The crew on board Scenic Tsar were fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble for them. Arty our tour director was funny, informative and a joy to be around. His knowledge of Russia and willingness to share his country and life with us in such an entertaining manner was awesome. Vadim and Lena were equally as informative and fun. All staff on board were Russian and most spoke adequate English (we were in their country after all). The dining experiences included lots of Russian specialty meals which were delicious. The vodka tasting was not only very funny but tasted surprisingly good. The day trips with local guides into the beautiful cities and country side will stay with us forever. Lufthansa managed to lose our luggage on the way but to be greeted by the hotel manager Anna with toiletries and the offer to get clothes to the laundry as a priority made this so much easier to deal with. A great trip that we highly recommend.