We have wanted to see Russia for a long time so when Scenic offered the trip on the Scenic Tsar (AKA Alexander Grinn) we were delighted. We started our trip in Berlin with Scenic and had about 12 days before we got to Russia. On arriving at St Petersburg we were transferred to the ship for our accommodation. Embarkation was well organised and our luggage was delivered to our cabin shortly after we arrived. Trips were well organized to see the sights and every effort had been made to ensure that we were able to see all the sights, such as the Hermitage, which often became crowded before the large numbers arrived.

As we have dietary issues we were asked to notify the company well in advance and the ship could not have been more helpful. The staff ensured I was informed of dishes which had ingredients I was allergic to and there was always the a la carte menu I could select from as well. When we went on excursions we were given cards which detailed my allergies and the fact that my husband was a diabetic. We only had one lunch where there was an issue on an excursion and the restaurant tried to solve the issue and ended up providing a salad.

One of our group had become ill on the land part of the trip and the doctor on the ship diagnosed pneumonia. The service that the ship provided was really great with ambulance transfer to the American Hospital and one of our guides from the ship going with her and her husband to ensure all arrangements were suitable for both of them. They also went back over the next 2 days to check that all was well and to ensure that arrangements were made to transfer them home when she was well enough to travel. Read more