Why consider a tour company? Book directly with a river cruise company such as AMA Waterways, Viking.

You can stay in St. Petersburg and Moscow on your own before and/or after the cruise if the river cruise companies don't offer it. I highly recommend doing this. A good hotel will have quality concierges to help you plan your days, arrange tours, etc. It's a wonderful trip, fascinating culture.

I can recommend this Aventura Travel agency. They offer different programs, including Shore Excursions, that you need.
It's seem to me, this informstion will be helpfull for you: http://ansaguide.com/shore_exursions/programs/#three

We did Grand Circle. Loved it. Your age is consideration, in my 50's I was one of the youngest aboard. They used to have an option to stay in a hotel but not anymore. The ship is very comfortable and I believe the subway is very close to the port. Subway is very easy to use. If you would like $100 off, ask me for my member number. Totally optional, I still recommend them.

So disappointed we wont be able to do a river cruise in April/May.......there just aren't any available on our dates. AND do any cruises offer just the cruise componant without the 3-4 days in Moscow/St Petersburg? It makes it too long for some.

aussie - Do you mean do any of the cruises only go between Moscow and St. Pete's but don't spend time in the docks there? Do you mean to go to Russia without really seeing or spending time in either of these magnificent cities? Why would you want that? I guess I don't understand.

Happy Trvlr:

When you came a few days earlier before the River Cruise in either Moscow or St. Petersburg, did you have to obtain your own Visa for those days before the Cruise.?

I know the River Cruise handles your Visa problem if you come on the day of the River Cruise as they pick you up at the Airport, but what about those days before the cruise
Thanks

ttt

We're taking a 12 day, St. Petersburg to Moscow, with Gate 1 on the Zasimo Shashkov. Our cruise was $1499 pp during a special sale. With flights, taxes, insurance, etc., the total was $5459 for the two of us. It's no frills, but from reading comments from others who've taken this riverboat cruise through Gate 1, it's very enjoyable and comfortable.They say the food is good, staff is personable and knowledgable,you have your own bathroom and fridge. Ours departs May 24. There are still cabins available last time I checked. Might be worth looking into if that fits your budget and timeline.

jmvp-For a riverboat cruise through Russia a visa is required. I think it has to do with the number of nights we spend in Russia. It's my understanding that passengers from cruiseships are given a visa for the day through the cruiseship, but for riverboat passengers spending several days and nights there, a regular visa is needed.

1965

I thought that on a Russian River cruise , the River Cruise Company handles the Visa for you and they are responsible for you during the tours off the Cruise Boat.

If you take a Cruise ship tour to St. Petersburg, like a Baltic Cruise, then you do not Physically need to get a Visa IF YOU take a tour with a private tour guide from St. Petersburg.

The Tour in St. Petersburg handles the Visa problem for you.

This does not mean that you do not need a Visa ( as everyone does) only that the tour company handles that aspect for you.

Therefore you cannot go wandering about on your own , but only with the tour company.

I am wondering if a Riverboat cruise like with Uniworld or Waterways handles the Visa for you also.?

Everyone who has posted on cruisecritic about their riverboat cruises through Russia says they had to get a visa. Gate 1 also told me that when I booked, and it's on my paperwork that a visa is required. Gate 1 told me they will help me through the process if I have questions, they recommended a company they feel is reliable for the process. But they don't take care of it for me. It's my responsibility.
There will be included guided tours in the ports, but we are also free to explore on our own without them. In the port descriptions they state "you are free to explore on your own." I wish you were right, as some of the posters say that getting a Russian visa is a long detailed process.

Percy - probably the best way to get an answer to your question is to contact the tour companies directly and ask the company. They have up to the minute information.

Thanks adrienne, I guess I better do that.

1965:

If you are able to go exploring on your own you need to get the Visa.

I did not get my own Visa when I cruised to St. Petersburg because I had local Alla Tours Company tour me around all day long.

Alla handled the Visa problem totally.

1965 - Any review I've read about Gate 1's Russian River cruise and the opinions told me by my FIL and BIL who did this cruise in July, have said that the food was pretty terrible. Gate 1 does not own the ship so there are various tour groups that use it (at the same time). They said the ship itself was somewhat run down and the rooms teeny tiny, however, the guides were wonderful.

Just to let you know.

BTW - we did a Russian River Cruise through Viking and yes, we had to get our own Visa, although Viking helped with information. We went on the day tours that came with the Viking package, but we also ran around Moscow and St. Pete's on our own during our free time/days. Whether or not you "run around on your own" like we did, you HAVE to get your own Visa. It's different from the big cruise ships' Baltic cruises.

Thanks kenav that is the answer I was looking for.

How much hassle to get a Visa?

There is a lot of confusing information on this, mixing interior visits with cruise passengers in St Petersburg who have a 72 hour visa waiver if booking with a local tour operator as host and sponsor.
For a river cruise, you need a Russian visa in your passport.
Depending on who you book with, you might get assistance or might not, since the only two classes of sponsors for Tourist Visas, good for up to 30 Day, is an authorized hotel or an authorized Russian Tour operator. Not all hotels or tour operators are authorized to host and sponsor foreign guests. Guides are not either. The cruise line should supply a double document that is called Visa Support. You include that document, along with your passport, a visa/passport type photo, a completed application form(which is filled out on-line then printed on your own printer by going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site in Moscow -- http://evisa.kdmid.ru/ --), and your consular fee. The exact procedure is dependent on your citizenship since some consulates require sending your application to a visa processing center who in turn sends it in bulk with others to the consulate for processing.
River cruises are offered by 3 main companies who own boats, all the others act as sales agents. The cruise line included excursions in each town, village or city along the way. The beginning or end for most cruises is St Petersburg and Moscow. The ships take passengers aboard for 2 nights and take excursions, either included or as options, and on the third day shove off for the cruise in the afternoon. Most visit ashore at Mandrogui, Kizhi, Goritsy, Yaroslovl, Uglich and then Moscow or reverse order. The same accommodations are used at the end where there is a bus tour and usually Kremlin and 1 cathedral. The tours are pretty minimal, not what most visitors would have booked or planned for themselves for parts of 3 days in each city.
There 2 types of boats, a more traditional river cruise boat and the other has same general exterior but modern stylish interior like Viking uses but at double or triple the cost per cabin. When people ask me about river cruises I suggest they forget the bus tours and arrange for a hotel or apartment and comprehensive tours alone or with friends from the boat and not even board the boat until the afternoon it departs. In St Petersburg, it is not near the city center so there is no walking around exploring or taking in more than the basic bus sight seeing tour. It is a shame to come all this way and not get a really good overview of St Petersburg. I have arranged those many times, often arranging for city center apartments or hotels in the heart of the historic city center. If you have any questions about visas, the city or getting around. If anyone has problems with getting visas or official invitations, ask, I can send a Visa Support document to cover any length stay up to 30 days. The cruise ships only arrange for visa support for the 11 days in Russia so you have to leave the day the cruise ends.

am_expat - We did the Viking River Cruise and contrary to your comment about river cruises: "In St Petersburg, it is not near the city center so there is no walking around exploring or taking in more than the basic bus sight seeing tour. It is a shame to come all this way and not get a really good overview of St Petersburg."

We did walk around the city on our own. We took a bus that Viking supplied for us from the boat to a metro station and went into the city center. On another day we also stayed in the city center after seeing the Hermitage with the tour group.

Oh BTW - Viking has a new Russian River Cruise for 2013. You do the river cruise on the boat, but when in Moscow and St. Pete's you stay in hotels. They have the traditional cruise that we were on - staying on the the boat the whole time, and this new itinerary. Sounds great to me.