Things change fast in the world of international travel.
Two months ago, those of us travelling with US passports could do a cruise out of Florida visiting several Cuban ports. That window of opportunity has now closed, and it got me to wondering what other trips I should be taking now, before it’s too late.
The political situation between the United States and Russia has always been complicated, but relatively straight forward as it relates to visits for the purpose of tourism. Politics aside, Russia is a country that is rich in history and culture, and is well worth seeing for those who are curious about the world, and want to take the time to learn about other countries and their people.
Even the most experienced and hearty travellers will benefit from what group travel has to offer to countries like Russia where there is little English spoken, and somewhat rudimentary tourist infrastructure.
Cruising fits that bill perfectly, and there are two types of cruises that visit Russia:
Baltic Ocean Cruises that stop in St. Petersburg
Just about all the cruise lines have some variation of this cruise. They often start in one of the Scandinavian ports, and stop in St. Pete’s for 2 or 3 days.
The advantage to these cruises is that there are no individual Russian visa requirements for US passport holders. The ship gets a permit for all its guests to go ashore and visit the Hermitage Museum, as well as the other major sites in St. Pete’s. The drawback is that if you want to explore on your own, you are out of luck. The nature of your visa is that you have to remain on escorted and approved shore excursions.
These cruises also offer a look at the other Baltic countries as well. A common port of call is Tallinn, Estonia – a place that gets busier every year, but is not entirely overrun with tourism yet.
Those looking to get a taste of the Scandinavian or other Northern European countries (as well as Russia) will be able to tick these off their lists on the Baltic Cruises.
A Russian River Cruise
If the goal of your trip is to have a more immersive experience in Russia, then a river cruise might be a better option. River cruises run along the Volga River between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
There are a number of well-known river cruise companies that do this itinerary: Scenic, Uniworld and Viking are a good place to start your research.
A different visa is required to visit Russia on a river cruise. It requires some advance planning, and will cost a few hundred dollars. The good news is that once the visa is issued, it gives you much more flexibility in how you experience Russia. You can obviously do all the excursions offered by the river cruise provider, and you can also do some independent exploring as well.
Either experience will give you a glimpse into Russia and its people.
What I can’t predict is whether such trips will be available indefinitely. It is noteworthy that AMA Waterways spent a fair bit of time and money cultivating a river cruise business in Russia, and withdrew from the market after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So even though neither the Russian, nor the American government changed their requirements (as what happened with Cuba), sometimes tourism providers make decisions that can impact your plans.
It seems we are back to the same advice: travel when you can – because you never know when opportunities will be taken away.
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I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
