Just returned: Uniworld's River Victoria in Russia

[Rxgrad98]

Just returned from Russia on Uniworld's River Victoria and had a wonderful trip. This was our first river cruise, so we were not sure what to expect, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Transfers: we were met at the airport in Moscow by Uniworld representatives. We had to wait about 30 minutes for another flight, but then it was off to the ship. Unfortunately the transfer to the ship took almost 3.5 hours. We did arrive at Domodedovo, which is well south of the city center (the cruise terminal is on the northwest side of Moscow). Sheremetyevo is on the same side of the city as the terminal, so wouldn’t think it would take nearly that long to get to the ship. It was also Friday, which we were told is by far the worst traffic day (all the other bus trips into the city centers only took less than an hour). When leaving in St. Petersburg, we had to leave at 3:30am to catch a 6:20am, so if you have an early flight, be prepared to get up very early. They did provide a continental breakfast that morning for the early transfers.

 

The ship: the ship was spotless and seemed well maintained. I personally wasn't crazy about the decor: too much white for me, but that's totally subjective. Our room was a Cat 4; at only 135 sq ft, it was on the smaller size, but was big enough since we were not in the room that much. It had plenty of storage and enough room under the bed for 2 suitcases. There were 2 North American electrical outlets (one in the bathroom for shavers), one UK, 1 Australian, and 4 European. There was also a safe, an alarm clock, and hair dryer in the room. We were also provided with a 1.5 liter bottle of water that was changed out as it was emptied (although we were skipped a few times).

 

Food: the food overall was very good. Some of the beef dishes were a little tough and the fish was slightly overcooked at times, but was always edible and seasoned well. The pork dishes were usually spot on. The desserts were never overly sweet and the ice cream was fantastic. The Baked Alaska, or I guess in this case Baked Siberia, was the best I've ever tasted. Generally you had the choice of 2 appetizers, a soup, the choice of 3 entrees (meat, fish, & vegetarian), and a choice of 2 desserts. Portion sizes were on the smaller size, but was always enough and presented nicely. Breakfast was generally the same every morning. There was always scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage (although more along the lines of a hot dog wiener). Fried eggs were generally rotated with various types of omelets and there was usually some type of potatoes available. Lunch was served buffet style with usually a meat and fish dish offered, with various vegetables and desserts.

 

Tours: this was our biggest concern since we're not overly fond of organized tours, but all of our guides were great. They all gave us free time after the tours to wander off and explore on our own which we loved. We did hear some grumblings about other guides, but we had no complaints with any of ours. For each tour, they did offer a slower paced group for anybody that wanted to join it. Before getting off the ship, you'd go the the reception desk and get your boarding pass, then hand it back in when you came back onboard. If you were going on a tour, you picked up your boarding pass and group number. As you can imagine, there is a great deal of walking and the Moscow and St. Petersburg portions of the cruise are rather intensive. A word of warning, the itineraries for Moscow and St. Petersburg were switched around completely from what the Cruise Companion stated they would be, so if you're considering hiring a private guide for the leisure time, be aware that the itinerary could be altered. Our day of leisure in Moscow was supposed to be on Monday according to the Cruise Companion, but was switched to Sunday.

 

Activities: while sailing between Moscow and St. Petersburg, a few activities were offered such as lectures, shopping tips, language lessons, blini demonstration and tasting, and vodka tasting. There was also nightly music and dancing in the Chagall Lounge, as well as a guest talent show. Unfortunately, we only made it to the blini tasting; we were content relaxing on deck watching the beautiful scenery pass by.

 

Staff & crew: everyone aboard was great. Although most could only speak basic English related to their specific job duties, they were always friendly and tried very hard to please. This being the first sailing of the season you could see that they were still a little unorganized and timid, especially the dining staff, but we saw improvement each day and it was great to see them become more comfortable with us and start to engage us in conversation. Lena, the cruise director was absolutely great. She learned our names on the first day and was always quick to help with advice on how to spend our leisure time. Unlike previous tour managers we've had, she encouraged exploring on your own, which we liked.

 

There were a few nitpicking issues. The wifi was spotty and very slow, and didn't work at all in Moscow. It did improve as the cruise went on, but overall wasn't very reliable. Sometimes, the dinners were 2 to 2.5 hours, with lags of 30 minutes or more between courses, but that too improved as the cruise went on. Also, while docked in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it seemed they turned the air off at night. It was freezing cold during the day, and burning hot in the early morning hours. I had sinus issues right before leaving Moscow and felt a couple times like I was running fever, so I thought maybe it was just me imagining it, but after talking to other people on the last day of the cruise, I discovered I wasn't the only one who thought that. There was a thermostat in the room but I think it was mostly for show. Lol.

 

Again, all of the issues were minor and didn't detract from the overall experience. For me personally, this was an incredible experience. I'm in my late 30's and remember growing up listening to all the "saber rattling" between the US and the Soviet Union, worrying about nuclear war, and watching clips on the news of the military parades in Red Square, and to actually get to walk in Red Square, it was just an amazing experience, one I'll never forget.

 

If you're considering going to Russia, whether on a river cruise or land tour, my advice is "GO." For us, it was an almost perfect trip. We had great weather, great tour guides, and a perfect mix of fast paced touring in Moscow and St. Petersburg with the slower relaxing pace of the river cruise between the two. We also liked the fact there was plenty of leisure time. Uniworld has created a nice mix of guided tours with leisure time. We basically had a full day and an afternoon of free time in Moscow and each afternoon in St. Petersburg was free to join an optional tour, explore on your own, or relax on the boat.

 

Some tips for those of you going: bring mosquito repellant - they were bad a couple of nights transiting the locks and in Uglich. The toilet paper on the Victoria made sandpaper feel soft, so may want to bring some from home. Bring a European adapter for the electrical outlets. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, and body lotion were all provided. Don't be afraid to use the metro and explore on your own - its a 10-15 minute walk in both cities and getting around is easy. Do not miss the Amber Room at Catherine’s Palace - indescribable. And again, if you're considering Russia, "GO."

 

I'll be happy to answer any questions so feel free to ask. Also, I will try to post pictures somewhere, and I will be happy to share a link for that too once I get around to doing it. Hope this helps.

 

Tim

[pixiegirl-loves-travel]

Great review, Tim!

 

I'd love to see pictures. Is there any way I can friend you on FB to see them?

 

Lisa

[Rxgrad98]

Sure Lisa. You should be able to find me using my email address: tdmck573 at gmail dot com. I only posted about 50 pics, so it's basically just the highlights. I'm going to try to post more on my Flickr account. I'll share that link when I do.

 

Tim

[pixiegirl-loves-travel]

I'm looking excitedly at your pictures right now, Tim! Amazing! Thanks for sharing! You have been to so many wonderful places. I aspire to get to many of those myself. Ok~ back to your Russia pics. Just had to voice my excitement, lol! Everybody here thinks we're nuts. You folks are the only ones who understand! ;)

[Rxgrad98]

Hi Lisa, glad you like the pictures. I've put more on Flickr, more than I put on Facebook. Anybody else is welcome to look as well.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tdcrphotos/collections/72157630009961254/

 

Tim

[Heatherpmk]

Wow! Amazing pictures Tim. Thanks for posting. It'll be hard to wait a more than a year to see all this...

Heather

[Island Cruiser]

Tim, your review and pictures are most encouraging. Last year there was a lengthy thread on Russian riverboat cruising that painted a very bleak picture of the quality of Russian riverboat ships. Several of our personal friends had a very weak experience on the AMA riverboat. Your Uniworld experience appears to be in a class by itself and your excellent pictures support that impression. I was impressed and encouraged by your excellent photos of menus and food presentation. Thanks very much. Pat

[pixiegirl-loves-travel]

Tim, your pictures on Flickr are fabulous! My hubby and I had a blast looking at the menu pictures and food presentation pictures. It looks very similar to what the menu is for the ms. Russ (only it's a budget cruise so we get paper plates, lol!)

 

Just kidding!

 

Your ship was beautiful, although Tom (DH) said he'd have to wear sunglasses alot with all of that white and the bright contrasting colors, lol. I thought it was gorgeous, but I'm loud and a bit colorful myself. I can't wait to show my daughter the pictures when she gets home. We're both getting very excited as it gets closer.

 

Did you do much onboard the ship- as far as the classes or presentations or anything like that?

 

I have some other travel questions, but since they're not related to Russia, I'll PM you thru FB later, ok?

 

Lisa

[Rxgrad98]

Thanks Heather. I understand. We booked in March 2011 and seemed like we'd never get to the cruise. Then, of course, the cruise went by SO fast! That's typical though!! The wait was worth it though, and hopefully will be the same for you.

 

Pat, I followed the reviews on the Katarina last year. Seemed everybody went on it and the comments were not very encouraging. We became a little concerned that maybe choosing a river cruise was not the best way to see Russia. Thankfully, there were a few posts on the Victoria and they were mostly positive, so that helped ease our worries. Now in hindsight, I'm happy we stuck with our original decision as it turned out to be one of the best vacations we've ever taken. Hopefully AMA listened to last year's customers and addressed the issues.

 

Lisa, I'm with your husband. I didn't really care for all the white. Had a "sterile" feel to it. The floor with red trim on it wasn't as bad, but our floor was trimmed in gray, as was the restaurant, and just wasn't my cup of tea. But, that's totally subjective. One lady on our cruise raved about the decor, so to each his own. I certainly wasn't going to let it take away from my experience and it wasn't THAT bad. Sure, feel free to message me on FB. Travel is one of my main passions in life and love trading stories.

 

Tim

[Coral]

Hopefully AMA listened to last year's customers and addressed the issues.

 

AMA has had problems for several years in Russia. Nothing has changed (except ships) over the years. Unless they shake up their structure and food issues, I doubt things will change.

 

I know for a fact there have been many complaints to AMA through out the years about their Russia product and they (as of last year) had not dealt with the issue as those last year had the same problems I experienced several years earlier. I seriously doubt they will change.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Coral

[shoshona2]

Hi Coral,

 

It should be interesting to read the first reviews of the 2012 AMA Katarina river cruises.

 

Sheila

[Rxgrad98]

It's really unfortunate that they haven't changed. Russia is such an wonderful place and it's sad that things that AMA could improve on take away from the overall experience. I really wonder how much control they have over their product in Russia. I know the Katarina is a Vodohod boat and the Victoria is a Mosturflot boat. Don't know if that is the difference for what.

 

We had a Uniworld representative on our sailing, in addition to the cruise manager and the hotel manager. The Uniworld rep stated during the "meet and greet" after boarding that Uniworld leased the entire boat and only Uniworld guests were aboard. Everyone wore Uniworld name badges, but now if they were truly Uniworld employees or Mosturflot employees, I don't know. There was a guy in the restaurant, who we assumed was the maitre'd, overseeing the operation and actively training some of the waitstaff, but he wasn't the one who was listed as the Restaurant Manager, so not sure if he was a permanent crew member or just there for a few sailings to address any issues that may arise. It was reassuring though to see them on board. It gave us the impression that Uniworld was committed to providing the best possible cruise to their guests.

 

I agree with Sheila, it will be interesting to read the reviews for this year's sailings on the Katarina.

 

Tim

[Coral]

It's really unfortunate that they haven't changed. Russia is such an wonderful place and it's sad that things that AMA could improve on take away from the overall experience. I really wonder how much control they have over their product in Russia. I know the Katarina is a Vodohod boat and the Victoria is a Mosturflot boat. Don't know if that is the difference for what.

 

There were quite a few things that AMA had control over that they could have improved on IMO. Though, I had a better insight then most on the cruise having been to the country before. For example - they knew that Red Square would be closed on our second day in Moscow and choose that day to go to Red Square and to do a "metro tour" on the day that Red Square was open. Not only that, we were steps from Red Square on our Metro Tour (I knew this but others didn't from the view) - and they didn't tell anyone. Really - we could have done the Metro Tour the day Red Square was closed?

 

The corporate office (AMA) misleads people into the amount of time in Moscow. Both Sheila and I were mislead into how much time we had in Moscow. They listed a ton of optional tours in Moscow on their website but only a very small fraction were really offered.

 

Though - Vodohod had their own issues and it was pretty obvious which problems were related to which company on my trip.

 

I still think land is a better way to see Russia. The differences between what I saw on my land trip and my river cruise was huge!

 

----

 

Glad Uniworld treated you very well. They sound like a top notch company!

Edited June 5, 2012 by Coral

[shoshona2]

Hi Coral,

 

I've heard that AMA has NO control over their Russian, Asian or African river cruises. I only found that out after I wasted so much money on a Motel 6 experience for a Crystal cruise price. Apparently, they keep expanding their fleet and and keep picking out new partners to run some of the itineraries. APT is also a big partner of AMA and does a lot of selling in Australia and the United Kingdom. I guess I will never trust them again to tell the truth and are back to only river cruises on Tauck. At least their brochures and office staff tell the truth.

 

I am so very happy that people are coming back from their Russian river cruises pleased.

 

Sheila

[Coral]

Hi Coral,

 

I've heard that AMA has NO control over their Russian, Asian or African river cruises. I only found that out after I wasted so much money on a Motel 6 experience for a Crystal cruise price. Apparently, they keep expanding their fleet and and keep picking out new partners to run some of the itineraries. APT is also a big partner of AMA and does a lot of selling in Australia and the United Kingdom. I guess I will never trust them again to tell the truth and are back to only river cruises on Tauck. At least their brochures and office staff tell the truth.

 

Sheila

 

CD - Marina (sp?) was an AMA employee. I believe she had some control as she kept re-arranging things and appeared in control of daily activities. From food and service/cabin end - I think you are right. Vodohod controlled this.

 

IMO - AMA knows they are misleading people with their brochure information as they have received enough feedback and they are choosing to not update their brochures accordingly (years later).

[rubmar]

Tim, i read in your report you are 30. We hear ony older people go, i am delighted that there are younger people on the ship. my husband and i(bioth over 65, but in great shape) are glad that you did not find it boring. i was afraid of that. you are recommending that we book extra trips. it appears that there is lots of +++++$$$$. that is to be expected.\We are staying in a compact small room like you.hopefully as you say there is room to put everything away. you have definetely given me a good picture of the trip. i was really concerned that i had made a mistake to pick this ship and company but you have been helpful and i am a little more optimistic. we are coming the day before to St. P. stay in one of those glorious hotels to rest from our long flight and then we will get a ride the next day to the port. how do you find out the address of the port. how early did the tours start everymorning. Question; if it is cold or raining is there an area for those who do not have balconies to sit on the boat to see the view. Laundry facilitites: did you use it?

[Rxgrad98]

Hi rubmar. While the cabin was small, we had enough space for all our stuff. And we weren't in the cabin that much. While sailing, a couple days were a little chilly and windy, so we sat in the Katarina Bar at the front of the ship to watch the scenery. There's also the Chagall lounge on the top deck, but that's where they also hold their lectures and all. So you shouldn't have a problem finding a place to relax if it's too cool or raining outside.

 

Contact Uniworld about the address for the river port. There's two river terminals in St. Petersburg, very close together, but on opposite sides of the river. The address they gave us on our daily program is: Oktyabrskaya Naberezhnaya 29A, Solyanoy Pier. I'm not sure if that's where they always dock, so I would contact Uniworld or your travel agent to verify that, plus they can probably translate it into the Cyrillic alphabet for you, which you'll probably need for a taxi driver.

 

I would say the optional tours are similar to what you'd get on an ocean cruise. Yes, in all honestly, they are overpriced. I was a little disappointed in the Peter & Paul fortress tour. I would have liked more time at Peterhof, but I would highly recommend that optional tour. If you're going a day early, you might check into going on your own, if you're adventurous. All we saw were the gardens, and I would have loved to have seen the inside of the palace. The tours would start fairly early, especially in St. Petersburg, around 7:45am. In Moscow, the Kremlin tour started at 7:45am, but the city tour started at 9am. On the river, it just depended on what time you arrived.

 

We didn't use the laundry service. I did look at the price sheet and it was basically $5-7 per article of clothing.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Tim

[rubmar]

Wow! Amazing pictures Tim. Thanks for posting. It'll be hard to wait a more than a year to see all this...

Heather

when are you going, are you going in September.

can someone going setpember 3rd, start writing. i have to say i found the visa experience terrible and long. all the details that they want. my husband was ready to cancel the trip. we have travelled a great deal and writing all the places and the date we went was too much for him.

anyway. we are not cancelling we are going to russia.:(

[Baybear]

Reading about your trip is getting us all excited about our Uniworld cruise on the Danube coming up on one month.

 

Since you were on Uniworld, I have a money-related question...

 

Do they allow you to charge the tips for the Ship's personnel due at the end of the cruise on a credit card? Or do you have to pay cash? I would this is uniform throughout Uniworld's ships wherever they travel.

 

TIA

[Rxgrad98]

Hi Baybear,

 

We could not charge them to our on-board account. I'm not sure if this was just a "Russia thing," or that applies to all Uniworld vessels. This was our first river cruise, so I haven't read up on what their policies are on their European sailings. It would have been much more convenient to be able to charge them to the account, or even prepay. I just set aside the money before we ever left home so I would be sure to have it at the end of the cruise - it adds up!!

 

Hope you have a great cruise!!!

 

Tim

[Barrheadlass]

Tips must be done in cash. When we were on the River Queen in Sept. 10 we used our leftover euros and U.S. cash combined.

[Baybear]

Tips must be done in cash. When we were on the River Queen in Sept. 10 we used our leftover euros and U.S. cash combined.

 

Here's what Uniworld has in their "Enchanting Danube" PDF file (underline is mine). Maybe only the Russia trips require cash???:

 

Gratuities Onboard: It is our goal to ensure that the service you receive is as wonderful as the sites you visit. Gratuities are customary expressions of appreciation for a job well done. The amount of the gratuity you choose to give is entirely subject to your satisfaction with your travel experience. To assist you in determining the amount of your gratuities, we recommend the following as a guideline:

• Ship staff and crew: €10 per guest, per day, to be shared among all staff and crew

• Cruise Manager: €3 per guest, per day

• Local host or hostess for included or optional extensions: €3 per guest, per day

• Local guides: from €1 per guest for a half-day tour to €1 to €2 per guest for a full-day tour

• Drivers: €1 per guest, per day

The above is solely a guideline. The amount you give should depend upon your personal experience and level of satisfaction. Gratuities can be billed to onboard accounts and paid with a credit card or cash (cash is accepted in Euro or USD only), so please ensure that you have enough cash on hand for this expense if paying by cash. Please note that personal checks cannot be accepted.

[franski]

Hi -

 

Being able to pay gratuities with a credit card is a new thing for Uniworld. I think they heard all of the grumbling... All of the other companies would let you pay by card.

 

With so many people having points or rewards cards, it only makes sense that they would want to use them as much as possible.

 

Russia is still cash only. But, then again, the boat is Russian-owned.

 

Fran

[Baybear]

Hi -

 

Russia is still cash only. But, then again, the boat is Russian-owned.

 

Fran

 

Ah... That explains it! Thanks very much. Now I don't have to withdraw a ton of Tip Money while on the cruise!

[id4elizabeth]

I posted this on the ROLL CALL boards, but thought some may not read that one...

 

Sorry it's taken me a while to post upon our return on Jun 15th, but the last few days of the cruise I caught the inevitable cold that was going around the ship, and am just now feeling like a human being.

As many of you know, Fran, Else and I (and spouses) were on the same River Victoria cruise from May 30 to June 11. Fran and I finally met each other about half way through the cruise.

I agree with her totally about the mobility issue in Russia - it's not very friendly to those with those kinds of issues, although I was constantly amazed by those on our ship who were mobility challenged that did manage to keep up. There are however, endless stairs and cobbled streets. The walking was fairly level, but staircases a plenty.

We had room 427 on the Victoria, and it was a delight. It's a Junior Suite and had plenty of room. There was ample room for both of us to move around the cabin at the same time without getting in each others way. From looking at some of the other cabins, I wouldn't say the same thing, but the Junior Suite was spacious. If you are booking either of the Junior Suites, do be aware that the showers in both cabins leak out from the bottom. Uniworld is aware of the problem, but it's a design flaw that has the lip of the shower on the floor in the wrong position and will require a complete redo of the shower area, so this is unlikely to be fixed before next year. It's not a big problem, just ask for extra towels to mop up after each shower. I would book this room again, even with this slight flaw.

I also agree with Fran's assessment that the food exceeded our expectations. I would rate the food as good (not great) in general, with some meals being fantastic. The fish was always good, and the beef slendom was. When beef was on offer, I took the fish and was not disappointed. The pork was always good, but the chicken tended to be a little on the dry side. The breads were good, and the croissants in the morning were fabulous! The bread pudding Fran mentioned was some of the best I've ever had, and I consider myself to be a bread pudding expert.

Service was very freindly and attentive, although the dinner meal tended to take longer than it probably should have, but we enjoyed meeting others on the cruise, and there's nothing else to do. The typical dinner took well over an hour.

We loved our cruise director, Elena! She went out of her way to make sure everyone was as satified as they could be. This is a tough job though, as some people want the tours to go fsster and take in more sights, and others want them to go slower. And of course, as you've no doubt already read, the traffic in St Petersburg and Moscow is a nightmare, so folks were a bit grumpy about the time spent on busses. But Elena was gracious and very well informed about everything and made it all enjoyable. The hotel manager, Alexander, is very young (25), energetic, and responsive.

Internet was horrible. We had brought our own mini-laptop, and could only get connected one or two times, even in St Pete and Moscow. Totally pitiful! Free, but pitiful.

I'll post later about the excursions, but someone asked what to do with a half day in Moscow. I would suggest going INSIDE St Basil's cathedral on Red Square. I know, you will see plenty of churchs on this trip, but St Basil's was complletely different from the inside of any other church we saw. Most cruise tours do not take you inside this church, and it was one of the best things we did and I'm so glad we did it on our own and didn't miss it.

Overall, this was a fabulous trip! Hope you all enjoy yours as much as we did ours.

Later.