Viking Sineus - Ukraine

[pontac]

2 hours ago, Nanna Fru said:

Pontac we have just about ended our cruise.  Your comments were spot on.  Fabulous.  So glad we did this cruise. 

 

I'm so glad!

 

Thanks for feedback.

 

Such a shame about the gastric bug outbreak. Sineus does have on on-board doctor, so outbreak must have been serious if people had to go to hospital.

 

(Too many come to CC to ask questions, but never post after their trip)

 

I've just noticed there should be a not before the final word of my sentence

We'd been prepared by this board to expect a sub-standard experience on board but that was so

[seven1113]

Hello.

I just booked the 2020 june15 trip Kiev to bucharest. Looking forward to an interesting sail to a new country for me.

Carolyn

[Horsedds]

Seven1113, you will love this trip!!  Wish I were going back again!!

[seven1113]

5 hours ago, Horsedds said:

Seven1113, you will love this trip!!  Wish I were going back again!!

Thank you for the encouragement. Before this one I will be on St. Petersburg to Moscow. Then I will fly to Kiev. It is a plan.

[Horsedds]

Are you doing both cruises with Viking?  I have done that trip also and I just loved it!!  Do not miss the Moscow subways!!  We skipped the Kremlin treasury and other activities and went to Gorky Park. Then we just rode the subways all afternoon!!  So many gorgeous and interesting stations!!  I wanted to find a particular non-central area station mentioned in a novel and my friend and I, armed only with a Cyrillic subway map actually found it!!  The big don’t miss its in the Ukraine for me we’re the steps in Odessa (we walked up and down them several times) and the Golden Gate in Kiev. 

Gee, I would do both those trips all over again in a minute!!

[Nanna Fru]

On 9/27/2019 at 11:50 AM, Horsedds said:

Are you doing both cruises with Viking?  I have done that trip also and I just loved it!!  Do not miss the Moscow subways!!  We skipped the Kremlin treasury and other activities and went to Gorky Park. Then we just rode the subways all afternoon!!  So many gorgeous and interesting stations!!  I wanted to find a particular non-central area station mentioned in a novel and my friend and I, armed only with a Cyrillic subway map actually found it!!  The big don’t miss its in the Ukraine for me we’re the steps in Odessa (we walked up and down them several times) and the Golden Gate in Kiev. 

Gee, I would do both those trips all over again in a minute!!

Those Moscow Subways are amazing. Its so easy to get around, and many of them have English names on the maps. Many russians spoke some English, but take Google Translate and its simple.  I found there were too many museums,  and too many churches - all stunning, but how many can you visit?  If I could go back, I would do more exploring on our own, there are some amazing places to see. 

[Nanna Fru]

On 9/27/2019 at 11:34 AM, seven1113 said:

Thank you for the encouragement. Before this one I will be on St. Petersburg to Moscow. Then I will fly to Kiev. It is a plan.

Seven 1113, we have just done both these cruises. The Ukraine one is a real eye opener, but some of the optional extras in Ukraine are a "bit dodgy" as the country is not set up for Tourism really, and I think that Viking must have had to book in a certain number of outings to get their licence. The country is quite poor, and the streets and buildings are not well maintained, but its a beautiful place. In Kiev, take a walk to the Friendship Arch - its easy to find then down the back way and across the suspension bridge to the beach. We also missed out on one of the museums in Odessa, took a map instead and did a 4 mile walk to find the beach on the Black Sea - well worth the walk.  I highly recommend the Opera House in Odessa - its worth it just to see the interior even if you are not a Ballet or Opera Fan. You will LOVE the activites coordinator, Oliver. Wonderful man. Also, don't miss the Cossack Horseback show - its brilliant.  In Russia make sure you go to the Folk Concert and the Cossack Music show, take the subway, and if you can, do the Moscow by night tour. Its a bit rushed but the views are amazing. Enjoy.

[Nanna Fru]

On 9/27/2019 at 12:30 AM, seven1113 said:

Hello.

I just booked the 2020 june15 trip Kiev to bucharest. Looking forward to an interesting sail to a new country for me.

Carolyn

 

On 9/24/2019 at 12:47 AM, pontac said:

 

I'm so glad!

 

Thanks for feedback.

 

Such a shame about the gastric bug outbreak. Sineus does have on on-board doctor, so outbreak must have been serious if people had to go to hospital.

 

(Too many come to CC to ask questions, but never post after their trip)

 

I've just noticed there should be a not before the final word of my sentence

We'd been prepared by this board to expect a sub-standard experience on board but that was so

The onboard doctor is really just a first aider - he unfortunately couldn't do much with the number of people affected.  We loved the tour and the antics and entertainment by Oliver were incredible. 

[Nanna Fru]

On 7/19/2019 at 8:17 PM, pontac said:

 

Dnipro, cost if booked on board boat was UAH 1370, time allocated from boat was 3h30 in total.

 

Tour called 'Soviet Era Cars and Space Programme'. I didn't go but my friend did. He enjoyed it and said it was two museums, first a small scale private one with a reconstruction of a 1970s Soviet era street with old card, phone box, video game, then Aerospace Museum where they were hosted by a scientist who worked in the space programme in Soviet times.

 

Dnipro was a 'forbidden' city in Soviet times as it was centre of space and defence development, no foreigners allowed and no Soviet visitors without special permit

We did the cars and the space museum. Hmmmmm. I hated the Space Museum it was very boring, long, no where to sit, not geared for tourists at all. i guess if you like Space information it may have been interesting, but many of the group switched off.  The car museum was ok but I felt it was falsely advertised, and expensive for what it was. However, we were trying to do our bit to support the fledgling tourist industry but it was a challenge. Dnipro itself was quite interesting.  Sorry, but I could not recommend either of these two. 

[Glorybe]

4 hours ago, Nanna Fru said:

  I found there were too many museums

We taking the Moscow to Stalingrad cruise Sept 2020 after our Kiev to Bucharest cruise. I was interested in your comment about Moscow's many museums as I would like to visit some on my own too.

 

Has anyone visited these Moscow museums OYO? State Historical Museum opposite the Kremlin; Borodino Battle Museum Panorama; and the Musee de la Grande Guerre Patriotique near Victory Park. 

 

I would appreciate comments about the displays being worthwhile my effort to get there especially in understanding the exhibits when I don't read the language. Should I just select 1 museum like the State Historical Museum which is near the Kremlin  - no subway required as Viking will get us to the Kremlin area I am sure. 

 

This will be our second visit to Moscow (first time with Scenic cruises) so I am keen to do some OYO visits.   

[pontac]

@Glorybe I suggest you'd have a better response by posting on a thread about Moscow.

[seven1113]

On 10/11/2019 at 6:22 AM, Nanna Fru said:

Those Moscow Subways are amazing. Its so easy to get around, and many of them have English names on the maps. Many russians spoke some English, but take Google Translate and its simple.  I found there were too many museums,  and too many churches - all stunning, but how many can you visit?  If I could go back, I would do more exploring on our own, there are some amazing places to see. 

Yes, both with Viking. Thank you for your positive comments.

[lynncarol]

I must confess, I have not read all 10 pages of this discussion, but has anyone mentioned the Shustov Cognac Winery Museum in Odessa? We were not on a Viking cruise but spent a delightful few hours enjoying their tour and tastings (accompanied by yummy nibbles). I never even thought I liked cognac before and there is a nice gift shop where you can buy the products.

[pontac]

20 hours ago, lynncarol said:

 Shustov Cognac Winery Museum in Odessa

 

There was an optional tour to there, but I didn't go

[seven1113]

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 6:28 AM, Nanna Fru said:

Seven 1113, we have just done both these cruises. The Ukraine one is a real eye opener, but some of the optional extras in Ukraine are a "bit dodgy" as the country is not set up for Tourism really, and I think that Viking must have had to book in a certain number of outings to get their licence. The country is quite poor, and the streets and buildings are not well maintained, but its a beautiful place. In Kiev, take a walk to the Friendship Arch - its easy to find then down the back way and across the suspension bridge to the beach. We also missed out on one of the museums in Odessa, took a map instead and did a 4 mile walk to find the beach on the Black Sea - well worth the walk.  I highly recommend the Opera House in Odessa - its worth it just to see the interior even if you are not a Ballet or Opera Fan. You will LOVE the activites coordinator, Oliver. Wonderful man. Also, don't miss the Cossack Horseback show - its brilliant.  In Russia make sure you go to the Folk Concert and the Cossack Music show, take the subway, and if you can, do the Moscow by night tour. Its a bit rushed but the views are amazing. Enjoy.

Thank you and everyone else for the great info. on this trip. I just found out some of my relatives are from the Ukraine, just do not know where yet. They were also from Lithuania, Latvia and Russia.

Carolyn

[I like vacation]

We are considering this cruise and appreciate all the great information in this thread.  We want to start in Kiev and finish in Bucharest so that we can do the Transylvania extension.  Are there any sailing departures between May and September that are preferred?

If Viking had the 2021 schedule available, I would have booked this cruise today.

Edited October 31, 2019 by I like vacation

[Redtravel]

We are thinking about this trip.   On previous Viking trips on long ships, there was only a lift between 2 decks.  That was ok unless you had a cabin on the lowest deck or wanted to visit the very top deck. Then you had to use stairs.  Does this ship have a lift to more decks?  Also, on previous trips, the tours were segregated into different walking abilities.  Since we are older and use a cane, we always chose the gentle(slow) group.  Does this cruise have a slow group?

[Peregrina651]

The Viking website will answer some of your questions. The deck plan shows that the elevator goes to all decks except the sun deck. Plus there is a list of all the ship's features.

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/ships/ukraine/viking-sineus.html

 

 

[Glorybe]

On 10/31/2019 at 12:22 PM, I like vacation said:

Are there any sailing departures between May and September that are preferred?

 

 

You might want to have a look at a weather website like accuweather to see the historical temperatures in the various months. I find it uncomfortable travelling in Europe in the months of July and August because of the heat and the hotels inconsistent application of AC so I avoid those months. 

 

We have booked Viking's September 2020 cruise leaving Kiev and then decided to take the Vienna extension at the end of the cruise to pass the time - a few days - until our Moscow to Stalingard cruise started with Scenic. In September, I think the temperatures will be in the low 20's in this region. 

[old biddy]

We came off Sineus in September. The construction of this ship is very different to the long ships. The stairs are incredibly steep, I would almost say dangerous. We are fairly agile and as a rule don't use lifts on cruises - it is a way of ensuring some degree of activity! However in Sineus we both had to hold onto a hand rail at all times to ensure our safety and as for going up or down with heeled shoes on - a nightmare. The lift doesn't go to the sun deck so if anybody has the slightest mobility issue that could be a real problem.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, old biddy said:

We came off Sineus in September. The construction of this ship is very different to the long ships. The stairs are incredibly steep, I would almost say dangerous. We are fairly agile and as a rule don't use lifts on cruises - it is a way of ensuring some degree of activity! However in Sineus we both had to hold onto a hand rail at all times to ensure our safety and as for going up or down with heeled shoes on - a nightmare. The lift doesn't go to the sun deck so if anybody has the slightest mobility issue that could be a real problem.

 

Viking must lease it ships in Ukraine, so bringing in Longships is not a possibility.

 

The Sineus was built in 1979 in East Germany, as a cruise ship. Even the 2014 refurbishment cannot hide her age completely.  Although it most certainly improved the bathrooms and the size of the cabins, there was nothing that could be done about the staircases.

 

We sailed on her when she was still the Lomonosov (2012). The bathrooms were what they called "yacht-style" and the beds were Pullman type that could fold up against the wall during the day (but never did). The cabin was not much wider than 6 feet across,  no veranda and no screens on the windows to keep the black flies out. And the horrible staircases. It was not even marketed as luxury experience.

[Nanna Fru]

17 hours ago, old biddy said:

We came off Sineus in September. The construction of this ship is very different to the long ships. The stairs are incredibly steep, I would almost say dangerous. We are fairly agile and as a rule don't use lifts on cruises - it is a way of ensuring some degree of activity! However in Sineus we both had to hold onto a hand rail at all times to ensure our safety and as for going up or down with heeled shoes on - a nightmare. The lift doesn't go to the sun deck so if anybody has the slightest mobility issue that could be a real problem.

What dates were you on the Sineus? And I agree about the stairs, I am ok with stairs as a rule but had to hang on all the time, and even resorted to lifts, especially when carrying a cuppa or a glass of wine out to the sun deck. Our cruise started 14 Sept. 

[Nanna Fru]

17 hours ago, Glorybe said:

 

You might want to have a look at a weather website like accuweather to see the historical temperatures in the various months. I find it uncomfortable travelling in Europe in the months of July and August because of the heat and the hotels inconsistent application of AC so I avoid those months. 

 

We have booked Viking's September 2020 cruise leaving Kiev and then decided to take the Vienna extension at the end of the cruise to pass the time - a few days - until our Moscow to Stalingard cruise started with Scenic. In September, I think the temperatures will be in the low 20's in this region. 

We were there in Sept this year, and had temperatures around the low 20's on many days. A couple of cooler days, but most did not require a jacket.

[Nanna Fru]

20 hours ago, Redtravel said:

We are thinking about this trip.   On previous Viking trips on long ships, there was only a lift between 2 decks.  That was ok unless you had a cabin on the lowest deck or wanted to visit the very top deck. Then you had to use stairs.  Does this ship have a lift to more decks?  Also, on previous trips, the tours were segregated into different walking abilities.  Since we are older and use a cane, we always chose the gentle(slow) group.  Does this cruise have a slow group?

Yes, there were "gentle" walks / activities and more strenuous ones. Some of the  sightseeing  touring was mainly on board a bus with some photo stops or some short walk sections, unless you opted for the walking tours which were definitely for more able bodied folk.. Some of the docking locations could be a challenge with walking problems, and most of the museums and churches and palaces etc have steps - although not too many. Very few lifts in Ukraine. Footpaths are uneven, so walk with care. Having said that the tour directors are excellent and will get you help if you need it.  We had a fair few people on board with walkers and sticks etc. Also I think that the itinerary is changing in 2020 so some of the docks may change. The lift goes to all floors, so no problems there. 

[old biddy]

1 hour ago, Nanna Fru said:

What dates were you on the Sineus? And I agree about the stairs, I am ok with stairs as a rule but had to hang on all the time, and even resorted to lifts, especially when carrying a cuppa or a glass of wine out to the sun deck. Our cruise started 14 Sept. 

Yes, we were on the same cruise as you. Yes, we enjoyed it, but don't know I'll be rushing back to the Ukraine. 

There are definite issues that need addressing, I'll say no more!