Amakatarina Now

Boat is great. Don't believe the Canadian guy. Food is pedestrian, but not the fault of AMA, the fault of Russian government regulations. Will give you more details later. WiFi isn't great and we are all full of vodka from a vodka and blini tasting.

Scenery is great. AMA has done a spectacular job of seminars and informational talks. We learned to cook blinis today.

Crew and personnel are wonderful. Soups are really special. Salads are great. Cabin has more than ample storage space. We can brush our teeth with the water but not drink it. The water is not yellow. Canadian guy is wrong.

I will post more when we get home as WiFi is spotty and we have just come from vodka tasting and I'm not concentrating all that well ;)

Hi Janet,

Thanks for posting your initial report. We are all a little relieved after reading your post since someone else just posted another negative one from a cruise after yours. Have a great time and I look forward to your long report when you return. They must be reading the comment cards!!!!

Sheila

I am glad to hear the good report. I was getting concerned from reading the other thread.

Looking forward to more!

Glad to hear your report. Keep them coming. The other guy was making me worried.

Kellie, please keep your impressions coming. I won't for a minute dismiss the concerns on the previous post. They are part of the package. But it is great to have your perspective. We plan to do this trip sometime and we want to make the best choice regarding ships. We recognize that one has to make some adjustments in the expectations department on a Russian river cruise. It is good to know you are impressed with the ship. Our excellent TA recommends AMA because of the ship. We are totally eager to learn your impressions of why the food is a bit "off." Is it your impression that the Russian college students working the dining venues have learned on the job? (We cruised the Celebrity Xpedition in the Galapagos Islands. The crew in the dining room were "green" locals but they made up for their lack of experience by their cheerfulness and eagerness to please.)

Janet - Thanks for taking precious time on the river cruise to post. When you get home and can do a more detailed review, we anticipate excellent information from you.

We are interested in the design of the bathroom, as your Canadian friend made it seem like the shower is just a corner of the room with a shower curtain. That is certainly consistent with the "old" design of riverboat bathrooms. Is the shower in fact a shower stall with a door or curtain? Or is it one of those designs where everything else in the bathroom gets wet when you take a shower?

Can you stow luggage under the bed?

Have fun with the vodka and blinis. We look forward to reading your review when you're at home and content with Jack Daniels (which, of course, is not from Texas but always seemed to be a favorite of my friends there).

Cheers, Fred

I imagine that the bathroom is such that a man can do the three s's all at one time.

Dear Janet....

Thanks for all the good news! Now, go have fun and update us later.

Dee & Dennis

Bathroom is NOT a SSS. Room for one to shower and one to use the basin. drain is in the shower, not the center of the room.

Food is good, not great. One or two disappointments. The Russi8ans don't do seasoning. American "chef" is a consultant and he's frustrated too.

Everything is wonderful. scenery is spectacular. Sheila, the cabin is in a great location.

Marina, the cruise director and her staff are absolutely fabulous. No problems with gentle walker tours at all!

More later

Bathroom is NOT a SSS. Room for one to shower and one to use the basin. drain is in the shower, not the center of the room.

 

Food is good, not great. One or two disappointments. The Russi8ans don't do seasoning. American "chef" is a consultant and he's frustrated too.

 

Everything is wonderful. scenery is spectacular. Sheila, the cabin is in a great location.

 

Marina, the cruise director and her staff are absolutely fabulous. No problems with gentle walker tours at all!

 

More later

No seasoning, should we take our own tobasco sauce?

No seasoning, should we take our own tobasco sauce?

You know, that is an excellent idea. I will remember it.

Hi,

So glad to get more info from you and very happy that you are enjoying your river cruise. How is your husband doing with the choices of food? Someone said that they called AMA and was told that they would be charging for the wi-fi on the Katarina. True or not?

Best regards,

Sheila

Hi Janet -- So happy to hear that you are having a terrific time, especially after all the negative press about the boat! I'm not worried about food, service, etc., only about noise from the Panorama Lounge in cabins below. All sold out for 7/14, so we can't switch at this point. Would greatly appreciate anything you can share about noise from the Lounge, especially after 10:00pm. Vodka tastings will be fine, no complaints because we'll be there!

Enjoy...

Bathroom is NOT a SSS. Room for one to shower and one to use the basin. drain is in the shower, not the center of the room.

 

Food is good, not great. One or two disappointments. The Russi8ans don't do seasoning. American "chef" is a consultant and he's frustrated too.

 

Everything is wonderful. scenery is spectacular. Sheila, the cabin is in a great location.

 

Marina, the cruise director and her staff are absolutely fabulous. No problems with gentle walker tours at all!

 

More later

GOOD AFTERNOON "AMA WATERWAYS - KATARINA SHIPMATES"!!!

We feel so blessed to have Janet (Kellie Poodle) & Hubby... currently sailing on the "Katarina"!!! Just tell us whatever you can but please provide a detailed review upon your return... we want you to enjoy your Cruise & "Russian Adventure"!!! :)

Hi I'm Gladys Marie (also "Diabetic") & my friend Gail... we will be traveling Sept. 7th (long day & 1/2 from Western Canada) for the Sept. 8th - 19th, 2011 - St. Petersburgh to Moscow itinerary... staying in Balcony Cabin 209 (mid-ship 2nd level)... Janet are you staying close to this Cabin? We will be "Cruising" with Sheila (shoshona2) & Hubby and Dee (MizzDEE MD) & Hubby... approx. 8 (so far - "Cruise Critics")... certainly hoping if there are improvements needed!?... they will be done by the time we "embark" onto "Katarina"!? Was quite worried & had many concerns when I read the previous reviews!? I do hope this is just AMA - Russia "growing pains" & that things will improve!? ;):)

Looking forward to your "complete review" & then we can ask you more questions!? Safe travels & enjoy this "Russian Experience"!!! :)

til later... Gladys Marie (msfancy) & Gail

Hi,

 

So glad to get more info from you and very happy that you are enjoying your river cruise. How is your husband doing with the choices of food? Someone said that they called AMA and was told that they would be charging for the wi-fi on the Katarina. True or not?

 

Best regards,

Sheila

Not, WiFi is free,at least now.

Husband is doing great with food. We had Russian dinner one night and he was disappointed because borscht was hot. I somehow wound up with the American chef consultant one night and later the chef, Lydia and we were promised cold orscht for him on Ukranian night.Tonight Chef Anthony came out to make sure he wanted his cold borscht and he got it.

They are really trying hard to keep everyone happy.

Hi again Janet,

I am so happy since my DH is looking forward to borst. I hope Chef Anthony is still there on our sailing!!! Maybe he can get it the way his grandmother and mother made it. I'm the one with the family from Russia and it doesn't matter to me which way they make it. I like it either cold or hot! Maybe I'll be able to leave my almond butter and breakfast bars home since the food is improving!

Sheila

Janet and Sheila,

If the food on board is unseasoned, is that because Russian food is generally not seasoned?

"We can brush our teeth with the water but not drink it. " was reported in the first post.

I'm curious about this. My understanding has always been, if you can't drink the water then don't use it for brushing teeth (or washing fruit) for that matter.

Is this incorrect?

Hi 4774Papa,

The last time I was in St. Petersburg was 2003 and the food was seasoned. We even ate at a very nice family's apartment for lunch one day. My DH couldn't eat the borst because they put red peppers in it and he's allergic to all peppers. When I told him about the borst on the ship, he was most happy. He'll ask them not to add peppers. His grandmother and mother never used them in borst. Our meals in restaurants were fine. Don't know what this ship's problem is. Kellie will let us know when she returns.

Sheila

I am not picky, but I cannot find borst to be worth eating. Just my thing.

Hi again 4774Papa,

You probably weren't raised on Russian or Romanian foods. There must be some kind of food you think worth eating. I don't cruise for the food, but if it's good that's a great bonus. If I want good food, I would go back to Crystal and eat at Nobu's Asian restaurant every night!!

Happy cruising!

Sheila

Janet and Sheila,

If the food on board is unseasoned, is that because Russian food is generally not seasoned?

When we were in St Petersburg 3 years ago, the food was excellent and well seasoned in every restaurant we ate at. I think it must be something with the people cooking on the boat.

Hi RachelG,

Enjoyed reading your blog from the ship on your river boat cruise. I agree with you about the food on the ship. It's the people cooking it.

Sheila

"We can brush our teeth with the water but not drink it. " was reported in the first post.

 

 

I'm curious about this. My understanding has always been, if you can't drink the water then don't use it for brushing teeth (or washing fruit) for that matter.

 

Is this incorrect?

It's my understanding also that if it's not suitable for drinking - you don't put it in your mouth. AMA's brochure says the water is potable: that means safe to drink. When we got there they said don't drink it, but it's OK to brush your teeth! The original post on this thread mentioned that I said the water is yellow. I didn't and it isn't. If you fill a basin with it for shaving, you'll notice a distinct rust colour. This does not necessarily mean a health hazard, but I don't know what kind of filtration plant they have on board, so we stuck to bottled water for drinking and teeth brushing.