I'm Back - Russian River Cruise on Tolstoy

[2travelers]

Hi Everyone- Ok we are back and over our jet lag. As many of the CC members know, my DH and I went on the Russian River Cruise on the Tolstoy, Amadeus. First let me address the issue that was batted around here a bit before I left..the food. Both my husband and I were completely satisfied with the food during the past two weeks. I have no idea if all the posts and calls to Amadeus had anything to do with it, but the chef was the same -Anthony Duran. The presentation of our meals were so creative it was a shame to eat it at times! Breakfast was a buffet with cheeses, ham, sweet rolls, a variety of juice and champagne. There were always several hot dishes as well which included scrambled eggs, some variety of potatoes, fritters, blini, always bacon or sausage and hot cereal. Eggs were also made to order if you like. This was, IMO a perfectly acceptable buffet breakfast. Lunch was always a choice of a starter, two soups - one a creamed soup, the other a clear broth with veggies or beef in it, and then two or three choices for the meal: usually a salad, a hot chicken or beef and always somthing vegetarian. Dinner was a choice of two or three starters, two choices of soup, and three choices for the main course. Dessert was served at both lunch and dinner. Menus for the next day are pictured outside the restaurant, so that you can see what to expect. The current day's menu is also on display on the opposite wall. There were two days that they served pork. Since neither my husband nor I eat pork and we didn't like the vegetarian selection, the chef made us chicken cutlets with mashed potatoes and veggies....just wonderful. Beef is very expensive in Russia, so if you are expecting to be served steak several times a week, cancel the trip. It won't happen. We were offered filet of steak just once, and it was a great meal. Several of the folks who did a pre-cruise in St. Petersberg said that the steak dinners were three times the price of chicken and the quality of the meat was poor. Since we don't eat much red meat in our home, we were happy with the selection of food. Meals are open seating, so we got to eat with many of the passengers during the trip. There was not one person we spoke to that was unhappy with the food. Many had done several river cruises and thought this food was a cut above the rest. Were there dishes that I didn't like - yes, but my husband thought they were great. so, it was just a matter of taste. The staff in the dining room were just fabulous. Wine flows freely during dinners. My husband kept sitting at the same table because he just loved the waitress, her name was Leena. One evening they had shish-ka-bab...pork, chicken or vegetable. He wanted both the chicken and the vegetable - no problem. We took the veggies off the skewer and put the dish in the center ofthe table for all of us to share..wonderful evening. There was one afternoon where we learned to make blinis..then had vodka, blinis and caviar in the restaurant at 4pm. I could go on but you get the idea :D . Next - the weather. Totally unpredictable. I checked the internet before we left...in the 70's. Got to St. P-burg...in the 50's. I didn't pack for that weather- dumb. I even went so far as to leave the sleeves from my travel jacket at home- really dumb:o . I finally had to break down and buy a sweater at one of the small towns along the way. The only thing that made me feel a bit better was that several other people did the same thing. Take a jacket and sweaters. Take rain slickers (which I always carry) or an umbrella. We finally got some sunshine in Moscow only to have the skies open and torrential rains hit us for about an hour. Be aware of your surroundings. I was thrilled with my Scottivest jacket. I was hands free. One person got his camera stolen out of his backpack at the Hermitage. Another woman had her shoulder strap on her bag cut, but kept her bag because she was holding it football style. The Hermitage and Peter's Palce are crowded and a haven for pickpockets. Just be aware of your surroundings and don't put anything in your pockets or backpacks that you would be upset about losing. Next - the ports. I will just do a short overview, since this thread is geting a bit long. Any questions, just let me know and I will go into as much detail as you like. The itinerary is listed, but I will tell you about the optional tours tht we did. We did the Russian Folk Show on day 2. We had seen it before but it was too good to miss. the cost was $48. The next day we had signed up for the River and Canals cruise, but cancelled at the last minute. The weather was raining on and off and it was quite cold. Since we had done this one before as well we decided not to go. This is a truly wonderful cruise. The cost is $35 and well woth it. Many of the folks who did go, said they stayed inside the boat until there was a great photo-op, then they went up on top. If the weather is sunny and clear, there is nothing like sitting on the top deck and taking pictures. Peter the Great built this city to resemble Venice. The facades on the front of the buildings along with the bridges and churches make this cruise just breathtaking. We also did the optional tour of the Moscow Circus. Many went to the Moscow Folk Show and it was a hard choice. Since we did the Folk show in St. P-burg we chose the Circus. Great Fun and very different than any circus we have been to before. We did sign up for Moscow by Night, but decided to cop out because we had to be off the ship by 4am for our 7am flight home. Those who did it said it was just "OK". The day we left St. Petersburg we cruised until we docked in Mandrogi at 3pm. During the day there are lectures on Russian history and culture which are very interesting. Mandrogi is a small village which you do on your own. Right outside the pier. FYI -there is internet access in the small post office. The ship did not let anyone know about it, and those who did not go into the post office missed it. The cost was 7 or 9 rubles per minute (very cheap - 10 rubles is about 80 cents) and you pay when you are done. The next day we hit Kizhi and did a short walking tour. The ship only docks there for two hours...that afternoon we learned how to make blinis and then ate them ( I gained 5 pounds on this trip - salad and yogurt for me now). Goritsy was another short stop (3 hours) where we did a walking tour of a Monastery. Yaroslavl was a bit longer in port. We did a tour of the city, a Monastery and another church. The churches are just beautiful with domes of various colors. Ladies, don't forget to bring a head covering. Men keep their heads bare, women's head must be covered. I think that we had internet acess in Yaroslavl city center. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the time you buy is listed on the upper right corner of the computer. and the computer shut down as I went to hit "send" and I lost my e-mail. There was not much time on your own, maybe 20 minutes in each town, so it is a bit disappointing. When we got to Uglich, we had breakfast with a local family, which I posted about before, and then my DH and I opted to go to the markets rather than another church. We had great fun finally having the time to browse and buy gifts for the kids. We hit Moscow on Saturday and it was just as wonderful as we imagined. Both days are very intense. The first morning there is a tour of the city and a tour of the Tretyakov Gallery. St.Basils Cathdral is probably the most amazing sight to see. I must have taken dozens of photos of it. Red Sqare and the Kremlin are all done in one day. The last day there is a tour of the Armoury...and then a lunch cruise on the Moscow River. All in all just a low-keyed wonderful trip. The majority of the passengers were from Australina, a few from the UK, some from Canada and about 10% from the US. A really nice mix of people. Would I do this again...in a heartbeat...my passport is still out :p

Ronnie

[Casey12]

We did this same trip mid May but did Mosocw to St. Petersburg route. I am very surprised at your food comments as the food quality on our sailing was significantly below average. Quanity was abundant but quality was mediocre to poor. While dinner is usually one of our favorite parts of our trips--on this trip-- we dreaded this part. The other parts of the trip were pretty good. We also had very few Americans and had many Canadians and Australians. I really thought the company was an American company that caters to Americans. The other passengers were very nice and we enjoyed their company quite a bit but we were really surprised at this. We thought the folk show in Moscow was the best show of the entire trip.

[sieburgp]

We are leaving for this trip on August 10th (from St Petersburg to Moscow as well) I really appreciate your review and thank you for taking the time to post

 

How much money did you take with you? I understand the tips to the ship's crew must be paid in cash - do you recall how much you paid and did you leave money in rubles or dollars? I noted on the info sent to us that expected gratuities for local tour leaders were $3 - that seems high to me. We have been on two previous river tours in Europe and recommended amount was generally one euro. Did you end up buying much in way of souvenirs?

 

Saw where you said "wine flowed freely" Does that mean more than one glass per dinner :) We had read several places where you only received one glass per meal - on our previous trips it was unlimited so we were just wondering.

 

I am pretty sure I will want to skip a tour or two - I like to have a coffee or a drink and people watch. It seems like from what I have read there is not a lot of free time in which to do this. Do you have any recommendations as to where to retreat from the group and adventure out on our own? Did you take subway at all on your own?

 

I also read somewhere that it stays light out very late and that the cabins do not get very dark due to this. One person recommended taking black plastic to cover windows - did you have a problem with cabins being too light?

 

Thanks so much - we are all excited about going and even more so after reading what you had written!

 

Pam

[2travelers]

Hi Pam: Ok, here goes! We took $250 dollars in rubles with us. That was 6000 rubles. Most places we stopped at took either dollars or rubles..we bargained with everyone and it was always for cash..they were happy to accept dollars. I bought a beautiful beaded necklace in Madrogi and she took a credit card, even though it was a tiny shop in one of the buildings. (No tours there, just get off the ship and walk) We even used a charge card once in a street mall. We took another $500 with us, and came home with some $$$. What we did at the end of our trip is figure out how much we had left in rubles(25 rubles to $1)and what it was worth in dollars and added the rubles to our cash for the tips (we had $165 worth of rubles so you can see we used mostly cash or charge during the trip). The most popular items were amber jewelry, nesting dolls and fabrege(?) eggs - all which we bargained for. Each tour that you take has a local tour guide. There were times that I tipped $4.00 and there were times that I tipped $3.00. Although we were two people, some tours were longer than others and I saw folks taking out $1 so I think that the ship's info tends to be a bit inflated.(I expect to get beat up over this on these boards, but that is just my feeling). There was one guide in Moscow who got off the bus, waited for no one and proceeded to walk without stopping to see if the group was around her. She kept talking and walking without regard for those of us in the back of the bus who got off last. My husband uses a walker and we could not keep up, nor did we hear a word she said. It was raining and the cobblestones were slippery. She did not care. When we asked her to slow down a bit, she said she had a schedule to keep. This was in Red Square - we waited the whole trip to get there. She gave us 20 minutes free time and said to meet her at a certain spot. We just gave up and decided to go there and wait. Since it was raining, there were 7 other people waitng with us - she took us back to the bus leaving the rest of the group there with no one to tell them to go straight to the bus. We nearly lost 2 people. She got no tip from me. At the end of the trip we did tip the guide from the ship who was with us on every tour separately, as well as the wonderful waitress in the dining room. So, while tipping is purely personal, I think that good service deserves recognition. I thought it odd that they gave envelopes to tip the chef and the cruise director, who IMO only gave directions through the loudspeaker (I should get it for that one also!). When I said wine flowed freely, I meant it. They had people from the bar walking around with carafs of red and white wine filling and refilling glasses. We don't drink wine, but I think that we were the only ones who refused. They continued serving wine throughout the entire meal. We have been on tours where we saw only one glass served, then you were on your own. This was not the case on the Tolstoy. In both St. Petersburg and Moscow there is time to take the Metro. In St. Petersburg on day 4 if you don't take the optional tour you can explore the city. They give you maps and information. The trains come at 1-2 minute intervals. Be advised that pickpockets are around. Many of the folks on our ship did go out on their own, and there were no problems or incidents. In Moscow the itinerary is jam packed and there isn't anything I would miss. On the last day, they take each group for a ride on the Metro just for you to see it. The Metro leaves you off at the Arbat Street Pedestrian Mall where you have about 2 hours to shop, have a drink, a meal or coffee. There are restaurants and a Hard Rock Cafe there. We just walked and took in the musicians, shops and the people. Last, Russia has white nights and sundown is about 10:30. The rooms are all outside cabins, so the view is glorious. They have sheer curtains and heavy drapes over the window. Once everyone in the room is decent you open the heavy drapes and you have wonderful sunlight with a breathtaking view. With the drapes drawn the room is pitch black and you need the lights on - no need for black plastic. Since the deck is right outside the windows, you have to remember to shut the drapes. I was getting undressed watching the small towns and churches go by, and my husband had to continuously remind me I was on exhibition :o.

Souvenirs are all over. As I mentioned, the big sellers were the nesting dolls, the eggs, amber jewelry, and I forgot - shawls. There was also linen. I think it was in Kostroma that many woman were buying tableloths for about $12. I didn't even look at that , because that is where I bought a sweater for myself. If you read my first post, you will remember that the weather did not cooperate and I was freezing. I bought most of my gifts in Uglich after we had breakfast at the home of a local family. We chose not to go to another church and instead browsed throught several blocks of stalls straight back to the ship. I bought a beautiful wood chess set for my son's birthday. All of the pieces were hand carved (she took mastercard). I also bought a Pashmira shawl for my daughter (just beautiful - they sell them all over) which I paid for in rubles ($10). I also bagained hard for a fabrege egg done in pewter and enamel and we bought my son a musical instrument like a guitar without the handle (must have a name but I don't know it). It was painted with a Russain scene in enamel as well. The only thing we bought in Moscow was a set of nesting dolls (which I was NOT going to buy, but finally broke down when my husband qusetioned how I can leave Russia without them). I also found what I had been looking for since the first day of the trip....NY Knicks nesting dolls. My son works for the NY Knicks and while I saw other NBA teams, just never could find NY. Finally, on Arbat Street in a souvenier shop - there they were, just waiting to go home with me. Finally downloaded my photos, so if there is anything you want to see, send me your e-mail. If I have it I will send it. St. Baisil's Church in Moscow is not to be believed. Anything else, just let me know.

Ronnie

[sieburgp]

Ronnie

 

I am cutting and pasting all of the messages on cruisecritic.com regarding this trip - I really appreciate the time you took to answer my questions and to provide addtl info. I am a single traveler so I am thinking $1 - $2 tip per tour guide will be sufficient.

 

We went on a Grand Circle cruise last year on the Rhine and Mosel rivers - on that one we were given what they called "ears" which were little devices with earplugs - and we could clearly hear the tour director even if far away or in traffic - that was very nice.

 

I was glad to hear about the dark out drapes in rooms - I am a light sleeper. Again, thank you. And also about the wine!

 

Pam

[2travelers]

Pam: $1-2 will be fine. We traveled with a group of about 25, mostly single woman and that is exactly what they gave. Don't be intimidated by what the ship suggests. You will love this trip - just take some warm clothes!

Let me know if there is anything else. Just one more note. I don't know if you have to keep in touch with anyone, but I they sell phone cards on the ship. My husband was at the registration desk when one woman told him she bought a card for $24 and got two minutes before she was cut off. That comes to $12 per minute. I don't understand how that happened, but I would use phone cards that you can buy in the towns, or wait for iternet access.

Ronnie

[Coral]

Hi Ronnie,

 

I paid $17 or $18 for 6 minute phone card in Mandrogi. I first paid $5 for a phone card but that only gave me 2 minutes. It was sort of confusing the time period I was buying for until I had bought a few cards and figured it out.

 

It sounds like they switched a few things around from your trip to my trip. For example - we got off the Metro in Moscow at the Bolshoi and then we were bussed to Arbot. We had less time then you did there - we had 45 minutes to wander around.

 

It sounds like we had a few better local guides then you did (they switch ships so they may be with Amadeus for 2 days and Viking the next 2 days). None of our guides were that bad (as yours in Moscow). Though we had one that never stopped talking - it was like she was in constant play mode. I eventually just tuned her out as she was repeating a lot of the same items she said 15 minutes earlier. For the most part, we had very good guides.

 

Pam - they did not use "ears" on the trip.

 

Theresa

[seapine]

Ronnie, Welcome back and a big thank you for your long review. Glad to hear that all went well (except for maybe the one tour guide) - including the food situation. I don't suppose there are clocks in the rooms? At this time I have no other questions but really appreciate all the information on CC given by cruisers before us. I had been watching your weather and was concerned for you as it seemed there were showers almost every day. I am considering packing warmer clothes.

 

Pam (Sieburgp). I wish you a wonderful trip:) . The day you disembark from the Tolstoy in Moscow, we will be coming on board.

Evie

[2travelers]

Hi Pam: There are no clocks in the room. We have always depended on my inner clock, and I always wear my watch to bed when we travel. The people across from us obviously had an alarm clock. Every morning I heard two loud chimes - couldn't figure out what it was until my husband realized it was an alarm. They have a sign up sheet at the front desk. You list you name, room number and what time you want them to wake you. Since there are no phones in the room I asked how this happens. They knock on your door at the requested time. When we had to be on the pier at 9am, I always requested a wake-up (just in case my inner clock stopped). When we didn't get into port until the afternoon, we just winged it - there was no rush. I forgot to mention that there was a lecture on Vodka. After the lecture we all went to the restaurant to have blinis and three different types of vodka. The clear and amber vodka were like fire going down (and I only dipped my pinky in it) the cranberry vodka was wonderful. I wanted to buy some to take home, but with all the restrictions it would have to be packed in my luggage rather than carry on, and I didn't want to take the chance of it breaking all over our clothing - so it stayed in Russia.

The weather was mostly overcast. The few sunny days we had made way for heavy showers that turned on and off. My husband said he checked Thursday and it was still pretty bad. One of the people he works with is from Russia and he said this has been one of the worst summers they have had. So, just bring a light jacket and some sweaters and layer you clothes. You can always leave your stuff on the bus if it gets warm- we always did and there is no problem. We keep those $1 rain ponchos with us all the time, they are just wonderful and who cares if you have to leave them there. We have photos of us in front of the Hermitage with our rain ponchos on -great picture! It will only get cooler as the month goes on, so pack with care.

Ronnie

[seapine]

Ronnie, Thanks for clock and rain gear info.

Are they still making and selling a DVD of your individual cruise as mentioned by Coral in her journal? If so, were you able to see a preview and was it worth buying? Theresa mentioned that the camerman never went with her tours into Moscow and St. P. I have decided not to take the camcorder as we already have the DVD by Clint Denn, but it would be nice to have a DVD of our trip.

 

Also, did anyone on your cruise use the swimming pool or was it too cool and rainy? Can't decide if I should pack the swim suit.

Thanks again for sharing your cruise details.

Evie

[2travelers]

Hi Evie: Several folks did buy the DVD of the trip. I don't remember the cameraman being with us in St. Petersburg or Moscow, however, I didn't really pay too much attention. It would seem silly for him not to be there, since they are the highlights of the trip. He seemed to be a phantom photographer. You never keknew where he was or what he was taking. They were just candid shots. Every evening in the sitting area before you reach the restaurant (and on a table by the front desk as well) there were photos in an album that he had taken during the day. Sometimes he had them all in a frame on the walls in that area. He did pose us at one point to take a photo of our group in front of a church, otherwise, you never know what is going to show up. You can sign up to buy the pictures ($3 for a 4x6; $5 for a 6x8). We bought the group photo. I didn't preview the DVD because we have our own camcorder and we take it with us (for better or worse). Actually, we just watched the DVD from the last part of the trip and it was really wonderful.

 

I went up to the deck with the indoor swimming pool several times and never saw anyone using it. On the days that we had tours starting at 9am, there wasn't time. On the days that we docked later in the day, the mornings were filled with lectures or other activities - so I don't think anyone ever bothered. I didn't take a bathing suit. I would have been happy just to sit on the sun deck and read (the pool is on the sun deck level, but indoors) - but the weather didn't cooperate. There just didn't seem to be the time to swim. It seemed to me that people were more inclined to go to the library (second deck) and read or play bridge. Aside from the Russian and vodka lectures and the classes on making blinis, they also had a lesson on painting nesting dolls. I didn't go to that, but I saw many of the people who attended coming down with their dolls all painted - looked like fun. So, this just didn't seem to be a swimming crowd.

Ronnie

[Coral]

Hi Evie,

 

The Video Guy (Sergei) may have been filming in St. Petersburg and Moscow - and I didn't notice him. I noticed him in every port but those 2 but it could have been he was on a different bus in St. Petersburg and Moscow and we missed each other. In the small ports - even though there are 4 busses, you sort of were close to the other groups.

 

I didn't see anyone go swimming on our sailing either. The pool was closed for part of the sailing and the other times, people just didn't seem interested. The color of the pool water was green - I know it was clean as it seemed to take a day or two to fill but we are so used to blue water here, it looked strange to me. It is covered, so you can go swimming regardless of the weather.

 

Theresa

[ChefPeg]

Hi Everyone- Ok we are back and over our jet lag. As many of the CC members know, my DH and I went on the Russian River Cruise on the Tolstoy, Amadeus. First let me address the issue that was batted around here a bit before I left..the food. Both my husband and I were completely satisfied with the food during the past two weeks. I have no idea if all the posts and calls to Amadeus had anything to do with it, but the chef was the same -Anthony Duran. The presentation of our meals were so creative it was a shame to eat it at times! Breakfast was a buffet with cheeses, ham, sweet rolls, a variety of juice and champagne. There were always several hot dishes as well which included scrambled eggs, some variety of potatoes, fritters, blini, always bacon or sausage and hot cereal. Eggs were also made to order if you like. This was, IMO a perfectly acceptable buffet breakfast. Lunch was always a choice of a starter, two soups - one a creamed soup, the other a clear broth with veggies or beef in it, and then two or three choices for the meal: usually a salad, a hot chicken or beef and always somthing vegetarian. Dinner was a choice of two or three starters, two choices of soup, and three choices for the main course. Dessert was served at both lunch and dinner. Menus for the next day are pictured outside the restaurant, so that you can see what to expect. The current day's menu is also on display on the opposite wall. There were two days that they served pork. Since neither my husband nor I eat pork and we didn't like the vegetarian selection, the chef made us chicken cutlets with mashed potatoes and veggies....just wonderful. Beef is very expensive in Russia, so if you are expecting to be served steak several times a week, cancel the trip. It won't happen. We were offered filet of steak just once, and it was a great meal. Several of the folks who did a pre-cruise in St. Petersberg said that the steak dinners were three times the price of chicken and the quality of the meat was poor. Since we don't eat much red meat in our home, we were happy with the selection of food. Meals are open seating, so we got to eat with many of the passengers during the trip. There was not one person we spoke to that was unhappy with the food. Many had done several river cruises and thought this food was a cut above the rest. Were there dishes that I didn't like - yes, but my husband thought they were great. so, it was just a matter of taste. The staff in the dining room were just fabulous. Wine flows freely during dinners. My husband kept sitting at the same table because he just loved the waitress, her name was Leena. One evening they had shish-ka-bab...pork, chicken or vegetable. He wanted both the chicken and the vegetable - no problem. We took the veggies off the skewer and put the dish in the center ofthe table for all of us to share..wonderful evening. There was one afternoon where we learned to make blinis..then had vodka, blinis and caviar in the restaurant at 4pm. I could go on but you get the idea :D . Next - the weather. Totally unpredictable. I checked the internet before we left...in the 70's. Got to St. P-burg...in the 50's. I didn't pack for that weather- dumb. I even went so far as to leave the sleeves from my travel jacket at home- really dumb:o . I finally had to break down and buy a sweater at one of the small towns along the way. The only thing that made me feel a bit better was that several other people did the same thing. Take a jacket and sweaters. Take rain slickers (which I always carry) or an umbrella. We finally got some sunshine in Moscow only to have the skies open and torrential rains hit us for about an hour. Be aware of your surroundings. I was thrilled with my Scottivest jacket. I was hands free. One person got his camera stolen out of his backpack at the Hermitage. Another woman had her shoulder strap on her bag cut, but kept her bag because she was holding it football style. The Hermitage and Peter's Palce are crowded and a haven for pickpockets. Just be aware of your surroundings and don't put anything in your pockets or backpacks that you would be upset about losing. Next - the ports. I will just do a short overview, since this thread is geting a bit long. Any questions, just let me know and I will go into as much detail as you like. The itinerary is listed, but I will tell you about the optional tours tht we did. We did the Russian Folk Show on day 2. We had seen it before but it was too good to miss. the cost was $48. The next day we had signed up for the River and Canals cruise, but cancelled at the last minute. The weather was raining on and off and it was quite cold. Since we had done this one before as well we decided not to go. This is a truly wonderful cruise. The cost is $35 and well woth it. Many of the folks who did go, said they stayed inside the boat until there was a great photo-op, then they went up on top. If the weather is sunny and clear, there is nothing like sitting on the top deck and taking pictures. Peter the Great built this city to resemble Venice. The facades on the front of the buildings along with the bridges and churches make this cruise just breathtaking. We also did the optional tour of the Moscow Circus. Many went to the Moscow Folk Show and it was a hard choice. Since we did the Folk show in St. P-burg we chose the Circus. Great Fun and very different than any circus we have been to before. We did sign up for Moscow by Night, but decided to cop out because we had to be off the ship by 4am for our 7am flight home. Those who did it said it was just "OK". The day we left St. Petersburg we cruised until we docked in Mandrogi at 3pm. During the day there are lectures on Russian history and culture which are very interesting. Mandrogi is a small village which you do on your own. Right outside the pier. FYI -there is internet access in the small post office. The ship did not let anyone know about it, and those who did not go into the post office missed it. The cost was 7 or 9 rubles per minute (very cheap - 10 rubles is about 80 cents) and you pay when you are done. The next day we hit Kizhi and did a short walking tour. The ship only docks there for two hours...that afternoon we learned how to make blinis and then ate them ( I gained 5 pounds on this trip - salad and yogurt for me now). Goritsy was another short stop (3 hours) where we did a walking tour of a Monastery. Yaroslavl was a bit longer in port. We did a tour of the city, a Monastery and another church. The churches are just beautiful with domes of various colors. Ladies, don't forget to bring a head covering. Men keep their heads bare, women's head must be covered. I think that we had internet acess in Yaroslavl city center. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the time you buy is listed on the upper right corner of the computer. and the computer shut down as I went to hit "send" and I lost my e-mail. There was not much time on your own, maybe 20 minutes in each town, so it is a bit disappointing. When we got to Uglich, we had breakfast with a local family, which I posted about before, and then my DH and I opted to go to the markets rather than another church. We had great fun finally having the time to browse and buy gifts for the kids. We hit Moscow on Saturday and it was just as wonderful as we imagined. Both days are very intense. The first morning there is a tour of the city and a tour of the Tretyakov Gallery. St.Basils Cathdral is probably the most amazing sight to see. I must have taken dozens of photos of it. Red Sqare and the Kremlin are all done in one day. The last day there is a tour of the Armoury...and then a lunch cruise on the Moscow River. All in all just a low-keyed wonderful trip. The majority of the passengers were from Australina, a few from the UK, some from Canada and about 10% from the US. A really nice mix of people. Would I do this again...in a heartbeat...my passport is still out :p

Ronnie

 

Thank you posting your review in such great detail. I enjoyed reading it all.:)

[seapine]

Hi Pam, I think I would like the painting of the nesting dolls. Vodka tasting I might pass on. Am still undecided about taking the tip money with us and putting it away until the end of the trip.

 

Hi Theresa, Any chance the pool was heated?? Probably not since they filled it as you were leaving. I guess these little details are not really important in the big picture. 16 days to go.

 

Evie

[Coral]

Hi Pam, I think I would like the painting of the nesting dolls. Vodka tasting I might pass on. Am still undecided about taking the tip money with us and putting it away until the end of the trip.

 

Hi Theresa, Any chance the pool was heated?? Probably not since they filled it as you were leaving. I guess these little details are not really important in the big picture. 16 days to go.

 

Evie

 

Our Vodka tasting was at the same time as our bilini tasting. The bilinis were excellent. We only had 2 flavors of vodka for our tasting.

 

Not sure about the pool. It was filled when we got on the ship, and then drained in the middle and then refilled before the end of the trip.

[2travelers]

Hi Pam, I think I would like the painting of the nesting dolls. Vodka tasting I might pass on. Am still undecided about taking the tip money with us and putting it away until the end of the trip.

 

Hi Theresa, Any chance the pool was heated?? Probably not since they filled it as you were leaving. I guess these little details are not really important in the big picture. 16 days to go.

 

Evie

 

The vodka was part of a lecture on the various types of vodka and how it is made in Russia. Then they invited everyone to the restaurant to try the vodka and served blinis and caviar with the three types of vodka - I skipped the lecture but tasted the goodies in therestaurant :)

[cruisingmyway]

Ronnie, I want to thank you for posting such a lot of info on your recent cruise on the Tolstoy. I and 43 other people from Vancouver BC will be travelling with Evie and her gang on the Tolstoy on Aug 23.

Pam, have a great trip and make sure everything is ready for us when we board. I, too, put together a cheat sheet of info from everyone who posted on CC.

Ronnie, what I would like to know is: did you encounter a lot of mosquitos on the cruise (I went on a river cruise in France a couple of years ago at about the same time and they ate us alive)?

Also, how did you find the closet situation. We will be two women in a cabin (trying not to take everything but since reading the posts I will be layering???) so would really like a description of available storage space.

Thanks,

Sharon

[Benita]

We went in mid September of 2006. There were no mosquitos or any insect annoyances. As far as storage in the cabins, forget it. Only the junior suites and regular suites have storage space. The cabin steward will take your suitcases, as the beds are too close to the ground to allow you to keep them under the bed, which is a shame, because then you would have room for your clothes. You will get one small storage cabinet with space to hang about half a dozen items and two small drawers. A few of the lowest catagory (level E) will have a second such locker. We were fortunate to have a pull down berth over one of the beds and that became our closet. Made it a little claustrophobic, but at least we had a place to put the clothes.

[2travelers]

Ronnie, I want to thank you for posting such a lot of info on your recent cruise on the Tolstoy. I and 43 other people from Vancouver BC will be travelling with Evie and her gang on the Tolstoy on Aug 23.

Pam, have a great trip and make sure everything is ready for us when we board. I, too, put together a cheat sheet of info from everyone who posted on CC.

Ronnie, what I would like to know is: did you encounter a lot of mosquitos on the cruise (I went on a river cruise in France a couple of years ago at about the same time and they ate us alive)?

Also, how did you find the closet situation. We will be two women in a cabin (trying not to take everything but since reading the posts I will be layering???) so would really like a description of available storage space.

Thanks,

Sharon

 

Sharon: We had a room on the second deck. We had a closet which I gave to my husband. The closet held several pairs of his jeans and some of my slacks. The closet had several shelves on the left side so he was able to put his underwear and shirts on the shelves. I used the bottom shelf for my cropped pants. I took both cropped pants and two pair of regular slacks for the dressier nights. I had no problem folding them and laying them down on the shelf. On the opposite side of the room there was a large cabinet. It held the hair dryer and some glasses. I took the glasses out and put them way on the top. Now I had a two door cabinet with shelves for the rest of my things. I had tank tops, short sleeve tops and long sleeve blouses, all which were nicely folded. I always put my unerwear in zip lock bags, so that was easy to put on a shelf. I had no problem with creasing. There is an ironing room on the deck with the pool which many people (including myself) took advantage of, just to freshen up some shirts. There was also a shelf over my bed. We put the extra towels there, along with my hair products, but it can certainly be used for some clothing. There was another cabinet under the one with the two doors which dropped down to become a desk. I put my make-up and hairbushes in that, and closed it when I didn't need the stuff. I sat at that desk and did my hair every night. Personally, I did not find the closet space so cramped. Maybe I packed differently than others. I certainly didn't overpack, but I didn't wear the same thing more than twice. I never wore the tank tops and my husband (bless his heart) didn't wear two pair of jeans (which I told him he didn't need, but who listens :mad: ). We also had my Scotti Vest jacket and the sweater that I bought on the trip hung in the closet along with my husband's jacket. There was enough room for all of it. I did not take any skirts so that made life easier. There were a few women wearing strapless gowns and high heels to the Captain's Dinner, but everyone else was dressed in slacks, a nice blouse or a tailored skirt and blouse. I wondered more than once if they felt out of place. If you pack like that you won't have room for anything. Dress conservatively and you will be fine. I usually take black, white and beige and mix and match...add some chains and a silk scarf and you can go anywhere. There is no reason not to share the closet and then split up the shelves and the cabinet. As long as neither of you pack like you are going away forever, you will be just fine. Just enjoy the trip and don't sweat the small stuff.

Ronnie

[cruisingmyway]

Benita and Ronnie: thanks for the lowdown. We don't pack thinking that we have unlimited space thank goodness. Usually try to stick to a few colours and that's it. Are only taking one skirt each and dressier pant outfits for evening so should be okay and....isn't black wonderful?

Ronnie: guess you didn't have any issues with being eaten alive by mosquitos?

Sharon

[OhioDogLover]

Thanks for the review. DS has his heart set on a Russian river cruise next summer, so DH and I are going to try to accomodate him. I guess we will look at Amadeus and Viking. Those are the two best lines there, right?

Thanks,

Ohiodoglover

[pacmom]

Grand Circle offers something unique. You stay in hotels in Moscow and ST.Petersburg. From what I've learned from these boards, traffic can be a nightmare especially in Moscow. If you look at their web site, you will see the hotels. Viking will had a totally renovated Surkov---larger rooms. Most of the boats in Russia have cabins of 100 sq.ft. or less. Good luck. Pat

[2travelers]

Hi: There were no problems at all with mosquitos. Didn't see any and nobody else on the ship ever complained. Maybe it was too cold for them to come out! Also, we did not hit much traffic anywhere. The first day in St. P-burg it took us about 45 minutes to get to Peter's Palace, but the tour guide said that was normal. I think that the traffic might be worse in Moscow, but we got to Moscow on Satuday and did everything on the weekend when the traffic was light. The tour guides kept telling us how lucky we were that we were there on the weekend. I am not sure I would like staying at a hotel, with the packing and unpacking, even if it were for one night, but that is for each person to decide.

Ronnie

Ronnie

[Benita]

I loved the Amadeus Cruise on the Tolstoy. The only really bad part was the commute to the ship in Moscow - we were there during the week and the one time we took the bus back to the ship, took 2 hours. It took close to that to get into town as well. (That is why we took the Metro back on two of the three days and that worked out fine). If Vantage has centrally located hotels in Moscow , I think that would be a great way of doing it. It would not be worth the hassle of checking into the hotel for only one night, but for 2 or 3, it would be worth it.

We are going with Amadeus again in April on the Tulip Time cruise.

[2travelers]

I loved the Amadeus Cruise on the Tolstoy. The only really bad part was the commute to the ship in Moscow - we were there during the week and the one time we took the bus back to the ship, took 2 hours. It took close to that to get into town as well. (That is why we took the Metro back on two of the three days and that worked out fine). If Vantage has centrally located hotels in Moscow , I think that would be a great way of doing it. It would not be worth the hassle of checking into the hotel for only one night, but for 2 or 3, it would be worth it.

We are going with Amadeus again in April on the Tulip Time cruise.

 

Benita: Good for you! I loved the Tolstoy and wouldn't hesitate to go with Amadeus again. FYI I read two books during this trip - that's how low keyed and relaxing it was. My life has been so stressful these past two years that I have not had the patience to sit down and read anything....so that really says something about this trip. I will wait to hear about your Tulip Time cruise. Meanwhile I have to start researching the boards for South America. We are headed there in March. Any more questions about the Tolstoy folks, let me know...we are still reminiscing. My husband mentioned tonight that the folks who got on the ship after us will be heading home soon...good memories :)

Ronnie