Russian river cruise

Clutching our tickets, passports and visas (at — gasp! — $100 each), my husband and I inched into the Aeroflot line. It was Sept. 5, ’03, and we were bound for Moscow from San Francisco.

Arriving in Moscow, we were met by a representative from Peter the Great Cruises (Brooklyn, NY; phone 800/828-7970) and whisked to M/S Peter the Great (or Zosima Shashkov), the river ship which would be our home for the next three weeks.

On our way to Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), we would stop at various ports along the Volga River, then return to Moscow on the opposite side of the river.

The sights on this cruise were not as grand as the ones we saw during our cruise with the same company in 2000 from Moscow to St. Petersburg, since the royals had hung their hats in that area. That trip had far more sights to enjoy.

The Moscow-Volgograd trip was more industrial and commercial oriented with tons of war memorials. The visit to Lenin’s family home in Ulyanovsk was of interest, however.

Our cruise, Sept. 6-26, cost us $2,198 per person for an upper-deck, outside, double cabin.

DIANE SOLO
Alameda, CA