Russian River Voyages: July 31-Aug 14, 2018

Karin, I'm considering this trip for next year. I also live in Atlanta. I'd love to know your impressions. I'm a little concerned that some of the smaller towns may be a bit boring. What did you think about the ship, food and service? I lived in that part of the world for a while and Russians are not generally known for their great customer service!

HI Mary, last year my husband and I did the land only version of this trip, with several days in St Peterburg and Moscow, and taking the train between the cities. After researching it, it did appear that the cruise part of the other trip may be boring. We were told the " rivers" are more like canals and not at all pretty. I strongly recommend the land only trip. Ours was focused on the historical and political history. It was a fabulous trip.
Linda

I went on the Russia river cruise Aug 14-28 and was very impressed. I first went to Russia 49 years ago as a Russian language student, and I can testify to how much things have changed, including customer service--it is much improved. The guides were fabulous and very knowledgeable. Our boat cruise suffered from bad weather that prevented us from going to Kizhi, but there were plenty of activities on board the ship, from folk dance lessons to history lectures, and I liked watching the miles and miles of birch and pine forests go by and watching the locks and the people from the small towns who came to the river banks to wave at the boats. The old historical town of Uglich where we got a walking tour from the very well-spoken high school English teacher was fascinating, and we walked through a "rynok," a small market with souvenirs and clothing sold at small stands where you could bargain with the vendors. The young staff on the boat liked to practice their English and the meals were amazing, with plenty of salads and fresh fruits, buffets for breakfast and lunch and nicely plated dinners which we chose from a menu the day preceding the meal. The members of my group were all fun and easy to get to know and had such interesting backgrounds. The ship was built in Germany and while it involved a lot of climbing up and down stairs, was actually quite comfortable, with a/c and hairdryers, and even internet most of the time (but not in most of the cabins). I had a cabin with a balcony and chairs to watch the world go by.

There is also an option of "Visa Free" shore excursion. As long as you have a personal guide, it is possible to stay in St. Petersburg without paying for visas up to three days! 

I highly recommend this deal:

https://petersburg.expert/tour/three-day-shore-excursion/

It's quite cheap, considering you get a personal private guide and a driver in addition to the usual excursion routine. Me and my family were very satisfied.