Russian River Cruise August 2015

[Buck1949]

Hi Bill:

We took Celebrity Infinity from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale in April for our 50th and it was wonderful. Trip was two weeks but we did the full transit. You can do a partial transit for much less time. When looking at Panama Canal cruises if the ship leaves and returns to the same port it's a partial transit. If it leaves from one coast and returns to the other, it's a full transit. Dh is a civil engineer so he wouldn't consider anything less than full transit. It takes about 8 hours for the complete transit and cruise ships pay in advance so they rarely have to wait. Transit was done in full daylight and there was an expert on board who narrated the whole time . Our room had a balcony so we had the tv on in our stateroom to listen to him while we watched from the comfort of our balcony. In a phrase, we loved it. Weather in late April was spectacular. Warm and dry. We flew to San Diego a day ahead and stayed over-night in SD. We had been to SD before but if you haven't, then I would recommend a few days in SD it's a marvelous city with lots to see and do. Coming home we booked a mid-afternoon flight from FLL to NY since we got off the ship at 7 a.m.

I loved Celebrity and can't wait to cruise with them on Baltic Caps. It was the most relaxing vacation I ever had and I literally cried when we had to leave the ship!! I have pictures if you want to see them let me know. So to answer your anticipated question: if transit took 8 hours what did we do for rest of the two weeks! Ports were Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Nicargua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. Some were better than others and in one we never left the compound and heard gun shots from the balcony!! Just like home.:D

 

Wow.... that sounds like a great trip - except for the gunshots. :eek: We will probably not do this trip for a few years.....as we want to focus on Europe first then do some tours a little closer to the States. BUT.... I do like to see what others think of various places that we have thought about going.

 

We have been to San Diego a number of times...and I totally understand your saying that spending extra time there is a must. Actually we would most likely want to fly to Florida then take the cruise that ends back on the California coast since it would be much closer to Arizona. :) but there again, if the time of year dictates us going the same way you did...then we probably would adjust to that also.

 

Thanks for passing along the information.....

[id4elizabeth]

Bill - so glad you booked your cruise on the Uniworld River Victoria - you will have a wonderful and fascinating time! And you're going at a great time of year. One piece of advice - the Hermitage is either not air conditioned at all, or it doesn't work. It was very hot inside, and I've heard others on different cruises and times of year complain about the same thing. We went in early June, and the outside temps were in the high 50s / low 60s most of the time. But inside the Hermitage it was stifling. But very definitely worth it. A great museum!

 

I would also advise going a day or two early if you can swing it. This is a fast paced tour, particularly in St Pete and Moscow, so going a few days ahead will get you over the jet lag before you start a jammed packed adventure. We went 3 days ahead and were so glad we did. St Pete is actually pretty easy to navigate on your own, particularly downtown, as most of the signs are in Russian and English. And there are plenty of hotels, so if you get lost, just pop into one and ask the concierge - they all speak English. Moscow on the other hand is a bit more of a challenge.

 

Happy sailing!

[Buck1949]

Bill - so glad you booked your cruise on the Uniworld River Victoria - you will have a wonderful and fascinating time! And you're going at a great time of year. One piece of advice - the Hermitage is either not air conditioned at all, or it doesn't work. It was very hot inside, and I've heard others on different cruises and times of year complain about the same thing. We went in early June, and the outside temps were in the high 50s / low 60s most of the time. But inside the Hermitage it was stifling. But very definitely worth it. A great museum!

 

I would also advise going a day or two early if you can swing it. This is a fast paced tour, particularly in St Pete and Moscow, so going a few days ahead will get you over the jet lag before you start a jammed packed adventure. We went 3 days ahead and were so glad we did. St Pete is actually pretty easy to navigate on your own, particularly downtown, as most of the signs are in Russian and English. And there are plenty of hotels, so if you get lost, just pop into one and ask the concierge - they all speak English. Moscow on the other hand is a bit more of a challenge.

 

Happy sailing!

 

Thanks for the information. We did make St Petersburg for 2 days, during our Baltic Cruise in 2009.....but did not make the Hermitage while there. Definately want to include it this time around if we can. As I mentioned to someone else...we were very impressed with the Subway system and that was one of the highlights of our time in St. Petersburg.

 

We are in the 'can't wait mode' already.... should be fun !!!

 

Thanks again ..... and feel free to pass along any other information you think will be helpful. :)

[Hydrokitty]

Wow.... that sounds like a great trip - except for the gunshots. :eek: We will probably not do this trip for a few years.....as we want to focus on Europe first then do some tours a little closer to the States. BUT.... I do like to see what others think of various places that we have thought about going.

 

We have been to San Diego a number of times...and I totally understand your saying that spending extra time there is a must. Actually we would most likely want to fly to Florida then take the cruise that ends back on the California coast since it would be much closer to Arizona. :) but there again, if the time of year dictates us going the same way you did...then we probably would adjust to that also.

 

Thanks for passing along the information.....

 

You're more than welcome! Time of year doesn't dictate which way you travel. I had originally planned for us to sail from FLL and return from San diego but DH pointed out if would be better to fly to SD day before and home from FLL which would allow us to adjust to time changes gradually. Ship spends that time of year going back and forth so it's up to you to pick your direction and if I lived in AZ, I would start in Fla. and return to SD for the same reason we had.

[Buck1949]

Wow, sure hope this unrest in Russia does not continue for long. I think it is related mostly to the Olympics, but you never know how long this stuff lingers. I know that at least one couple that had seriously thought of this trip, has decided to hold off on booking the Russian cruise until they see what develops over there.

 

I wonder if there are others that are holding off also.

[Hydrokitty]

Wow, sure hope this unrest in Russia does not continue for long. I think it is related mostly to the Olympics, but you never know how long this stuff lingers. I know that at least one couple that had seriously thought of this trip, has decided to hold off on booking the Russian cruise until they see what develops over there.

 

I wonder if there are others that are holding off also.

 

I think I would be more than very nervous if I had tickets for the Olympic Games in Sochi! I don't think there's enough money in the world to make me go right now! I am concerned about two things: an attack not on the Olympics but on tourists in Moscow or St. Pete while all the attention is focused on Sochi and what if bombs were planted in the olympic sites during construction when nobody was particularly focused on anything other than building the venues on time. I think by Spring when Russian travel starts up again things will be no worse than they were last Spring, although I would give second thoughts to going to Kiev now, which is a shame because it was such a beautiful country and I loved every minute of being there.

[Buck1949]

I think I would be more than very nervous if I had tickets for the Olympic Games in Sochi! I don't think there's enough money in the world to make me go right now! I am concerned about two things: an attack not on the Olympics but on tourists in Moscow or St. Pete while all the attention is focused on Sochi and what if bombs were planted in the olympic sites during construction when nobody was particularly focused on anything other than building the venues on time. I think by Spring when Russian travel starts up again things will be no worse than they were last Spring, although I would give second thoughts to going to Kiev now, which is a shame because it was such a beautiful country and I loved every minute of being there.

 

It's a bummer for sure !!

 

Guess we will have to just wait and see what transpires.

[Buck1949]

Hydrokitty

After the photos we looked at...we briefly discussed taking a couple of days in Kiev.... but like you said, may not be the best to consider now.

 

Time will tell.

[Hydrokitty]

Hydrokitty

After the photos we looked at...we briefly discussed taking a couple of days in Kiev.... but like you said, may not be the best to consider now.

 

Time will tell.

 

Bill, if I were booking Russia now, I would probably not take Kiev extension either. Too many other options to risk getting caught up in troubling situation

[Buck1949]

Bill, if I were booking Russia now, I would probably not take Kiev extension either. Too many other options to risk getting caught up in troubling situation

 

I agree!!

[Hydrokitty]

I agree!!

 

FYI out of curiosity I googled for photos of where the demonstrations are taking place. When you look at my pictures from Kiev, there's one taken from our hotel room that shows the police headquarters, which is across from st. Michael's square......there are demonstrations there, so we could probably not get out of our hotel right now. Other photo showed Independence Square (Maidan square) which is where we spent a whole day shopping and wandering around, there's an arch like Arc de triomphe and a large tower with St. Michael on top in my pictures....and that's where the really bad stuff is happening. Such a shame.:(

[Buck1949]

:eek: A bit off Topic :eek:

 

My wife is contemplating taking our Granddaughter (just the 2 of them) to Paris France in August of this year as a High School Graduation gift. (something promised several years ago...and now time to 'pony up'.

 

She is trying to determine a couple of things.

 

1. a reasonably priced hotel in a decent area of the city.

 

2. whether she is better off signing up with a Tour company, and letting them plan/book everything for them... or whether she could pick/choose some things to do while there on her own.

 

She is planning on staying about 6 days or so.... with an extra day of air travel to get to Paris.

 

Obviously since this was kind of 'forgotten' promise of a few years ago.... she is trying to fulfill the obligation without breaking the bank.

 

Anyone have any experience, and/or any suggestions regarding Paris ????

[Hydrokitty]

Hey Bill, I think Paris is very doable on your own. However, I think you'll get a lot more useful info if you go to trip advisor (land version of cc) and visit a Paris board that's where you'll find out about hotels, restaurants, museum hours, underground, etc. There's so much to see and do in Paris and it's a wonderful city....your wife and granddaughter may not want to come home!!:D

[tidwood]

Been lurking and reading this and other postings by those that have done the Russian River cruises and think we're (as of this moment) glad we haven't booked the pre-crusie trip on Vantage's Aug. 5th, 2014 trip. I do have a question and probably more over time, but is there free WiFi on the Tolstoy and/or in the hotels? We did book the post-cruise Baltic extension.

[Buck1949]

Hey Bill, I think Paris is very doable on your own. However, I think you'll get a lot more useful info if you go to trip advisor (land version of cc) and visit a Paris board that's where you'll find out about hotels, restaurants, museum hours, underground, etc. There's so much to see and do in Paris and it's a wonderful city....your wife and granddaughter may not want to come home!!:D

 

Thanks for the info.

Oh she has been spending days on Trip Advisor....Doing the Paris part. The issue is that she is trying to figure in the cost factor for all parts of this trip. This was an almost forgotten offer and now she is wanting to fulfill the promise...but not break the bank (;) with us going to Russia...gotta save them there pennies where we can :D )

 

Most of the tour providers are looking at 7 day minimum escorted tours, and with air flight...that would be nearly a 9 day adventure. She does want to hit the highlights, but was not sure she wanted to stay beyond 4 or 5 days total.

 

We did get a few suggestions from another Cruise Critic sight I posted at...so she is taking in all ideas for sure !!!

[Buck1949]

Well Uniworld has posted their Russian Cruise fares for 2015...and as expected the rates have increased by about 5%. :eek:

 

The basic price for the August 7th 2015 category 6 cruise cabin is now $5499 instead of the 2014 rate of $5199. Also I noticed that the port charges have increased from $240pp to $276pp.

 

Glad my stuff is done... can't wait for 2015!!!! ;)

[Buck1949]

Ok, now that I have booked this cruise....... I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to which side of the ship they liked best? I am traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and before I choose my room I figured I should ask.

 

I know from previous experience that other ships may be docked right next to the ship...but was curious if anyone had any specific reasons to like one side over the other.

 

Thanks in advance

[Hydrokitty]

Ok, now that I have booked this cruise....... I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to which side of the ship they liked best? I am traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and before I choose my room I figured I should ask.

 

I know from previous experience that other ships may be docked right next to the ship...but was curious if anyone had any specific reasons to like one side over the other.

 

It doesn't matter Bill. Since you're on the river you have land and scenery on both sides. Depending on the time of year and crowds one thing you have to be aware of is pulling into port and finding three ships between you and land! They DO tie up together and the order depends usually on who's leaving first. If you're in the middle you won't see anything from your cabin and will have to be mindful of your "state of dress" when opening the drapes:D some people find this disconcerting but I've had some of the best experiences opening up the drapes and finding someone on the ship next to me has done the same! On one river cruise (I had a french balcony) I started talking to the people "next door" who were from London and before you know it we were passing tea and cookies back and forth (yeah, you are that close) and really enjoyed meeting each other since we were going in opposite directions.

[Buck1949]

Ok, now that I have booked this cruise....... I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to which side of the ship they liked best? I am traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and before I choose my room I figured I should ask.

 

I know from previous experience that other ships may be docked right next to the ship...but was curious if anyone had any specific reasons to like one side over the other.

 

It doesn't matter Bill. Since you're on the river you have land and scenery on both sides. Depending on the time of year and crowds one thing you have to be aware of is pulling into port and finding three ships between you and land! They DO tie up together and the order depends usually on who's leaving first. If you're in the middle you won't see anything from your cabin and will have to be mindful of your "state of dress" when opening the drapes:D some people find this disconcerting but I've had some of the best experiences opening up the drapes and finding someone on the ship next to me has done the same! On one river cruise (I had a french balcony) I started talking to the people "next door" who were from London and before you know it we were passing tea and cookies back and forth (yeah, you are that close) and really enjoyed meeting each other since we were going in opposite directions.

 

Whew !!! at first I thought you were going to comment on what kind of 'best' experience opening the drapes in a.........:eek::eek:. well a bit different than......... just chatting sort of way :p. I do know about docking next to each other....as we did that a couple of times on the Rhine. We never did chat with others but it is a different feeling when it occurs for the first time.

 

As I mentioned on the other post..... I figured it would not matter a bunch as to which side..... and may only be more of a concern on the large ocean going type ships. ( I kind of like to be able to see the port from my room on those )

 

We have finally booked and put down the deposit for the Russian cruise, and will begin doing more research after we come back this summer from the Rome cruise.

 

1/2 the fun is the planning and research.

[id4elizabeth]

Can't remember what time of year you were going but you may want to consider whether you want the sun shining in your cabin or not. We went in early June and definitely wanted the sun, so we got a room on the right side of the ship. If you're going in August, you might want the left side of the ship so that your cabin and balcony do not get the sun so much. From St Pete to Moscow, most of the time the sun will be on the right side of the ship. On this trip, you will actually have a bit of time sailing on Lake Lagoda during the day, and it's very pleasant to sit out on your balcony if the sun is in the right position for your time of year.

 

Regarding the rafting up of ships in port, twice when we were in Russia, our ship had moved it's position between when we had left the ship in the morning and when we returned from our excursion in the evening. One of these times, the ship had even moved from one dock to another. Since all of the ships tend to look alike, it can be a bit disconcerting to not find your boat in the same position you left it and a different boat in its place. Even our Uniworld guide was a bit shocked not to find it at the same dock!

[Buck1949]

Can't remember what time of year you were going but you may want to consider whether you want the sun shining in your cabin or not. We went in early June and definitely wanted the sun, so we got a room on the right side of the ship. If you're going in August, you might want the left side of the ship so that your cabin and balcony do not get the sun so much. From St Pete to Moscow, most of the time the sun will be on the right side of the ship. On this trip, you will actually have a bit of time sailing on Lake Lagoda during the day, and it's very pleasant to sit out on your balcony if the sun is in the right position for your time of year.

 

Regarding the rafting up of ships in port, twice when we were in Russia, our ship had moved it's position between when we had left the ship in the morning and when we returned from our excursion in the evening. One of these times, the ship had even moved from one dock to another. Since all of the ships tend to look alike, it can be a bit disconcerting to not find your boat in the same position you left it and a different boat in its place. Even our Uniworld guide was a bit shocked not to find it at the same dock!

 

Boy, I bet it would be strange to come back and not 'find' your ship where you left it....especially if you had been out on your own.

 

So just to understand what you are saying...... you think in August (actually the 10th is when we start sailing) - going from St. Petersburg to Moscow that it may be better to have the left (port) side of the ship? I noted that the "normal" weather for August is historically in the mid 60's for both Places. Seems like having the Sun may be a bit more enjoyable??

[Buck1949]

Now that we have our August 7th 2015 Russian River cruise booked with Uniworld, I was curious if anyone had information about the rooms. We have been assigned Room 215 which is on the main Moskva Deck.

 

I noted that the internet and library area are listed as being in the center right near our room. Does this help with internet connection, or do you have to go into the internet room in order to get wi-fi connection?

 

Any other thoughts about the location of the room overall? I realize that the size (135 sq feet) is rather small....but I feel we can manage since we will not be 'living' in the room much. Looks like there is an elevator near by...which should be helpful since I have knee issues.

 

Thanks for any insight.

[id4elizabeth]

Definitely cool for St Pete and Lake Lagoda and particularly up to Kishi. I had heard from others that Moscow can be really hot in August, but then you'll be at the dock with no idea which way the ship will be pointing until you actually dock. Because the balcony (if you have a balcony?) is so large, it actually keeps the sun from getting the room too hot anyway. But I just looked up room 215 and it doesn't look like you have a balcony. There are black-out drapes in the rooms so if you think the sun is going to make a difference to you, just leave them closed and the room should be fine. Your location looks good. The library doesn't get used often, and when it does, the folks going in there are very quiet. The only "downside" that I can see, and it's very minor, is that when folks come back from excursions, they usually (although not always) get on-board on this level and you'll possibly hear them coming down the hall. But you'll be coming in as well, so I don't think this is a big deal. We were in room 402 and we got a lot of noise from the Chagall Lounge in the evenings which was a little annoying, but you should not get any noise at all in this location in the evenings. Good pick!

[Buck1949]

Definitely cool for St Pete and Lake Lagoda and particularly up to Kishi. I had heard from others that Moscow can be really hot in August, but then you'll be at the dock with no idea which way the ship will be pointing until you actually dock. Because the balcony (if you have a balcony?) is so large, it actually keeps the sun from getting the room too hot anyway. But I just looked up room 215 and it doesn't look like you have a balcony. There are black-out drapes in the rooms so if you think the sun is going to make a difference to you, just leave them closed and the room should be fine. Your location looks good. The library doesn't get used often, and when it does, the folks going in there are very quiet. The only "downside" that I can see, and it's very minor, is that when folks come back from excursions, they usually (although not always) get on-board on this level and you'll possibly hear them coming down the hall. But you'll be coming in as well, so I don't think this is a big deal. We were in room 402 and we got a lot of noise from the Chagall Lounge in the evenings which was a little annoying, but you should not get any noise at all in this location in the evenings. Good pick!

 

Thanks......... I did not really get a chance to pick the room.... although I am pretty sure I could ask for a change at this early stage. I was actually thinking that 217 or 219 might be a bit nicer/closer to internet.... or even 214 or 216, thus the reason for my question.

 

...... and you are right... we do not have a balcony. We considered it, but with the fact that we rarely used our French balcony (window ) on the Rhine trip...we figured that a nice window would be sufficient here also. It should be interesting as the 'average' weather the last few years appear to show the area with mid 60's averages. Let's hope it does not get too warm. Heck I am getting out of Phoenix to enjoy some cooler temps !!! :eek:

 

I really appreciate all your thoughts.... they are very very helpful !!!! :)

[id4elizabeth]

Forgot to mention the wi-fi. We got it to work while we were in St Pete and Moscow and Yaroslaval from our room 402, but couldn't get internet the rest of the time while we were cruising or in the small ports. The room location didn't seem to make a difference. While we were cruising, people in the internet room near your cabin couldn't get a signal then either.

 

We really enjoyed our balcony, but you can very easily go up onto the upper deck to see the scenery whenever you want.