yacht bavaria cruiser 50

Bavaria Cruiser 50 Standard

Sailboat specifications.

• Last update: 29th March 2020

Bavaria Cruiser 50's main features

Bavaria cruiser 50's main dimensions, bavaria cruiser 50's rig and sails, bavaria cruiser 50's performances, bavaria cruiser 50's auxiliary engine, bavaria cruiser 50's accommodations and layout.

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Bavaria 50 Cruiser

• By Mark Pillsbury
• Updated: October 19, 2012

As far as boat tests go, I could’ve been easily distracted during my sail aboard the Bavaria 50 Cruiser , the last in the model line to be revamped by the team at Farr Yacht Design . First, the arid, rock-strewn hills of the Turkish coast around Alacati were like nothing I’d ever seen. Greek isles danced in the distance. Atop the surrounding ridges, farms of wind generators stood testament to the fact that this area of the Aegean is among the windiest to be found and the ideal exotic proving grounds for Germany’s largest boatbuilder.

And then there was the wind itself to talk about, or, to be more precise, the totally baffling near-complete lack of it, which had us bobbing about much of the morning before we motored in for lunch, hoping that the afternoon’s heat might scare up a breeze.

The 50 Cruiser, though, and the crew from Bavaria managed to command my full attention as we motored out and back, the 75-horsepower Volvo and optional Gori propeller pushing us along at a very respectable cruising speed of 7.6 knots at 2,200 rpm and at 8.5 knots or better with the engine wide open. For yuks, I throttled back and threw the power plant into reverse. We came to a sharp halt, backed and turned with ease, and, once under way again, took a tight spin and watched the 50 twirl around, upright and within a boat length and a half of itself. Under power, at least, this all-round-sailer delivered an agile performance.

Post lunch, we’d learn that the boat was a spritely light-air sailer, too.

To be honest, this was the first of the Farr-designed Bavarias that I’d been aboard, and I was struck immediately by the solid feel of the boat and the well-thought-out layout on deck and below. From the dock, we stepped aboard the electric-powered fold-down transom and swim platform, which provided uncluttered access to a cockpit that was flanked at its aft end by a split backstay and twin pedestals with Lewmar wheels and rack-and-pinion steering. A sturdy cockpit table provided a good handhold and could double as a place to brace when the boat heels. In addition to teak on the cockpit sole and swim platform, the model we sailed had optional teak decks that provided solid footing forward.

The double-spreader Seldén in-mast furling main is controlled by a sheet led to a cabin-top winch, an arrangement that’s typical on cruising boats but puts control of the sail several steps away from a singlehanded or short-crewed helmsman. Sheets for the slightly overlapping 106-percent genoa (on a Furlex furler) run to fairleads inboard on the cabin top, and from there to electric winches on the cockpit coamings, leaving the side decks free from clutter and making sail control a fingertip exercise. However, one does have to leave the wheel and step forward around the helm and between the table and seats to handle sheets when tacking.

Under sail, in 9 knots true, we hit just under 7 knots and tacked through 85 degrees. Still, it left me wanting more. The smooth-feeling steering led me to believe that with a little more wind, we’d have heeled smartly, the leeward of the twin rudders would’ve dug in, and we’d have been off for a spirited beat or, better yet, a reach like the one enjoyed by a Bavaria 50 owner with whom I spoke that evening following his arrival from a several-day sail from the Med.

Belowdecks, the 50 is downright spacious, with the saloon laid out to accommodate a crowd. A U-shaped amidships galley to port keeps the cook a part of the party, and the amply sized table with U-shaped seating to starboard and an amidships bench could easily seat eight. I liked the idea of the head to starboard of the companionway and just forward of that side’s aft cabin. It has a separate shower that can double as a place to store wet foulies. A private head and sink is to port for the other aft double. The four-cabin model we tested had a cabin forward of the galley with two bunks and a head and shower opposite to starboard. A large owner’s cabin and V-berth were forward, just aft of a water-tight bulkhead and the deep chain locker in the bow.

Three other layouts are available: a three-cabin model with an enormous owners space forward that includes a large head and shower to port and extended hanging lockers to starboard; a four-cabin layout that splits the V-berth in two, each side with its own head; and a five-cabin model with the split V-berth, a shared head forward, and a cabin with two bunks. The interior is well lit and airy, thanks to 17 opening hatches and 12 ports, and comes with wood and sole options that range from light-colored ones to dark chestnut.

Farr has drawn a hull shape with a fairly fine entry, broad shoulders, and a beam that’s carried aft. The layup consists of gelcoat and a layer of vinylester resin outboard, then solid hand-laid polyester and glass below the waterline and a glass-and-Airex foam sandwich above. The deck is Airex cored as well, with integral aluminum plates in the laminate where hardware is mounted.

Intended to be a well-rounded cruiser for both the private owner and charterer, the Bavaria 50 delivers good value with its $377,000 price tag. Add performance into the equation, and it’s hard not to enjoy an afternoon out on the 50 Cruiser. With a little wind and a destination in mind, a week or more wouldn’t be so bad, either.

Mark Pillsbury is CW ‘s editor.

View photos of the Bavaria 50 Cruiser here.

• More: 2011+ , 50+ ft , bavaria , Coastal Cruising , keelboat , monohull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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BAVARIA C50 - Data and Options

The pleasure of sailing always in mind..

Nothing should get in the way of the pleasure of sailing. That’s why both helmstands give you a perfect view of the sails and the route ahead. Everything is always in sight – including the instruments, which are extremely easy to operate. Even turning is easy, thanks to a self‐tacking jib.

The BAVARIA C50 also has a good potential for speed. The performance rig is pure joy, even for ambitious sailors, and it makes the yacht fast and safe in any weather.

Technical data

Perfection not only in design.

The BAVARIA C50 is a joint project by BAVARIA YACHTS and Cossutti Yacht Design – almost legendary when it comes to fast and elegant yachts. Their expertise is a guarantee of exceptional sailing performance and safe, balanced handling.

It makes the hull more stable but also lighter. A high but balanced sail area / displacement ratio also promises outstanding sailing performance coupled with extremely straightforward, safe handling. VPP sail performance at 12 kn true wind speed; 103% Jib and Gennaker; deep keel 2.30 m.

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The Bavaria 50 Cruiser Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Bavaria 50, a light displacement cruising sloop, was designed by Farr Yacht Design and built in Germany by Bavaria Yachts.

Published Specification for the Bavaria 50 Cruiser

Underwater Profile:  Bulb fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material:  GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall:  49'2" (15.0m)

Waterline Length:  45'6" (13.9m)

Beam:  15'4" (4.7m)

Draft:  6'1" (1.9m)

Rig Type:  Fractional sloop

Displacement:  27,778lb (12,600kg)

Designer:  Farr Yacht Design

Builder:  Bavaria Yachts (Germany)

Year First Built:  2005

Published Design Ratios for the Bavaria 50 Cruiser

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:  22.0

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio:  36.4

3. Displacement/Length Ratio:  132

4. Comfort Ratio:  24.3

5. Capsize Screening Formula:   2.0

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Bavaria 50 Cruiser

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 22.0 suggests that, in the right hands, the Bavaria 50 Cruiser will have enough performance to leave most other sailboats of similar waterline length well astern. 

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.4 would usually mean that the Bavaria 50 Cruiser would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.  

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 132, tells us the Bavaria 50 Cruiser is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 24.3 suggests that crew comfort of a Bavaria 50 Cruiser in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness. 

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.0 indicates that a Bavaria 50 Cruiser would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0. 

More about the Bavaria 50...

The Bavaria 50 is a cruising sailboat that was designed by Farr Yacht Design, a renowned American naval architecture firm. It was built between 2010 and 2015, and it is available in different versions, such as the standard, the holiday, the vision and the cruiser. Each version has its own features and options, but they all share the same hull and deck design, which is optimized for stability, speed and comfort.

The Bavaria 50 sailboat:

• has a spacious cockpit that can accommodate up to 10 people comfortably. It has twin wheels for steering, which provide better visibility and access to the transom. It also has a large folding table, a bimini top, a sprayhood and plenty of storage space. The cockpit is connected to the swim platform by a folding ladder, which makes it easy to get in and out of the water;
• has a sleek and modern deck design, with flush hatches, wide side decks and stainless steel handrails. It has a deck-stepped mast with swept-back spreaders. It also has a furling mainsail and a furling genoa, which make sailing easier and safer. The boat has six winches, four of which are electrically operated;
• has a powerful engine that can propel it up to 9 knots under power. It has a Volvo Penta D2-75 diesel engine that delivers 75 hp (55 kW) and a fuel tank capacity of 71 gallons (270 litres). It also has a bow thruster that helps with manoeuvring in tight spaces.

Accommodation The Bavaria 50 sailboat:

• has a luxurious and comfortable interior that can sleep up to 10 people in five separate cabins. The standard version has three double cabins aft, one double cabin forward and one bunk cabin forward. The holiday version has four double cabins aft and one double cabin forward. The vision version has two double cabins aft, one double cabin forward and one master cabin forward with an ensuite bathroom. The cruiser version has three double cabins aft, one double cabin forward with an ensuite bathroom and one bunk cabin forward;
• has a spacious saloon that features a U-shaped sofa, a large dining table, two extra seats and plenty of storage space. It also has a flat-screen TV, a stereo system and an air conditioning unit. The saloon is bright and airy thanks to the large windows and hatches that let in natural light;
• has a fully equipped galley that includes a three-burner stove, an oven, a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave oven, a sink and ample counter space. It also has plenty of cabinets and drawers for storing food and utensils;
• has two or three bathrooms depending on the version. They all have electric toilets, showers, sinks and mirrors, along with hot water heaters and holding tanks.

Hull and Deck The Bavaria 50 sailboat:

• has a solid fiberglass hull that is reinforced with Kevlar for extra strength and durability. It also has an epoxy barrier coat that protects it from osmosis. The hull shape is designed to reduce drag and increase lift, resulting in better performance and stability;
• has a fin keel with a bulb that provides a low centre of gravity and a high righting moment. The keel is bolted to the hull with stainless steel bolts and nuts. The keel draft is 6.1 feet (1.85 meters) in the standard version, but there is also a shoal draft option of 5.4 feet (1.65 meters);
• has a spade rudder that is attached to the hull with a stainless steel stock and bearings. The rudder is balanced and responsive, and it can be easily accessed from the transom for maintenance;
• has a white gelcoat finish that is easy to clean and maintain. It also has teak wood accents on the cockpit floor, seats and transom, which add a touch of elegance and warmth.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Other sailboats in the Bavaria product range include:

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Bavaria 50 Cruiser

• 2013 - 2014

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• Length 15.57 m
• Beam 4.47 m
• Draft 1.90 m

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Technical specifications - Bavaria 50 Cruiser

Photos of the boat, technical features.

• Length HT : 50ft (15.30m)
• Max. width : 15ft (4.67m)
• Weight : 14.1 tons
• Draft : 6ft (1.85m) to 7ft (2.25m)
• Max. sleeping capacity : 10
• Number of cabins : 3 to 5
• Bathrooms : 3
• Water capacity : 560L

Standard motorisation

• Engine Power : 75hp
• Fuel capacity : 300L

Standard canopy

• Total sail area : 383sqft (116.59m2)
• Mainsail area : 195sqft (59.47m2)

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• River Cruising

GCT M/S Tikhi Don - St. Petersburg to Moscow

By usnavyguy , June 24, 2012 in River Cruising

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This is a review of a St. Petersburg to Moscow river cruise from 5/31/2012 - 6/14/2012 with Grand Circle Travel. I'll divide the review into sections starting with the ship so folks can jump to those sections of interest & ignore what isn't pertinent to them. For an excellent discussion on pre-trip planning, visa issues, comments on various cruise lines, this link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1559518

will give you all the details you need. I'll not repeat it here.

So, let's get to the specifics:

Ship : Tikhi Don is owned by Grand Circle Travel (GCT) and is one of two ships, the other being M/V Rossia they operate between Moscow & St. Petersburg. All the cabins are identical: 146 square feet with one window that opens, situated on 3 decks. The only difference is location on the ship. The cabins were clean as were the attached bathrooms. Storage space was adequate for two weeks. There is one 120V and one 220V electrical outlet in the cabin as well as a 115V electrical outlet in the bathroom. I purchased a 4 outlet power strip specifically for this trip to plug in rechargeable digital camera batteries as well as a cell phone. The ship has an elevator near the reception desk forward that services Decks 1, 2, and 3. There is a double stairway in the after end of the ship that runs from the Main Deck to Decks 2, 3, and 4. All other stairways are external and serve all 4 decks. We had about 206 passengers embarked and about 100 staff, so the ratio of staff to cruisers was pretty high. It seems that all river ships operating in Russia carry about 200 or so customers which make them quite a bit larger than the average European waterways river ship. Since they have far fewer bridges to deal with in terms of height, and water depths are somewhat deeper than European rivers, they can and do take advantage of that to leverage a larger number of customers. That doesn't make it bad; it just makes it different. Tikhi Don draws about 9 feet of water which I suspect is about average for a Russian river cruiser. The ship has two bars, one on the 3rd deck forward (Tsar Bar) and one on the 4th deck aft (Presidents Bar). The restaurant is located on the 2nd deck aft and is used for the breakfast buffet and the sit down daily lunches & dinners. One disadvantage to my way of thinking was the sit down lunch. When we've cruised on Viking, they offered a light buffet lunch in the bar/lounge and a sit down lunch in the restaurant. That gave one some options which weren't available with GCT. Again, not necessarily bad; just different. Each cabin is equipped with a flat panel LCD TV with various satellite channels available depending upon the location of the ship at the time. There also were 3 different movie channels showing a different movie each day. Since we didn’t watch TV, I can only surmise it must have worked okay as we did not hear any complaints. While each cabin has individual air conditioning controls, they didn’t appear to function very effectively and the cabin remained around 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. There is a separate heating unit mounted beneath the window on the outside bulkhead which proved very useful on some of the colder mornings we experienced during the cruise. The cruise covers 829 miles between St. Petersburg and Moscow, and consists of several lakes, rivers and canals including the transit of 16 locks.

Travelers: One significant difference I noted was the average age of the passengers was somewhat older than we had previously experienced with Viking in Europe. I would guess that average age was around mid-70s; some younger, and some a good bit older. We had several veterans of WW2 embarked and I can only hope I'm as spry as they were when I'm that age. They also are very loyal to GCT. Those folks who had previously traveled 3 or more times with GCT or their companion company, Overseas Adventure Travel were identified with a gold name badge. I'd estimate that at least 50% of the embarked travelers fell into this category. This was a very seasoned group of world travelers. Few on the trip were making their 1st river cruise and even fewer were traveling with GCT for the 1st time (we fell into that category). The tours generally involved quite a bit of walking and a not so slow pace, but most everyone managed to keep at it, and few opted out of the walking tours. I'll discuss those in more detail later in this post.

Ship Staff: The staff was quite young (mid to late 20s mostly), inexperienced, but always willing to help. Their command of English was generally very limited although I expect that will improve as the season wears on. Their English was way better than my Cyrillic so they get an A+ for effort. The cruise is managed by a Cruise Director who spoke idiomatic English. The ship's Captain was the most personable Captain I have ever sailed with on a cruise ship. He spoke good English, greeted all the travelers as they debarked for each tour, met each traveler at the gangplank when they returned, and along with the Cruise Director and Hospitality Manager stood on the pier and waved goodbye to every bus that departed. I'm used to the Captain putting in a brief appearance at the Welcome & Farewell Cocktail parties, then disappearing for rest of the cruise. This was a novel & most welcome change.

We were divided into 6 groups of about 32-35 people, assigned a Tour Director who worked exclusively with that group for the entire cruise. Very occasionally for an optional tour, the groups would be combined to keep the numbers about the same, but basically, you functioned within your assigned group. The Tour Directors all had majored in foreign languages at the University and had anywhere from two to as many as eight years with GCT. They all spoke idiomatic English and did a great job of keeping track of their charges. I liken managing U.S. tour groups to herding cats and these folks were always cheerful, ready to answer any question, and resolve any problem. The wait staff in the dining room had limited English, but knew enough to converse with the passengers with regard to the menu & was a hustling young group of Russians. They were extremely pleasant to deal with.

Food on Board: In general the meals were quite good. Breakfast was served buffet style and one always had the opportunity to order an omelet or eggs of any style. There also was a special breakfast order each day. They also included the European breakfast meats and other items common on European river cruise ships. Service was quick and efficient. Restaurant seating included tables for 2, 4, 6 or 10 passengers so there was a wide variety of seating. Lunches & dinners would be best described as Russian modified for American taste. As I remarked previously, all lunches were sit down, formal service with soup, entre (including a vegetarian selection). Salad bar and dessert. Dinners consisted of an appetizer, followed by a soup course, entre (again including a vegetarian choice), and dessert. At dinner, there was always available salmon or chicken breast with a baked potato and steamed vegetables for those who did not fancy the main course. Food was served hot when appropriate and cold when in order. Service was friendly and efficient. Even with 200 people sitting down to eat, there was no sense of “steam table” cooking. With the exception of two meals ashore, all meals were served onboard. In the event of an evening tour such as the Moscow circus or the St. Petersburg ballet, an early dinner was served to those attending the event, followed by a late night heavy snack following return onboard. While I did not eat very many lunches, my wife tried most of them and said the food was very good. We found the dinners to be tasty and a nice introduction to Russian cooking, including the famous Russian stroganoff which is not served over noodles as it is in the U.S., but over spaetzle or mashed potatoes which we were told is common in Russia. Early bird coffee was available from 6:00-7:00AM and also throughout the day at the coffee station on the main deck. Lunch was served at either noon or 1:00PM depending on the tour schedule, with dinner at 7:00PM.

Onboard Activities: There was never a shortage of things to do onboard, but all were voluntary so you could participate in as few or as many as you wished. They featured the usual port talks, introduction to the Russian language, lectures on Russian handicrafts, vodka tastings, blini parties, pelmeni (dumpling) cooking class, and hand painting of Russian Matryoshka (nesting) dolls. We also noted several spontaneous bridge, cribbage, and canasta card games in progress at various times.

There is a large, well stocked gift store on the ship, operated as a separate concession. My wife found the prices for souvenirs of all types were generally better than souvenir shops ashore. They accept major credit cards or roubles. You cannot charge items from the store to your shipboard account.

Tours: There were a limited number of optional (extra cost) tours available. In St. Petersburg, that included:

Rivers & Canals of St. Petersburg

Yusopov Palace

St. Petersburg Ballet

Peterhof Gardens

In Petrozavodosk: Karelian Folk Show

Zlatoust Singers

Jewish Heritage of Moscow

Tretyakov Gallery

You can view the details of these optional tours on the GCT website: http://www.gct.com

under the Russian river cruise itinerary.

All passengers are provided with a pair of head phones & a battery powered receiver to provide the ability to listen to the tour guide while still wandering about the particular venue. The system works perfectly and depending upon location & interference such as walls, floors, and the like is crystal clear up to 100 feet from the tour guide. I have used these systems on other tours and would never consider a tour/cruise that did not employ this technology.

We took the Rivers & Canals of St. Petersburg tour which entailed taking a canal boat up & down the various rivers & canals running through St. Petersburg. It lasted approximately 90 minutes with a well informed local guide who commented on what we were seeing. It was interesting and informative and gives you another whole perspective on St. Petersburg than from a city bus tour.

We also went on the Peterhof gardens tour which unfortunately, did not go as well. The morning tour for that day was Peter & Paul Fortress which was really not that interesting and turned out to be just another church tour. However, because of the distance from where the boat moored to the fortress, then into St. Petersburg for lunch, the morning and part of the afternoon was pretty well shot by the time we departed for Peterhof. Peterhof is a good 45 minute drive from St. Petersburg; so consequently, it was well after 2:00PM when we arrived at the gardens. I’d like to say the local guide tried to cram what could easily have been a 4 hour tour into something less than two hours. So, we consequently were trying to set land speed records for walking tours as she was determined to show us as many of the Peterhof fountains as possible, and there are more than a few. My wife is a bit slow of foot as she has limited walking capacity so she was hard pressed to keep up. I, on the other hand, wanted more time to take pictures of the fountains and didn’t appreciate being rushed from spot to spot. Fortunately, our tour director Alex was particularly solicitous of my wife and made sure we could cut some corners and get ahead of the tour where necessary. Unfortunately, the local tour guide was annoyed when told to slow down and became somewhat hostile. The tour ends at the Peterhof palace which has a very large number of very beautiful fountains, all in gold leaf and is a photographer’s dream. It easily could have been worth an hour or more of picture taking opportunities. While I do understand some folks just want to check the block of having seen it and move on, there are, I think, a larger number of us who don’t expect to see those things again and want to take full advantage of the picture taking opportunities.

St. Petersburg: We spent 4 days in St. Petersburg not counting the day of arrival. The 1st full day, we had a city bus tour which included a stop & tour of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and an approximately two hour visit to the famed Hermitage Art Museum with an option to stay for an additional 90 minutes, On Day 2, we had Catherine’s Palace & Park Tour, an offsite lunch paid for by GCT followed by the optional Rivers & Canals Tour, Day 4 was the Peter & Paul Fortress, again followed by lunch (this time on your own) followed by the optional Peterhof Gardens tour. On Day 3 of the visit, there were optional tours available of Yusopov Palace and the St. Petersburg ballet (evening). The boat was moored about 1 hour from downtown, depending on traffic, as the city authorities do not allow the riverboats to moor downtown. This caused some angst among those taking their 1st river cruise as they assumed this was standard. Of course, it’s not, and in fact, almost all European river cruises including Paris moor almost in the heart of the city. However, for those with free time and a little bit of adventurism, the subway took you downtown in less than 40 minutes. There is a bus from the head of the pier which costs 30 roubles (in early June 2012, roubles were 32.5 to 1 USD). That dropped you at the nearest metro entrance where 25 roubles and 5 stops later, landed you in the heart of Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg’s equivalent to Times Square in NY or Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The metro is clean, no graffiti in the stations or on the cars, efficiently run and very safe. To return to the ship, just reverse the process. Once downtown, there are many attractions within easy walking distance such as the statue of the Bronze Horseman, a tribute from Catherine the Great to Peter the Great and the Church of our Savior on the Spilled Blood on which site, Tsar Alexander II was murdered by an assassin on 1 March 1881.

This was our 2nd time in St. Petersburg as we were there on an ocean cruise of the Baltics in 2003 when the city celebrated its 300th anniversary. It is to my mind, much more European than Russian with the latest fashions on display, many, many outdoor restaurant cafes and a mostly young, apparently well off population (at least during a business day).

We had previously been to Catherine’s Palace and the Hermitage and enjoyed returning to both places. St. Isaac’s is very impressive, but unfortunately, it is crowded and pickpockets are afoot. Several men & at least 1 woman had wallets stolen in the crowds so for them, not so much fun. Peter and Paul Fortress from a historical perspective is important, but rather unimpressive.

We visited St. Petersburg during the period of the summer referred to as “White Nights” which are quite famous. Sunrise occurs about 4:30AM and sunset at 11:15PM. Since winters are long, cold, and sometimes very harsh, the many hours of sunlight are greatly appreciated and folks go out to stroll, especially on Nevsky Prospekt well into the evening hours enjoying the many parks and recreation areas throughout the city.

Svir Stroi: This is a small village of about 600 people located on the Svir River. They have the requisite souvenir shops, but the highlight of the stop was the visit to the home of a Russian villager. Our opportunity came to visit the wife of a local employee of the hydro electric plant. We visited her home and were served tea & pirozhki’s (Russian tea cakes). With the able help of our tour director, Tanya who translated, the lady explained her daily life in the village and the challenges ordinary people now face compared to the days of the Soviet Union. This is also where we first encountered the fierce Russian mosquitoes or as the tour directors called them, the KGB mosquitoes. They’re big, they bite and they fly around over the 3 months of summer. Mosquito repellent does, however, work when liberally applied.

Petrozavodsk: This port city on Lake Onega which is the second largest lake in Europe, only surpassed by Lake Ladoga, included a bus tour as well as a visit to the memorial to Russian’s Unknown Soldier from World War II, and a tour of the local market. It is the industrial, cultural, and scientific center of the Republic of Karelia. The visit also included an optional tour to a Karelian folk show which we opted not to attend.

Kizhi (Kee-shee) Island: This small island in the center of Lake Onega is home to the oldest known wooden church in Russia, the Church of Transfiguration which features 22 timbered onion shaped domes. The church was assembled without the use of a single metal nail and is currently undergoing extensive renovation. The stop also featured a “Fishing with the Ship’s Captain & Staff” for those who are ardent anglers. Fishing apparently wasn’t so successful as we did not have fish on the menu that evening!

Goritzy/Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery: Goritsky is just another tiny town, but the monastery was built in 1397 and had close connections with Ivan the Terrible. At one time, over 200 monks lived in the monastery, but with the Russian revolution and the harsh suppression of religion in Russia, it deteriorated significantly and now houses only 6 monks. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, restoration efforts have begun and the museum features an impressive collection of Russian Orthodox icons.

Uglich: The last city we visited prior to Moscow is located on the Volga River. Cruising on the river as you come onto Uglich is very impressive. The Kremlin (or fortress) has no exterior walls so the many colored churches and domes make great picture opportunities. The very large Cathedral of Transfiguration looms over the town while the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood with its rich red walls and blue onion domes offer a sharp contrast. Souvenir and shops selling all sorts of goods line the route from the ship’s berth to the main street of Uglich. We were told by the local guide that as many as 7 to 8 river cruise ships a day visit Uglich during the summer. They also were having a display of lacquer and paper Mache’ boxes for sale at very Western prices. Enameled watches are also a specialty of Uglich. We were treated to a short concert by a group of male classically trained singers who rendered several Russian songs a capella during our visit.

Moscow: We arrived in Moscow about 3 hours late because of heavy fog the previous evening while transiting the Moscow Canal. The river authorities do not allow movement in the canal during heavy fog, so we waited out the down time in one of the locks. The ship moored a good ways from downtown as the city authorities do not allow river cruise ships downtown, the same rule as St. Petersburg. Moscow is a city of 11.5 million people and traffic can be a nightmare. However, we were fortunate to arrive on a Monday before a national holiday (Day of Russia) on Tuesday and Moscovites are like people everywhere; they angle to take the day before a big holiday off. So, the traffic to downtown was pretty light and we made up some time on the city tour which started in the famous Red Square outside the Kremlin walls. The tour included a walk around Saint Basil’s Cathedral which is actually a museum, then on to the GUM department store which resembles a U.S. mall. We also walked past a “Historic Toilet” located in Gum’s that I believe was the 1st indoor lavatory in a Moscow department store. (Use of the WC was 84 roubles for those interested; I took a pass). We also went for a ride on the famed Moscow metro where many of the stations are elaborately decorated in frescoes, busts representing the struggle of the common man, and other adornments of the Russian revolution. As in St. Petersburg, the metro is clean (no graffiti in the stations or on the cars) and very safe.

The next day was the national holiday so our tours steered us quite far from Red Square (where demonstrations were purported to occur against the Presidential election recently completed) and out to Sparrow Hills which is a high priced area of the city. We also toured the New Maiden cemetery where various Russian notables such as Boris Yeltsin and Nikita Khrushchev are buried. The evening tour involved a visit to the Moscow circus which has been in continuous operation since 1980. A fun time of clowns, jugglers, trained poodles, bears, a lion taming act and culminated with a trapeze performance by 5 daring men & 1 woman.

The following day was a tour inside the Kremlin walls and to one of the 5 churches located inside the walls. I found it ironic that 5 churches would be allowed to exist following the revolution, but many things in Russia are strange, this only being one example. We also toured the Kremlin armory which contains the Tsar’s Crown Jewels, armor and armaments of the 16th- 18th century, many Tsarina coronation and wedding dresses as well as a very extensive display of Faberge eggs. The tour concluded with lunch at Moscow’s Hard Rock Café and time to tour Arbat Street which is a pedestrian only street in the heart of Moscow.

We had family obligations that required us to cut the last full day off the cruise and return home via direct flight from Moscow to Dulles International.

Final Observations: It was a very interesting and different river cruise for us. Because the distances are so vast, there is a lot more down time on this cruise than one in European waters, but Grand Circle can make it as busy or as relaxed as you like. The meals were comparable to those served on our other river cruises for quantity and quality. There are slightly more optional tours than with some other companies, but on the other hand, some of the included tours were excellent. St. Petersburg is a great city and one I’d be pleased to visit again; Moscow, not so much. Grand Circle is certainly worth your consideration as a cruise line as the prices are competitive with all other Russian river cruises. We did book our air through Grand Circle which I’m normally reluctant to do, but the routing was the same that I would have chosen had I done my own booking and the pricing was better than I could do on my own, especially considering what GCT would have charged for transfers to and from the ship. We did not purchase travel insurance through GCT as I found we could do better by shopping around over the Internet.

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beverlyjack

We did this trip in 2004, aboard the chartered Nicholay Chernychevski, before Grand Circle had put the Tikhi Don into service. This was an excellent review and brings back memories. Please post it under Travelers Reviews on http://www.gct.com on this trip.

Thank you for the informative review. I am taking this tour in mid August. I will print what you wrote so that I can refer to it as I do some of my planning.

How many people were in your "group" ? Did you take the pretrip to Helsinki and Tallinn?

We had about 32 people in our group. I don't know what, if any criteria, other than numbers were used to make up the groups. We did not take any pre or post trips with this cruise.

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