FUN-travel: Moscow – Day 1
July 7, 2014 by Susan Clarke
New Maiden Cemetery, Moscow
Day 3 – Thursday, July 3 – Moscow – blue skies – 70’s – sunrise 4:56 am – sunset 10:12 pm
What I LIKE
- World Traveler = Premium Coach – what biz class used to be 10 yrs ago
- Saved 15,000 pts + $$
- Served the same meal that biz class got
- Only 3 + hr flight
- BA flight attendants give us 2 bottles of Taittinger Champagne to take w/us
- 4:00 am – arrive early
- Breeze thru customs & out by 4:30
- 4:50 – head back to arrivals area & find our guide w/sign
- 5:00 – take off for ship
- 6:00 – arrive
- 8:30 – passenger from prior cruise suggests we go get breakfast
- Wandered how I was going to make it thru day w/o food
- Uniworld gives us $200 shipboard credit to compensate private transfer
- Get room upgrade – ship not full – cancellations due to Ukraine turmoil
- 10:30 – front desk lets us into our room early
- I have my eye mask
- Go to sleep!
- 4:30 – wake up
- 6:00 – happy hour martini $13
- 7:00 – dinner – nicoise salad & French onion soup – Italian wine not good
- Lady @ next table complains & gets Shiraz
- I take her lead and get that too!
- 10:00 – take sleeping pill
What I DON’T LIKE
- Uniworld rep is not there to greet us
- Walk outside to look for driver
- Start freaking out as no one speaks English @ Information
- Uniworld includes transfers if flight is between 6 am & 8 pm
- Costs $179 for private transfer
- Exhausted & room check-in not until 3 pm
- Upgraded 2 categories but lost 30 sq ft
- Room pretty small – 135 sq ft – typical of river cruise ships
- No black out shades & its light 20 hrs per day
FUN-fact – We book the least expensive rooms on cruises and have been very lucky in getting upgrades. As I always say, “You can’t wear an upgrade.” This is our 2nd Uniworld Cruise.
GUM on Red Square