arcadia cruises cancelled

P&O Cruises cancels seven Arcadia sailings

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The return to service of P&O Cruises ship Arcadia has been disrupted with seven sailings cancelled due to travel and airline problems caused by Covid.

The cancellations affect departures of the 2,094-passenger ship between April 12 and June 23.

Arcadia was the last ship in the fleet to return to service at the end of March following the suspension of services due to the pandemic.

Confirming the cancellation of seven cruises, P&O Cruises said: “The current and extraordinary impact of Covid-19 in the UK, in the wider hospitality, service and airline industry as a whole has resulted in a temporary disruption to crew members available to join our ships.

“As a result, P&O Cruises will be re-deploying crew from Arcadia to other ships in the fleet.

“This is being done in order to maintain the company’s high standards of service of which we are very proud, across the other five ships in the fleet.

“We are so sorry but as a result of this re-deployment, the following seven cruises will be cancelled: J205, J206, J207, J208, J209, J210, J211.

“Guests who are booked on these cruises will receive a full refund of all monies paid and a future cruise credit and on board spending money to use on a new P&O Cruises holiday to be booked before December 31, 2023.”

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Crew Shortage Causes P&O to Cancel Cruises on Arcadia

P&O Cruises, Carnival Corporation’s UK-based contemporary cruise line, is temporarily removing one of its cruise ships from operations reporting that the line is facing crewing issues related to the pandemic. Over the past two years, shipping lines, unions, and major trade organizations have all complained of the crewing crisis caused by travel restrictions and health regulations. The 83,781 gross ton cruise ship Arcadia had just returned to service after having been idle for two years. “The current and extraordinary impact of COVID-19 in the UK, in the wider hospitality, service and airline industry as a whole has resulted in a temporary disruption to crewmembers available to join our ships,” the cruise line announced reporting that seven cruises would be canceled. Due to return to the UK tomorrow, April 12 from her first cruise which had sailed to the Canary Islands and Spain on March 27, Arcadia will be idled until July 5. The cruise line responded to the barrage of negative comments from vacationers scheduled to sail on the upcoming cruises aboard the ship. Many said they had been waiting two years or longer for their cruise noting that they had specifically selected Arcadia as the ship which accommodates 2,094 passengers is reserved for adult-only cruises. “The impact of Covid upon airlines and general disruption has necessitated the cancellations as we need to move crew from Arcadia to other ships in the fleet,” P&O responded to disappointed passengers. The cruise lines have been working to recruit and train crew, especially for the hotel areas of their operations after having repatriated the majority of their hotel crewmembers early in the pandemic to countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, and India. While skeleton deck and engine crews remained aboard the ships during the lay-up, without passengers the majority of the hotel crews lost their employment. Arcadia was the sixth P&O cruise ship to return to service and normally operates with a crew off 866. When she resumed service in March, P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said, "We’re back sailing and this is certainly cause for celebration. Sunday is an important milestone as we will have all six ships back in operation and doing what we do best.” The cruise line did not say if the crew shortage was being caused due to other crewmembers testing positive for the virus or if they needed more crew for the other ships as the line ramps up operations. P&O had started limited cruises last summer under the UK program for domestic cruises and later expanded including operations in the Caribbean this winter. Another of the company’s ships is currently restarting cruises to Scandinavia. P&O also found itself having to respond to travelers that were associating the crew issues with those at another company P&O Ferries, which fired 800 members of its crew in a cost-saving operation. P&O Cruises was forced to repeatedly explain that while they share a name, the two companies are not related and that they have been part of Carnival Corporation for 20 years with no shared ownership with DP World which acquired the ferry operation. Earlier this year the cruise industry faced challenges as passengers and crew were both testing positive as the Omicron variant spread quickly. P&O’s sister cruise line Cunard Line which is also owned by Carnival was forced to curtail the Christmas-New Year’s Cruise aboard its flagship Queen Mary 2 because the vessel was lacking crew after an outbreak of COVID-19. U.S. passengers were flown home from the Caribbean while additional officers and crew were flown to the cruise ship which remained in Barbados. P&O is seeking to assure customers that its operations will be up to standards and offering refunds to passengers on the seven cruises it canceled.

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Cruise Line Cancels Sailings Due to Crew Staffing Issues

Richard Simms

• April 10, 2022

In an unusual move, a cruise ship which had returned to service less than two weeks ago is being pulled out of service again due to staffing issues.

What P&O Cruises Says

P&O Cruises, a division of Carnival Corporation, has been forced to pull its ship, Arcadia , out of service effective immediately. The ship had only begun welcoming guests back in late March of this year. In response to guests complaining about the last-minute cancellations on the line’s Facebook page, a representative explained that the cancellations were due to “the current and extraordinary impact of COVID-19” in the United Kingdom in general and the “hospitality, service and airline industry” in particular.

The representative went on to say that the situation has “resulted in a temporary disruption to crew members available to join our ships. As a result, P&O Cruises will be re-deploying crew from Arcadia to other ships in the fleet. This is being done in order to maintain the company’s high standards of service of which we are very proud across the other five ships in the fleet.”

Those who had their cruises canceled are receiving a full refund as well as a future cruise credit and onboard credit. As of now, the ship is set to return to service (again) as of July 5, at which point it will embark on a two-week trip out of Southampton.

MORE: This Cruise Line Ad Brilliantly Takes On Rising Price Of Disney Vacations

Ironically, it was with Arcadia ‘s return in March that the P&O fleet was fully in service for the first time since the industry-wide shutdown two years earlier. Later this year, a new ship will join the fleet. Arvia — meaning “from the seashore” — is currently under construction and is expected to begin sailing in December.

“The seashore is known for its relaxing properties and tranquility and a holiday on Arvia will, indeed, celebrate this and have relaxation at its heart,” P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow recently said of the vessel. “The rejuvenating and restorative qualities of a walk on the beach and invogorating sea air will be reflected in the experiences both on board and on shore as well as the vast space on board which has enabled us to include a number of new and extraordinary features.

READ NEXT: 10 Secrets The Cruise Lines Don’t Usually Tell You

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• P&O UK plans extensive drydock refurbishments for ships Arcadia...

P&O UK plans extensive drydock refurbishments for ships Arcadia and Aurora

P&O Cruises UK announced plans to revamp its Arcadia and Aurora ships with a multi-million-pound investment. 

The changes, due to be completed by May, include new chairs in all passenger staterooms, new furniture on all cabin balconies, as well as new furniture on the open deck areas of the liners.

On P&O Arcadia, the Neptune Pool will see investment in new tables, armchairs, lounge chairs, and sofas.

The wider refit of Arcadia will take place in November 2024, while Aurora’s refurbishment is scheduled for April 2025.

Paul Ludlow (P&O UK's President) said that Arcadia and Aurora were two of their "most beloved ships in the fleet offering guests a more intimate experience in stylish surroundings."

"After a busy season hosting guests on longer duration itineraries and world cruises, we will be making sure that both ships look their absolute finest ahead of the summer season."

P&O recently announced travel agent ship visits program will include time onboard Arcadia on August 29th.

• P&O Cruises ( UK )

P&O World Cruise 2024 - Red Sea Situation

By Cruise_Ready_59 , January 10 in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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Cruise_Ready_59

Hi, I'm currently scheduled to transit the Red Sea on Arcadia in early April 2024 (on the second half of the voyage starting Sydney). Given the almost daily missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea area at the moment I can't imagine P&O will be sending a big white ship complete with Union Jack livery through there anytime soon.

I cant get a meaningful response out of P&O as to whether the cruise will:   1) Continue as planned (unlikely)   2) Be cancelled (as other cruise lines have done)   3) Be re-routed via Africa (as at least one other cruise line has done)   4) Be cut short and guests flown home fron sat Sri Lanka or Singapore

I believe Arcadia set sail earlier this week on the first leg of the cruise to the USA and Caribbean.

Has anyone on this forum heard anything?   Have any world cruise passengers currently on board been informed of any changes to itinerary or have any information to share?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Link to comment

Share on other sites, goosebear mum.

It will be too early to know. I know one other cruise line, who have told their passengers that the final decision point will be India, as to whether they go via Africa or not. It’s still a long way away, 3 months. Tensions may have escalated, remained the same or (hopefully) reduced… 

Have you looked at the roll call for the world cruise? There might be some more information on there from passengers already on her (Yes, she left on Saturday).

molecrochip

19 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said: It will be too early to know. I know one other cruise line, who have told their passengers that the final decision point will be India, as to whether they go via Africa or not. It’s still a long way away, 3 months. Tensions may have escalated, remained the same or (hopefully) reduced…   

This is a fair summary of what will happen. An earlier decision may be taken if the situation worsens.

I do not believe 2 or 4 will happen as ship needs to return to the UK. If it’s not safe enough to sail with passengers, then it won’t be safe enough to transit the ship with just crew.

Thanks for all the replies, most helpful. Just one question in response to CarlaMarie, how do look at the 'roll call'?

yorkshirephil

8 minutes ago, Cruise_Ready_59 said: Thanks for all the replies, most helpful. Just one question in response to CarlaMarie, how do look at the 'roll call'?

J401 World Cruise 6 Jan 2024  

15 hours ago, yorkshirephil said: J401 World Cruise 6 Jan 2024  

• 3 weeks later...

Littleboatlady

In case you not heard, leave KL straight to Port Louis then to two stops in SA then Tenerife and home

2 minutes ago, Littleboatlady said: In case you not heard, leave KL straight to Port Louis then to two stops in SA then Tenerife and home

Thanks for the info. Can I ask where the info came from. Fully understand if you can't share

Info from P and O

Also look on the P&O Arcadia FB group, there is a discussion about the full changes.

Just now, AlexMcSpot said: Also look on the P&O Arcadia FB group, there is a discussion about the full changes.

Unfortunately, my access to P&O Arcadia FB is still 'Pending' so I can't look at the moment

I think the itinerary changes have just been announced by P&O and are are being sent out email to effected parties.

2 hours ago, Cruise_Ready_59 said: Unfortunately, my access to P&O Arcadia FB is still 'Pending' so I can't look at the moment

Me too. Mine has been pending for 2 days. Not sure why.  I have received  the p.o email as I was due to disembark in Dubai and had  booked a 3 day post cruise stay.  Now disembark Cape Town on 1st April. No update  about flight back to Manchester.  

Carnival have now changed all their cruises through the Red Sea, I expect there is a lot of relieved people out there and also apparently some, as usual, shouting for compensation. What would they rather do sail through the Red Sea with a big Union Jack painted on the bow, I think not 

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P&O Cruises confirms Arcadia tested for legionella after isolated case

Cruise line P&O has confirmed that an individual who travelled on its cruise ship Arcadia had later been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease.

But it denied speculation in online cruise passenger chat rooms that this was the reason for its summer of cancelled cruises.

In a statement, the cruise line repeated its earlier explanation that Arcadia had been taken out of service due to staff shortages caused by the COVID pandemic.

Arcadia has operated only one cruise this year, a 16-night round-trip to the Canaries, which left Southampton on 27 March, during which P&O announced the following seven cruises were cancelled.

In a cruise.co.uk chatroom, a user claimed that passengers on the cruise were told by the captain over the loudspeaker system that a worker on a pre-cruise had been diagnosed with Legionnaire’s Disease.

They were allegedly told ‘extensive testing’ of the water systems was taking place and that they would be given letters to take to their GPs if they developed symptoms.

P&O Cruises confirmed to Travel Gossip that it had tested its water across all areas of Arcadia ‘out of an abundance of caution’ after being informed that an individual who had travelled on the ship before its return to service was suffering from Legionnaires’ disease, which causes lung inflammation.

It is caused by the legionella bacteria, which breeds in water systems and can be caught when an individual inhales infected water particles.

Symptoms of legionnaire’s disease include headache, muscle aches, fever, a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and confusion.

P&O Cruises did not say if it had identified any legionella onboard Arcadia during its tests.

A spokesperson said: “In an abundance of caution, we undertook testing of the water on board Arcadia across all areas of the ship. This was due to an isolated case of Legionnaire’s disease having been identified in Southampton and the individual travelled on Arcadia for a few days prior to the ship’s return to service. No other guests or crew were affected.

“The cancellation of seven cruises on Arcadia was entirely unrelated. 

“The cancellations were a result of the extraordinary impact of COVID-19 in the UK, in the wider hospitality, service and airline industry as a whole which resulted in a temporary disruption to crewmembers available to join our ships. As a result, P&O Cruises re-deployed crew from Arcadia to other ships in the fleet. This was done in order to maintain the company’s high standards of service of which we are very proud, across the other five ships in the fleet.

“We believe this disruption with the hospitality and airline industry will abate by the end of June.”

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As the conflict in Ukraine continues, cruise line after cruise line has altered itineraries with stops in Russian ports or canceled voyages entirely.

Poseidon Expeditions is the latest addition to this list after a March 17 statement announcing that seven polar voyages are canceled for the summer. An additional four Arctic sailings have new itineraries. "The terrible situation in Ukraine makes planned operations in Russian waters untenable, and we cannot support promoting these trips in any way for the 2022 season," said Angelica Vorea, founder and CEO of parent company Poseidon Arctic Voyages, Ltd.

Carnival Cruise Line, Windstar, and Atlas Ocean Voyages were some of the first big names to announce that they scrapped all stops in St. Petersburg. Carnival announced via Twitter they will be swapping Russia out of all current cruise itineraries in the coming week "once alternative ports can be confirmed." In the same post, the cruise line's holding company, Carnival Corporation, stood by Ukraine in light of the attacks, declaring, "We stand for peace."

Royal Caribbean Group released a statement canceling stops in St. Petersburg for summer 2022 sailings for all its brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silver Sea. "We have planned alternative ports and will communicate itinerary changes in the next few days to our guests and travel partners. Guests can feel comfortable knowing they are able to reschedule their cruise with our Cruise with Confidence program," the statement read.

MSC Cruises, which had four ships scheduled to call in St. Petersburg beginning this May, announced it had suspended all Russian stops and was in negotiations for possible alternative options, including Stockholm, Helsinki, and Tallinn.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings also announced that they would remove Russian and Ukrainian ports from 2022 itineraries across their brands, including Norwegian, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas.

"It's disappointing because St. Petersburg is one of the crown jewels of the Scandinavian itineraries," said Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, during the company's earnings call last Thursday.

Regent Seven Seas had particularly significant plans for Russia this year, with several stacked itineraries, including the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, St. Petersburg, and Odessa, Ukraine. Norwegian Cruise Line canceled a majority of its Baltic sailings on the Norwegian Getaway. Some cruise lines are forgoing modification and canceling their itineraries outright. The luxury river cruise line, Scenic, scrapped all of its 2022 Russia cruises. Viking River Cruises canceled all Russian river cruises and its planned Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest routes this year due to the events. Russian stops on Viking's ocean itineraries will be modified, and impacted guests and travel advisors will be notified.

The cancellations add to the ripple effect Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused throughout the travel industry. Earlier in March, travel expert and television personality Rick Steves announced he would be canceling all Russian tours that his company, Rick Steves' Europe, had planned this year.

"Our mission ... is to help Americans better know and understand our neighbors through travel," Steves wrote in a blog post from late February. "But when we bring travelers to another country, we also bring their dollars—dollars that would support Putin's aggression. Therefore, as of today, we have canceled all 2022 tours that include a stop in Russia."

Cruise Industry News. " Poseidon Expeditions Cancels 2022 Russia, North Pole Programs. " March 17, 2022.

Travel Weekly. "Update: Cruise Lines Cancel Ukraine and Russia Calls." February 28, 2022.

Cruise Critic. "Cruise Lines Alter Russia Itineraries, Cancel Ports Due to Ukraine Conflict." March 15, 2022.

Reuters. "Norwegian Cruise Cancels Sailings to Russia, Ukraine Ports." February 24, 2022.

Travel Pulse. "Cruise Lines Cancel Scheduled Stops in Russia, Ukraine." February 25, 2022.

Viking River Cruises. " Updates on Current Sailings. " March 1, 2022.

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Carnival Cancels Family's $15k Cruise 2 Days Before Sailing and Something's Fishy

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When you book a cruise, you're never just booking a cruise. Unless you live in the port city, you've gotta arrange transportation, whether you're flying in or road-tripping it. You also have to take time off work, maybe figure out petsitting, buy new stuff for the trip... overall, it's a big investment of time and money. Now imagine doing all that work in preparation, getting more and more excited with each passing day, only to have your cruise vacation snatched away from you at the last minute.

Meet the Banks family, who booked a $15,000 deluxe cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines a year in advance only for Carnival to abruptly cancel their trip two days before departure. Tiffany Banks, who originally booked the trip, went into panic mode trying to save her cruise vacation, but the more she dug, the fishier things became.

According to Tiffany (aka @thathippiedoc ), they'd booked the Presidential Excel Suite, the largest room on the Carnival Celebration . Between the deluxe cruise cabin, port excursions , bonus perks, and flights, the family had invested nearly $15k into the whole vacation. So when Tiffany found out that her trip had been cancelled the same day they were supposed to fly out, she was "flabbergasted."

Related: Passenger's Angry Video Goes Viral After Norwegian Cruise Cancels Antarctic Itinerary Last-Minute

Tiffany's efforts to get answers from customer service only led to more questions. The service agents disagreed on whether their reservation had been deleted in their system or cancelled from the Banks' end. Allegedly, the "only" replacement the lead agent could offer was a pair of interior cabins- an embarassing downgrade from the Presidential Excel Suite. A full refund was not on the table, no matter how much Tiffany argued her case.

After getting nowhere over the phone, the Banks family still decided to fly down for a Florida vacation and make the most of a bad situation. However, Tiffany wanted to go to the port one last time and see if she couldn't find a Carnival rep to "make this right"- and that's when the plot thickened.

In a follow-up video , Tiffany claimed that the reps told her that she'd been the victim of identity theft. Someone from British Columbia made a fake profile, added the Banks' booking ID to their online account, and cancelled the cruise. She wasn't too happy with their final offer, either:

"They were offering me a $10,000 onboard credit for future use if I post on social media that there has been positive resolution, even after telling them multiple times that we're not interested in sailing with Carnival ever again," Tiffany claimed.

Who's Really at Fault?

Thousands online sympathized with Tiffany, who never got her refund from Carnival Cruise Lines even after she proved she didn't cancel her own reservation. However, a few people did a little extra digging. A few days after Tiffany's story went viral, TikTok user @cruisinwithjenn posted a video showing where Tiffany had publicly shared her cruise confirmation page on Facebook, inadvertently broadcasting her email and booking ID number to the world.

"Anyone can take this information and your last name and put it into 'Manage My Booking' on Carnival and access your cruise," said Jenn. "Should 'Manage My Booking' be fixed to prevent this- yes. Will it? Probably. But it's the guests responsibility to not post private info."

While Tiffany didn't deserve to be the victim of identity theft, her critcal lack of opsec might be why Carnival refuses to accept fault or issue a refund in her case. As Carnival wrote in a statement issued to LADbible :

"While we are not going to comment on any specific guest complaint or incident, it is never a good idea to post personal information about your travel plan, including a confirmation number for a booking, which could allow a bad actor or identify thief to use that information in inappropriate or even illegal ways."

I don't blame Tiffany for feeling burned by Carnival Cruise Lines, and even when calling Tiffany out, @cruisinwithjenn agreed that Carnival's "Manage My Booking" system is too easy for bad actors to take advantage of with limited information. But let this be a lesson to all prospective cruisers out there- you never know who might be trolling your public posts. Keep your private information close to your chest, and save the public posts for vacation photos instead!

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Family’s $15k carnival cruise vacation canceled just 2 days prior, without their knowledge, after sharing booking number on facebook.

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A Kentucky family’s $15,000 Carnival Cruise vacation they had been planning for a year was canceled just two days before the ship was set to sail after they accidentally shared their booking number online in a case of identity theft.

Tiffany Banks was devastated to learn that her trip aboard the Carnival Celebration ship with her husband and their four kids was canceled without her knowledge the day before the family was going to fly to Florida to leave on the boat.

Banks said in a series of TikTok videos that she had no idea their vacation, for which they had already paid in full, was trashed until she got an email about off-ship excursion cancellations and called to investigate.

A Carnival customer service representative told her that she had canceled her $12,000 reservation for the ship’s largest room — the Excel Presidential Suite — through the online system.

The mom and nurse practitioner said she went into “a full-blown panic” and she and her four kids were all in tears.

“We have nearly $15,000 tied up in for this vacation including excursions. The room itself was I think $12,000 or $13,000, and then we’ve got a few grand tied up in excursions, and actually with almost $2,000 for flights,” she said in a May 12 TikTok video.

Banks said she never canceled the trip and wondered if it was a system glitch.

Carnival said the room they had booked was now reserved by another customer and offered the family two interior rooms — the cheapest on the ship — instead, but the mom did not feel it was an adequate replacement.

Carnival also refused to offer a full refund as its cancellation policy states that no money will be returned within 15 days of the cruise date.

The family flew to Miami and tried to board the ship anyway, hoping for a last-minute solution, but were unable to get on and the ship sailed off without them, Banks said in a teary follow-up video.

They instead stayed at an Airbnb in the Sunshine State, hoping to make the best of their change of plans while the mom shared frustrating updates on TikTok.

In one clip, she responded to “haters” who accused her of hiding things or not sharing the full story.

“I’m an open book. I talk too much. I give out too much information — that’s just me naturally,” she said in remarks that would become an ironic prediction of what was to come in the saga.

A few days later, Carnival called Banks back with an explanation of how her long-awaited cruise trip was canned.

The cruise line told Banks that she was the “victim of a form of identity theft” but that there was no security breach on Carnival’s part, according to a recording of the call she shared on TikTok.

Banks and her husband accidentally shared their cruise booking reference number when posting a screenshot of an email with the countdown to their vacation on Facebook a few weeks out, according to the clip.

The same day they posted the booking number on Facebook, someone created an online Carnival account and added the number to their profile.

Then, 48 hours before the cruise sail date, the person canceled the family’s entire cabin booking, the Carnival rep told Banks in the recording.

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Banks said Carnival told her that it believes the IP address of the person who canceled was in British Columbia but it was unable to get an identity of the fraudster.

The company offered her future cruise credit for $10,404 contingent on the mom posting on social media “something to the effect of Carnival has now resolved the issue.”

But Banks said she wasn’t interested and questioned the ease with which someone was able to take over her booking with no verification process.

“We’re not sailing with Carnival ever again,” she said.

The Post reached out to Carnival but did not immediately receive a response.

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• Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

Celebrity's Journey to Moscow excursion

By psygist , March 7, 2012 in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

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I will be in St. Petersburg in June on a Celebrity ship. Having been there previously, we would like to do the Journey to Moscow excursion. Celebrity lists it in the shore excursion brochure for my sail date, but it has not been available for booking on their website.

I have called Celebrity twice and both times was told that even though it is listed in the shore excursion brochure, it probably isn't being offered since it is not listed for pre-booking on the website. I have emailed Celebrity twice and received a different response. They responded that they were still working with the tour provider on the details and is not yet available for pre-booking.

Anyone have any experience with this that could offer some advice? It's frustrating that cruise line agents can be so misinformed and inconsistent in what they tell us.

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I will be in St. Petersburg in June on a Celebrity ship. Having been there previously, we would like to do the Journey to Moscow excursion. Celebrity lists it in the shore excursion brochure for my sail date, but it has not been available for booking on their website. I have called Celebrity twice and both times was told that even though it is listed in the shore excursion brochure, it probably isn't being offered since it is not listed for pre-booking on the website. I have emailed Celebrity twice and received a different response. They responded that they were still working with the tour provider on the details and is not yet available for pre-booking. Anyone have any experience with this that could offer some advice? It's frustrating that cruise line agents can be so misinformed and inconsistent in what they tell us.

Having done this one-day trip to Moscow and back on another cruise while in St. Petersburg, I might be able to share some insight. First, from dealing with some Celebrity folks about Europe options, certain of them are limited in their personal experiences and knowledge about this part of the world. Shouldn't be this way, but it is. They know more on the familiar Carib options as that is what is both closer and for which they get more of their calls/question. If they haven't done it, nor is is clear on their computer screen, they can't be of much help.

Second, that excursion to Moscow has been "evolving" during the past few years as they have switched from doing it by air flights to connection by high-speed rail. On trips like this one that is more costly and highly specialized, you will probably need to "press and push" to reach someone who is more likely to know this somewhat of a "needle in the haystack".

It's sad that you've gotten the "run-around", but sometimes the staff is not as informed and experienced as you would like, expect and need.

Do you need any background info for what you would see and do in Moscow , how it works, etc.???

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik . Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 68,189 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

What you said makes perfect sense. Thanks.

I also looked into doing this tour privately, but one tour provider informed me there were no available trains or planes to fit my ship's time in port. We will be there on a weekend so its possible that transportation does not run as frequent. I just wish Celebrity could get their act together and tell me definitively whether they will be offering the Moscow excursion.

Terry, What you said makes perfect sense. Thanks. I also looked into doing this tour privately, but one tour provider informed me there were no available trains or planes to fit my ship's time in port. We will be there on a weekend so its possible that transportation does not run as frequent. I just wish Celebrity could get their act together and tell me definitively whether they will be offering the Moscow excursion. Paul

If your cruise puts you into St. Petersburg on a weekend, that could be another complicating factor. Openings at certain places, rail schedules, etc., could be different for some days of the week. It is possible to do the Moscow trip by some private tour companies, but if there are any weather and/or scheduling complications, that could make things more difficult. Doing it through the cruise ship, makes it "their" problem, not yours!!

Doing the one-day trip to Moscow is very interesting and special. Lots of cruise lines do it now and have the practice down to a "science". BUT, that weekend timing could be delaying their finalization some on schedules.

• 3 weeks later...

I will be in St. Petersburg in June on a Celebrity ship. Having been there previously, we would like to do the Journey to Moscow excursion. Celebrity lists it in the shore excursion brochure for my sail date, but it has not been available for booking on their website.   I have called Celebrity twice and both times was told that even though it is listed in the shore excursion brochure, it probably isn't being offered since it is not listed for pre-booking on the website. I have emailed Celebrity twice and received a different response. They responded that they were still working with the tour provider on the details and is not yet available for pre-booking.   Anyone have any experience with this that could offer some advice? It's frustrating that cruise line agents can be so misinformed and inconsistent in what they tell us.

I was able to book this for a June cruise in the past few days. If you look carefully in the fine print for the excursion, I believe it is because you have to begin the online check-in process since they need your passport/ID information before you can book this excursion. Try to do as much of the online check-in as you can, and I think it should appear for purchase.

It would be nice to know what the actual schedule for the Moscow excursion is. I don't believe it is actually 18.5 hours, but that is just to make sure that you can't book anything else on that day.

I was finally able to book the tour online. They just made it available for online booking the other day. I sure hope they reach the minimum number of guests so it isn't cancelled.

Not sure why it leaves at 9:30. If it indeed is an 18.5 hour tour, we won't get back until 4 am.

I was able to book this for a June cruise in the past few days. If you look carefully in the fine print for the excursion, I believe it is because you have to begin the online check-in process since they need your passport/ID information before you can book this excursion. Try to do as much of the online check-in as you can, and I think it should appear for purchase.   It would be nice to know what the actual schedule for the Moscow excursion is. I don't believe it is actually 18.5 hours, but that is just to make sure that you can't book anything else on that day.

It looks like Celebrity edited the description to say that, for those excursions on a weekend, the actual tour will be shortened by about 2 hours due to less traffic on a weekend.

Terry (or anyone who has been on the Journey to Moscow excursion before):

Can you give me a little detail on the itinerary? The tour description says that we will have a walking tour of Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as visits to the Armoury and one of the Kremlin cathedrals. Was wondering what other Moscow sights we will get to see. Or will the rest be in the form of a panoramic bus tour? Any opportunity for souvenir shopping?

Thanks for any insights you can offer.

• 1 month later...

This was just cancelled for my cruise :( Didn't meet the minimum number of people interested in going.

There might be some options through private tour companies. We used Anastasia for our part in St. Petersburg, but she is doing these Moscow arrangements for friends, two couples, from here in Central Ohio, in late June. I would contact a couple of key, experiences firms such as Anastasia, see what she and others can offer to make this one-day train trip over and back.

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik . Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 82,951 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 70,872 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Which sailing are you on that the Moscow excursion was cancelled? I booked it for my Eclipse cruise June 23 sailing and haven't heard anything

• 2 months later...

soakedbythesea

You have probably figured out now that not only excursions, but many other things aboard ship are misleading, if not downright fraudulent. The ship crew, staff and clerks are all going to do pretty much what they want to, but not only on the Royal Caribbean's Celebrity brand, but almost all cruise ships - the captain can almost get away with murder. Aren't you glad you don't have to work on one of these vessels? Also make sure you don't get involved in any type of dispute, as even some crime gets swept under the ship - well, not all, like the Costa that crashed & tipped over, but not sure even then much will happen, as all passengers signed all their rights away before they got on board.

Hope you have enjoyed your cruise by now and maybe look back here on the board. About the only way to get any knowledge about the ships, excursions, etc. is through sites like this.

As we are sailing a year from now on Celebrity Constellation - Aug 12, we were wondering too about shows aboard, excursions (both ship and private), if you ever got to Moscow, etc. Please write to us at:

john at shifferds dot com - thanks

• 5 months later...

Ywlke,   Which sailing are you on that the Moscow excursion was cancelled? I booked it for my Eclipse cruise June 23 sailing and haven't heard anything

We will be in St. Petersburg in July and want to take Celebrity's tour to Moscow. Please let us know if you liked it or not and how long it was. This is going to be our second time in St. Petersburg but will like to take a private tour on day #2. Did you do something the day after your Moscow tour? We are traveling with our teenagers and worry about them being too tired :rolleyes:

• 6 months later...

Kevin's girl

I thought I would bump this up. We will be on the Brilliance this time next year and are very interested in doing this our. Are there still people out there that have done it? I would love to hear what you thought of the tour, the travel part and what you were able to see while in Moscow. Was it worth the price?

I thought I would bump this up. We will be on the Brilliance this time next year and are very interested in doing this our. Are there still people out there that have done it? I would love to hear what you thought of the tour' date=' the travel part and what you were able to see while in Moscow. Was it worth the price?[/quote'] We just did this tour and really liked it, but this was our second time in St. Petersburg. If this is your first time there I don't know if it's the best choice. You spend most of the day in airports and buses. Our meeting time at the ship was 6:45 AM, followed by a 45 min. long drive to the airport. Then we had to wait for a 10:00 AM one hour flight to Moscow. As you can see we arrived after 11:00 AM followed by another 30 minutes ride to the city. We were taken to the Red Square, to take a subway ride, followed by a coffee and tea break, then to the Kremlin armory museum (where we spend most of our time), also visited the Cathedral of the Annunciation, and back to the Red Square. Were only given half hour for shopping, followed by a really long dinner at a local restaurant. Our flight back to St. Petersburg departed half hour late, arriving at 11:30 PM. It took a while for the bus to pick us up, another 45 min. drive to the port and we were at our rooms by 1:00 AM. This means that if you want to see St. Petersburg the next day, you are going to be really tired. BTW, I'm not complaining, this tour was so popular on our cruise that they had two groups for the first time. Most of my friends were on that group and they had the worst time. Their flight left earlier than ours and although they were taken to more places than us, they ended up on a later flight and arrived in St. Petersburg after 12:30 AM. The problem was that the tour company knew that they were not going to make it on time to the bridges that connect the city to the area where the ship docks. The elevated bridges go up at 1:30 AM in the morning and are taken back after 5:00 AM. Can you believe that our tour guide made fun of the fact that the other bus was not going to make it on time? It was really frustrating for them to watch the bridges go up in front of their eyes. They finally found online a bridge that goes down for periods of 15 min. and were able to go back to the ship after 3:00 AM. Some of them couldn't make it to their tours the next day. Remember, this is Russia, if you don't make it to your tour the next day, you won't be able to leave the ship. My friends tried to take a taxi and catch up with us, but their visa stated a 9:00AM pick up time and had to stay on the ship. We liked our tour, but it is up to you to decide if it's worth it. The time that you actually spend in Moscow is really limited. If by any chance you are given a late flight on your way back, start screaming and demand an earlier flight. The tour company hired by Celebrity is going to buy the cheapest flights to make more money. Just my two cents. I tried to research this tour before our cruise and didn't find too much information. Hope this helps. BTW, I was concern about the planes used for the flights, if you are too, don't be. The flight was great and were even given a sandwich with juice or water. I do have to say that we felt that we were on a PanAm 1970's flight. The attendants were all really young, skinny and beautiful, wore heavy make up and complicated hair styles. I was also not impressed by either St. Petersburg or Moscow's airports. No restrooms close to the gates, two flights leaving at the same time through the same gate, just a mess!! Before our tour I couldn't understand how Edward Snowden could hide for such a long time on an airport, after visiting Moscow's international airport it just made sense. Hope you enjoy your Baltic cruise.

Thanks for the details. I was quite curious about it. Unfortunately it doesn't sound like you got to see so much there. Fortunately as you say it was your second time in SPB, so you can compare and see the differences between the cities. They are very different.

On our Celebrity cruise, it was sold out, but I didn't come across anyone who took the tour to find out their experiences.

drarill, I had to laugh at the comment about how Snowden was able to hide in the airport ... I had wondered the same thing, but now we know!! LOL

We just did this tour and really liked it, but this was our second time in St. Petersburg. If this is your first time there I don't know if it's the best choice. You spend most of the day in airports and buses. Our meeting time at the ship was 6:45 AM, followed by a 45 min. long drive to the airport. Then we had to wait for a 10:00 AM one hour flight to Moscow. As you can see we arrived after 11:00 AM followed by another 30 minutes ride to the city. We were taken to the Red Square, to take a subway ride, followed by a coffee and tea break, then to the Kremlin armory museum (where we spend most of our time), also visited the Cathedral of the Annunciation, and back to the Red Square. Were only given half hour for shopping, followed by a really long dinner at a local restaurant. Our flight back to St. Petersburg departed half hour late, arriving at 11:30 PM. It took a while for the bus to pick us up, another 45 min. drive to the port and we were at our rooms by 1:00 AM. This means that if you want to see St. Petersburg the next day, you are going to be really tired. BTW, I'm not complaining, this tour was so popular on our cruise that they had two groups for the first time. Most of my friends were on that group and they had the worst time. Their flight left earlier than ours and although they were taken to more places than us, they ended up on a later flight and arrived in St. Petersburg after 12:30 AM. The problem was that the tour company knew that they were not going to make it on time to the bridges that connect the city to the area where the ship docks. The elevated bridges go up at 1:30 AM in the morning and are taken back after 5:00 AM. Can you believe that our tour guide made fun of the fact that the other bus was not going to make it on time? It was really frustrating for them to watch the bridges go up in front of their eyes. They finally found online a bridge that goes down for periods of 15 min. and were able to go back to the ship after 3:00 AM. Some of them couldn't make it to their tours the next day. Remember, this is Russia, if you don't make it to your tour the next day, you won't be able to leave the ship. My friends tried to take a taxi and catch up with us, but their visa stated a 9:00AM pick up time and had to stay on the ship. We liked our tour, but it is up to you to decide if it's worth it. The time that you actually spend in Moscow is really limited. If by any chance you are given a late flight on your way back, start screaming and demand an earlier flight. The tour company hired by Celebrity is going to buy the cheapest flights to make more money. Just my two cents. I tried to research this tour before our cruise and didn't find too much information. Hope this helps. BTW, I was concern about the planes used for the flights, if you are too, don't be. The flight was great and were even given a sandwich with juice or water. I do have to say that we felt that we were on a PanAm 1970's flight. The attendants were all really young, skinny and beautiful, wore heavy make up and complicated hair styles. I was also not impressed by either St. Petersburg or Moscow's airports. No restrooms close to the gates, two flights leaving at the same time through the same gate, just a mess!! Before our tour I couldn't understand how Edward Snowden could hide for such a long time on an airport, after visiting Moscow's international airport it just made sense. Hope you enjoy your Baltic cruise.

Thank you for posting your experience. You have given me a lot to think about. It just seemed like a good idea, now I need to think really hard about it. I would hate to have our second day messed up in SPB.

We did Celebrity's Journey to Moscow excursion in July 2012. We had been to St. Petersburg before so decided to do something different. Interestingly, this excursion had been cancelled on some of the previous cruises that summer as a result of not enough people signed up. There were about 20 people on our excursion.

In a nutshell, I recommend the excursion and would do it again, but there are some caveats:

1. I would probably not go to Moscow if this was my first time visiting St. Petersburg. SP is full of wonderful sites so I would spend my two port days there seeing all the city sites, including the Hermitage, as well as visiting one of the palaces outside the city.

2. If you go to Moscow and plan on taking a tour in SP the next day, be aware (as someone else posted) that the tour returns to the ship very late and you might have difficulty getting up early enough the next morning for your SP tour. Our flight didn't land back in SP until after midnight and we were unable to cross the bridges before they rose. We didn't return back to the ship until after 2am, but because we anticipated that this might happen, we booked an afternoon private car in SP. We actually ended up enjoying being out late in SP with the bridges up as our bus and guide drove us around the city late at night and it was a surreal experience, especially during the white nights of summer.

3. We thought the time in Moscow could have been better organized, allowing us more time to see Red Square and the Kremlin buildings, but we were prevented from doing so due to horrendous traffic around Moscow, a very long-winded local tour guide, and too much time spent stopping for a coffee break (which was entirely unnecessary IMO). We also had almost no time to shop and the time spent in Red Square was much too short. Again, I mostly blamed this on our guide who talked too much rather than allowing us free time to wander around. I ditched the guide and our group before we were actually dismissed for free time so that I could wander around Red Square and make a few purchases from a street artist (local art and crafts on the street are of high quality and inexpensive IMO).

4. The dinner, while served in a beautiful, elegant setting, was mediocre at best. Lots of alcohol, but I've had better beef stroganoff in a school cafeteria.

Having provided you with these caveats, I still would take the tour again. It was a fascinating and magical experience. From the very interesting airport and airplane experience, to having the opportunity to visit the Kremlin sites and Red Square, it was worth it for us. It was a whirlwind of a tour, lasting about 18 hours from the time we left the ship until we returned.

I hope this helps others make a decision about this tour.

• 3 years later...

I was finally able to book the tour online. They just made it available for online booking the other day. I sure hope they reach the minimum number of guests so it isn't cancelled.   Not sure why it leaves at 9:30. If it indeed is an 18.5 hour tour, we won't get back until 4 am.

We are on May 21, 2017 Eclipse and want to do the same tour.

There are several trains per day even on weekends and holidays. If it is the weekend I would say you are better off flying as traffic will be a little better than on a weekday especially in the morning. There are probably several flights an hour. The train is modern and comfortable but not especially scenic.

Since you need a visa anyway you could also consider arranging a Moscow tour guide to meet you at the airport and arrange your own transport to Moscow. An airport taxi should be easy to arrange in St Petersburg or use Uber. Aeroflot tickets are easy to buy online.

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There is nothing more typically Russian than a Matryoshka. It embodies the fact that there’s always something deeper to be found in every aspect of Russian life. Learning the traditional designs and techniques used to decorate these iconic dolls offers a pleasant diversion and some cathartic creativity!

Superb Service & Dining

Our restaurant serves the highest standard of international cuisine, freshly made by our Cordon Bleu Chef. Choose either a sumptuous buffet or set menu for lunch while dinner is always four or five courses with full service. High praise for the exquisite quality of meals is yet another constantly recurring feature in feedback from our guests.

Meet the Professor

From the Mongol hordes to Soviet times, Russia’s history is, like all of Europe’s, a complex web of political intrigue, war and peace, trade and treaties, as well as heroes and villains. Academics devote whole lifetimes to studying Russia’s long past and one of them presents a series of lectures shedding light on everything from Gorbachev to Chekhov, Khrushchev to Ivan the Terrible and of course, contemporary Russia. Our Professor is on board throughout the river cruise for informal conversation.

Beginner’s Russian

The Russian language can be rather beautiful and poetic and we know that many seasoned travelers enjoy trying their hand at different languages. Our onboard teachers provide an introduction to the riches of Russian, so guests can try out a few useful words and phrases on real Russians during the exciting river tours from Moscow to St. Petersburg or from Moscow to Volgograd!

Russian tea tasting

The drink we tend to associate with Russia is vodka, but tea, in fact, is the much more universal beverage of choice throughout the country. Guests will get acquainted with the Russian tea etiquette, a fundamental component of the country's social culture, and enjoy the traditional tea ceremony while cruising from St. Petersburg to Moscow or taking a Grand Volga river tour.

Russian Dinner & Vodka Tasting

All our dining is international but for Russian Dining night, the Chef includes a selection of traditional Russian dishes: Chicken Kiev, Kulebyaka and no Russian table is complete without Borsch. To add to the ‘Taste of Russia’ optional Russian dress, or at least a touch of Russian style, is provided along with enthusiastic help from our staff!

Russian Cooking Class

A plate of pelmeni might not look like much to the untrained eye, but it forms the heart of Russian cuisine and culture. Basically, it's a type of dumpling: small portions of meat and onion wrapped in a thin sheet of unleavened dough and boiled, a little like ravioli. Guests can join a Russian cooking class onboard the MS Volga Dream to learn how to cook this delicious Russian dish.

Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov Piano Recital

Some of the greatest classical music ever written comes from Russia. It’s hard to imagine a more fitting stage for a virtuoso solo recital by our resident concert pianist than the mighty Volga or a better backdrop than the heart of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov’s own serene homeland.

Russian River Cruise Aboard Volga Dream

Moscow to St. Petersburg

Why Volga Dream

Family Owned & Operated

MS Volga Dream is Russia’s only family-owned river cruise ship. She can accommodate up to 100 guests, far fewer than most other cruise ships on the river making for a uniquely friendly and intimate atmosphere aboard.

Five-Star Central Hotels

We at Volga Dream are completely convinced that, our guests should stay in great 5-star hotels in Moscow and St. Petersburg within comfortable walking distance of all the major attractions, theaters and restaurants, rather than having to waste time in traffic.

Luxurious Accommodation

The MS Volga Dream is the most intimate and elegant 5-star cruise vessel in Russia. She boasts 56 cabins, all river facing, ranging from comfortable Standard Cabins to spacious Junior Suites and the luxurious forward facing Owner's Suite.

Russian Cultural Experience

Explore Russia's past with the help of professional tour guides. Our on-board program includes fascinating talks on Russian history and politics, Russian language lessons, a festival of Russian cuisine (including vodka tasting!), and much more.

Gourmet Dining

Our on board restaurant serves international cuisine to the highest standard, all freshly made by our Cordon Bleu Chef. For Russian Dining night, he prepares a selection of traditional Russian dishes: Chicken Kiev, Kulebyaka and Borsch.

Tailored Service

All our service crew members are native Russians who are fluent in English and handpicked by the Owner. Proudly, the Volga Dream is famous for her hard working and very hospitable personnel who take care of every aspect of your life aboard.

Download Our Brochure

It's never been easier to plan your next holiday in Russia. Download our free brochure to learn more about authentic Russian river cruises.

Escape the hassle and bustle and add a satisfyingly informative element to your trip and bring together a colorful mosaic of people, history, traditions,  religion, music and art. These are the many strands that time has woven into what is known today as Russia.

What people are saying

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