Russian River Cruise
 

Message: Am planning on going on a Russian River Cruise ( June,2005) Looking at Tour companies...Viking and Uniworld. Would anyone be able to give some advise on any Russian River Cruise?

Thanks so much



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Do a search above "russia cruise" for lots of posts. Thanks to Rudy, Mimi, Gary and their reports and links, we are booked with Viking on the Pakhomov Sept 1st.

I was not able to find much on Uniworld even with web searches.

All the reports of Viking are so positive I'm sure we'll have a great time. We wanted to go with Shirley B's group but the dates didn't work out for us.

I'm back to print the tips on packing, money, etc., provided by those above.

Also interesting is an elderhostel trip someone took recently described as a "forced march through Russia" with "Stalin's Revenge" so I'm extra glad we booked the river cruise.

"Also interesting is an elderhostel trip someone took recently described as a "forced march through Russia" with "Stalin's Revenge" so I'm extra glad we booked the river cruise."

Anyone interested in reading my trip report on my elderhostel experience can read about it on the independenttraveler.com

The link is:

http://boards.independenttraveler.co...play.php?f=140

The remarks made by "Trisa" are totally taken out of context and deliberately done so with her continuing agenda (with numerous aliases) to trash my trip for reasons only understood by herself.

I had a great time on my trip. Please read the reports for the full story. The trip was focused on the arts and theater and we packed in the performances including both the Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera. I would have not had the opportunity to do all the things we did if I had chosen a river cruise and was glad I chose what I did.

What you choose to do is your choice, but no one needs to trash anyone's choices by deliberately mischaracterizing them.

Check Intrav. We took our river cruise with them several years ago and it was excellent.

Here's another HUGE recommendation for searching this forum for the reports of Rudy, Mimi, Gary and others. With a web search, you'll find many others, along with a few Uniworld reports as well. Cruisemates, cruisecritics, or something like that. You'll find them.

Because of Rudy, we cancelled our planned drive all about Ireland and went to Russia with Viking instead last year. This trip was positively magnificent in every way (with no need whatsoever for Immodium, whatever that even IS).

I took a look at that elderhostel report. Actually read it all. Curiously, the overall tone did not suggest a "great time". "Disappointing" appears quite often throughout. Not to mention "schlep" and "schlock" and "tuning out" over and over again.

While, maybe, "no one goes to Russia for the cuisine - and that's what Italy and France are for...", I cannot fathom delaying dinner to avoid a mobbed buffet line, where "they lied" about the fruits and vegetables, compared to gorgeous dining rooms with panoramic windows all about for enjoying the scenery, and positively delightful table service. Not to mention "Would you prefer red wine, white wine, or Champagne?" Along with incredible food/meals.

It is unimaginable to me, personally, that anyone would say that Moscow is "not beautiful". It is very beautiful all about - the parks, gardens, statuary, cathedrals (all those glorious onion domes in all colors, many gilded, everywhere). For sure, as in every city, there are less than beautiful areas, but in the overall, Moscow is positively breathtaking. Especially all along the river, the canals, and the incredible Kremlin! The odd Stalin buildings here and there are there are quite curious, but part of the historical landscape.

"Disappointing" for sure is traveling all the way to Russia with no visit to Red Square during a full one week visit. Unexpectedly, the first time ever, Red Square was closed for the "Independence Day" celebrations, but our cruise director adjusted the itinerary so that we not only had a long visit the next day, but also dropped us off after the circus (which we thought was positively spectacular), so as to enjoy Red Square, the Kremlin and environs, at night. Breathtaking!

I would also question that "all the cathedrals are maintained just for the tourists". Not so. They are preserved by the intensely religious residents and steeped in history - each and every one. We found it astonishing that attending services took place throughout the Communist control though the penalties for doing so were horrid.

Rather curious that "fauxstemarie" would kvetch about "numerous aliases".

I read that elderhostel report and enjoyed it very much!
Although, I cannot imagine how "elder" anyone could be and still keep up that pace, I was exhaused after reading it!
And depending on where one comes from, most people do kvetch while schleping all over a city, or even when reading Fodors LOL

Uniworld is at:
http://uniworld.com/regions.asp?Region_id=4

The cruises that are offered in Russia by the various travel companies are all on Russian ships. The ships are all basically the same and the stops once you leave Moscow and St Petersburg are the same.

If you want to book directly with the Russian cruise lines have a look at cruise.ru which is Orthodox Cruise Company or volgabalt.ru , they offer more than just the St Petersburg to Moscow route.

Both companies provide service for a number of foreign cruise companies.

We haved booked with Grand Circle for September of this year. They have not done this trip in 5 yesrs and have recently restarted it. It is a chartered Russian boat, so its itinerary and accomodations are similar to the others. This will be our third river cruise with Grand Circle and we have thoroughly enjoyed them. One difference between them and other operators that we have taken is their concentration on understanding the local people and culture, including the touchstones of religion and politics. We will be glad to update you after we return. Grand Circle does market to the older audience, but that is what we have found is travelling anyway. We are in our late fifties and are usually well below the medain age for the trip, but we have never been the youngest. The pacing is a little more relaxed than other companies due to their concentration on older travellers. They tend to undersell this boat as not meeting their normal standards (most of their boats are owned by them), but, based on prior experiences, I'm sure that it will be excellent. We will be glad to post a response after we return. Whoever you go with it should be a wonderful trip.

After seeing the odd exchanges about the trip log posted on http://boards.independenttraveler.com, I read that report for myself. Based on my 1994 Russian river cruise, I interpreted the trip log as coming from someone who had a good, enjoyable, memorable trip but someone who also has a tongue-in-cheek style of acknowledging that things don't always go right on "adventure" trips and in Russia they don't go right more than in some other places. All-in-all, I though it a good report by someone who had a memorable and overall enjoyable adventure.

"After seeing the odd exchanges about the trip log posted on http://boards.independenttraveler.com, I read that report for myself. Based on my 1994 Russian river cruise, I interpreted the trip log as coming from someone who had a good, enjoyable, memorable trip but someone who also has a tongue-in-cheek style of acknowledging that things don't always go right on "adventure" trips and in Russia they don't go right more than in some other places. All-in-all, I though it a good report by someone who had a memorable and overall enjoyable adventure."

Which is exactly the way the trip report was meant. No, everything did not go 100% right. Yes, I am glad I chose the trip I did for a first Russia experience. I do recommend that people go to Russia because I loved it despite the problems.

You can be assured that I do not attack people for taking trips different than the one I chose. Many choose the river cruise, but I was very happy with the choice I made as we had so many wonderful evening performances which I would not have had had I chosen the river cruise. There are advantages and disadvantages no matter what trip you choose.

Thank you for your POSITIVE comments.

I agree with you bo_jack, my husband thought the same thing.

<<You can be assured that I do not attack people for taking trips different than the one I chose. Many choose the river cruise, but I was very happy with the choice I made as we had so many wonderful evening performances which I would not have had had I chosen the river cruise. There are advantages and disadvantages no matter what trip you choose.>>

Too curious.

I haven't noticed anyone "attacking" others, except for "Faux", who described her trip on Independenttraveler.com (where there is nearly NO traffic whatsoever) as a "forced march through Russia", which no one would declare a "happy" experience.

Everyone should be assured that the river cruises offer extraordinary "evening performances", none of which, on our cruise, anyway, were "disappointing". OR, cost extra.

It is apparent, DJKBooks, that others disagree with you.

Any, anyone really wanting to read my trip reports can do so and make up his own mind about them.

Posters can easily determine who on this board is here to help others and who is here to simply agrandize attention for herself for reasons unrelated to travel.

My husband and I are leaving in 2 weeks to go on the Volga River cruise with General Tours. A friend of mine and I went to China and Tibet with them and they were an excellent tour company. The total number of people in our group was 16 and that's the number they use for all of their tours.

We will let you know how it all went when we come back but anybody interest should check out General Tours for all of their organized trips.

I was just looking at General tours yesterday and wondered about them. had not heard of them before. I caancelled a 12 night river cruise this year because I had a terrible bout of asthma this winter and just wasn't ready to do it.

I still want to go to Russia on a tour but maybe not a river cruise and not for 12 nights. General had some land tours that fit my criteria.

I am looking forward to your repot about your experience with General.

Just booked Peter the Great with Brendan tours. You can also book directly with the Peter the Great website, but I'm not sure about flying on Aeroflot.... I checked into all the companies and prices and found this to be best, but be sure to look for companies that offer Brendan tours at a discount. Would love to see pictures of this trip from "garfield". Please post them and let me know where they are. The url mentioned in previous messages doesn't work anymore--too old, I guess. Please, please post them again!!

I have just posted photographs from a river cruise that I did in May. The cruise was from Constanta in Romania to St Petersburg in Russia.

Posted at: http://client.webshots.com/user/wu687

I will be posting some additional photographs of Russia in the next few days.

Garfield, thanks so much for your wonderful pictures. Have been to St. Petersburg on a large cruise ship, so the pictures brought back great memories. And the other pictures simply make me want to travel more. Only 13 months until my Volga River cruise! Thanks, again.

Try Friendlyplanet.com. We haven't used them for Russia but we intend to. We used them for the Kenya wildlife safari. Their prices include airfare, most meals and most sightseeing.
Nancy

My mom and I took the Viking Kirov from Moscow to St. Petersburg July 24-August 4 and loved it. I had read Rudy's and DJKBooks' extensive reports and also corresponded directly with DJK, who was most helpful and answered all of my questions, and then some.

Not having to pack and unpack was great, the food was fine, and the service was friendly and lovely overall. We learned a tremendous amount from the lecture series and the knowledgeable guides at each stop. About half of our fellow passengers were from Great Britain, which was delightful. We made lots of friends.

I loved Moscow as much as St. Petersburg and wish we'd had an extra day or two in each. Kishi is spectacular! Having most of the tours included is terrific and makes this a pretty cost-effective trip compared to ocean cruises where you pay extra for all shore excursions

A friend went on the Peter the Great last year and had a similarly good experience. She flew Aeroflot and said the service was terrific.

All the boats are essentially the same; we were fortunate to get a larger cabin due to a last minute cancellation. The standard ones are only 90 square feet, very efficiently laid out, but my mom and I would have had a tough time wtih storage space, as she took so many clothes! I probably could have managed OK with my husband in the small space, but was thrilled to have the larger cabin.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions. We thought the cruise was a wonderful introduction to a fascinating country. I'm now considering a China cruise with my husband at some point!