ST PERTESBURG TO
ASTRAKHAN CRUISE ITINERARIES
22 DAYS / 21 NIGHTS
DAY
LOCATION
2008 PROGRAM
ARRIVAL
DEPARTURE
1
St. Petersburg
Arrival, embarkation, dinner and overnight.
2
St. Petersburg
City
tour. Enjoy the extravagant baroque architecture of the
city center, Nevsky Prospect, Palace Square and Smolny
Convent. Visit the Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral
of Sts. Peter and Paul with the tombs of the imperial Romanovs
beneath its 122-meter spire. Lunch, dinner
3
St. Petersburg
6:00pm
This morning, visit the many
wonders of the elegant Winter Palace, which today houses
the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest art and cultural
museums in the world. This afternoon in St. Petersburg you
may explore on your own. Whatever your interest, our local
hosts ease your way by making all arrangements for tours
to help you enjoy your stay to the fullest. This evening
you leave St. Petersburg for the start of your cruise. Lunch,
dinner.
4
Mandrogi
11:00am
3:00pm
Arrival at the river village.
This is a recreational stop, specially designed for you to
enjoy the relaxing rustic atmosphere and famous Russian cuisine
and hospitality. Lunch, dinner..
5
Kizhi
8:00am
noon
Arrive at the island of Kizhi
? an architectural gem within Lake Onega. The island is famous
for its wonderful collection of 18th-century wooden buildings,
restored to their original state. The highlight of Kizhi
is the amazing Church of the Transfiguration, with its 22
onion domes; this magnificent structure was built entirely
without a single nail. Lunch and dinner on board.
6
Goritsy
1:00pm
5:00pm
Visit Cyrilo-Belozersky Monastery,
which has six centuries of glorious history, home to the
most exquisite icon collection in the world. Lunch and dinner
on board
7
Uglich
11:30am
2:30pm
Take a walking tour of this
lovely 10th-century town - one of Russia's most ancient.
Visit the Kremlin, with its 16th-century Church of the Transfiguration.
Explore the Flea Market. Lunch and dinner on board.
8
Moscow
3:00pm
Arrival in Moscow. Sightseeing
motor coach tour of this ancient Russian capital, including
Tverskaya Street, Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, Bolshoi
Theater and Moscow State University for a panoramic view
of the city. Visit to Novodevichiy Convent. Lunch, dinner.
9
Moscow
5:30pm
Morning
tour of the Kremlin: Originally a fortress, it comprises
beautiful cathedrals, ornate palaces and government buildings.
Use free time this afternoon to explore Moscow on your
own. Whatever your interest, our local hosts ease your
way by making all arrangements for tours, theater, ballet
or opera tickets. Lunch and dinner aboard.
10
Myshkin
6:30pm
9:30pm
City
tour. Mouse museum.Arrival in Myshkin. A small provincial
town with unusual name Myshkin (in Russian a Mouse's town)
is situated on the Volga river 100 km from Yaroslavl. It
is surrounded by a pine forest. It is a quiet town with
no factories and plants, and 6 thousand people live there.
Walking City Tour. Visit to Mouse's Museum Lunch and dinner
aboard.
11
Yaroslavl.
8:00am
10:00pm
After
breakfast today, tour of Yaroslavl, founded in the 11th
century by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The city tour includes
the 16th-century Monastery of the Transfiguration and Church
of Elijah the Prophet. Lunch and dinner on board
12
Kostroma
8:00am
10:00pm
Today
explore the City of Kostroma. Located on the left bank
of the Volga River, it abounds in magnificent monuments
of old architecture. Its picturesque suburbs have long
been a source of inspiration for many Russian artists.
Lunch and dinner on board.
13
Nizhnii Novgorod
3:00
pm
6:00
pm
Take
a city tour of Nizhniy Novgorod. Although the word Novgorod
means "a new city",
it is one of the oldest Russian cities. In a sense, Russian
history began here. It was the first permanent settlement
of the Varangian Norsemen who established the embryonic Russian
State. Lunch and dinner on board.
14
Cheboksary
2:00
pm
10:00
pm
In
the afternoon, arrive in the capital of Chuvashia Repuplic.
Tcheboksary has a rich historical past. Founded in 1781,
it served as fortress outpost for Moscow Principality.
The city is well known for its architectural landmarks,
including the 17th century Vvedensky Cathidral. Enjoy your
city tour. Lunch and dinner on board.
15
Kazan
2:00pm
9:00pm
Today explore the capital
of Tatar Republic. The capital of Tatar Republic was founded
in the 13th century by Mongols, who had occupied Russia.
In the 15th and 16th centuries Kazan became one of the principal
cities of the mighty Golden Horde (Tatar) Empire. The city
was conquered and almost destroyed in 1552 by Ivan the Terrible,
who forced the Muslim khan to become Christian and forced
Tatars to the country's borders. Later Kazan flourished as
a gateway to Siberia. The city has preserved many of its
ancient buildings, including the remarkable Kazan Kremlin,
the Cathedral of the Annunciation, and the striking Syuyumbike
Tower named after a long-suffering princess who was married
to three successive khans. Lunch and dinner on board.
Optional:Raiffa Monastery.
16
Ulyanovsk
9:00am
6:00
pm
After
breakfast enjoy the city tour of Ulyanovsk. Ulyanovsk,
formerly Simbirsk, is
a city on the Volga River 893 km east from Moscow. It is
the administrative center of, and the birthplace of Vladimir
Lenin). In 1648, the boyar Bogdan Khitrovo founded a frontier
fort of "Simbirsk" or "Sinbirsk" on top
of the hill on the Western bank of the Volga River, designed
to protect the eastern edge of the growing Russian Empire
from the nomadic Nogais and to establish a foothold in the
area. In 1924, the city was renamed Ulyanovsk in honor of
its recently-deceased most famous son Vladimir Ulyanov, better
known as Lenin, who was born there. Ulyanovsk is a significant
industrial city. It is home to UAZ, a large automobile manufacturing
plant, and Aviastar-SP, an airplane plant. Lunch and dinner
on board.
17
Samara
9:00am
1:00pm
Today enjoy the city tour
of Samara, the sixth-largest city in Russia. It is situated
in the southeastern part of European Russia, the administrative
center of Samara Oblast. It was founded in 1586 as a defense
outpost, a fortress, and later grew into a major grain-trading
center for the Volga region. It was renamed after the Soviet
politician Valerian Kuybyshev under Soviet rule, but returned
to its historical name after the fall of Communism. Now it
is a large social, economic, industrial and cultural center
of European Russia. Lunch and dinner on board.
Optional:Stalin's Bunker.
18
Saratov
11:00am
2:00pm
Take
the afternoon tour of Saratov City. The name Saratov may
be conjectured to derive
from theTurkic words Saryk Atov which means 'hawks' island'.
Another version of the name origin is "Sary Tau" meaning
Yellow Mountain in Tatar language as the city is surrounded
by a few sandy hills. Saratov became an important shipping
port in the 1800s, and developed industrially after a railroad
linking it to Moscow was finished in 1870. From Soviet times
until 1991, Saratov was a "closed city", strictly
off limits to all foreigners. Situated on the Volga River,
this was a major military aircraft manufacturing site, the
home of the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, and a vital
part of the Soviet space program. Lunch and dinner on board.
19
Volgograd
9:00am
3:00am
The
new day brings you to the new city to explore. Volgograd
originated with the foundation in 1589 of the fortress
of Tsaritsyn at the confluence of the Tsaritsa and Volga
Rivers. The fortress, which took its name from the local
name Sary Su was established to defend the unstable southern
border of Tsarist Russia and became the nucleus of a trading
settlement. The city was the scene of heavy fighting during
the Russian Civil War After its recapture, it was renamed
Stalingrad (literally: "Stalin city") in 1925.
Under Stalin, the city became heavily industrialized and
was developed as a centre of heavy industry and trans-shipment
by rail and river. During World war 2, the city of Stalingrad
became the center of the Battle of Stalingrad as well as
the pivotal turning point in the war against Germany. Visit
the mamaev Kurgan, a hill that saw some of the most intense
fighting during the battle. Lunch and dinner on board.
Optional:Military Cemetery in Rossoshki.
20
Sailing
Breakfast aboard. Enjoy your
last day of cruising. Onboard entertainment, lectures, movies,
dancing. Lunch and dinner aboard.
21
Astrakhan
Arrive at your final destination-the
city of Astrakhan. Astrakhan is situated in the Volga Delta,
rich in sturgeons and exotic plants. It was the capital of
Astrakhan Khanate. The ruins of this medieval settlement
were found by archaeologists 12 km upstream from the modern-day
city.In 1556, the khanate was conquered by Ivan the Terrible,
who had a new fortress built on a steep hill overlooking
the Volga. In1569, Astrakhan was besieged by the Ottoman
army, which had to retreat in disarray. A year later, the
Sultan renounced his claims to Astrakhan, thus opening the
entire Volga River to Russian traffic. In the 17 crntury,
the city was developed as a Russian gate to the Orient. Many
merchants from Armernia,Persia, and Khiva settled in the
downtown, giving it a multinational and variegated character.
Lunch and farewell dinner aboard.
22
Astrakhan
Time to bid farewell to your new friends
after your.
2008 TERMS AND CONDITIONS Prices are in Australian Dollars
THE
RATES INCLUDES:
• Accommodations in all outside
stateroom, each with private bathroom facilities,
individual temperature control and large picture window
• Three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) per day in
the ship's restaurant with the same menu for all
passengers irrespective of cabin category; meal service begins
with dinner on day of embarkation and ends with
breakfast on day of disembarkation.
• Captain’s welcome Cocktail Reception
• Gala farewell Dinner aboard
• Full sightseeing programs in each of the ports of call.
• English-speaking guide assistance
• Lectures on Russian History and Culture.
• Russian language and songs lessons
• Nightly entertainment and dancing.
• Daily aerobics
• Tour of the ship’s bridge.
• Our cruise director and professional staff.
• Visa support letter (if you process your visa with
us)
• Luggage handling to/from your cabin aboard the ship
• Cruise documents in electronic format
THE
RATES DO NOT INCLUDE:
• Baggage:
excess baggage, forwarding of baggage.
• Medical insurance,
• Trip cancellation insurance
• Visas
• Visa support
•
Gratuities: gratuities for Cruise director, crew members,
guides and drivers are not included and are at passenger’s
discretion.
• Private transfers
• Miscellaneous: Items of a personnel nature such as laundry,
bar charges, beauty salon, telephone cable charges and
medical services are not included.
NOTE:
• All the prices and schedules are subject to change. All
taxes and surcharges are additional.
• Air is available upon request. For more information,
please call us.
• Please be informed that all pre/post cruise services,
arrival/departure transfers, hotel accommodation, additional
excursions, etc. can be arranged by us.
RESPONSIBILITY:
Imperial River Cruises, hereafter referred to as the tour
operator, and/or the travel agent, acts only as intermediary
and agent for various steamship companies, airlines, hotels,
transport and sightseeing companies who provide the cruise,
tour, accommodations and other services described. This
agency, therefore, shall not be responsible for breach of
contract or any intentional or careless actions, errors
or omissions on part of such suppliers which result in any
loss, damage, delay or injury to you or your travel companions
or group members. Travel agency shall not be responsible
for any injuries, damage or losses caused to any travel
in connection with terrorist activities, social or labor
unrest, mechanical or construction conditions or developments,
or any other actions, errors, omissions, or conditions outside
the travel agency's control. By embarking upon his/her travel
the traveler voluntary assumes all risk involved in such
travel, whether expected or unexpected. Traveler is hereby
warned of such risk, and is advised to obtain appropriate
insurance coverage against them. Your retention of tickets,
reservations or bookings after issuance shall constitute
consent to the above, and an agreement on your part to convey
the contents hereto to your travel companions or group members.
Imperial River Cruises reserves the right to withdraw and/or
to cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and
accommodations whenever, in its sole judgment, conditions
warrant it. The tour operator reserves the right to not
accept, nor retain any individual for any reason, including
but not limited to those of passenger's health, general
deportment or attitude infringing upon safety of fellow
passengers or service personnel. Any additional costs incurred
as the result of such behavior shall be the sole responsibility
of the passenger. Baggage is carried at the owner's risk
and baggage insurance is recommended. The issuance and acceptance
of tickets and vouchers shall be deemed to be consent to
the above conditions.
ALL PRICES, TARIFFS, ITINERARIES AND SCHEDULES in this brochure
are in effect at time of printing, and are subject to change
without notice. Unless the price is specifically stated
in writing on your voucher, invoice or reservation itinerary,
we do not guarantee any suppliers' rates, bookings or reservation.
Air inclusive packages do not include US air travel and
other taxes and fees.
RESERVATIONS, DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS:
Reservations
should be made as early as possible to guarantee desired
departure dates. Deposit of 40% of
the total cruise is required at the time of booking
to obtain confirmed reservations. When more than one
cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply
per cruise. The balance is due within 90 days prior
to the departure date. Upon receiving full payment
you will receive an cruise confirmation documents.
Do not forget to take these documents with you. We
reserve the right to re-invoice your reservation should
an error be made in computing your package price.
PAYMENT CONDITIONS
To
guarantee space, 40% of
the cruise price non refundable deposit is required.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:
Trip
cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. Conditions
of cancellation All requests for cancellations and
refunds must be made in writing to Imperial River
Cruises.
The
following fees will apply:
Cancellation
received 90 or more days prior to departure 40%
Cancellation
received 89-60 days prior to departure - 70
% of
the cruise price
Cancellation
received 59-30 days prior to departure - 90
% of
the cruise price
Cancellation
recieved less than 30 days prior to departure - no
refund
If
you accept a refund, you waive all other rights and remedies
under applicable law. Trip cancellation insurance is
strongly recommended.
Unused
Features - We regret not being able to issue refunds
for voluntary absences from itinerary services including
but not limited to meals and/or sightseeing. Once cruise
or tour program has commenced, there will be no refund
for unused features or services, or any portion of cruise
or tour not taken due to passenger's cancellation.
CHANGES TO ITINERARIES AND PROGRAMS:
Imperial
River Cruises will make every effort to operate all cruises
and tours as described. However, due to unforeseen circumstances,
we reserve the right to make such changes as are deemed
necessary. In addition, if the ship-owner/supplier or
tour operator cancels or postpones any scheduled sailing
or tour, the participants will receive refund according
to the supplier company's rules.
SPECIAL REQUESTS:
Special
request should be submitted at the time of booking. These
requests are outside of our control and therefore cannot
be guaranteed.
CHANGE FEES:
A minimum processing fee of
$52 per person will be charged for each change to the original booking.
INSURANCE:
Baggage, health and trip cancellation insurance is available
through Imperial River Cruises or your travel agent and strongly
recommended. Once purchased, insurance is non-refundable.
CRUISE DOCUMENTS:
Cruise document packet will be sent 14 days before departure.
If you request that your documents must be sent earlier, your
cruise confirmation can be mailed at the time the full payment
received.
YOUNG TRAVELERS:
Travelers who are under 18 years of age must be accompanied
by an adult.
