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Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise Volsunga IV Thimble Island Cruise

Volsunga IV makes 45-minute tours of the Thimble Islands daily. Captain provides lively narration of history and pirate legends. Available for private charter, groups.

Tour time: 45 minutes

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Departs from Stony Creek Town Dock. Indian Point Rd. Branford , CT 06405 United States

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ThimbleIslands.com

Located off the coast of Stony Creek village (in the city of Branford, CT), the Thimble Islands are an archipelago of 25 small rocky, wooded islands topped with Victorian-era summer cottages (replete with ginger bread trimming). The area is a boating paradise where kayakers, fishing boats, ferry boats, paddle boarders, islanders, & home owners all co-exist to enjoy this picture perfect sanctuary.

Boat Tour / Cruise

Kayak rental, restaurants.

• Hotel / B&B

photo credit: slack12

Did you know? The Thimble Islands are named after the thimbleberry bush that grows throughout the island area, and are not a reference to their petite size.

Stony Creek Brewery

5 Indian Neck Ave Branford, CT

203-433-4545

https://www.stonycreekbeer.com/

Stony Creek Market

178 Thimble Islands Road, Branford, CT

203-488-0145

https://stonycreekmarket.com/

The Thimbleberry

~ seasonal, opens in April ~

2 Indian Point Rd, Branford, CT

203-481-2836

https://www.facebook.com/TheThimbleberry/

Volsunga IV

4 Indian Point Rd, Branford, CT

203-481-3345

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/volsungacruises/

The Islander

203-433-2233

http://www.thimbleislander.com

Sea Mist - Thimble Islands Cruise

203-488-8905

https://thimbleislandcruise.com/

Thimble Island Kayak Rental

203-859-0546

https://thimbleislandkayak.com/

Branford River Paddlesports

203-980-8451

https://branfordriverpaddlesports.com/

Hotels / B&Bs

Thimble Islands Bed & Breakfast

28 West Point Road Stony Creek ~ Branford, CT

203-488-3693

https://thimbleislandsbb.com/

Stanton House Inn

76 Maple Avenue Greenwich, CT

(203) 869-2110 or (203) 307-0217

https://stantonhouseinn.com/

Learn more about the current Tour Updates . Safety and health is our priority.

Thimble Islands Cruise & Amarante's Sea Cliff Lunch, Stony Creek, CT

Sunday - Sep 8, 2024

Narrated cruise to explore the famous Thimble Islands off the coast of Branford, Connecticut. Hear the storied past of these islands that were used for everything from farming, to quarrying granite, from bootlegging to hiding Captain Kidd’s treasure. Lunch beforehand at Amarante's Sea Cliff, New Haven.

1 Day(s) | 1 Meals

• Deluxe Motorcoach
• Luncheon at Amarante's Sea Cliff, New Haven, CT. Advance meal choice of: Baked Stuffed Scrod, Baked Stuffed Shrimp, or Chicken Picatta
• Narrated cruise exploring the Thimble Islands, off the coast of Branford, CT
• Friendship Tours Tour Director
• Trip is rain or shine
• *PLEASE NOTE: This trip is not wheelchair accessible. The Sea Mist Cruise provides a shuttle by School Bus to the boat dock area. Travelers must be abled to walk approximately 2 blocks from the school bus to the boat along a paved hill.

Departure Locations

Depart: 10:15 AM

Return: 6:30 PM

Manchester, Park & Ride Commuter Lot, Buckland Street & Pleasant Valley Road

Depart: 10:45 AM

Return: 6:00 PM

Farmington Park & Ride Commuter Lot, 575 Colt Highway (Rte 6) & South Rd, Farmington, CT

Depart: 11:30 AM

Return: 5:30 PM

Chase Parkway Commuter Park & Ride across from Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury

Cancellation Policy

Payments are non-refundable. Reservations are transferrable if you find a replacement. If Friendship Tours needs to cancel a tour due to reasons beyond our control, you will receive a credit held on account with us without expiration or a refund check can be issued for the tour cost less a $10.pp administrative fee.

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Thimble Islands Cruise | Connecticut’s Vacation Retreat

Captain Bob Milne’s tours of Connecticut’s Thimble Islands are big on legend, lore, and history—but what he doesn’t tell you also reveals island truths.

By Wayne Curtis

Jun 24 2014

Captain Bob Milne on the stern of his tour boat, the Volsunga IV. He’s a native of Stony Creek, a mainland village of Branford, Connecticut, and has spent most of his life on the water.

Wearing a microphone headset and perched up in the bow of his 48-passenger tour boat, the Volsunga IV , Captain Bob points out the granite rocks of Cut-in-Two, then adds a critical detail: Tom Thumb carved his initials into those stones more than a century ago. The passengers murmur appreciatively; it’s a small, lulling sound, like waves against a hull. Then we pass Dogfish Rock, and Captain Bob points out that it’s one of the few manmade islands hereabouts—created by piling rock upon rock hauled from the mainland—and he uses this fact to launch into a brief disquisition into how owning an island could raise the status of members of the gentry during the late Victorian era. Near Bear Island, once home to an active quarry, he tells us that the island’s distinctive stone can be found today in the Lincoln Memorial, Grant’s Tomb, and the base of the Statue of Liberty. Lips purse into the universal “who knew?” expression, and heads nod.

Captain Bob is Bob Milne, a lifelong resident of Stony Creek, Connecticut. He’s the owner and operator of Thimble Island Cruises, leading 45-minute tours through these islands throughout the summer. It’s a little-known fact, but animating rocks is one of the skills honed by good tour guides. They can take something inert and uninteresting and inject a bit of wonder into it. They mine rocks for murmurs.

We motor on, and Captain Bob points out Governor Island, now populating it with one Mr. Weed, a businessman and avid gardener who lived there during the early decades of the last century. He paints a vision of a white-goateed gentleman puttering around the harbor in an elegant mahogany steam launch and wearing a white captain’s cap. “And the name of Mr. Weed’s boat was …?” Captain Bob trails off in a question. He awaits an answer, which isn’t forthcoming from the two dozen passengers this morning. “The Sea Weed, of course,” he says. A muffled groan arises, and Captain Bob waits for it to subside before adding, “If you’re overthinking it, you shouldn’t be on this boat.”

Plan Your Perfect Summer Adventure: Get The Free Ultimate New England Summer Guide!

One of the most common descriptions of the Thimbles—an archipelago of some 100 to 300 islands (the number depending on the tide and your own definition of an island, as opposed to a rocky outcropping) just off Stony Creek—is that they look like a piece of Maine that somehow broke free and drifted south before running aground in Long Island Sound. That’s a hard description to improve upon. Like their granite cousins to the north, these islands are craggy and stoic and come in eclectic shapes and sizes—some round like igloos, some long like bony fingers.

Two dozen of them are capped with houses: some small; others that seem out of scale, like a large hat sitting precariously atop a head. Many were built as island getaways for the affluent, who arrived by steamship or train from New York, or by streetcar from New Haven, about a dozen miles to the west. The Thimble Islands—named after the thimbleberries that grew on them, not their diminutive size—didn’t attract top-tier robber barons, but rather their court followers, including bankers and brass-mill owners. “We were a notch below Newport,” Captain Bob says.

Captain Bob is nearing 54 years old and grew up on the mainland in Stony Creek, when it was still more or less a blue-collar working waterfront, a poor-cousin coastal neighborhood that’s technically part of the town of Branford. He was one of six kids; he stayed as his siblings all moved away.

Captain Bob took to the water as a teen. “As a kid you could always work on the islands,” he told me. He began by hauling garbage—“I know the backs of all these houses,” he notes wryly—and at age 14 worked aboard the small private ferry and tour service that operated from the town dock. He started the lifelong endeavor of accumulating information about the islands, their residents, and the complicated relations between the two. (Growing up, he said, “it was Creekers and Islanders. Once in a while we’d mix. But they had nicer boats, and we had old dories.”)

Thimble Islands | When You Go

Wayne Curtis

Thimble Island Cruises – Volsunga IV

Board the Volsunga IV with Captain Bob Milne and take a memorable 45 minute ride through the picturesque Thimble Islands. The town dock is located in the quaint village of Stony Creek.

The Thimble Islands are a group of over 100 small islands and rocky outcrops off the coast of Branford, known for their rugged beauty, picturesque landscapes, and rich history. The islands were once inhabited by Native American tribes and were later used as summer retreats by wealthy families. Today, they are a popular destination for boaters, kayakers, and sightseers, as well as a great spot for fishing, birdwatching, and beachcombing.

The legend of Captain Kidd alleges he buried treasure on the Thimble Islands in Connecticut. Despite his initial role as a pirate hunter, Kidd turned pirate, rumored to have hidden his loot among these islands. Despite centuries of searches, no treasure has been found, yet the tale continues to fascinate.

Private charters available. Groups welcome with advance reservations. Season: May through Mid-October, closed Monday afternoons. See website for schedule.

Stony Creek, Branford, CT 06405, USA

203-481-3345

Thimble Island Cruise

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Thimble Island Cruise - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Thimble Islands Cruise

ABOARD THE SEA MIST & ISLAND TIME

The Thimble Islands Aboard the Sea Mist

Take a virtual tour of the thimble islands aboard the sea mist.

Can't make it down to the Thimbles? Take a virtual tour of the Thimble Islands from the comfort and safety of your own home for ONLY $10 plus $2.00 Shipping! There's a Limited Supply Left... Gift certificates for tours and private charter are also available.

Order Now by Phone: 203 488 8905

Or send a check for $12.00 to: Sea Mist, LLC. PO Box 3138 Stony Creek, CT 06405

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Home » Northeast » Connecticut » Thimble Islands: Favorite of Presidents, Tom Thumb and Ayn Rand

Thimble Islands: Favorite of Presidents, Tom Thumb and Ayn Rand

WHY GO : When Ayn Rand needed to gather material for The Fountainhead when President William Taft sought a summer home when Tom Thumb came a-courting, they all turned to the Thimble Islands, a slip of Connecticut that many New York City to Boston travelers miss.

Most assume that the dingy industrial harbors of Long Island Sound glimpsed through windshields while barreling up I-95 near New Haven, CT is all there is.

But, nope. Not even close.

Exit the Thruway. Hug the coastline. And witness what artists and writers admired and continue to admire about the Connecticut seashore. 

Salt marshes spread like the Kansas prairie. Sea-stained buoys hang from weather-beaten balconies.

Pink granite outcroppings and breathtaking views of pristine coves and towns glimmer in the particular light that inspired the American Impressionist movement.

Spend a couple of days exploring the region that’s a bit Florida Everglades, a bit Maine Coast. But singularly Connecticut.

For more on the Connecticut shore , read our Connecticut Shoreline Scenic Drive post. Or explore a little further with our roundup of romantic getaways in New England .

Table of Contents

Thimble Islands Things To Do

Do: hop on the sea mist thimble islands cruise   with captain mike.

Take a 45 minute cruise around the mauve-colored Thimble Islands (named for the prolific Thimble Berry, not their size.)

This collection of over a hundred islands of various dimensions (only twenty-five being inhabited islands) – some no bigger than a breadbox, others large enough for 32 houses – is home to star-studded history galore.

President Taft summered on Elton’s Island and at the height of his popularity, Tom Thumb courted a woman on Cut-In-Two Island. Rumor has it that Captain Kidd hid his pirate treasure here.

The real treasure now is in the valuable real estate properties of fabulous summer cottages. 7.5-acre private island Roger Island, with its 8,746-square-foot mansion and Jack Nicklaus-designed putting green, sold for $21.5 million in 2018.

Find the Sea Mist at the Town Dock in Stony Creek CT. It’s one of three boat companies, with different tour schedules, that includes the Volsunga IV and the Thimble Island Ferry.

DO: Tour the Thimbles on Volsunga IV

If you have your heart set on a Thimble Island tour, and one tour boat is unavailable, take another. Or-  if you’ve already experienced one, try a second. Both tour boat captains grew up in Stony Creek and know these islands – and their stories – like the back of their hands.

When Captain Bob Milne passed away a few years ago, his daughter, Anna Milne, decided to take the helm. Anna grew up by his side, and could easily pilot the boat and regale guests with Thimble Island tales and legends. However, she was required to obtain her Captain’s license: not an easy task. Currently, she’s the only female Cap’n providing public boat tours in Stony Creek.

GO: Take the Thimble Island Ferry to Outer Island for a nature break in the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge

The outermost Thimble Island is home to a cobblestone beach, pink granite boulders, and the nesting habitats of birds and waterfowl.

DO: Kayak the Thimbles

Yep, there’s another way to see the pink granite islands. And that’s with Branford River Paddlesports .

They supply everything you’ll need for a 2 or 3-hour four-mile paddle around the Thimbles.

Things To Do In Stony Creek CT

Tour: stony creek quarry.

In the mid-1860s, rock quarries flourished on this section of the Connecticut Coast.  Nearly 2,000 people – whole communities – worked to remove, process, and carve the highly desirable pink-speckled and veined stone gleaned from the Stony Creek Granite formation beneath the earth here.

At the turn of the last century, Stony Creek Granite was known to be durable, enduring, and unique. To artists’ eyes, its veining imparted the illusion of “motion,” rendering it almost a living thing.

But over the years, land along the waterfront became too dear, and most of the quarries sold out to encroaching civilization. Now, only one, Stony Creek, is still in operation.

Where to Find Stony Creek Granite

Chunks of stony Creek pink granite form the base of the Statue of Liberty, the abutments of the George Washington Bridge, Grand Central Station, the 46’ tall column of the West Point Battle Monument, and the entire AT&T Building in New York.

While summering in Stony Creek, Ayn Rand hung about and researched these stoneworks to flesh out the main character of The Fountainhead , Howard Roark, who takes a job in a Connecticut quarry.

Stone Requirements for Landmark Structures

On the National Register of Historic Places, Stony Creek Quarry supplies stone for other iconic Landmarked structures built out of its signature granite. In fact, landmarked structures must “match to existing,” providing that the supplier still exists.

For example, Stony Creek Quarry provided stone for the new Statue of Liberty Museum to match Lady Liberty’s base. And recently, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC removed carpeting from several galleries to replace it with tiles to match the original Stony Creek Granite floor.

Most blocks, cut in 25-ton 5’X6’ sections, are sized for sea transport in shipping containers. However, Stony Creek Quarry also specializes in both “oversize” and more organic shapes.

The Peabody Museum at Yale University required a “monumental pedestal” for its large-scale bronze dinosaur and worked with Communications Director and Sculptor, Darrell Petit, who has been at the Quarry since 1989 “in almost every capacity.”

As a sculptor, Petit can “read the stone” and helps procure the perfect block for each custom order. “Most builders want rectilinear blocks, but artists look for more organic shapes,” acknowledges Petit.

Land Management and Sustainability

The watchwords for modern rock quarries are Land Management and Sustainability, “so we don’t pollute or leave a pit,” when the quarry is depleted, states Petit. In years past, the granite was cut with torches heated to 3400 degrees with diesel fuel.

But now, the quarry utilizes diamond-enhanced wire, which revolutionized the quarry world, to saw through the stone. Used with water, the process is environmentally friendly, doesn’t compromise the material, and, requiring only one man on the saw, and is three times more productive.

And while once whole broken sections were tossed aside, Stony Creek Quarry now operates with a no-waste policy. Fractured blocks can be bashed into smaller pieces, pounded into gravel, and crushed into sand and then utilized for harbor jetties to protect the shoreline and mixed into concrete for custom paving.

T hroughout the year, the Quarry engages with the design world, welcoming engineers and architects, as well as students in STEM programs, to its 55 acres.   Though generally closed to the public, twice a year, usually on the 2 nd  Saturday in May and October, the Stony Creek Museum arranges very popular tours. 

VISIT: Stony Creek Museum

The charming little museum celebrates the nostalgia of Connecticut’s coastal village as well as the story of the quarry behind some of America’s most notable landmarks.

BEACH: Stony Creek Beach

Pack a picnic and catch some rays by the shore at the postage-sized beach on the edge of Stony Creek Village. Stony Creek Beach is one of several beaches found along the coast of Branford CT.

VISIT: Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library

See examples of both rough-hewn and polished Stony Creek Pink Granite here. On rainy days, sink your tush into a comfy chair and read or catch up on email. 

There’s a small but wonderful art gallery and the foyer showcases uniforms from the local Fife And Drum Band.  This is the perfect rainy or snowy day cocoon for bibliophiles.

SHOP : Taken For Granite

There is really no “downtown” to Stony Creek. There are a few art galleries on Main Street, a couple of market-type eateries, and the library.  That’s it. 

Drive a mile or beyond Stony Creek Village into greater Branson CT, though, to Taken For Granite, a gift shop just as notable for its creative displays (and its name) as it is for its content.

SHOP: Seaside Home and Gifts

This former antique store is now the fun, reasonably priced gift, housewares, clothing shop, Seaside. Seaside shares a building with Stony Creek Market. It’s the perfect place to peruse housewarming gifts – especially if the said house is on one of the Thimble Islands.

Thimble Islands Restaurants

EAT: Stony Creek Market and Pizza

You might be invited to a Town Hall meeting if you linger here long enough. It’s that kind of place. In the morning, Moms and babies prevail, and later on, seniors discuss local and world politics. 

The freshly made Chicken Curry Salad is particularly toothsome, and all dishes are straight from the stove or oven excellent.  From Memorial Day till Labor Day Thursday to Sunday Nights, you can pick up (or eat in) a carb-loading pizza dinner.

EAT: Thimbleberry Café

In the former “Creeker’s” space, chef/owner Mike McNamara presides over this unpretentious eatery.  Breakfasts like The Bear Island (two poached eggs on English Muffin with fresh tomato, sautéed spinach, and melted cheddar) take center stage. 

I can personally attest to the awesomeness of the Home Fries and fresh thyme-infused New England Clam Chowder as well.

Thimbleberry recently added a shore-side outdoor dining area. Why be stuck indoors in this glorious place?

BEER: Thimbleberry Island Brewing Company

Drop in for tastings, tours, and growlers-to-go at the “largest self-distributing micro-brewery in Connecticut.”

NIGHTLIFE: Stony Creek Brewery

The scene is hopping, pun intended, at the Branford River waterfront location of the Stony Creek Brewery. With dock access, an indoor-outdoor taproom, a game pit, and now a rotating food truck schedule.

Hotels in Branford CT and the Thimble Islands

Stay: thimble islands b&b.

The nearest hotel to the Thimble Islands is the Thimble Islands Bed and Breakfast in Branford, Connecticut. Just two rooms, but each one magnificent, this newcomer to the Stony Creek Village is already a favorite of many. Enjoy wine and cheese in the afternoon on the waterfront patio and a full breakfast in the morning.

Weekend Getaways In Coastal Connecticut

• A Delightful Connecticut Coast Scenic Drive Itinerary
• Thimble Islands: Favorite of Presidents, Tom Thumb, and Ayn Rand
• Guilford CT: Seeds of “Offbeat” Northeast
• Recharge Your Soul In Clinton and Madison CT – with the Best Lobster Roll In New England
• Old Saybrook CT: Kate Hepburn’s Hangout on the Connecticut Shore
• Old Lyme CT: Birthplace of American Impressionism

Travel experts Malerie Yolen-Cohen and Sandra Foyt share all-in-one destination guides for the best romantic getaways. Although they generally publish independent articles, this is their collection of collaborative posts. Malerie’s focus and specialty is the Northeastern USA, and she is the Author of the cross-country travel guide, Stay On Route 6; Your Guide to All 3562 Miles of Transcontinental Route 6. Originally from the Caribbean, but based in New York's Capital Region for over twenty years, Sandra specializes in warm-climate destinations.

2 thoughts on “Thimble Islands: Favorite of Presidents, Tom Thumb and Ayn Rand”

I grew up in this charming little village. My family owned a building and business there for many years. My favorite thing to do is to walk down the dirt road to the old trolley bridge. The small beach with it’s little gazebo and the town dock are also favorites.

We’re looking forward to visiting the Thimble Islands area!

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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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