ms russ

[marco_polo11]

Hi, has anyone ever taken the river cruise from St. Pete to Moscow (or vice versa) on the MS Russ? I have booked this cruise (Sept. 3 sailing) through Gate 1 Travel and would like to know what other travellers' experiences have been.

[Carito]

Hello Marco Polo,

 

My family and I booked this tour, we are from south america and we will apreciate your comments.

Thanks.

[geektraveler]

We took this cruise in May 2011 and had a great time!!! It was the best way to see some of the country.

This was our second time using Gate 1 (did Greece and Istanbul in November 2010) and they were great.

We had them add on a couple of days at the beginning in Moscow and also a couple of days in St. Petersburg.

The ship itself is a little old but kept in spotless condition. The food was plenty

[marco_polo11]

Glad to hear you had a great time. How did you get around Moscow during the extra two days? Is the metro user friendly?

[ponky]

We are also going on MS Russ 3rd September with Express to Russia, really looking forward to it. Have heard very mixed reports but wont let anything put us off. Have only cruised Ocean before and will be going NCL from Copenhagen after this trip to USA. Looking forward to meeting those of you going. We are from South Africa so will be quite a mixed bunch!! Ponky

[ponky]

Just been notified that we have been moved from the Ms Russ to MS Shashkov! No explanation but told they are identical, anyone else had same experience?

[marco_polo11]

Just been notified that we have been moved from the Ms Russ to MS Shashkov! No explanation but told they are identical, anyone else had same experience?

 

Who notified you about the change? I'm on the Sept. 3 sailing too. I just got the cruise docs from Gate 1, and it still shows the MS Russ as our ship. I wonder if there will be two ships sailing identical itineraries starting Sept 3 due to demand?

[ponky]

We were notified by our agent at Express to Russia - reason given was that they had moved all the English passengers to Shashkov because there were not enough on Russ to warrant an English guide!?

[marco_polo11]

So it looks like there are two ships leaving Sept. 3. Strange, my group of 12 are English speaking too but we were not moved. We just received our documents and they still show MS Russ as our ship.

[Dushi]

Hi marco polo 11 and carito-

 

Shoshona on the AMA Russian September cruise mentioned there was a separate MS Russ discussion going on this board.

 

The group of 10 I am sailing with consist mainly of folks from southern California and another couple from Maryland.

 

The documents we got from Gate1 show the MS Russ as our boat. Months ago, our friend Thuy pre-arranged tours for us during our free day in St Petersburg, night tour in Moscow and the afternoon tour in Moscow. If you are interested, I can ask her to provide you with the travel agents she contacted - in case you'd like to join us.

 

Most of my group are arriving in St Petersburg Saturday morning September 3. Hubby and I will arrive at 9:30 pm. Our reservation numbers are linked so that we can be grouped together on the same tour bus and at meal times.

 

Our friend found this link which is very helpful:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g298507-i707-k3948405-o10-River_cruise_ship_MS_Russ-St_Petersburg_North_West_Russia.html

 

How will we spot you on the cruise? We will likely need a jacket on this cruise as the temps have started dropping. After I plan my wardrobe, I will tell you what color jackets and backpacks/camera bags we will be using so you can recognize us.

 

Carito's group will be the Spanish speakers - would love to chat with you since I want to visit South America in 2012.

 

Sorry ponky that you were moved to the other boat. It would have been fun to meet a couple of South Africans. Perhaps they had way too many English speaking passengers on the MS Russ so they had to move some over?

[Island Cruiser]

I truly hope you folks will keep us posted on chapter and verse of this cruise. We just had friends post on this trip on the AMA riverboat line. They concluded the tours were excellent but the riverboat accommodations Motel 6 and the food awful or to put it as one of them posted "it's amazing what you're willing to eat when you are hungry."

[shoshona2]

Hi Dushi,

 

Glad you found this thread. Have a good time.

 

To Island Cruiser,

 

I'm going on that AMA boat on September 6th and are bringing my own breakfast bars and almond butter so I can have some protein while aboard. I heard the food is overcooked and not very good. If I wasn't diabetic I wouldn't worry. I could stand to lose some weight, but at over $10,000.00 for this cruise, I'm not very happy.

 

Sheila

[ponky]

The plot thickens! I shall make further enquiries but I dare say we will do as we are told;) I dont think there can be much difference between the two, I just hope there are English speakers on Shashkov or we will be swimming across to Russ ha ha.

[Dushi]

We'll throw you a lifesaver ponky. Maybe we'll bump into you during the shore excursions.

 

Is anyone bringing rubles along on the trip?

 

I am also wondering about the electrical outlets in the cabins. The only things I have to charge up are the digital camera batteries and my iPod. Since the ship is built in Russia, the outlets are probably the standard European 2-prong but wndering if I need a converter as well.

[Coral]

We'll throw you a lifesaver ponky. Maybe we'll bump into you during the shore excursions.

 

Is anyone bringing rubles along on the trip?

 

I am also wondering about the electrical outlets in the cabins. The only things I have to charge up are the digital camera batteries and my iPod. Since the ship is built in Russia, the outlets are probably the standard European 2-prong but wndering if I need a converter as well.

 

I did need an adapter on a different Russian ship (Tolstoy). I bought it at Radio Shack. Ipads are dual voltage so you don't need a converter. Check your camera battery charger and see if it says 110-240 volts. Most electrical items are dual voltage these days. I would buy an individual adapter as the 5-1 adapters wouldn't work in my cabin on Tolstoy. Pam in CA posted a picture of her Viking river cruise outlet - I will try to search for it.

 

I bought rubles from the US (wells fargo). Though, AMA had the group get Rubles at an ATM at the airport before we left the airport.

 

Hopefully this link works: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=28955&d=1158879098

 

This is what the plugin looked like on Pam's Viking ship and my AMA Tolstoy ship. Since a lot of these ships were built around the same time, it wouldn't surprise me if your plug-in is similar. The adapter had to fit into the recessed area.

[rollingstone]

I have booked the Russ for next year through Gate1. (Aug 30) We did a river cruise in China & ran into the same bizarre "unmoving" behavior there. I think that the guides are afraid to deviate from the designated itinerary or make any decisions on their own.

I will be watching on this board for any reviews, tips, packing ideas, tours, etc. I am sure that I will have some questions too.

A fun & safe trip to all of you

Nancy

[Dushi]

Coral-

 

Thanks for the great advice on charging our electrical devices. I purchased one of those "all-in'one" combo adapter and converters from Radio Shack 15 years ago but it seems to have stopped working and I could not find a similar replacement. I'll check all of our camera battery chargers today and then pick up a separate adapter with the two round parallel-spaced prongs.

 

Which airport did you arrive on? We are arriving in St Petersburg and wasn't sure if the ATMs were in Cyrillic only. Did you find that you needed a lot of cash rubles on this trip? I recall that on our Baltics cruise 2 years ago, many street vendors in St Petersburg accepted both euros and USD.

 

 

rollingstone/Nancy-

We were on a 20 day escorted land tour in China back in 1981 and I know what you mean about "un-moving behavior". We were not allowed to stray from our guide who had a very specific itinerary to follow and once we were checked into the hotel, we were not allowed to leave unescorted. I had gotten up early one morning and wanted to take photos of people doing their tai-chi exercises in the neighboring park but the hotel guard would not allow me to step outside without my guide. I know that things have changed significantly since then so it may be time for another visit to Asia.

[Coral]

Coral-

 

Which airport did you arrive on? We are arriving in St Petersburg and wasn't sure if the ATMs were in Cyrillic only. Did you find that you needed a lot of cash rubles on this trip? I recall that on our Baltics cruise 2 years ago, many street vendors in St Petersburg accepted both euros and USD.

 

 

I arrived in St. Petersburg airport. AMA had several people coming in on several planes so we sat at the airport for awhile. The college age tour guides took those who needed money to the ATM. I don't know what language they (ATMs) were in but someone went with those who needed cash so hopefully that will be the same on your trip. There are 2 docks in St. Petersburg for river boats. We docked at the farther dock (right next to a brand new bridge but seemed to have less boats docked here) and there was an ATM right there also. I know several who attempted them on their own and didn't have any problems so I am guessing they give the option for English. I could read more Cyrillic then they could so I would have heard if they had problems.

 

The street vendors will take dollars and euros. If you go into a real store to buy things - the currency must be rubles but the nicer stores also take visa/mc. Remember to have low currency rubles for churches for stops in-between St. Petersburg and Moscow - you will need them to be allowed to take pictures. Many churches charge if you want to use your camera.

 

I brought plenty of rubles with me and used all the ones I didn't use on the trip for tips at the end. I never used an ATM - so not much help here.

 

I wouldn't worry about the language issue - worse case scenario - you grab a guide from the ship to assist you.

 

Good luck.

[Dushi]

rollingstone-

 

Just got back from the Russ and hung out with several folks in marco_polo's group. We saw the AMA Katarina at the dock and looked very different from the other boats run by Vodohod - a major river cruise company in Russia that most other companies lease from. The AMA ship had balcony cabins which is very different from most of the other cruise lines.

 

The food wasn't bad - it's not gourmet quality but there is enough if you are not a big eater. We were only allowed a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert on days 3-9.

 

The shower was our biggest shock. The tiny bathroom contained a small sink with a glass shelf for toiletries. Imagine a toilet on the opposite side. The shower stall is created when you close the shower curtain around your body, turn on the water which is fed through the faucet on your sink. A drain is in the floor through which all sink water and shower water flows. The positive is that the hot water was plentiful.

 

We were in cabin 338. We had friends in 203 and 205 and their rooms were 1 foot shorter (i.e. no space between the foot on one bed to the wall against the bathroom.

 

Must pack items are: extra hangers (the wardrobe unit provided only 8 hangers), air freshener (because the bathroom drain is used for the sink and showere - it smells a bit funky at times), extra toilet paper (the paper is a bit rough and our cabin stewart was stingy with the stuff (there were days where we had less than a roll left and so we were not given any more), and a box of tissues.

 

There are no TV sets in the cabins. Radio is piped in during wake up call hours until approx 10 pm. There are no phones so if you are traveling with friends - you'll have to walk over to their cabin.

 

If you have specific questions, just let me know.

[marco_polo11]

Just back home from the cruise from St. P to Moscow on the Russ (Sept 3-13). It was our first river cruise and we found it a lot different from cruising on the big cruiseships. There is obviously a lot less space, which makes for fewer facilities for entertainment and recreation. Food is less abundant... just the breakfast buffet and choice of 3 dinner packages (always a vegetarian). A packed lunch was provided when ashore, or served in the dining room (format like dinner) when not. No food is available between meals.

 

Food quality and portions were fine with me, but may not suit those with higher standards and appetites. I for one appreciated not being tempted by the excessive food on the larger ships to gorge myself silly.

 

The cabin was sparce but clean and adequate. Many will find the shower and the bed too small though. The aircon was not strong enough but luckily, it was not needed after we left St. Pete, as the weather got cooler.

 

Overall, my wife and I found the cruise very relaxing. It's a great itinerary with interesting sights at each port. The scenery along the way is beautiful.

 

The included excursions were very impressive and well organized. The guides spoke excellent English and were very knowledgeable.

 

A few notes:

 

- being hypersensitive to strong scents and smoke, I had a hard time escaping them in such tight quarters (dining room, corridors, etc). I was constantly sneezing and congested. If you are affected in the same way, prepare yourself with appropriate medication.

 

- no internet on board, and little opportunity to find internet cafes on shore

 

- it was rainy the last few ports so bring a raincape and umbrella

 

- tips are in cash so bring enough USD or rubles

 

- ATMs are everywhere but sometimes hard to find the system that my card uses (eg. cirrus, plus, exchange...etc)

 

I thought the cruise was great value with its included excursions. We had a pleasant first river cruise. I recommend Gate 1 and its cruises on the Vodohod ships including the Russ.

 

Feel free to ask me specific questions as there is too much to cover.

[denny girl]

Marco Polo 11

Have booked the Russ (Hope it`s the Russ as that`s the one I signed up for) next May with Gate 1 and have a few questions about excursions please.

Am planning a couple of extra days at the beginning and end and should be able to catch on some extra sights.

My query is are there many optional extras and do the included excursions cover most of the things you would want to see?

It`s a bit of a leap of faith booking from Australia as these agents are totally unknown here. Perhaps I can open a new market for them!

The trip is quite a way off but I think maybe we won`t get the details til much closer to the departure and I don`t like last minute decisions or nasty surprises.

Any information will be gratefully received.

Many thanks

Denny

[marco_polo11]

Marco Polo 11

Have booked the Russ (Hope it`s the Russ as that`s the one I signed up for) next May with Gate 1 and have a few questions about excursions please.

Am planning a couple of extra days at the beginning and end and should be able to catch on some extra sights.

My query is are there many optional extras and do the included excursions cover most of the things you would want to see?

It`s a bit of a leap of faith booking from Australia as these agents are totally unknown here. Perhaps I can open a new market for them!

The trip is quite a way off but I think maybe we won`t get the details til much closer to the departure and I don`t like last minute decisions or nasty surprises.

Any information will be gratefully received.

Many thanks

Denny

 

Sorry for the delay, Denny. I haven't checked this thread for awhile.

To answer your questions... the included excursions cover the main sights of the ports. In the smaller ports, the excursions are more than enough. There are too many sights to see in St. Pete and Moscow though, but the included excursions will cover the main ones. The optional excursions are either to other well-known sites or to cultural shows, so it depends on your personal tastes. It's easy to get around in both St. Pete and Moscow so we took in some of the sites on our own. The optional tours offered by the ship tend to be overpriced.

You would be able to explore on your own too with your extra days in both cities. You might want to go back and spend more time at some of the sites in your last city (eg. the Hermitage in St. P, or the Kremlin in Moscow).

If you aren't comfortable with exploring on your own, look into joining one of the many reputable tour companies in St. P and Moscow.

[DizzyAZ]

I have booked the Russ for next year through Gate1. (Aug 30) We did a river cruise in China & ran into the same bizarre "unmoving" behavior there. I think that the guides are afraid to deviate from the designated itinerary or make any decisions on their own.

I will be watching on this board for any reviews, tips, packing ideas, tours, etc. I am sure that I will have some questions too.

A fun & safe trip to all of you

Nancy

 

Hi Nancy, I am also booked on the Russ through Gate 1 leaving Aug 31, 2012, nice to meet fellow travelers on the same boat! I will also keep an eye on this thread unless someone starts one for this specific sailing!

[tehnotour]

Hi Nancy, I am also booked on the Russ through Gate 1 leaving Aug 31, 2012, nice to meet fellow travelers on the same boat! I will also keep an eye on this thread unless someone starts one for this specific sailing!

Please look Russ

http://forum.tehnotour.ru//index.php?showtopic=874

[tehnotour]

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