Russian River Cruise

Categories Small Ship Cruises Russian River Cruises River & Canal Cruises Cruises

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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.

Itinerary

Upon your arrival to Moscow, please proceed through customs. If you book a transfer, the driver will wait outside Customs. An information meeting will either precede or follow dinner. Afterwards, enjoy your first night on your floating hotel. (Cruise only passengers with transfers on own - services begin with embarkation.)

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is situated between the banks of the rivers Oka and Volga. A metropolis of 10 million people, Moscow today is not only the seat of the Russian government but also home to many world renowned attractions.

* Morning City sightseeing by bus: A genuine introduction to this exciting city is our guided sightseeing tour by bus featuring Moscow’s major sights such as the humongous Red Square, famous St. Basil’s Cathedral and the impressive Kremlin.

* Optionals: Moscow Circus or Moscow by Night Tour

Another exciting day lies ahead for you in this bustling city.

Morning Kremlin Tour: Get an inside look at the Kremlin and its fascinating Cathedrals, as well as the gargantuan Tzar Cannon and the giant Tzar Bell. 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 will be available for purchase on board.

* Your balance of the day is free 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, a visit to Tratyakov Gallery or the Pushkin Museum, or a tour of the famous Moscow Metro and pedestrian Arbat Street.

* Welcome drink and Crew Introduction: Enjoy a drink on the sun deck (weather permitting) as you set sail on your wonderful Volga adventure in the late afternoon.

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. Back on board enjoy various activities from games to lectures organized by our wonderful on board staff.

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

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 homemade cakes and tea! An optional excursion to the Museum of Icons in St. Cyril’s Monastery will be offered. In the afternoon, as the ship continues sailing upstream, enjoy a Caviar tasting party on board, featuring blini pancakes with vodka and red caviar!

Take a leisurley walking tour of this tale island, situated in the northern part of Lake Onega. Kizhi is unique as the site of an outdoor museum wich 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. Legend says that Master Nester, who built the church, threw away this 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 again."

After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour through this replica of an authentic 19 century Russian Village. Instead of lunch on board, you will enjoy a unique riverside picnic lunch in the village setting! The Russian shashlik barbecue will be accompanied with entertainment by our on-board musicians (In case of unforeseeable bad weather, the lunch will be served on board). Then, be sure to visit the unique Vodka Museum featuring over 2500 varieties of Russia’s national drink! 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. 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 six 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 your 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”, the “Bronze Horseman” monument to 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. An inside tour of Peter and Paul Fortress, burial site of Russian Tzars, will end the tour on a high note.

Tour of the Hermitage: One of the greatest museums of the world! Located within the 1000+ room WinterPalace, 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 special note to originals by de Vinci, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Picasso.

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

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

* Optional PALACE TOURS: The morning features an excursion to Pushkin, the former village of the Russian royalty. Here you will tour the impressive Catherine’s Palace including the fabulous Amber Room, followed by a visit to the less known but equally oppulant Pavlovsk Palace. Alternately, visit the enchanting gardens of Peterhof, with magnificent view of the Baltic Sea and fountains powered only by the force of gravity.

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

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

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