St Petersburg to Moscow Russian River Cruise
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:41 PM
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St Petersburg to Moscow Russian River Cruise
We just returned last night from a fabulous vacation taking a river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow on the Akademik Glushkov through Intrav. We booked our own air as we wanted to go to England before and after the cruise and flew BA. Others flew by a variety of airlines including Lufthansa and Aeroflot. The passengers on Aeroflot reported that no movies were shown when flying from the USA to Russia, although there were TV screens! Helsinki was an optional extra which we chose not to do as we have been there, and we heard that late arrival and early departure plane times really cut down the amount of time in the city.
First some overall comments:
Please, please read about the size of the cabins, the bathrooms and the boat's amenities before you book. There were many disappointed passengers who had expected a luxury river boat. All the boats are owned by the Russian authorities and all were built around the same time (more later).
We found Intrav tremendously helpful in answering specific questions before we left. We chose to hire a private guide for one free afternoon, and they were able to give us the time we would arrive back on the boat after the morning tour so that we could plan a pick-up time accordingly.
The showers (more later) are really very good with excellent water pressure and no shortage of hot water!!
Take a hairdryer which is dual voltage and a two pin adaptor (just a couple of dollars..check the packaging for one for Russia). I bought a very small but powerful dryer on-line ('The Bugg') which I have used for the last three months. It tends to be a little hot as it only has two settings neither of which are cool or low but it does the job.
I always take a large bar of soap, but this was not necessary as decent sized bars were provided.
Take face cloths as none are provided.
There is a fridge in the room so you can pick up duty free wine or buy it there.
There is a supermarket across the tracks at the St Petersburg dock (take great care whilst crossing!!) and you can buy soda, wine, champagne, chips etc.. We bought some bottles of water as we get through a lot, but Intrav provided water at meals, two small bottles a day in the cabin and water on all the coaches.
Clean your teeth with bottled water, although the crew insisted it was okay to use the tap water. It cannot be used for drinking, so we were not about to clean our teeth using it.
Take less clothes than you think you will need!!!
Take small, folding umbrellas..we needed them.
There is a doctor on board, but we took all the basic meds we might possibly need. The rumor was that he over prescribed (to be on the safe side) if you had any medical concerns!!
The Russia By River book was waiting for us in our cabin, although I had ordered a copy ahead of time so we ended up with two.
We also got 4 postcards in the cabin already stamped which was a nice touch.
Take mosquito repellent..you are on the river!!!!!
We took a solid Glade air freshener on the advice of the guide book, but it wasn't really necessary.
The public areas are constantly being cleaned by the crew and the cabins were also very clean.
There were interpreters on board and the reception staff spoke English.
The cruise travel staff were wonderful and eager to advise and help with any questions.
More tomorrow...
First some overall comments:
Please, please read about the size of the cabins, the bathrooms and the boat's amenities before you book. There were many disappointed passengers who had expected a luxury river boat. All the boats are owned by the Russian authorities and all were built around the same time (more later).
We found Intrav tremendously helpful in answering specific questions before we left. We chose to hire a private guide for one free afternoon, and they were able to give us the time we would arrive back on the boat after the morning tour so that we could plan a pick-up time accordingly.
The showers (more later) are really very good with excellent water pressure and no shortage of hot water!!
Take a hairdryer which is dual voltage and a two pin adaptor (just a couple of dollars..check the packaging for one for Russia). I bought a very small but powerful dryer on-line ('The Bugg') which I have used for the last three months. It tends to be a little hot as it only has two settings neither of which are cool or low but it does the job.
I always take a large bar of soap, but this was not necessary as decent sized bars were provided.
Take face cloths as none are provided.
There is a fridge in the room so you can pick up duty free wine or buy it there.
There is a supermarket across the tracks at the St Petersburg dock (take great care whilst crossing!!) and you can buy soda, wine, champagne, chips etc.. We bought some bottles of water as we get through a lot, but Intrav provided water at meals, two small bottles a day in the cabin and water on all the coaches.
Clean your teeth with bottled water, although the crew insisted it was okay to use the tap water. It cannot be used for drinking, so we were not about to clean our teeth using it.
Take less clothes than you think you will need!!!
Take small, folding umbrellas..we needed them.
There is a doctor on board, but we took all the basic meds we might possibly need. The rumor was that he over prescribed (to be on the safe side) if you had any medical concerns!!
The Russia By River book was waiting for us in our cabin, although I had ordered a copy ahead of time so we ended up with two.
We also got 4 postcards in the cabin already stamped which was a nice touch.
Take mosquito repellent..you are on the river!!!!!
We took a solid Glade air freshener on the advice of the guide book, but it wasn't really necessary.
The public areas are constantly being cleaned by the crew and the cabins were also very clean.
There were interpreters on board and the reception staff spoke English.
The cruise travel staff were wonderful and eager to advise and help with any questions.
More tomorrow...
Jul 13th, 2007, 07:27 AM
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General comments continued...
Take a small/medium sized handbag ladies; large bags and backpacks had to be checked in when in museums. No wet outerwear was allowed in museums either and had to be checked. Having said that, the cloakroom check-in was painless and very organized. Long length jackets were also iffy as to whether they could be worn or had to be checked.
There was great cell phone reception even on the river.
Internet basics: opposite the boat in St. Petersburg and in the Hermitage (20 rubles 20 minutes with 25 rubles to the dollar). In Moscow go to the Arbat and to the Post Office opposite Cafe Mu Mu which has a large cow outside and is situated about one block from the Metro (24 rubles for 30 minutes). Internet was very difficult to locate. For example, when we asked in the Hard Rock Cafe (thinking teens/twenties would know such things!)on the Arbat where we could find internet they hadn't a clue, and it was basically just yards away.
In Uglich ask for Troika (a shop)which is at the end of the local (not the tourist) market. I wish you good luck as I had a hard time accessing English language sites until a student took pity on me and got me on to gmail!!! The boy in charge was of no help! In Moscow and St. P. there was no trouble with Internet Explorer and English!
The weather is totally unpredictable. You can be in shorts on deck sunbathing under a bluer than blue sky and 10 minutes later be going inside to avoid the rain. St. P. was especially rainy off and on and the rain can be quite heavy.
The food was so-so with a lot of deep fried battered or breaded meat especially chicken and pork. The salmon was lovely and we had steak one night. The breakfasts were great (buffet) and they were very willing to cook me alternative food. Different diets are catered for and some of the vegetarian food was very good, although once when it was deep fried pork the vegetarian menu was deep fried carrot/squash mixture! Those with specific dietary needs could get a small piece of paper with the needs (such as 'I am a diabetic') written in Russian for the Russian speaking waitresses onboard and for the hotels on shore.
A great touch was we ate four meals in 5 star hotels in St. P. and Moscow and one meal at a dacha. All this was included in the base price as well as a ballet performance and an opera performance and all excursions. We had two free half days in St. P. and one in Moscow.
Lectures and entertainment aboard the boat were also offered.
Take a small/medium sized handbag ladies; large bags and backpacks had to be checked in when in museums. No wet outerwear was allowed in museums either and had to be checked. Having said that, the cloakroom check-in was painless and very organized. Long length jackets were also iffy as to whether they could be worn or had to be checked.
There was great cell phone reception even on the river.
Internet basics: opposite the boat in St. Petersburg and in the Hermitage (20 rubles 20 minutes with 25 rubles to the dollar). In Moscow go to the Arbat and to the Post Office opposite Cafe Mu Mu which has a large cow outside and is situated about one block from the Metro (24 rubles for 30 minutes). Internet was very difficult to locate. For example, when we asked in the Hard Rock Cafe (thinking teens/twenties would know such things!)on the Arbat where we could find internet they hadn't a clue, and it was basically just yards away.
In Uglich ask for Troika (a shop)which is at the end of the local (not the tourist) market. I wish you good luck as I had a hard time accessing English language sites until a student took pity on me and got me on to gmail!!! The boy in charge was of no help! In Moscow and St. P. there was no trouble with Internet Explorer and English!
The weather is totally unpredictable. You can be in shorts on deck sunbathing under a bluer than blue sky and 10 minutes later be going inside to avoid the rain. St. P. was especially rainy off and on and the rain can be quite heavy.
The food was so-so with a lot of deep fried battered or breaded meat especially chicken and pork. The salmon was lovely and we had steak one night. The breakfasts were great (buffet) and they were very willing to cook me alternative food. Different diets are catered for and some of the vegetarian food was very good, although once when it was deep fried pork the vegetarian menu was deep fried carrot/squash mixture! Those with specific dietary needs could get a small piece of paper with the needs (such as 'I am a diabetic') written in Russian for the Russian speaking waitresses onboard and for the hotels on shore.
A great touch was we ate four meals in 5 star hotels in St. P. and Moscow and one meal at a dacha. All this was included in the base price as well as a ballet performance and an opera performance and all excursions. We had two free half days in St. P. and one in Moscow.
Lectures and entertainment aboard the boat were also offered.
Jul 14th, 2007, 12:11 PM
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Sunday, June 24th
I flew down to London from Northern England to meet my husband who was flying in from LA. We met up and went to our hotel. One of the best kept secrets in London is that if you stay at an airport hotel just go to the bus station at the airport and the buses are free! We saved $16 which is the cost for two on the Hoppa. Note that this services only the hotels very close in to the airport. Check on line about airport transportation and cost both to London and to the local hotels at Heathrow.
It was raining and the thought of going into London soon passed!! I did call to reserve tickets for the new musical "The Lord of the Rings" for when we returned to London from Moscow.
There is only one BA plane to St. P. and it leaves at 9:55am so it would have been too tight to connect in London that day.
Monday, June 25th
BA finally came through with my Silver membership so we hopped on the bus, checked in and went to the Terraces Lounge for breakfast even though we were flying economy. The flight left basically on time and we had great exit row seats thanks to on-line check-in. We landed to the sight of rain, but also saw the driver which I had reserved who was holding a sign with our name. We whisked (as much as one can possibly whisk through that TRAFFIC) to the riverboat. The other passengers on our flight had purchased transfers and they were held up waiting for other flights and also as several people's luggage had been left in London and claim forms had to be filled out. They got to the boat much, much later.
There was an money exchange option on the boat which took a 10% service charge after giving a 25 ruble to the dollar exchange. The hotels gave a better rate but it was a welcome opportunity to exchange some dollars in order to go to the supermarket and explore. Dinner was at 7pm.
As we entered our cabin it was just as I had expected. We got the least expensive cabin on Deck 1 with two portholes. Why? It was half as large again as any cabins below suite level. The suites, although very large, had no balconies so we went for saving the money and the space and were so glad we did.
Note that these portholes do not open but the other cabins do have windows which open. The mosquitoes know that too, so beware leaving windows ajar and lights on!!! Our Cruise Director, Teddy, gave an overview talk at 9pm. She was full of pertinenet information and also on board were the Asst. Director, Peter, and the Travel Services Director, Shelley. There were several interpreters who were always around the ship and in the dining rooms at meal times to translate. In all there were 120 crew members including interpreters, shop staff, bar staff, housekeepers etc. etc.. There were around 150 passengers, but the boat was not full. The majority came with university alumni organizations and there were a few 'independents' like us. A great mix of people of all ages.
The single beds (no larger beds except in the suites) were comfortable compared to the rock hard beds in Morocco where we had been in May, but they were not 'real beds'! We had no trouble sleeping and had had the a/c on high all evening before we went to bed so that we could turn it off when we were sleeping. It was VERY noisy.
My husband tried the shower in the middle of the night as his time clock had not readjusted at this point, and was quite impressed by how well it worked! The shower is on the wall and the bathroom becomes the shower stall, with the person enveloped within a shower curtain which pulls around in front of the toilet. In our room one had to pull a lever by the sink and the water was diverted to the shower head rather than the sink faucets. Note: Remember to pull the lever back when you have finished to divert the water back to the sink faucets, otherwise you may have an unexpected shower when going to wash your hands! The pressure was great and there was always plenty of hot water!
A chocolate was on our pillow and so to sleep....
I flew down to London from Northern England to meet my husband who was flying in from LA. We met up and went to our hotel. One of the best kept secrets in London is that if you stay at an airport hotel just go to the bus station at the airport and the buses are free! We saved $16 which is the cost for two on the Hoppa. Note that this services only the hotels very close in to the airport. Check on line about airport transportation and cost both to London and to the local hotels at Heathrow.
It was raining and the thought of going into London soon passed!! I did call to reserve tickets for the new musical "The Lord of the Rings" for when we returned to London from Moscow.
There is only one BA plane to St. P. and it leaves at 9:55am so it would have been too tight to connect in London that day.
Monday, June 25th
BA finally came through with my Silver membership so we hopped on the bus, checked in and went to the Terraces Lounge for breakfast even though we were flying economy. The flight left basically on time and we had great exit row seats thanks to on-line check-in. We landed to the sight of rain, but also saw the driver which I had reserved who was holding a sign with our name. We whisked (as much as one can possibly whisk through that TRAFFIC) to the riverboat. The other passengers on our flight had purchased transfers and they were held up waiting for other flights and also as several people's luggage had been left in London and claim forms had to be filled out. They got to the boat much, much later.
There was an money exchange option on the boat which took a 10% service charge after giving a 25 ruble to the dollar exchange. The hotels gave a better rate but it was a welcome opportunity to exchange some dollars in order to go to the supermarket and explore. Dinner was at 7pm.
As we entered our cabin it was just as I had expected. We got the least expensive cabin on Deck 1 with two portholes. Why? It was half as large again as any cabins below suite level. The suites, although very large, had no balconies so we went for saving the money and the space and were so glad we did.
Note that these portholes do not open but the other cabins do have windows which open. The mosquitoes know that too, so beware leaving windows ajar and lights on!!! Our Cruise Director, Teddy, gave an overview talk at 9pm. She was full of pertinenet information and also on board were the Asst. Director, Peter, and the Travel Services Director, Shelley. There were several interpreters who were always around the ship and in the dining rooms at meal times to translate. In all there were 120 crew members including interpreters, shop staff, bar staff, housekeepers etc. etc.. There were around 150 passengers, but the boat was not full. The majority came with university alumni organizations and there were a few 'independents' like us. A great mix of people of all ages.
The single beds (no larger beds except in the suites) were comfortable compared to the rock hard beds in Morocco where we had been in May, but they were not 'real beds'! We had no trouble sleeping and had had the a/c on high all evening before we went to bed so that we could turn it off when we were sleeping. It was VERY noisy.
My husband tried the shower in the middle of the night as his time clock had not readjusted at this point, and was quite impressed by how well it worked! The shower is on the wall and the bathroom becomes the shower stall, with the person enveloped within a shower curtain which pulls around in front of the toilet. In our room one had to pull a lever by the sink and the water was diverted to the shower head rather than the sink faucets. Note: Remember to pull the lever back when you have finished to divert the water back to the sink faucets, otherwise you may have an unexpected shower when going to wash your hands! The pressure was great and there was always plenty of hot water!
A chocolate was on our pillow and so to sleep....
Jul 14th, 2007, 02:25 PM
#5
You may want to watch for my trip report so we can compare notes! I was on the same boat (but starting in Moscow) - also with Teddy and Peter. Enjoying your (extremely accurate) report! Here's the link to mine...
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35029230
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35029230
Jul 16th, 2007, 11:45 AM
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Tuesday, June 25th
We had been warned: the coaches leave on time and do not wait for anyone. And so they did (leave on time that is!!). It was noticed by all when on the stroke of 8am we pulled out from the dock on our way into St Petersburg. There were 4 coaches with about 40 passengers on each and two tour guides. I might add that we never for the whole 12 night trip had anyone show up late for our bus!!
We had an early opening arranged at The Hermitage which was fabulous. We were able to buy passes on the bus for $5 (for taking pictures inside the museum with a camera) and $15 for a video camera. The guides recommended just buying a hard bound book of St Petersburg from the gift shop which cost I believe $55, but those who bought it were highly impressed with it. We were guided through some of the main rooms and left at noon for the ride back to the coach. The coach trips could easily take 45 minutes to an hour so we declined to go back to the boat just for lunch, and after speaking with our guide stayed in The Hermitage. Lunch was served onboard and I believe just about all the passengers returned. There was a complimentary shuttle BACK at 2pm. We just couldn't see the point of wasting a couple of hours on the coach when we had St. P. to explore, so after another couple of hours at the museum, 20 minutes on the internet and a quick sandwich off we went. The extra time was wonderful as we could see more of the Impressionist paintings as well as gloat (is that one of the deadly sins??!!) over the long admission lines waiting for admission. We walked in the rain along Nevsky Prospect, map in hand and umbrellas held high. We ventured into two shopping malls and then stopped by The Grand Hotel Europe and had a glass of champagne (for me) and a Russian beer for my husband. A bowl of almonds with a sweet, syrupy coating accompanied the drinks. It was a lot of fun being in this famous hotel, but alas Russian service is notoriously slow, so we arrived at the Church on the Spilled Blood too late to go inside. It is a beautiful church full of mosaics, and a coach was waiting there to take us the short distance back to our ballet performance at the Hermitage Theatre at 6pm. (Note: the market stalls are set up across from the church, but we did not get time to look.) It was lovely and the setting was delightful, but the ballet afficianados amongst us were somewhat dismayed at the quality of the dancing. I believe the company was touring for the summer.
Afterwards we picked up our coats etc. from the usual cloak room and we were taken to the 5 star Astoria Hotel for dinner. We were in a large type of convention room and we were served a three course dinner (Chicken Kiev) and a glass of wine was included. We exchanged some money in the hotel next door then returned to the boat by coach.
Every day of our river cruise trip was run like clockwork. Except for major traffic hold-ups and jams, everything was timed perfectly and I was impressed as to how well every day fell into place exactly according to the program. Teddy had been on the boat 11 years and she had everything down to a science.
She had said from the first day that there were 120 crew members and that each passenger should allocate $120 for tips. This is the same as on all the ocean cruise ships we have been on ($10 pp per day). The crew and the ship are hired by Intrav, and the staff is paid by the shipping company. There were also suggested tips for tour guides and drivers.
Back to the cabin which we had not seen since 7:50am and so to bed. Two more bottles of water were in our refrigerator and chocolate on our pillows!
We had been warned: the coaches leave on time and do not wait for anyone. And so they did (leave on time that is!!). It was noticed by all when on the stroke of 8am we pulled out from the dock on our way into St Petersburg. There were 4 coaches with about 40 passengers on each and two tour guides. I might add that we never for the whole 12 night trip had anyone show up late for our bus!!
We had an early opening arranged at The Hermitage which was fabulous. We were able to buy passes on the bus for $5 (for taking pictures inside the museum with a camera) and $15 for a video camera. The guides recommended just buying a hard bound book of St Petersburg from the gift shop which cost I believe $55, but those who bought it were highly impressed with it. We were guided through some of the main rooms and left at noon for the ride back to the coach. The coach trips could easily take 45 minutes to an hour so we declined to go back to the boat just for lunch, and after speaking with our guide stayed in The Hermitage. Lunch was served onboard and I believe just about all the passengers returned. There was a complimentary shuttle BACK at 2pm. We just couldn't see the point of wasting a couple of hours on the coach when we had St. P. to explore, so after another couple of hours at the museum, 20 minutes on the internet and a quick sandwich off we went. The extra time was wonderful as we could see more of the Impressionist paintings as well as gloat (is that one of the deadly sins??!!) over the long admission lines waiting for admission. We walked in the rain along Nevsky Prospect, map in hand and umbrellas held high. We ventured into two shopping malls and then stopped by The Grand Hotel Europe and had a glass of champagne (for me) and a Russian beer for my husband. A bowl of almonds with a sweet, syrupy coating accompanied the drinks. It was a lot of fun being in this famous hotel, but alas Russian service is notoriously slow, so we arrived at the Church on the Spilled Blood too late to go inside. It is a beautiful church full of mosaics, and a coach was waiting there to take us the short distance back to our ballet performance at the Hermitage Theatre at 6pm. (Note: the market stalls are set up across from the church, but we did not get time to look.) It was lovely and the setting was delightful, but the ballet afficianados amongst us were somewhat dismayed at the quality of the dancing. I believe the company was touring for the summer.
Afterwards we picked up our coats etc. from the usual cloak room and we were taken to the 5 star Astoria Hotel for dinner. We were in a large type of convention room and we were served a three course dinner (Chicken Kiev) and a glass of wine was included. We exchanged some money in the hotel next door then returned to the boat by coach.
Every day of our river cruise trip was run like clockwork. Except for major traffic hold-ups and jams, everything was timed perfectly and I was impressed as to how well every day fell into place exactly according to the program. Teddy had been on the boat 11 years and she had everything down to a science.
She had said from the first day that there were 120 crew members and that each passenger should allocate $120 for tips. This is the same as on all the ocean cruise ships we have been on ($10 pp per day). The crew and the ship are hired by Intrav, and the staff is paid by the shipping company. There were also suggested tips for tour guides and drivers.
Back to the cabin which we had not seen since 7:50am and so to bed. Two more bottles of water were in our refrigerator and chocolate on our pillows!
Jul 17th, 2007, 10:39 PM
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Philbill, you are doing a magnificent job.
It will be so nice for others to have a more recent river cruise through Russia report, and one on a different ship with a different company.
I'll save comments on tipping until you've finished...
It will be so nice for others to have a more recent river cruise through Russia report, and one on a different ship with a different company.
I'll save comments on tipping until you've finished...
Jul 19th, 2007, 06:48 AM
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Wednesday, June 27th
After the buffet breakfast (which was always excellent) we heard a brief announcement about someone needing to borrow a battery charger and a warning about the impending departure of the coaches. Teddy made a few announcements during the trip regarding things other passengers needed, and had a treasure trove of odd supplies in one of the offices!! I honestly don't think many people read any of the literature written by the cruise operator before they arrive on the boat. It was clearly stated bags had to be stored in the cabin and we were even informed as to the exact height available under the bed! Still, some passengers wanted bags stored and so they were! We heard complaints about the size of the cabins and the spartan furnishings/bathrooms, but again square footage and bathroom descriptions were readily available in the information in the brochures, on the web site and in the literature mailed to our home.
What a great morning! We left at 7:45am for a St Petersburg City tour. We did part by coach visiting St Isaac's Cathedral and part by boat on the Neva River. We got a wonderful view of all the sites (including the Aurora and the shipyards) and eventually docked at Peter and Paul Fortress. We had a sample of how crowded tour sites are during the middle of the day, but our guides did a wonderful job of sliding us to prime viewing spots and giving us a history lesson! It was raining a lot of the time, but when it faired up the 'canal boat' crew were using squeegees to clean all the windows and the glass roof. Tea, coffee and cookies were served.
We really appreciated English only (no announcements in 5 languages!!) throughout the cruise ("The Journey of the Czars" by the way!). We did get a little reminder on our daily schedule, 'May we politely remind you that the walls on the ship are quite thin and noise carries!!'. Oh yes, and yet another warning about pickpockets!
After a quick lunch off the two of us went to the Lomosonov Porcelain Factory shop. No lacquer box presentation for us! It is a 15 minute brisk walk from the ship. The porcelain is just lovely, but noone spoke English! After about 30 minutes the only English speaking employee appeared (maybe after her lunch break?) and came over to us. We saw maybe 4 other people from the boat there. They had everything from tiny animal figures for a few dollars to dinner services costing thousands of dollars. We broke down and bought a tea service for six and a couple of beautiful vases for gifts. They have 'regular' porcelain and 'bone china' which you could almost see through. They took every piece of the tea service out of the box to check for cracks while we anxiously checked our watches (we love to shop!) and announced a 5% discount for credit cards. We carried the boxed china as hand baggage on the plane by the way. No time to visit the Porcelain Museum! Phew, rushed back to the ship arriving 5 minutes before the coaches left at 4pm for Catherine's Palace!
We returned for lunch via coach.
After the buffet breakfast (which was always excellent) we heard a brief announcement about someone needing to borrow a battery charger and a warning about the impending departure of the coaches. Teddy made a few announcements during the trip regarding things other passengers needed, and had a treasure trove of odd supplies in one of the offices!! I honestly don't think many people read any of the literature written by the cruise operator before they arrive on the boat. It was clearly stated bags had to be stored in the cabin and we were even informed as to the exact height available under the bed! Still, some passengers wanted bags stored and so they were! We heard complaints about the size of the cabins and the spartan furnishings/bathrooms, but again square footage and bathroom descriptions were readily available in the information in the brochures, on the web site and in the literature mailed to our home.
What a great morning! We left at 7:45am for a St Petersburg City tour. We did part by coach visiting St Isaac's Cathedral and part by boat on the Neva River. We got a wonderful view of all the sites (including the Aurora and the shipyards) and eventually docked at Peter and Paul Fortress. We had a sample of how crowded tour sites are during the middle of the day, but our guides did a wonderful job of sliding us to prime viewing spots and giving us a history lesson! It was raining a lot of the time, but when it faired up the 'canal boat' crew were using squeegees to clean all the windows and the glass roof. Tea, coffee and cookies were served.
We really appreciated English only (no announcements in 5 languages!!) throughout the cruise ("The Journey of the Czars" by the way!). We did get a little reminder on our daily schedule, 'May we politely remind you that the walls on the ship are quite thin and noise carries!!'. Oh yes, and yet another warning about pickpockets!
After a quick lunch off the two of us went to the Lomosonov Porcelain Factory shop. No lacquer box presentation for us! It is a 15 minute brisk walk from the ship. The porcelain is just lovely, but noone spoke English! After about 30 minutes the only English speaking employee appeared (maybe after her lunch break?) and came over to us. We saw maybe 4 other people from the boat there. They had everything from tiny animal figures for a few dollars to dinner services costing thousands of dollars. We broke down and bought a tea service for six and a couple of beautiful vases for gifts. They have 'regular' porcelain and 'bone china' which you could almost see through. They took every piece of the tea service out of the box to check for cracks while we anxiously checked our watches (we love to shop!) and announced a 5% discount for credit cards. We carried the boxed china as hand baggage on the plane by the way. No time to visit the Porcelain Museum! Phew, rushed back to the ship arriving 5 minutes before the coaches left at 4pm for Catherine's Palace!
We returned for lunch via coach.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 07:26 PM
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cont.
We were fortunate to have admission to Catherine's Palace after it had closed to the public, so we drove to the town of Pushkin. It rained a little after we got out of the coach, so most of us had wet umbrellas or jackets which meant the usual visit to the cloakroom! The palace was very interesting to visit as were all the sights in Russia, and the Amber Room was gorgeous. This was the only room where photography was not allowed. Our guide irreverently told us that it was probably because if the tourists could not take pictues they would buy more books in the gift shop!! The guides by the way were quite open about life in Russia today, but it was amazing how they almost all said that 'life was not all bad in Soviet times'. There is tremendous inflation in Russia today and materials and labor costs are very high.
When we boarded the coach after our tour, we got the lecture...and it was the same on all of the coaches! We were off to the Dacha Terem Restaurant for dinner and besides several courses of traditional food, there would be unlimited red and white wine and VODKA. We were advised to stick to only one drink. If we wanted wine drink only red OR white, and if vodka then drink vodka all night. There have apparently been some clean-ups on the coach necessary in the past following this meal! It was a fun evening with local entertainment and good food. Back to the boat and bed, looking forward to another early departure tomorrow.
We were fortunate to have admission to Catherine's Palace after it had closed to the public, so we drove to the town of Pushkin. It rained a little after we got out of the coach, so most of us had wet umbrellas or jackets which meant the usual visit to the cloakroom! The palace was very interesting to visit as were all the sights in Russia, and the Amber Room was gorgeous. This was the only room where photography was not allowed. Our guide irreverently told us that it was probably because if the tourists could not take pictues they would buy more books in the gift shop!! The guides by the way were quite open about life in Russia today, but it was amazing how they almost all said that 'life was not all bad in Soviet times'. There is tremendous inflation in Russia today and materials and labor costs are very high.
When we boarded the coach after our tour, we got the lecture...and it was the same on all of the coaches! We were off to the Dacha Terem Restaurant for dinner and besides several courses of traditional food, there would be unlimited red and white wine and VODKA. We were advised to stick to only one drink. If we wanted wine drink only red OR white, and if vodka then drink vodka all night. There have apparently been some clean-ups on the coach necessary in the past following this meal! It was a fun evening with local entertainment and good food. Back to the boat and bed, looking forward to another early departure tomorrow.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 08:13 PM
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Thursday, June 28th
The coaches departed for Petrodvorets Grand Palace and Park at 7:30am, as we had an early opening prior to the opening for the public. We were warned about the substantial amount of stair climbing and walking. As with many, many of the tourist sights, this palace had been rebuilt after the war and there are still some rooms which are not renovated as yet. We had a tour of the extensive grounds and the fountains were turned on for half an hour after we completed our inside tour. We were not caught by the 'trick fountain', but judging by the shrieks we heard shortly afterwards, it seemed that someone must have tripped the mechanism! I am not going into detail about the museums, palaces, churches etc, that we visited. The guide books are full of details. We went back to the boat via hydrofoil which stopped parallel to our boat so we could step from one mode of transportation to the other! Off for a quick lunch and then to what was probably the most interesting part of our entire trip.
Our guide, whom we had contracted with before we left home, came to the boat at 1pm and off we went to visit a Russian apartment. She was somewhat perplexed as to why we wanted to do this, as noone had ever asked her to arrange this before, and she was concerned as to what we were expecting. We reassured her and we drove part-way to her friend's home. We were then dropped at a metro station and visited 3 stations en route as her friend lived right by the third station in a large apartment building. Any apartment next to or very close to a metro station is highly desirable. The stations were unbelieveable with the mosaics, murals, statues etc.. Irina met us at the exit and she was delightful. She took us to her building which was within the city limits, but about 20/30 minutes by metro from downtown. We took a small, somewhat rickety, lift to the 4th floor. The apartment had a living room, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and two bedrooms (one of which was used as an extra room with a sofa, the ironing board etc.). It was large by Russian standards and was Stalinistic/Kruschev. Our guides had explained about the 'Soviet' apartments of the '70s and the 'Stalinistic' apartments of the '50s and they were quite recognizable from the outside. Later in Moscow we were drilled that any building with balconies was an apartment building no matter where it might be!
Out came the vodka to show 'Russian hospitality' and the best bread and marinated pickles. The bread on the boat was not very good at all, but this dark brown heavy bread was delicious! Irina then made tea and we had special cakes, cookies and sweets. Over tea our guide and Irina talked about their lives and encouraged us to ask questions. We stayed longer than planned and traffic had been heavy as usual, so we did not have time to complete our planned itinerary. We drove around St. P. on the way back to the boat, learning some more about the city as we passed some by now familiar sights!
The boat, by the way, had run a shuttle back into town for anyone who wanted to sightsee on their own.
We rushed back to the ship for a shower and to prepare for the Captain's Welcome Reception. The two dining rooms had different times allocated, and we were due in the Sky Bar at 6pm. Vodka, cheap,warm champagne and orange juice were offered along with tiny open faced sandwiches (one had to grab fast to get one of the few black caviar ones!!). After dinner was a Folklore Concert which was fun, but as soon as they started pulling people out of the audience, my husband scooted back a few rows!!
We left that evening for our voyage down the river. I had visions of resting after our hectic first few days, and was really looking forward to this next stage of our trip.
The coaches departed for Petrodvorets Grand Palace and Park at 7:30am, as we had an early opening prior to the opening for the public. We were warned about the substantial amount of stair climbing and walking. As with many, many of the tourist sights, this palace had been rebuilt after the war and there are still some rooms which are not renovated as yet. We had a tour of the extensive grounds and the fountains were turned on for half an hour after we completed our inside tour. We were not caught by the 'trick fountain', but judging by the shrieks we heard shortly afterwards, it seemed that someone must have tripped the mechanism! I am not going into detail about the museums, palaces, churches etc, that we visited. The guide books are full of details. We went back to the boat via hydrofoil which stopped parallel to our boat so we could step from one mode of transportation to the other! Off for a quick lunch and then to what was probably the most interesting part of our entire trip.
Our guide, whom we had contracted with before we left home, came to the boat at 1pm and off we went to visit a Russian apartment. She was somewhat perplexed as to why we wanted to do this, as noone had ever asked her to arrange this before, and she was concerned as to what we were expecting. We reassured her and we drove part-way to her friend's home. We were then dropped at a metro station and visited 3 stations en route as her friend lived right by the third station in a large apartment building. Any apartment next to or very close to a metro station is highly desirable. The stations were unbelieveable with the mosaics, murals, statues etc.. Irina met us at the exit and she was delightful. She took us to her building which was within the city limits, but about 20/30 minutes by metro from downtown. We took a small, somewhat rickety, lift to the 4th floor. The apartment had a living room, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and two bedrooms (one of which was used as an extra room with a sofa, the ironing board etc.). It was large by Russian standards and was Stalinistic/Kruschev. Our guides had explained about the 'Soviet' apartments of the '70s and the 'Stalinistic' apartments of the '50s and they were quite recognizable from the outside. Later in Moscow we were drilled that any building with balconies was an apartment building no matter where it might be!
Out came the vodka to show 'Russian hospitality' and the best bread and marinated pickles. The bread on the boat was not very good at all, but this dark brown heavy bread was delicious! Irina then made tea and we had special cakes, cookies and sweets. Over tea our guide and Irina talked about their lives and encouraged us to ask questions. We stayed longer than planned and traffic had been heavy as usual, so we did not have time to complete our planned itinerary. We drove around St. P. on the way back to the boat, learning some more about the city as we passed some by now familiar sights!
The boat, by the way, had run a shuttle back into town for anyone who wanted to sightsee on their own.
We rushed back to the ship for a shower and to prepare for the Captain's Welcome Reception. The two dining rooms had different times allocated, and we were due in the Sky Bar at 6pm. Vodka, cheap,warm champagne and orange juice were offered along with tiny open faced sandwiches (one had to grab fast to get one of the few black caviar ones!!). After dinner was a Folklore Concert which was fun, but as soon as they started pulling people out of the audience, my husband scooted back a few rows!!
We left that evening for our voyage down the river. I had visions of resting after our hectic first few days, and was really looking forward to this next stage of our trip.
Jul 27th, 2007, 05:50 PM
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Friday, June 29th
6am Early Risers' Coffee
7am Stretch with Andrew
Didn't make either of those 'events' (any day of the cruise and certainly not today!).
We rolled out of bed and went to breakfast for our porridge with milk covered with kiwi, dried fruit and nuts (our choice of toppings!).
At 8:45am we had the mandatory Safety Drill.
This consisted of pulling out the life jackets and donning them in the corridor outside of our room. Simple enough you might think, but all the passengers I could see were doing what we did, using hand gestures to ask for help from our two cabin attendants!! 'Twas not as easy as it would seem. We asked when we were going to go on deck and were met with strange stares. A crew member came by and we still stood there, until we became aware that that was it! An explanation came later: in case of emergency go up to the Sky Bar on Deck 5 and drinks are on Teddy!!!
Next was the first lecture from Professor Victor from Moscow University. The first half was mainly historical background but the second part really got into how it was in the country today. The professor cannot afford to retire on his 'retirement pension' so keeps on teaching and loves to lecture on cruises such as ours.
We arrived at what I would consider to be the cheesiest port of call at noon. This was Madrogi which had been developed from nothing about 10 years' ago into a stop for river boats. When put into perspective (which the ever pragmatic Teddy did) it was deemed better than not being able to get off the boat and cruising all day. We were given tickets for a picnic lunch of 'Chicken Shashlik'. It was an experience seeing the chicken being cooked, but the mosquitoes were ever present as was the rain with intermittent fairly long dry spells. There was a Vodka Museum (what else!!) which I think cost about $4. We gave it a miss. There were people doing various handicrafts and selling their wares. Cheaply produced souvenirs, probably made in China, were also for sale. Everything was very expensive, but some people did make purchases. All aboard at 3pm and off for our Russian language lesson with Katja. There was no shortage of things to do, although we liked to be on deck watching the scenery. It was lovely and we had many beautiful, sunny hours on deck during the next few days. The locks were fascinating, especially the first one where we all went to the front of the boat to track the progress. Happy Hour always preceded dinner, but as I mentioned we loved to take our champagne from our fridge on deck along with peanutes which had found their way with my husband from the BA lounge in LA. We often met up with Dixie who, fearing the worst, had brought her beverage of choice along with her from Texas. Just as well as the bar had just about run out of her preference! Russian beer was great and we had bought a couple of cans, but what with the 'sherry' and champagne we had plenty for the duration! The 'Resident Russian Musicians' played after dinner, but we were outside or browsing in the gift shop. A DVD was being prepared with stock footage and footage of our particular cruise/passengers which sold for $30. Off to bed while my husband stayed on deck awaiting sunset!!!!!!!!
I believe sunrise came about 20 minutes later!! White Nights are amazing, but I really didn't see sunset until closer to Moscow when the sun set a little earlier.
6am Early Risers' Coffee
7am Stretch with Andrew
Didn't make either of those 'events' (any day of the cruise and certainly not today!).
We rolled out of bed and went to breakfast for our porridge with milk covered with kiwi, dried fruit and nuts (our choice of toppings!).
At 8:45am we had the mandatory Safety Drill.
This consisted of pulling out the life jackets and donning them in the corridor outside of our room. Simple enough you might think, but all the passengers I could see were doing what we did, using hand gestures to ask for help from our two cabin attendants!! 'Twas not as easy as it would seem. We asked when we were going to go on deck and were met with strange stares. A crew member came by and we still stood there, until we became aware that that was it! An explanation came later: in case of emergency go up to the Sky Bar on Deck 5 and drinks are on Teddy!!!
Next was the first lecture from Professor Victor from Moscow University. The first half was mainly historical background but the second part really got into how it was in the country today. The professor cannot afford to retire on his 'retirement pension' so keeps on teaching and loves to lecture on cruises such as ours.
We arrived at what I would consider to be the cheesiest port of call at noon. This was Madrogi which had been developed from nothing about 10 years' ago into a stop for river boats. When put into perspective (which the ever pragmatic Teddy did) it was deemed better than not being able to get off the boat and cruising all day. We were given tickets for a picnic lunch of 'Chicken Shashlik'. It was an experience seeing the chicken being cooked, but the mosquitoes were ever present as was the rain with intermittent fairly long dry spells. There was a Vodka Museum (what else!!) which I think cost about $4. We gave it a miss. There were people doing various handicrafts and selling their wares. Cheaply produced souvenirs, probably made in China, were also for sale. Everything was very expensive, but some people did make purchases. All aboard at 3pm and off for our Russian language lesson with Katja. There was no shortage of things to do, although we liked to be on deck watching the scenery. It was lovely and we had many beautiful, sunny hours on deck during the next few days. The locks were fascinating, especially the first one where we all went to the front of the boat to track the progress. Happy Hour always preceded dinner, but as I mentioned we loved to take our champagne from our fridge on deck along with peanutes which had found their way with my husband from the BA lounge in LA. We often met up with Dixie who, fearing the worst, had brought her beverage of choice along with her from Texas. Just as well as the bar had just about run out of her preference! Russian beer was great and we had bought a couple of cans, but what with the 'sherry' and champagne we had plenty for the duration! The 'Resident Russian Musicians' played after dinner, but we were outside or browsing in the gift shop. A DVD was being prepared with stock footage and footage of our particular cruise/passengers which sold for $30. Off to bed while my husband stayed on deck awaiting sunset!!!!!!!!
I believe sunrise came about 20 minutes later!! White Nights are amazing, but I really didn't see sunset until closer to Moscow when the sun set a little earlier.
Jul 31st, 2007, 06:34 PM
#15
Philbill - enjoying your report! Thanks for reminding me on my thread that yours was still going. This board is so active that threads quickly slip off the front page and it's easy to miss them. But yes, it's fun reading your thoughts as you go in the reverse direction we went! The apartment visit sounds fascinating - would have loved that opportunity. Looking forward to hearing your impressions of Kizhi and Yaraslovl... keep it coming!
Aug 1st, 2007, 08:11 PM
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Going to Africa in a few days so I have to cut back....
Saturday June 30th:
Whoops....not many days of sleep-ins on this trip....7:30am we arrive at Kizhi Island and off ashore at 7:45am with the warning that there is no smoking on the island because of the wooden structures!!
We toured the churches, and 'houses' restored as the original, and had a lovely walk (mind the mosquitoes again!!). The bell ringing occurred and we met an elderly man selling his drawings. It was an interesting few hours and there is restoration going on and we got some exercise!
Back to the boat at 10:30am for the lecture from a UCLA professor. Somewhat intellectual and not too relevant to the trip I think!! Following lunch we had a tour of the Wheelhouse and pictures with the Captain. Interesting!! Time for lounging on the deck and it was so lovely that I skipped the Russian language lesson!! The 'down time' was wonderful and sitting on the deck watching the scenery was truly a highlight (with the occasional reminder to check the Russia By River book!). It was fascinating and a highlight of our trip just to be out on deck observing and reading!
A 'Russian Romance Concert' followed dinner, but we had such interesting table-mates that we missed the performance. We dined with different people but had our favourites, so meals were wonderful for the camaraderie, if not for the food! The food was, as I said, very mediocre, although the salmon which I requested for a few meals, was wonderful!
Saturday June 30th:
Whoops....not many days of sleep-ins on this trip....7:30am we arrive at Kizhi Island and off ashore at 7:45am with the warning that there is no smoking on the island because of the wooden structures!!
We toured the churches, and 'houses' restored as the original, and had a lovely walk (mind the mosquitoes again!!). The bell ringing occurred and we met an elderly man selling his drawings. It was an interesting few hours and there is restoration going on and we got some exercise!
Back to the boat at 10:30am for the lecture from a UCLA professor. Somewhat intellectual and not too relevant to the trip I think!! Following lunch we had a tour of the Wheelhouse and pictures with the Captain. Interesting!! Time for lounging on the deck and it was so lovely that I skipped the Russian language lesson!! The 'down time' was wonderful and sitting on the deck watching the scenery was truly a highlight (with the occasional reminder to check the Russia By River book!). It was fascinating and a highlight of our trip just to be out on deck observing and reading!
A 'Russian Romance Concert' followed dinner, but we had such interesting table-mates that we missed the performance. We dined with different people but had our favourites, so meals were wonderful for the camaraderie, if not for the food! The food was, as I said, very mediocre, although the salmon which I requested for a few meals, was wonderful!
Aug 1st, 2007, 08:48 PM
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That is so funny about the mosquitos! Friend who recommended our cruise told us to be sure to pack repellant. So, I bought a supply of towelettes in foil packets. Lots of them, thinking I would share with others if they needed them. Never opened a single one - and haven't to this day!
Aug 2nd, 2007, 10:22 PM
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dkjbooks....the pesky insects seek me out wherever I go(EEK)...but they were a nuisance for many on the trip who were bitten several times! I wonder if althom's river cruise had the problem ??(We got on as she got off from the dates she posted.)
Aug 3rd, 2007, 03:27 AM
#19
Philbill - we never had any mosquitos that I remember. We took repellent also, and we put some on for our day at Kizhi, but I don't recall seeing a single mosquito. It was rather windy, though, so maybe that kept them away. We did, however, have quite an encounter with a huge dragonfly... (see my report!).
Ok, we've crossed paths now, I'm headed for Mandrogi and St. Petersburg, and you're on to Yaraslovl. Keep going!
Ok, we've crossed paths now, I'm headed for Mandrogi and St. Petersburg, and you're on to Yaraslovl. Keep going!
Aug 3rd, 2007, 08:08 PM
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Sunday, July 1st
A full day cruising the Russian Waterways. Still didn't manage to stretch with Andrew at 7am! A passenger who was a Catholic priest led Mass for all denominations and another lecture from Professor Victor. A talk on applied art, a Russian language lesson and a Russian Cooking Lesson followed lunch!!!! We learned to make (and eat) Pelmeni and our always well-made up Cook gave the lesson along with Sveta, the head interpreter. It was actually fun. We spent a lot of the day other than these activities out on the deck enjoying the beautiful pastoral scenery. It was delightful. For those of you who have posed the question of how did we feel having nothing to do whilst on the river, there was no way anybody could be bored at all, and this was our only full day at sea! 'The Liars' Club' was put on by the travel staff after dinner and it was very entertaining.
A full day cruising the Russian Waterways. Still didn't manage to stretch with Andrew at 7am! A passenger who was a Catholic priest led Mass for all denominations and another lecture from Professor Victor. A talk on applied art, a Russian language lesson and a Russian Cooking Lesson followed lunch!!!! We learned to make (and eat) Pelmeni and our always well-made up Cook gave the lesson along with Sveta, the head interpreter. It was actually fun. We spent a lot of the day other than these activities out on the deck enjoying the beautiful pastoral scenery. It was delightful. For those of you who have posed the question of how did we feel having nothing to do whilst on the river, there was no way anybody could be bored at all, and this was our only full day at sea! 'The Liars' Club' was put on by the travel staff after dinner and it was very entertaining.
