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STAR University

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Get a sneak peek of Cruise Planners' award-winning training. At STAR U you will gain a foundation in sales, marketing, and travel systems to help you grow a successful business.

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Cruise Planners: A Proven System of Success

Start your journey with cruise planners.

Contact us now to discover the endless opportunities that await you as a Cruise Planners franchise owner.

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• The Investment
• What’s Included
• How to Get Started
• Travel Franchise vs Travel Host
• Why Cruise Planners?
• Why a Travel Franchise
• The Franchise for Every Lifestyle
• Travel Industry Discount
• Testimonials
• Meet The Team
• Guides & Ebooks
• Success Stories
• Video Walkthrough
• STAR University
• Why Buy Now

What does my 6-day STAR University training include?

For all levels of the franchise, STAR University includes hotel accommodations, all breakfasts, lunches and most dinners, training materials, and transfers to and from the ship inspections held during the training week. 

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Start Your Journey with Cruise Planners

Contact us now to discover the endless opportunities that await you as a Cruise Planners franchise owner.

• Why A Travel Franchise
• Meet the Team
• Awards & Accolades
• Partnerships
• Military Program
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© 2024 Cruise Planners. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Franchise Disclaimer | Sitemap

• The Investment
• What’s Included
• How to Get Started
• Travel Franchise vs Travel Host
• Why Cruise Planners?
• Why a Travel Franchise
• The Franchise for Every Lifestyle
• Travel Industry Discount
• Testimonials
• Meet The Team
• Guides & Ebooks
• Success Stories
• Video Walkthrough
• STAR University
• Why Buy Now

What's Included

Setting you up for success as travel agent, start your own travel agency and hit the ground running.

At Cruise Planners, we are dedicated to helping you start your own business at home by creating a strong foundation and providing you the tools and training to achieve sustained success. To do that, we focus on what we like to call our Five Pillars of Success.

The Five Pillars of Success

Click the icons below to learn how our award-winning technology, marketing, business coaching, training and our people & culture can help you build a successful travel advisor business.

Cruise Planners technology is turning heads. From our innovator awards within the travel industry to franchise specific accolades, our technology team is constantly creating and updating tools to help travel franchise owners be more efficient and successful.

For Travel Advisors

• CP MAXX:  A sophisticated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool and LIVE inventory online booking system
• A fully functional mobile app so you can manage your business from anywhere
• Your own personalized website – not a page on a corporate site
• Group registration tools to maximize your sales revenue
• Cruise Watcher: checks for new itineraries and price reductions to get the best deal for your clients
• Triggered emails: hands-free email program to keep you connected to your clients
• Online, on-demand travel advisor training
• Amazon Alexa skill: manage client bookings and information through voice-activated commands – an industry first!

For Your Clients

• Clients can book directly through your website
• Online portal for your clients to manage their trips
• Mobile app to book trips, see upcoming trip information and access destination guides

• Amazon Alexa skill: clients can link their MyTrips account to countdown to vacation, ask about final payment, itinerary details, contact you and more

The Home Office marketing team will make your first step into marketing your new business seem effortless with the hottest tools in the industry.

• Customized free direct mail pieces – designed, printed and mailed for you, valued at more than $3,000 annually*
• Free weekly email blasts to clients featuring deals and specials
• Free bi-weekly luxury-focused e-newsletter
• Free print-on-demand marketing and communications tool
• Segmentation data on your clients to assist in more targeted marketing efforts
• Free social media management program to help you create a stronger and more professional online footprint
• Travel Weekly Magellan and Addy award-winning advertising programs – more awards than any other travel host/franchise

* Participation in Full Sails program required

Business Development Coaching

The business development team is focused on training you on tech tools, product knowledge, creating a marketing plan, setting goals and so much more to help you be successful as a home-based travel agent . We freely give advice, high-fives and are your “phone-a-friend" lifeline!

• Motivation and sales techniques, business plans
• Liaison between vendor and agent
• Troubleshooting and problem resolution
• Assist with CP tools, marketing and accounting
• Providing ongoing training via webinar series

Business Development Coach

• Identify areas of growth during coaching calls
• Provide updates on CP product enhancements
• Website configurations assistance
• Business networking and marketing strategies 
• Increase group knowledge 
• Communicate new initiatives
• Goal setting and tracking

Training / Events

We provide several training opportunities every year in the forms of virtual, in-person and experiential training to ensure you have the knowledge necessary to be successful as a home-based travel agent .

• STAR University (New franchise training) : comprehensive six-day program in Fort Lauderdale featuring tailored seminars and workshops, networking and two ship tours
• CP Genie:  Robust intranet with an extensive library of additional training courses, FAQs, and tutorials to help you succeed
• Annual Convention: featuring travel advisor panels, executive presentations and partner sessions on new products
• Seminars at sea: immersive program allowing you to learn about the cruise product first-hand
• Regional boot camp training : designed to help you find ways to improve and grow your business, share ideas and expertise with your fellow franchisees and Cruise Planners team
• Fam trips: exclusive familiarization trips through various destinations in conjunction with preferred land, hotel and destination partners
• Intensive Luxury & Land Vacation Training: including industry executives and a focus on giving you ideas and a guide to grow your luxury and land business.

People & Culture

• Franchise Business Review ranked Cruise Planners as #3 in the top 200 overall franchises, in addition to being named a Best Low-Cost Franchise, Top 50 Franchises for Veterans, Culture100, Best Innovation and Top 50 Franchises for Women
• Cruise Planners is committed to giving back, and our philanthropic organization, CP Cares, has helped to raise over $2 million dollars to various community efforts
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion are our priority
• Voted “Best Place to Work” by the South Florida Business Journal
• Cruise Planners partnered with the Dan Marino Foundation to provide a comprehensive internship experience to prepare young adults of various abilities for independence
• Cruise Planners named 2020 Coolest Office by South Florida Business Journal

Don't just take it from us. Hear what our franchise owners have to say about our award-winning tools and programs.

• Why A Travel Franchise
• Meet the Team
• Awards & Accolades
• Partnerships
• Military Program
• Culture & Community
• Video Walktrhough
• Accessibility

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STAR University® 2023

Event Details

• Location Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Organizer Cruise Planners.
• Attendees Open to all
• Category C Conference T Tradeshow
• Website Event Website

Cruise Planners’ premiere and award-winning Sales Training to Accelerate Results University or STAR University, takes place several times a year in Fort Lauderdale, FL to train new franchisees and agents in sales, marketing, and travel systems to help them grow a successful business. One-on-one instruction, access to top suppliers, and executive presentations give agents top-notch training. 

This is a Cruise Planner member-only event.

Upcoming Events

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Cruise Planners is Back with In-Person Training and Events

New travel advisors attend intensive STAR University after joining the nation's largest travel advisor franchise - the first in-person training session since the pandemic

News provided by

Apr 28, 2021, 15:25 ET

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CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. , April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- This week, Cruise Planners, kicked off its first in-person Sales Training to Accelerate Results University, or STAR University, in more than a year with enhanced safety protocols, such as smaller classes, social distancing and mask wearing.

"We are so excited to welcome our newest franchise owners to this in-person training event," said Michelle Fee , CEO of Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative. "At the onset of the pandemic, we quickly adjusted to a virtual training experience to help our new franchisees get their business started right away, and that was well received, but nothing compares to the in-person, immersive experience we create at STAR U."

Making Up for Lost Time Cruise Planners continued to sell franchises during the pandemic, bringing in nearly 200 new franchisees in 2020. However, since March 2020 , in-person events have been halted creating a backlog of new franchise owners eager to attend STAR University in person. To support this, there are three STAR University events planned monthly to allow all new franchisees the opportunity to attend.

"We pivoted to present and train virtually as well as ramp up our personal coaching program, and that has definitely been a benefit for our new travel advisors," Fee said. "Our travel advisors have been celebrating our training programs and are excited for a hybrid of both virtual and in-person training."

Many courses were available both live and on-demand in the company's eLearning platform, Cruisitude Academy. An example of new digital efforts created a connection with the new travel advisors is through "STAR Talk," an open-forum web-based video call hosted with a Cruise Planners executive with representatives from marketing, technology, business development, operations, sales and more as guest speakers, so agents didn't skip a beat.

"Many of our new virtual training experiences are here to stay, but the pandemic gave us an opportunity to re-strategize our onboarding and training process to optimize a new advisor's journey with Cruise Planners," Fee said. "STAR U is more than a just a week of intensive, in-person training, it's a sense of comradery among the new franchise owners as they join the Cruise Planners family."

The "New-ish" Normal Coming back to in-person training and events will require modern-day healthy protocols including temperature checks, social distancing, face masks, frequent room sanitation, limited capacity, rotation schedule, dividers and more. For example, the preferred partner trade show will have tiered timeslots and abide by a rotation schedule to accommodate the group.

One thing notably missing from STAR University will be the signature cruise ship inspections that travel advisors have come to love, since those are not an option right now. Replacing it will be a fun, interactive workshop role playing real-life travel advisor scenarios.

More In-Person Training On the Horizon In July, Cruise Planners will be relaunching a series of in-person events including Bootcamps in Las Vegas and Orlando focused on marketing and sales, social media and new technology tools and hosted by Cruise Planners' Senior Vice President of Strategic Development, Scott Koepf . A few months later, in October, Cruise Planners will be showing up in force in Mexico for its annual convention.

Media Contact

Caitlin Gardner , Cruise Planners, 954-344-8060, [email protected]

SOURCE Cruise Planners

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Moscow Boat Tour

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Description

See all the gems of historical and cultural center of the capital in short time and without traffic jams or tiresome walking.

Depending on the itinerary and duration of the Moscow River boat trip, the tour can be 3 or 5 hours.

Highlights of the tour

• St Basil’s Cathedral;
• Stalin skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya (Tinkers) embankment;
• The Kremlin;
• “House on the Embankment” Stalin skyscraper;
• Monument to Peter I;
• The Central House of Artists;
• Christ the Savior Cathedral;
• Gorky Park;
• Moscow State University;
• Russian Academy of Sciences;
• Luzhniki stadium;
• Novodevichy Monastery;
• Kiev railway station;
• Europe Square;
• Moscow City Hall;
• Government House;
• Expocentre Exhibition Complex;
• and other famous sights.

You will learn about the different epochs of the city from the foundation in 1147 till Soviet times of 20 th  century.

Moscow River

Moskva river has the form of a snake and is the main waterway of Moscow, consisting of a cascade of reservoirs. Within the city, Moskva river is 80 km long, 120 m - 200 m wide and up to 14 m deep. The narrowest part of the river is the Kremlin area in the city center, and the most extensive is around the Luzhniki Stadium in the south. 

Bridges in Moscow

Undoubtedly, bridges and embankments are among the most scenic spots and main attractions of Moscow. Plus, they are so romantic.

• Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge –  Great Stone Bridge –  is the main bridge of Moscow . The first stone bridge was constructed here in the 17th century.
• Patriarshy Bridge  is one of the youngest pedestrian bridges, built in 2004. The bridge connects the iconic Christ the Saviour Cathedral with funky Bersenevskaya embankment, extremely popular place among locals for its trendy art galleries, cafes and panoramic views. Patriarshy Bridge used to be a shooting location for ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's New Year speech to the nation.
• Borodinsky Bridge,  erected in honor of the 100th anniversary of the glorious victory in the Battle of Borodino (which every Russian kid knows about), a fierce legendary battle during the Russo-French war of 1812.
• Bagration Bridge  one of the  pedestrian bridges with most picturesque views of the Moskva River with its numerous upper-level observation platforms. The bridge was erected to celebrate the 850th anniversary of Moscow city in 1997.
• Krymsky Bridge  used to be in Top 5 Europe’s longest bridges some 100 years ago. The bridge got its name after the ancient Krymsky ford which Crimean Tartars used to invade Moscow in the 16 th  century.

Embankments of Moscow

Moscow river boats 37 embankments, the most popular being Kremlevskaya, Sofiyskaya, Pushkinskaya, Vorobyovskaya and Kolomenskaya.

You can get the most spectacular views of the Kremlin from  Kremlevskaya and Sofiyskaya embankments.

• Pushkinkaya embankment  is the most romantic in Moscow. It meanders along Gorky Park and Neskuchnyi garden and is rich for all kinds of entertainment as well as cozy nooks, including Olivkovy beach, the famous Zeleny theater as well as a pier for river cruisers.
• Vorobyevskaya embankment  is part of Sparrow Hills nature reserve. This place opens a beautiful panorama of the river and city from the observation deck and is considered to be the place for taking serious decisions in life.
• Embankment in Kolomenskoye  Museum-Reserve has a special charm due to its peculiar geographical relief. The boat trip around Kolomenskoye would be the most peaceful in your life.
• Taras Shevchenko embankment  is popular among photographers for its modern Moscow City skyscrapers. Highly recommended for your night boat trip.
• Embankments of Moscow are the pride of the capital. A distinctive feature of each of the promenades is its architecture and beautiful views. In addition, almost all the embankments of Moscow have a rich history and a lot of notable buildings.

Different epochs

Taking a walk along the Moskva River by boat, you will witness the architecture of Moscow from different eras and styles. Archaeological studies indicate that already in the XI century there stood a fortified settlement on Borovitsky hill, which is now called the Kremlin. Little fortress could not accommodate all the residents of the rapidly growing city, and the Grand Duke ordered the construction of a new Kremlin, larger than the former.

Boat trip around Kolomenskoe Park

Moscow river boat trip starts from the pier Klenovy (Maple) Boulevard and provides reat views of Nicholas Perervinsky monastery.

Nicholas Perervinsky monastery was founded at the time of the Battle of Kulikov (1380). The monastery, got its name from the surrounding area – “Pererva”, which can be translated like “tear off” and because of the location –  here it abruptly changed its course, turning to Kolomna, standing on the opposite bank.

Nowadays Kolomenskoye is State Art, Historical, Architectural and Natural Landscape Museum-Reserve, which doors are open to everyone who wants to get in touch with the ancient history of Russia.

Take a break from the big city hustle in the shady parks and gardens of the Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve. Don’t miss a wonderful Church of the Ascension and Tsar Alexey’s Palace in Kolomenskoye!

Monasteries and temples

• Novospassky Monastery
• Founded in the 13th century on the site where now is located the Danilovsky monastery. After a few decades, in 1330, Ivan Kalita moved the monastery onto the Borovitskii hill of the Kremlin. However, in the 15th century, Spassky Monastery again moved, this time to a more spacious place on Krasnoholmskaya waterfront.
• Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitskom
• Erected in the middle of the XVIII century in baroque style. The building survived after the 1812 fire, but the utensils were destoyed. Parishioners collected donations and restored the temple on their own. In Soviet times, it was closed and re-opened only in 1992.
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior
• The church was originally erected in honor of the victory over Napoleon and was being under construction for long 44 years. Notoriously demolished in 1937 to be a giant swimming pool under open sky. The current building was constructed in 1990s. It is the tallest and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.
• The temple was built in 1679-82, during the reign of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, in late Muscovite Baroque style and can be characterized as bonfire temple. Each gable is a symbol of a heavenly fire.
• Novodevichy Convent
• The most famous concent and monastery in Moscow, presumably founded in 1524. Novodevichy’s status has always been high among other monasteries, it was in this monastery where the women of the royal blood, the wives of Tsars and local rulers of Moscow were kept in prison as nuns.
• St. Andrew’s church  (male acts as Compound Patriarch of Moscow)
• St. Andrew’s church stands right on the slopes of the Sparrow Hills, on the way down to the Moskva River, on the territory of the Nature Reserve “Sparrow Hills”. The monastery is small in size but is very cozy. It’s situated in a quiet courtyard surrounded by temples, fruit trees and flowers.

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow river cruise.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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Cruise Planners Announces Over 25 In-Person Events for 2024, Offering Unparalleled Learning Opportunities for Travel Agents

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla JAN. 15, 2024 — Cruise Planners , the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network announces 25+ opportunities for in-person events for 2024 at their annual convention, CP World at the Broward County Convention Center.

“We are thrilled to present such a diverse line-up of in-person events for our dedicated advisors in 2024,” said Michelle Fee, Founder and CEO of Cruise Planners. “These events not only showcase our commitment to continuous education and professional development but also provide a platform for our agents to connect, collaborate, and stay ahead in this dynamic industry.”

2024 IN-PERSON EVENTS HOSTED BY CRUISE PLANNERS: (25+ Opportunities)

·       2 Bootcamps

To assist advisors in gearing up for the 2024 travel season, Cruise Planners has organized two bootcamps. These 3 days sessions provide an in-person learning experience featuring expert presenters at convenient locations. The bootcamps cover various aspects such as supplier training, sales skills, social media programs, business analytics, and technology workshops, offering practical action items to drive tangible results.

·       3 Tech days

Tech days at Cruise Planners Headquarters are focused on in-depth training on numerous proprietary and custom-built tools created to streamline the booking process and beyond for the Cruise Planner advisor network.

·       3 Sales Academies:

The Cruise Planners Sales Academy is a training program designed by Cruise Planners to educate and empower their franchisees and focused primarily on sales and marketing skills. These trainings cover practices such as sales techniques, customer service, product knowledge and more and are hosted at either an all-inclusive resort or onboard a ship.  

·        Land Symposium

A comprehensive educational program covering global destinations, escorted tours, and all-inclusive resort vacations is offered. Past Land Symposiums featured key elements such as expert advice on selling land, insights from a top-producing advisor panel, and personalized networking sessions, providing agents with the chance to connect with and gain knowledge from numerous preferred tour and destination partners.

·       Luxury Forum

The Luxury Forum is a luxury travel focused event aimed at helping advisors either grow their luxury sales or begin selling more high-end luxury brands.  The event offers expert speakers, product knowledge, supplier one on one time and more.

·       6 Star University Trainings

Cruise Planners new franchisee training called STAR (Sales Training to Accelerate Results) University is a comprehensive six-day program preparing new agents for everything they will need to know to get started as an advisor.  They will learn from subject matter experts, supplier partners, attend a robust trade show and get hands on technical training on several of Cruise Planners’ best-in-industry and custom-built marketing, booking and CRM tools to set them up for success.

·       Annual Convention :

Cruise Planners Annual Convention is their biggest event held every year, hosting their advisors, suppliers from all major cruise lines, tour companies and resorts. The annual convention discusses company performance, as well as announcements of new technology, marketing and sales tools to set their advisors us for success in the coming year.

·       2 Elite Summits:

Cruise Planners Elite Summit trips hosts top producing advisors.  Hosted by Cruise Planners executives and supplier partners, advisors will gather to network, learn and revel in their success and best practices. The Elite Summits will feature supplier partner one-on-one meetings, and exclusive Cruise Planners receptions, dinner events, entertainment, and more.

·       Signature Travel Network Regional Events are open to Cruise Planners advisors and offer training on Signature Travel Network programs, marketing sessions and supplier sessions.

·       Signature Travel Network Annual Conference

·       Signature Travel Network FAM Opportunities

Company Background: Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nation-wide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and cutting-edge booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as “Best-In-Category” for 2 years.

Franchise Business Review also ranked Cruise Planners #3 OVERALL on their list of Top 200 Franchises of 2022. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Sun Sentinel.

Visit our website,  www.cruiseplanners.com ,  for more information or to view the complete list of  awards and honors . For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit  https://www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/ .  

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• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

• 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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Russia-Ukraine war latest: Major Russian attack completely destroys power plant; Moscow accuses British special forces of operating in Ukraine

A major Russian attack on energy infrastructure in Ukraine has left 200,000 people without power - and completely destroyed a plant outside Kyiv. Meanwhile, Moscow claims the UK's Special Boat Service is operating in Ukraine and helping troops there.

Thursday 11 April 2024 22:02, UK

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• Russia launches major attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure
• Power plant completely destroyed
• Moscow accuses British special forces of operating in Ukraine
• The situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
• 'They aren't ready to die' - the smuggler charging thousands to escape army conscription
• The big picture : Everything you need to know about the war this week
• Your questions answered: Is it too late to save Ukraine?

We'll be back tomorrow morning with more updates on the war in Ukraine.

The wife of Vladimir Kara-Murza has told Sky News the Kremlin sees her husband as a "threat" but she will "never lose hope" for him.

Speaking to The World with Yalda Hakim, Evgenia Kara-Murza said her family had been "living with this for many years".

"I have been afraid for my husband's life since 2015 when he survived the first poisoning attack.

"He was poisoned twice, in 2015 and 2017. Both times he was in a coma with multiple organ failure and both times he was given a 5% chance to survival.

"I know this regime sees my husband as a threat and enemy."

Asked if she had lost hope, she added: "I could never lose hope. I'm married to an amazing guy who encourages people, even from behind bars. How could I lose hope?"

Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested near his Moscow home in April 2022 and convicted of treason by a Russian court in April 2023.

The political activist and prominent opposition figure, who claims he has twice survived poisonings which he blamed on the country's authorities, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

The US cyber watchdog agency has said that Russian government-backed hackers have used their access to Microsoft's email system to steal correspondence between officials and the tech giant.

In an emergency directive released today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned that hackers were exploiting authentication details shared by email to try to break into Microsoft's customer systems, including those of an unspecified number of government agencies.

CISA declined to name agencies that might have been affected. 

"Other organisations may also have been impacted by the exfiltration of Microsoft corporate email," CISA said, encouraging customers to contact Microsoft for further details.

Russia was "obliged "to launch strikes on Ukrainian energy sites in response to Kyiv's attacks on Russian targets, Vladimir Putin has reportedly said.

"Unfortunately, we observed a series of strikes on our energy sites recently and were obliged to respond," Russian news agencies quoted Mr Putin as telling Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to Reuters.

The Russian leader also reportedly said the attacks were part of Russia's aim of "demilitarising" Ukraine as the attacks affected Kyiv's military industry. 

Russia, he said, had refrained from carrying out such attacks in winter "out of humanitarian considerations".

For context : We reported earlier that Russian launched a major attack on energy infrastructure in Ukraine today and left 200,000 people without power.

Ukraine's national grid operator Ukrenergo said power substations and generating facilities in five regions were damaged.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 40 missiles and 40 drones were launched overnight.

Ukraine risks collapsing under Russia's onslaught without US support, Japan's prime minister has told politicians in the US.

In the first speech to a joint meeting of Congress by a Japanese leader in nine years, Fumio Kishida urged Americans not to doubt the country's "indispensable" role in world affairs, and said Tokyo was undertaking historic military upgrades to support its ally.

"I want to address those Americans who feel the loneliness and exhaustion of being the country that has upheld the international order," Mr Kishida said.

"The leadership of the US is indispensable. Without US support, how long before the hopes of Ukraine would collapse under the onslaught from Moscow? 

"Without the presence of the US, how long before the Indo-Pacific would face even harsher realities?"

Mr Kishida's comments come amid deep divisions in US politics over the country's role internationally in a presidential election year.

Joe Biden's request for $60bn in aid for Ukraine, which passed the Democratic-led Senate with 70% support in February, has been stalled in the Republican-controlled House as Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to allow a vote.

Pro-Russian Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said he will deepen cooperation in energy, railway links and grain transport with Ukraine.

After a joint meeting of the Slovak and Ukrainiann governments today, Mr Fico said Slovakia wanted to be a "good, friendly" neighbour to Ukraine.

Mr Fico has led a shift in Slovakia's foreign policy since coming to power last October, halting state military aid to Kyiv and opening communication channels with Moscow.

However, Mr Fico has been keen to keep business ties with Kyiv, including continuing to allow commercial arms deals to go ahead.

"Ukraine needs help, and Ukraine needs to be shown solidarity," Mr Fico said today.

"There can of course be different opinions or views on that help or solidarity."

Further to reports we brought you earlier on the announcement that a memoir by the late Alexei Navalny will be published in October (see post at 3.25pm), we can bring you more.

Mr Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya has confirmed the existence of the text.

In a post on X, she said: "This is not at all how I imagined Alexei would write his biography. I thought that we would be in our 80s, and that he would be sitting at his computer by the open window and be typing away."

She went on to say her husband began writing a book in 2020.

"But I won't spoil it. You'll all read it soon," she added.

Kira Yarmysh, Mr Navalny's spokesperson, described how the Russian opposition leader had begun to dictate parts of the book to her while he was convalescing in Germany two months after his poisoning and that he had finished the book when in prison after returning to Russia in 2021.

Penguin Books UK in a statement on X described the book as the "full story of Navalny's life and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life".

In our previous post we reported that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was joining leaders from a dozen states in central Europe for the Three Seas Summit in Vilnius today.

We can now bring you what the Ukrainian leader has said at the summit.

Mr Zelenskyy urged his country's allies to make good on their promises of military aid, particularly in the form of desperately needed air defence systems as Russia scales up its airstrikes.

"Every day Russian terrorists cut off power to Kharkiv and other cities, and every day we hear that new aid is coming soon," he said.

"The reality must finally match the words, and Russian terror's real losses must be ensured."

Kyiv relies heavily on Western Patriot systems and it needs 26 units of the system in total to cover the country - and at least seven urgently. 

Ukraine has already warned of dwindling air defence missiles.

Poland is in talks with Ukraine about supplying it with Soviet-era missiles, Polish president Andrzej Duda has said.

Speaking at a news conference in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius today, Mr Duda said: "We talked with [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy about a certain stock of Soviet-era missiles which we have in our warehouses and we have talked about handing them over."

Leaders from a dozen states in central Europe, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania, are attending the Three Seas Summit in Vilnius today, with the war in Ukraine prominent on the agenda.

Mr Zelenksyy is also in the Lithuanian capital to meet with leaders.

By Sean Bell , military analyst

Overnight, Russia launched what it described as a "massive strike" against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.  

Ukraine claims the attack involved at least 82 drones and missiles, launched from nine Russian strategic bombers.  

The thermal power plant in Kyiv was destroyed in the attack, which the Russian defence ministry claimed would impact the Ukrainian military industrial enterprise.

President Zelenskyy reiterated his appeal to the West to increase supplies of weapons and ammunition - particularly air defence missiles - to enable Ukraine to resist the latest Russian onslaught.

President Putin is evidently ratcheting up military pressure on Ukraine as dwindling supplies of weapons make Ukraine more vulnerable.  

Politically, the West appears committed to supporting Ukraine's military campaign, but translating rhetoric into a steady supply of weapons and ammunition is proving difficult.  

Western war-stocks of weapons have been depleted significantly, and only the US has sufficient supplies of weapons to meet Ukraine's near-term needs.  

However, with a $60bn military aid package yet to be approved by Congress, and with little sign that the gridlock will be eased anytime soon, the coming weeks look increasingly difficult for Ukraine.

President Putin is clearly exploiting this window of Ukrainian military vulnerability, in the hope that Russian forces - that overmatch Ukrainians 10:1 in some parts of the frontline - can achieve a decisive breakthrough in the coming weeks.  

If Russia prevails, an emboldened Putin might well start to set his sights further afield.

The West retains options - such as boots on the ground and imposing a no-fly-zone - but to date Russian threats appear to have succeeded in neutering Western political resolve. 

But for how much longer?

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