Looking for a Good Moscow-St. Petersburg Cruise

[SabreSailor]

I've read several threads of cruises on this itinerary that complain uniformly about tiny cabin size, tiny bathrooms, poor quality food, ships in need of refurbishing, less-than-sanitary conditions, etc.

 

Is there a cruise line/ship that makes this trip that has a decent size cabin (say 175 sq ft with a fixed bed, a decent size head, good sanitary conditions, and good food? Perhaps up to the standard of European river cruise ships? Or is that just too much to ask for?

[paul929207]

We took a cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg with Grand Circle in September 2010.

 

The cabins including bathrooms were small. Sanitation appeared good. Food was good (not outstanding).

 

You don't list your home country, but GCT only takes booking from people with a US address

[SabreSailor]

You don't list your home country

 

Thanks, Paul - we are from the US....

[at_nyc]

I had a conversation with a travel agent. The advice was actually do a land based tour instead.

 

The dock for the cruise ships are over an hour from the city center. So it's a lot of time spend on buses each day.

 

That's not to mention the condition of the ship's lodging when compare with hotels.

[paul929207]

Thanks, Paul - we are from the US....

Just did not want you going crazy searching.

[Coral]

I have done both land and river boat and I strongly recommend a land trip! I really wish I had done that the second time but got scared off with the prices of hotels in Moscow and St. Petersburg but looking back, it would have been worth it.

 

While the towns in-between are sort of worth seeing, it would be far better to spend more time in Moscow and St. Petersburg and take the train between the two. Additionally, if you want to see a small town, you can do that outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

 

Also, brochures for river cruises can be incredibly misleading. I thought we would have 2 plus days in Moscow and we only had 1.5 days (on AMA). Not enough to see a portion of Moscow.

 

As scary as people think Russia is, it can easily be done alone or via a land company. The people in Russia are very nice, many in Moscow and St. Petersburg speak English - language really shouldn't be a problem.

 

My riverboat trip on AMA was very disappointing on many levels. Having done both - I saw so much more when staying in hotels downtown. I thought the river cruise was a waste of time and money. This is coming from someone who loves cruising.

[Coral]

I just wanted to add that "my cheap high school land trip to Europe" in which we saw Russia saw far more in Russia than my expensive river cruise in Russia did. It was like night and day.

 

If you insist on a river cruise - Vantage seems to have the best route but the ship probably won't meet your requirements. They stay in hotels in Moscow and St. Petersburg and have more time in each compared to the other itineraries I looked at.

[Turtles06]

This is a fascinating thread. My partner and I are very interested in visiting Moscow and SPG, and I have been concerned about a river cruise precisely because of the drawbacks people have identified above.

 

If anyone can recommend some companies for a land-based tour in Russia, that would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[King of Cool]

We had a good look at this trip, studied all reviews and decided on the Viking River Cruises. But are yet to do it.

 

http://www.vikingrivercruises.com.au/rivercruises/russia-volga-waterways-moscow-stpetersburg-2012/itinerary.aspx

 

I thought they offered better value and the company has had a lot of experience on the Russian Waterway. Some of their ships have been recently refurbished or in our case will be for the 2012 season. Two of our friends still rave over this trip and Viking generally get better reviews (certainly on food) on this site for the Russian Rivers:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/viking-river-cruises/cl/

 

We did AMA (APT) Europe last year and that was very good but Viking looked better for this one. As compared to a land tour I guess it depends on your age, your mobility what you want to see and your budget. We are a little older (but still managed to do all the bike rides with AMA) but also love to hang our clothes in one place for the whole tour and relax when you feel like it.

 

With the Viking Tour you also get 3 or 4 days in Moscow and St Petersburg so you will not miss out on what these cities have to offer.

 

Like any holiday I guess, it all depends how YOU make the most of it.

[4774Papa]

I've read several threads of cruises on this itinerary that complain uniformly about tiny cabin size, tiny bathrooms, poor quality food, ships in need of refurbishing, less-than-sanitary conditions, etc.

 

Is there a cruise line/ship that makes this trip that has a decent size cabin (say 175 sq ft with a fixed bed, a decent size head, good sanitary conditions, and good food? Perhaps up to the standard of European river cruise ships? Or is that just too much to ask for?

We did Vantage on the Tolstoy. Vantage provides great hotels close to the city center in Moscow and STP. The cabins are small, but we were only on the boat for one week. We spent very little time in the cabin. I think you would miss a lot skipping the river cruise.

AMA's ships offer a bit larger cabin, but there were a lot of negative comments on cc for their cruises this year.

My review was posted in September.

[Turtles06]

FWIW, when we were in China in May with Viking, another couple told us they'd done the Russian river cruise with Viking a few years ago and absolutely loved it. (And this was even before the refurbishment of the Viking boats in Russia to yield larger cabins and balconies.)

 

These folks were pretty sophisticated world travelers (in fact, they were taking their second China trip with Viking).

[SabreSailor]

Thanks for all your your input. Do you think that the relatively spartan and lower quality offerings are as a result of the Russian government not allowing the companies that do so well in Europe to own and operate their own ships in Russia? Or what?

[at_nyc]

Do you think that the relatively spartan and lower quality offerings are as a result of the Russian government not allowing the companies that do so well in Europe to own and operate their own ships in Russia? Or what?

I've no doubt that being the reason.

 

I've also heard from a couple who dislike their river cruise in China, with similar (though milder in degree) complains

[Coral]

FWIW, when we were in China in May with Viking, another couple told us they'd done the Russian river cruise with Viking a few years ago and absolutely loved it. (And this was even before the refurbishment of the Viking boats in Russia to yield larger cabins and balconies.)

 

These folks were pretty sophisticated world travelers (in fact, they were taking their second China trip with Viking).

 

While I know there are a lot more people who have traveled more than I - I am pretty well traveled for my age (40).

 

I think cruisers tend to get in some rutt - where they think they want to visit somewhere and then immediately start to ponder "can I cruise there" and IMO - that is not always the best way to travel to particular places. For example - can you see Italy via cruise - yes, but I can guarantee you my land trip to Italy provided far more cultural and sightseeing opportunities then one or two days on a ship in Italy in two ports. My friends who go to China frequently laugh at those who see it via cruise.

 

Having done both Russia via land and via cruise - it was night and day. I saw far more, experienced far more cultural and tourism opportunities by visiting Russia via land. I thought my river cruise was a joke. Do I think other lines probably did a better job (yes, maybe) but is it comparable to land, not at all. Unfortuantely those who went on my river boat trip had no idea what they were really missing. I knew because I had been there previously.

 

I do like cruising and do it often with my mom who has mobility issues and it is easier for her. But I am wise enough to know that if I really want to see something - you need to look at --is it better via land then sea, especially if this is a one time location. If it is better via land, don't compromise and do it by sea. When I went to Japan, I knew I could do it both ways but land was better and I am glad that is how I saw it. I didn't speak a bit of Japanese and it didn't stop me one bit.

 

Russia is better via land, no doubt. As far as packing and unpacking - you can do St. Petersburg and Moscow and just pack and unpack in 2 hotels. Not really that inconvenient considering how much more you will see.

 

I do know several who have done Russia by land by themselves recently. They stay in downtown hotels and do downtown sightseeing at their leisure and then hire guides for days when they need more assistance. They spent far less then I did on my river cruise, had private guides on days they wanted them and saw a whole lot more. There are several companies out there when I was researching a few years ago that will help you select hotels, will allow you to setup tours with them and will help with the visa process.

[SabreSailor]

I don't think there is any question that you can see more via land than via ship. We've always viewed cruises as "samplers", which give us an idea of where we want to return for a more in-depth visit. We also find that cruises are more valuable in places that are hard to get to by land (eg, Norwegian fjords) or places where sanitary conditions might have you worried about food safety.

 

We did an overnight in St. Petersburg several years ago via the Maasdam, and did have some concern about food and general safety, so it was comfortable to be within the Holland America "cocoon".

[Coral]

We also find that cruises are more valuable in places that are hard to get to by land (eg, Norwegian fjords) or places where sanitary conditions might have you worried about food safety.

 

We did an overnight in St. Petersburg several years ago via the Maasdam, and did have some concern about food and general safety, so it was comfortable to be within the Holland America "cocoon".

 

I definitely agree there are some places that it is better to visit via ship (Norweigen Fiords is one, Anatarctica is another as it is financially too expensive to do a land trip there, Alaska for some areas such as Glacier Bay, etc...).

 

We had several on our tours who were pick pocketed on our river boat cruise in St. Petersburg, mainly. Though we only spent 1.5 days in Moscow and it was at the end of the trip so we didn't have that much time to discuss it (and I skipped dinner (and the long ride back to the ship) on the trip so missed any discussion here. Ironically - I found crime far worse in Rome then I did in St. Petersburg. I also found the pick picketers targeting the tourist groups in St. Petersburg - I think one would actually be less of a target if not in an obvious tourist group.

 

I actually felt far more confident eating food off the ship (in restaurants) in Russia then I did on the ship. Definitely different attitude then on a cruise ship. There have been several reports of those who have reported food poisoning on their river boat trip in Russia (via eating on the ship).

 

Since you have done the sampler already in Russia - consider a land trip there. I promise you won't regret it.

[at_nyc]

I too, see cruising as a "sampler", especially for area that I'm not too motivated to get to know up close and personal. That's when a scratch-the-surface cruise appeals, which I only do with my Mom who couldn't keep up with the pace of bus tours. If I really want to see something I like, I'd rather stay put for a bit longer.

 

And now I got a taste of how badly river cruises could turn out, I think I'm done with river cruises... :( (I'm still open for the Norwegian fjord, just not with Viking)

 

I actually felt far more confident eating food off the ship (in restaurants) in Russia then I did on the ship. Definitely different attitude then on a cruise ship. There have been several reports of those who have reported food poisoning on their river boat trip in Russia (via eating on the ship)

When the company doesn't own the ship but had it operated by the locals, your sanitation standard end up being pretty much the local level.

[paul929207]

Our Russian river cruise started with four nights on the ship in Moscow and ended with four nights in St. Petersburg, again on the ship. In between we had six nights as we sailed.

[pacmom]

We did Russia with Viking and were very disappointed. It was our third Viking trip. The only Viking people on board were the CD, hotel manager and maitre'd. The tours were good, cabin ok, food very heavy and sometimes inedible. We had originally wanted to use Vantage, but the time frame we had they had suspended Russian cruises. They are back now and I would seriously look at them.

The refurbished boats are a bit different. You never know exactly where in the cabin you will find a support column. I do think that the fact that these are leased boats is the importanr point here. We were on a leasedboat in Portugal and it was wonderful. Keep looking. Pat

[Coral]

 

When the company doesn't own the ship but had it operated by the locals, your sanitation standard end up being pretty much the local level.

 

Yes - but the food off the ship was editable! And there are various levels of quality of restaurants to choose from. I stopped going to lunch and dinner on the ship because it made me sick. Never had a problem eating the food at restaurants off the ship. There were several who got sick off of the food on the ship on my sailing.

[Coral]

 

We did an overnight in St. Petersburg several years ago via the Maasdam, and did have some concern about food and general safety, so it was comfortable to be within the Holland America "cocoon".

 

It is sort of ironic but my friends who did a Baltic cruise trip and spent 2 days in St. Petersburg saw more of St. Petersburg then we did on my river cruise, literally. It was far better organized.

 

For example - at Peterhof, my friends (on their Princess cruise) saw the Grand Palace (which I had seen on my previous trip). On the river cruise - we saw Monplaisir which was significantly inferior and isn't worth seeing IMO. The people on our sailing had no idea there was a Grand Palace and that they missed it. Half of our river boat missed the fountains while on, on Princess - they timed it so that the cruisers would see the fountains on. Again, half of the people on the river cruise had no idea that the fountains turned on - they just saw the gardens (they could have timed it better so that everyone saw the fountains and they could have included the Grand Palace). The Princess trip was far more organized then the river cruise was as far as maximizing time in the port.

[4774Papa]

It is sort of ironic but my friends who did a Baltic cruise trip and spent 2 days in St. Petersburg saw more of St. Petersburg then we did on my river cruise, literally. It was far better organized.

 

For example - at Peterhof, my friends (on their Princess cruise) saw the Grand Palace (which I had seen on my previous trip). On the river cruise - we saw Monplaisir which was significantly inferior and isn't worth seeing IMO. The people on our sailing had no idea there was a Grand Palace and that they missed it. Half of our river boat missed the fountains while on, on Princess - they timed it so that the cruisers would see the fountains on. Again, half of the people on the river cruise had no idea that the fountains turned on - they just saw the gardens (they could have timed it better so that everyone saw the fountains and they could have included the Grand Palace). The Princess trip was far more organized then the river cruise was as far as maximizing time in the port.

Our Vantage trip was a combined land and river cruise tour that included three days in Moscow and four in STP. We saw all the main sights such as Peterhof and much more, such as Swan Lake in STP and the Russian Army Chorus, which were great. I could have used one more day in each city, but still our tour was great. Also, we did the pre and post tours of Kiev and the Baltics, which were super. Our food on the river was pretty good, as was off the boat.

[Coral]

Our Vantage trip was a combined land and river cruise tour that included three days in Moscow and four in STP. We saw all the main sights such as Peterhof and much more, such as Swan Lake in STP and the Russian Army Chorus, which were great. I could have used one more day in each city, but still our tour was great. Also, we did the pre and post tours of Kiev and the Baltics, which were super. Our food on the river was pretty good, as was off the boat.

 

I actually think Vantage has probably the best river boat trips (with the hotels included). I have said that in previous posts on other threads. I agree about needing another day in each of the big cities as there is so much to see (thus the land based trip I think gives you that benefit but one can do it on their own. I can give a million examples on how everything we saw on my land trip was better (more extensive) compared to the river boat trip - not sure in your case or not as you did have more time in both cities.

 

The OP asked about a decent sized cabin and similar to European River boat cruises. I believe Vantage uses the ship the Tolstoy and in that comparison - the Tolstoy really doesn't measure up - that was the ship I was on. I do think Vantage has the advantage of having hotels in the main cities which would be a huge plus IMO. If someone was bound and determined to do a river boat trip - I do think Vantage is probably the better route. Uniworlds ship looks nice but I don't remember how much time they spend in both cities.

[Coral]

Our Vantage trip was a combined land and river cruise tour that included three days in Moscow and four in STP. We saw all the main sights such as Peterhof and much more, such as Swan Lake in STP and the Russian Army Chorus, which were great. I could have used one more day in each city, but still our tour was great. Also, we did the pre and post tours of Kiev and the Baltics, which were super. Our food on the river was pretty good, as was off the boat.

 

Just clarification -we saw Peterhof on the river cruise. They divided the group up and half saw the grounds first with the fountains off and then saw Monplaisir (not the Grand Palace at Peterhof) and then they switched (the other group got to see the grounds with the fountain on). Monplaisir does not compare at all to the Grand Palace at Peterhof. Not sure which you saw when you were there.

[4774Papa]

Just clarification -we saw Peterhof on the river cruise. They divided the group up and half saw the grounds first with the fountains off and then saw Monplaisir (not the Grand Palace at Peterhof) and then they switched (the other group got to see the grounds with the fountain on). Monplaisir does not compare at all to the Grand Palace at Peterhof. Not sure which you saw when you were there.

We walked down to Monpaisir during some free time after our tour of the Grand Palace, fountains and grounds.

 

Not sure if I would want to go back to Moscow, but probably will go back to StP, likely on a Baltic cruise.