’Tis the season to be connecting with friends and family, right? In the course of doing just that, we were chatting with Cousin Cathie, who lives in Houston and who likes to spend time on cruise ships.
She’s a big fan of Royal Caribbean and this year, she spent two weeks on one of the ships “of the Seas” (we think it was Serenade of the Seas), which she boarded in Copenhagen. After a trip up the coast of Norway, the ship stopped at St. Petersburg.
Having done her homework, Cousin Cathie picked this cruise because it was going to be in St. Pete for three days. Most cruises that stop there, she said, only stay for a day and a 
half…two at the most. Her studies indicated she’d need three days to see what she wanted to see: the Hermitage (above), Catherine The Great’s Palace, Peter’s Harbor, and her agenda even included a river cruise.
Never having seen St. Petersburg, we were fascinated, especially after hearing of its people (she loved them), its sights and even its opulence. St. Petersburg has been called as the most western city in Russia and not just because of its geographical location.
So here is one more example of how another person’s experience in cruising can influence your interests in going somewhere. And when we do get to this Russian port, we’ll toast Cousin Cathie as our Catherine The Great.
Today at portsandbows.com: Enlightening fine print in cruise contracts
Star Princess
15 nights
February 27, 2015
San Francisco (return): Ensenada, Honolulu, Hilo, Lahaina, Nawilili
Inside: $1,299
Cost per day: $86
www.princess.com