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But the Cold War-Soviet tactics that Putin is pursuing are unnerving.

Hi,

Cold War tactics are being pursued on both sides of the pond: the closure of St.Petersburg consulate is a tit-for-tat for closure of the Russian one in Seattle. Unnerving it definitely is, though.

1. Will cruise lines dock in St Petersburg?

2. What measures can be reasonably anticipated that cruise lines will implement to protect its passengers?

3. If the cruise lines dock, are US, British & others safer with the Cruise-sponsored sightseeing tours of St. Petersburg safer than the private operators like Alla, etc?

1. No one can tell you with 100% certainty, but most likely yes. It's up to individual cruise lines.

2. Reasonably, none. Presence of consulate or lack thereof shouldn't have a direct impact on cruiselines' safety protocol. That said, having a consulate is handy when it comes to replacing a lost or stolen passport, for instance.

3. Emphatically, no. Cruise-sponsored sightseeing tours are subcontracted to local operators anyway. Safety-wise, there should be no perceptible difference.

Congrats to uktog - and really sorry it didn't work out for cruiselover40.

Again, the blame rests squarely with Azamara - I think it was totally mishandled by them from start to finish.

You think? ...But of course you are familiar with all that stuff .

...Now, since you obviously have a lot of personal experience I am sure you would have no problem...

...you will have to send off your Passport to a Russian Consulate...and pray it does come back in time (if at all).

I see, would you like a five-minute argument or a full half-hour? I do apologize in advance - at this time of day, I tend to be a bit conciliatory :-)

Like I must have said, I do not see value in applying for a visa if you're only in for a 72-hr cruise.

That said, I do believe the complexity of the whole visa procedure is blown out of proportion.

Case in point: the formidably Kafkaesque "Confirmation of the hotel reservation, confirmation of reception of the tourist, and register number from the Uniform Federal Register of the Tour Operators of the Federal Tourism Agency" is, in fact, a single double-sided document that most people here refer to as "blanket invitation", instantly available from a gazillion of providers for anywhere between 15 and 30 dollars. That paper, along with your passport, a CVS photo, money order, and a completed and printed out online form, constitutes the bulk of your document package to be submitted.

As to the rest of potential document submissions (statements of this and that, your family tree, property deeds and medical insurance) - these are just mirroring the requirements imposed on Russian applicants by the US embassy in Russia.

In my admittedly limited experience, I have not seen those requirements enforced. Ever. Nor do I know a single person that, having applied via ILS, had to go through the interview.

I hope you do not mind me adding that I do not seem to recall a single case of passports being lost in the process (which, of course, might simply be an indication of the power of prayer).

Are the visa questions (again, just a mirror image of a US non-immigrant visa questionnaire) intrusive and annoying? Absolutely! Would a "reputable visa service" fill it out for you? Sure, but you still need to provide them with your information - and it's collecting that info that takes the most time; once you have it, the actual application takes maybe 40 minutes max to complete.

I respectfully disagree. There is a good reason wherein an individual may wish to utilize the services of a visa service.

A bit of misunderstanding here, my bad. I meant any visa service other than ILS in the States and VFS elsewhere, which serve pretty much as extensions of their respective consulates.

So basically what I'm advising against is using all sorts of "visa assistance" services that claim they will walk you briskly through the Russian bureaucratic quagmire - for a fee.

The only shortcut I would not mind taking is the "blanket invitation" - it is indeed worth every penny. Actually, in kind of surprised that loophole is still there.

we did manage to obtain our own tourist Visa....but did it using a good Visa service that knew their way around the Russian procedures.

The Russian procedures are rather straightforward and out there for everyone to behold, posted conveniently on official embassy sites and VFS global/ILS sites, whichever is applicable.

Frankly, there is not much sense in finding your way around these procedures and ergo no pressing need for engaging a Visa service, be it good or otherwise.

How and where do we obtain this last document?

One common solution is to purchase a "blanket invitation" ("visa invite", "tourist voucher") from one of the many online storefronts. The transaction is instant and will set you back anywhere between 20 and 40 dollars -in addition to your visa costs.

Is it even a good idea to go off on our own?

Given the current price of the visa and the costs of local tours offered by reputable companies, I can't honestly recommend going the independent way, unless you have very specific reasons to do so. For 72hr visa-exempt ferries - maybe, but not for cruise ship passengers.

Unless you have a VERY specific and meticulously planned itinerary - and also the one totally different from the rest of the cruisers, - you will still be fighting for breathing space with the same crowds at the same 5 to 10 main attractions, without the benefit of "early entries" and "exclusive tours".

If you are there just for people watching and getting the "feel of the city" - the costs and hassle of obtaining the visa may seem to be a tad too high.

Rubles are worth almost nothing and a euro was a big tip!

Except there is no easy way of exchanging euro - or any other - coins into roubles. Banks don't want to deal with coins. Not to mention the "big tip" wouldn't even cover a metro ride to the nearest bank.

So basically it's like leaving a tip in UAE dirhams or Qatar riyals at a diner somewhere in rural Alabama or Illinois. It will be noted - and maybe accepted for amusement value, - but unlikely highly appreciated.

Oooooops! Sorry, my bad - fanID will be good to travel between June 4 to JULY 25 (not August, as I stated above).

Again, my apologies.

Yes you are correct but this FAN-ID is a formality. Notice the rule says enter and remain in the country. A 3 day stop in St. Petersburg would in effect require 3 entries.

To quote somewhat verbose http://www.fan-id.ru,

"Foreign citizens arriving in the Russian Federation as 2018 FIFA World Cup™ spectators can use their FAN IDs for multiple visa-free entry into and exit from the Russian Federation upon presentation of valid identification documents that are recognized as such by the Russian Federation. "

So, in effect it is less of a formality and more of a multiple-entry visa valid between June 4 and Aug 25. It also comes quite cheap: the cheapest Cat 3 group match ticket will set you back about a hundred dollars and change.

But I do agree with tring: there are several official sites that are well worth checking out:

http://www.fifa.com for tickets and schedules

http://www.fan-id.ru for fanID and FAQ

http://www.tickets.transport2018.com for tickets and schedules for free trains between host cities

http://www.russia.travel for suggestions of things to do.

Actually, I think a lot of people here might find their "around me" feature useful:

https://russia.travel/map-tourism/?findme

Those who have tickets do not need a visa. ... Logically they shouldn't need a tour or a visa though for a two day stopover this might only be for the day of the match..

This is not entirely true: those who have tickets AND a FAN-ID (a separate document you apply for once you obtain your tickets or ticket confirmation) do not need a visa.

According to FIFA,

Such fans will be able to enter and remain in the country during the period that starts ten (10) days before the first match and ends ten (10) days after the last match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

So, logically, any cruise passenger with a valid FAN-ID will be able to disembark visa-free at any date falling into the above range and do pretty much whatever they want (within the boundaries of law and subject to certain time constraints - after all, you wouldn't want to miss your ship, right?)

I saw people addres Azamara's misleading "clarification" statement, so just to reiterate:

1. You do not need a Russian visa "in your passport" if you have a game ticket - ANY game ticket. What you need is a FAN-ID, which is much easier to get and comes free. You still need to apply for it, though (see FIFA sites for details).

2. Azamara's "Club excursions" or whatever they are called DO NOT include a Russian visa. As a cruise passenger and a user of an organized tour, you qualify for a 72-hr visa waiver. However, without that fanID you won't be able to attend any games anyway.

Sorry, somehow missed Coral's responses.

And yes, totally agree with Coral here - Moscow is a destination in and as of itself.

Moscow port (Severny Rechnoy Vokzal) is just a 10-minute walk away from Rechnoy Vokzal metro station, which is about half an hour away from city center.

If you want to do Moscow on your own, some planning is in order (downloading offline maps from Google or Yandex, downloading metro and Uber apps, figuring out the itinerary, places to eat, etc.), but the end result is, in my opinion, well worth the time and effort invested.

I am puzzled as to why River boats would be docked far from the St Petersburg city centre.

Well, because there are river ports that were originally designed for river boats. Viking operates out of Utkina Zavod (Уткина Заводь), which is not very central, but well connected by both public transport links and taxis.

Taking a group tour removes the necessity of obtaining an individual visa.

That statement does not apply to river cruises. All river cruise passengers must have a valid individual visa to get into Russia in the first place.

Hi,

Here's a resource to help your research into the actual soviet-era ships and associated red flags (or visual cues, anyway): https://riverforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=33&

As far as iffy service goes, you are somewhat more likely to encounter it on routes less frequented by foreign visitors (such as the lower Volga). That said, the river experience in those parts is also incomparably more rewarding compared to the more beaten Moscow-Spb shuttle route.

Just a suggestion - maybe consider looking into a land trip to, say, Kazan or Samara and taking a weekend river cruise from there?

Or, if you have some three months of free time and a spare kayak, follow in the footsteps (or paddle strokes) of Mark Kalch, who did the Volga source to sea descent in 70 days :-)

https://medium.com/@MarkKalch/volga-awakening-a-kayak-journey-dec4e75f372d

Rostropovich is a good ship (https://www.bestrussiancruises.com/ships/mstislav-rostropovich.html#tabs-5), but the 8d/7n arrangement seems strange - these cruises generally tend to be a tad longer.

Overall, if the price is right (and based on the link you provided elsewhere I believe it is), and you are set on Moscow to SPb route (which you might want to research a little more extensively before you commit), it doesn't sound like a bad offering.

That said, it doesn't seem that the owner and operator of the ship (Vodohod) has - as yet - published their pricing for 2018 navigation, which makes me wonder where the prices on the site you quoted are coming from.

If you happen to speak Russian, I would also advise you to look into Mosturflot's and Vodohod's cruises on their respective Russian sites.

Personally, I would opt for a land trip instead, but then again, if the price is right - why not?

River cruises in Russia are tightly controlled by a monopoly company, and none is truly run by the river cruise line you thought you booked..]

For the record, this is not the case -on several levels.

First, there is no "monopoly company" - there are three competing companies that collectively dominate the market, and the competition among them is quite strong.

Second, several operators actually "truly run" their fleet, and Viking is one of them. I'd venture a guess that Viking has, in fact, the fourth-largest fleet on the Moscow to SPb route.

With that in mind, I believe Viking had plenty of time to hone their product to perfection - and indeed many of my friends that took "The Waterways" over the past five years or so have been very happy with their experience.

One thing to remember is that it is, first and foremost, a (somewhat limited) "cultural immersion" tour, not a "luxury" cruise - and, perhaps, it would've been more obvious had it been priced as such.

Overall, sorry to hear about OP's experience - and happy to see a quick reaction on the party of Viking representatives.

The smallest denomination is one kopeck (0.01 ruble). They are not being minted any more, but are still in circulation.

That said, don't bother with coins (including cents, eurocents, twopences, farthings, and Ukrainian kopiykas). Foreign coins are not accepted and, if left as a tip, may even be construed to be an unkind joke. Russian coins are easy to come by in Russia, but any vendor should be able to give you change for any smaller bill (up to 500 rubles).

@crystalspin

Do you think you could briefly comment on overall differences between Gate 1 vs Vodohod-run cruise packages?

I understand your Caspian cruise was Russian only, so it may not be exactly comparing apples to apples, but I thought there might be aspects that lend themselves to direct comparison (such as, perhaps, food, overall level of service, entertainment, price, etc.)?

Much appreciated,

n.

So each tour company seemed to offer their own perks.

Does that answer your question?

Absolutely, thanks for coming back to this topic, much appreciated!

As to Coral's comment - yes, I would agree that 3 days on each end of the trip is not enough to "properly" experience the two cities.

With that being said, it seems to me that one of the benefits of getting your cruise from a Russian provider is that you are pretty much free in your choice of post- and pre-cruise arrangements and can build your agenda without the "ooh, I probably should skip this excursion, but I would feel bad because I pre-paid for it" aspect to it.

Last time I checked, the difference between, say, Viking and any Russian provider is quite substantial - if anything, it would buy you a sweeeet extension.

But then again, I do stand by my advice - in my opinion, one would be better off doing a land trip to Moscow, St.Petersburg, and, say, Kazan - and just taking a weekend "cruise" from one of these locations (especially Kazan) if you want to experience time on the river in Russia.

Hi Kamaaina,

Thanks you so much for your review!

Could you please comment on the on-board entertainment arrangements (doll painting, history classes, and the like) - as a Gate 1 customer, did you have a separate group, or were you mingling with other passengers? Were excursions organized by Gate 1? What other providers (like Gate 1) were also on board?

In other words, to kind of cautiously bring it back to the original topic, what parts of your experience would you attribute to Gate 1, and which to Vodohod?

Many thanks - and I'm glad you liked your time in Russia.

Hello again,

Spent some time browsing those photo threads last night - and checked out the sites of a couple more or less reputable resellers, and I feel I have to retract my blanket statement that all ships available to foreigners are in the same shape.

It seems like Rostropovich, Grin, Knyazhna Viktoriya look a step above Pushkin, Tolstoy, Gorky, Korotkov, which, in turn, look a bit better than Russ, Yesenin, Zosima Shashkov, Fedin (which are more like Furmanov - i.e. overall nice and clean, but a little tired).

Hi, Toofarfromthesea:

I've been thinking about writing up an extended overview of the key options available to river cruisers in Russia, but it turned out to be no small task and I just never got around to completing it.

So, in lieu of that, here's a couple of pointers for further research:

1.Moscow2SPb (or reverse) itinerary is the most popular route. That said, it is also one of the less exciting and picturesque river experiences available in Russia: the main draw is the time in St. Petersburg and, to an undeservedly lesser extent, Moscow, as well as a handful of smaller towns (Uglich, Yaroslavl, and Kizhi being probably the top three attractions). Anything else is pretty much transit in between.

With that in mind, unless you are completely sold on the idea of a cruise, i'd recommend considering a land trip to the two capitals - and taking ground transportation (or a weekend cruise) to the smaller destinations (Uglich and Yaroslavl from Moscow, Kizhi from St. Pete). Here's a review of my recent weekend cruise to Uglich (2 nights, 3 days, $300):http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511584

2. All cruise lines and resellers offer a virtually identical itinerary, so your choice will likely be driven by a) ship amenities b) entertainment on board, and c) price.

3. Ship amenities.

As someone has already pointed out, only one major Western cruise company actually owns and operates a sizeable fleet of ships in Russia at this time. Everyone else charters, subcharters and bulk-purchases from the three key Russian players (Vodohod, Infoflot, and Mosturflot).

The river fleet in Russia is huge, but there is only a handful of ships that are available to foreign cruisers (and have been upgraded - more or less - to Western standards). They are all sister ships belonging to 2 major "families": proj. 301/302 and proj. "Q"

Proj. 301/302 (built in DDR in the eighties and early nineties):

Konstantin Fedin (301)Konstantin Korotkov (301)

Nikolay Chernyshevsky (301)

Russ (302)

Zosima Shashkov (302)

Knyazhna Viktoriya (aka Princess Viktoriya, aka Uniworld River Viktoria, ex- Griboedov) (301)

IIRC, all of Viking's köning series (Helgi, Rurik, Truvor, Ingvar) also belong to this family. Here's a thread that I had started trying to get additional photos of Viking and VolgaDream ships: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53593232#post53593232

Q-series (built in Austria around the same time, arguably a better, more efficient and, at the time, luxurious design, but an apparent pain in the butt to refurbish to modern standards of comfort):

Lev Tolstoy (Q-056)

Alexander Grin (aka Scenic Czar or Tsar) q-065/rebuilt

Alexandr Pushkin (q-040)

Maxim Gorky (q-040)

There is also an oddball project 92-016, represented by Mstislav Rostropovich (aka AMAKatarina) - at one point arguably the most luxurious, and even today still the largest ship of the Russian riverine fleet.

All in all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and I encourage you to visit a wonderful Russian-language site that maintains an up-to-date gallery of interior and exterior photos of all the main ships available to cruisers in Russia (except Viking fleet). I know I've been somewhat obsessive in recommending that site recently, but rest assured a) I have nothing to do with it, and b) the site is a non-commercial forum maintained by a bunch of river enthusiasts, with no apparent affiliation with any market participants. Here's the link: https://riverforum.net/forumdisplay.php?f=33

Use Google translate if necessary, but it's pretty self-explanatory.

Once you start browsing, you will immediately see that some older ships seem to have been wormholed to our universe directly from the sixties and seventies. This explains occasional complaints about light fixtures not working, musty smells, and worn linoleum. Most of the ships listed above, on the other hand, are not all that different from one another, and are generally in a pretty good shape.

Gee, even this post is already getting way too long - so I'll just throw in some other things to consider.

1. If you book direct from a Russian company, the price shown will only cover the cruise proper - visas, hotels, flights are all extra. Essentially, that might be a blessing in disguise - if Viking, for instance, does get special discounts on flights and hotels, I am yet to see any of those savings trickle down to their customers.

2. The biggest area to research is entertainment on board (especially important given the nature of Moscow-Spb route)

3.Price-shopping is King :-)

4. If you end up booking with the Western lines or resellers, go with the ones that offer hotels, rather than on board stays in the capitals.

5. If you do end up staying on board, especially in Moscow, take public transportation (Metro) whenever possible. Traffic is pretty bad, and bussing back and forth eats up a lot of precious time.

Final disclaimer: I'm not in any way affiliated with any cruise company, I just spent several summers on the banks of the Volga as a child, watching all those snow-white beauties sail by, and retained that fascination with river ships to this day. So yeah, I'm kinda biased :-)

And, more importantly, it makes my blood boil when I see some aggregators purchase a ready-made cruise package (cruise, meals, excursions, and all) from one of the Russian companies, add a total of 5 staff members on board, and offer it for resale at three to four times the original price.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Cheers.

As a "semi-local" person, I generally agree with the purport of Mpiazza's statement, but I have an important qualification to add: while tips are indeed the primary income source for local guides, they are also an important feedback tool in a very competitive market. In other words, you only tip of you feel that the guide did an outstanding job. If you feel your guide was mediocre - nobody should be able to guilt-trip you into tipping, and soliciting for tips is unprofessional.

Hi, TravelR, thanks for your comprehensive write-up.

A quick side comment: you said that Russian Jewish community is estimated at 20 thousand. Is that a typo - or are you referring exclusively to those practicing Judaism?

That's great, thanks - never occurred to me to look for YouTube videos. Thanks again.

In the meantime, a kind soul sent me some pictures from their recent.Viking cruise - I picked several (room, bathroom, balcony, staircase), but had a hard time uploading them here - so here's a link http://napoxoguk.imgbb.com/albums

Looks like a step of two above Zosima Shashkov and the like, roughly on par with Alexander Grin (aka scenic tsar) and Princess Victoria (aka Uniworld River Viktoria) and Rostropovich (aka AMAKatarina), even though they are all different projects, so probably there must be subtle differences that don't meet the eye.