LynnieD

There seems to be more info on these trips here than on the Cruise forum, this is why I'm posting here.

If I opt for a trip that lodges the whole time on the riverboat, such as Gate 1 or Viking, how long is the trip from port to the sights in Moscow and in St. Petersburg?

I have read several trip reports from Grand Circle and they seem fabulous, but about 25% more expensive than Gate 1 (whom I've taken a Danube trip with) and Viking.


Thanks for the info,

Lynnie

jackandann

We took the Grand Circle "Russian Waterways" trip in September 2004. At that time, they used the ship as the hotel in both cities. As we recall, it took about 30 minutes to get into and out of the city in St.Petersburg, but up to 2 hours in Moscow. This was the worst city traffic that we have seen anyplace in the world. In St. Petersburg, the subway was close to the river port, but we never saw where the closest station was in Moscow. Staying at a hotel in Moscow would be well worth it, and, in both cities, it would give you a much better feel of the city. We would be glad to answer any questions. Even with the inconvenience of the buses, it was a wonderful trip, but it would have been better with the hotel stays.

Jack and Ann

jackandann

Lynnie,

We see that you have gone to Thailand. Moscow traffic is much worse than Bangkok.

Jack and Ann

sdtravels

We are going on GCT in May. When we signed up last year, GCT was much cheaper than Viking even after adding the optional tours. Also, GCT seems to have sales every now and then if your dates are flexible. GCT has hotel stays in the city which I opted for after reading some of Jack and Ann's prior posts. The cabins on the GCT tours were bigger for the price. Check it out again, you might not be comparing apples to apples.

LynnieD

Thanks for the replies, I see the need for staying in the cities.

I wasn't aware that GCT had sales. Our dates are very flexible so I'll check into that.

Lynnie

jackandann

Lynnie,

Most of the Grand Circle sales are last minute deals with trips that have not sold out. I don't know how often this happens with the Russian trips, although a few weeks before we went, we received a phone call from them offering a free upgrade from the cheapest cabin to the most expensive, apparently because it would be easier to sell the cheaper cabin. To take advantage of these last minute specials, you need to keep an eye on their web site. They say that they may post them any day of the week, but Wednesday seems to have the most activity. They also may sell very quickly after posting. We know that Gate 1 has very good air inclusive pricing, but are surprised that Viking is cheaper than Grand Circle.

Jack and Ann

annaguide

I would recommend to go for either Grand Circle or UniWorld. Cheaper is not always better.

letsgo39

Were you checking on the "rivercruise"forum on Cruisecritic? There are many posts on that forum regarding Russian River Cruises.
Also there are several very negative comments regarding Gate 1.

jrretired

We used Viking in sept 06 from Moscow to St. P. It was a great experience. The bus time from boat to city center is long on any line, as they all dock at the same place. You just have to put up with the traffic time. St Petersburg is less a problem than Moscow. Although we really liked Viking, we have friends who used Vantage Travel. you might compare them too.

LynnieD

I just got an email from Grand Circle with an anniversary offer of free airfare for the Russian cruise if booked before April 28th. Unfortunalty this offer is for 2008 and I'm going in 2009. Hopefully they will have this deal next year!!

sdtravels

Lynnie, if you want a specific date you might not want to wait for when they have a sale next year. Next year when you are ready to book think about paying in full up front. This will guarantee your price does not increae if air fare goes up and if there is a lower price for your date you will be guaranteed a refund.
We got $150 back per person on the trip we are taking in May when the price was reduced. Of course we couldn't get the free airfare since it isn't for the dates we want. I think they offer last minute type deals to fill up the boat.

Theresa

I did this trip last year on Amadeus. The traffic in Moscow and St. Petersburg is huge! We wasted a lot of time going back to the ship for lunch. I wish I had gone with a line that used hotels in these cities.

Make sure you look at everything that is included (shore excursions).

djkbooks

We had a wonderful experience with Viking. I liked staying on the ship the entire trip versus staying in hotels in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Our cabin was very comfortable with plenty of hot water, air conditioning, a small fridge, fun nightlife, and very good food (all imported). I'd heard/read too many problems with hotels, and various physical ailments due to local food. And, we only had to unpack and re-pack once. Find out whether hotel stays include all-buffet dining. I've heard/read they are not that good.

If I had it to do over, we would not have returned to the ship for the included lunch (you don't have to) some days. Breakfast was bountiful (though very early), and we could have managed nicely on a snack or light lunch and had a lot more time for exploring on our own.

Do a search on this forum for "Grand Circle". There are many favorable reviews. When I booked our trip, they had some serious problems and there were reports of very bad experiences, so we went with Viking after reading Rudy's "My River Cruise in Russia". (Do a search for that also.)

Hotel rates in Moscow, particularly, have skyrocketed, so the more economical trips are probably those where you stay on the ship.

Our trip was Moscow to St. Petersburg. We did not really have that much free time in Moscow, but the traffic wasn't that bad during our visit. Transportation to and from was provided each day by Viking. In St. Petersburg, we had a whole and a half day free, so we hired a private guide. You can get into St. Petersburg via a nearby metro station or take a tram that stops across from the dock. A taxi back was about $10 (a few years ago).

Whichever you choose, be sure to get yourself a copy of "Russia By River", which is chock full of useful information.

jackandann

Re: the hotels and food, please see this earlier post.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35102076

Jack and Ann

djkbooks

Too interesting that katherinemaepardee has participated on this forum ONLY to promote Grand Circle for Russia. Raves are curious in that the names of the hotels are not mentioned, for one thing. ("New spacious hotels in both cities"???) And, she has never returned to report on tours "booked with their subsidiary OAT for Thailand, Australia, Egypt and India".

And, Grand Circle continues to have an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB in Boston. Of 110 complaints in the last 36 months, only 27 were "resolved". (12 out of 36 in the last 12 months).

But, she's not the only "one time poster" here promoting Grand Circle.

djkbooks

PS I do not doubt that JackandAnn enjoyed their trip with Grand Circle, but it was prior to the onslaught of complaints at the Boston BBB.

jackandann

We can't peak for Katherinemaepardee, but we took 2 Grand Circle trips last year, one of which we posted a long trip report, to China. We also have two trips booked for this year with their sister company, Overseas Adventure Travel, with which we are leaving Friday for Israel and Jordan. In our 8 trips with Grand Circle we have been totally satisfied, both the booking/billing people and the trips themselves. We would be glad to answer any specific questions, but will be offline for the next 3 weeks as we don't take a laptop or seek out internet access when we are traveling

Jack and Ann

cruiseluv

Suggest that you also try the River cruises section at the message boards at www.cruisecritic.com. A lot of people post there.

jackandann

P.S.

We will be posting a trip report after we return from this trip, but it may take a week or so.

Jack and Ann

sdtravels

I found a recent review of GCT Russian Waterways tour:
www.cruises.about.com You can find info under destinations, European river cruises. Lots of photos, I can't wait to go. GCT got rave reviews from Conde Nast Traveller. I don't think there are any issues with this company.

As for Kathrine Pardee, I have communicated with her several times by email since her post and I believe her to very sincere. She didn't post on Thailand because the next week after she was back she was sick and then left for Australia. I believe she wants people to enjoy their trip as much as she did.