What to Look For in Volga River Cruise Reviews
Most trip reviews tend to focus on some or all of these 5 key areas, not all of which may be relevant to you: the tour guide, travel company, service level, country or countries traveled in, and the trip itinerary. Remember, just because you see a 1 star review doesn’t necessarily mean that person disliked the country.
Travelers loved the diversity of the trip, and thought the trip length was well suited. Since Moscow and St. Petersburg are such large cities, with endless things to do, travelers enjoyed the block days on each end of the cruise. People also mentioned they thought the itinerary activities, day trips in the villages along the river were a good amount of time, not too short, but not too long where you run out of things to do. The villages were interesting and fun to visit, and the local Russian people were noted to be very friendly, and enjoyable to interact with. The port cities had great variety to them, and were well selected.
Travelers were also a fan of traveling by cruise, and found the boat comfortable, and the rooms and activities inviting. By being on a cruise, you got to meet new people and got to spend a fair amount of time with them, which sometimes isn’t the case with land travel. There were travelers from every background.
Most reviews mention the variety of food, and enjoyed the buffet options that offered various options. Staff on board and the directors were well-liked, and the tour guides are knowledgeable. The boat activities such as the lectures and films were educational and fascinating. The directors made sure customers were well taken care of, and went out of their way to make sure guests enjoyed their cruise.
Bigger cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg offered optional tours, which were also well enjoyed by travelers. Volga River isn’t a common tourist destination, but reviewers found the tour fascinating and unlike any other travel experiences they have had. The physical activity level was minimal, making it a doable trip for a majority of people in a wide-range of fitness levels. Most reviews noted that the ability to interact and engage with people on their ship, and the friendly, local Russian people they were able to meet were the highlight of the trip.
Traveling to a new country can be difficult, especially those with little-to-no international travel experience. The language barrier, the change of food, experiencing new cultures, etc. can be hard to get used to, and that can lead to negative thoughts about a trip. Since most traveling to Volga results in a cruise, travelers who are not big boat fans can find this experience not what they hoped to be, because water travel is not their preferred method of traveling.
By preparing yourself and learning about the culture before you set off, you can help make for a better trip, so the culture shock isn’t as surprising. The weather in Russia has extremes on both ends – extremely cold in the winter and extremely hot in summer. If you’re looking for weather somewhere in the middle, try booking a trip in the shoulder season (either spring or fall), to avoid super hot or super cold weather, and if you want to visit without all the tourists that the summer and warm weather bring.
If you want a professional take on traveling a Volga River Cruise, see the Travelstride Volga River Guide »
