Boarding the Ingzar

Our flight from Amsterdam was uneventful.  I sort of felt strange going through Russian security though. Perhaps it was from growing up during the cold war and having seen too many spy movies. The uniformed personnel said little, merely stamped our documents and waived us through.  They were very efficient.   Polkova International Airport was not very crowded and as usual the Viking representative met us at the airport. This would be our second cruise with Viking Cruise Lines.  Our first had been a thoroughly delightful voyage from Amsterdam to Budapest. This cruise would be from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Many of our friends had openly questioned our wisdom about traveling to Russia, given the current Ukraine situation and Russian American relations. However, we paid them no heed.

About an hour and a half after landing we were aboard the Viking MV Ingvar. Our cabin was on the second deck almost directly above the dining room. On this ship we had opted for a room on the port side  with an accessible deck.  One of the things we like most about this mode of travel is the handling of the luggage. Once it was stored on the motorcoach which transported us from the airport, ships personnel carried it directly to our room. It's like moving into a hotel room that travels with you.

Dinner tends to be a welcome event for us on board.  Not only is is an opportunity to enjoy some great food and drink but open seating and a casual atmosphere is very conducive to making new friends.  The first night we had dinner with a couple of Mennonites and a woman from Maui with chronic wanderlust.  The lady Mennonite was the minister to a congregation in the midwest.We had the usual "welcome aboard" meeting in the lounge which also served as meeting room.  Crew introductions were made and we were informed about certain particulars of the cruise.  Who to see for what, mealtimes, safety regulations, et cetera.  There were 192 passengers and about one crewmember for each two passengers. One difference in this cruise from our previous was the inclusion of three onboard tour guides. After this informative gathering we went back to our room and continued settling in. This ship unlike the other ship had few 110 volt  outlets. But we had adapters with us to adapt the European style receptacles to our American plugs.  I had to check out the television remote.  (It has been said that I am addicted to television.) Shipboard television usually has local TV and maybe two English speaking stations. Normally, there are feeds from several onboard cameras as well. There are cameras on the bow and in the bar/meeting areas.  So if you don't get to the daily briefing, You can watch it on the television in your room. Staterooms are quite compact although we once stayed in a hotel room in the UK that was smaller. The bed was kingsize and flanked by an bedside table on either side.  There is a desk/vanity/whatever with a stool on which to sit. The wardrobe is built in  of course. The bath with shower is a model of efficiency.  There is a telephone and a smoke detector. Shipboard announcements are no longer made via the speakerphone in your cabin but announced in the passageways only.  It seems some passengers complained about hearing them in their cabins.  However, if you have your television on you may not hear the announcements at all. WIFI,which we have become accustomed to is "iffy".  It depends on where the ship is. We locked our passports in the safe and settled down to a good nights sleep.  It had been a long time since we left Goose Creek. Below is a look at our cabin.

(The bed had a duvet. I HATE duvets! The allow you to be either too cool (without) or too warm (covered).