We took this cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in September 2013 on the Rurik. Highly recommend Moscow to St. Pete trip over opposite direction. Moscow, though fascinating, is not pretty and the boat dock is an hour bus ride or more to anywhere the tours go. It's nice to end in St. Petersburg, a true jewel and much smaller and easier to navigate. Sort of like ending with a sweet taste. Plus, the St. Petersburg airport is really close as opposed to Moscow's, which can be, depending on traffic, from 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. That way, when the trip is over, you don't have a long bus ride to a huge airport.
You can book the airfare through the company, as well. Or you can use a travel agent. We also paid for the "white glove" service on getting our visas. Do not sign up for the Silver Spirits package unless you plan to consume a huge amount of hard liquor in the bars. Wine and Baltica beer are served at lunch and dinner at no charge. Also, make sure your cabin is not at the rear of the boat. The vibration and noise at times can be teeth-grindingly infuriating when trying to sleep.
If you have seasickness, bring medication. We missed one stop entirely and were delayed getting into St. Petersburg by 12 hours due to 3-meter waves forcing us to anchor. A lot of green-faced people that day.
It's a fascinating trip. You'll have a great time.
Russian River Cruise August 2015
in River Cruising
Posted
We took this cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in September 2013 on the Rurik. Highly recommend Moscow to St. Pete trip over opposite direction. Moscow, though fascinating, is not pretty and the boat dock is an hour bus ride or more to anywhere the tours go. It's nice to end in St. Petersburg, a true jewel and much smaller and easier to navigate. Sort of like ending with a sweet taste. Plus, the St. Petersburg airport is really close as opposed to Moscow's, which can be, depending on traffic, from 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. That way, when the trip is over, you don't have a long bus ride to a huge airport.
You can book the airfare through the company, as well. Or you can use a travel agent. We also paid for the "white glove" service on getting our visas. Do not sign up for the Silver Spirits package unless you plan to consume a huge amount of hard liquor in the bars. Wine and Baltica beer are served at lunch and dinner at no charge. Also, make sure your cabin is not at the rear of the boat. The vibration and noise at times can be teeth-grindingly infuriating when trying to sleep.
If you have seasickness, bring medication. We missed one stop entirely and were delayed getting into St. Petersburg by 12 hours due to 3-meter waves forcing us to anchor. A lot of green-faced people that day.
It's a fascinating trip. You'll have a great time.