Moscow to St. Petersburg - Questions!

[SabreSailor]

1)  When sailing from Moscow to St. Petersburg, is there a preferred side of the ship (for sightsseing or other)  for a balcony cabin?

 

2)  Is there any issue with water levels in May?

 

3)  On the UniWorld ship, are there any "Deluxe Balcony" cabins to be avoided for noise/vibration/etc.?

 

Thanks!

 

Ted

[jklc123]

We sailed this itinerary with Uniworld May 18 - 30, 2012, so it's been a while. I don't think there is a preferred side of the ship. We were on the starboard side with a balcony, which happened to be docked on the "port" side at most stops. In Moscow, we were docked next to a park, and it was interesting to watch Russian families enjoying the area. As we were preparing to sail from Moscow, a small brass band serenaded our departure; most pax missed this, especially those on the port side of the ship.

 

As far as which side while sailing, I don't think it makes a difference. Both sides are picturesque most of the time, often with long stretches of forest on both sides. You probably know there's a lot of daytime sailing due to the long distance that is covered, unlike on most river cruises. Several onboard activities were offered during sailing -- Russian history talks, blini making, vodka and caviar tasting, Russian language lessons come to mind. I left a paperback book in the ship's library, which is probably long gone; it described the sights along the way, so using that, I would go to the sun deck if the sights were not on our side of the ship. We did enjoy bundling up and sitting on a forward deck after dinner -- there is a long time of daylight at that time of year.

 

We had no issues with water levels. Kizhi Island, however, was iced in until about a week before we sailed.

 

We weren't aware of noises and vibrations, as I remember. Slept very well.

 

This was one of our favorite trips. As someone who grew up during the Cold War, walking in Red Square was something I didn't think I would ever do!

 

Please ask if you have other questions, although as I said, it has been sometime since we enjoyed this trip.

 

 

[Coral]

It doesn't matter which side.

 

I was on the sailing May 30th and had no issues with water.