Viking Waterway of the Czars

My wife and I just got back last week from a wonderful trip on the Viking Surkov from St. Petersburg to Moscow. My experience was much like Donna Sandin's review at http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=5999) and Rudy's on http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=1382522

and http://www.***************/viking_river_1.htm by Gary Karschnick.

You can get a lot of detail from these three links. I will just try to give you some more information in no special order. I will try to remember to check this thread every few days for questions.

It was an absolutely great trip. Would recommend it to anyone in reasonable health. You should know, however, there is lots of walking on uneven ground, steps, and stairs on the boat. The are not nearly as handicapped accessed as we are here.

The first few days were much colder than the internet weather had us believe. This was the first two full weeks in June. The temperature was in the low 40's with rain and wind. We just didn't bring enough clothes for our legs. I am a southern boy, but I would recommend one pair of long underwear for the males. Women will probably get away with panty hose under jeans. I know we hit an unusual cold spell (just the first few days), but be prepared. It got warmer and dryer for the second half of the trip.

The crew was great! Very polite people. The only problem we had was the restaurant wait staff spoke very little english. A suggestion: When you have two choices of food, don't complicate it by saying something like "Well, I think I would really like to have....". Just say "meat" or "fish" or "pasta", etc. You can see panic in their face when you add too many words. There was no major language problem with the "higher ups" like the cruise director or the restaurant manager.

The ship was fine and immaculately clean. It is, as you know, a riverboat and space is limited. The bathroom is as you have heard, small and interesting! It measured 32" by 67" inside. As you step into the door that is middle way of the wide wall, the sink is to your left and the toilet to your right. There is a curtain rail just in front of the toilet. The curtain can be pulled across the narrow way and then curves around the track to cover the closed door. Your shower by raising the shower nozzle off a pin and hang it above the sink or use it as a hand held shower. It is not as bad as it sounds (I'm not kidding). Once I got used to it, I found that I could shower, shave, and wash out my underwear in the sink at the same time (again, not kidding). It was actually pretty efficient. There was plenty of hot water and pressure (not always the case on cruise ships or hotels). The curtain was very close fitting and did a good job of protecting the toilet and towel area. Either the air conditioning or heating was on at any given time. You only had control of the flow, not the temperature. Most of the time the room was too hot because of the heater. You could crack the window from the top in that case. I was never too cold in the room.

The room was as small as described in other reviews (this was the smallest of the available rooms). After a few days, we discovered that one of the beds had a feature that allowed it to be folded up and the other had a cushion on the wall that would fold down and make it a more comfortable couch. There was plenty of storage room (more than some big cruise ships we have been on). A small refrigerator was a big help. There are only two outlets in the room and they are together. There is one in the bathroom, but I wouldn't use it with all the moisture. We had a lot of items (PDA's, Ipod's, cameras, etc.) to charge. We took a Walmart converter and a "squid" from Radio Shack. Regular multi-outlet strips don't have enough room for more than a couple of chargers because the chargers are so boxy. This "squid" is like a 2' extension cord with about 6 separate ends on 6-12" extension cord ends. It worked great, except we had to cut the ground pin off to make it work with the converter. Storage under beds is only about 12" high. Recommend bags that will fold up. Ship will store larger bags for you if necessary.

We did the Rhine cruise with Viking two years ago. This trip was more travel and less free time than the Rhine trip due the distances covered. After it warmed up, it was nice sitting on the deck and watching the little villages pass by. Quite a contrast between the cities and country. The country and river industries were primitive and rusting. The cities were booming.

The Russians are now capitalists! Almost everywhere took dollars and euros, even the small stands. They had a calculator in their hand and would show you the price in rubles, euros, or dollars. However, some of them wanted the new type bills. Even the bank would take only the new $100's. Also, they wouldn't take any bill that had a corner torn off. I tried to use a $10 bill that had a corner missing (the number was still intact) and it was turned down the entire trip. Some of these small places take credit cards (no Discover), but most don't. Everything was very inexpensive related to the rest of Europe. I don't know how they make some of the things as cheaply as they do. I'm not a shopper, but it was fun shopping. The best prices were at Uglich just before Moscow. Moscow was higher, as you might expect. We skipped part of the tour in Uglich to have enough time to shop for all the grandkids. Trust me, you will see enough churches and icons to last you the rest of your life.

We were unable to get rubles at our local bank (we have had no trouble with other currencies over the years). We also could not get rubles in the Atlanta airport (a surprise), but it was not a problem. Viking will give you a chance early to change money at a bank. We changed $200 and used rubles for part of the tip and places we really didn't have to and still had rubles left over.

Be sure to get on a tour bus the first day with a group you like. You will have the same guide and group for the rest of the trip. I can't say enough about the guides. They did a wonderful job and spoke good english. They were part of the crew show and took part in other activities. They became friends before the trip was over.

I thought the food was very good but not great compared to other cruises we have made. The soup was excellent every night. We had a choice of the entree and the dessert. You could always get chicken if you canted to in addition to the other choices. Breakfast was buffet with plenty of choices as well as a chance to order. Portions were just about right for an older group like us. I am 57 and was probably in the bottom 10% age wise. Don't expect any heavy partying in the lounge at night.

Speaking of night, remember St. Petersburg is near the arctic circle. On Lake Ladoga (where you can't see land) I saw the sun set about 11:30 PM and I understand the horizon stays red until the sun rises a couple of hours later. Remember, our trip was just before the summer solstice. It is like dusk all the time at night. If you are sensitive to light when you sleep, you might want to have a blindfold like you use on planes. The curtain won't stop all the light. We signed up for the optional tour "Moscow by Night" before we thought about how bright the night is (and it started at 10 PM). I wouldn't recommend it for that reason.

On our trip, Viking had the Viking Kirov traveling with us the whole time. We passed their two other ships going the opposite way at one point, also together. We were on the left side of the ship (port) and it always tied up on that side with the Kirov, so we had no view while stopped. I guess they had all their "mating" gear set up for that side. I would recommend the other side (even numbered rooms). You can request this. You will know your room number when you first book the trip. There are many other company's ships making the same type trip and you are often also tied up side to side with them. Everyone walks through each other's ship to get to shore. The excursions were very crowded everywhere we went.

If your schedule is flexible, I would recommend checking for Russian holidays and try to avoid them. We missed Lenin's tomb and part of Red Square because we were there on their Independence Day (June 10). They did have the circus that night, though). They had the square closed off with heavy security. We finally got on to part of it on the second day.

The Moscow subway system is a work of art. It is clean and safe. If you are used to subways, it is easy to use. You just have to match up the map using their alphabet. We used it on our own with no real problem.

The Peterhoff optional excursion is a must!

That is about all I can think of right now. If I think of anything else, I will add it. If you have any questions, ask.

Again, it was great! Can't wait to do the Danube someday with Viking.

One more thing I might add, on the main deck (cabin numbers in the 200's) we thougth we would be across the hall from our friends that were in room 216. We were in room 215. If you will notice on the diagram on Viking's site there is something in the middle of this deck. This is the shop, hair dresser, and storage or crew areas, as well as stairs that go down to the crew areas. Consequently, we had to go around this to get to our friend's room. The other two decks did not have this obstruction in the way.

Great review! Thank you. My friend and I are taking this cruise on the Surkov from Moscow to St. Petersburg on September 6th. I'm going to assume it'll be pretty darned chilly at night when we go so I'll make sure I bring some sweaters and jackets. I was about to run out to Radio Shack for something else and will check out the "squid."

Thanks for the great info. We'll be on the Surkov August 6th from St. Petersburg to Moscow as well. Just sent off for our visas (that was a fun experience filling out the forms) and are ready to go. We've experienced the side-by-side tie up in Egypt on the Nile and figured with the number of river boats out there now would probably experience that again, especially in the larger cities. You are absolutley correct on choosing the group. We did this in China and it paid off, best group of people we've ever traveled with, and on that trip, there is much more moving from place to place by bus and plane. If you haven't been to China and want to go, I highly recommend the Viking experience. It is the reason we chose them for Russia. Sorry it was so cold for some of your trip. I've been monitoring the weather and even in the next 10 days, the high temperature varies 20 degrees! So we'll be packing a little bit of everything to make sure we're prepared.

Pam, as mentioned to you before in another thread, I'll do a quick write up as well when we return.

One question, was the converter you used for the power the two-pronged one used for most of Europe?

WarEagle... I filled out and sent my visa form in earlier this month since I need my passport back in time to leave on 7/19 for England and my Sea Princess cruise. Since I get back on 8/6, I wasn't sure if I'd have time to get the visa between returning and leaving for Russia.

I just got my flight information and called Lufthansa to make my seat reservations. I'd forgotten that in Munich and Frankfurt, there are no pre-arranged seat assignments. It's first come, first served.

One question I have of someone who has been on the Surkov before is whether there are hair dryers in the cabins. I'd prefer not to bring my own as it takes up space. I'm assuming there's no laundry room so I'll be packing more for my two weeks than I normally do for a 3-week cruise & tour. :)

Pam, found a website that states hair dryers not provided:

http://www.europeanrivercruises.com/view_riverboat.cfm?shipid=330&id=676

Pam, found a website that states hair dryers not provided:

 

http://www.europeanrivercruises.com/view_riverboat.cfm?shipid=330&id=676

Pam in MA

What agency got you your visa? I needed an early one because of a trip before Russia in May, they kept saying it would come but I ended up having to pay an extra $100 to 'expedite' it. I sent it in 2 months early and got my passport and visa back less than a week before my South American trip. I am going back to Russia next spring and would like to get a more reliable agency.

Thank you.

War Eagle 76 although this is unrelated to current thread, noticed you were with Lindblad in Galapagos. We're scheduled next year with them for the Galapagos/Machu Picchu expedition and would love information...... How are the cabins (we're in regular on the Polaris)....food, service, etc..... We decided to go with them rather than Celebrity as it seems their package offers more on hand experience and better quality plus more time at Machu Picchu. As is normal with most us humans, would love some reaffirmation that the choice I made was a good one :) Can you elaborate on your experience with Lindblad.......

Thanks in advance for any help,

Susana

I am sorry to be so long in getting back to this thread. I promised to check it regularly, but I couldn't find it for a while. For some reason, searching by my user name and title did not work. I just found it again today.

On the converter. I don't remember exactly what adapter worked but I had it in the Wal-Mart kit. I had a hair dryer picked up in London, and it would not fit. That leads to the question about hair dryers. They did not have hair dryers in the room, but you could borrow one from the desk. We had another US one and it ran fine off our converter, but our friends across the hall had a brand new one burn up on the same type of converter.

On the agency we used for our Visa. I don't remember the name, but it was the agency that Viking recommended in the original Viking packet. I'll try to get that information.

Carol, for my Russian visa, I used the one recommended by Viking since they provided an application that was pre-filled out with my booking, personal and voyage information. It's Generations Visa Service, 2233 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 226, Washington, DC, 20007, 800-845-8968.

For my Brazilian visa last year, I used Zierer Visa Service, Inc. 800-788-1100. I believe they're also in Washington. They were recommended by Princess and based on a previous experience with getting a Brazilian visa, pretty efficient.

From my experience this year, I found out that the delay is the Russian Consulate. Apparently, they're not that efficient. My previous experience with the Russians, albeit it was over 30 years ago, is that they will do anything they can to get US$$$. I've got some stories to tell. :)

Pam,

Thank you so much for the Russian Visa Info. I usually get my own and have no trouble, ie: India even though Princess or whoever scares passengers into going with their people. Russia just looked a bit complicated and we would need an invitation etc.

You are going to love the Moscow to St. Petersburg trip. It is incredible!

Sorry, been busy lately but here goes.

lotoarmy, thanks for the great review we can hardly wait as we leave 3 weeks from tomorrow!

Hair Dryers - Sounds like "Russian Roulette" (pun intended). We have a travel hair dryer that works on multiple voltage and we're taking converter for other electronics so hopefully we'll be OK (and not really the biggest concern for us).

Visas - We sent for our visas on June 26, used Generations Visa Service and they arrived yesterday (July 13). We did not use expedited service.

Susana, where to begin...hard to believe it was 3 year ago. The Galapagos was one of our favorite trips and would do it again in a heartbeat (if there weren't so many other places we want to go first), and would do it with Linblad. We followed that up with their Costa Rica/Panama trip and it was great too. Looking at Antarctica with them December 2007. Briefly, cabins are small but OK, however you really won't spend that much time in them except to sleep. The common areas of the boat are nice and comfortable, and Linblad does a great job of maintaining their vessels. Food was good. The area where Linblad excels is their crew, expedition leaders and naturalists who I believe are unrivaled in this area of cruising. I noticed your profile stated you enjoy Nature and you will not be disappointed. You can take a look at some selected pictures from the trip at:

http://www.mindspring.com/~gwilcox815/

The welcome screen picture is of blue footed boobies, then click the link for Galapagos for a few others.

Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to take the Machu Picchu expedition so I can't give you any feedback on that portion of your trip, but do have a couple of ideas on how to get you some additional information and will answer back in a few days.

We took the Linblad trip to the Galapagos and did their Macchu Picchu extension in 2002. Best trip of our lives, rivalled only by the Antarctica trip we did with them last year. The cabins are tiny, but functional. The food was good- mainly buffets, but plentiful and tasty. The guides are fantastic - well educated and articulate. Lindblad (now merged with National Geographic), gets the best guides because they offer full time employment as they sail every week. They even started a second ship a couple of years ago.

The Peru extension is top notch. They contract this part out and it is quite deluxe. The hotels are the best available. The best part is the stay in Macchu Picchu as the hotel is right by the entrance. It only has about 30 rooms and it is the only hotel up there, so once the tour buses leave, you have the ruins to yourself - including sunrise and sunset.

Be careful of the altitude - my husband and several others got nauseous and had bad headaches for a day.

Susana, if you email me your contact information, I have some information I can send you regarding the Galapagos trip.

smengelt@mindspring.com

WarEagle and Benita, thanks so much for your encouraging reply. Apologize for delay in getting back on board, but we were having problems with network.

Regards,

Susana

A few questions for those who have the Waterway of the Czars trip now that I'm less than a month away:

-- what is the currency onboard? Euros? Can I use $$?

-- are tips automatically included on your onboard account or do you tip individually?

-- if you have laundry done or go to the hair dresser, are the charges added to your onboard account or do you pay at the time?

-- what currency should I bring for onshore? Rubles? Euros? Do they accept $$ or Euros in shops?

-- for dinner, do most women wear dresses or slacks and a nice top?

-- in the library, is the selection of books pretty good? are they in English?

In answer to your questions:

-- what is the currency onboard? Euros? Can I use $$? Everything is charged to your account. You can pay it off at the end with credit card (no Discover), $, Rubles, or a combination.

-- are tips automatically included on your onboard account or do you tip individually? It is not included. They give you envelopes near the end of the trip and you can put money in it to be distributed or you can tip individually. Good place to use up your Rubles mixed with Dollars.

-- if you have laundry done or go to the hair dresser, are the charges added to your onboard account or do you pay at the time? I didn't use either of these, but I am sure they are charged. I did have a massage and it was charged and I tipped with cash.

-- what currency should I bring for onshore? Rubles? Euros? Do they accept $$ or Euros in shops? Any of the above in most places. Government places may take only Rubles. No one there wants our old currency, they want the new bills. The banks would not take an old bill I had and the shops would not take one that was new, but had a small corner torn off. Most reqular stores take American Express or Visa Cards. Some small stands even take them. They will ask if you want the price in Dollars, Rubles, or Euros and convert and show you the price on a calculator.

-- for dinner, do most women wear dresses or slacks and a nice top? Yes, but you see everything.

-- in the library, is the selection of books pretty good? are they in English? I just casually noticed that there were quite a few books and I think most were in English. I didn't pay much attention. I brought a PDA on loaded with enough books for the trip.

__________________

-- Pam

Thank you for the great answers! Much appreciated.

A few more questions. :)

-- did you tip the tour guide or bus driver for each tour? If so, what currency?

-- is there some place onboard where you can change $ for Rubles? (In case I don't bring enough.)

They are not allowed to exchange money on board the ships.

There are money changers all over

If you wish you can add tips to your shipboard account.

We had the same guide the entire trip--tipped at the end

We had different bus drivers each day--tipped at the end of the day.

Several people had converters they could not use--the plug is recessed and the converter could not fit in the recess

The library is pretty limited--mostly romances. One bookshelf is English and the other is combo of German and French. I took 10 pounds of paperbooks with me and arranged an exchange with other passengers.

the Ukraine river boat:

same as above BUT money exchanges are limited to the large cities.

The same guide and driver were with us for the entire trip--driver and bus drove from place to place.

Be very sure to bring money that is not written on, folded too many times, any tears at all. They simply won't accept them. I was stunned to see how "mutilated" the dollars I brought with me were. I had almost $500 on me that could not be used.

Again, thanks for the info! I'll have to check my converter. I'd be lost without my hair dryer and curling iron, not to mention recharging my iPod for the flight(s) home.

I have about the same answers as MSRAYE above.

-- did you tip the tour guide or bus driver for each tour? If so, what currency? Tipped the bus driver at the end of his/her duty (ask your regular guide how long that driver will be with you). Tipped the regular guide at the end of the trip. Had extra guides for some of the tours and tipped them at the end of the specific tour. As far as currency, it doesn't matter, they love dollars, euros, rubles, or a combination.

-- is there some place onboard where you can change $ for Rubles? (In case I don't bring enough.) No. They tell you it is against the law for them to make change to other currencies. They can break big bills into smaller bills, but only in the same currency. Just keep in mind if you get too many rubles, you can use them a part of your large tip at the end of the trip.

I was about to forget. On the converter having to reach into a recessed hole, the one we used from Wal-Mart had the round prongs that slipped over out flat prongs and they were long enough to reach into the round recess. No problem. We also took a "squid" from Radio Shack that had 6 regular extension cord type plugs that worked great since we had two Ipods and two pdas and cameras etc.

If you have a converter and a squid like we did, I would reccomend that you take the little converter like we sometimes have to use at home (ungrounded to grounded adapter for 110v). We had to saw the ground prong off our squid to make it work with our converter. If we had the adapter, we would have simple put it on the male end of the squid.