Russian River Cruise

We are proud to offer our popular Volga River sailings between the two major cities of Russia, St. Petersburg and Moscow. Explore Russia's two great cities from the comfort and security of a specially adapted river cruiser and sail between them along a network of canals, rivers and lakes. Enjoy a program of cultural events on board ship as well as a full range of shore excursions, including visits to Red Square, the Kremlin, the fairytale island of Kizhi, the Czars' Winter Palace and many more. The ideal way to discover Russia.

FOOD: As for your meals, you will be most satisfied. While menus are set and we do not offer a la carte dining or midnight lobster snacks, we do have a full self service breakfast buffet, early morning coffee, 3 course lunches and 4 course dinners including coffee and tea and special highlights such as riverside barbecues, champagne and caviar tasting, piroshki and tea parties, Russian theme dinners and much more!

ENTERTAINMENT: You will be most surprised in is the quality of on board entertainment! Following the mantra to give you a truly original Russian experience, we use the only cruise operator that employs a full onboard team of 16 professional musicians and artists to entertain you during the sailing! They include the 9 member "Samovar" folklore group, the violinist extraordinaire Mr. Boris Gamus, the wonderful pianist Mr. Alexander Kolesnikov and our live 3 piece band, the "Volga Trio", who will entertain you with dance music each evening in the bar!

ACTIVITIES: Along with the violin/piano concerts and folklore performances, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy other on board Russian style activities arranged by the cruise directors including; Russian champagne and caviar tasting, Russian language lessons, lectures on modern Russian life, bingo, talent shows and much more! (subject to passenger participation). And if that is not enough, optional activities such as a ballet or a circus performance will be offered on board during your sailing!

Only aboard these cruises will you enjoy ALL of these activities already included in the price of your tour:

PARTIES:

-Welcome cocktail and information meeting

-Riverside "shashlik" barbecue with wine & entertainment

-Russian themed dinner with champagne and folklore

-Piroshki & tea party hosted by a local Russian family in Goritza

-Caviar, blini & champagne party

-Captain's farewell dinner with vodka & champagne

CONCERTS:

-Violin concert performed by the "Deserved Artist of the RussianFederation" Mr. Boris Gamus, recipient of Russia's highest artistic award

-Piano concert (jazz/classical) performed by renown pianist Mr.Alexander Kolesnikov

-Concert of Russian folklore & dances performed by the exquisite 9 member "Samovar" folklore group from Yekatarinburg

-Nightly piano easy listening music in the Neva Bar

-Nightly live dance music performed in the Volga Bar

LECTURES: (subject to passenger interest)

-Introductory lecture on Russian history

-Introduction to Russian art and souvenirs

-Introductory lessons to Russian language

-Round table discussion on Russia today

-Aerobics, dance lessons, bingo, scavenger hunts

-The all popular crew & passenger talent show

Please note: Itinerary is reversed on other departure dates. See Russian Waterways Cruise - St. Petersburg to Moscow.

Welcome aboard to your new home away from home, the MS Konstantin Korotkov. A welcome cocktail and information meeting will either precede or follow dinner. Afterwards, enjoy your first night on your floating hotel.

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is situated between the banks of the rivers Oka and Volga. A metropolis of 8 million people, Moscow today is not only the seat of the Russian government but also home to many world renowned attractions

City sightseeing by bus: A genuine introduction to this exciting city is our guided sightseeing tour in the morning, featuring Moscow's major sights such as the humongous Red Square, famous St. Basil's Cathedral and the impressive Kremlin. Your afternoon is free for you to explore some more on your own or to join one of the optional excursions offered by our cruise managers, such as an excursion to the Sergiev Posad Complex, the heart of the Russian Orthodox Church, or take a tour of the famous Moscow Metro and pedestrian Arbat Street.

Optional Circus performance: (Tickets to be purchased on board). The evening is reserved for a performance of the Moscow Circus, one of the greatest circus acts in the world. Be mesmerized, be entertained, laugh and enjoy!

Another exciting day lies ahead for you to immerse yourself into this bustling city.

Kremlin Tour: The morning is reserved for an inside look at the Kremlin and its fascinating Cathedrals, giant Tzar Bells and Cannons. The afternoon is free to partake in the optional tour of the Armory Museum, the world renowned depository of Royal Russian riches including samples of weapons, carriages, thrones and the famous Faberge eggs.

Welcome drink and Crew Introduction: Enjoy a drink on the sun deck as you set sail on your wonderful Volga adventure.

Walking tour of Uglich: Visit Russia's second oldest city (only one year younger than Moscow).

The city is famous for the more troubled and violent side of Russian history. It was here that the Russian crown prince Dimitri was assassinated, which eventually led to Boris Godunov ascending the Russian throne. Here on the banks of the Volga, you can also find a rich collection of Russian Orthodox architecture which you will get to see as well as the Church of St. Demitrius of the Blood and the Palace of Tsarevich Dmitri. Time permitting, our guides will take those wishing to participate to visit the local orphanage where you can meet some of the kids and teachers and leave small gifts such as school pens, educational toys and English books! Once back on board, sail on and in the afternoon enjoy a Classical Concert performed by one of Russia's most famous violinists!

Founded by Yaroslav the Wise in the 11th century, the city also ranks as one of the oldest in Russia. Its primary attractions are in the area around the main square anchored by the Governor’s Palace. Your city tour will include a visit to the Transfiguration of the Savior Monastery dating from the 13th century and the Church of Elijah the Prophet, which houses the famous Yaroslav and Kostroma frescoes. Return to the ship and sail on. Tonight, enjoy a traditional Russian Dinner with entertainment featuring national specialties served by staff dressed in national costumes and accompanied by lively folklore music.

Optional: Enjoy a unique 30 minute a capella concert in one of Yaroslavl’s ancient cathedrals performed by the city’s most famous 30 member choir

This morning, stop at a typical small Russian village along the Volga. Here, you will visit an authentic peasant house where your host, Baba Valya (Grandma Valya) will welcome you to her home and treat you to some tasty home made cakes and tea! In the afternoon, as the ship continues sailing upstream, enjoy a Caviar and Champagne party featuring blini pancakes with champagne and red caviar!

Walking tour of this fairy tale island, situated in the northern part of Lake Onega. Kizhi is unique as the site of an outdoor museum which represents the picturesque rural wooden architecture of the region. Its most famous landmark, the Church of Transfiguration with its 22 cupolas is an outstanding masterpiece of wooden architecture. Not only is it constructed without a single nail or piece of iron, but the only tools that were used for its construction were chisels and axes. The legend says that master Nester, who built the church, threw away his tools when the work was finished saying,

"This church was built by master Nester. There is no church like this in the world and there will be never one!".

Back on board our activities will be highlighted with a special folklore show performed by our on board folklore group!

After breakfast, the morning will be free to participate in our on board activities, lectures and entertainment. On arrival, instead of lunch on board, you will enjoy a unique picnic lunch in a village setting! The Russian shashlik barbecue will be accompanied with a glass of wine and entertainment by our on-board musicians. Then, be sure to visit the unique Vodka Museum featuring over 2500 varieties of Russia's national drink! (In case of unforeseeable bad weather, the food and drink will be served on board). But that's not all! As you continue sailing in the afternoon, prepare for our Farewell Captain's Gala Dinner as you approach our final destination: gorgeous St. Petersburg!

This morning, arrive to St. Petersburg which celebrated its 300th birthday in 2003! This city, one of the most beautiful in the world, is located on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, in the delta of the river Neva. There are 65 rivers and canals flowing through St. Petersburg, as well as 42 islands. Peter the Great founded the city in 1703 and from 1712 until 1918 it was the capital of the Russian Empire. With its five million inhabitants, it is the second largest city in Russia and because of its many canals, bridges and architectural beauty, St. Petersburg is often referred to as the "Venice of the North".

City sightseeing tour by coach: Get to know this truly magnificent city during our morning city tour which will guide you past Nevsky Prospect, St Isaac's Cathedral, Kazan's Assembly Church, the Admiralty Building, Palace Square with the residence of Russian czars known as the "Winter Palace". Continue past the "Bronze Horseman" monument of Peter the Great, Smolny Monastery, the cruiser Aurora, and the fascinating bridges over the river Neva which are raised every night in order to enable the passage of ships sailing to the Baltics.

Tour of the Hermitage: The afternoon is reserved for a tour of the Hermitage, one of the greatest museums of the world! Located within the 1000+ room Winter Palace, the Hermitage boasts of over 3 million artifacts spread out of 365 rooms and featuring an amazing collection of art dating from the early Greek to modern times! Pay a special note to the paintings including originals by de Vinci, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Picasso.

Optional Evening Cultural Performance: End your day with an optional cultural performance (ballet or folklore) available for purchase on board.

A full free day for you to explore the sights and sounds of St Petersburg on your own, or take advantage of one of our optional tours offered by our cruise managers.

Optional full day Palace Excursion: The morning features an excursion to Pushkin, the former village of the Russian royalty. Here you will tour the impressive Catherine's Palace followed by a visit to Petrodvorets and its famous gardens, the summer palace of Peter the Great. Built to rival Versailles in France, it is a magnificent display of grand statues, splendid gardens and fountains powered only by the force of gravity.

Optional Cossack Show: Enjoy a magnificent folk show featuring over 40 dancers and musicians performed by St. Petersburg's Cossack ensemble

Bid your crew and fellow passengers goodbye as you disembark. Arrangements end after disembarkation.

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