GCT Russia Revealed-My Take
Aug 1st, 2008, 11:34 AM
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GCT Russia Revealed-My Take
1000 miles by ship - 18 locks - Cruised thru the two largest lakes in Europe. Fantastic trip! We had great weather during the whole trip. I will try and not repeat what others have posted and must emphasise that the following is my opinion - others may differ.
First a piece of factual info. Russia Waterways and Russia Revealed are the same in every respect except Waterways uses hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow while Revealed has you on the ship every night. I think you may get a few more included meals on board with the Revealed trip. It also makes no difference whether you start your trip in Moscow or St. Pete, you sill see the same things and the ports of call are the same only in reverse. My wife and I preferred staying on the ship vice changing hotels and heard mixed opinions regarding this. Given the traffic in Moscow I don't think you save much if any time by being in a hotel, these are not exactly on Red Square or the heart of
St. Petersburg.
The Ship: Tiki Don for us but both ships are identical. Very clean, our cabin 301 was on the boat deck and a bit larger than most but the upper deck is nice since it is on the dining deck thus very convenient. Very good food and service. GCT folks go out of there way to make this an easy trip. WE did have quite a bit of sickness on our ship but heard this is very common - Use the hand sanatizer they offer and bring your own-use it all repeat all the time!!!
We usually travel on our own and were concerned about the slow pace of this tour. We din not feel the pace was slow but of course did end up waiting for Aunt Tilly a few times. Meals off the ship were in restaurants that could handle and were used to tour groups, that is the same places are used time after time. Food not bad and surroundings could have been worse but hey your on a tour - if you want a nice out of the way Bistro go on your own. In spite of the above, a tour and GCT seems to be the best at this one, is really the best way to see Russia, its a long way, impossible drive and long train ride from St. Pete to Moscow. Just getting into some of the optional tours offered is quite difficult on your own and lots of hassels along the way.
Metro: Both cities have great Metro Systems. Do not fail to stop off at some of the nicer ones in Moscow they are well worth the stop and trains run every few minutes. My advice: Read the map in the station, they are marked with a you are here type thing, count the stops to your destination and your off.
Picpockets: Six of our people had their pockets picked and two more had attempts made on them. Most of these folks kept their billfolds in their back pockets so Hey guess what, money gone. Use a money belt of some kind and keep some cash in a zipper front pocket, be alert and you will be fine. No more dangerous than NY, LA etc.
Optional Tours: Must see: Peterhof - Yusupov Palace - Catherine"s Palace.
Other tours:
Central Museum of Armed
Forces and meeting with Russian WW2 Vets only if you are somewhat of a military nut otherwise quite boring, I did enjoy seeing the Nazi banners that were captured and the Eagle which was on top of the Reichstag. Kizhi Island a wonderful experience seeing the church with sunlight playing over it. The Kremlin, the Armory and Red Square, all were outstanding.
Lacquer Boxes: We have a small collection of these. Price range fron $79 to well over $30,000. We bought a couple for around $250 and I bargained a deal for another off the street for $60 which was priced at $128 I did know what I was buying and had done a lot of research esp for the specific box I bought on the street. Beware, there are good copies and the vendors will, surprise, try to get all they can from you. The ship probably has the best overall prices if you can find a box you like. We bought our first one in Iceland in 1973 for $9 - Those days are gone.
Please contact me direct if you would like additional specific info. Again the above is only my opinion.
Cheers!
Terry
First a piece of factual info. Russia Waterways and Russia Revealed are the same in every respect except Waterways uses hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow while Revealed has you on the ship every night. I think you may get a few more included meals on board with the Revealed trip. It also makes no difference whether you start your trip in Moscow or St. Pete, you sill see the same things and the ports of call are the same only in reverse. My wife and I preferred staying on the ship vice changing hotels and heard mixed opinions regarding this. Given the traffic in Moscow I don't think you save much if any time by being in a hotel, these are not exactly on Red Square or the heart of
St. Petersburg.
The Ship: Tiki Don for us but both ships are identical. Very clean, our cabin 301 was on the boat deck and a bit larger than most but the upper deck is nice since it is on the dining deck thus very convenient. Very good food and service. GCT folks go out of there way to make this an easy trip. WE did have quite a bit of sickness on our ship but heard this is very common - Use the hand sanatizer they offer and bring your own-use it all repeat all the time!!!
We usually travel on our own and were concerned about the slow pace of this tour. We din not feel the pace was slow but of course did end up waiting for Aunt Tilly a few times. Meals off the ship were in restaurants that could handle and were used to tour groups, that is the same places are used time after time. Food not bad and surroundings could have been worse but hey your on a tour - if you want a nice out of the way Bistro go on your own. In spite of the above, a tour and GCT seems to be the best at this one, is really the best way to see Russia, its a long way, impossible drive and long train ride from St. Pete to Moscow. Just getting into some of the optional tours offered is quite difficult on your own and lots of hassels along the way.
Metro: Both cities have great Metro Systems. Do not fail to stop off at some of the nicer ones in Moscow they are well worth the stop and trains run every few minutes. My advice: Read the map in the station, they are marked with a you are here type thing, count the stops to your destination and your off.
Picpockets: Six of our people had their pockets picked and two more had attempts made on them. Most of these folks kept their billfolds in their back pockets so Hey guess what, money gone. Use a money belt of some kind and keep some cash in a zipper front pocket, be alert and you will be fine. No more dangerous than NY, LA etc.
Optional Tours: Must see: Peterhof - Yusupov Palace - Catherine"s Palace.
Other tours:
Central Museum of Armed
Forces and meeting with Russian WW2 Vets only if you are somewhat of a military nut otherwise quite boring, I did enjoy seeing the Nazi banners that were captured and the Eagle which was on top of the Reichstag. Kizhi Island a wonderful experience seeing the church with sunlight playing over it. The Kremlin, the Armory and Red Square, all were outstanding.
Lacquer Boxes: We have a small collection of these. Price range fron $79 to well over $30,000. We bought a couple for around $250 and I bargained a deal for another off the street for $60 which was priced at $128 I did know what I was buying and had done a lot of research esp for the specific box I bought on the street. Beware, there are good copies and the vendors will, surprise, try to get all they can from you. The ship probably has the best overall prices if you can find a box you like. We bought our first one in Iceland in 1973 for $9 - Those days are gone.
Please contact me direct if you would like additional specific info. Again the above is only my opinion.
Cheers!
Terry
Aug 1st, 2008, 01:38 PM
#2
" a tour and GCT seems to be the best at this one, is really the best way to see Russia, its a long way, impossible drive and long train ride from St. Pete to Moscow" - disagree. I spent nearly 28 days (max. on a basic visa) getting from St. P. to the Mongolian border by train. I had home stays, station pick-up and a few tours with a car and driver arranged ahead of time, but otherwise traveled on my own. I think I got a better look at Russia than I would have done on a boat.
Aug 1st, 2008, 01:54 PM
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Thanks for the trip report, glad you enjoyed it.
Thursdaysd, you definitely saw more of Russia than you would have on this trip, but this is hard to beat for 16 days. We probably saw more in depth Moscow and St. Pete's unless you spent the same amount of time in those cities. I too would highly recommend GCT for those less adventurous than yourself.
Thursdaysd, you definitely saw more of Russia than you would have on this trip, but this is hard to beat for 16 days. We probably saw more in depth Moscow and St. Pete's unless you spent the same amount of time in those cities. I too would highly recommend GCT for those less adventurous than yourself.
Aug 1st, 2008, 02:28 PM
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We went with Viking and were very pleased in every way. You can't say GCT seems to be the best if you have no experience with others.
Except for a woman who came down with a cold (which, fortunately did not go around), NO ONE on our ship got sick, so this is not "very common". We were reminded to consume only the spring water (free on the ship) or bottled water (nominal charge on the ship) and not to eat nearly everything but ice cream off the ship. All food on the ship was imported from Scandanavian countries, with fresh supplies picked up at various ports along the way.
We were reminded every time we left the ship to protect ourselves from pickpockets. One day, a man feigned a "situation" (apparently to create a distraction for pickpockets) and one of our guides noticed this immediately and handled the situation. In fact, everywhere we went, all of the guides were on the lookout for pickpockets to shoo them away. They are a bit more aggressive in Russia, so an inside zipper pocket is not necessarily safe.
You CAN do optionals very easily on your own with a private guide (and there are many highly qualified and licensed independent guides available at very reasonable prices) for considerably less than what the tour companies charge. And, it's a huge relief to get away from the bus group on a tour such as this and see things on your own with a private guide to provide tours in English.
As for lacquer boxes, we were taught in a "souvenir seminar" how to recognize authentic boxes, versus copies.
We deliberately chose to travel Moscow to St. Petersburg, as there were more days in St. Petersburg, along with much more free time, and there was more we wanted to see and do in St. Petersburg than Moscow.
I do agree with staying on the ship. Our ship was docked a few minutes walk from a metro station in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, and across the street from a surface rail stop in St. Petersburg. Our trip was during the White Nights, and we were amazed at the lack of traffic compared to what we expected.
Except for a woman who came down with a cold (which, fortunately did not go around), NO ONE on our ship got sick, so this is not "very common". We were reminded to consume only the spring water (free on the ship) or bottled water (nominal charge on the ship) and not to eat nearly everything but ice cream off the ship. All food on the ship was imported from Scandanavian countries, with fresh supplies picked up at various ports along the way.
We were reminded every time we left the ship to protect ourselves from pickpockets. One day, a man feigned a "situation" (apparently to create a distraction for pickpockets) and one of our guides noticed this immediately and handled the situation. In fact, everywhere we went, all of the guides were on the lookout for pickpockets to shoo them away. They are a bit more aggressive in Russia, so an inside zipper pocket is not necessarily safe.
You CAN do optionals very easily on your own with a private guide (and there are many highly qualified and licensed independent guides available at very reasonable prices) for considerably less than what the tour companies charge. And, it's a huge relief to get away from the bus group on a tour such as this and see things on your own with a private guide to provide tours in English.
As for lacquer boxes, we were taught in a "souvenir seminar" how to recognize authentic boxes, versus copies.
We deliberately chose to travel Moscow to St. Petersburg, as there were more days in St. Petersburg, along with much more free time, and there was more we wanted to see and do in St. Petersburg than Moscow.
I do agree with staying on the ship. Our ship was docked a few minutes walk from a metro station in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, and across the street from a surface rail stop in St. Petersburg. Our trip was during the White Nights, and we were amazed at the lack of traffic compared to what we expected.
Aug 2nd, 2008, 01:59 PM
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I repeat. MY OPINION ONLY. Sorry for the shouting but some of you folks just can't read.
Re: Sickness on ship. My Opinion is based on conversations with a number of the crew. If your ship happened to be one of the few that was illness free good for you.
GCT seems to be the best: Again, MY OPINION, based on extensive reading of posts on this and a number of other forums.
Optionals on your own: Hiring a local guide is not what I would call doing it on your own. There are some sites that are very difficult for a person to get into unless you are with a guide or on tour.
Pickpockets: Our guides were not with us all the time. How can a single guide be with 25 people at once? I don't like to rely on others to protect me. Zipper on front pocket worked fine in Turkey, China, Germany, Audtria, Eastern Europe. London, Ireland, etc etc.
I did debate with my self before I posted my original report. I wanted to provide some info that I could have used that is not usually found in trip reports.
Now I wonder why the hell I bothered!!!!!!!
Re: Sickness on ship. My Opinion is based on conversations with a number of the crew. If your ship happened to be one of the few that was illness free good for you.
GCT seems to be the best: Again, MY OPINION, based on extensive reading of posts on this and a number of other forums.
Optionals on your own: Hiring a local guide is not what I would call doing it on your own. There are some sites that are very difficult for a person to get into unless you are with a guide or on tour.
Pickpockets: Our guides were not with us all the time. How can a single guide be with 25 people at once? I don't like to rely on others to protect me. Zipper on front pocket worked fine in Turkey, China, Germany, Audtria, Eastern Europe. London, Ireland, etc etc.
I did debate with my self before I posted my original report. I wanted to provide some info that I could have used that is not usually found in trip reports.
Now I wonder why the hell I bothered!!!!!!!
Aug 2nd, 2008, 03:27 PM
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terkar:
There is so little written on this Board about Russia that every little bit helps. Please don't someone else's post personally. It is after all their opinion. I agree that the GCT trip was fabulous.
There is so little written on this Board about Russia that every little bit helps. Please don't someone else's post personally. It is after all their opinion. I agree that the GCT trip was fabulous.
Aug 2nd, 2008, 05:51 PM
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Terkar, I enjoyed your report very much and I am sure there are many others who did also. But your are correct--it hardly seems worthwhile to make the effort to post a report with all the one-upmanship on this forum these days.
Aug 2nd, 2008, 06:11 PM
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We have traveled around the world with GCT, OAT, and many other tour companies, including many trips on our own into the far hinterlands of places only now being discovered by other companies. Now in our 80s, we need nobody's adulation nor criticisms.
We decided not to post our trip reports on Fodor's because there appear to be so many strange people who seem to get pleasure in knocking those who do share their experiences. This is a shame. But why bother?
We suspect that they are armchair travelers who have never been anywhere. Perverse individuals who wish to remain truly ignorant and cannot stand to gain any enlightenment.
So we concentrate on answering specific questions by persons who appear to be in need. Now comes the firestorm... You just watch!
We decided not to post our trip reports on Fodor's because there appear to be so many strange people who seem to get pleasure in knocking those who do share their experiences. This is a shame. But why bother?
We suspect that they are armchair travelers who have never been anywhere. Perverse individuals who wish to remain truly ignorant and cannot stand to gain any enlightenment.
So we concentrate on answering specific questions by persons who appear to be in need. Now comes the firestorm... You just watch!
Aug 5th, 2008, 10:51 AM
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Thanks for the trip report, I enjoyed reading it. We are scheduled to go with GCT on the Russia Revealed trip in October. Yes, there are those who are anxious to criticize and proclaim that their trip or experience was superior.
Aug 5th, 2008, 12:37 PM
#10
"Yes, there are those who are anxious to criticize and proclaim that their trip or experience was superior. " The OP stated that the GCT trip was the "BEST" way to see Russia. Why is OK for him to make that claim - clearly stating it is his opinion - and not OK for other posters to state their, differing, opinions?
"We suspect that they are armchair travelers who have never been anywhere." - if you are suggesting that I lied about my trip I take strong exception to your post. You can read my trip reports for Russia at www.wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004 - Rainy Russia and Sunny Siberia, and see a few of my Russia pix at kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/287618. My travel style isn't for everyone, but neither are GCT boat trips.
"We suspect that they are armchair travelers who have never been anywhere." - if you are suggesting that I lied about my trip I take strong exception to your post. You can read my trip reports for Russia at www.wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004 - Rainy Russia and Sunny Siberia, and see a few of my Russia pix at kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/287618. My travel style isn't for everyone, but neither are GCT boat trips.
Aug 6th, 2008, 01:07 PM
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Wow! I had no idea my little post would generate so much debate.
thursdaysd: I respect your right to disagree with me and others. However, you do appear to be a bit smug. your assertion that other posters are armchair travelers who have never been anywhere is without foundation. I also note the use of the Royal "We" whats that all about?
Enuf on this. Suffice to say there are many ways to enjoy Russia and other destinations. I feel GCT is a great option for Russia, another option may be better for another destination.
thursdaysd: I respect your right to disagree with me and others. However, you do appear to be a bit smug. your assertion that other posters are armchair travelers who have never been anywhere is without foundation. I also note the use of the Royal "We" whats that all about?
Enuf on this. Suffice to say there are many ways to enjoy Russia and other destinations. I feel GCT is a great option for Russia, another option may be better for another destination.
Aug 6th, 2008, 01:32 PM
#12
"your assertion that other posters are armchair travelers who have never been anywhere is without foundation. I also note the use of the Royal "We" whats that all about?" - that wasn't me!!! That was USNR, whose post I was quoting, and objecting to!
