When Is The Best Time To River Cruise In Russia?

[Suesan Jean]

I am back with more Russian River Cruising questions........:)

 

After MUCH back and forth debating of doing a Russian River Cruise or not, I think I have FINALLY decided that my DD and I WILL GO NEXT YEAR.....!!!

 

I have decided that: A. Life is SHORT!! B. I will be celebrating my 55th Birthday next year. and C. Life is SHORT, so, why not....???!!! :D

 

So, which month would be better? We can go from the end of May till the end of August. I know that July and August are VERY, VERY HOT, so, forget those months.

 

I have been reading that sometimes in late Spring the rivers are too high and sometimes you have to be bused to places. So, would the end of May be a possibly not good time?

 

What about June? What would the weather/temperature be like? Would the beginning or end of June be better?

 

Thank you for ALL your thoughts and opinions......!!! :D

[prinret]

I was on the Russian Waterways cruise departing on June 1st of this year. The weather was pleasant but a little on the cool side in St. Petersburg and quite cool in a number of places we stopped. People wore light jackets or cardigans. We had one day of heavy rain and several days of overcast weather with a bit of intermittent rain.

 

It became warmer as we cruised south and by the time we got to Moscow it was quite warm. In fact, we left Moscow (June 13) on the first day of the heatwave that they suffered from for an extended period this summer.

 

They do not seem to be as equipped to handle the warm weather as we are in North America. Many buildings were not air conditioned. Even our chartered bus that we used on the last day of our trip was very warm and the air conditioning was not working well.

 

Onboard our riverboat, our floating hotel, the air conditioning was less than ideal and, although the windows in the cabin opened, the mosquito population made it uncomfortable to do so.

 

It was an amazing trip, however, and I would highly recommend it. Just pack a warm sweater or light jacket if needed - and don't forget your raincoat if you are travelling in the late spring.

[Suesan Jean]

Thank You for your reply.....!!! :)

 

What do you think about the middle of May? Leaving May 20th actually?

 

My DD actually prefers cooler weather and if we are walking around a lot, so would I.....!!! :)

 

I wonder if there is a chance of the water being to high in the rivers?

[Kellie Poodle]

I did a bunch of checking and no one can correctly predict the weather, but the results of my inquiries was that late June would be a good time.

 

We are booked with AMA on the Amakatarina (newly rebuilt for 2011) on the June 22 trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg. That will put us in St. Petersburg for the end of the Whit Night celebrations.

[cormike1]

We went last year at the beginning of July so that we would be in Russia for my DH's 65th birthday. It was wonderful weather, not too hot and very little rain. It is nice to be there for white nights as the sun doesn't set until about 11. We have a picture of my husband showing his watch at 11:10 p.m. when the sun is setting. The 3 days we spent in St. Petersburg at the end of our river cruise was also good weather....no rain and they told us that someone must be watching from above because they usually don't get 3 days in a row with no rain. What a great trip it was...depending on when your 55th birthday is...why don't you try and book it when you can celebrate it in Russia!!! You will never forget that one for sure LOL

[pjtraveler]

I would avoid May as it can be quite chilly. Do not judge weather in Russia by this year, which was highly unusual. We went in mid-July last year and had delightful weather. We did not actually experience the White Nights in the north, a few days late for that. But we did enjoy the extra hours of sunlight til 10 or 11 pm.:)

[Suesan Jean]

Thank You for ALL your replies......!!!

 

My DD and I will be going on the AmaKaterina May 20, 2011, we are SO EXCITED......!!!

 

Going to Russia is just SO ADVENTUROUS......!!!

 

This is the MOST EXOCTIC place we have ever been too.....!!!

 

I am hoping for nice weather, cool, not hot and very little if any rain....!!!

Anybody else thinking about this week too.....???

[shoshona2]

Hi Suesan Jean,

 

We are booked for the AMAKatarina for September 2011, so you will have to post on this board what you thought of the ship, the cruise, etc., etc. Kellie Poodle is going in June 2011. So, we will be awaiting your review!

 

Sheila

[Suesan Jean]

Hi Suesan Jean,

 

We are booked for the AMAKatarina for September 2011, so you will have to post on this board what you thought of the ship, the cruise, etc., etc. Kellie Poodle is going in June 2011. So, we will be awaiting your review!

 

Sheila

 

I DEFINITELY WILL post about our experiences on AmaKaterina.....:D

We will be the 2nd cruise on this "new" ship.

I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing......

But, this is the week for us, so, I am hoping for a GREAT TRIP....!!! :D

Did/Do you have "sticker shock" at what this trip is going to cost....??? :eek:

It doesn't matter what cabin type you get, Russian River cruising does cost QUITE A BUNDLE......!!! By time you add up the cruise itself, airfare, gratuities for the ship staff, tips for the tour guide, the Visa's, insurance, it is BIG BUCKS.......!!!

But, I am looking at this as a "Once-In-A-Lifetime-Trip"......!!!

 

[Coral]

I went May 30th a few years ago and it was perfect weather. We had a few short rain showers but it really didn't affect us.

 

I went previously in July on a land trip and it was fine also.

 

I strongly recommend flying in early and spending some extra time pre/post cruise. I much preferred my land trip to my Amadeus cruise as I saw much more on my land trip and I could wander at my own rate.

[Kellie Poodle]

Hi Suesan Jean,

 

We are booked for the AMAKatarina for September 2011, so you will have to post on this board what you thought of the ship, the cruise, etc., etc. Kellie Poodle is going in June 2011. So, we will be awaiting your review!

 

Sheila

 

Yes, we will. I can't wait to hear from you, too. I'm starting to look at air fare. Did you go with AMA or did you book your own? Can you tell us about it?

[Kellie Poodle]

I DEFINITELY WILL post about our experiences on AmaKaterina.....:D

We will be the 2nd cruise on this "new" ship.

I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing......

But, this is the week for us, so, I am hoping for a GREAT TRIP....!!! :D

Did/Do you have "sticker shock" at what this trip is going to cost....??? :eek:

It doesn't matter what cabin type you get, Russian River cruising does cost QUITE A BUNDLE......!!! By time you add up the cruise itself, airfare, gratuities for the ship staff, tips for the tour guide, the Visa's, insurance, it is BIG BUCKS.......!!!

But, I am looking at this as a "Once-In-A-Lifetime-Trip"......!!!

 

 

We will be celebrating my husband's 70th birthday. Since he never believed he'd live past 50, this is a really big birthday for him. It is hugely expensive, but we need to spend all of our money now as we don't want to leave it to the kids.

 

We, and I mean all of us, have all had our share of sacrifices and troubles. We deserve to be able to take advantage of our thrift and our industry.

 

Screw the cost! Let's all have a great time!

[Suesan Jean]

Yes, we will. I can't wait to hear from you, too. I'm starting to look at air fare. Did you go with AMA or did you book your own? Can you tell us about it?

 

I am right in the midst of figuring out airfare. I made my reservation through AMA, but I am switching to a TA (in New Mexico), because she is $564 less then AMA. And that savings can go towards the four optional tours we want to take (2 in Saint Petersburg, 2 in Moscow).

AMA found a very good price and flight itinerary on Swiss Air. It is the best price so far in Economy.

I have been checking out Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, SAS, etc.......

I have checked Economy, Premium Economy and Business.

Business is of course, WAY, WAY, WAY to expensive. When the airfare starts getting close to the cost of the cruise I am like, "Whoa Nellie....":eek:

I would REALLY LOVE if we could find a Business flight at a Premium Economy price......!!! :D

I will probably end up keeping the Swiss Air Economy, it is the lowest price and right now I am keen on keeping this trip under a specific amount that I have in my head.

Or, I may switch to British Airways. The reviews on their seats are OK. They don't seem to be that bad. Their Economy price is only $88 more then Swiss Air.

I will figure it out. I have time.

I am trying to figure out who to use to get our Visa's and "Letter of Invitation". The company the AMA reccomends costs roughly $350.00 per person......:eek:

Like I said, things just keep adding up and up and up for this trip.....!!!

[Coral]

I am trying to figure out who to use to get our Visa's and "Letter of Invitation". The company the AMA reccomends costs roughly $350.00 per person......:eek:

 

I used who AMA recommended (zierer) and it was pretty smooth. Pricey but smooth. AMA directly sent them the invitation needed so I just needed to fill out the form. Though, if you fly in early or stay later (which I strongly recommend), you will need to get the info from the hotel also.

[Suesan Jean]

Well, I did it, I figured it all.

 

My DD and I are flying British Airways from JFK to London to Russia.

 

I decided to spend the extra $$ and go "World Traveler Plus". It is a step up from Economy and a few steps dpwn from "Business". There is one GREAT "perk", we can bring, for no extra charge, two bags at 50#'s each. That makes me DD VERY HAPPY......!!! :D

 

Of course, I DON'T know WHO my DD thinks will be dragging around her extra suitcase......!!! :confused: My DH, the "designated" bag hauler, will NOT be on this trip.........

 

The past few flights I have been on, have been regular economy and we were so SQUISHED.....!!!:(

 

So, I bit the bullet and will be paying a bit more for (I hope!!) seats that are more comfy.

 

I am using a TA, but she is putting my airfare through AMA, so there will be no problem with transfers. I have NO desire to get cabs and what not in Russia.

 

I have to tell you, I spent HOURS on the Internet doing research on flights, prices, seats, reviews, etc.......

[shoshona2]

Hi Suesan,

 

Congratulations on booking your airfare. By the way, if you scroll down to the "Ports" section of this board and hit on Europe and then the Baltics, you will find lots of info about sightseeing in Russia. We have been to St. Petersburg twice before -- the first time many many years ago and then in 2003. Two completly different experiences. We took the ship's tours the first time and got private guides the second. This time in St. Petersburg (thanks to the help of some people on CC), we plan to do some sightseeing in St. Petersburg by ourselves. I just found out that they now have on-off buses there.

 

Sheila

[shoshona2]

Hi again Suesan,

 

Ask your TA if AMA will give you the Tourist Support Letter to send to Zierer Visa Service. If ZVS does it, it will be a cost of $96 extra.

 

Coral,

 

Did ZVS charge you the $96 extra or did AMA provide you with the letter (form)?

 

Sheila

[Suesan Jean]

Hi again Suesan,

 

Ask your TA if AMA will give you the Tourist Support Letter to send to Zierer Visa Service. If ZVS does it, it will be a cost of $96 extra.

 

Coral,

 

Did ZVS charge you the $96 extra or did AMA provide you with the letter (form)?

 

Sheila

 

I called ZVS and they said to wait till 90 days prior to the trip to apply for our Visa's.

The prices I was quoted were:

$145 - Visa

$94 - Tourist Support Letter

$85 - Transaction Fee

$25 - Postage and Handling

For a Grand Total of: $349

Times two, that's $698.......!!! :eek:

Kaching, Kaching, the trip expenses keep adding UP AND UP......!!!

But, for a Once-In-A-Lifetime-Trip, I hope it will be worth it.....!!!

I WILL e-mail AMA for a Tourist Support Letter. If I can save $188, I WILL.......!!! :)

[Suesan Jean]

Hi Suesan,

 

Congratulations on booking your airfare. By the way, if you scroll down to the "Ports" section of this board and hit on Europe and then the Baltics, you will find lots of info about sightseeing in Russia. We have been to St. Petersburg twice before -- the first time many many years ago and then in 2003. Two completly different experiences. We took the ship's tours the first time and got private guides the second. This time in St. Petersburg (thanks to the help of some people on CC), we plan to do some sightseeing in St. Petersburg by ourselves. I just found out that they now have on-off buses there.

 

Sheila

 

Thanks for the info. I think that for this, our FIRST trip to Russia, we will stick with the tours that are offered. Going to Russia is SO FAR out of our "comfort zone"......

I just want to stick with the "tried and true" cruise ship tours. ;) :D

[pacmom]

Suesan Jean,

 

Just spent last weekend in your lovely town--attended a niece's wedding. Guests were headquartered at the Holiday Inn--ceremony in Ridgefield and reception at the Salem Golf Club. We enjoyed Mt. Kisco and envy you your mass transit. Here in Ohio there are only bus lines and none in our city of Beavercreek.

We leave in 3 weeks for our Russia trip. Viking sent us the forms for our Visa and we are waiting for it to arrive. You can only apply a short time before you leave. I think ours was about $200 each. Will look in our folder and get the name of the company. Being so close to the City, you might just go to the Consulate there--might save you tiem and money. Good lick, Pat

[Coral]

I called ZVS and they said to wait till 90 days prior to the trip to apply for our Visa's.

The prices I was quoted were:

$145 - Visa

$94 - Tourist Support Letter

$85 - Transaction Fee

$25 - Postage and Handling

For a Grand Total of: $349

Times two, that's $698.......!!! :eek:

Kaching, Kaching, the trip expenses keep adding UP AND UP......!!!

But, for a Once-In-A-Lifetime-Trip, I hope it will be worth it.....!!!

I WILL e-mail AMA for a Tourist Support Letter. If I can save $188, I WILL.......!!! :)

 

I had to go back to my review. I was charged a total of $194.00 total for the visa and their service. I did this cruise in 2007. I vaguely remember being charged approx $100 more for ZVS's service. For me, it was worth it as I am not close to any consulant that I could go to myself and get the visa.

 

I applied 90 days out and it took 17 days to get the visa. I am guessing that AMA did not charge us for their letter/invitation. This must be new.

[Coral]

Hi again Suesan,

 

Ask your TA if AMA will give you the Tourist Support Letter to send to Zierer Visa Service. If ZVS does it, it will be a cost of $96 extra.

 

Coral,

 

Did ZVS charge you the $96 extra or did AMA provide you with the letter (form)?

 

Sheila

 

I paid $194 for the visa through ZVS (zierer). I filled out a form and application that ZVS provided for us and I assume that AMA provided the letter directly to ZVS as I never saw the invite letter.

 

I did not ask for the letter myself as I live in Nebraska and couldn't do this on my own (easily). If I lived near a big city, I would definitely do it on my own. I would also suggest going in a few days early and staying a few days late if you can.

 

While Russia sounds outside of comfort zone, it really isn't. I was there in 1988 as a teenager and we stayed in hotels and wandered around on our own and had a far better time doing that then I did on the river cruise. It really isn't as difficult as one may think. For me, NYC is more intimidating compared to Moscow and St. Petersburg - I know that sounds silly. Lots of things in these 2 cities are within walking distance of each other. Other places are farther out of the city.

[Coral]

I am using a TA, but she is putting my airfare through AMA, so there will be no problem with transfers. I have NO desire to get cabs and what not in Russia.

 

 

I booked my air on my own using FF miles. I purchased transfers from AMA and they were quite reasonable IMO. I used the farther airport in Moscow (Domodedovo) and there is no way I could have gotten cab rides for a fraction of what AMA charged for the transfers as this airport is almost an hour away depending on traffic. We didn't have much traffic but still, the transfers were a deal back then.

 

I promise you Russia is not that scary. Several people got cabs from the ship in Russia or from various locations in Moscow/St. Petersburg back to the ship. The Cruise Director used a specific company and it all worked out. They also give you a card to take with you with the location of the ships so if you were ever lost, you could show someone (cab driver, subway person) the card and get back to the ship. The CD also advertised her cell number in case anyone gets lost, they could call her and she would help.

 

After doing group tours after so many days, it was so nice to break from the group! The trip was "too much group" for me.

[shoshona2]

To Coral,

 

Thanks so much for the info. We are also using FF miles and AMA said we could pay for the airport transfers to and from the ship. I'm glad to hear that AMA would provide the letter for ZVS. That sure brings the price of the Visa down. Since we don't live in a city that ZVS has an office, we always send our passport and visa request via Fed Ex so we can trace them.

 

Sheila

[Coral]

To Coral,

 

Thanks so much for the info. We are also using FF miles and AMA said we could pay for the airport transfers to and from the ship. I'm glad to hear that AMA would provide the letter for ZVS. That sure brings the price of the Visa down. Since we don't live in a city that ZVS has an office, we always send our passport and visa request via Fed Ex so we can trace them.

 

Sheila

 

That is what they did 3 years ago. ZVS were pretty good - I called to check on the status (as the online status wasn't that great back then) and they said on xx date they were going to drop it off at the consulate and on xx date, they will pick it up. They have regular meetings with the consulate so it was like clockwork.

 

A friend and I both got ours the same summer, but for different dates. I think I specified on mine that I needed the passport back sooner for another tip (didn't pay for express service but indicated that I didn't want them to hold on to it forever). My friend didn't and they sort of sat on it for awhile and it took her longer to get the passport back. So if you can specify such somehow, that would probably help.