1. Diary of a Baltic Cruise. By Jayant Doshi
Saturday 31st
May : We reached Harrow Leisure
Centre by ten in the morning to catch our coach to
Harwich. What had started as a group of friends
booking a Baltic cruise, ultimately had exploded into
a large group of fifty five, and many others who
wanted to join in were disappointed. Two
participants, who were keenly waiting for the
holiday, had to cancel the cruise at the last minute. A
few meetings were held to sort out all the issues, and
prepare for all the excursions to ensure that everyone
enjoyed the holidays to the maximum. Some thought
that the cost of the excursions, on top of the cruise
cost, was going over the top, while others felt that
when you are visiting a place, one must make the
most of it and see it all. The fear that the coach may
not take all the baggage, were unfounded, and soon we were all set to leave on our cruise. One participant, who had to
cancel for personal reasons, came to wish us a happy holiday, and brought a packed lunch for us all. The coach trip was
pleasant as usual – lot of singing and jokes. We reached the port, and embarkation was smooth and swift. Once on board,
while waiting for our bags, some walked around to explore the cruise ship, while others went to see what food was on
offer. By the time bags arrived, and after unpacking them, it was almost time for dinner. Dinner was not as expected,
lacking spicy Indian items, the chef was contacted and arrangements were made for the rest of the cruise. Everyone went
to the show, and as it had been a long day, the gathering after the show did not take place and every one had an early
night.
Sunday 1st
June: The first day on the cruise ship was at sea. I woke up early, and with a few others, did some walking
on the deck, followed by a dip in the hot sea water indoor swimming pool, relaxation in Jacuzzi, sauna and a shower. I
found the shower so refreshing and powerful, that every day I would just come to the health club for my shower. This
became my routine through out the cruise. The day was relaxing with some games of bridge, leisurely lunch, the dinner
and then the show in the theatre. Being a large group we were allocated a large room where we all gathered and had some
group games.
Monday 2nd
June : Our first port of stop was Oslo, the capital of Norway which is famous for its fjords and Oslo is
located on one of these fjords. Our tour of the city included a visit to the ski museum, depicting the history of winter
sports, and the Olympic village where the winter Olympics took place. Our next visit was to Vigeland Sculpture Park – an
amazing 80 acre park containing hundreds of bronze and granite statutes of human beings depicting the whole cycle of
human life from birth to death. The sculptures were amazing and it would take more then a day to see each sculpture and
understand the meaning behind each one. That night some changes were made in dinner table seating. I was placed on a
small six seat table with two seats empty. That night I sat in the cruise cinema and watched a movie.
Tuesday 3rd
June: After the usual walk, swim and sauna, we got ready to tour our second stop on this cruise.
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, had its own charm. We took a different type of tour that took us through the city,
and through the country side to show us some famous castles and a royal palace. The tour included a drive along the coast
with many impressive manor houses. The weather was just right and the tours gave us an insight of cities which we might
never be visiting. The world famous statute of mermaid in the ocean was right near our ship and we took photos to our
satisfaction. On return from the tour many took a chance to use the swimming pool and jacuzzi. At dinner time we
suggested to others to swap places so that we can mix and know each other better. Our proposal did not get a positive
response, but one couple agreed to join us for dinner. We had a good laugh and that gave us an idea. If others are not
willing to swap, we can invite others to come to our table.
After the show, a gathering of all participants and
entertainment was at times half hearted and at times the late
hour deterred many from coming.
Wednesday 4th
June: Today was a long day for us. We
woke up quite early and got ready for our train journey to
Berlin. Three hour train journey either way became very
enjoyable with lots of singing and card games. The historical
city of Berlin, with its cold war dividing wall, and the
modern buildings, that have arisen on the ashes of the
bombardment of the last war, were impressive. We visited
the Checkpoint Charlie where the Americans kept a check on
their side of the Berlin city. We saw the point (Brandenberg

2. Gate) where the Berlin wall was knocked down which
heralded the end of communism and division of Berlin.
As we came late from our day trip, we had to do with
dinner on the top deck.
Thursday 5th
June: Today was the day of leisure as we
were at sea. Walking, swimming, sauna, and relaxed
activities were the order of the day. Some bridge was
arranged while others had a nap. At dinner time we had
two invitees at our table, and our table was rocking with
laughter. Introductions were made, and the talk was
mixed with lots of jokes and laughter. Other participants
on other tables were watching our table with keen
interest. We started getting requests for invitation. We
could not satisfy everyone, but each day we kept
inviting two members from other tables.
Friday 6th
June : Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the
smallest of the Baltic states, and under Soviet rule for long time, was our next port of call. Having done city tours often
enough, we decided to go for a different sort of excursion. Estonia, though very small in size, has plains, marshes and
forests with as many as 1500 lakes. We opted for a bog walk in the marshes. Many participants dropped out with the
thought of over five miles of walk, but it turned out to be an interesting and different sort of excursion. Wooden planks
had been set to make a path on the marshland which otherwise was soft like sponge. Everyone enjoyed the walk through
the marsh land, where watch towers were built to give a view of the beauty of the surrounding areas. On our way back we
all came off the coach to have a leisurely walk through the city. At dinner our dinner table became rowdy with lots of
laughter and demand to be invited overwhelmed us. We managed to invite only a few, but came to know them well
through introductions and chat intermingled with lots of jokes and laughter.
Saturday 7th
June & Sunday 8th
June: St Petersberg, the imperial city of Russia was our next stop where we were
going to spend two days. We experienced life in Russia in that our guide was not very helpful or co-operative, and some
of our scheduled visits to cathedrals were cancelled at short notice because they were suddenly closed. While driving
around the city, we noticed lots of roads closed suddenly and traffic that seemed to be worse then can be expected in such
a city. In two days it felt as if we were going round and round in circles on the same roads. We never got a feel of real
Russia as such. St Petersberg is famous for its imperial palaces, museums and cathedrals of Tsar era. We visited a few
palaces, one museum and one cathedral. The palaces and cathedrals were destroyed during the war by the Germans, and
lot of the contents were removed before the Germans came. From the extensive records which were kept of the decor
these palaces have been restored to their original glory, and the furniture has been put back in their places. The palaces,
specially the Hermitage, were impressive with lots of gold used in the décor. Hermitage is one of the biggest museums in
the world with over three million exhibits. It is so large with so many exhibits that it would take years to give justice to all
the exhibits. We had a boat cruise through the city. The highlight of the trip was the folklore show which was impressive
and gave an in-depth insight of the Russian culture. Next day also we toured some other palaces. A cathedral on the
itinerary could not be visited because it was closed for some reasons, and when an alternative was arranged, that also was
closed at short notice. We sailed that evening.
Monday 9th
June: It was time to turn round to head for home. Our next stop was the capital of Finland, Helsinki.
Originally almost every one had booked the excursion for this place, but an idea floated around that there was not much to
see, and on the day only fifteen of us were left. But this proved out to be the best day of our cruise. During the city tour
we visited a church carved out of solid rock. The church was
amazing and the way the church was carved out of a solid rock
mountain made it unique place of worship. After a tour of the
city, we were taken to a family run horse breeding farm. We
were given a little talk on how the farm developed, and how
the horses are bred. After that we were taken for lunch. Lunch
was served in a grand family house, with vegetarians in one
room, and others in another room. That was the best meal we
were served in the whole trip. After the meal we sat in the
verandah or walked round the garden while having our dessert
and our beverage. After the farm visit, we drove through the
country side to the historic little town of Porvoo. We had an
opportunity to walk through the narrow alleyways of this
historic small town. Those who came on this excursion had the
satisfaction of a wonderful day, and were full of praise when
they met others.

3. Tuesday 10th
June:: We come to Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, formed on hundreds of islands. The highlight of
the tour was a visit to a royal palace and the Vasa museum which was fascinating. Flagship Vasa sank on its maiden
voyage and has been recovered and restored to its original structure. The museum was interesting in the way the ship has
been preserved and the way its history has been presented. The city is well spread out with lot of greenery. Our excursion
also included a drive through the country side and visit to a small historical town where we visited a cathedral. In the
evening, we had booked a cocktail cruise while others took a trip to the ice bar. Our cocktail cruise was a total
disappointment. Seating was poor and we could hardly see outside the boat, and what we saw was exactly what had been
shown during the day trip. After the wonderful excursion in Helsinki, this was an anti-climax and a disappointing end to
our cruise.
We left Stockhom for Harwich next morning. That afternoon the highlight was passing under the longest bridge that
connects Sweden to Denmark. The next three days were at sea and every one made their own way of enjoying the
relaxing time. Some caught up with their sleep, while others had morning walks, swimming and health club use. During
the day, some played bridge, others walked around the
shops and lazed around, while others just rested. With
such a large group it was inevitable that it would split
into small groups; but somehow it felt as if a desire to
mix and know others was lacking. We had an evening
when everyone dressed in Indian attire, and photos were
taken in abundance. We had one evening of wonderful
entertainment. And as home approached, the time to say
byes came near. Promises of another such holiday were
made and those who had made new acquaintances
exchanged their contact details.
Overall, it was a wonderful holiday – relaxing yet
informative. We visited so many cities which we would
never have done otherwise. Each city would need lot
more then a day to appreciate, but something was better
then nothing. Just a cursory glance at those cities was all
the satisfaction we got, but otherwise we may never
have even visited those places. The cruise ship was
wonderful, but compared to other luxury cruise ships it lacked some of the amenities. The cabins were quite luxurious and
comfortable, though I hardly spent any time in the cabin.
(email : jubhai@aol.com – www.jayantdoshiwebs.com – photos on Kodak Gallery)