Absolutely everything about this cruise, the personnel, the food, the accommodations, the excursions, embarkation and disembarkation were spectacular. We chose to go to Russia because having been to Eastern Europe we were very interested in seeing this country. The stops along the way were so different and incredible to experience. The people could not have been nicer. We had fabulous guides who were extremely knowledgeable and very interesting personalities. We learned so much and very different from what we had learned in school. We would repeat this itinerary if given the opportunity. We enjoyed the food very much, especially the local/regional dishes. The wait staff was helpful in explaining the dishes and we loved meeting the head chef and having a galley tour. He was very personable and went out of his way to walk through the dining room and chat with the guests. Our cabin staff was fantastic. She knew our preferences and made sure that each day, the items we requested were in our cabin. It was extremely clean and always completed when we returned. The layout of this ship was different than the other Viking ships were had been on, but it was explained to us when we did the tour of the bridge. Sailing along the rivers, but also two very large lakes, was a slightly different experience, one I would highly recommend. Read Less

We were offered a very good deal by Viking. We assumed the deal was special because ours was the next to last cruise of the season and they wanted to ensure a full ship.Several years ago we were scheduled for another cruise with Viking which was cancelled due to a flood in Europe. Our expectations were high based on testimonies from people we know who have taken Viking cruises. Our expectations were met and exceeded. From the moment we landed in Moscow, Vikings expert staff met us and took care of our every need. They were professional, personable, and knowledgeable. The aboard ship cultural lessons were valuable, interesting, and entertaining. Our local tour guides were excellent and passionate about their locations and topics. One of our concerns having never been on a cruise before was whether or not we would get a real feel for the Russian people and their lives. We needn’t have worried. The people we met were very candid about their lives, their culture, their politics, and their history. The excursions were spectacular from Red Square, the Kremlin, Moscow by night, a delightful evening of Russian folk music, Sergiev Posad (Russia’s greatest monastery), the Uglich walking tour and visiting the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood, touring Yaroslavl (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Kishi Island at the north end of Lake Onega (second largest lake in Europe) with the largest wooden church in the world and an outdoor museum of peasant life, Mandrogy which is an outdoor museum of a Russian village with artisans and craftsmen. And then there was St. Petersburg! Moscow is this incredible, modern mega-metropolis, the largest city in Europe. St. Petersburg is like an extreme northern Venice. It is a beautiful city and we saw it by boat, by bus, and on foot. Amazing architecture and cultural sites awaited us, The Hermitage, one of the greatest, if not the greatest museum in the world, is an amazing experience and our tour guide had it down cold. The same was true of the Peterhof Palace and fountains. The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the most amazing works of art inside and out. Magnificent mosaic icons grace every surface in the sanctuary. Being in Peter and Paul Cathedral surrounded by the tombs of the Romanov Dynasty gave me chills. Along with all of this there were concerts, a performance of Swan Lake, and on and on, including shopping opportunities. With all this, you might think we were rushed or exhausted. Not the case! If anything it seemed leisurely. On the ship, there was beautiful scenery, music and dancing, opportunities to visit with the other passengers, and cultural and historical lessons. There were roughly a 2-to-1 ratio of passengers to crew. The ship itself was immaculate. The food service was excellent. There was always a traditional Russian entree on the menu, if one so wished. The dining room staff was warm, engaging and very professional. We would recommend Viking to anyone and this particular cruise to all with a desire for the ultimate Russian experience. Read Less

Always wanted to visit Saint Petersburg and Moscow. From the moment Slava met us at the Moscow airport we knew we were in good hands. The transfer from the airport to the boat went smoothly. Our cabin was very comfortable and always clean and tidy. The food was wonderful and every meal we had the opportunity to try Russian regional specialties. The service in the main dining room was always great, our favorite waiter was Mark :) Our tour guides in Moscow really made the visits to the Kremlin informative and interesting. I also enjoyed visit to Ulgich and other small towns on our cruise to St. Petersburg. Our first tour was of The Hermitage and my husband and I broke off from our group to explore other areas of the museum on our own. We visited the Catherine Palace in Pushkin and our tour guide was excellent. We took the optional tour to Peterhof and our guide was Phillip. He was very informative and we were able to tour both the palace and the gardens. I highly recommend taking a tour of Peterhof. Finally, we visited the Faberge Museum with Slava as our tour guide. He knows the history of the museum and the Imperial Eggs in-depth. I was very glade he lead our tour. Sasha from Russia who is the Cruise Coordinator is enthusiastic and kept my husband and I laughing most of the cruise. This cruise met all our expectations. Read Less

I have always wanted to visit Russia but wanted to travel without the hassles of trying to do my own thing. So I chose to do a river cruise. Scenic had the itinerary and dates that suited me as well as an excellent reputation for offering a top notch experience. They did not disappoint. The service was first class and the shore excursions were well planned and included all the highlights I wanted to see. The Enrich Experiences were incredible and offered an unexpected element to our experience. I liked that the cruise was all inclusive and that there were only 110 passengers on board. The food was excellent and well varied. The staff were all very attentive and the service was excellent. They offered great options on their menus. Their Cruise Director, Arty was exce,lent. He was very knowledgeable, funny and attentive. The Tour Directors Anna and Elena were also very good. The extracurricular activities on board were fun and unexpected, including vodka tasting, Russian lessons and painting Matryshka dolls. Read Less

My wife and I have recently returned from our Russia river cruise via Viking. We actually sailed on a combination of canals, rivers, and lakes from Moscow to St Petersburg on the Viking Helgi. The Helgi is larger than the “longboats” we’ve sailed in previously on the Danube. Though longer, they have two decks, while the Russian river boats have four. The Russian boats are certified to sail in the ocean—but not too far from land. This was good, because some of the lakes we crossed were enormous. There are quite a few of these boats, all based on the same design. The Helgi was built in 1984. Viking acquired five of the boats in 2008 and completely stripped the interiors and rebuilt them to reflect the standards that Viking passengers are familiar with. The difference between the Viking ships and the other Russian boats is very apparent. The boats frequently dock side by side—you often have to walk through one or even two boats to get to yours, especially in the larger cities. There’s a dramatic difference when first walking through a Russian boat then onto ours. The Russian boats are quite drab. All in all she’s a beautiful and comfortable ship. One thing Viking didn’t do when they redid the interiors was improve the sound baffling between the cabins. There doesn’t seem to be much. We could clearly hear conversations and other sounds (use your imagination) from the cabins next to us. The first night aboard, exhausted from long flights, I had to politely ask our neighbor if he’d please turn down his TV, which he quickly did. Otherwise our veranda cabin was great with a very comfortable bed, pillows, linens, etc. The bath was small, but worked well and had a surprising amount of storage. The food was wonderful—every meal was great. Dinner each night featured a menu of different Russian specialities: appetizer, entree, and dessert. There are more “continental” offerings on each menu as well. The chef onboard the Helgi is German—Herr Benjamin. Though not identified as such, many meals have featured German specialties (krautwirkel—cabbage rolls; pflaumen kuchen—plum cake). They and the Russian offerings have been delicious. We looked forward to every meal. Viking offers wine or beer with lunch and dinner with no charge. I was a bit skeptical when it was clear that the only wine and beer was going to be Russian. The beer is actually excellent. Wine (red and white) is surprisingly good too, although not as good as Washington state, Oregon, or California wines typically are. Servers aboard don’t like to see empty glasses; they keep refilling your glass until you ask them to stop. Service aboard was absolutely amazing. Our cabin was kept spotless. But most impressive was the service in the bars and dining room. Servers are a combination of Russian and Filipino. They were all very friendly and extremely attentive. By the third day aboard every server was calling us by name. We’re not special, they seemed to know every passenger’s name. It was pretty amazing. Our fellow passengers were all very much like us—all older, and frequent travelers. We started with three days in Moscow. We were surprised at how much we liked the city. It was safe, extremely clean, with parks and extensive gardens everywhere. We had a pretty hectic schedule for the three days we were there, but were grateful we saw as much as we did. The next five days we cruised making stops at various cities, towns, and UNESCO heritage sites. The Russian countryside we cruised by was beautiful. We selected this cruise because of the number of days it offered in St Petersburg—three with the boat as our hotel. We opted to add the extra two days in a hotel offered through a Viking post cruise extension. Even five days wasn’t enough for this beautiful city. We’d highly recommend this cruise. All in all Viking did everything extremely well. The only thing that could have been better was the transfer from our post cruise extension hotel to the airport. Ours from the hotel was a little... um ... undersupported. We were told to be in the lobby at 2:45 am where a Viking rep would meet us. We’re there on time (5 couples) and waited. There was a Viking shuttle out front but no one in it. When someone checked again after 10 minutes the driver was sitting in it and indicated he was waiting for us. So we all boarded and he drove us to the airport and dropped us with our luggage in front of a terminal. We stood and looked at each other wondering where to go. Someone asked the driver; he pointed in a direction, shut the door and drove off. We all struggled a bit to figure out where exactly we should go to check bags etc., but eventually figured it out and helped each other out each step as we learned something useful. Read Less

We had a brilliant river cruise on the MS Rostropovitch August 2019 from Moscow to St Petersberg. The ship is very clean and the staff are excellent! Our personal cruise girl Zenka (Jayne) looked after our every need from the minute we boarded to the second we left. She is only young but seemed very experienced and nothing was too much trouble. She ensured everyneed was taken care of and also accompanied us at every excursion looking after us. We really appreciated the personal service. She is a credit to the company. The barman Anton was so polite and stayed late whenever we wanted. The chef was amazing and went above and beyond to provide wonderful vegan meals for me. all food was beautifully presented and all waiting staff and the maitre d were so accommodating. Wonderful river cruise. Only cons - one of the villages we visited as we had to divert was Vytegra - I would not recommend as we are animal lovers and there was a visit to a museum with stuffed animals plus there were village dogs roaming loosely around village. The restaurant Graf-in that we stopped at for lunch on one of the tours had difficulty catering for vegans. Further, although the restaurant had probably over 100 covers, there was only one shared toilet for men and women, with 3 cubicles, all of which were blocked and the staff did not seem very botheted. Disgusting!! This restaurant should be dropped from the tour. The air conditioning was not working in the bar and so could be quite chilly in the evening. The cabins were quite large (showers small) but the beds were soft and could do with renewing. Shower curtains need renewing as water stained at bottom. Also tea/coffee station should be available much later in the evening - at least to 1am as some people like a nightcap. Read Less

We just got back from doing the absolutely delightful UNIWORLD Imperial Waterways of Russia river cruise. What a wonderful experience. We did the cruise the last two weeks of July via the Moscow to St. Petersburg option, versus the reverse. I highly recommend this option because Domodedovo Airport (IATA code DME), serving Moscow is south of Moscow and right at two hours from the Severniy River Port, which is up on the north side of Moscow. Whereas, the Pulkovo Airport (IATA code LED), which serves St. Pete is only 30 minutes from the St. Petersburg river port, both being on the south side of town. We left our boat at 3:30 am for our 5:55 am flight on Lufthansa out of St. Petersburg to go to Frankfurt. You would probably have to leave the boat around 2 am to go to the airport if your were flying out of Moscow. Uniworld, as usual, provided a world class experience. All the Russian staff, from the cruise managers to the Front Desk folks to dining room staff to the bar tenders spoke good to fluent English. And everyone was so gracious and friendly, making everyone feel special. We were met upon arrival at the airport in Moscow. Departure at the St. Petersburg airport went very smoothly. Embarkation and disembarkation on the ship were both easy and quick. If you have mobility problems, you need to request cart or wheelchair service at the Frankfurt and Moscow airports. They are both huge airports. The arrival and departure gates in Frankfurt are in different terminals. The dining room service was wonderful. The food was always delicious, with a great variety of dishes, always very tasteful and well presented. And yes, I ate too much. The River Victoria is a wonderful, modern vessel. Very, very nice, It appeared to have been through refurbishment recently. The veranda stateroom we had was standard riverboat size, ie large enough, very modern and well furnished. The beds were just right for sleeping after a days worth of adventures. The ship's elevator is modern, and very responsive. The decor throughout the ship is beautiful. The gift shop had a great variety of beautiful gifts if you could not find enough stuff ashore to buy. The wi-fi service was good throughout the cruise. Almost all vendors and stores ashore took rubles, credit cards, Euros or dollars. Smaller vendors took only rubles. The vendors would take a US note before they would take a Euro. But the notes have to be newer, clean and cannot have any writing of any kind on them. One lady would not take the tea colored US notes, saying it was dirty. Just take lots of ones, fives, and tens. No one wanted to take a US twenty or US or Euro coins. We bought 80 dollars worth of rubles our first day in Moscow for day-to-day small purchases and came home with only 300 rubles, about $5. I used 60 rubles to the dollar for quick easy conversion. The shore excursions were always amazing and very informative. The tour groups were usually limited to 25 to 30 people. All ports were handicap accessible. The ship's crew was very helpful getting people on and off the boat. The VOX boxes were new and worked flawlessly. All of the shore excursion guides we had spoke good to fluent English. They usually taught English as a second language at the local high school or college. The buses were all new or nearly new. A lot of the times they were Mercedes Benz buses. All in all, the trip was an absolutely wonderful experience. I highly recommend it if you want to learn about Russian history and meet the warm friendly people of their great nation. Read Less

For my first Viking and river cruise, Waterway of the Czars was an awesome choice. Excursions were very informative, with great tour guides at every destination. I only chose one optional excursion to the Peterhof Palace & Park, and it was one of the best by far. It was great to have some free time in most destinations to roam around and explore. Dining was a pleasure at every meal. I tried and thoroughly enjoyed most of the Russian selections available at each meal. Daily selections were varied and the food was excellent. All of the cruise staff (cabin, entertainment, bar, enrichment, kitchen, dining room, etc.) were extremely welcoming, helpful and available whenever needed. The ship docked and departed from each destination very timely and efficiently. The boarding process was very easy and quick. The entire Russian experience was so much more than I ever expected and each of the stops between Moscow and St. Petersburg was quite unique so much more interesting than I expected. The entire experience far exceeded my expectations. Soon after returning I booked my second Viking River Cruise to Paris and Normandy for May of 2020. Can’t wait to set sail! Read Less

Always my dream to visit Russia and go to Catherine’s palace And to see the “amber room “ I have read about the amber room extensively and it’s history It was so exciting for me to view the real thing The visit to Peterof Palace and tour of countryside was incredible made more so by the exceptional guides on our tours The highlight was Mandroy viewing the craftsmanship in each building was pure joy We could’ve spent more time browsing the village Each stop on our itinerary was packed with cultural and historical knowledge our guides were informative and and brought the history to life. Life on the ship was enhanced by our tour guides lectures as we cruised along The food and service were excellent I tried some of the local Russian food and enjoyed it very much. Our market visit, school visit added depth and appreciation of Russian culture The home visit luncheon was fun touring our hostesses garden and sharing lunch with vodka toasts plus the bus tour in local neighborhood was great Moscow subway trip was a pleasure like touring a beautiful museum fine art, beautiful chandeliers and incredibly polite passengers Another Viking trip of a lifetime Read Less

We elected to go to Russia more through curiosity. A river cruise seemed the best option and after reviewing the different companies and taking feedback we selected Scenic. We were not disappointed. We arrived a day early and spent the afternoon at our own pace wandering around downtown Moscow but trying to avoid sights we would visit as part of the tour. The ship was much smaller than the competition offerings however this is to your advantage. We had a comfortable 99 passengers on board rather than the 200 plus offered by others. The smaller number gave you a greater advantage to meet most of your fellow travelers and with fewer passengers there is less chance of illnesses being spread. Unlike other Scenic cruises the complimentary mini bar and unlimited alcohol was prohibited under Russian law. As such, the mini bar was empty and complimentary alcohol was only served at lunch and dinner. To me, the mini bar could have been stocked with some soft drinks but this wasn't the case. The dining experience was excellent. If you are considering a river cruise I suggest dieting for several weeks before commencing. The dining room staff were fabulous. Two criticisms here. The first is the lack of a decent coffee. Yes, they had a machine but the coffee was only warm, not hot. For the price of the cruise one would think Scenic would have a barrister on board to make a real coffee for the guests. Most people complained about the coffee. The second is the lack of cakes/slices for morning/afteroon tea. The Europeans make some fabulous slices however our daily servings in this regard were just small shortbread biscuits. I should add though, for Aussies, they do have vegemite on board but no weetbix. The Russian cornflakes are actually very nice - Kelloggs haven't yet arrived. The entertainment was excellent with impromtu guest concerts, vodka tasting, cooking classes, doll painting and ice cream parties. The port calls and shore excursions were well thought out. Service overall was excellent. The Senior Cruise Director was a lovely Russian lady named Svetlana and we were lucky enough to be part of her team on shore excursions. She was fantastic and an absolute asset to Scenic. She had two assistants, Lena and Elena. Lena was also excellent and has the ability to be a Svetlana. Elena not so and lacked communication skills. The main cities visited were Moscow and St. Petersburg. There is lots to do in both cities. If you are considering such a cruise, firstly I recommend starting in Moscow. Secondly, book and extra day in both cities to give yourself some "me" time to wander round at your own leisure, look in the shops and visit other attractions not included in the overall trip. Read Less

I chose this cruise because I wanted to see Moscow and other cities in Russia that were visited on this cruise. I had already been to St. Petersburg but I new that it, too, must be different than when I visited in 2004. I didn't know what to expect. I never expected some of the things I saw. Red Square at night was like a light show. The building were outlined with white lights, St. Basil's Cathedral was just magnificent with the spotlights on it. It is also beautiful in the daytime. I was surprised at the number of churches that I saw. I know that for many years that people could not worship openly. I never expected to see churches that were breathtakingly beautiful inside. Every inch was covered with gold, paintings. mosaics and more. Spectacular. This was the third Viking River cruise for me. I really didn't know what to expect on the first one but I learned quickly that the staff on Viking ships are friendly and helpful. They are respectful to the guests. The cabin was always made up when I returned from an excursion. Housekeeping was quick to send anything that I needed. The menu was varied each night. I especially liked the dishes that were native to the region where we were. The Russian menus were great. There were selections with which I was familiar because they were made in my family. It was fun to eat them on the ship. The service was excellent. I looked forward to the excursions every day because I didn't know what to expect. One excursion was to Khizi island where 60 people live. It was educational. We saw an church that was being restored. Everything was done with wood. The guides in Russia were well informed and answered any questions. I recommend the Russia cruise. You will know a lot more than before you visited. I am already scheduled for cruises 4 and 5 this year - Viking Ocean Cruise - Venice to Athens and Viking River Cruise - Portugal-The River of Gold. Can't wait. Read Less

I had always wanted to take a Viking Cruise and see Moscow and St. Petersburg. It met every expectation! Viking has a great itinerary - I signed up for just about everything!! Moscow and St. Petersburg are absolutely beautiful cities! All the palaces are beyond belief. The days that weren't so packed were a welcome relief to just relax on our veranda and enjoy the scenery and go through the locks. The Russian people were so friendly - don't be afraid to go - and don't stereotype them. The Visa application is worth it. The Viking staff were wonderful - the room was great - and the food was good. All of our transportation vehicles were clean and comfortable. Our most fun excursions were the home visits and the school visit that Viking arranges. My husband did the "banya" experience and had some great stories to tell when we got back. Kizhi Island is also very beautiful. Remember to do the vodka tasting on the ship :) Had the best time. Don't hesitate to go or let your friends try and talk you out of it. Read Less

We wanted to see St. Petersburg, and this trip was over our anniversary. (July 6 - 18), The whole experience was amazing. Boat is small, but you can always find a nook to be alone or join a group. Food was excellent and NEVER SUPERSIZED. Not much time for entertainment, but they make the most of it. The Vodka tasting is so much fun! Be ready to walk miles every day on all the tours, hosted by fantastic experts. Moscow and St. Petersburg are not the Russia we grew up hearing about. The countryside is beautiful, and the pace on the boat is just right. Not much internet or cell service, so it was pleasant not seeing everyone with a phone in their face. We met 2 wonderful couples and hung out together, as well as other couples at dinner (open seating, just join in). The crew was fabulous, the boat immaculate. Read Less

This cruise could not be better. We were impressed with the ads on PBS and YouTube videos and then we saw that they offered a Russian cruise which is one of my desired destinations. We expected a good cruise but this exceeded our expectations in all ways. Everything was excellent: the service, the food, the tours, the accommodations, the on-board entertainment and lectures, the staff, and the cruise itself. Everything was perfectly organized from the time they met us at the airport to the time they assisted us at disembarkation. I can not praise the trip highly enough. The cruse was called "The Waterways of the Tzars" and the whole time we saw the beauty of the cities, villages and the magnificent waters and landscapes of Russia. Be prepared - you may have to change your view of Russia if you take this trip. I have to mention that the Russian people on and off the boat were wonderful to us. At my age, I am a little awkward going up and down stairs and the Russian citizens were always offering me help. My wife I boarded a conveyance and two young people immediately got up and gave us their seats. I found the Russian people sweet, kind, welcoming and very helpful. There is strong evidence of the artist and the craftsmen every where you look in the cities and the villages. I was completely surprised by Moscow that I expected to look stark but it was beautiful and very clean. I addition, Viking selected Lufthansa airline for our connections and I have never experienced a more comfortable flight. We were in coach but the flight had a first class feeling to us from the entertainment and excellent service complete with hot towels Read Less

We have always wanted to visit Russia and took the plunge. The food was very good with plenty of choice and a chance to taste Russian cuisine as well as fairly standard fare. The 24hr coffee/tea/chocolate station was excellent. I am a discerning coffee drinker and it was of very good quality, better than the coffee served in the restaurant! The staff were all very friendly and the couriers, especially the local ones, were full of interesting information. There were a few concerns though mainly to do with sustainability/environmental policies. We did not require wash cloths to be changed twice daily - we used them and hung them on the pull out line provided but as the room was serviced twice daily, these and the shower mat were changed when not required to be. Also the use of plastic containers for the plentiful toiletries - this approach needs to be reconsidered to cut down on plastic. Also the disposable plastic water bottles handed out before excursions need to be abolished. We had brought our own containers and filled them from the glass water bottles replenished at least once daily. Perhaps Viking could provide reusable bottles and passengers could be encouraged to refill these. The excursions we participated in were all, bar one, excellent and of a very high quality. The one that was disappointing was the Folk Music evening whilst in St Petersburg - not worth the money we paid even if it did include some vodka. The music was OK, it was just the surroundings and the way it was presented after other excursions such as the ballet and music evening in Moscow. Not having been on anything like this before, I did struggle with not having anywhere really to walk so had to make do with going along each deck inside and up/down the stairs. Most days to be fair we had excursions so I tried to walk quickly but sometimes this was not possible as we were ambling in order to view and take photos. Read Less

Amazing sights and crew. Learned so much about Russian life and history. All the tours were fun and informative. As usual, the food and drink were excellent. The captain and crew were knowledgeable, efficient and very friendly. The tours of Moscow and St. Petersburg were excellent. I was a little disappointed at the tour of the Hermitage because they stuffed people through very narrow corridors. The Moscow by Night tour was amazing....touring Red Square at night and seeing the Kremlin and St.Basil's lit up was breathtaking. The home visit in Uglich was fun and very welcoming. The visit to the school was vey informative...the kids were such a pleasure to meet. St. Petersburg was very full of history and great architecture. We added Helsinki, Finland at the end of the trip and it was such a beautiful city to visit. We really appreciated all the effort by Viking and the crew of the Truvor to make our trip easy and memorable. Read Less