If you are looking for new experiences, Russian river cruises are right for you.

FAQ

Traveling to Russia or the Ukraine and taking a river cruise in particular can raise many questions. Below is a list of the most frequent questions that we are asked about our Russian cruises. If you need additional information or do not find the answer that you need, please feel free to contact us.

Visas

Payment

Transfers

Cruises

How to find us

Q.: What documents are required to receive a Russian visa?
A.:Usually the required documents are: your original passport, 1-2 photos, 1-2 Russian visa application forms, an HIV test for a business visa (tourist visa applications do not require this) and of course, a visa invitation letter (tourist voucher) – this is the document that we can supply you with. However, to be 100% sure of what documents are necessary at specific Consulates, we suggest that you contact the Consulate in your country directly. You can find a list of the Consulates with their contact details on the site www.russianconsulate.org.

Q.: How do I get a Russian visa?
A.: After you’ve booked a cruise and supplied us with the travelers’ passport information we will send you a visa invitation letter (sometimes called a tourist voucher) during 1-2 working days. This is the main document that you need to apply for a Russian visa. We usually send scanned versions of the invitations by email or by fax. Sometimes, Consulates in certain countries require the original invitation. In this case, we can mail you the original document by Federal Express or by West Post (postage is an extra charge). You will also need to fill in an application form; you can download it and learn more about the process of applying from http://www.mid.ru/zu_r.nsf/strawebeng. After getting all the documents gathered you can either mail in the forms or visit the Consulate in person.

Q.: How can I get Ukrainian visa?
A.: US citizens and citizens of the EU and most other European countries currently do not require Ukrainian visas. If the citizens of your country are required to have a Ukrainian visa booking a cruise with our company you will get a stamped and signed visa invitation letter, which should be presented to the Ukrainian Embassy in your country or the Ukrainian Consulate in your city. To issue a visa invitation letter we need the following information: your family name and your name, your date of birth and the number of your travelling document (passport).

Q.: I am a citizen of another country, currently living in the USA. Can I apply for the Russian visa at the Russian Consulate located in the USA?
A.: You can apply for a Russian Visa in any country in which a Russian Consulate is located and which is either the country of your citizenship or the country where you have a residence permit. Please don’t forget to check the specific visa requirements at the Consulate in the country where you will be applying (sometimes they require the original visa invitation rather than accepting a fax or scanned copy).

Q.: Do I have to register my visa when in Russia?
A.: All foreigners staying in Russia for more than 3 working days, must have their Russian visas registered for the entire period of their stay. You must register on the day of your arrival or you may be required to pay fines or may experience trouble when leaving the country. If you’re taking a cruise from the very first day of your stay your visa will be registered on the ship.

Q.: Do you offer travel insurance?
A.: We do not offer travel insurance. Travel insurance should be provided by an insurance company located in your country. Usually there is a list of recommended insurance companies on the Russian Consulates' websites. You can find a list of Russian Consulates and their contacts on the site http://www.mid.ru/zu_r.nsf/strawebeng.

Q.: How will we go about booking? Can we do it by e-mail or should we do it by phone?
A.: To make a guaranteed booking for you we need the travelers’ passport details sent to us by fax or e-mail and a prepayment made by one of the means (credit card or bank transfer). To learn more about the payment policy please see your cruise description.

Q.: How can I order and pay for the trip? I would like to use my credit card over your secure web server.
A.: Your manager will give you a link to the on-line bill. By filling in the required data you’ll be transferred to the secure payment section of our web-site.

Q.: I would like to use your services but at the moment I can’t pay with my credit card. Can I use someone else’s credit card?
A.: For security reasons we prefer that people pay for our services with their own credit cards. However, it is possible to have someone else pay for you if this person fills in, signs and sends us a credit card payment authorization document (please, ask our managers to send you this authorization form) along with a copy of the 2 sides of the credit card and the cardholder’s passport copy.

Q.: I want to pay by bank transfer. Please advise the best way.
A.: If you’d like to pay by bank transfer please contact us and we will send you an invoice with our bank details. All bank transfers should be made at least 21 days before latest payment date announced by the manager.

Q.: Do you add additional fees for payments by credit cards?
A.: Because of specific taxes and banking costs, we charge an additional 5% service fee for credit card payments by American Express Cards.

Q.: Can I pay by credit card or by cash for the balance of your services when I arrive in Russia?
A.: The cruise trip must be fully prepaid. You can pay for some optional services (excursions, extra transportation or entertainment etc.) upon arrival but not for the cruise itself.

Q.: Where and by whom will I be met for my transfer?
A.: You will be met by a driver holding a sign with your name on it. If you arrive by plane, you will be met at the arrival hall of the airport. If you arrive by train you will be met near your carriage or at the head of the train if you have not indicated your carriage.

Q.: What are the transfer charges from the airport to the pier and back?
A.: Arrival and departure transfers (from the airport, train station, hotel and apartment and back) are already included in the price. Extra charges will apply only in case of extended waiting time:

Airport pickup: The driver will wait for free up to 1 hour. If the waiting time is more than 1 hour, 6 EURO will be charged for each additional half hour.
Train Station pickup: The driver will wait for free up to half an hour. If the waiting time is more than 1 hour, 6 EURO will be charged for each additional half hour.
Pick up from Apartment or Hotel: The driver will wait for free up to 15 minutes. If wait is more than 15 minutes, for each additional half hour, 6 EURO will be charged.

Q.: How long will the driver wait for me?
A.: The driver will wait up to 2 hours. If the client does appear within this time frame or does not for any other reasons use the ordered transfer services at the time specified in the order, the order will be considered fulfilled and no refund will be available.

Q.: Can we order extra excursions in addition to those listed in the program?
A.: Yes, it’s possible. To learn more please contact your manager as the options vary depending on the cruise.

Q.: Will we have an English-speaking guide throughout the cruise?
A.: You will have a local English-speaking guide in each city you'll be touring. Other languages are on request.

Q.: Can I take my cat/dog on the cruise?
A.: No, pets are not allowed on the cruise ships.

Q.: What excursions are included in the tour?
A.: Excursions vary depending on the tour chosen. There are walking tours in some cities and bus tours in the others. To learn more detailed information please study the description of the tour you’re interested in.

Q.: Can I book part of the cruise only (e.g. I’d like to disembark in Yaroslavl)?
A.: No, our cruises are non-dividable and provided as packages only.

Q.: What does “green stop” mean?
A.: “Green stop” is free time on the riverbank. At a green stop we offer active games, competitions and in many cases shashlyk (traditional Russian shish kabob) organized during each stop. You can also have a swim and in some places or order optional excursions.

Q.: Can you open portholes in cabins of the lower deck?
A.: It can be done, but only with the help of special tools and instruments. A guest cannot do it himself and should not even try. In some cases the water level can reach the porthole.

Q.: What kind of cuisine is on your cruises?
A.: Combined. Russian and International.

Q.: If I am allergic or have food restrictions, can I still travel on your ship?
A.: Yes. Our cooks can adjust the menu to your needs. All you need is to tell us beforehand of your restrictions and identify yourself in the restaurant. We recommend you to stick to the same table in the restaurant. It will help the waitress remember about your food restrictions.

Q.: Is there a special dress code on the ship?
A.: No. But you might want to dress up a little for the captain’s welcome cocktail and the captain’s farewell dinner. Also please keep in mind that during some excursions you will be taken to active churches and monasteries. To get inside men and women should not wear shorts, women also must have a kerchief or a scarf to cover their heads.

Q.: Are your ships equipped with facilities for disabled people and those on wheelchairs?
A.: Unfortunately, no. Besides, most museums in Russia are also unequipped to handle tours for handicapped people.

Q.: What is the size of the cabins on your ships?
A.: The size of the cabins varies, depending on the type of the ship, the cabin’s category and the deck where the cabin is located. Roughly, the standard double cabin will be about 9 square meters (4 m x 2.2 m). To learn more please see the description of your motorship on our web-site.

Q.: What is the DC current on your ships?
A.: 220v

Q.: Is there a currency exchange office on board?
A.: No, unfortunately, this is now prohibited by Russian legislation. You can exchange money during the city tours in the larger cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Kostroma).

Q.: Where are your offices situated?
A.: Our company is based in Russia. The main office is located in St. Petersburg and we have a representative office in Moscow.

Main office in St. Petersburg:
Muchnoi Per 2 – City Realty.
We are located right in the historical center of St. Petersburg. We are only a 5 minute walk from the Nevsky Prospect Metro Station. Exit the metro on Nevsky Prospect Canal Griboyedova. Cross Nevsky Prospect. Walk along Canal Griboyedova and make your fourth left onto Muchnoi Pereulok. We are located at the address 2 Muchnoi Pereulok on the left hand side of the street. The entrance is from the street. Please ask the security at reception for the City Realty offices. They know us as City Realty. Tel: +7 812 570 6342, +7 812 570 4709.
We are open Monday - Friday, from 10 am until 6 pm.

Q.: How far are the piers from the city centers?
A.: Both piers are outside the city center near the edges of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Here are the addresses:

St. Petersburg: Port name: Utkina Zavod’
Address: Orkyabrskaya naberezhnaya, 31
Nearest metro station: Proletarskaya (the metro is quite far from the port, for this reason there is a shuttle bus from the ship to the metro station).

Motorships:
Russ
Nizhny Novgorod
Nikolay Chernishevsky
Lev Tolstoy

Moscow: Port name: Severny Rechnoi Vokzal (Northern River Port)
Address: Moscow, Leningradskoye shosse, 57
Nearest metro station: Rechnoi Vokzal

Motorships:
Academic Glushkov
Anton Chekhov
Dmitri Furmanov
Fedor Dostoevsky
General Lavrinenkov
Ivan Bunin
Marshall Koshevoy
Maxim Litvinov
Mikhail Sholokhov
Novikov-Priboy
Peter Tchaikovskiy
Taras Shevchenko
Vladimir Mayakovsky

Moscow:
In English: Northern River Terminal, 51, Leningrad Highway.
In Russian: Ленинградское шоссе, 51, Северный речной вокзал.
St.Petersburg:
In English: River Terminal, 195, Obukhovskoy Oborony Prospect.
In Russian: проспект Обуховской обороны, 195, Речной вокзал.
Rostov-on-Don
In English: River Terminal, 10, Beregovaya St.
In Russian: ул. Береговая 10, Речной вокзал.

Our Russian cruises and tours do not include airfare. You arrange your own airfare and we meet you at the airport and handle everything else. You can easily book the discount tickets yourself through our own discount internet ticket office. The airline tickets we offer are the cheapest available on the web. Please browse our discount air tickets section to learn more.

A Russian river cruise is one of the most economical ways to see what Russia has to offer