We chose Viking on the recommendation of a friend who had done the Waterways of the Tsars some years ago. It was everything that we had hoped that the cruise and experience in Russia would be and a whole lot more. The country is changing so rapidly. The grey impression of the Soviet Union is gone and in its place is a vibrant country that will challenge your perception of it.

We elected to pay a bit more to get a cabin with an outside deck and would recommend it if you can. The public areas in the ship are a little limited in size and we would have felt a little claustrophobic after 13 days if we hadn’t had our small private balcony. That said, the Panorama Bar in the front of the ship was always a little quieter. The ships are comfortable and the food and bar service excellent.

We also chose to purchase the add-ons in St Petersburg and Moscow. As Russia and the cruise are such a full-on experience, we’d recommend doing this if you can afford the time. While a little pricey, having the extra two days in both cities allowed us to explore a few more places in both cities at our pace and get a better feel for them. We would have missed the Faberge museum in St Petersburg, the Tretyakov Gallery and Pushkin Institute of Fine Arts in Moscow without them. And being in the hotels in town gave a different perspective from being out of town on the ship. Read more