Russian cruise
 

I am travelling to Russia for the first time in May of this year. I am interested in staying at the very best accommodations as I am travelling with my elerly mother who is not that fit. I want her to be as comfortable as possible so want only the best. I initially booked hotel rooms in Moscow and St. Petersburg but am struggling with the idea of a boat. Exclusive Tours offers 10 day cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Any advice?

I don't know what ships Exclusive Tours uses, so I can not comment specifically on their cruises. Have a look at Uniworld, Viking or Orthodox to get an idea of the cruises. Most of the cruises on the rivers in Russia for foreign tourist are basically the same, they all stop at the same places. Some walking will be involved with all the tours. On the ship you will have to be able to climb up and down stairs as most ships do not have elevators. Try to get a cabin on the same deck as the restaurant. To see the sights in Moscow and St Petersburg a great deal of walking will be involved. River cruises are a relaxing way to see the countryside.

I have never cruised, but my impression from looking at itineraries and speaking to people is that you have a very limited time in each port. If your aim is to spend time in a city and have time to appreciate it, a cruise is not the optimal way to do this. For example, if you are only going to be in St Petersburg for one day (and that day is actually about 12 hours) , it is impossible to see St Petersburg; and even more so with Moscow which is more spread out. You may hit the city on a day when the Hermitage is closed, and then you will really miss one of the main reasons for going. Even if you are there when it is open, do you want to rush through it in 2 hours, or do you want to be able to take 1-2 days at your own pace to see the exhibits? (It drives me crazy to be in Rome and see people trying to "do" that city in 12 hours, will they remember anything? Or just lines and rushing?)

Take a look at the cruise schedule to see how much time you spend in each port, how far the ports are from the main sights (could be far in Moscow), and also ask yourself if you want to see the city, or see the countryside go by in a boat. Nothing wrong with either option, but you can't do both as I see it.

I also understand from reading posts on this board, that passengers on Russian cruises may not have regular tourist visas, which means they cannot do shore excursions on their own but must be part of a tour group which arranges for visas. The shore excursions tend to be much more expensive than doing it yourself and you can't set your own itinerary, you go where they want to take you. You may want to ask about the visa sityation and the possibility of doing your own touring at ports.

On the river cruises between St Petersburg and Moscow you require a regular tourist visa and you are not restricted with regards to independent travel. On the large ocean going cruise ships that visit St Petersburg visitors are often restricted because they do not have visa and must remain with the tour group. The large cruise ships are the ones that offer very expensive shore excursions.

We are planing a Russia river cruise next year. Check out Uniworld and Vantage. Both offer 16 day tours that give plenty of time in both cities. We took a river cruise last year, have two booked for this year, and plan two for next year. We love it. Your ship is your hotel, all meals and shore excursions are included.

Go to "My river cruise in Russia" to read about our experiences with a Viking Rivers Cruise tour two years ago.