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Where travelling competes with arriving |
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Reviewed By: McTaggart, Canterbury on 3rd Jul 2009
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| Cruise Line: Fred. Olsen Cruises |
Times cruised before: 0 |
| Cruise Ship: Black Watch |
Sailed:
May,
2009 |
| Destination: Baltic |
Age: 65+ |
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This was my first cruise experience - with Fred.Olsen to the Baltic at the end of May: chosen because it featured three days in St Petersburg and an unusual stop in Klaipeda with an afternoon shore tour to an ex-collective farm and an ex-pat's country home in Lithuania. All proved fascinating, as indeed were the other ports of call.
I like travelling to see the world and while a cruise ship can take you to many different places, it also cocoons you in a little world of its own; and if the ship's crew look after you very well (and they did), then you can end up not wanting to leave the ship!
Indeed, this was my experience on docking in Klaipeda on a damp, un-June like morning. However, one plus point of smallish cruise ships would seem to be the cameraderie induced on board,so that a small group of us ended up enjoying the stalls in the main square of the cosy port town, and the short walk back to the ship - under umbrellas.
Yes, Fred.Olsen did provide me with a unique and enjoyable holiday - much more social than usual and without the stress of airport travelling.
The Black Watch, even as a smaller ship, does try hard to cater for a wide variety of tastes - from those who don't want to do much to those who do - and I was happy with those events which appealed to me, particularly the incisive talks on the ports of call, the moving background lecture on the Siege of Leningrad, the cheerful ballroom/line dancing lessons and the collaborative jokey quiz sessions. I enjoyed throwing quoits somewhere on the deck on the sunny days, came to admire the energetic but well-disciplined seven-person show troupe in a variety of quick-change costumes and routines of an evening, and thoroughly enjoyed the the ship's crew's own own authentic and well-choreographed show.
One major gripe: none of the films/videos shown in the small theatre below deck seemed to relate to any of the places visited - yet films can provide a wonderful way of re-imagining new places and giving insight into a culture. An opportunity missed to my mind. But all in all a truly memorable experience - and I have the ship's own video take of the cruise to provide a useful added reminder.
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