Customer Testimonials

The Russian Cruise Company is owned by Express to Russia, Trans-Europe Express LLC and is a member of ASTA (the American Society of Travel Agents). Offering excellent customer service is extremely important to us. We promise to give our all to make your time in Russia a wonderful experience. We want to leave you with great impressions of your trip. Below are some things our past clients have said about our services. We also have past customers who are willing to talk about their experiences with our company. If you would like these references, please contact us and we will put you in touch.


Barbara and Louis, USA

Louis and I want you to know that our vacation was just great. The Rostropovich was very nice boat. All the crew were pleasant and helpful, including our guide Antonne. The food was very good. All the transfers worked out perfectly. We certainly would recommend your company.

Barbara and Louis, USA (August, 2018)
Stephen, UK

We have just returned home to the UK after our visit to Russia and the cruise on the MS Rostropovich. We had a superb time. The quality of the ship was superb and the service provided by all the staff was very friendly and professional. A very good introduction to Russia on our first visit to your country. I am emailing to thank you personally for the very efficient service provided by Express to Russia. From the initial enquiry, through the provision of additional information, to the conclusion of the booking you have always responded very promptly to my emails. This made the whole process much easier than it might otherwise have been and I would most certainly recommend your services to others. Thank-you and best wishes for the future.

Stephen, UK (August, 2018)
Hugo , Ilona , Marie-Pierre and Jean-Marie, South Africa

We had the most wonderful cruise and really enjoyed Russia. The crew on board were fantastic, food was great and we had a professor on board discussing current affairs, amazing. Tours were amazing and informative. Transfers were on time, so all in all, thank you for arranging such an experience, much appreciated.

Hugo , Ilona , Marie-Pierre and Jean-Marie, South Africa (July, 2018)
Gordana, Serbia

Two days ago we have returned from our journey in Russia. It was absolutely a wonderful experience! We had enjoyed every minute of our trip. Beautiful country with so much to offer! Many thanks for the great assistance that you have provided to us with the booking of the cruise!

Gordana, Serbia (July, 2018)
Mike & Irma, South Africa

I want to provide to you some feedback about the boat trip which we undertook from 12 till 19 May 2018. 1. The transfers from the airport to the boat was fantastic. Your driver went out of his way to assist us till into the reception area of the correct boat. He was on time at the airport also. He was very friendly also. 2. The cruise: this was a memorable experience for us. We got much more than we expected. The Russian history lessons; the Russian language lessons; the Vodka tasting lecture – these were very informative 3. The crew on the ship went out of their way to make us comfortable and relaxed. They were always available and very friendly 4. The local tours and the guides were very well planned and executed. The Guides are so passionate about their tasks and made one feel ashamed of the way we were told by our government in the communism era how bad Russia was. 5. The transfer from the ship to the airport in Moscow was great. The driver was there on time and drove safely to the airport with us. Very friendly also. I will definitely recommend the tour and your company to all who ask me about the visit to Russia. Perhaps I will come visit Russia again in the future and spend more time in Moscow also. Thank you once again for assisting with arranging a most memorable vacation!

Mike & Irma, South Africa (May, 2018)
Olive, Australia

I enjoyed my holiday in Russia very much and I found your company to be extremely helpful and courteous, it was a joy to correspond with you, thank you for making my holiday plans easier.

Olive, Australia (September, 2017)
Svetislav, Slovenia

Staff of Express to Russia and especially ms, Galina are exceptional competent ladies: very communicative and prompt with answers; booking, invitation letters, transfer from the airport to pear and in Saint Petersburg to hotel (we extended staying there for five days on our own) etc. went smooth. Pleasure to do business with ms. Galina and Express to Russia!

Svetislav, Slovenia (August, 2017)
Helga and Al, USA

We are back from our beautiful, Russian Cruise Excursion. My wife Helga and I want to thank you for helping me/us to arrange this wonderful trip. The specific reason for this trip was to take once more an adventure trip of this kind as a gift to our self on our 50th wedding anniversary. The anniversary was on the 10th while we were in St. Petersburg were we celebrated at the Astoria hotel with a ballet in the evening at the Mariinsky Theater in Tsar Nicolas Box. Upon our arrival on ship, and thanks to you I felt like a Russian finding the bottle champagne in our cabin and enjoying it. I made a toast to you and want to express my sincere thanks. My wife and I would have liked to have met you while in St. Petersburg. I now would like to say, that we experienced some of the Russian Soul and would wish that the rest of the world would have such love for their country.

Helga and Al, USA (June, 2017)
Jennifer, Australia

It was a long held dream of mine to visit your beautiful country. Cruising between St Petersburg and Moscow was beyond my expectations , so far my best travel experience Thanks to Express to Russia for all their assistance in organising my trip

Jennifer, Australia (May, 2017)
Brian Asmus, USA

I LOVED THE CRUISE!!!!! It was amazing and I had the best time. The food/service/cabin were all great and the price was FANTASTIC!!!!! I have mentioned this to my sister and her husband and they are considering going next year. LOVED it. I don't have ONE complaint :). THANKS for an amazing experience.

Brian Asmus, USA (October, 2016)
Graham, South Africa

We have just arrive back in South Africa after a week in the UK. We enjoyed our holiday in Russia very much. The boat trip was fantastic and certainly lived up to our expectations. Thank you to you and your team, especially Galina who assisted us with the bookings and in obtaining visas. I must say that the advertised programme was very accurate, unlike the programme that was sent to passengers on the boat who booked through other travel companies. Also the advice given to us on optional tours was useful and enabled us to visit all of the places we wished to see. Your team was very helpful and efficient and we had a wonderful time. Many thanks and kind regards

Graham, South Africa (August, 2016)
Kerry and Jean, New Zealand

Just a note to say thank you for the fantastic river cruise in August from Moscow to St Petersburg. We had an amazing time - enjoyed every minute of our trip. Loved your country, and are coming back to St Petersburg in early May on a cruise. Thanks for organizing everything so well. We had no problems what so ever. We have told all our friends they must to go to Russia! Thanks so much again.

Kerry and Jean, New Zealand (October, 2014)
Heather and Carl, Australia

We had the most wonderful trip. We never realized that Russia was such a beautiful country and so steeped in history. The crew members could not do enough to help us, always with a cheerful smile. We learnt some Russian dancing, and completed the Russian language course. There were only 12 English speaking passengers and our tour guide was a young lady called Anastasia, we all fell in love with her.

Heather and Carl, Australia (September, 2014)
Lesley Chalmers, New Zealand

I want to thoroughly recommend the services of Express to Russia. We booked an 8 day cruise on the MS Leo Tolstoy with Galina and she was simply wonderful to deal with - nothing was a problem and she was so prompt in answering my stupid questions! And the cruise was absolutely fabulous and represents really good value for money.

Lesley Chalmers, New Zealand (July, 2014)
Angela Daly, USA

I would like to thank you all, especially Asya, for setting up our cruise Moscow-St. Pete cruise at the end of May! We loved Russia, and the cruise was first-class! We plan to return again in the future. I wish more people from the USA would visit Russia to see how our two nations are more alike than different!

Angela Daly, USA (May, 2014)
Peggy & Bill, Canada

We would like to thank you very much for making the arrangements for our river cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow in Sept-Oct. We were very pleased with every aspect of the cruise. The accommodation and the meals were excellent, the staff very knowledgeable & courteous, the quality of the tours was excellent. We found the lectures on the boat very interesting & everything possible was done to make sure the tourists had a wonderful experience. Thank you, too, for arranging the hotel for us the night before the cruise. It was in a great location & very comfortable. All aspects of the trip were wonderful & it was great value for money spent. Our sincere thanks.

Peggy & Bill, Canada (December, 2013)
Margaret and Dennis, Canada

Express to Russia was a great help in booking our river cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg. We just knew those two cities would show us a good time and we were hoping to find other Russian hidden treasures during the cruise. We weren't disappointed. I've included our picture from Kizhi to show you an example of the old, wooden architecture.

Margaret and Dennis, Canada (October, 2013)
Luellen, USA

Vada and I returned from Russia on Thursday with fond memories of our fabulous trip. Everything fell into place without a glitch. Thank you so much for your assistance and patience in answering our many questions and scheduling transfers, etc. Everyone was on time and very accommodating. We cannot thank you enough for your help!

Luellen, USA (September, 2013)
Vada, USA

Many thanks for the PERFECT trip to RUSSIA you arranged for me, Vada, and my traveling friend, Luellen! Every single transfer, reservation and cruise detail was handled professionally and as a result, our trip was a great success. I recommend Express to Russia for anyone planning a wonderful experience in majestic RUSSIA.

Vada, USA (September, 2013)
Michael and Nancy, Toronto, Canada

The trip was truly wonderful, and your company and Ms. Belskaya were more than helpful, professional and prompt with answers to all of my many questions. We loved the cruise/boat, the staff, the food and the on-shore excursions with the very qualified guides. The price ranges for the boat were very fair, and, in short, we were thrilled with the whole Russia experience and what you provided. We are recommending the trip to all of our friends in Canada - you have our full endorsement!

Michael and Nancy, Toronto, Canada (September, 2013)
John Boje, South Africa

We returned home yesterday and I have a need to write without delay to let you know that we had a fantastic time in Russia and that we very greatly appreciate everything you did to ensure that everything was organised to perfection. We were not easy clients, but you responded to all our queries, requests, uncertainties and crises with speed, friendliness and superb efficiency. In particular, I must thank you for dealing with the problem of our missed connection in Dubai. Your immediate response to our frantic messages was most reassuring and it was wonderful to be met in Moscow by a concerned and welcoming driver even though it was midnight by the time we cleared customs and immigration. All the other arrangements went like clockwork and we had a wonderful time throughout our tour. The on-board manager, Natalya, was knowledgeable and efficient - and a lovely person - and beautiful weather contributed greatly to our overall experience. I know you didn't arrange the weather, but you arranged everything else, and for that we thank you most warmly.

John Boje, South Africa (July, 2013)
Patricia, USA

We just wanted to thank you again for your help in setting up our Russian cruise. We've appreciated your support all the way through - from taking us through the complex paperwork of the visa application to talking to our taxi driver in St Petersburg to make sure that we were in the right place. Great service! We absolutely loved the cruise! We learned a lot, relaxed a lot and were dazzled by beautiful cities and landscapes. We couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Russia. Thanks again!

Patricia, USA (July, 2013)
Fernando Aquino, USA

After my wife and I visited Russia recently, it really changed our doubt of what we'll experienced in that country. Yes, to see is to believe and not just hearsay. Our Russia River Cruise trip was a remarkable and memorable one because of many fantastic places we've seen and wonderful experiences we've encountered. Very relaxing, excellent services and delicious Russian foods everyday during the cruise. Moscow, St. Petersburg and other places we visited in Russia are awesome. Clean, wide roads and streets and not to mention, it is safe to walk for sightseeing. Forget about drinking water filtration, bottled water is available everywhere and safe to drink. Other than many delicious breakfast foods, my wife loved very much the Russian oatmeal in the cruise every morning and I miss it too. Participating in the Talent Show during our river cruise was one of the highlights we've experience. There were 2 couples of us who performed the "Valse de La Guardia" dance and received the most highly applaud among participants. Not to be left out, tour guides were courteous, friendly and very considerate of giving us enough time for taking pictures and shopping. Many thanks and Kudos to Asya and Lina for their help and prompt responses before and during our trip that contributed to the success of our wonderful journey. We highly recommend the "Express to Russia" for their cheap, reasonable and courteous services than "Vikings". Hope to see you again Lina and Dimitry!!

Fernando Aquino, USA (October, 2012)
Melina, USA

Took a river cruise through Russia's waterways! We were "awed" from The Hermitage in St. Petersburg all the way to the underground Metro System!! Expresstorussia.com staff, specially Asya helped me each step of the way for any questions/inquiries!!! Thank you, Asya!!!

Melina, USA (September, 2012)
Sheila, Italy

We have just come back from Russia (Cruise from Moscow to Saint Petersburg) with the Lev Tolstoj. It was absolutely fantastic. The staff was very professional and we really had a great time. We will definitively use your travel company again.

Sheila, Italy (September, 2012)
Ian, UK

We have now returned from our trip to Russia and had a most wonderful experience. Thanks for all your help in organizing this and to your drivers in St Petersburg and Moscow and also your trip organiser in Moscow. You all did your company proud.

Ian, UK (September, 2012)
Deborah Shephard, Canada

The cruise from Moscow to St.Petersburg was spectacular. The rivers, lakes and locks as well as the vast expanses of Russia boggled the mind. I walked miles and miles and felt so safe and people helped me at every turn. I loved the Armory in Moscow, the Hermitage was beyond fabulous. Pushkin and Catherine's Summer Palace were awe inspiring, to have such wealth for so many centuries is truly a great undertaking. It is a journey that I will remember and we will return.

Deborah Shephard, Canada (September, 2012)
Richard and Elizabeth Bond, USA

Thank you for arranging such a wonderful trip for us. we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and found your services to be excellent. the connections and transfers were timely and professional and the apartment was a delight. Everything you said it would be.

Richard and Elizabeth Bond, USA (September, 2012)
Panayiotis Stamati, USA

I would like to thank you for an unforgetable river cruise. The cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg was wonderful. Everything exceeded my expectations. The organisation of the whole cruise from the time I arrived in Moscow to the very end was faultess. Everything went like clockwork. The cruise itself was exactly what I expected and in that short period of time we saw quite a bit of Russia. I have no problems in recommending your company and the river cruise to my friends. Of course the success of the whole package was largely due to you who organised it so well. Congratulations

Panayiotis Stamati, USA (August, 2012)
Leanne Ruditsch, Australia

The cruise was far better than I expected. The best thing about booking directly through you was that we were not a mainly Australian group as is the case when booked through Australia. We wanted to meet people from other countries and your cruise had a good range of international travelers which adds to the experience immensely. We made a lot of new friends and Russia is such a beautiful country I will never forget some of the amazingly beautiful places we visited. I also knew that the average age of these cruises through Australia are older retirees but again yours was a range of ages which was also very good. I would love to come back again and see some other places in Russia as well. All the crew on the ship were wonderful our guide Anastasia was such a beautiful girl and she was always willing to assist us and explain Russian way of life. The knowledge of the guides was excellent, the food was excellent the room was extremely comfortable and we truly have had the trip of a lifetime.

Leanne Ruditsch, Australia (August, 2012)
Karen Esser Nicholls, USA

From start to finish, a memorable experience. Responses to inquiries were prompt, the ship (AntonChekov) met our expectations and the apartment rentals were well located, clean and provided the needed amenities. A most enjoyable holiday! Thank you.

Karen Esser Nicholls, USA (August, 2012)
Afrothiti and Laola, South Africa

Laola and I thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Anton Chekov. The tour was well organised and showed us the diversity of Russia. Your company was also reliable in that we were transferred on time from place to place. We would highly recommend the tour. Thank you for all your help and assistance.

Afrothiti and Laola, South Africa (August, 2012)
Fiona Berthold, New Zealand

My husband and I booked a 7-night cruise on Volohod M/S Lev Tolstoy from St Petersburg to Moscow in August 2012. Asya at Express To Russia was excellent in every way - very helpful in providing advice, very quick in replying to emails, understanding about changes I made, and all arrangements she made worked out perfectly. We loved the cruise and our only regret was not ensuring we had more time in St Petersburg and Moscow at each end of the cruise.

Fiona Berthold, New Zealand (August, 2012)
Robert Auerbach, USA

We really appreciate your help. We have travelled in major ways throughout our life -- three times around the world, Germany, Austria, Cambodia, Nepal, etc. etc. -- yet the trip we took now was a first for us, since we have always been independent travelers. We thought the trip was wonderful -- the guides in Moscow and St. Petersburg were outstanding, the ship was everything that was promised. We were glad we booked a suite -- the regular staterooms seemed small for spending a week on board, but the difference in price was modest and well worth it.

Robert Auerbach, USA (August, 2012)
Bruce, South Africa

Thank you for a marvellous holiday. I have and will recommend your company to all my friends. The whole trip was excellently organised and very good value for money. I shall definitely be returning via your excellent service.

Bruce, South Africa (August, 2012)
Peter Muller, South Africa

We have just returned from a Russian River Cruise, Moscow to St Petersburg, thanks to Aysa and her crew we had a wonderful trip and will definitely use Express to Russia when booking our next visit !

Peter Muller, South Africa (August, 2012)
Daniel Harris, USA

I was amazed at how smoothly the Lev Tolstoy cut through the still water, so that all I heard through my open window were the birds chatting it up. This was about as dark as it ever got while on board - most nights, the sunsets were followed pretty quickly by sunrises. I'll have one of my sunset photos posted - then you can see why it was worth staying up past midnight to watch them! :-)

Daniel Harris, USA (July, 2012)
Brian and Jean, UK

I want to thank the organizers of the Moscow to St. Petersberg boat trip. We enjoyed every moment. The crew, group leaders, and the waiters on S.B. Nickolai Chernyshevsky were first class. The inclusive tours and activities were super, including the pianist and folklore group. The accomodation and facilities were very good and the food outstanding. Had a truly memorable holiday

Brian and Jean, UK (July, 2012)
Ann Autrey Fama, USA

We just returned from a Russian river cruise we booked through this company. It was a wonderful trip and Asya did a wonderful job of taking care of all the arrangements for us. The driver that picked us up at the bus station in St. Petersburg was there and waiting for us with our name on a sign. The one who took us to the airport after the cruise was very nice and helpful and a delight to talk to. We would recommend this company for sure.

Ann Autrey Fama, USA (July, 2012)
Lynette, South Africa

I would like to say a BIG thank you for your help with the cruise/accommodation for my two travellers. They have returned and told me that everything was excellent - they loved their cruise and found the arrangements and assistance they got there to be fantastic - very efficient and helpful staff - they loved every moment of it. I really do appreciate all the help you gave me.

Lynette, South Africa (July, 2012)
Janet Marchand, UK

All 19 of us had a WONDERFUL time in Russia. The cruise was incredible - we all felt that it exceeded our expectations by miles. The boat was very comfortable, we hardly knew we were moving, the food was excellent, the staff all very friendly, and the boat very clean. The entertainment and excursions were good with nice guides and we really could not find fault with anything. It was also very good value for money. Thank you for your help with co-ordinating our wonderful holiday. We are telling all our friends and I am sure more people will be booking soon through you. Thank you for everything.

Janet Marchand, UK (May, 2012)
Barry and Lorraine, Australia

We both enjoyed our trip to Russia and have been so impressed by your service and attention that we have recommended you to some UK friends, if they decide to go on the Moscow - St Petersburg cruise.

Barry and Lorraine, Australia (May, 2012)
Peter Brennan, Australia

Thank you for organising a wonderful trip to Russia for me. All the staff at Express to Russia looked after every aspect of my trip wonderfully. I was met at Domodedevo Airport by one of your drivers after a 22 hour flight from Melbourne, Australia and taken to my hotel just as you promised. The hotel I stayed in in Moscow, the Ulanskaya was in a good location close to the Metro and not far from Red Square and it was moderately priced by Moscow standards. I really enjoyed the river cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg on board the MV Litvinov. All the staff on the boat looked after us very well and I enjoyed seeing the Russian countryside and something of village life in Russia. My stay in St Petersburg was wonderful and now St Petersburg is one of my favourite cities. The Hotel I stayed in, the Northern Lights was very reasonably priced and my room was spacious and airy. The only inconvenience was that it was two storeys up with no elevator but with friendly staff and pleasant surrounds, I wasn't complaining. Since I've been back in Australia, I've been missing Russia and all things Russian. I hope to be able to book another trip to Russia through your organisation soon.

Peter Brennan, Australia (October, 2011)
George Gardiner, USA

Thank you for all your help; the trip was fine. Only problem was lack of money changing facilities on boat; this was a problem we had not expected. All transfers worked well; boat staff and coordinators very good. Especially liked our coordinator Nastija, and Anna at the front desk. Sorry we didn't get chance to meet you in St. Petersburg. Melody is a good, reasonably priced hotel in quiet location. See comments above.

George Gardiner, USA (September, 2011)
Rudolf Shmueli, Israel

The entire tour was perfect, you did an excellent job. And we thank you. Will keep you and your company in mind whenever a Russian trip is requested.

Rudolf Shmueli, Israel (August, 2011)
Alex Priadko, Australia

I wanted to thank you personally for your great service with doing all the booking arrangements and then making the last minute change to our transfer to the hotel in St. Petersburg. Our visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg were sensational. The river cruise was equally stunning and we enjoyed the total experience. The tour guides at all the tour opportunities were just great. They knew the history, were very helpful and friendly and made the tour experience a very enjoyable one. Your selection and recommendation of the M Hotel was great. The location was perfect, the facilities and cleanliness of the room great and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We will be delighted to recommend your services. Pam and I had the greatest time with our whole journey and everything was completely trouble free. Many thanks once again.

Alex Priadko, Australia (July, 2011)
Donna and William Bryce, USA

I just wanted to let you know how happy my husband and I were with your arrangement of our Russian river cruise. Your professionalism and reliability were very much appreciated. You were always there to answer my questions and help me plan our trip. When, at the last minute, we wanted to change our Gold Room tour to the Peterhof, you quickly made that adjustment without any problem whatsoever. I will happily recommend you and your agency to any of our friends who want to visit Russia. Please forward this email to the person in charge of your agency, so he or she will know what a wonderful representative you are for the Russian travel industry. Best wishes and much success,

Donna and William Bryce, USA (June, 2011)
Karen Taiatu, UK

I must say thank you for your great organising of such a wonderful trip. I can not stop recommending your company to all that I come across. Others in my group on the cruise also shared how great the communication was with Express to Russia and I am grateful that I booked through your company. The experience has been a good one.

Karen Taiatu, UK (June, 2011)
Zarine, India

ALL the arrangements made by you were super and Kersi and I are very grateful to you. The cruise was superbly organized and I have been recommending it to all my Indian friends since my return. Thanks again for ALL the support you gave me, for the last 4 months.

Zarine, India (May, 2011)
Trudy Marggi, Switzerland

We just want to tell you that we enjoyed our trip to Russia very much. We also want to thank you for all the arrangements you have made for us. Everything went very smooth and boat, hotel and transfers worked in perfection.

Trudy Marggi, Switzerland (May, 2011)
Two Happy Australians

We have now returned from the Russian River Cruise, that you have organized for us. You and your staff have made everything very easy for us, to do the booking and the transfers. Our ship, MS Maxim Litvinov, and the ships crew was excellent, very friendly and the whole ship had a warm ambient, created by the crew. All ports visited by us, and the river Volga, have left a deep impression on us. I can not single out any one, because there where all magnificient. Again, the ship and its crew, who are our friends now, and the beauty of Russia will remain in our memory for ever. Spa'siba - Da svidanja .

Two Happy Australians (May, 2011)
Joan and Shimshon FrankenthalRamat HaSharon, Israel

We have finally “recuperated” from the 13-day Moscow-to-St Petersburg excursion that you arranged for us on cruise-ship Nikolai Chernichevsky, which we followed up with a seven day extension in St Petersburg and Helsinki. The quality of the services we received from City Realty (or CR Tours, or TravExpress, but in fact personally yourself) in planning this trip was a wonderful blend of professionalism and warm personal attention. The advice you gave us was always clear and well thought out, the transportation arrangements worked impeccably (Aleksandr in St Petersburg was extremely helpful), the M-hotel which you recommended in St Petersburg was very comfortable and conveniently located, and the manner in which you interceded on our behalf with the cruise-ship company on the two occasions when we needed exceptions from their policy was admirable. The many superlatives I used above reflect exactly the way we feel – we will enthusiastically recommend you to any of our friends who need the services of a travel agent in Russia. For what it was – a moderately priced, non-luxury, no-frills affair – the cruise itself was eminently satisfactory. Our cabin (comfortable because oversize – thanks to your intercession) was serviced impeccably. The reception staff (Anna and Marina) and the cruise director Artem were very attentive and helpful (especially when I needed some medical attention – and the Doctor on board was good to have). The food was very tasty, varied and well-prepared, and was served beautifully by the lovely Irina who was permanently assigned (a very lovely touch) to our table, and who (along with the entire kitchen staff) caringly tended to my special dietary needs when I developed that medical problem. Even though we came aboard as individual passengers rather than with a large group chaperoned by a travel agency, we were looked after by an excellent boat guide, Anna Yuvkina, often aided and abetted by Zoya; both were personable, conscientious and diligent and responded to all our needs. They also entertainingly taught us the smattering of Russian that we learned on board. Special credit goes for the organization of the city and shore excursions – starting with the transportation (even when it was hampered by the interminable traffic snarls in Moscow and St Petersburg) and ending with the high quality of the local guides, who were well-trained, very knowledgeable, entertaining and spoke beautiful English. It was lovely to watch them work in collaboration with the boat-guides to shepherd their flock – I felt totally confident that I will never be lost in the course of the excursions. The Moscow tour was what we expected – except emphasized by the poignant reminiscences of our guide of the life in the city before Perestroika, with which he entertained us during the interminable traffic jams. The highlight, though, was the night visit, where we were fortunate to be at the Kremlin at the windup of the rehearsals for the military orchestra competition – punctuated by 1812 overture and attendant fireworks. The luscious serene shores of the waterway provided a welcome relaxing change from the bustle of the Moscow sightseeing. We were blessed with good weather most of the time, and the leisurely cruise was pleasantly punctuated by the brief shore visits to Uglich, quaint Goritsy with its icon-museum, expansive Yaroslavl with its churches and monuments and beautiful shore park, and the long walk and intricate wooden architecture of Kizhi. Mandrogi came closest to what I would term a tourist-trap, but a beautiful and interesting one nonetheless… And at the end – a memorable stay in St Petersburg, starting with beautifully guided tours (by Marina) of the Peter and Paul Cathedral (with the touching mausoleum for the murdered last Tsar and his family), the Hermitage and Peterhoff… And. later, on or own, the Russian museum, the Michailovsky garden, walk around the Church of our Savior on the Spilled Blood, strolls along Nevsky Prospekt., shopping at the Gostiny Dvor; but culminating near the beginning with a glorious Gala concert conducted by Gergyev on the 150th birthday of the Mariinsky, and at the end with a visit to you in your office to thank you in person for helping arrange all the above for us… I have a special place in my heart for St Petersburg – as a heartening monument to mankind’s ability to reverse the evil turns of the wheel of time. Originally built by a visionary Tsar to be a glorious monument to humanity (and to himself – so what? he deserved it), ignominiously hijacked to become Leningrad by the Communist revolution, tormented by the Nazi siege in WWII, with which I was made intimately familiar through the poignant stories of a Faculty colleague who survived that period, and who I fervently wish were still alive to see it now bouncing back to recover its old glory under its original name. I hope to return…

Joan and Shimshon FrankenthalRamat HaSharon, Israel (September, 2010)
Helen McNicol, Australia

I just wanted to thank you for ensuring our holiday to Russia was a success. We had a wonderful time, the weather was perfect and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We have now safely returned home to Melbourne (and quite a cold wet winter) with wonderful memories of our holiday. Thanks again.

Helen McNicol, Australia (July, 2010)
David and Ana Assael, Israel

We are back home in Jerusalem and before we get too busy, my wife and I want to thank you and your company for the wonderful service provide to us. Been our first visit to Russia we could not a better help, information and service than what you have done. All work according to the schedule, the transfers where on time and it was a great help. I will recommend people not to hesitate and book all the necessary transfers directly with your company. Thank you also for the nice accommodation you provided on the cruise boat. My wife was very happy with the cabin and more than anything about the special food prepared for us. Every day the cooks surprised us with a different vegetarian dish, which were among the best we were ever served. We also want to thank on a very special way, the English speaking escort on board, Anna Sukhorikova, she took care of all of us like a mother, went the extra mile and way behind the call of duty. She was always willing to help and make sure everybody was doing well. The only thing my wife and me regret is not having an opportunity to hear during the cruise, more about Russia after the Soviet era. They cover all the rest of history well, but not in the ship neither the local guides shared much about present days. This is just a constructive remark for your company to consider for future. Also we are very thankful of the optional offered on board for the Moscow show. I think is not emphasized enough how excellent it is. I will highly, highly recommend it to everybody. It was one of the best shows we have seen of its kind. Again, thank you for your service and the way you answer all my questions. We will be happy to recommend your service and product to our clients. Best regards from the city of Jerusalem.

David and Ana Assael, Israel (July, 2010)
Nancy and Dick Goertzen, Canada

The cruise was awesome. We really enjoyed all of it. The weather wasn´t the best, but you take what you get. The staff aboard the ship was incredible. We had an excellent English ship guide and all the local guides spoke very good English. We enjoyed the tours off the ship. We felt that they could have been better arranged. We found that on some days the tours were all sitting and then the next day they were all walking. So we thought that they could have been split up ie: walking in the morning, sitting in the afternoon or reversed. I did mention that on the sheet they asked us to fill out. The meals were very good and the dining room staff were excellent. We had the same server all the time and we fell in love with her as well as our English guide. Most of the staff are University students. Thank you for being ever so helpful when booking the tour and all our questions. We would not hesitate to recommend this tour to others.

Nancy and Dick Goertzen, Canada (June, 2010)
Alan Frame, UK

I felt that I must write to thank you for organising the cruise for us and the transfers from the airpott to the ship and then later to the train station. We had a fascinating time and will be happy to recommend your company and the cruise to others.

Alan Frame, UK (June, 2010)
Alan Reed, Australia

We are back in Australia and I wanted to thank you for organising our vacation in Russia. Everything worked as planned and we had a very interesting and enjoyable experience. We are very glad that we held out for the suite. It was very comfortable. Thank you for your very professional assistance.

Alan Reed, Australia (May, 2010)
Pedro Amancio, Lisboa, Portugal

I enjoyed very much my visit to Russia with you and all was perfect concerning the cruise, reservation and so on.

Pedro Amancio, Lisboa, Portugal (August, 2009)
Lois Blight, USA

Well we´re home after our wonderful cruise on M/S Russ and slowly recovering from jet-lag. I couldn´t miss the opportunity to thank you for your efficient arrangements and help, as this was my first internet tour booking and I was a little uncertain what to expect. Everything went really smoothly - transfer pick-ups on time (even early); the cabin and ship were comfortable and immaculately clean; the staff were great and particular congratulations to the tour guides - both on the ship and on shore excursions - they were really helpful and knowledgeable. I will happily be a reference for your travel service as we were really impressed with the smooth efficiency of the arrangements during our trip to Russia last year. Again, many thanks for making our trip so memorable.

Lois Blight, USA (May, 2009)