Live from the Baltic Scenic cruise on MS1

[ipeeinthepool]

13 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

Hello all, made it on board Mein Schiff 1 yesterday, quite early this time, at around 2.30pm. The train journey went smooth and was quite nice, seeing all the scenery all through German from South to North. 

I was a thad early so had to wait until they started boarding. After that i was on board in about 10 minutes. Up to my cabin, where the key was waiting in a sealed envelope. 

I love this cabin, even though it is quite a walk from the elevators , which on the other hand suits me perfect, burn calories. The balcony is terrific. I do hope for a little sunshine to enjoy it. Here are some pictures: 

 

 

 

 

Is that an ashtray on the table?  If so, this cruise line might not be for me.

[mikkelhansen]

48 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

Is that an ashtray on the table?  If so, this cruise line might not be for me.

It appears that smoking is indeed allowed on balconies and verandahs.

 

An Bord der Mein Schiff ^® Flotte steht Ihre Gesundheit und die Sicherheit an erster Stelle. Deshalb sind alle Kabinen und viele öffentliche Räume Nichtraucherbereiche. Das Rauchen ist nur auf den eigenen Balkonen und Veranden sowie in den entsprechend gekennzeichneten Bereichen gestattet. Bitte werfen Sie keine Zigaretten oder andere Tabakwaren über Bord.

Onboard the Mein Schiff fleet your health and safety is our first priority. Therefore, all staterooms and most public spaces are non-smoking areas. Smoking is only allowed on balconies and verandahs as well as in the designated areas. Please don't throw cigarettes or other tobacco products overboard.

[ipeeinthepool]

13 minutes ago, mikkelhansen said:

It appears that smoking is indeed allowed on balconies and verandahs.

 

An Bord der Mein Schiff ^® Flotte steht Ihre Gesundheit und die Sicherheit an erster Stelle. Deshalb sind alle Kabinen und viele öffentliche Räume Nichtraucherbereiche. Das Rauchen ist nur auf den eigenen Balkonen und Veranden sowie in den entsprechend gekennzeichneten Bereichen gestattet. Bitte werfen Sie keine Zigaretten oder andere Tabakwaren über Bord.

Onboard the Mein Schiff fleet your health and safety is our first priority. Therefore, all staterooms and most public spaces are non-smoking areas. Smoking is only allowed on balconies and verandahs as well as in the designated areas. Please don't throw cigarettes or other tobacco products overboard.

 

Thanks, this would be a non-starter for me.  Everything else looks great.

[Germancruiser]

It is indeed allowed to smoke on ones balcony. Did not bother me at all- but i quite understand that for some smoking on balconies is a deal breaker. I do not smoke- and I spent a lot of time on my balcony- but never smelled smoke- but thats maybe because I have no neighbor, as only every other cabin or less are occupied. 

[Miaminice]

6 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Thanks, this would be a non-starter for me.  Everything else looks great.

I’m currently on board the sistership.

 

I am a non-smoker. Not a militant non-smoker (maybe I am) but I really dislike the smell. I can tell you that it didn’t bother me. Maybe we were lucky and we didn’t have a smoking neighbour.
 

 

[Germancruiser]

Sea Day 1:

 

Had breakfast in one of the MDRs- very nice- service very friendly and nice if a trifle, well how to put it- not very attentive - yes that might describe it best. Some orders forgotten. No sugar, no pepper- so such things- minor- but visible. 

 

A few rounds around the upper deck  where to follow- warmly dressed since we have brisk winds of level 7 since we left Kiel. 

I love it when I feel that I am really on board a moving ship. Some fellow passengers I overheard not so much. 

Walking - not jogging- mind - my body does not agree to jogging-  and one has to listen to ones body.. LOL. 

 

The have that nice elevated jogging track, which give a nice overview- pictures to follow- my computer has not yet all my pictures I took with my mobil- I have no idea why- but am a bit of a computer neandertal. 

 

Then to the lecture- a former tennis player gives tipps and hinsights for a more relaxing sleep. Very interesting and very good speaker- some parts one know but forgets- so it nice to bring them back to memory. Time well spent. 

 

Temperature check went quick and i passed muster. 

 

No lunch today- since my breakfast was quite enough to get me through he day until early afternoon. 

 

Spent a long time in the „ Diamond“- equivlaent to Eden - according to the pictures I saw. The Diamond here on MS1 and 2 a bit more subdued than Eden.  A very cosy- nice- relaxing place- in fact my favorite on board. 

 

Had also a cup of tea in the TUI BAR- now that is the part  of the ship I absolute do not like. The colors to bright, the chairs - modern - but very low and not really comfortable. Here they went a bit overboard with a modern design. Picture to follow. 

 

Dinner in the Italien / Seafood restaurant - Cucinare- also a Specialty Restaurant- the main course was great- Penne Caronara- Mein Schiff style- very nice. My starter, well that is a different story- and totally my own fault. I missread - yes i might need glases sometime in the future- so instead of Polo- chicken- I got polpo - Thuna - that went right back- all but for the vegies and rice. 

The waiters saw of course that my nice little bodyparts of said Polpo stayed untouched and so i told my misshapp - they very professional and told me they would have exchanged it.. but rice and vegies did nicely . 

 

The rest of the evening was spent reading and watching my fellow passengers- in discret way of course. LOL. 

 

Tomorrow should be the sailing through the Schären- little Islands on the way to Stockholm harbor- due to the strong winds we might not be able to do that- so it might turn out to be another sea days. The sailing through the Schären will be postponed then for Monday. 

 

Greetings to all and thanks for reading. 

 

[ipeeinthepool]

Thanks for bringing everyone along on your cruise.  Do you know how many passengers are onboard?

[Luckynana]

Hopefully the wind will calm down and you will be able to visit Stockholm Harbor.   I love that the waiters are so on top of things, happily offering to make sure we are enjoying our meals!  We surely are spoiled on our cruises!😁

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I've lost track.  Is Mein Schiff 1 the former Mercury?

 

LOVE that balcony!!!

[hcat]

And very sensible outdoor chairs

[LizikinsLivesToCruise]

I enjoyed your last report, and look forward to tagging along again. Thank you for including us!

[groryjm]

17 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

I've lost track.  Is Mein Schiff 1 the former Mercury?

 

LOVE that balcony!!!

I believe the old MS1/Mecury has been retired and the new MS1 is a new build

 

[shipgeeks]

Germancruiser, I always love your posts.  You are an excellent writer.

Polpo = octopus, right?  I would be unpleasantly surprised, too!

Please keep taking cruises, and please keep writing about them!

[PhillyTravelBug]

Happy Sailing! This is very exciting for the rest of us. It’s just need to read a live trip report again.

[Shadow9612]

So happy to be back on board with you @Germancruiser (well, through your live review).

 

I've been looking forward to this second cruise as I really enjoyed your last live review.

 

Wishing you a most enjoyable cruise 🛳! 

 

Thank you for taking the time to include us all in your journey. 

[wrk2cruise]

14 hours ago, groryjm said:

I believe the old MS1/Mecury has been retired and the new MS1 is a new build

 

 

MS 1 was the Galaxy and has been replaced by a new build in 2018.  MS 2 was the Mercury but was also replaced by a new build but the Mercury is still in the fleet as MS Herz.   Galaxy now sails as Marella Explorer.

[TeeRick]

On 10/4/2020 at 1:37 AM, Germancruiser said:

Sea Day 1:

 

Had breakfast in one of the MDRs- very nice- service very friendly and nice if a trifle, well how to put it- not very attentive - yes that might describe it best. Some orders forgotten. No sugar, no pepper- so such things- minor- but visible. 

 

A few rounds around the upper deck  where to follow- warmly dressed since we have brisk winds of level 7 since we left Kiel. 

I love it when I feel that I am really on board a moving ship. Some fellow passengers I overheard not so much. 

Walking - not jogging- mind - my body does not agree to jogging-  and one has to listen to ones body.. LOL. 

 

The have that nice elevated jogging track, which give a nice overview- pictures to follow- my computer has not yet all my pictures I took with my mobil- I have no idea why- but am a bit of a computer neandertal. 

 

Then to the lecture- a former tennis player gives tipps and hinsights for a more relaxing sleep. Very interesting and very good speaker- some parts one know but forgets- so it nice to bring them back to memory. Time well spent. 

 

Temperature check went quick and i passed muster. 

 

No lunch today- since my breakfast was quite enough to get me through he day until early afternoon. 

 

Spent a long time in the „ Diamond“- equivlaent to Eden - according to the pictures I saw. The Diamond here on MS1 and 2 a bit more subdued than Eden.  A very cosy- nice- relaxing place- in fact my favorite on board. 

 

Had also a cup of tea in the TUI BAR- now that is the part  of the ship I absolute do not like. The colors to bright, the chairs - modern - but very low and not really comfortable. Here they went a bit overboard with a modern design. Picture to follow. 

 

Dinner in the Italien / Seafood restaurant - Cucinare- also a Specialty Restaurant- the main course was great- Penne Caronara- Mein Schiff style- very nice. My starter, well that is a different story- and totally my own fault. I missread - yes i might need glases sometime in the future- so instead of Polo- chicken- I got polpo - Thuna - that went right back- all but for the vegies and rice. 

The waiters saw of course that my nice little bodyparts of said Polpo stayed untouched and so i told my misshapp - they very professional and told me they would have exchanged it.. but rice and vegies did nicely . 

 

The rest of the evening was spent reading and watching my fellow passengers- in discret way of course. LOL. 

 

Tomorrow should be the sailing through the Schären- little Islands on the way to Stockholm harbor- due to the strong winds we might not be able to do that- so it might turn out to be another sea days. The sailing through the Schären will be postponed then for Monday. 

 

Greetings to all and thanks for reading. 

 

How is the MDR set up?  How many per table?  How far apart are the tables?  

[Germancruiser]

Day 2 through Day 4

 

It was as predicted from the Captain himself- the winds were just so strong to make the passage through the Schären possible. We sailed up until the beginning of the Schären and turned around to spend the day at sea. 

The weather on monday ( today- in fact) should according to the fore cast be better- in it was. 

 

So the day spent at sea was quite relaxing and nice. Tried the Speciality Restaurant - The Esszimmer- for breakfast- cover charge was 6,50€ - and well worth it. Including the great views over the wake of the ship.

 

No Lunch on sunday- due to the late breakfast. Just a little something for tea time. That I took in another bar- or lounge- Day and Night Bistro is the name of it. 

 

Dinner was at Surf and Turf another one of the Speciality Restaurants- they have no cover charge on Tui Ships ( except for breakfast)  just as in any restaurant on land you pay what you choose. 

 

Ceasars Salad was my choice for a starter followed by a nice Filet Steak with mashed potatoes and sliced baked potatoes with two sauces- I am a little bit of a „ Sauce - Freak“- typical German one might say- LOL. Hollandaise and Peppercorn- very nice. Followed by Creme Brulee from Tonkabeans- to die for as the saying goes. 

 

After that it was almost time for my theater reservation. A in Germany well known Travestie- Star gave an hour long show. Miaminice might know him- since he was very popular in the 90s- Lilo Wonders. 

 

Great show so funny- this hour was gone at blink of an eye- some good laughs- even my usually reserved Country men burst into laughter. LOL. 

 

A nightcap in the Diamond Bar and I called it a day. 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Germancruiser

[Germancruiser]

Day 2 to 4 part two: 

 

The dinning room setup is quite quite different- tables very far apart- at least 2,5 m - some 8 feet is my guess. 

When traveling with family or friends you can sit with them at dinner. I see many solo travelers and couples sitting by themselves. So no mingling at dinner as usual- and as I do unter  „normal“ circumstances. 

Our world  is still far from normal - and I am grateful  to be able  to cruise at all in these troubled times. The leader of the last world might  is on the mend - so I heard. Good for him - i wish him and his First Lady a speedy recovery. 

What goes around comes around. 

 

Today- Monday- started out with lot´s of sunshine- so we started our journey to Stockholm at around 8.30am. Wonderful scenery  - almost magical. I did that tour once before on board Cunards Queen Elisabeth- and looked forward to do so again. 

 

The journey through the Schären takes about 5 or so hours. Best enjoyed while walking around the upper deck or in a nice sitting area sipping tea or a hot toady- the served some of those- one is favorite German one- Glühwein- a mix of whine and herbs - very popular at the Christmas Markets. I myself can t stand the stuff and prefer tea and hot chocolate- the later with a little twist... LOL. 

 

The usual schedule would have been to stay the night from sunday to monday docked in Stockholm- due the weather we docked for 1,5 hours the most. 

 

We had then to make room for our sister ship  Mein Schiff 2 which approched Stockholm behind us. So another meeting of the two Sister ships. I sailed MS 2 at the end of July and we met MS1- so this time it was visa verse. Very nice touch. 

 

During this meeting I felt for another time the difference between an all German ship and „ my usual ships „ Celebrity or Cunard. I expected cheering and noise and a big hello- since both ships came extreme close to on another- you could even see a massage going on at MS2. LOL. Nothing of the sort- just a few waves and one or two towels where waved- thats it. 

 

As much as I enjoy my voyage so far- I have to admit though- that I really miss the international flair. I made so many wonderful friends on board X and Cunard ships- all over the States- England - Australia.

 

I had a few nice chats with some fellow passengers though. But as on the last „ blue voyage“ I keep more to myself as I do usual, when traveling solo. For the obvious reasons. 

Where I go my Kindle goes. LOL. 

 

Tonight is - again- Dinner at „ The Esszimmer“ and then also again to the theater- I already made my reservation - tonight is „ Musical Night“ - a female Duo- i never heard of but love the melodies from Musicals. 

What I can not stand are magicans- never could. LOL.

More on the days to come. 

My pictures still are only on my mobil- the buggers wont transfers them to my I pad- hm- I have no idea why- I post them when they are available on my computer. 

Greetings

 

 

 

 

 

[Germancruiser]

 

I just posted the pictures via my mobil. 

This my favorite Specialty Restaurant „ The Esszimmer“ - or „ The Dinning Room“- as it translates: 

 

 

 

The covered part of the Prommenade Deck- adjoined to the Diamond Bar in the aft of the ship. 

 

 

Again parts of the „ The Esszimmer“

Edited October 5, 2020 by Germancruiser

[Germancruiser]

 

My favorite spot for reading and enjoying a cup of tea- the Diamond Bar The Tui Version of Eden is the very last picture. 

 

 

Some Lounges around the ship: 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Germancruiser

[Germancruiser]

Some comments to the Theater- If you like what they offer you have to make a reservation- I did it via my mobil and the Tui Cruises App. 

You can go also „ ad hook“ - but if its „ sold out“ - you can t get into.

They write down your cabin number ( as they do in every restaurant you go) and you will be shown to your seat by one of the usherers- no choosing of once seat for oneself. At least two seats next you- left and right are not occupied and the seats in front and behind are neither. 

[Germancruiser]

 

 

The „ Schären“ and some pictures from the open decks- the last pictures is the Mein Schiff 2 arriving behind us. 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Germancruiser

[Miaminice]

55 minutes ago, Germancruiser said:

My pictures still are only on my mobil- the buggers wont transfers them to my I pad- hm- I have no idea why- I post them when they are available on my computer. 

Greetings

 

Idrop? Had the same problem...

Log out of the MeinSchiff net on the receiving device (Ignore network) and it works...

[Germancruiser]

Thanks Miami- will try that. Do you know how to translate „ Glühwein“? I have no idea. LOL. 

I have to catch up on your „ Live from“  now. Got a bit behind . Hehe.