My favorite part of river cruising is viewing the life on the river, both human and nature. The cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow was interesting but the wildlife was nearly nonexistent, mostly supplanted by the human life that this ancient waterway supported. It was great to see the small villages and dachas lining the banks with people enjoying the water, fishing, gardening and boating. Commerce on the water was mostly barges loaded with forest products, gravel and tugs.

The stops were interesting, especially if you enjoy seeing old churches and tourist attractions. Some stops, where we had more time, were more interesting as we could explore on our own and visit shops and markets.

St. Petersburg was fantastic as we visited great museums and saw a city that was brimming with life. The ship was docked too far from the city and there was no way to explore by foot, so that was a bummer. Read more