the forward portion of the ship overlooking the bow.

Sabatini’s, facing forward.

Our assigned dinner was in Sabatini’s, the reservations-required, extra tariff Italian restaurant on the Deck 5 level of the Piazza. In the Piazza and elsewhere, the ROYAL PRINCESS has aligned several complementary venues that were scattered in different parts of the prior ships. For instance, Sabatini’s is in the forward portion of the Piazza on Deck Five, directly adjacent to Vines, the ROYAL PRINCESS wine bar.

Sabatini’s setting.

The Tuscan-inspired Sabatini’s seats 120 guests and features settings with custom chargers, elegant stemware and pressed napkins.

Sabatini’s appetizers.

We had a special fixed menu that night, beginning with a tray of delicious Italian appetizers.

Sabatini’s Burratta Alla Panna Con Carpaccio Di Pomodori.

It would be hard to beat my first course, a pungent, hand-formed cow’s milk cheese with a creamy lava center on tomato carpaccio with a balsamic glaze. Princess does Italian cuisine like no other cruise line…

Nocterminal.

Lit witch.

Even after our long, deluxe dinner, there was still a halo of light over Southampton. I took advantage of the near-Solstice timing and ventured out to get some photos of the glowing mass that hovered over Ocean Terminal.

Under the SeaWalk.

SeaWalk and funnel lit.

ROYAL PRINCESS, facing aft from Deck 19 nocturnal.

Back aboard, with the hue of indigo still in the sky, I could not resist taking a few deck views before finally calling it a night.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

International Cafe, facing port.

A 141,000-ton day lay ahead!  My goal was to cover all the interior spaces, working my way up from Deck Five, shooting between clusters of the several thousand visitors that would be touring the ship throughout the day. But the first stop had to be the International Cafe at the base of the Piazza on Deck Five.

International Brekky!

The International Cafe it the “go to” for those “on the go”. Here, one can order up a potent coffee beverage (charges apply) and select from a number of quick bites.

International Cafe morning parfaits.

For breakfast, selections include hot muffins with eggs, bacon and cheese (and there are even meatless options), yogurt/granola parfaits and some truly fabulous freshly baked muffins and croissants.

Lotus Spa Enclave, facing starboard.

As mentioned before, the Lotus Spa has been relocated from the “crown” of the ship down to Deck Five, relinquishing the panoramic views for passenger accommodation. What’s also new is the Enclave, a thermal suite with Princess‘ first-ever hydro-therapy pool, a Hammam (a Turkish-style steam room), Caldarium (an herbal steam room) and a Laconium (a dry heat sauna). More on that and the other interior spaces in the upcoming Decked! feature soon.

Piazza, facing aft from Deck 7.

This would be my first opportunity to enjoy the scale and opulence of the expanded Piazza, which was only partially fitted out and filled with scaffolding and construction materials during my March visit. It is truly amazing that the entire thing could be completed in the time it would take to remodel a private kitchen on land.

Horizon Court, facing forward.

A salad on my Horizon.

Remarkably, I had covered most of the ship in time for a quick bite in Horizon Court, the expanded buffet venue that seats 1,118 guests on Deck 16. The forward portion, the Horizon Grill, is like a Wintergarden with its ash-toned furnishings and the aft portion, the Horizon Court, features dark wood and autumnal hues.

Gala night celebration in the Piazza.

Champagne falling.

On the eve of the christening, it was a gala affair in the Piazza. Its brass, glass and beige tones were a perfect backdrop for a colorful champagne waterfall and a virtual sea of black tuxedos and elegant gowns.

Allegro Restaurant, facing aft.

Dinner was assigned in Allegro, the 618-seat dining room on aft Deck 6. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, it is a striking room festooned with Deco-style Murano glass chandeliers and Gatsby-esque crimson and gold carpeting. This space was designed by Giacomo Mortola, whose has been creating ship interiors since Sitmar’s lamented FAIRSKY of 1984.

Gala night setting in Allegro.

Each table was beautifully set with special royal blue Gala Night menus.

Dessert trio.

Post Petits.

Another fabulous dinner concluded with a trio of rich Princess desserts, which were then followed with even more irresistible petits fours.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Raincheck?

With the weather still unstable, it was no surprise to find a note from the Princess team advising that the christening might be “relocated” to a virtual viewing in the dry comfort of Princess Live!

Princess Live!, facing starboard.

Princess Live! is another first for Princess, a television studio with seats for 300 guests that is used for the taping of the daily “Wake Show”, various demonstrations and live performances. It is located on Deck 7 between the Piazza and the Wheelhouse Bar.

Press Conference in Princess Live!

Fortunately, during the morning press conference with Princess execs and Captain Draper, it was announced that the christening would take place alongside the ship, after all. We were advised to bundle up as it was a bit windy and chilly but the rain was mostly finished.

During the conference, I asked if there would be any alterations or new features to ROYAL PRINCESS currently-under-construction twin, the REGAL PRINCESS, which is due in 2014. For now, she will be exactly the same, although there may be some variations in color schemes and soft fittings.

Royal Renderings.

After enjoying my morning cappuccino, I stopped by the Photo Gallery on the port side of the Piazza on Deck 6 to admire some wonderful sketches of the royal Godmother by the children of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice (EACH), which the Duchess supports through her charity work.

Royal angles.

Out in the stands off her starboard bow, there was time to study the massive, angular features of the ROYAL PRINCESS.

Bottle.

The giant magnum of Moet et Chandon dangled above, its garland of blue and white ribbons blowing in the breeze not unlike the tresses of Princess’ “sea witch” logo. A Leica zoom lens revealed that it’s neck had been scored to guarantee a clean break.

CNN reporting.

Directly below us, some rather familiar broadcast media primped and preened, hoping for some great views of the soon-to-arrive Duchess.

The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth.

The Pipers of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards and The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth provided an exciting soundtrack to the ceremonies.

Duchess in the plumage.

The Duchess arrived in a polished limousine, a modern day “carriage”, if you will. Attended by a lady in a periwinkle blue outfit (her lady-in-waiting, perhaps?), she was mostly obscured from view by colorful hats and fascinators until she stepped onto the stage.

Royal line up.

Eight months pregnant, HRH The Duchess Of Cambridge, still fondly referred to as Kate, looked resplendent in a Dalmatian-patterned overcoat. Seated next to her were Princess CEO Alan Buckelew, his wife and Right Reverend Tim Daikin (The Bishop of Winchester), who would bless the ship.

West End Girl, Kerry Ellis.

Grammy-nominated Natasha Beddingfield sang “Unwritten” as the wind billowed through her blond locks and West End Sensation Kerry Ellis performed “Into The Flow”, backed by the extraordinary Mass Ensemble, a band that utilizes gargantuan instruments.

Captain and Duchess take the podium.

After a welcome from Alan Buckelew and the Reverend’s traditional blessing, Captain Tony Draper led the Duchess to the naming stage where she was presented with a pair of scissors by Izzie and Charlie Rowbotham, who lost their brother George to a brain tumor at 21 months. Their family was helped through the tragedy by EAST, the Duchess’ charity.

Moment of impact. Photo and copyright Lisa Royall 2013.

With a quick “I name this ship Royal Princess. May God bless her and all who sail in her,” and a snip, the bottle smashed into the bow right above the “P” in PRINCESS.

Deluge in white and blue.

It did, indeed, rain that day — in torrents of blue and white confetti.

Descending the throne.

Gracefully, the Duchess descended the platform, returning to her limousine, only to pay a short afternoon visit to “her” ship. I heard the horn blow during lunch and later confirmed it was the Duchess giving it a “try”.

Bough over bow.

The bottle neck and garland were ultimately lowered and will be placed in an exhibit at the Princess Cruises offices in Santa Clarita, California, along with the scissors and pillow used to present them to the Duchess.

From bollard to PRINCESS.

I was pleasantly surprised to get access to the end of the pier for a shot of the ship.

Union-Castle House

After lunch, I went ashore for a quick look at the Union-Castle House near the entrance to Ocean Terminal. This was once headquarters to the great Southampton-based shipping line that linked the U.K. with South and East Africa.

Princess Cruises Executive Chef Alfredo Marzi at Alfredo’s.

Upon my return, I bumped into Princess Executive Chef Alfredo Marzi, for whom the new eatery Alfredo’s is named. He was on his way up to Horizon Court but made a quick detour so I could photograph him in front of his new “baby”.

Pre-fountain.

Another new feature exclusive to ROYAL PRINCESS is the Dancing Fountains installation on Deck 16. At night, it turns the pool area into a festive attraction.

Fountain in blue and gold.

Crimson flow.

The fountains spray in a number of patterns and in a full spectrum of colors to varying musical backdrops.

CD in the afterglow.

Cruise Director Ron Goodman was literally glowing after the wet and wonderful display.  But wait, there’s more…

Southampton spectacle!

A fabulous flurry of fireworks followed, lighting up Southampton in a display that had been rained out the night prior.

Shooting stars.

Fire in the sky.

It was a magnificent day, all the better because there was still some more time ahead to enjoy the ROYAL PRINCESS.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Alfredo’s, facing forward.

I slept in, skipped breakfast and bee-lined it to Alfredo’s for a three course lunch (by the way, this fabulous eatery is free-of-charge).

Alfredo’s Minestrone.

It began with a succulent and piping hot minestrone and an insalata mista.

Alfredo’s Margherita.

With some 200 cruises under my belt, I have not found any pizza at sea to rival that of Princess. In Alfredo’s, they are cooked to order and well worth the short wait.

Isthmus of SeaWalk.

When ROYAL PRINCESS departed, she was carrying her first fare-paying guests on a two night cruise to St. Peter Port on Guernsey, an island in the English Channel.

Testing the SeaWalk.

As the ship made her way down the Solent, it was great to see green water beneath the SeaWalk and even more fun to watch as guests gingerly stepped onto the glass panels, making sure every bolt had been secured.

ROYAL PRINCESS Symphony Dining Room, facing aft.

Dinner for the next two nights would be in the Symphony Dining Room on midships Deck 5. Identical to the Concerto (directly above on Deck 6), it seats 600 and was designed by Princess VP of Design, Teresa Anderson. Symphony and Concerto are Anytime dining rooms (guests dine when and with whom the please) versus the Traditional two seating dining in Allegro.

“Colors” debut in the Princess Theater.

After dinner, I headed off to the Princess Theater for the debut of “Colors”, an international-themed show enhanced with state-of-the-art digital backdrops.

ROYAL Laundry tokens.

And before going to bed, with a fortnight of travel still ahead, I decided to give the Laundromat down the passage on Deck 9 a test run. With a swipe of my ID card, it produced tokens for detergent ($1.00) and the washer and dryer ($2.00 each). Fabulously convenient!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Guernsey sighting.

I peeked out the window to see the rocky, green isles of Guernsey just in time to hear the announcement that due to heavy swells and high winds, we would not be able to tender ashore. Ah well, maybe another time.

Feet first!

I took the opportunity to explore the ship some more and even did another SeaWalk trek, this time over a boiling sea.

Michael Mondavi hosts.

That afternoon, we enjoyed a very special treat in Sabatini’s, a Super Tuscan wine tasting featuring Sabatini’s “bites” hosted by famed winemaker Michael Mondavi, who led us through an increasingly fine procession of reds and explained the properties of each in terms that even I could fully understand.

Dulcet of duck.

Among the Sabatini bites were a divine mushroom lasagne and a delightful smoked duck.

THAT’s the one, dear!

The “star” wine was a $140.00 bottle of Ornellaia from western Tuscany but all of the wines were impressive and several quite reasonably priced. These wine tastings will be offered on the ROYAL PRINCESS for a $40 cover that includes a glass of Proseco, the five Sabatini’s bites and some very handy info for wine connoisseurs.

John and Mary Maxtone-Graham.

I was greatly looking forward to the legendary John Maxtone-Graham’s “Royal Princess” presentation at 6:00 PM but arrived at Princess Live! to learn it had been rescheduled at 2:00 PM due to the missed call at Guernsey. Fortunately, the extraordinary speaker and masterful author of “The Only Way To Cross” and dozens of other ocean liner and cruise ship tomes was spotted in the Piazza along with his lovely wife Mary, enjoying a hula hoop performance.

Desserting the Symphony.

Princess must have the richest desserts at sea and tonight’s were no exception.

Bellinis brewing.

Plastered in the Piazza.

I joined fellow revelers at Bellini’s, another new fixture exclusive to ROYAL PRINCESS on the forward Deck 6 balcony of the Piazza. I somehow resisted trying one for myself with a long day of travel to follow but did enjoy watching them get created and consumed. The pink ones shown are the Classic Bellinis and are priced at a very reasonable $7.95, considering the fresh ingredients and all the work it takes to make them.

Agnetha and Frida incarnate.

Couldn’t resist ending the evening on a Swedish note with “Arrival”, the Abba tribute show in the Princess Theater.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

All-too-soon!

How on earth did five days fly by so quickly? There was so much to see and do on the ROYAL PRINCESS, it seemed as though I barely scratched the surface. This dynamic ship promises to bring Princess to even greater heights and will be fully explored in an upcoming Decked! feature.

Very Special Thanks: Julie Benson, Karen Candy, Martin Cox, Peter Newall, Lisa Royall

by Kalle Id

Join MaritimeMatters’ Helsinki correspondent Kalle Id in part two of the Russian Ferry Tale onboard St. Peter Line’s PRINCESS ANASTASIA, visiting Tallinn and St. Petersburg.

St. Peter Line official website: www.stpeterline.com

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are copyright © 2013 Kalle Id.

PRINCESS ANASTASIA departing Helsinki in May 2011

Wednesday, 29 May 2013

My second night onboard the PRINCESS ANASTASIA passed pleasantly as – thanks to the “heavy duty” ear plugs acquired from a pharmacy in Stockholm – I slept like a log despite the disco going on right above our cabin. Positively from the point of view of my catching up with my sleeping, we only arrived in Tallinn at 11:30 AM so there was no need to wake up early either.

The breakfast venue of champions, Bake & Coffee.

For breakfast, we opted for the same option as we had done the previous day, the 7€ “standardized” breakfast at the Bake & Coffee cafeteria on deck 6. While we were breakfasting there was an announcement on the disembarkation procedures in Tallinn, informing us that passengers in de luxe -cabins and EU nationals would have priority disembarkation and should deport to the reception at 11:30. We finished our breakfasts, got our things from the cabin and went to join our “priority” group.

And then things got a bit strange. Instead of being led from the reception to the forward staircase and down to the forward vestibule on deck 4 (the only possible location for the gangway if it’s not next to the reception), we were led to the aft staircase and down to deck 4. Once on deck four we were guided – by members of the crew who apparently did not speak English (or German, even though most of people in attendance were Germans) – though cabin corridors to the forward part of the ship, past the forward vestibule. Then the line stopped.

Queuing Russian style.

We spent at least fifteen minutes – probably longer – standing in the cabin corridors, with no information on why we were forced to stand there and no information on when we would get moving again. Surrounded by a throng of other queuing people, it was impossible to go anywhere else. The latter was a particular problem for the people with cabins in forward part of deck 4, as our queue blocked their access to other parts of the ship.

Eventually, we did get off the ship and into another queue, this time to the passport control. I know I’m repeating myself from part 1 here, but there shouldn’t be any passport controls on a ship travelling from one Schengen-treaty country to another. The whole experience brought back in mind the first time I visited Tallinn back in 1993, with the long queuing and the passport checked with Soviet-style thoroughness.

But complaints aside, we did eventually get past passport control and into Tallinn, which bathed in glorious sunshine. Now Tallinn is of course a city we had visited numerous times. The city if filled with myriad wonders, from one of the best-preserved Medieval cities in Northern Europe to the Soviet-era relic Linnahall (both of which have been covered in previous Ferry Tales). Of particular interest to shipping enthustiasts is undoubtedly the 2012-opened maritime museum at Lennusadam.

Tallinn signage. It might be just me, but I wouldn’t want to stay at a hostel that’s apparently above a strip joint.

However, we decided to skip the more interesting attractions of the city in favour of shopping as Maria required a new backpack and I was on the lookout for new shoes. Now as far as shopping goes, Tallinn is probably one of the best cities in the region for it. The city center is filled with shops and shopping centers, the selections are extremely good and prices are – compared to those in Finland and Sweden – quite low.

Hotel Viru, for many years Tallinn’s only high-rise building and the city’s major landmark.

Our shopping tour took us to Viru shopping center located right in the center of Tallinn, next to Hotel Viru. The Viru hotel is one of the more interesting buildings in Tallinn. It was built in 1972 by a Finnish construction company (as a part of bilateral trade between Finland and the Soviet Union, several large-scale building projects in the Soviet Union were completed by Finnish firms). For several decades Hotel Viru was the only high-rise building in Tallinn, although during the 21st century several new glass-fronted towers have risen to imbalance the cityscape. In 1994 – three years after Estonian independence – a hidden radio center was discovered in the hotel, from which the KGB had monitored the hotel’s guests through-out the Soviet era. Nowadays the radio center serves as KGB museum (which we did not visit – something for the next time).

The pink wonders of Sanrio lured us in…

The Viru shopping center is much newer than the hotel, being opened in 2004. It proved to be a very good place for our shopping plans, as Maria discovered a Sanrio shop and as a Hello Kitty fan, decided to acquire a backpack there – although the one she eventually opted for was a Chococat one rather than a Hello Kitty one. My ambitions for new shows, meanwhile, were realised at a shop aptly named “Shu”. And just for the record, trying to find shoes for myself isn’t always easy as my feet are size 46 (size 12 or 13 in the US system).

…but we re-emerged with a quite stylish and understated backpack. Photo © 2013 Maria Id.

Bright shoes for large feet. Photo © 2013 Maria Id.

Having succeeded in acquiring what we needed, we toured the city some more and ended up lunching al fresco at the Town Hall Square in the Old Town. After some further promenading around the city we decided to return onboard early, as we had a long day in St. Petersburg ahead of us tomorrow. On the way back to the ship we did drop in at a local supermarket to buy some bottled water, as the ship’s tap water was heavily chlorinated and the bottled water sold onboard ridiculously expensive.

Tallinn’s town Hall Square, with the Town Hall and souvenir stalls in attendance. Photo © 2013 Maria Id.

Getting back onboard past the passport control went without a hitch and soon we were back onboard the PRINCESS ANASTASIA and enjoying the sunshine out on deck. However, the wind was getting slightly nippy by this time and we soon retreated indoors. As we were both feeling the strain of two days of walking around, we decided to try out the ship’s saunas.

There were several cruise ships visiting Tallinn on this particular day, including the COSTA NEOROMANTICA that I had never had a chance to photograph before.

On the PRINCESS ANASTASIA, the Spa, pools and saunas are located not on the top decks but rather below the car deck on deck 2. There is a practical reason for this arrangement, as this low the large amount of water in the pool doesn’t affect the ship’s stability as much as it would higher up. Although the price for the use of the sauna was very steep – 20 € per person – we decided to go for it anyway.

To our delight the saunas turned out to be one of the parts of the ship that had been recently renovated, and furthermore this had been done to the proper Finnish standards. Everything looked like a proper Finnish sauna should.

Unfortunately everything didn’t work like it should. In the men’s shower rooms it was nearly impossible to get hot water out of the showers. Maria tells me the women’s showers had the opposite problem. Like a proper Finnish sauna, the sauna itself (or steam room, if you want to use the incorrect english terminology) had a bucket and a scoop for pouring water on the heated stones. Except that both the bucket and the scoop were broken. I later informed the spa attendant of this and was told the bucket and scoop were “cosmetic” and that it was dangerous to pour water on an electric sauna stove. And just for the record, I’m Finnish, I know how saunas work and we do this all the time with electric sauna stoves. And indeed, by skilled use of the broken bucket I was able to get decent löyly out out of the stove here as well. Incidentally, Maria later told me the women’s sauna had a plastic bucket and an intact scoop, clearly for the express purpose of using the sauna like it’s supposed to be used.

The only thing that tells you the low location of the PRINCESS ANASTASIA’s pool area are the sloping walls, conforming with the shape of the ship’s hull.

The rant aside, the PRINCESS ANASTASIA’s sauna department was acually rather nice. There was a nicely proportioned pool, a hot tub and a children’s pool. And as we were there just as the ship was departing, the place was virtually deserted. Which turned out to be a good thing. As we were getting out, a group of Russians came in to the saunas, carrying with then a large bottle of vodka. As I was outside the dressing room, waiting for Maria to come out, I could quite clearly hear someone violently vomitting in the men’s dressing room. It had clearly been a good time to leave.

For dinner we opted for the Napoli Mia Italian restaurant. This seemed to be a particular favourite of the ship’s German passengers, as – like the previous night – it was filled to the brim with Germans. Despite this we managed to secure a table.

The Napoli Mia restaurant is located off the arcade on deck 7 and is actually a “drop-in” space, with no walls or other barriers between it and the arcade.

Now it must be said that Napoli Mia had one of the most basic, down-to-earth Italian menu I have ever seen. Pasta Bolognese and Carbonara set the tone, with the most adventurous item in the menu being a pizza with both ham and mushrooms. From the this very limited selection we both opted for melon with Parma ham for a starter and risotto al fungi for the main course.

Melon and Parma ham with… sundried tomatoes and balsamico vinegar?

The melon with Parma ham turned out to also include sun-dried tomatoes and balsamico vinegar, neither of which was mentioned in the menu (and indeed have no place is a dish of melon and ham). The risotto meanwhile was dry and lacked taste. Definately nothing to write home about.

The atrium with it’s central sculpture as seen from deck 8.

After taking a look around the ship for the night’s entertainment options and finding nothing of interest, we decided to head for the ship’s Duty-Free shop. Located on deck 6, adjacent to the atrium, this is one of the spaces onboard that does not appear to have changed at all since 1986. Large by that day’s standards, the shop seems decidedly small when compared to the flowing shopping malls onboard Baltic ferries of today. The shop includes a small perfumery, a selections of clothes, sweets, tobacco and alcohol. As this is a ship aimed primarily at Russians, all products sold were western brands. Russian products – that would undoubtedly be of interest to the non-Russian passengers – we completely absent. Furthermore, despite this being a Duty-Free shop, the prices were actually notably higher than on land. A large Fazer’s Blue chocolate bar, which costs 2,50 € at our local grocery store in Helsinki, cost a whopping 4 € on the PRINCESS ANASTASIA.

Getting into the spirit of things with vodka liquer fills – made by Fazer in Finland.

Since we were en-route to St. Petersburg, Maria decided to get into the spirit of things and bought a box of vodka-filled chocolate candies. We then proceeded to sit in the atrium and chatted while she devoured the chocolates. I tried one and discovered they still taste awful. After destroying the chocolates were headed for bed.

Thursday, 30 May 2013

Leningrad!

After another fairly-well slept night it was time for the grande finale of the trip: St. Petersburg. Unlike most cruise ships calling at St. Petersburg, we did not dock at the city’s new cruise terminal but rather at the Morskoy Vokzal maritime station slightly closer to the city center. I have nothing against the new cruise terminal, but the Morskoy Vokzal is a fascinating historical relic in itself, having been built during the Soviet Era in 1980.

The Morskoy Vokzal maritime station was, like many other major buildings in the Soviet Union, built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

For breakfast, we opted this time for the Seven Seas buffet instead of Bake & Coffee. This turned out to be a rather good choice; even though the Seven Seas is more expensive (12€ per person versus 7 € pp) the selection was much better. Plus, being Finnish, we have an in-built liking for serving ourselves and buffets are of course perfect for this.

Very Scandinavian breakfast in St. Petersburg, complete with Finnish margarine.

Disembarkation in St. Peterburg lasted from 9:30 to 11 AM. We decided to get off the ship late and avoid standing in lines passport control. This plan was not entirely successful, as still even at a few minutes shy of 11 the lines extended outside the terminal. Still, despite the reputation of Russian bureaucracy and their need to stamp everything, the disembarkation was easier and more pleasant than the one in Tallinn.

The Finnish language has a separate word, “propushka”, to describe papers needed for Russian bureaucracy. The migration, arrival and departure cards for getting in and out Saint Petersburg clearly fall into this category.

In order to get into Russia without a visa, you must book St. Peter Line’s shuttle bus from the terminal to the city center. This costs 25€, and while this is quite hefty for a bus, it is both cheaper and easier than getting a proper visa. The shuttle service is provided by minibuses connecting Morskoy Vokzal to Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in the city center.

SPL’s neat little shuttle buses run every 15 minutes between Morskoy Vokzal and the city center.

I’ve often wondered why Saint Petersburg is considered such a “must” to visit on the Baltic Sea. As far as histories go, it’s actually a fairly young city (established in 1703) compared toTallinn (first mentioned in 1154), Stockholm (first mentioned 1252) or Helsinki (established 1550). Yet something about the former Russian imperial capital that captures the public imagination.

Saint Petersburg appeared to be in an almost constant state of traffic jam. Things are probably not helped by the gradual disassembling of the city’s public transport network; for example the once World’s largest tram system is now only a shadow of itself.

As we were driving though the traffic jam that seems to constantly occupy St. Petersburg’s streets, I started to get an inkling of why St. Pete’s is so interesting: it looks older than than other cities visited on this trip. Perhaps thanks to the time spent as a part of the Soviet Union, there are essentially no modern buildings within the city center. The few additions made by the Soviets are in the neoclassical style favoured by Stalin and actually mix into the cityscape perfectly (except for the hammer and sickle emblens, that is).

Even the public toilets in St. Pete’s are in a style matching the overall architectural style of the city.

The impressive Saint Isaac’s cathedral is in fact the fourth church to stand in the same location. During the Soviet era the chuch functioned as a museum (initially as the Antireligious Museum of all things!), but since the fall of the Soviet Union it again functions as a place of worship.

The shuttle bus deposited us at the impressive Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and we begun our short walk to visit the main attraction we wanted to see: the Hermitage. Originally opened in 1764 by Empress Catherine the Great, the Hermitage is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. Today it also includes an exhbition of the former living quaters of the Tsars. Unfortunately these were looted during the early Bolshevik rule and very few original furnishings remain. Even so, these are probably the most interesting part of the Hermitage collection to a foreign visitor – particularly as these seemed to be the only part of the museum with some kind of explanation of the exhibit in English.

The inner courtyard of the Hermitage. As you can see, the place was quite popular.

Since photographing within the Hermitage was only possible with an extra charge (and I’ve made a policy not to pay such extras), I’m afraid I do not have any photos from inside the museum to share with you.

After having spent several hours wandering around the Hermitage, we emerged back into the bright sunshine and begun walking towards our next destination, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. En route we made a pit stop at a local grocery store, acquiring a light lunch and ice creams. The latter included one with the historically informed name CCCP that had the most basic of tastes – vanilla. These were enjoyed at the Michailovsky Garden (first established 1717) right next to our destination.

Retro ice cream.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Although constuction work begun in 1883, it was not completed until 1907. The church was secularized by the Soviet Union and used as a vegetable storage. In 1970 work begun to turn the former church into a museum, but it was not until 1997 that it was finally opened to the public.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is probably the most impressive of Saint Petersburg’s churches.

Adjacent to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood there is a fairly large area dedicated to souvenir sellers. While Russians in general are pleasantly reticient in pushing their wares, this is not the case with the souvenir sellers. On the other hand, since most of the items sold by them are fairly pedestrian, it’s quite easy to say “no”.

Saint Petersburg is known as “the Venice of the North” thanks to it’s canals – though it must be admitted these are not as numerous as those of the real Venice, and over the years many have been filled to create wider streets.

As we still had some time to spare, we promenaded around the city, taking a walk along Nevsky Prospect and along St. Petersburg’s famous canals. Finally, we boarded the St. Peter Line shuttlebus back to the harbour. Passport control on boarding the ship was surprisingly easy, with no lines in sight.

Not all buildings in Saint Petersburg are in neoclassical style…

Our good luck with the weather during this trip again held nicely. The weather had been great the entire week thus far, but it started to rain as soon as we were back onboard. Still, it the rain wasn’t that bad and it was quite easy to find a sheltered niche on deck to spectate our departure.

The canal leading to (or in this case from) Morskoy Vokzal is rather impressive.

When departing and arriving in St. Petersburg there is definately something to see, as the shipping lane to Morskoy Vokzal passes through a narrow canal flanked with the freight harbour on one side and an island with Soviet-era apartment buildings on the other. During our visit, a large section of Russia’s huge icebreaker fleet were in attendance and I amused myself by spotting the Finnish-built ones amongst the flotilla. It should be noted that ships sailing to the new(er) Saint Petersburg cruise terminal do not sail through this canal.

KAPITAN NIKOLAEV, one of the Finnish-built Russian icebreakers. The NIKOLAEV’s interiors are quite luxurious and her sisters KAPITAN DRANITSYN and KAPITAN KHLEBNIKOV are used for cruising in the polar areas.

KAPITAN NIKOLAEV, one of the Finnish-built Russian icebreakers. The NIKOLAEV’s interiors are quite luxurious and her sisters KAPITAN DRANITSYN and KAPITAN KHLEBNIKOV are used for cruising in the polar areas.

Once we were past the most impressive sights along the canal it time for dinner. Although we had originally planned to sample all of the restaurants onboard, the prices in the Kampai sushi bar were so high we decided to give it a pass. Instead, we opted for another go at what had been the best restaurant of the three we had sampled: New York.

Unfortunately our second outing at the restaurant was rather forgettable. I ordered one of the new newyorkian dishes on the list, pork fillet Brooklyn style, while Maria opted for pike perch. My Brooklyn style pork was not particularly brooklynian (and included a rather odd choice of red cabbage as a side dish – the combination didn’t work) and Maria’s fish was dry.

A tribute to Peter Knego: totally random Columbus carpet shot.

For the evening’s entertainment, we nipped to our cabin to get ear plugs and headed to the Columbus Night Club for the night’s entertainment. The “rock concert” preceeding the actual show was tonight by a different band, the band having apparently changed in St. Pete’s. Halfway through their performance I noticed we were passing Iberocruceros’ GRAND MISTRAL at nice photographing distance (the shipping lanes from Morskoy Vokzal and the cruise terminal having merged some time earlier) and thus headed out to photograph the ship.

GRAND MISTRAL dropped off pilot and offered nice photo views.

I managed to miss the introduction of the crew while photographing, but was back in Columbus just in time for the start of the evening’s show. This, again, was a run-of-the-mill cabaret performance that really wasn’t that interesting. I spent more time peeking through the curtains at passing ships and once I noticed the GRAND MISTRAL was now about to pass us, I had no qualms of heading back out on deck to photograph her. She was followed by MSC Cruises’ MSC MUSICA and both sailed past us impressively  in front of the sunset.

Sunset views, GRAND MISTRAL and MSC MUSICA passing us on the Gulf of Finland.

The cabaret show was followed by an audience participation segment, a quiz show about the ship. This was suppsosed to be carried out in both Russian and English, but in practice the cruise manager tended to ask the question in Russian, accept the Russian ansver, and then just told the ansver in English. Not that this would particularly matter (drink vouchers are not that appealing, even if I knew most of the ansvers), but the inherent chauvinism was somewhat irritating.

However, this first part of the show and the audience participation section were well worth sitting through for the second part. Instead of another pedestrian cabaret performance, we were treated with a genuinely creative and interesting dance show themed on the Baltic Sea. This number was genuinely a joy to watch and definately ranks amongst the best show I have ever seen on any ship, be it on a cruise or ferry.

The “Pride of the Baltic” was, for once, rather excellent.

After the show we relocated to the arcade on deck 7, sitting by the large windows and admiring the impressive sunset. Eventually it was time for bed and the end of our last full day on the PRINCESS ANASTASIA.

Friday, 31 May 2013

There is really nothing much to say about our last morning on the PRINCESS ANASTASIA. We got up, headed for the Bake & Coffee cafeteria so that Maria could have her morning coffee. After this it was off the ship, through passport control one final time (this was, for once, surprisingly swift) and off to home with the tram that handily runs from the West Harbour ferry terminal right in front of our door.

Homeward bound.

St. Peter Line are currently the only company offering around-the-year cruises on the Baltic Sea. They are also the only company offering cruises for the Russian market. This has perhaps left them in position where they are too sure of themselves, which translated as an onboard experience that has plenty of room for improvement – and that had actually degraded compated to my first trip with SPL in 2011 with the PRINCESS MARIA. But this aside, the company might become a notable player on the cruise market in the future: according to Cruise Business Review, SPL are planning to start Black Sea and Mediterranean cruises for the Russian market, and have been negotiating with both the Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd about a joint venture. We haven’t heard all about Russian-style cruising yet.

End of part 2 of Cruising Russian Style on the PRINCESS ANASTASIA.

Special thanks to Maria Id and Martin Cox.

For more photographs by Kalle Id, visit kships.blogspot.com.

Princess Cruises

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All photos by and copyright Lisa Royall 2013 unless otherwise noted.

Friday, June 14, 2013

HRH The Duchess of Cambridge applauds singer Natasha Beddingfield’s performance during the christening of Princess Cruises’ ROYAL PRINCESS.

ROYAL PRINCESS’ Captain Tony Draper looks on as the Duchess is presented with the scissors that will cut a ribbon releasing a magnum of champagne into the bow of the massive ship at Southampton’s Ocean Terminal.

Poised and yet perfunctory, the Duchess makes her short speech, “I name this ship ROYAL PRINCESS. May God bless her and all who sail in her.”

The bottle breaks!

The blue and white deluge.

Kudos to Peter Newall for supplying these fantastic images taken by Lisa Royall during the ROYAL PRINCESS naming ceremony!

Very special thanks:  Julie Benson, Karen Candy, Martin Cox, Peter Newall, Lisa Royall

Princess Cruises

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All photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2013 unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

The official invite.

Climate trumps even the most skillfully planned event and this morning, I arose to a note in my cabin mailbox advising that if Southampton’s weather remained inclement, our media group would experience the naming ceremony via electronic proxy in the ROYAL PRINCESS’ Princess Live venue.

International Cafe, facing port.

International Breakfast: yogurt parfait, double shot cappuccino and egg with cheese muffin sandwich.

I was off to the International Cafe for a dash of caffeine and a quick morning bite — an International (versus Continental) breakfast, if you will.

Princess portraits.

On the way back to my stateroom, I perused some truly remarkable sketches of the soon-to-be-ROYAL PRINCESS’ Godmother, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, rendered by residents of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), which the Duchess supports through her charity work.

Press conference in Princess Live with Princess executives and ROYAL PRINCESS Captain Tony Draper.

At a morning press conference in Princess Live, we were advised to bundle up — the naming ceremony would take place al fresco, after all.

The broadcast media pool preps.

We filed into the terminal and were offered champagne, bucks fizzes and soft drinks before proceeding en masse to custom-built bleachers off the ship’s bow. Directly below us, television media huddled in a sea of microphones and camcorders.

Royal angles.

High above, officers peered through the angled windows of the ROYAL PRINCESS’ wheelhouse as her signal flags fluttered in the gusty winds.

Sea witch atop Moet and Chandon?

A huge Nebuchadnezzar-size bottle of Moët & Chandon dangled off the ship’s bow, its corsage of blue and white ribbons billowing not entirely unlike the iconic Princess “sea witch” logo.

Pipe Band of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards.

As we settled in, the Pipers of the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards piped their way between the bleachers and a podium filled with VIPs, including Princess President and CEO Alan Buckelew, Captain Tony Draper, Lady Sterling (of P&O) and others.

The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth.

The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth were the next to rhythmically stampede the dockside.

Royal in the plumage.

And then, beyond a sea of festive hats and fascinators, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge arrived. LED screens projected her exiting a black SUV, looking resplendent in a snow leopard-patterned overcoat.

Front Row, left to right: The Right Reverend Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester, Mrs. Buckelew, Alan Buckelew (Princess Cruises CEO) and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.

The pretty-in-pregnant Godmother was led to the stage and seated.

Natasha Bedingfield performs “Unwritten”.

Applause with a Royal touch.

Blond locks billowing, British pop singer Natasha Beddingfield took the stage and performed the title track of her 2004 Grammy-nominated album, “Unwritten”.

Kerry Ellis performs.

Next up was Kerry Ellis, the West End singing sensation, backed by Mass Ensemble, a troupe of kinetic musicians who perform with oversized instruments like the Earth Harp whose strings stretched well into the sky above our bleachers.

Captain Tony Draper leads the Duchess to the ribbon.

Alan Buckelew made a short welcome speech and then the ship was blessed by the Right Reverend Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester, just before Captain Tony Draper led the Duchess to the end of the podium.

Confetti on the flanks.

A ship is born.

“I name this ship ROYAL PRINCESS. May God bless her and all who sail in her.” Within a nano-second, the ceremonial ribbon was severed, releasing the bottle, which splattered successfully into the ROYAL PRINCESS’ bow. Mission accomplished! The ship’s whistle blew and we were drenched in a downpour of blue and white confetti.

Bough to bow.

Royal exit.

As the ribbon-festooned neck of the bottle dangled near its impact point, the Duchess was led off, vanishing back into a sea of onlookers. The ROYAL PRINCESS was now officially named.

By the bollard.

MV ROYAL PRINCESS at Southampton.

Before returning to the ship, I wandered out to the end of the terminal for a few hurried photos of the ROYAL PRINCESS in her element.

Very special thanks: Julie Benson, Karen Candy, Martin Cox

Princess Cruises

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All photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2013 unless otherwise noted.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

I’m holding off on the formal Sea Treks and Decked! blogs with a 141,000 gross ton ship to cover in the next few days. But while there is the opportunity to utilize a fast connection in the shoreside press room, I thought I’d post a slew of images taken yesterday evening and most of today, capturing the newest and largest addition to the Princess Cruises family.

Swirls from the orchestra are echoing across the terminal as rehearsals take place in the pavilion off the ship’s bow. Tomorrow, the ROYAL PRINCESS will officially be named there by HRH Catherine The Duchess of Cambridge in a gala ceremony. More on that and the spectacular ROYAL PRINCESS as time permits!

Deluxe Outside D507, facing starboard.

ROYAL PRINCESS Aerobics, facing aft/port.

ROYAL PRINCESS, facing aft from Deck 19 nocturnal.

ROYAL PRINCESS, facing aft from Deck 19.

Piazza, facing aft from Deck 6.

Alfredo’s, facing forward.

Bellinis, facing forward.

Casino, facing forward.

Casino swirl, facing aft from Deck 6.

Casino swirl, facing aft from Deck 7.

Center Court, facing aft.

Center Court, facing aft from Deck 19.

Center Court, facing forward from Deck 19.

Chef’s Table Lumiere, facing forward, Allegro Restaurant.

Churchill’s facing starboard.

Club 6, facing aft.

Concierge Lounge, facing starboard.

Crooner’s Bar, facing forward.

ROYAL face.

First glance at Southampton.

Facing forward over Retreat Pool from Deck 19.

Gym, facing aft.

Horizon Grill, facing aft.

Horizon Court, facing forward.

Royal signage.

Inside Cabin.

International Cafe morning parfaits.

Internet Cafe, facing aft.

En suite dispensers (bath gel and shampoo/conditioner).

Facing forward from midships Deck 18.

Mini-suite.

Mini-suite loo.

Owner’s Suite bedroom.

Owner’s Suite loo.

Owner’s Suite sitting area.

Piazza, facing aft from Deck 7.

Piazza, facing forward from Deck 7.

Flocks in the Piazza.

ROYAL plate.

Princess Theater, facing forward.

Princess Theater, facing forward/starboard.

Princess Theater, facing starboard.

Reception area, facing port.

Retreat Pool, facing aft.

Sabatini’s, facing forward.

Sabatini’s setting.

The Sanctuary, facing starboard.

Sanctuary, facing aft from starboard.

Sanctuary cabana.

Ocean Terrace, facing starboard.

Seaview Bar, facing forward.

SeaWalk, facing aft.

Seawalk to funnel view.

SeaWalk to naming pavilion.

Spa Villa treatment room.

Lotus Spa thermal suite.

Symphony Dining Room, facing forward.

Symphony Dining alcove, facing aft.

Lotus Spa treatment room.

SeaWalk overhead.

Under the SeaWalk.

Vista Lounge, facing aft/port.

Orbiting the Piazza.

Very Special Thanks: Julie Benson, Karen Candy, Martin Cox

SAPPHIRE Remembered and Decked! — A Deck By Deck Tour Of Louis Cruises recently scrapped MV SAPPHIRE (ex ITALIA, PRINCESS ITALIA, OCEAN PRINCESS) by Peter Knego

Louis Cruises’ SAPPHIRE at Tinos in 2008, near the end of her long career. Photo and copyright Peter Knego.

Keep up to date with Peter Knego on Twitter by clicking here

THE SANDS OF ALANG: Peter Knego’s brand new DVD about shipbreaking in Alang, India

 MV SAPPHIRE (ex ITALIA, PRINCESS ITALIA, OCEAN PRINCESS, SEA PRINCE, PRINCESA OCEANICA)

Louis Cruise Lines

Built 1967
12,263 gt
489 by 67.9 feet (149.78 by 21.5 meters)
22.3 foot draft (10.5 meters)
706 passengers (maximum)
240 crew
16.5 knots (17 maximum)
Fully air conditioned and stabilized
Propulsion Machinery: Two nine cylinder Sulzer CRDA diesels (14,800 BHP), twin screws
Builders: Cantieri Navale Felszegi, Trieste (hull #76)
Registry: Majuro, Marshall Islands

All photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2008 unless otherwise noted.

ITALIA in her original livery with Oltremare’s triangle funnel logo, under charter to Princess. Peter Knego collection.

Louis Cruise Line’s SAPPHIRE was built as the 12,083 gross ton, 452 passenger ITALIA by the Trieste-based shipyard, Cantieri Navale Fesigli (hull number 76) for Crociere d’Oltremare as the first of two planned sister ships, the second of which was never realized. Upon completion that September, she was chartered by Costa Lines for three shakedown cruises to the Mediterranean. Costa then subchartered the ship to Stanley MacDonald’s U.S.-based Princess Cruises for Mexican Riviera sailings from Los Angeles (during which she was marketed and promoted as PRINCESS ITALIA).

MV (PRINCESS) ITALIA with the famous Princess Cruises “sea witch” on her funnel. Peter Knego collection.

With American film icon Susan Hayward on board, ITALIA’s delivery voyage from Trieste to California via the Bahamas and Acapulco was noted for premiering the now camp classic film, “Valley Of The Dolls”, in the ship’s cinema. A 48 minute television feature, “Valley Of The Dolls: A World Premiere Voyage”, was shot on board with Bill Burrud and Armey Archerd interviewing members of the film’s cast.

ITALIA was the first newbuild dedicated to full time U.S. West Coast-based cruising and although referred to as PRINCESS ITALIA, she was officially registered as ITALIA. In 1969, after the introduction of her running mate, the (PRINCESS) CARLA (ex FLANDRE), the ITALIA became the second ship to have ever sported the Princess Cruises “sea witch” logo on her ultra-stylish funnel.

ITALIA was further distinguished as the last ship designed by Gustavo Pulitzer-Finale in collaboration with Romano Boico. Pulitzer was one of the three great Italian masters (along with Gio Ponti and Nino Zoncada) who fashioned some of the most exquisite liners and cruise ships of the 20th Century.

In appearance, the handsome vessel was very much a miniature version of Home Lines’ OCEANIC (general profile and angled, grilled windows) with elements of P&O’s CANBERRA (an exquisitely tapered funnel designed by Trieste-based sculptor Ugo Cara, inboard lifeboats and knuckled bow).

(PRINCESS) ITALIA’s Lido Deck, facing forward from the base of the funnel on Sun Deck level. Peter Knego collection.

ITALIA had eight passenger decks, in descending order: Sun Deck (7), Lido Deck (6), Riviera Deck (5), Promenade Deck (4), Pacific Deck (3), Belvedere Deck (2), Capri Deck (1), and Cinema Deck.

Sun Deck housed the bridge, chart room and captain’s quarters as well as a radio room on the port side. A sunning terrace was located aft of the deck house.

Lido Deck Veranda, facing port.

MV ITALIA pool area. Peter Knego collection.

Lido Deck began with a crescent-shaped observation area with narrow promenades leading via the mosaic-bedecked pool and Lido area at the base of the funnel to a terrace overlooking the stern. Internally, it housed officers’ accommodation and the very stylish Veranda. In the port side base of the funnel, there was a small gymnasium.

Early image of ITALIA’s Bar, facing aft. Peter Knego collection.

ITALIA’s Grand Salon (facing forward), as built. Peter Knego collection.

Riviera Deck was originally devoted entirely to public rooms, but at some point in the ship’s early Princess career, a suite of cabins was added in front of the Observation Lounge (the lounge, itself, was replaced with cabins during ITALIA’s Costa career). Aft of the forward Riviera Deck vestibule, there was a small card room and boutique on the port side (altered in later years) and the very handsome Bar on the starboard side, leading to the chic but very brown Grand Salon, with its angled bulkheads, chairs and ceiling recesses.

Finite promenades sheltered by the angled, grated steel bulkheads led to a small terrace at the stern. Inside, just beyond the aft vestibule, there was the ship’s Night Club, which sported a bar at the forward starboard entrance and oversized “porthole” windows.

Promenade Deck began at the fo’c'sle level with accommodation, the ship’s large suites, and the delightful Dining Room with its moulded ceiling recess. The Dining Room was served by a galley, just aft, which was followed by crew accommodation at the stern. The entire deck was encircled by a narrow promenade, the mid portion of which passed under the recessed lifeboats.

Pacific Deck consisted of accommodation and the Main Lobby with purser’s office and beauty salon. Belvedere and Capri Decks contained accommodation.

Cinema, facing forward. Peter Knego collection.

All the way down, the 174-seat Cinema was built atop ITALIA’s midship tanks.

A Promenade Deck Deluxe Suite, as originally designed. Peter Knego collection.

The suites featured full bath with shower/tub and extremely spacious wardrobe areas. The sitting area contained a couch, chairs, and table ensemble. Located on Promenade Deck, they had two large picture windows but the views were obscured by lifeboats.

A Deluxe Outside Twin. Peter Knego collection.

The next most luxurious ITALIA accommodations were the Deluxe Staterooms, which featured “wrinkle-proof” wardrobe closets.

Twin stateroom. Peter Knego collection.

A large Outside Triple. Peter Knego collection.

Outside staterooms ranged from singles to triples.

An Inside Double. Peter Knego collection.

 ITALIA was built with 213 luxury cabins, all with radio, telephone, closed circuit television and individually-controlled air conditioning, features taken for granted today but considered quite forward-thinking at the time.

MV ITALIA in Costa colors. Peter Knego collection.

 The ITALIA introduced Princess Cruises to Alaska in 1969, when her home port was relocated to San Francisco. Her subcharter to Princess lasted until October of 1973, when she joined the Costa fleet for cruises out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Popular Costa era image of the sculpted funnel with model passengers. Peter Knego collection.

Costa “spiced” the ship up with their yellow and blue funnel colors, brighter soft fittings, and some slight modifications, although she remained mostly as built throughout her ten year tenure with the Genoa-based company, which outright purchased her in 1977. ITALIA cruised the Caribbean from San Juan and Ft. Lauderdale, later venturing to South America and the Mediterranean.

Facing aft from top of house. Peter Knego collection.

Shuffleboard on the then teak covered decks of Costa’s ITALIA. Peter Knego collection.

Typical Costa cheesecake image of the 1970s. Peter Knego collection.

Costa’s advertising usually included bikini-clad women enjoying life on deck or by the pool.

Riviera Deck Card Room, facing forward. Peter Knego collection.

The shopping area on Riviera Deck was slightly reconfigured to include a card room, which at times was used as a chapel.

Costa era photo of ITALIA’s Bar, facing aft. Peter Knego collection.

Costa added these ladies to its featured brochure image of the stylish Bar.

ITALIA’s Grand Salon in the Costa Cruises era. Peter Knego collection.

The Grand Salon was refitted with smaller furniture to accommodate more passengers for Costa’s lively shows.

ITALIA’s dining room “decked out” for one of Costa’s gala evenings. Peter Knego collection.

If the brochure illustrations are any indication, ITALIA was definitely more of a “party” ship in her Costa heyday than she was with Princess.

Deluxe stateroom. Peter Knego collection.

Note the “brightened” soft fittings, typical of the stylish Costa decor found on ships such as EUGENIO C, CARLA C, and FEDERICO C.

A cut-away view of ITALIA in Costa colors.

In 1983, a lengthening was considered but apparently dropped, according to Italian historians, Maurizio Eliseo and Paolo Piccione, whose detailed and beautifully written “The Costa Liners” (Carmania Press) was a tremendous reference in compiling this webpage.

MV OCEAN PRINCESS. Peter Knego collection.

Surprisingly, since she was one of the most modern and popular members of the Costa fleet, ITALIA was sold to Ocean Cruise Lines in 1983. She became OCEAN PRINCESS after a Piraeus-based refit by Greek design firm, AMK, which introduced highly polished brass and brushed steel surfaces, harsh lighting and tapestries on bulkheads and in stairtowers.

MV OCEAN PRINCESS with yellow funnel. Peter Knego collection.

Metal and glass windscreens were added to the midships Sun and Lido Decks, altering the ship’s external appearance. Internally, the overall layout of public rooms was tweaked but remained generally intact, albeit with a completely new look that for the most part remains unaltered today.

On Lido Deck, ten cabins replaced the officers’ accommodation and the Verandah was replaced with the larger Cafe de Paris.

On Riviera Deck, the forward vestibule became the Rendezvous Square. The Bar on the starboard side was reconfigured completely and renamed Harry’s Bar, while the Card Room and Chapel on the port side were replaced with the Monte Carlo Casino. The Grand Salon became the Marco Polo Lounge and the Night Club became Raffles Piano Bar and Discotheque.

The Dining Room was renamed the Four Seasons Restaurant and most cabins were reconfigured with new layouts, furniture and soft fittings.

OCEAN PRINCESS in latter day white funnel livery. Peter Knego collection.

With an expanded capacity of 500 passengers, OCEAN PRINCESS was a highly regarded pioneer of destination-oriented “adventure” cruises to off-the-beaten-track places worldwide. In 1990, Ocean Cruise Lines was purchased by Paquet Cruises. Shortly thereafter, her funnel livery switched from yellow and blue to white and blue.

MV SEA PRINCE at Keratsini, Greece, 3 October 1994.

On 1 March 1993, during one of her cruises up the Amazon, OCEAN PRINCESS hit a submerged object at Belem, breaching her hull, and gradually sinking up to what is now her Pacific (3) Deck. She was raised three weeks later but a survey determined the ship a total constructive loss. Sold to Ellis Marine of Piraeus, she was renamed SEA PRINCE and towed to Greece for repairs. SEA PRINCE was to begin Greek-based cruises in 1995 for newly-formed Sunshine Cruise Line but a fire on 26 May that year put an end to that. In September 2005, she was sold to Louis Cruise Lines of Cyprus, who renamed her PRINCESA OCEANICA.

SAPPHIRE with extended forward superstructure, prior to addition of tender platform. Peter Knego collection.

Louis gave the ship a major refurbishment and, favoring its new “jewel”-inspired nomenclature, renamed her SAPPHIRE. She was chartered to British-based Thomson Holidays in 1995, but mechanical issues quickly intervened. The vessel was repaired at Perama, during which time the forward superstructure was extended with modular cabins (it was further extended with a platform to accommodate two tenders). SAPPHIRE began cruising for Thomson in 1996 and in more recent years, had been chartered to French based Croisieurs Francaises, before joining the Louis fleet. With an increased capacity of 680 (706 maximum), she is currently based at Limassol and caters to an almost exclusively Cyprus-based clientele on cruises to Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon and the Greek Islands.

A popular Louis Cruise Lines’ image of MV SAPPHIRE prior to the addition of the grillwork.

In 2007, an unusual framework of steel and canvas was added to shelter SAPPHIRE’s Lido Deck and Cafe de Paris from high winds.

End of Part One

Much More To Come…

Princess Cruises

Keep up to date with Peter Knego on Twitter by clicking here

THE SANDS OF ALANG: Peter Knego’s brand new DVD about shipbreaking in Alang, India

MV ROYAL PRINCESS at Monfalcone. Photo by and copyright Maurizio Eliseo 2013.

ROYAL PRINCESS at Monfalcone. Photo by and copyright Maurizio Eliseo 2013.

MV ROYAL PRINCESS. Courtesy of Princess Cruises.

MV ROYAL PRINCESS. Courtesy of Princess Cruises.

MV ROYAL PRINCESS. Courtesy of Princess Cruises.

MV ROYAL PRINCESS. Courtesy of Princess Cruises.

MaritimeMatters’ Peter Knego will be spending several days on the ROYAL PRINCESS and will be reporting live from the event next week. In the meantime, here are some images of the ship in drydock, taken by Maurizio Eliseo on May 23 and 24 before she departed Monfalcone for the U.K. The striking views of the ROYAL PRINCESS plowing through the Mediterranean are courtesy of Princess Cruises.

MaritimeMatters’ Helsinki correspondent embarks on another Ferry Tale, a four-night cruise on the Baltic Sea onboard St. Peter Line’s PRINCESS ANASTASIA, a ferry making cruises aimed primarily at the Russian market.

St. Peter Line official website: www.stpeterline.com

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are copyright © 2013 Kalle Id.

The PRINCESS ANASTASIA departing Helsinki. Photo © 2011 Kalle Id.

Prologue, or how a ship photo earned me a free cruise

St. Peter Line – or SPL for short – is a Cyprus-based shipping company owned by Finnish and Russian interests. It was founded in spring 2010 to re-establish the ferry connection between Helsinki, Finland and Saint Petersburg, Russia using the PRINCESS MARIA (ex-FINLANDIA, QUEEN OF SCANDINAVIA). Many – including myself – forecast the company would soon fold, as multiple attempts had been made during the previous decade to restart the service and the all failed. But we were wrong. St. Peter Line prospered and in spring 2011 they added a second ship to their fleet – the PRINCESS ANASTASIA (ex- OLYMPIA, PRIDE OF BILBAO) – which was used on St. Petersburg-Stockholm and St. Petersburg-Tallinn-Stockholm services. Early on the ship was used for a pair of four-night cruises from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn. These proved so successful that the same autumn her itineraries were changed permanently to these four-night cruises, offering the possibility of starting the cruise from any of the ports visited.

I sailed on the PRINCESS MARIA in winter 2011 and was quite impressed by the product St. Peter Line were offering. Since the PRINCESS ANASTASIA started offering the possibility of starting a cruise from Helsinki I have been thinking I should try her. But I never did.

The photo that earned me a cruise: The PRINCESS MARIA in Helsinki South Harbour in November 2010. Photo © 2010 Kalle Id.

That is, until now. In March this year I was contacted by St. Peter Line’s marketing department, who wished to buy the rights to use one of my photographs of the PRINCESS MARIA. In return, they offered a cruise on the PRINCESS ANASTASIA in an outside cabin for up to four persons. Since the normal price for an outside cabin is 320 € (about $400), I naturally graciously accepted and booked a cruise for myself and my wife Maria.

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Our cruise begun, like so many ferry trips, with a tram ride to Helsinki’s West Harbour. En-route we were almost struck by a tragedy when I realised I had forgotten the most important travelling utility: my camera. I quick dash to home and back followed, and we made it to the harbour in good time.  We seemed to be the only persons starting our voyage in Helsinki and resultingly check-in was particularly simple. We showed up at the counter and got our boarding cards, plus the various vouchers and forms needed for visa-free entry to Russia, in a manner of moments. Passport control was handled with efficiency (although it should be noted that since on this first leg of the trip we were travelling from one Schengen-treaty member country to another there shouldn’t be a need for passport control) and we soon found ourselves onboard the ship.

The PRINCESS ANASTASIA is named after Tsar Nicholas II’s daughter, whose portrait hangs in the corridor connecting the atrium to the aft staircase on deck 6.

The PRINCESS ANASTASIA is a sister ship of Viking Line’s Helsinki-Stockholm ferry MARIELLA (which is the subject of another Ferry Tale) and hence finding our way around onboard was easy. This was a particularly good thing as the information signage onboard is not of a particularly good quality and there were no crew members in attendance to guide passengers to their cabins. Admittedly to my mind the latter practice is annoying anyway.

In any case, we quite easily found our way to our cabin, number 6918 in the aft section of deck 6. This proved to be an un-auspicious location, being located right under the showlounge/night club, but more of this later. The cabin, as you can see, is quite small and turned out to be almost entirely unaltered from its original 1986 appearance – even some of the original signage in Finnish and Swedish remained. This was something of a contrast to the cabins of the sister ship MARIELLA, which have been redecorated and modernised.

Mrs. Id perusing fancy-looking but utterly uninformative St. Peter Line magazine in our compact cabin.

While the compact cabin is adequate for the maximum two-day ferry cruise the ship was originally built for, it must be said it is rather small for a four-night cruise. A particular problem was the lack of storage space – there literally isn’t any.

The original 1986 cabin radio, complete with the original Finnish and Swedish signage. Unfortunately we never tried if it still works.

SPL’s uninformative policy continued in the cabin, which didn’t have a cruise programme, a guide to the ship or even a deck plan. There was a fancy-looking magazine advertising various places in the ports of call, but nothing to help with orientation onboard. This being the case, after dropping off our backpack we left to look around the ship and do an orientation tour the old-fashioned way.

The PRINCESS ANASTASIA’s Atrium is the height of 80′s cruise ship chic with pink marble and gilded railings. This view is foreward and port from the original main entrance (which was never used during the cruise).

The PRINCESS ANASTASIA’s layout is rather simple. Public spaces are grouped on the three topmost passenger-accessible decks: deck 8 has a cinema, VIP lounge, fashion store and discotheque, deck 7 has all the restaurants, a pub, a casino and the night club/showlounge and deck 6 has the reception, a cafeteria, the main duty free shop and a large children’s playroom. A modest three-deck-high atrium connects the decks with public rooms. Most cabins as located on decks 6, 5, 4 and 2 (with a small numbers of cabins also on deck 8). Deck 2, below the car deck, also has a sauna and spa complex.

The Night Rabbit Bar discotheque on deck 8 has the only indoors smoking area of the ship. The venue’s programme includes striptease, though we never actually sampled the bar’s delights.

By the time the ship was departing we had roamed through most of the public spaces (as well as the outer decks) and managed to secure a cruise program for the day from the reception. Next we turned our thoughts to dinner. There are four restaurants onboard: Seven Seas buffet, New York and Napoli Mia à la carte -restaurants, and Kampai sushi bar. Since this was a four-night cruise, the plan was to test all four restaurants in turn. (It should be noted that, as is customary on Baltic Sea ferries, on SPL meals are not included in the cruise fare).

We decided to start our tour of the restaurants with the easiest and most familiar option, the buffet. Puzzlingly, there was no information available anywhere on how and when one could make a booking for a table, but we simply waited for the restaurant to open and walked in when it did. The price of a buffet dinner was fairly sensible (by Baltic Sea ferry standards) at 29 €, but we ran into difficulties when trying to pay for our meal, as the head waiter told us it was not possible to pay with a credit card. Fortunately we did have enough cash to pay for two dinners, but the head waiter’s explanation – which seemed to indicate credit cards were not accepted anywhere on the ship – left us with an unpleasant puzzle to ponder while eating, as we were now almost entirely out of cash. I had, of course, tried to find out beforehand which payment options are accepted onboard, but SPL’s website was completely silent on the subject. Onboard, all prices were displayed in euros only, implying only euros were accepted. This could have led to the strange situation of needed to withdraw Swedish krona in Stockholm from an ATM and then going to a local bureau de change to change them to euros (which would have resulted in fees). Eventually, after dinner, we visited the reception and managed to get the issue cleared out: credit cards are accepted onboard, but there had been a technical problem that day which meant credit cards didn’t work.

The Seven Seas buffet restaurant has fortunately been refitted at some point during the ship’s career, doing away with the original 1980s decor. The space is quite large, but this is the only section I managed to photograph that wasn’t choked full of Russians.

If it seems I skipped the food part entirely when writing out the restaurant, there is a good reason for that: the food was nothing to write home about. The selection was slim and the dishes were very basic. At 29 € per person the meal was, in my opinion, overpriced – even when you remember the price includes unlimited complimentary wine.

Seven Seas starter selection. The salads were quite good, but nothing else really stuck to mind.

The weather was absolutely brilliant when we sailed, and after the frankly unsatisfactory dinner we headed out on deck to take in the sun and spectate the sea around us.

The outdoors Sky Rabbit Bar at the aft of deck 8.

The author taking the Sun up on deck 10. Photo © 2013 Maria Id.

The Linda Line fast catamaran MERILIN left an impressive wake as she passed us en-route from Helsinki to Tallinn.

We eventually retired indoors in order not to get sunburn and found our way to the Columbus Night Club on the aft of deck 7. The Columbus is a single-level space, but the space is quite nicely terraced considering the limitations of the room and sight lines were surprisingly good from most parts of the room. This is also one of the few spaces that has clearly been completely renovated recently.

The designers of the decor of the Columbus Night Club have done a spiffing job in my opinion. This was one of the spaces that was completely renovated before the ship entered service with SPL.

In the early evening the Columbus lounge offered what was advertised as a ”rock ‘n’ roll concert”, which in reality turned out to be a three-man band. Not a bad band, but calling it a rock concert was stretching things a bit.

At 9 PM things promised to get interesting, with an advertised 1½ hour show program by ”one of the leading St. Petersburg ballet theatres”. This, in all honesty, was extremely disappointing. The show was a tired, run-of-the-mill cruise ship song-and-dance cabaret. It even featured a tired rendition of the most worn-out cabaret number, the can-can. An additional annoying feature was the fact that the volume during the show was extremely loud. This got me worried as our cabin was almost directly below the dance floor and there was to be a disco in the lounge lasting until well in the morning.

Life is a cabaret. But in this case not a very good one.

Halfway through the cabaret show there was an audience participation number with the cruise hostess, a ladies’s fashion show. After this ended and the cabaret threatened to continue, we relocated to sit along the arcade on deck 7, further from the noise and with fine sea views. After admiring the sea for a while longer, we decided to retire to the cabin.

Once back in the cabin, my fears of difficult night were confirmed. I’m not exaggerating when I say that things in the cabin literally shook from the loud bass emanating from upstairs. Fortunately Maria had come prepared with two pairs of ear plugs meant for use at rock concerts. Unfortunately even these were not enough; the volume in the night club was so loud that even one deck below and with ear plugs on, you could still hear the music. And not just the bass, but most of the other instruments as well.

Sleeping is not one of my fortes to start with and when faced with disturbing noise (or even a small amount light) I have trouble sleeping. Hence I laid in bed for several hours not sleeping. The noise, coming after the various other small irritations and difficulties onboard during the day, did make me seriously ponder packing our bags once we reached Stockholm, walking off the ship to the nearby Silja Line terminal and booking the evening’s departure back to Finland.

Wednesday, 29 May 2013

I did eventually fall asleep and was woken up by Maria the next morning. In Stockholm disembarkation was only possible until 10.15 AM and hence we needed to wake up early enough. By morning light things did look brighter than in the deep of the (noisy) night and I abandoned the plans of getting off the ship. Okay, so maybe Maria telling me in no uncertain terms she wanted to see St. Petersburg and would not be getting off the ship before that had an effect.

In any case, as the first thing after waking up and showering we headed to the reception, explained our noise problem and asked if it would be possible to change cabins. We were told to come back after returning onboard from Stockholm and they’d see if anything could be done. Armed with the hope we might get a different cabin, we left for breakfast at the Bake & Coffee cafeteria, across from the atrium from the reception. This was an interesting affair, as the cafeteria served a fixed menu breakfast, with the staff giving you very precise and unvarying amounts of things served. Although the care by which the exact correct amount was applied reminded – at least myself – strongly of the Soviet Union of old, the breakfast was tasty and enough to get one far into the day.

The strictly-proportioned breakfast offered in Bake & Coffee.

Our plan for the day in Stockholm had been to walk to the city centre (SPL ships dock at Frihamnen, about a 45 minutes walk from the old town) and visit the Royal Castle. This plan was put on ice when an announcement on the wonders of Stockholm told us the Royal Castle was closed to the public due to the upcoming wedding of Princess Madeleine to Christopher O’Neill. Fortunately we had a back-up plan, visiting the Nordiska Museet (actually a museum of Swedish cultural history, though the name suggest a more international scope).

The Nordiska Museet seen from across the channel separating Djurgården from the neighbouring island.

The weather continued to be brilliant and the walk to the Djurgården island – where the Nordiska Museet as well as many other attractions are located – passed pleasantly. In the end we actually arrived at the museum about 15 minutes before it opened, to discover a surprisingly large group of people waiting outside and enjoying the sun.

Not a bad way to spend a sunny morning, waiting for the Nordiska Museet to open.

Nordiska Museet turned out to be rather brilliant, with exhibition displaying things such as clothing and furniture from from 17th century to the present. There were also several clever juxtapositions about, such as displaying 19th century “mourning jewelry” (in fashion during the later reign of Queen Victoria) next to metal chair necklaces favoured by the punk subculture. The two were surprisingly similar.

The main hall of Nordiska Museet included a giant statue of Gustav Wasa, the king who secured Sweden’s independence from a union with Denmark.

There was also a part of the museum exhibiting various important festivities celebrated in Sweden around the year and the customs related to them. This really brought to home to me how utterly similar Finland and Sweden are culturally; differences to Finnish customs were few and far between.

After the Nordiska Museet we continued on foot towards the city center. Walking on the seaside esplanade we passed a fascinating article of Finnish-Swedish maritime history: the archipelago steamer STOCKHOLM, which in an earlier guise as the KORSHOLM III was the first car-passenger ferry to sail between Finland and Sweden. Somehow, they managed to fit 35 cars inside the small steamer back in the day.

The author meets living maritime history in the form of the STOCKHOLM, ex-KORSHOLM III. Photo © 2013 Maria Id.

Lunch was enjoyed al fresco at an oriental restaurant in Kungsträdgården park (the name literally translates as “King’s Garden”). After passing a church delightfully advertising a queer mass every Tuesday, we found ourselves in the old town and next to the Royal Castle. Since we were there, we decided to take a look in. It turned out the castle was not, in fact, closed like the announcement onboard had claimed. Our annoyment with this fact was lightened by the fact Nordiska Museet had been utterly fantastic and probably better than the Royal Castle would have been. Still, giving passengers incorrect information is hardly acceptable. And no, we didn’t go for a tour of the Royal Castle as it was getting quite late and neither of us could have taken a second museum-like tour so soon after the Nordiska.

Oriental outdoors lunch, Stockholm style.

After wandering around the city for a while longer we headed back towards the harbour. We arrived at the terminal at a little past four pm when boarding only begun at five pm. (The reason for the limited boarding times turned out to be the fact we shared the terminal with the Stockholm-Riga ferry Romantika and due to the structure of the terminal it isn’t possible to separate the passengers of the two ships in a way that ascertains the right people get onboard the right ship). Since we had extra time we visited a nearby supermarket, acquiring some bottled water (the tap water onboard was heavily chlorinated and bottled water expensive), sunscreen and two salads for a late second lunch to be enjoyed before boarding. And more effective earplugs from a local pharmacy, in case we would need to spend more nights under the Baltic’s loudest night club.

Photographing the photographer photographing the PRINCESS ANASTASIA and ROMANTIKA. Photo © 2013 Maria Id.

Boarding was very crowded, with a long line to the passport control. While standing in line we again wondered why they needed to check our passports when travelling from one Schengen country to another – and then I spotted a very small, discrete sign reading “St. Peter Line – Schengen passengers”. We got off the line, followed the sign and were greeted by very friendly Swedish customs officers who quickly glanced at our passports to ascertain we were from a Schengen country and then whisked us past the passport control.

Queue to the passport control at Frihamnen terminal.

Once back onboard, we inquired at the reception about the chance to change our cabin (as we had been instructed). Now we were told to come back an hour after departure. To pass the time we headed out on deck as the weather continued to be beautiful. an added incentive for me was the fact that before our depature time there would be a chance to photograph both the Stockholm-Tallinn ferry BALTIC QUEEN and her sister ship, the Stockholm-Turku ship GALAXY.

The BALTIC QUEEN departs for Tallinn…

…and soon afterwards the GALAXY arrives from Turku.

After departure we lingered on deck, until chased indoors by a slightly chilly wind. We then headed to the Columbus lounge for further spectating of the Stockholm archipelago via the large windows on the aft of the lounge. The nights’ programme in Columbus turned out to be a repeat of the previous night: a “rock concert” (the same band, even playing many of the same songs), followed by a cabaret act and a disco.

Signs of the ship’s past as P&O Ferries PRIDE OF BILBAO can still be found onboard.

At the appointed hour we again inquired about the possibility of changing our cabin. This time we were told that changing cabins was impossible due to the large number of passengers that had come in from Stockholm. This is perfectly understandable – if the ship is full then it is full. But the staff must certainly have known about the large German group coming onboard in the morning when we first asked. The very least thing they could have done is tell us then that it’s unlikely they can give us a different cabin. Furthermore, we were offered no compensation, not even an apology. It must be said that thus far SPL’s customer service was not making a good impression on us.

The Rabbit Bar on deck 7. You probably can’t make it out from such a small image, but every painting had person with rabbit ears him/her.

The Rabbit Bar on deck 7. You probably can’t make it out from such a small image, but every painting had person with rabbit ears him/her.

Having cleared up the cabin debacle, we lingered around the Rabbit Bar pub on deck 7. For some reason all bars onboard are named Rabbit Bar: there’s the plain Rabbit Bar on deck 7, while on deck 8 there’s the Night Rabbit Bar disco amidships and the Sky Rabbit Bar outdoors bar aft. The decor also has a bizarre rabbit theme, which extends to the staff wearing sailor uniforms complete with rabbit ears. The “plain” Rabbit Bar featured sports broadcasts on widescreen TVs and the karaoke. Here too the volumes were extremely loud. Things were ok in the arcade outside the bar itself, but inside the bar one needed earplugs.

If you think this is a lion, look again.

Since we had enjoyed two lunches, we decided to go for dinner at around 9 pm, at the same time as the cabaret show was due to begin at Columbus, hoping there would be ample space in the restaurants then. We were – partially at least – wrong. The Napoli Mia Italian restaurant, which would have been our number one choice for the evening, was filled to the brim with Germans. (Who I strongly suspect singled it out as the cheapest option). We took a look at the Sushi Bar’s menu but found it to be quite expensive and thus turned towards the New York restaurant. There were no menus for the restaurant anywhere on sight, but we bravely asked for a table without knowing it beforehand.

The New York restaurant was not very newyorkian in decor nor the menu – but it turned out be a rather excellent restaurant.

“New York” turned out to be misnomer. There were some vaguely American-sounding dishes on the menu, but it was really a eclectic collection of dishes from various different sources. I opted for a duck as a main course and tiramisu for dessert (we skipped the starters as the selection was uninspiring). It must be said that both were excellent. According to Maria the duck was not crispy enough, but that’s just her watching too much Top Chef. I don’t know how to do a duck “properly” and I thought it tasted fantastic. The excellent meal was topped off by our friendly and skilled waiter Sergei.

I only remembered to photograph my duck portion once I had already demolished a part of it. Let that be a testament to how good it was.

No, that’s not a cocktail, it’s a tiramisu.

After dinner we took a look at Columbus again. The evening had moved to the audience participation section, a “how to put on a life jacket” competition. We quickly left and decided to retire for the night, with high hopes that the new earplugs acquired in Stockholm would grant us a good night’s sleep. And indeed they did as I slumbered pleasantly all the way to Tallinn.

End of part 1 of Cruising Russian Style on the PRINCESS ANASTASIA. More to come…

Special thanks to Maria Id and Martin Cox.

For more photographs by Kalle Id, visit kships.blogspot.com.

For more information and further updates on the saga of the AURORA, please go to: The Aurora Yacht website.

Keep up to date with Peter Knego on Twitter by clicking here

THE SANDS OF ALANG: Peter Knego’s brand new DVD about shipbreaking in Alang, India

All photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2013 unless otherwise noted.

SO much has gone on behind the scenes since our last update on the enduring, 1955-built mini-liner AURORA (ex WAPPEN VON HAMBURG, DELOS, PACIFIC STAR, POLAR STAR, XANADU, EXPEX, FAITHFUL). Our last visit was in late July of 2010 with the ship having been delivered from Rio Vista, California under tow to San Francisco’s waterfront. AURORA’s future seemed bright with a 20-year lease at a pier in the heart of one of the most alluring cities in the world. Her restoration and use as a multi-function attraction in a range of roles was seemingly assured.

Painting AURORA on the San Francisco waterfront. Photo and copyright Chris Willson 2012.

Unfortunately, after the ship tied up at the end of Pier 38, it was learned the master lease holder of the facility and the Port of San Francisco were in a legal dispute. An investor that planned to spend $1.2 million in restoring the ship as a nightclub and restaurant was put on hold, as was all volunteer restoration work until the matter could be resolved. According to Christopher Willson, the AURORA’s owner, on August 12, 2011 the Port of San Francisco announced to all the tenants of Pier 38 that its doors would close due to safety concerns. “Within a couple of months, all of the businesses on the Pier were relocated to other locations in the port’s jurisdiction. The port even went so far as to assist some of the other businesses in the move and help them make an easy transition.”

Willson added, “The vessels however didn’t have things so easy. The authorities would not allow any of the displaced ships to stay within the port. We were told that we would no longer be able to board our vessels. When that didn’t work, we were told that access to the AURORA and all utilities would be taken away and if we did need to get on the vessel, we would have to do this via the water.”

Chris Willson.

“Due to the location of the vessel, I could only gain access via kayak and when the weather was bad, it was very dangerous. Restoration was halted and the fate of the ship was in doubt. I found another location that would accept the AURORA but there were no funds to relocate her. I couldn’t stand to see the ship neglected once again, so I fought harder and pushed to find the funds to make the move happen.”

“I worked out a lease agreement with the potential new location months in advance. I also found two vessels that were willing to conduct this tow for the little funds I could muster. I filed a tow permit but it was rejected due to new regulations — I was officially stumped, yet again!”

“After a protracted start, I began new negotiations with the port, which was now willing to assist with the tow. I felt a renewed energy and started working and planning, making preparations.”

AURORA departs San Francisco. Photo and copyright Chris Willson 2013.

“On the evening of Feb 15th, Oscar Niemeth Towing showed up with a tug and crew. We were ready to go. The tow went off without a hitch and the Oscar Niemeth crew was very skilled and made everything look easy — I highly recommend using this company.”

Entering the Stockton River. Photo and Copyright 2013 Chris Willson.

Niemeth tug nudges WAPPEN into her new berth. Photo copyright Chris Willson 2013.

San Francisco port wharfinger John Davey and Chris Willson. Photo and copyright Chris WIllson 2013.

“We arrived early the following afternoon at the new location and had lots of spectators on shore, including the chief wharfinger of the Port of SF. Once we were settled in, I asked him if he would pose in a photo with me while he held the settlement check. It was a classic moment and the look on his face was priceless.”

Hail, Delta Dawn! Photo copyright Chris Willson 2013.

“Of course with the new location, there are new challenges but the community has welcomed us with open arms — a far cry from our experience with San Francisco. I am fond of the fact that the AURORA is safe in a shallow, fresh water location. Our largest problem here is the wind. The marina owner and management has assured us that plans to install a more stable mooring and proper access will be built in the next few weeks.”

Aerial view of AURORA in her new berth. Photo and copyright Chris Willson 2013.

“I can now say that it appears the AURORA is safe for the foreseeable future and restoration will soon again move forward at a steady pace.”

Ex-WAPPEN, first glimpse.

On May 22, I made the trek up to Stockton to pay a visit to one of my favorite ships in her new home. She is now lashed to a levy in the Sacramento Delta overlooking endless fields of grain. The past two years of forced neglect have taken a bit of the shine away from her white hull, but overall, she still looks quite good.

Layer cake detailing.

What neither wharfinger nor unscrupulous lease holder can take away are her racy, classic lines, camber, pronounced sheer and a symphony of curves that are all but extinct in today’s cruise fleet.

Mt. Diablo.

Mt. Diablo now lurks in her idyllic delta backdrop.

Double dowagers at Stockton.

Lashed to her port side is another classic with a much dimmer future. The 152-foot, 1956-built former Canadian Bay Class minesweeper CHALEUR has an appointment with a local scrap yard. More on her shortly…

We reached AURORA via a skiff, skippered by none other than Chris Willson. Were it not for his faith and determination in preserving this ship, her story would have ended five or six years ago.

Entrance foyer, facing port/forward.

Foyer stairs and port passage, facing aft.

The first thing I noticed after climbing the steep gangway and entering the foyer was a fiberoptic lighting strip zig zagging the top of her elegant stairwell. Otherwise, all looked as it did when I last saw the space in 2010.

Ceiling fixture detail.

Every time I visit the ship, I marvel at some new detail, such as the light fixtures in the forward stairwell.

Face of a minesweeper.

A short gangway connected AURORA with the CHALEUR, so I took a few minutes to explore the soon-to-vanish minesweeper. I was impressed with her cosmetic condition and saddened to realize that after all the time and effort expended to preserve her, she was doomed.

Telegraph detail.

Davie shipbuilding plans.

It was clear that even until very recently, the CHALEUR had been well-tended. Her brass telegraph and even her recently rifled builder’s plans were still aboard and in good order.

MV CHALEUR, aft from port wing.

CHALEUR is very similar to the Royal Navy minesweeper that was converted into Jacques Cousteau’s globe-trotting expedition ship CALYPSO. Her hull is constructed of 6” thick mahogany that is fused together with aluminum bolts.

Portside curves.

From the CHALEUR, of course, there were some nice views of the AURORA.

WAPPEN face.

Back aboard, I retraced a few steps for a view aft from the fo’c’sle.

Aft terrace, facing forward.

Few ships have been subjected to the trials and tribulations the AURORA has endured. There are now plans to return her to her original name and livery as WAPPEN VON HAMBURG (aka “Coat of Arms of Hamburg”).

Top of aft foyer, facing forward.

Bottom of aft foyer, facing starboard.

What this ship has that so many others do not is a manageable scale. She is small enough to not require a huge crew and resources to maintain and yet large enough to be a destination unto her own.

Lounge, facing forward.

As the ship is further secured in her new realm, materials are once again being gathered and volunteers sought.

Art on board.

A celebrated local artist, David Jon Foster, now uses the Lounge as a studio and donates a portion of his earnings to the restoration of the ship. More of his work can be seen here: David Jon Foster Art

Over bow at Stockton.

Funnel from forward.

So here’s wishing the soon-to-be-again WAPPEN VON HAMBURG and Christopher Willson much success in the continuing saga of an enduring liner. May her ninth life be her best one!

I hope to return again soon with a new update.

For more information and further updates on the saga of the AURORA, please go to: The Aurora Yacht website.

Very special thanks: Martin Cox, Chris Willson

Original Post: Yet another distressing outcome for classic ship preservation efforts. Onetime preserved former Congo liner, East German training ship and stationary hotel now on her way to be cut up for scrap in Lithuania.

GEORG BUCHNER’s departure detailed in an article with accompanying video

Keep up to date with Peter Knego on Twitter by clicking here

THE SANDS OF ALANG: Peter Knego’s brand new DVD about shipbreaking in Alang, India

GEORG BUCHNER (ex CHARLESVILLE) was cut away from her stanchions at Rostock and towed off to a scrapyard in Lithuania yesterday as onlookers watched from the banks of the River Warnow. The 10,000 gt, 1951-built former Belgian combiliner was denied a reprieve for further preservation when efforts to bring her to Belgium as a static attraction and museum fell through.