2008 Passengers - please note that
these notes will be updated in late May/June, 2008
Just now we are also reconsidering
how to deal with the weight of second checked bags of Humanitarian Aid
in view of the increasingly
problematical world fuel shortage
A new Aid strategy is being prepared
Notes in Preparation for
the 2007 Cruise (revised Aug 24, 2007)
1. Emergency Numbers:
Communication
Direct Phone and Fax to Reception on the Dnieper Princess, the cruise
ship
Phone 011-380-50-384-4505
Fax: 011-380-50-314-7637
Chervona Ruta Cruise Company Offices, Kiev
+380 44 253 6909. 253-5236, 253-3792, 253-34003, 253-3404.
E-mail: office@ruta-cruise.com
There are no visa requirements for citizens of the EU, Canada, USA.
These were abolished in 2005. Customs & Immigration entry is
relatively simple and quick.
There is no e-mail connection on the ship. There are several Internet
Cafes in cities along the route. We advise passenger to inform friends
and relatives that it will be difficult for you to send messages home
during the cruise. Nonetheless we know how to deal with emergency
communication. It is important to note that most North American cell
phones do not work in Ukraine. If you are technically advanced,
there are a number of ways to achieve mobile
(cell) phone accessibility in Ukraine.
2. Currency:
Hint: Bring recent U.S. dollar bills or the new Euros in cash in a body
money belt. Ukrainian banks are obsessed
about not accepting older US bills or bills with marks on them. 50s are
better than 100s, plus smaller denominations. Do not bring Canadian
money. Travelers checks are not generally accepted, but bank cash
stations are proliferating and give reasonably good exchange rates . We
suggest you take along $500 USD or 400 Euros per person, more if you
are participating in private trips and intend to do some serious
shopping for friends and family. The currency in Ukraine is
called Hryvnia (pronounced "grieve-na"): one U.S. dollar = approx. 4.6
Hryvnia or UAH; one Canadian $ = 4.57 UAH, one Euro = 7.3 UAH. There
are
exchange kiosks everywhere. You can pay ship bar bills with VISA or
Mastercard.
Credit cards are generally accepted but remember your home bank charges
you multiple exchange and transaction fees. Marina and I have
learned to bring cash (Walter).
3. Tipping on the Cruise:
Hint: Most tipping is done for you. Tipping in a strange country is
often a nightmare for North Americans. We have tried to help you. Most
tipping fees are included in your cruise package. All the boat-related
tips are handled directly by Marina and Walter. The excursion-related
tips (to guides & drivers) will be handled by our resource leaders.
Exceptions: On services you incur yourself, such as bar bills, laundry
or special requests of ship’s staff, tipping is expected. You may also
want to take off on your own excursions, apart from the cruise
itinerary. If you do, you are on your own for cab costs, museum
entrance fees, tipping, etc. See also #12 Private Excursions.
4. Things to Buy:
Hint: If you see something you really like, buy it. You will not likely
see it again. Street purchases can generally be made in US dollars or
Euros. Some shops will bargain, others will not. Street vendors expect
to haggle. Since you will want to bring home some souvenirs and small
gifts of quality, some shopping opportunities are included in the
itinerary. You will find treasures in the shops and street markets
of Odessa, Zaporozhye and Kiev as well as the museum
shops at Livadia Palace and Vorontsov Palace in Yalta.
5. Cabins on the Ship:
Hint: Bring soap, shampoo, wash cloths. The ship cabins are small but
well designed, with ample storage space. The bathrooms have an unusual
but eminently sensible design. The entire bathroom becomes a shower!
Just remember to draw the curtain in front of the toilet and the door.
Towels are not of North American quality but are replaced daily. There
are no wash cloths. The soap may not be to your liking.
6. Medical, Health, Food Issues:
Hint: Bring tea bags , instant coffee, plastic water bottle and
sunblock: There is a ship's doctor on board.
The passenger list includes medical specialists and many experienced
nurses. If you have any special health problems, you will want to
discuss the trip in advance with your own physician. Bring plenty of
imodium tablets. The excursions are not strenuous but there is some
walking involved. Bring packaged tiny wet towelettes to clean up from
time to time. “Purell”, a liquid hand sanitizer which is applied
and then simply evaporates, is excellent. There are no special shots
required for Ukraine. The locally grown fruit and vegetables served
onboard are really very fine and you will find the ship restaurant
reliable. Do not drink from the taps. Bottled water can be bought at
street kiosks (simply called Voda) and on the ship. The ship will
supply bottled mineral water with your bagged lunches at Zaporozhye.
The ship supplies three meals a day. Unlike a Caribbean cruise, this
ship does not offer non-stop eating. Note: bottled water, soft drinks
and wines will be an additional charge at mealtimes; coffee and tea are
included. Bring along your favorite sunblock. Californians have learned
to pack dried fruit for snacks.
7. Weather and Suitable Clothing, voltage on the
ship:
Hint: Bring layered cottons, hat or cap, waterproof jacket and good
walking shoes. It will be autumn. Days will probably still be warm but
evenings cool. Bring a sweater and a warm shirt or two. The ship
is air-conditioned.. There is a room equipped for ironing. The cruise
is very informal. There will be one occasion - the captain's dinner -
to dress up. The dressiest you need to be is jacket with optional tie.
We will attend a few occasions off the ship. People dress very simply.
Out of respect, do not wear shorts on the 2 or 3 days when we visit
Orthodox churches. A daily itinerary will be delivered to your cabin
over night. There is a basic laundry service on the ship.
Electricity on the boat is 220 volts, 50 hz., plugs are recessed &
require the round European posts (same as required for Germany). Most
recent hair dryers have voltage options for both 220 or 110 volts.
Please check this before you rush off to buy a voltage converter for
the cruise. Similarly, most recent laptops and digital camera
re-chargers can deal with both voltages. In which case all you need is
the appropriate plug adapter .
8. Taking Pictures, Video:
Hint: bring lots and lots of film: There will often be a $1 fee
for still photos in churches & museums and $5 for video. Take along
lots of film - much more than you think you will need, along with
appropriate spare batteries. We will have a video unit on board
- the Kuzyks. Their NTSC (North American) videos will be ready by
the time we disembark in Odessa. Cost: about $30 US each. The video
unit will also offer still photos and a DVD version of the cruise video.
9. Security & Assistance:
Hint: Your rooms are safe; excursions are well organized . Security on
the MS Dnieper Princess is good. Cruise Director Galyna Zadorovska will
go through the key instructions on opening night. Basically, you have
the only key to your room. If you want your room made up, leave your
key at the reception desk. Also make sure to leave the key at the desk
during excursions. There is a ship's safe. Since the cruise is
extremely casual, you do not need to bring valuable jewelry. Our own
resource leaders along with the guides, will make sure you are present
and cared for on all excursions.
10. Special gifts and Humanitarian Aid: (see below)
In this mailing we provide baggage tags. Insert the appropriate color
on the side which says “Mennonite Heritage Cruise”. These bags will go
directly to special lockups on the ship and be delivered from there.
Baggage tags without any color cards will be delivered automatically to
your cabin on the ship:
11. Tax receipts for Ukraine Mennonite Agencies (this information will
be given on the ship)
You will also be invited to think about creating your own project for
Ukraine. Many former passengers have done so. Many have also given
generously to Ukraine historical archive projects, of which this cruise
is a beneficiary.
12. Private
Excursions:
Hint: take along some extra cash. We now have many ways in which
you can organize small private trips. Rates for car, driver and guide
are approx. $35 US per hour. A typical full day trip with car, driver
and interpreter will cost US$ 245 plus 10% tip to the guide and 5% tip
to the driver.
13. Finally, be patient - Ukrainians are really trying:
Hint: Be prepared for the unexpected despite meticulous planning:
Life in this part of the former Soviet Union is still challenging and
often haphazard for the citizens, let alone for the
tourists. There are few roads in Ukraine we would really call a
freeway. The phone system is often unreliable. And yet friends - if you
come with the right attitude - you will have the greatest experience of
your life! The Ukrainian people are warm and generous. It is perfectly
safe to travel in Ukraine, especially in our fashion. We have
consciously chosen a cruise ship to make this trip a satisfying
communal experience. We look forward to greeting you on the Dnieper
Princess. Over two thousand Mennonite pilgrims ahead of you all had a
great time. Many of them told you about it and that's why you're now
coming too.
Humanitarian Aid and the Cruise
First of all, there is no requirement or expectation of passengers to
participate in bringing aid items. Some of you have itineraries that
will mitigate against bringing extra bags of aid.
During our first cruise back in 1995, the passengers were deeply moved
by the needs of many of the people they met, especially in the former
Mennonite villages: “We wish we had known what we could bring
along.” And so, over the years, a cruise humanitarian aid
dimension was developed.
On the last cruise the most welcome gifts were non-prescription drugs
and school supplies. They were generally given to churches, schools and
trusted agencies rather than to individual people, thus insuring fair
distribution.
In this mailing please note the colour coded tags for these bags for
the following destinations:
Red - Zaporozhye Mennonite Church
Blue - Mennonite Centre in Ukraine
at Halbstadt/Molochansk (wide distribution network including
Petershagen church, schools, hospitals, clinics and orphanages in
Molochna and beyond)
Green - village schools in many
places you will visit
Yellow - Christian Medical Association
of Ukraine (Zaporozhye Oblast):
Suggested Aid categories:
a) Personal hygiene items for individual children and adults in a
ziploc bag: soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, combs, hair brushes, shampoo,
mirror, lotion, face cloth, generic painkillers & multi-vitamins.
You cannot bring enough of these packages.
b) Sunday school and village school handicraft & art supplies:
paints (water and poster) and brushes, modeling clay/plasticine,
scissors, glue, pens, pencils, pencil crayons, pencil sharpeners,
rulers, felt markers, crayons, construction paper, felt pieces, beads,
glitter, small notebooks, materials to make banners. If you are
collecting these items, keep some or most of them in your cabin to take
with you on village school visits.
c) Non-prescription drugs: generic painkillers, multi-vitamins for
adults, babies, children and also for pregnant women (50+ vitamins are
much prized), sunscreen, lotions, basic first aid supplies.
d) If you have medical contacts, sutures for clinics and hospitals are
desperately needed
We do not recommend giving gifts, especially candy, to children on
village streets, It encourages begging. You will visit a number of
schools. The guide and/or resource leader will gather any gifts you
want to give at that time and present them to the principal for equal
distribution. The poor but hospitable villagers will often offer you
small gifts of food. You may or may not want to accept them, but do
both with a smile. You are not expected to reciprocate. Please allow
Ukrainians their dignity.
e) Childrens
toys New Sep 10 A
request from Mennonite Centre in Ukraine (Ben and Linda Stobbe):
We have spoken to two
kindergarten principals regarding toys for children and this is what
they suggest:
- small cars, trucks, buses
- soft cuddly teddy-bear type toys
- Lego (big and small)
- dolls, including accessories such as combs and hairbrushes
- puzzles
- markers, pencils, paints, plasticine
- skipping ropes
- tea sets
- doll furniture
- table games
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