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The embarkation was smooth, and the baggage was delivered promptly. The cabins, however, were not ready. The AC was not working, the toilet would not flush properly, they forgot to put in the refrigerator, and there was no life jacket. We set aside extra time for ourselves so that we would see some of the places in St Petersburg and Moscow which were not part of the published itinerary of the cruise ship. However, it turned out that the sight seeing itinerary of the ship was changed without prior intimation to us. So, we ended up seeing some of the places twice. Internet access on board was sporadic at best, and a lot of passengers were desperately trying to connect. The availability of TV channels was very limited. Entertainment on board the ship was nothing to write home about. There were not enough places for the passengers to hang out. The ship was apparently very old, and was squeaking continuously. The ship did not even have umbrellas for shore excursions. Passengers were expected to bring their umbrellas from all over the world. The chef was very insensitive to the food habits of the diverse backgrounds of the passengers. They were serving beef and pork without even informing the passengers. The attitude and enthusiasm of the young dining room staff and guides was the best part of he cruise. They were working almost 18 hours a day, with constant smiles on their faces. Certainly not value for money.
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