the smooth jazz cruise on land

• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 1
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 2
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 3
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 4
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 5
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 6
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 7
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 8
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 9
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 10
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 11
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 12
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 13
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 14
• Smooth Jazz In The Mix 15
• Earth Wind & Fire Slow Jam Medley
• Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Slow Jam Mix
• LA Reid and Babyface Slow Jam Mix
• LA Reid & Babyface The Mid-Tempo Mix
• Prince Tribute Slow Jam Medley
• The Whispers Slow Jam Medley
• Old School Smooth R&B Grooves Vocalists and Groups
• Contemporary Soul and R&B Vocalists I
• Contemporary Soul and R&B Vocalists II
• Contemporary Soul and R&B Vocalists III
• Contemporary Soul and R&B Vocalists IV
• DJ Services

Music Festivals

The Smooth Jazz Cruise on Land in St. Louis 2022

  February 28, 2022

By   ExoticDJ

The Smooth Jazz Cruise  on land in St. Louis is a 2-day festival that will take place at The Factory (located in Chesterfield, MO, a suburb of St. Louis.)

There will be three amazing performances on Saturday night, September 17, 2022, followed by another three exciting performances on Sunday afternoon, September 18, 2022. In addition to the great music shows, you will be treated to the comedic talents of our favorite comic and host, Alonzo Bodden . The final show is scheduled to end around 7:00 PM.

CURRENT SCHEDULE OF SHOWS Saturday, September 17  - Doors open at 5:30 PM and you'll enjoy: 

Eric Marienthal and Friends 

Peter White and Vincent Ingala

Alonzo Bodden

Boney James

Special Meet and Greet(*)

Sunday, September 18  - Doors open at 1:00 PM and you'll enjoy: 

Eric Darius 

R n R - Rick Braun and Richard Elliot

Jonathan Butler

Two-Day Passes include Reserved Seats for all six shows. One-Day Passes are also available and include Reserved Seats for the 3 shows on the day selected. Two-Day Pass holders who are cruising on either sailing of  The Smooth Jazz Cruise  in '23 will be treated to a special cruise reunion brunch on Sunday morning and will be invited to the nightly Special Meet and Greet events. (*)Tickets may also be purchased for the Meet and Greet events, but cruisers don't need to worry about purchasing them.  Your private and exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets before they are available to the public begins Tuesday, March 1 at 10:00 AM CST.  Click this link   for access and you will be prompted to enter your exclusive passcode to enter the pre-sale, which is  SJCONLAND . This pre-sale opportunity ends on Thursday, March 3 at 10:00 PM CST.  Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, March 4, 2022 at 10:00 AM CST. Until then, you are the only folks in the world who can purchase tickets.

Click the banner below for presale tickets.

Exclusive pre-sale passcode:  SJCONLAND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

• Our Mission and History
• Board of Directors
• Carver Theatre
• Internships
• Educational Programming
• Community Outreach
• Artistic Programming
• Hall of Fame Inductees
• Radio Home Page
• Programs and Personalities
• Underwriting and Support
• News and Interviews
• Jazz at the Carver
• Jazz Around Town
• Special Events

The Smooth Jazz Cruise On Land In St. Louis III

What: the smooth jazz cruise on land in st. louis ⅲ, when: friday, august 18 & saturday, august 19, 2023, where: the factory in chesterfield – st. louis, mo.

Friday, August 18: 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm (Doors at 6:30 pm) Saturday, August 19: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Doors at 6:00 pm)

Ticket Information: Your Pre-Sale “window” will begin on Tuesday, March 14 10am CT  and will continue through Thursday, March 16. The Public Sale of tickets will begin on Friday, March 17.  Special Prices for 2-Night Tickets are good thru May 15, 2023. Single Night Tickets will go on sale closer to the Performance Dates.

Online or In Person:  Tickets will be sold through The Factory only and you may do so online or in person at the venue during normal box office hours. Tickets may not be purchased through Jazz Cruises.

Jazz Cruise Guests Only: Plans for Jazz Cruise Guests’ Get Together and Host Hotel will be forthecoming.

The post The Smooth Jazz Cruise On Land In St. Louis III appeared first on Smooth Jazz and Smooth Soul .

Powered by WPeMatico

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

© Copyright 2024 Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame · Developed by Kinetic

• CruiseMapper
• American Cruise Lines

American Jazz

Cruise line American Cruise Lines

• Sacramento, California (United States)
• Clarkston WA (Washington)
• Portland OR (Oregon)
• San Francisco (California)

American Jazz current position

American Jazz current location is at North America West Coast (coordinates 45.69000 N / -121.88166 W) cruising en route to US^10N1>?? ???. The AIS position was reported 4 hours ago.

Current itinerary of American Jazz

American Jazz current cruise is 10 days, one-way from Clarkston WA to Portland OR . Prices start from USD 8025 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 01 Jun, 2024 and ends on 11 Jun, 2024 .

Specifications of American Jazz

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

American Jazz Itineraries

American jazz review, review of american jazz.

The 2020-built/2021-inaugurated MS American Jazz cruise ship is the third newbuild in the American Cruise Lines ' "Modern Riverboat" fleet.

From this class/with the same design are the sisterships American Song (2018), American Harmony (2019), American Melody (2021), American Symphony (2022), American Serenade (2023).

American Jazz is identified by an IMO number 1295690 (initially 9901685) and is USA-flagged (MMSI 368135920).

History - construction and ownership

The shipowner American Cruise Lines (ACL) is the USA's largest river cruise company (headquarters in Guilford Connecticut) operational since 1991. The company specializes in cruise shipping on the USA's largest navigable inland waterways (rivers and lakes) as well as in cruises along the US East Coast, US West Coast and Florida. All ACL vessels feature some of the industry's largest passenger cabins with private balconies, spacious lounges and outdoor deck spaces, gourmet cuisine, top-quality enrichment program with many complimentary land tours and excursions, highly-personalized service by all-American staff and crew.

All ACL cruise ships are US-flagged (Jazz has MMSI number 368135920) and built by the company-owned Chesapeake Shipbuilding Yard in Salisbury (Maryland USA).

Unlike anything seen before along American waterways, the innovative vessel brings a new dimension to river cruising in the USA. American Jazz integrates contemporary design with no sacrificing the comfort that American Cruise Lines is popular for. Quieter, wider, and faster than any other river ship, it is the most environmentally friendly in the industry.

Traditionally for large-sized US riverboats, American Jazz has a fore-located boarding ramp (bow-location on Deck 1) that allows passengers to go ashore at any place along the ship's cruise itinerary route. The ramp has an innovative design being constructed as a retractable gangway (passenger bridge). The technology is often implemented on some of the largest ferries and features an opening bow door.

While other small cruise lines repurpose old casino ships, American Cruise Lines decided to build brand new boats to maintain the company's reputation for premium quality and services. Each of the newbuilds features most innovative design, spacious indoor and outdoor areas. Each vessel is a traditional US built (at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury Maryland), as well as American-flagged and crewed.

Decks and Cabins

ACCL's American Jazz ship has 6 passenger decks (accessible via two elevators) and a total of 99 staterooms . The number of cabin categories is 8. All accommodations are Balcony cabins, with floor-ceiling sliding doors opening onto a private step-out veranda. The boat has no connecting rooms.

Smallest staterooms (including the single-occupancy studio cabins) as sizes start at 250 ft2 (23 m2). Other staterooms are sized between 305-330 ft2 (28-31 m2). Veranda Suites are 405 ft2 (38 m2), Owners Suites are 445 ft2 (41 m2). Riverboat's largest staterooms are two Grand Suites with aft location on Deck 3. Each Suite is sized 900 ft2 (84 m2) and features 2 walls of floor-ceiling windows, a wrap-around balcony (accessed via sliding doors), separate bedroom/seating areas, marble bathroom (with double-sink vanity).

Shipboard facilities and amenities

MS American Jazz features innovative interior design concepts - from the 4-story glass-walled Vestibule (Atrium) to spacious indoor and outdoor lounges, large open-deck spaces, floor-ceiling windows throughout the vessel. The 4-decks high Vestibule has floor-ceiling windows (portside and starboard) and SkyLight (transparent glass-roof cover) that allows natural light into the ship's interior.

Two Sun Decks (Lower on Deck 5-aft, and Upper on Deck 6) are fitted with sunbathing and shaded seating areas, putting green, deck-game area (shuffleboard). The ship has 5 lounges (2 with large outdoor terraces), Grand Dining Room (complimentary, glass-enclosed restaurant), Chart Room (Library Lounge), fore-located Main Lounge (deck 4), aft-located Sky Lounge (deck 4), indoor Gym/Exercise Room. The Upper Sun Deck (top-deck) is furnished with comfortable deckchairs and has 3 shaded seating areas plus one SkyLight (glass-roof cover).

The aft-located (on Deck 4) Sky Lounge features premium furniture, floor-ceiling windows, glass-roof cover (SkyLight), direct access to an open-air Terrace (for relaxation and alfresco dining/Back Porch Cafe). Throughout the day, there are served beverages, snacks, freshly-baked cookies, and pastries. Sky Lounge's glass doors open to the Back Porch Cafe (alfresco dining venue) - a spacious Terrace furnished with wicker furniture (armchairs and 4-seat tables). The lounge bar serves water, soda, and light snacks throughout the day. A Complimentary Afternoon Tea service is offered between 3:30-4:30 pm. In the evening, there is a complimentary cocktail hour.

The fore-located (on Deck 4) Magnolia Lounge (aka River Lounge) is the boat's main lounge with floor-ceiling windows and glass-roof cover. It also serves as the ship's show lounge with a central stage, grand piano and ample comfortable seating area full of comfy armchairs and plush sofas. Here are served warm cookies starting at 10 am. The complimentary Afternoon Tea service (with fresh pastries) is at 3:30 pm. The free-drinks cocktail hour is at 5:30 pm. Root beer and ice cream are passed around during the evening show. The evening entertainment includes one show (beginning at 8:15 pm) lasting about 1 hour. The show program could be a live concert, solo performances, music tribute, themed music, movie trivia. The large space for the evening shows is in the room's center. Furniture is daily rearranged (sometimes 2 or 3 times a day) to suit the themed entertainment. This is also the place for the American Cruise Lines' enrichment program, consisting of differently-themed lectures (history, food and wine, literature, etc). Also hosted here are media presentations and the current ACL cruise itinerary and tours-related multimedia presentations and port talks.

The list of the American Jazz ship's main public venues includes:

• (Deck 1) Boarding Ramp/bow, Vestibule/lobby level, Ship's Office, Powder Room, Dining Room Restaurant, Galley/Kitchen & Storage Rooms, Staff & Crew cabins/forward
• (Deck 2) Bow Terrace/observation area with seating, Laundry Room, Lounge/midship-starboard, wellness facilities/aft (Yoga Studio, Fitness Room/indoor Gym)
• (Deck 3) Pilothouse/Wheelhouse, Chart Room Lounge/midship-starboard
• (Deck 4) Magnolia Lounge/forward, with a wraparound terrace, Library Lounge/midship-starboard, Sky Lounge (indoor, aft), Back Porch Cafe (aft, outdoor terrace serving as an alfresco dining venue)
• (Deck 5) Lounge/midship-starboard, Lower Sun Deck/aft
• (Deck 6) Sun Deck with outdoor seating (premium patio furniture) and Mini-Golf Putting Green

Two Lifts (passenger elevators in the Atrium) connect all cabin decks.

Itineraries

American Jazz itinerary program (what is known so far) will be similar to that of the sistership American Harmony. The Mississippi River cruise itineraries leave roundtrip and one-way from homeports New Orleans Louisiana and Memphis Tennessee .

• 7-day "Lower Mississippi River" (Memphis to New Orleans) itinerary's call ports are Memphis (day 1 / embarkation), river cruising (day 2), Vicksburg MS (day 3), Natchez MS (day 4), St Francisville LA (day 5), Baton Rouge LA (day 6), Oak Alley Plantation LA (day 7), New Orleans LA (day 8, disembarkation).
• 7-day "Mississippi River" (roundtrip New Orleans) itinerary's ports are New Orleans LA (day 1 / embarkation), Oak Alley Plantation LA (day 2), Natchez MS (day 3), Vicksburg MS (day 4), St Francisville LA (day 5), Baton Rouge LA (day 6), Houmas House Plantation LA (day 7), New Orleans LA (day 8, disembarkation).

The Jazz ship could be seasonally deployed on the US West Coast to operate Snake and Columbia river cruises.

American Jazz ship's 2023 schedule (February-March and November-December) included ACL's first-ever California voyage (departure February 24th). The 7-night/8-day "San Francisco Bay Cruise" itinerary (roundtrip from San Francisco ) visits four other Californian ports ( Stockton ,  Sacramento ,  Napa , Vallejo ) and ends with an overnight in San Francisco. A pre-cruise hotel package (inclusive of San Francisco Four Season Hotel overnight stay) is optional. The itinerary features scenic cruising in San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay (an evening stop in Vallejo), as well as cruising on the Napa River and San Joaquin River.

ACL cruise deals are inclusive of a pre-cruise hotel package, all shore excursions (organized daily), cocktail hour (each evening), cruise accommodation, gourmet meals, Afternoon Tea service, room service (Breakfast only), onboard enrichment and entertainment programs, Wi-Fi (shipwide coverage).

American Jazz - user reviews and comments

Photos of american jazz.

American Jazz ship related cruise news

ACL-American Cruise Lines expands USA cruising on Columbia and Snake rivers

ACL-American Cruise Lines marks the growth of USA river cruising with its most expansive season on the Columbia and Snake Rivers to date. With the...

ACL-American Cruise Lines christens sisterships American Jazz and American Serenade

On May 3rd, ACL-American Cruise Lines celebrated the christening of two sisterships - the 2020-built American Jazz and the 2023-built American...

ACL-American Cruise Lines launches 60-day B2B itinerary on 3 ships (4 rivers/coast-to-coast USA)

ACL-American Cruise Lines created a 60-day itinerary combining 4 major rivers and 2 coasts onboard 3 ships. The company is calling it "the longest...

ACL-American Cruise Lines opens 2023 season with American Star ship from Florida

ACL-American Cruise Lines announced that February 18th would mark the opening of the company’s 2023 U.S. cruise season when the American Star...

First California river cruise in 80 years sets sail aboard ACL's ship American Jazz

According to ACL-American Cruise Lines, there have not been any river cruises in California in 80 years. However, that all changes in February 2023...

ACL-American Cruise Lines launches first-ever California voyage (ship American Jazz)

ACL-American Cruise Lines announced it is expanding cruise offerings to California with a brand new 8-day itinerary from San Francisco beginning in...

ACL-American Cruise Lines' ship American Jazz runs aground near Canton, Kentucky

An ACL-American Cruise Lines river ship with 160+ people onboard ran aground near Canton, Kentucky. The ACL ship American Jazz ran aground on...

ACL-American Cruise Lines launches 2 new ships in 2022

ACL-American Cruise Lines announced it had signed contracts with Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury MD, to build two vessels (from the "Modern...

ACL-American Cruise Lines requires COVID vaccination

The USA's largest river cruise company ACL-American Cruise Lines surprised its customers booked on the initial voyages with a COVID-19 vaccination...

American Cruise Lines' newest ship American Melody launched at Chesapeake Salisbury MD

ACL-American Cruise Lines announced the launch (float out) of its newest riverboat - American Melody, at Chesapeake Shipbuilding - shipyard in...

•   show more news

Other American Cruise Lines cruise ships

• ACL American Eagle
• ACL American Glory
• ACL American Legend
• ACL American Liberty
• American Constellation
• American Constitution
• American Empress
• American Harmony
• American Heritage
• American Independence
• American Melody
• American Pride
• American Serenade
• American Song
• American Spirit
• American Splendor
• American Star
• American Symphony
• American West

American Jazz Wiki

The improved ship design allows "bow landings" via a retractable and rotating gangway (passenger bridge) that extends from Main Deck (deck 1) to the dock or directly onto the river bank. This feature is available on all traditional-design US paddlewheel riverboats and provides expanded options for river cruise itineraries unmatched by most newbuild river cruise ships .

The ship has a modern propulsion system consisting of 2x azimuth thrusters ("Z-drives") manufactured by Veth (Holland). These 360-degree rotating propellers (1x forward, 1x aft) provide the boat with greater maneuverability and berthing flexibility.

The ship is powered by 2x Caterpillar marine engines running on low-sulfur diesel. These modern engines require less fuel and produce fewer emissions (COx, NOx, SOx) and soot particles in comparison to other boats on the US river cruising market.

On October 11, 2018, vessel's lower bow (hull section) was moved out of drydock (wheeled out from Fabrication Building No 4) to shipyard's Assembly Launchways. The ship was launched (floated out from drydock) on October 13, 2019 (5 weeks ahead of schedule). After the float-out, the boat was berthed in shipyard’s East Outfitting Basin to receive its upper deck blocks and final outfitting.

Sea trials were successfully completed and on September 1, 2020, the ship was officially delivered to ACL-American Cruise Lines from Chesapeake Shipbuilding. The delivery ceremony was attended by Charles B. Robertson (ACL's CEO and President).

On May 3, 2023, ACL officially announced a dual naming ceremonies - of American Jazz (on Snake River) and American Serenade (on Mississippi River). American Jazz was christened by godmother Stacia L. Morfin (Nez Perce Tourism's CEO) in Clarkston WA , while the 2023-built American Serenade was named by Julia Letlow (Representative for Louisiana State’s 5th Congressional District) in Vidalia Louisiana. Both events were attended by the passengers and crew, as well as ACL executives and VIP guests (state and local officials).

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Slovenščina
• Science & Tech
• Russian Kitchen

Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

to our newsletter!

Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox

• What to do in Moscow City, if you’re not mega-rich
• Moscow after dusk: 10 places to drink, dance, and groove
• 5 things you must do in Moscow in 2018 between football matches (or without them)
• Sandwiched between Moscow and St. Petersburg: How to spend a perfect weekend in Tver 
• 24 or 48 hours in Moscow: Where to go and what to do in 2019

This website uses cookies. Click here to find out more.

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

Evening Moscow River Cruise -- The Best - Flotilla Radisson Royal

• Europe    
• Russia    
• Central Russia    
• Moscow    
• Moscow - Things to Do    
• Flotilla Radisson Royal

This was a surprise for me by my partner and daughter. Getting onto the boat was very orderly, and... read more

We did a lunch cruise, boarding at 1230hrs and returning to the dock promptly at... read more

Evening Moscow River Cruise -- The Best

We enjoyed our cruise along the Moscow River which spanned later afternoon to evening lights. The staff was fairly accommodating; but the fellow guests were lots of fun. Met several nice men from the middle-east, a group of three Russian brothers and their families, who treated us to their vodka and smoked salmon. In all it was a marvelous way to see the City's sights, adding perspective to the exploration we did on land in this fascinating City.

Dear Will M, Thank you for your taking a trip with Flotilla Radisson Royal and leaving such a positive feedback! Your kind words are a true inspiration for our entire team and makes us bring our service to even higher levels.Thank you so much again, we would be more than happy to welcome you again. Sincerely yours Olga Tkacheva Brand Manager

The boats are modern, staff is gentle and views on Moskva are great. Shower, restaurant serves quite mediocre frozen / micro oven warmed food. Not a single good meal. Take cocktails and wait until you reach the firm land.

I was a guest of the Russian Tech Tour at their dinner here. Thanks guys! Firstly the food was superb and in lavish proportions, though more local dishes would be great as well. The service was fast, flexible, patient and polite. The entertainment good and the views wonderful from the river. Seen for this vantage point Moscow is very much a "European" capital.

I did the Radisson cruise in March 2013, I hadn't quite realised it was a full on floating restaurant, I had thought it was a regular sight-seeing trip. That said I only had a soup which wasn't very nice, but you can just have drinks. There isn't any commentary or explanation of the sights your seeing - but that doesn't take away from being a great experience. Its good value for money as it takes 2.5 hours. If you're not staying there its worth having a look inside the lobby of the Radisson Royal where this cruise sets off from ... not many hotels with a Rolls Royce showroom in the reception!

Me and my girlfriend opted for the evening cruise (8-10.30pm) from the Radisson royal flotilla which is tight next to the hotel on the main road. We arrived half an hour before departure and were allowed to board straight away and were shown to a table next to the window in the restraunt. The menu itself isn't the biggest however it is only a boat so I wasn't expecting it to be that big. There was a good choice of both alcoholic, and non-alcoholic drinks. With it only being mid-week the boat wasn't full but there was still a good atmosphere on board. The boat itself is very nice, well decorated, and very clean. You don't need to dress up to much and if you see fit can almost wear casual clothing...it was -18 when we went so we opted for boots, jeans, and a thick jumper!!! the cruise itself is very nice, sails along the river at a nice gentle speed passing all the tourist attractions perfect for picture taking. The only negative which we personally had about the cruise was with regards to the on board photographer!!! she seemed nice, and friendly however she was slightly intrusive...she would come to your table, and without asking start taking pictures with the flash in your face as your trying to eat. I told her we didn't want any photographs however she continued to snap away and we had to battle through the language barrier to tell her no. All in all though we enjoyed the cruise, the price was very reasonable, and would recommend it if your visiting Moscow.

We have been on this twice, and both times have loved it. The food is ok (but you don't have to eat), the drinks are ok and reasonably priced. The boats are immaculately clean and very well looked after. and at 900 roubles each, I consider the tickets cheap. Its a great way of seeing the sights in Moscow and is of, in my opinion a rather better standard than i've experienced in other cities. Apparently they do a night Jazz cruise from Gorky Park on thursdays which is supposed to be great. A 'must do' for visitors to Moscow

• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Recommended Posts

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

• 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• Hurricane Zone 2024
• Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• River Cruising
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started 5 hours ago

LauraS · Started Yesterday at 03:59 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 05:03 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 04:09 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 07:58 AM

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...