Live from Viking Rurik October 12-24, 2012

When I was researching this ship, it was difficult to find any information since the Rurik's 2012 refurbishment. So, I'm going to share some of our experiences as 1st-time river cruisers.

Day 1 ... Flew from San Francisco nonstop to Frankfurt, then on to Moscow, as arranged through Viking. We were met as we came out of baggage claim at DME airport by an easily identifiable Viking representative. Then a hike with our baggage through rain and puddles to the waiting bus. Lesson number one: waterproof shoes work much better on your feet than in your suitcase.

Then we experienced the famous Moscow traffic. We were lucky to leave at about 6:00 pm because it only took us 2 hours to get to the ship. The bus that left at 4:30 took 3 hours and 40 minutes to make the same trek. And there are no restrooms on the bus.

In any event, the dining room on the Rurik stayed open late for us and other passengers who arrived after 9:00. This was contrary to what we were told by the Viking air services who said that we would probably miss dinner. I had brought along dried fruit and granola bars, which remain in my suitcase under the bed. But better safe than sorry.

Day 2 ... We slept in to 6:30 am and had the buffet breakfast, which was perfectly adequate although not very hot. Service is great, however. We than attended an informative presentation on where to buy Russian crafts. We've been on 10 or so ocean cruises and were glad to see that we were not directed to specific stores-- always wondered about kickbacks before. This was more of a presentation on what characteristics to look for rather than where to go.

After lunch, we took the included tour to Red Square with a little less traffic this time since it was Saturday. No rain today, but mostly cloudy and cold. Lesson number 2 (or is it 3) bring hat and gloves. When the wind blows, 45 degrees Farenheit feels a lot colder. st. basil's was very pretty when the sun shined, but we didn't go inside. We did go into Gum, which is basically a ritzy shopping center and beyond my means, but at least the restrooms were free and clean.

One of our party went inside the Russian Orthodox church which was having a service. We could hear the singing from the outside and really enjoyed it. The humorous point came when it was time to regroup to return to our bus only to find that 6 or so people were unable to get out of the church. Unbeknownst to them, part of the service involved the priests moving to the back os the church and closing the doors. No one could leave until they moved back to the front of the church. Another lesson.

After that we had boxed sandwiches on the bus before going to a remarkable musical event in a small concert hall. The music was very professional, performed by extremely well trained artists. I almost bailed on this part of the evening and took an early bus back to the ship. I'm so glad I decided to stay. One woman didn't have such good luck. On the way to the bus back to the ship she fell. Our Viking guide took control and saw to it that she was taken to the American clinic for treatment. We wish her well.

Returning to the ship at 9:00 pm we had another very late dinner and look forward to bed now. More tomorrow about the food and accommodations.

Thanks for taking the time to post !!! Know how hard this is to do when on vacation... Looking forward to more!

Safe travels :)

Day 3 ... Watched a beautiful sunrise from the Sky Bar while eating a continental breakfast there at 7:30 am. We then took the optional tour to Sergiev Prosad Monastery. It was a 90 minute bus ride there. Would I do it again? Probably not. Although this is the religious hub of the Russian Orthodox church, it was just too crowded to see inside the churches. Maybe it would have been better if it had not been a Sunday and services in progress. I also felt that our guide wasn't that informative. The restaurant lunch was good, though, with salad, fish, boiled potatoes and pancakes with raspberry sauce for dessert. In the end, I would rather have used the free day to go see the Kremlin in depth on our own.

Tonight there is an optional tour of Moscow at Night. Not for me.

Accommodations Report: Having been refurbished earlier this year, the Rurik looks very good. The promenade on decks 3 and 4 have turned into cabin balconies. A little cold to use now, but definitely nice to have. Yes, the bathroom is tiny, but totally sufficient. There is a medicine cabinet as well as a shelf below the counter which is well thought out. And there is a clothes line in the shower. Now, how do you feel about sleeping on a hard bed? It's fine for me, not for others. There are large bottles of free water in the cabin daily (in addition to the smaller bottles offered to you as you leave the ship each time). I do wish the hair dryer was more powerful; it's pretty useless. And I wish there was a makeup mirror. The closet space is very good.

There is a small safe in one of the closets way up high. If you're shorter than 5'5", you're going to have to stand on a chair to see inside.

Our cabin is very quiet; in fact if we hadn't met out neighbors during the emergency drill, we'd not have known they were there.

Food/Dining: the best feature of the dining room is the wait-staff. They are efficient, friendly, and constantly refilling your wine glass. You never have to ask. The worst feature of mealtime is the coffee. Yuk! It's weak to the point of being tasteless. Even the extra-cost espresso is weak, as well as tepid. Lesson learned-- bring your own French-press and grounds, or at least instant coffee, if you need your morning coffee to get going.

The menus are varied and interesting interpretations of familiar items. For example, we had beef stroganoff one night. There were 4 tiny pieces of beef over what looked like gnocchi with shredded beets and sliced pickles, then a dab of sauce on top. It was actually quite good even though it was nothing like any stroganoff I'd ever had before. Yes, the portions are small, but certainly adequate for most people. For those of you who expect a meal to take 1-1/2 or 2 hours, sorry. You'll be done in 45 minutes. Fine with us.

Dining is open seating, a good number of tables for 2 or 4, plus a few with 6. Although there are nice linens and better wine glasses than those I've seen on Norwegian Cruise Line, the dress code is very casual. Pants and sweaters for women, Dockers and polo shirts or sweaters for men. Not a jacket in sight.

I would say that the average age on board is at least 70. The tours are paced at a stroll so everyone can stay together. There is no one under 55 aboard as far as I've seen. I feel like a spring chicken at 62!

Questions welcome.

Great report!!! Thanks again... Am assuming this time of year there are few tourists and no big crowds. What other ships have you seen and any you have an opinion about??

Thanks for the live posts!

Great report!!! Thanks again... Am assuming this time of year there are few tourists and no big crowds. What other ships have you seen and any you have an opinion about??

The Rurik is the last Viking ship to leave Moscow for this season. Two others left yesterday, but I didn't catch their names. We were never docked side-by-side so never got to see onboard or meet their passengers.

The crowds are not outrageous this time of year. In fact, if there hadn't been several school groups, there wouldn't be crowds at all. I like going to places in the fall just because there are generally fewer crowds and the weather is cooler. Moscow also had some pretty nice fall colors.

Macsback

Day 4... Today we took the optional tour to the Kremlin, including a visit to the Armory Chamber. I highly recommend this tour. Yes, we could have done it on our own on the free day, but it was nice to have someone take us to the right entrance and get us through security. From then on, the guide was excellent. The guide talked into a microphone, which transmitted to our earpieces. That way, you could listen but still wander over to see something that struck your fancy without losing the guide.

There were lots of stairs at the Armory, and not many hand railings. We walked slowly for about 2.5 hours, but it never seemed bad. There are sufficient benches throughout to rest your weary bones if need be. I didn't see an elevator, but then I wasn't looking for one.

After the Armory we moved outside to see the churches on the Kremlin grounds, as well as the bell that never rang and the huge cannon that never shot.

Over all, this was the best tour so far. We set sail at 2:30 today. I'll be glad to leave the Moscow traffic behind. What a mess! If you live in the San Francisco area, think highway 17 with an overturned big-rig and that's what daily traffic, all day, is like in Moscow.

We used the Metro subway with the first included tour. With the earphones, it was easily done. It would make sense to me to use the Metro for all the tours from the dock into Moscow instead of the interminable bus rides. I would think that it would save Viking money at the same time. In any event, the busses are fine, clean, and give you an opportunity to see the city up top. It's just time consuming.

Of note, the ship's engines have started now for the sail away. I feel some vibration as our cabin is toward the back of the ship. I'll go out on our balcony for a look.

More later.

Another thing to note about the Rurik-- the stairs between decks are more like ladders. Very steep and each step about an inch taller than you would expect. However there is an elevator, and most of the time it's not crowded.

In fact, the whole ship feels uncrowded.

I have also discovered the espresso machine! You can make reasonable coffee for yourself by hitting the espresso button twice. Tastes like coffee, not espresso. And it's free! In the afternoon there are cookies, too.

I'm starting to hear people complain about the food. Most common complaint is "not enough choices." I don't agree, but then I didn't come for the food. Today for lunch I had the hot tuna and cheese sandwich, just like I make at home but they offered bar-b-que sauce on the side. It was unexpectedly a good combination! I'm going to remember that one. But I guess some people want or expect gourmet, which the food certainly is not.

Macsback

Day 5 ... We are now cruising toward Uglich, our first stop after Moscow. Sitting in the Sky Bar and listening to the lecture on the Romanov family, I am enjoying the scenery at the same time. The weather is cloudy and cold, about 41 degrees. Luckily no rain since our first day in Moscow. I see forest coming down to the shore, evergreens mixed with the last vestiges of fall-colored birch trees. Occasionally, we pass a village with small houses in a variety of colors. This is so different from Moscow's gray, concrete apartments.

Last night was the Captain's welcome reception and dinner. I saw several men wearing sport coats and ties and women with slacks and dressy tops. But for the most part people did not dress up and wore the same thing worn for touring that day.

By the way, the interior of the Rurik can be a bit chilly. I wear a shawl most of the time.

Our breakfast waitress volunteered some good information about shopping in Uglich; this is a good place to buy the nesting dolls. In addition, we are going to benefit from being the last cruise of the year because all the prices will be reduced and bargaining can produce some really good deals.

The daily paper says that Uglich is the place to buy watches with stones or painted enamel. Maybe I'll buy a Russian "Rolex."

Macsback

this brings back memories! We were there last October! The ship was called Pakahmov then don't know what it's renamed to now. They will take you to the place that sells these painted boxes that are much more expensive that what you can see in the tourist places in the towns but the quality is really totally different. I loved the Kizhi wooden church visit best. Not much shops on that island but lovely views and visit. I hope you're having that crisp autumn weather with blue skies that we had!

Oh, we're only in our 40s! But we loved the cruise!

Hi macsback. We are also back after our cruise on the Viking Rurik from St Petersburg to Moscow after a month away from home and a stopover in Dubai. We are a little jetlagged, have to catch up with family and friends, re-bond with the dog, do the tax return, mow the lawn, check the mail, pay the bills and re-group mentally.

So I will not be making too many detailed comments as I also intend to compile a full report for Cruise Critic in due course that may be of some benefit for Russian cruisers next year as this season is just about over – unless you have questions on what is to come or on Helsinki – or if anyone else has anything specific which I can add to your commentary at this stage. Sorry we did not report from the ship, too engrossed in what was happening and not as disciplined as you are.

Anyway I hope you are enjoying your cruise as much as we did. In particular I cannot speak highly enough of our Russian guides Elena, Sasha, Alexei, Julia, Alla and Valeria - they do an amazing job and have extraordinary patience!

A word on the age group – our passengers also ranged from 60 – 80 yrs – one was 88! But the chronological passenger age is not the critical factor – it is the level of fitness. I am a over 70 and my wife is 69 but WE felt like spring chickens with some people younger than us as we like to walk fast, believe are pretty fit and love to do our own thing. This aspect was one of my comments on the critique. If Viking want to attract a younger set then they should perhaps cater for some more adventurous groups and maybe consider splitting the groups up into fast walkers, medium and leisurely rather than treat every-one the same. It can be frustrating being continually held up by slower walkers – or I guess trying to keep up if you want to go slow. (On the other hand, Viking may be happy and can fill the boat with the clientele they already attract).

Rather than sitting in a bus for example in the Moscow traffic, I believe many of the tours could be conducted by Metro as we did on our own on the free day quite comfortably and easily. Viking showed it could be done on the first day in Moscow with their “Up Close City Tour by metro and foot” but chose not to do it again after that. But no doubt they have their reasons and pre-planning these things may be difficult.

Overall we partly chose Viking because of their extensive experience on the Russian Waterways. I believe this opinion was vindicated as their experience showed in every level of their operation from the way the captain navigated and docked the ship to the sailors being at the airport with trolleys to unload your luggage on the transfers on departure.

I agree with you with the refurbishment. They have done it well - simple, functional and in good taste – except only perhaps for the steep stairs and one or two more public toilets. However ship’s rumour was that the Rurik will not be operated by Viking next year, it will be sold although one of the bar girls told me it would be docked when the river freezes. Seems surprising to me how they can make money out of the ship operating for only half a year. Maybe some-one more informed can enlighten us on this score.

Here are a couple of photos to add to your commentary:

Docked at St Petersburg

Entry to Neva Restaurant

Emil (muso) and Frank the Maitre D

Those Steps - yes there is an elevator

The fantastic Nespresso Bar - Hi George

The bed - firm but fine

Sun deck - don't forget your beanie and gloves

The daily paper says that Uglich is the place to buy watches with stones or painted enamel. Maybe I'll buy a Russian "Rolex."

Macsback

Hi - I bought 2 Vostok watches in Uglich. If you do buy watches, ask for instructions on how to wind them.

The stem needs to be wound out to unlock - and then you turn it to set date and/or time. The store that I purchased them in was on the corner - beside another store that sold watches. They also had some nice amber jewellery there - at quite reasonable prices. And, most of the employees did speak English.

I tried to set the watch after I returned to the boat - and couldn't - so had to walk back to the store and ask how to do it... THEN they gave me instructions written in English.

Fran

Hi macsback.

 

Anyway I hope you are enjoying your cruise as much as we did. In particular I cannot speak highly enough of our Russian guides Elena, Sasha, Alexei, Julia, Alla and Valeria - they do an amazing job and have extraordinary patience!

 

King of cool... I agree with you on every point. We're having a great time.

 

Macsback

Day 5 continued ... In Uglich, the city tour included a visit to a former church, now a museum. But the most remarkable part was the a capella group of male singers. The were simply outstanding. You could buy a CD of their music, which was a nice souvenir.

After the city tour, we visited a Russian home for "tea," which included pickle sandwiches, cucumbers and tomatoes, and 4-5 toasts with vodka. There was time to ask questions about life in Uglich, and the hostess showed an equal interest in learning about all of us.

On another note, the coffee on the Rurik has suddenly improved. Could it be that Viking is lurking on this thread? If so, thank you!

Day 6 ... Yaroslavl. I really like this City of 600,000. It feels vibrant, proud and very livable. I saw more young people here than in Uglich. Maybe that's because there's a university here.

This is the home of lacquer boxes. And they are exquisite! Also, way out of my budget. But it was wonderful to see such impressive art.

We also went into a local market that sold fruits, spices,vegetables, dried meats and fish, nuts, and candy. I tasted and bought a wonderful spice rub for chicken and fish, about 1 cup for 100 Rubles or $3 USD.

Returning to the ship for lunch, I had the grilled vegetable sandwich, which was delicious. It had far more flavor than anything else I've eaten here so far.

We're making plans now for our free day in St. Petersburg. I'm splitting up from my group and going to spend the day at the Hermitage. It should be an adventure since I'll be taking a local bus to the metro station, riding 4 stops to the town center and then walking a few blocks to the Palace. I went online yesterday and purchased my entry ticket and printed it out here on the ship. $17.95 USD for entry into all the buildings for the day. I skip the box office line and go to the Internet ticket office and voila! I'll let you all know how that works out!

I've attended the Russian language lesson but am still lost. I also went to the lecture on the Romanovs, which was very good. This afternoon is the modern history lecture. If you're planning this trip, I highly recommend "Lenin's Tomb, the last days of the Soviet Empire" by David Remnick. It's been very helpful in understanding how far Russia has come since Lenin's time.

And so we continue up the Volga under cold, gray skies with views of colorful villages dotting the water's edge. I am a happy camper.

Macsback

Another thing to note about the Rurik-- the stairs between decks are more like ladders. Very steep and each step about an inch taller than you would expect. However there is an elevator, and most of the time it's not crowded.

 

In fact, the whole ship feels uncrowded.

 

I have also discovered the espresso machine! You can make reasonable coffee for yourself by hitting the espresso button twice. Tastes like coffee, not espresso. And it's free! In the afternoon there are cookies, too.

 

I'm starting to hear people complain about the food. Most common complaint is "not enough choices." I don't agree, but then I didn't come for the food. Today for lunch I had the hot tuna and cheese sandwich, just like I make at home but they offered bar-b-que sauce on the side. It was unexpectedly a good combination! I'm going to remember that one. But I guess some people want or expect gourmet, which the food certainly is not.

 

Macsback

Dear macsback,

We’re happy to learn that overall you’re having an enjoyable time aboard Viking Rurik. The feedback you’ve shared so far has been noted and we look forward to hearing more about your trip over the next few days. If there’s anything that you’d like to bring to our attention, feel free to email us at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com. Until then, enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Sincerely,

Viking River Cruises

Day 7 ... Today we took the alternative included tour in Krillo-Belozersky, which included the visit to the monastery plus a visit to a museum house and a school. I'm glad we didn't spend the whole time at the monastery. It is extremely old, deteriorated mostly to ruins. But the museum house was excellent. Actually, that stop was a last minute arrangement because the bridge was out and we couldn't get to the usual stop. We were the first foreign visitors to visit the house and greeted with great enthusiasm. The school visit was excellent, too. We met some children and heard their English skills, and were able to ask them some questions. At the end the principal asked us to take their email address to continue building relationships between our countries. Again, great warmth.

By the way, the Ruruk's coffee has backslid to yuk again, but if that's all I can complain about I think that Viking is doing a fine job.

We are now headed to Kizhi. The sun keeps peeking out, raising the temperature to a balmy 50 degrees. Our guide said yesterday that it is usually much colder so we are fortunate. The fall colors are gone and there seem to be more fir trees now, still so thickly packed that it seems unimaginable that a human being could walk through the forest.

Now it's time for the lecture on Gorbatchev and Perestroika, followed by a Russian tea time at 4:00. More later.

Macsback

Thank you for taking the time out of your trip to post these comments. I am interested in a Russian river cruise (and, having had a great time in China with Viking, am particularly interested in recent experiences in Russia on their refurbished boats).

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

Russian Tea Experience ... We enjoyed it. The tea was dispensed from a giant samovar (sp?) just inside the Neva restaurant. From there the line wound around the restaurant to the buffet. It was good tea. Unfortunately, there was only a single line to the buffet of goodies. It literally took 30 minutes after picking up my tea to get to the buffet. Then you had to balance your tea cup plus plate while trying to serve yourself food. Sorry Viking, but that didn't make sense. But the tea and goodies were very tasty, so in the end, I give the experience a good review.

Day 8 ... On the lake on our way to Kizhi Island. But sometimes mother nature asserts her power over us mere mortals. An announcement was just made letting us known that bad weather ahead is causing 2.5 meter waves, which will prevent us from landing on Kizhi Island. Of course, that is a big disappointment, but no one can blame Viking for it. So, we are now going straight to Mandrogy. As a consolation, Viking is offering the optional Cossack Show at no charge.

The lecture on Putin and Medvedev and the Russian Economy presented by Alla was excellent. I'm surprised the lectures aren't better attended, but then maybe some people are watching the simultaneous broadcast in their cabins.

The sky is solid gray but the temperature is quite warm at 50-52 degrees. We're going to the bridge tour later this afternoon and will report back.

macsback

The Bridge Tour ... Just got back from meeting Captain Igor Estein. A very personable yet authoritative man with 24 years as captain. He answered all questions with dignity and humor. The decor of the bridge has obviously been updated with the rest of the ship this year. There is rather plush red carpeting and wood paneling giving the feeling of being more in his office than on the bridge until you spot the radar, helm, throttles, and communication devices everywhere. The view is beautiful although steering into the pitch dark at night would make me very uncomfortable.

On our revised schedule, we arrive in Mandrogy tonight at 6:30, allowing for some time ashore in the evening. Then again, wouldn't want to miss dinner at 7:00pm! It feels like we are eating all the time. I had read somewhere that there was a previous complaint that this cruise didn't offer snacks between meals :eek:, but I feel stuffed all the time. No complaints about the food from me!

Macsback

I'm sorry you didn't get to see Kizhi, I've posted you a pict from last october :)

They have these girls who paint the dolls in Mandrogy down to the tiniest details, the smallest one is the size of a pinky nail. I hope you see them.

I'm sorry you didn't get to see Kizhi, I've posted you a pict from last october :)

They have these girls who paint the dolls in Mandrogy down to the tiniest details, the smallest one is the size of a pinky nail. I hope you see them.

Thank you for the photo! I'm sorry we missed it, but such is life.

The matryoshka doll painting demonstration ended with the last cruise, but I'm sure there will be plenty of their work still for sale. There is a beautiful set for sale in the ship's gift shop, but unfortunately it is priced at over $1,000 USD, so hopefully I can find something in Mandrogy tomorrow.

macsback

We had an excellent dinner tonight-- duck with mashed potatoes with ( I think) a port wine sauce. Soooo good! The food has been increasingly good as the trip has progressed.

I went to the Russian language lesson again tonight. I'm still having a hard time, but some people are picking it up quickly. I would suggest that Viking start the lessons sooner in the itinerary and have them daily.

Macsback

I would suggest that Viking start the lessons sooner in the itinerary and have them daily.

How you going macsback?

I would suggest that any-one that wishes to enhance their Russian Waterways Cruise starts to learn some basic Russian at least 4 months before they travel. This will greatly augment their solo excursions especially in restaurants (although many have English menus) or asking directions and will make using the Moscow metro a snack.

There are dozens of good language courses that can be found on the internet or your local library with CD’s that can be downloaded onto your laptop of Wi-fi device and I would suggest you also take a simple phrase book such as Berlitz with you.

To expect the Russian guides to conduct a daily Russian Language course on top of everything else they do in my opinion is totally unreasonable.

Reference the Matryoshka dolls. Yeah, we were actually advised by our guide to buy them in St Petersburg in the first store we went to.

The set pictured below cost about $120 after a 5% discount for the boat. We bought two there and a very nice amber necklace for about $80. But we also bought another set of dolls in Mandrogy for about the same price.

Yes, we were also very tempted to buy another one from the ship’s shop which from memory was 250 Euros but we decided to leave it there for you. Rgds.

Matryoshka dolls bought in ST P for about $120

Macsback

 

How you going macsback?

 

I would suggest that any-one that wishes to enhance their Russian Waterways Cruise starts to learn some basic Russian at least 4 months before they travel. This will greatly augment their solo excursions especially in restaurants (although many have English menus) or asking directions and will make using the Moscow metro a snack.

 

There are dozens of good language courses that can be found on the internet or your local library with CD’s that can be downloaded onto your laptop of Wi-fi device and I would suggest you also take a simple phrase book such as Berlitz with you.

 

To expect the Russian guides to conduct a daily Russian Language course on top of everything else they do in my opinion is totally unreasonable.

 

Reference the Matryoshka dolls. Yeah, we were actually advised by our guide to buy them in St Petersburg in the first store we went to.

 

The set pictured below cost about $120 after a 5% discount for the boat. We bought two there and a very nice amber necklace for about $80. But we also bought another set of dolls in Mandrogy for about the same price.

 

Yes, we were also very tempted to buy another one from the ship’s shop which from memory was 250 Euros but we decided to leave it there for you. Rgds.

 

 

Matryoshka dolls bought in ST P for about $120

Hello, King,

I still haven't found the perfect set of nesting dolls yet. I'll look again in St. Petersburg.

macsback

We toured Mandrogy this morning. More precisely, we shopped Mandrogy. Our ship was the only one there. No crowds. But no end-of-season bargains either. We found a lot of wood products and some interesting jewelry. The matryoshka dolls were not as nice as the ones onboard, so I left them behind. The weather has held out for us, clouds but no rain. I am sure the 120 inhabitants of Mandrogy are celebrating the end of the season now that we are out of sight.

Returning to the ship for lunch, we decided to try the CCCP authentic Russian buffet on the sun deck. It was delicious!

We have just passed through another lock and are now heading for St. Petersburg.

The program director told us about the disembarkation process today since the rest of our time is fully booked. Somewhere along the way I need to find an ATM for more rubles for tips. I think the crew has worked very hard to make us happy and comfortable.

Macsback