Just back from Vantage Russian River Cruise

We departed on June 26 and arrived at Moscow on the 27th. A PM(Program Manager) showed an ATM at the airport and I withdrew 15,000 rubles(about $450). This lasted until SPB. It took us 3 hrs to get to the hotel from the airport. Some people arriving on later flights took longer(stuck in rush hour traffic). Kiev extension did not arrive until 630 or so.

All of the hotels and the ship had hair dryers. Two of the hotels had a switch at the outlet next to the hair dryer to switch from 220v to 110v. We skipped the Tretyakov gallery tour on day 3. On day 4, we took the optional Sergei Posad monastery tour, which we liked. We also took the Moscow by night tour, which started at 930pm and ended at midnight--kind of late but enjoyable. It didn’t get dark until 11pm. St Basil’s Cathedral at night is awesome.

We boarded the MS Tolstoy about 5pm. The rooms are very small--103 sq. ft. Irina, our PM addressed this issue and said that Vantage does not own the ship. It is owned by Vodohod(along w. 17 others, including AMA Katerina). She said that Vantage is considering buying its own boat, but presently only does 8 trips a year, and it is not worthwhile. Food on the ship and in hotels ranged from good to excellent.

A word about safety. Irina warned us about pickpockets at the Kremlin. Moscow, SPB and some Baltic cities have pedestrian tunnels at some intersections. You have to use these tunnels to cross the street. On the last day in SPB, I asked a guide, Marina,, on how to get to a sign on Nevski Prospekt from the WWII **** blockade of Leningrad(Mentioned in “900 Days: The Siege Of Leningrad” by Harrison Salisbury). This sign--”Citizens: In case of artillery shelling, this side of the street is more dangerous.” Marina said to take a bus 3 stops and walk a ways. The bus that I got on went 1 stop and turned left. I walked the rest of about 12 blocks, took a picture of the sign and walked back, In the second of 2 tunnels, a man stopped in front of me. I attempted to go around him, and a 2nd man blocked my way. In the meantime a 3rd man came behind me and started to take my fanny pack/pick my pockets. I grabbed my pockets and fanny pack, They gave up and went away. There were a lot of people on the steps out of the tunnel and they didn’t want witnesses. I was very fortunate not be hurt.

Another member of our group was attacked in a Riga, Latvia tunnel, by a single robber. The robber knocked him down, took his wallet and hit him again AFTER he took the wallet. Irina said this type of violent attack was very rare in the Baltic countries.

Lessons to be learned: Walk in groups if possible. Leave most of your money/credit cards in hotel safe. Be especially vigilant in pedestrian tunnels. If you buy the Vantage Insurance, bring the policy with you!! Irina needed the policy# to arrange a medical evacuation for the victim, who suffered a broken hip. I don’t want to scare anyone unnecessarily, it was a wonderful trip. I just want to warn you to be careful.

Irina was an excellent PM, but she is not doing the 7-24 trip. One of the other PMs, Natalia, will be on the 7-24 trip. Feel free to ask questions. This is already pretty long, so I will stop.

Tom

THANKS for telling us..

Thanks for telling us...

Very scary... Don't think we had anything like that happen on our trip.

But - we always travelled in a group of 4 - so doubt we would have been as easy target.

Thanks for posting.

Fran

We had Irina as one of our Program Managers. Was Tania with your group? She was our PM.

Sorry to hear about your incident. At least they didn't gang up and mug you.

We had Irina as one of our Program Managers. Was Tania with your group? She was our PM.

Sorry to hear about your incident. At least they didn't gang up and mug you.

Hi

Tania was not with us. Other PMs--Masha, Natalia and 2nd Irina. Our Irina was Gorbachev's personal interpreter for 3yrs.

Tom

Tom 47, thanks for your comments and warning. We leave in just a few days for the July 24th Vantage trip. I am the group leader for 41 friends so I am getting lots of questions.

Hopefully you can help with some answers. I realize you have just returned and have a thousand things to catch up on.

Was bottled water provided at the hotels and on the boat or did you have to keep buying it?

Were seats in the boat dining room assigned after the first dinner or could you move around and sit with different people? We will be with a group of 41 friends and hope we can sit with different people at each meal.

Did you do the optional to the ballet in StP? What theater did they use and was it student dancers or professionals?

Were the program managers easy to understand? Did they use the devices where each tourist wears a unit with headphones?

Do you have any restaurant recommendations near the hotels? Were the PMs good about suggestions and pointing out places to eat?

Did the boat get rough at all?

Thanks for your help. I may think of more questions later!

We had Irina as one of our Program Managers. Was Tania with your group? She was our PM.

Sorry to hear about your incident. At least they didn't gang up and mug you.

Irina told 1 of our group that her Vantage contract salary goes thru a state certified company, which deducts a 66% government tax on outside the country salaries. Then this company deducts another 13% transaction fee. That leaves PMs with 21%. Viking stopped paying PMs, who now rely solely on tips. Some of their PMs quit and were replaced by younger persons--in 1 case a college student. I'm happy for Bob that Irina was there for him when he was attacked. She was up until 3am that morning w. Riga police(who arrived at 1am, even though the attack took place at 740pm). She was the lead PM for our trip.

Most Latvians are good people. A Latvian passerby saw Bob, called for an ambulance on his cell phone, and stayed until the ambulance arrived. All of the Latvians that I dealt were friendly and spoke a little English.

Another tip for those of you taking the Baltic extension: Get some Lithuanian money before you enter Lithuania. No way to get Lits until you arrive in Vilnius and you need coins for some WCs, plus money for lunch unless you use a restaurant that takes credit cards. There is a currency exchange in the Riga hotel.

Tom

Tom 47, thanks for your comments and warning. We leave in just a few days for the July 24th Vantage trip. I am the group leader for 41 friends so I am getting lots of questions.

 

Hopefully you can help with some answers. I realize you have just returned and have a thousand things to catch up on.

 

 

Was bottled water provided at the hotels and on the boat or did you have to keep buying it? Vantage contracts w. hotels specify"Business class" which means free bottled water, but that stops on July 1--high season. Irina bought bottled water until Latvia. We boiled water in the electric kettles(provided in all hotels). Ship provided free bottled water and even gave my wife extra when she got sick from homemade vodka at home visit. Irina arranged room service for Liz. One other person got sick, but from a different home. I was ok. There is a doctor on board. Also, the NATMA(North American Taiwanese Medical Assn) was on board.

 

 

Were seats in the boat dining room assigned after the first dinner or could you move around and sit with different people? We will be with a group of 41 friends and hope we can sit with different people at each meal. Open seating every day.

 

 

Did you do the optional to the ballet in StP? What theater did they use and was it student dancers or professionals?

We skipped ballet.

 

 

Were the program managers easy to understand? Did they use the devices where each tourist wears a unit with headphones? All PMs were easy to understand. They used headphones

 

 

Do you have any restaurant recommendations near the hotels? Were the PMs good about suggestions and pointing out places to eat? We at Chocolate Nitza(across st fm hotel) in Moscow and liked it. We also bought food at Stockmans some days. IN SPB we ate at a pizza place 2 drs away, which had a no smoking rm. Some people ate at Mama Romas and liked it. PMs gave suggestions which were helpful.

 

 

Did the boat get rough at all? boat was never rough, but I have read that there are storms on Lakes Ladoga and Oneiga.

 

 

Thanks for your help. I may think of more questions later!

See above

Longduo,

I realize your questions were not addressed to me, but I will answer for our 2011 trip.

Was bottled water provided at the hotels and on the boat or did you have to keep buying it?

We were provided with one bottle of water a day.

Were seats in the boat dining room assigned after the first dinner or could you move around and sit with different people? We will be with a group of 41 friends and hope we can sit with different people at each meal.

Seats not assigned

Did you do the optional to the ballet in StP? What theater did they use and was it student dancers or professionals?

The ballet was professionals, the successor ballet company to the Kirov Ballet, forgot the name. It was Swan Lake and the best I have ever seen.

Were the program managers easy to understand? Did they use the devices where each tourist wears a unit with headphones?

PMs and guides use great English and we did get headphones.

Do you have any restaurant recommendations near the hotels? Were the PMs good about suggestions and pointing out places to eat?

We didn't get restaurant recommendations from PMs, but used TripAdvisor ahead of time. My review from 2011 provided some restaurants.

Did the boat get rough at all?

Not for us.

Tom47 and 4774Papa, thanks sooooo much for your quick respose to my questions! (Amazing that you both have 47 in your CC name!)

We are very excited and now just want to get going.

I have read all the past reviews on several threads including your's from after your trip 4774Papa plus checked Cruise critic so I think we are ready with lists of suggestions for our group.

Hi - was not on Vantage, but did want to comment on the question re: rough water...

We hit some pretty rough water on Lake Ladoga... the movement of the ship was more noticeable on the higher decks (obviously...) - but not I was not particularly bothered by it. I did make sure that I stayed on on the lower decks, however, to minimize the effect (had a rough time when we cruised the inside passage a few years ago, and didn't want to repeat that experience!!)

Fran

Did you have the opportunity to purchase optional tours while on the cruise or did you have to purchase prior to leaving?

Did you have the opportunity to purchase optional tours while on the cruise or did you have to purchase prior to leaving?

We purchased prior to leaving, but there were still openings to buy the optionals upon arrival.

We purchased prior to leaving, but there were still openings to buy the optionals upon arrival.

Yes, some people purchased optional tours in Russia.

I highly recommend the Russian Army Folklore Show in St. Petersburg as well as the Ballet in STP. Also, Peterhof is a must.

The canal ride in STP was good. You do need to take the time to go inside the Church of Spilled Blood. Our tour didn't have time for us to go inside, but we went back to see the wonderful mosaics.

For Moscow, the Moscow by Night was excellent. Also enjoyed the Sergei posad Monastery. The Tretyakov air gallery was good, but we probably should have skipped it and spent more time at Red Square and seen Lenin.

We also had a bit of a swell on Lake Ladoga.

I really liked it as it was the only time I felt

like I was on a ship.:)

Tom47 and everyone else, thank you for all this info. I leave with Vantage on 9/10. I bought 6 optional tours;didnt buy Tretyakov Gallery or Pavlovsk in SPB

but we are doing:

Folkloric Show St. Petersburg

Moscow By Night

Palace Theatre Ballet in SPB

Peterhof Tour in SPB

Rivers & Canals Tour in SPB

Sergiev Posad Tour in Moscow

Were the cots on the boat comfortable enough?

Did you use airfare through Vantage or on your own? I am using FF miles and not sure if I should arrange transportation or use a taxi

Were the blowdryers strong enough?

Thank you in advance!! I know a lot of questions>>>>>>

-Diane

Tom47 or anyone else,

It looks like the Vantage hotel in Riga, the Radisson Blu Daugana, is in an inconveient location across the river from the main part of the city. Were there any restaurants nearby? After hearing of your fellow traveler being robbed and injured I'm not sure we will want to wander far at night.

Hi 4774Papa,

I agree with you re the Tretyakov Art Gallery, I would have easily missed this and saw more of Moscow. Remember, my river cruise only had one day and one half in Moscow. I also agree that going inside the Church of the Spilled Blood is a "must see" as well as Catherine's Palace and the Amber Room in SPB.

Sheila

Tom47 or anyone else,

 

It looks like the Vantage hotel in Riga, the Radisson Blu Daugana, is in an inconveient location across the river from the main part of the city. Were there any restaurants nearby? After hearing of your fellow traveler being robbed and injured I'm not sure we will want to wander far at night.

There are no restaurants nearby except for 1 take out place that 2 of group found. The hotel offers a free taxi service across the river and back. On the day of the attack, I stayed in town after the morning tour and toured some museums while Liz walked back w. another couple. I found a small store where I bought fruit and yogurt for dinner. I walked back about 230pm by myself and was very vigilant in the tunnel. Irina said that Vantage is looking into another hotel when Radisson contract expires.

To didicruiser:

Liz says the hairdryers were strong enough for her. The beds on the boat were ok for me but bothered Liz' back.. We bought airfare thru Vantage.

To didicruiser:

Liz says the hairdryers were strong enough for her. The beds on the boat were ok for me but bothered Liz' back.. We bought airfare thru Vantage.

Thanks for the info. Were you overall satisfied with everything?

Thanks for the info. Were you overall satisfied with everything?

Rooms were too small. Food was not as good as on previous Vantage trips, but this may be because of Vodohod owning the boat. We still like Vantage and signed up for 2014 China trip to get next trip discount.

Rooms were too small. Food was not as good as on previous Vantage trips, but this may be because of Vodohod owning the boat. We still like Vantage and signed up for 2014 China trip to get next trip discount.

We did Russia last year and loved it. I think the food was pretty good, but probably not on level with most European cruises.

We are doing Vantage China in seven weeks. We had several in Russia that had done China with Vantage and said it was great. Some said it was the best tour they had ever been on.

We did Russia last year and loved it. I think the food was pretty good, but probably not on level with most European cruises.

We are doing Vantage China in seven weeks. We had several in Russia that had done China with Vantage and said it was great. Some said it was the best tour they had ever been on.

Ma:rolleyes:ybe China in 2014

Rooms were too small. Food was not as good as on previous Vantage trips, but this may be because of Vodohod owning the boat. We still like Vantage and signed up for 2014 China trip to get next trip discount.

Did you have to deal with a fold away bed? Is that like the hotel roll away kind that folds in the middle, or was it more like a murpy bed that folds down out of the wall. My mom is not excited about sleeping on a fold away.