Just over half a month remains until the opening of cruise navigation in Russia, scheduled for April 30. Ahead of this event, Infoflot Cruise Center has found out where Russian cruise enthusiasts will be traveling for the May holidays.
As they told According to the company's TRN portal, this year's May holiday break will allow for more than just short trips. By spending a few vacation days (April 29-30 and May 6-8), travelers can enjoy a full 16-day vacation.
According to Infoflot, weekend cruises and short cruises of 4-6 days are the most popular in May. Particularly popular are Moscow-Uglich-Moscow trips (April 30-May 3, May 3-5, and May 8-10), as well as cruises calling at Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, and cities in Tatarstan.
Second in popularity are medium-length cruises—6–9 days. In this category, trips to the northern "pearls"—from Moscow to St. Petersburg, with calls in Petrozavodsk, Staraya Ladoga, Kizhi, and Valaam—are in high demand. For example, aboard the m/v "Swan Lake" from May 13th to 20th. Cruises from Moscow with stops in Cherepovets, Rybinsk, and Koprino are also available, including aboard the m/v "Moonlight Sonata" from May 18th to 24th.
Themed cruises are in third place, such as the "Exploring Russia with the Northern Fairytale" series, featuring an evening theater program in each city, from May 20th to 26th. This seven-day voyage begins in Moscow and includes calls in Tver, Kalyazin, Uglich, Yaroslavl, Plyos, Kostroma, Koprino, and Myshkin.
Decisive tourists opt for long May cruises lasting 10-12 days or more. This ranks fourth. Among the top cruises in this category is the round-trip cruise on the Dmitry Furmanov motor ship, traveling from Moscow to Kazan from May 6 to 15, visiting 14 ancient cities across the country. These include Uglich, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Plyos, Myshkin, as well as the most beautiful towns of Tatarstan and the Chuvash Republic. Also on the list is the "Vsy Oka" cruise from May 22 to 31 on the Vasily Chapayev motor ship, calling at Konstantinovo, Kasimov, Koprino, Nizhny Novgorod, Pavlovo, Murom, and Kolomna. It also lasts 10 days. There is also a cruise to northern cities on the motor vessel Dmitry Furmanov lasting 14 days - from May 10 to 23.
"It's gratifying that cruise travel is becoming increasingly popular in our country. Many Russians, having visited numerous foreign destinations, are now choosing Russia. They are attracted by the opportunity to explore their country, see its magnificent cities from the river, gain new impressions without having to travel far, and relax in comfort. Incidentally, May cruises are also attractive due to their reduced prices compared to peak season," emphasized Andrey Mikhailovsky, General Director of Infoflot Cruise Center.
Source: trn-news.ru