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MS Mustai Karim cruise ship, 5*

MS Mustai Karim cruise ship is a Russian passenger ship owned by a private Russian shipping company and operated under charter by Russia's largest cruise company.  

The ship is ready to spend 2020-21 seasons sailing Moscow - St. Petersburg itineraries. 

The 6-deck newbuilds (sisterships Mustai Karim and Pyotr Velikiy/Пётр Великий) were both designed and constructed in Russia. Vessel's scheduled launch is in May, 2020.

This new-design Russian riverboat (Project PV 300, sea-and-river vessel) has been built at Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

New Russian cruise ship designs

In August 2016, at Lotus shipyard in Astrakhan, Russia, the keel was laid for the first Russian passenger cruise ship in decades.

Support for the new class of vessels came from the Russian government, who expressed hope that this will be just the beginning. 

St. Petersburg team of engineers developed the concept of a brand new cruise ship. 

This photo shows the design of a new river cruise ship project PV 300 VD.  

Such vessels were not generally built in the old Soviet Union. 

The last built in the USSR, 2 river cruise ships, were built at the Gorky (present day Nizhny Novgorod) plant in 1959-1960.

Then, as with its ocean ships, the Soviet Union bought foreign built river ships, until 1989-1990. 

These vessels were built mainly in Austria, East Germany and Czechoslovakia. 

Today, shipping conditions in Russia are different. The new ships are planned to be "river-sea" ships. This class is needed in order to navigate large lakes.

Russian river cruise ships are much more powerful than typical Danube and Rhine vessels. 

Dimensions for the new 310-passenger ships will be 463 x 55 feet.

The PV 300VD concept emerged in 2010-2015 by the order of the Russian Federal Marine Agency.

It was completed in the spring of 2019, when this massive brand new 5-star cruise ship touched the waters for the first time. 

The cost of a ship is between 2.5 to 3.5 billion rubles and the payback period is 5 to 20 years.

The routes foreseen for the new Russian ships are in season (May to October) between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, then taking travelers from Moscow to Samara and Rostov-on-Don; in the winter embarking in the Eastern Mediterranean and possibly the Red Sea: for example, Rostov-on-Don-Yalta-Odessa-Istanbul-Alexandria.

There are talks about navigation in Crimea, Sevastopol, and Sochi, on more interesting routes in the Caspian sea.

The newbuilds could carry nearly 500,000 passengers annually, of which about 100,000 foreign tourists.

The main difference of this 4-deck ship is that it will be able to navigate not only rivers but seas as well.

The vessels will also be more luxurious than past ships and will include western amenities, such as French balconies and comfortable large suites.

All top-deck/sundeck structures (Wheelhouse, awnings, railings) are retractable and lowered when the boat passes under low bridges.

The cruise vessel is named after Mustai Karim (Mustafa Safich Karimov Bashkir, 1919-2005). He was a Soviet poet and writer from USSR's Bashkir Republic (Russian SFSR) which is now part of the Russian Federation under the name Bashkortostan

Cruise ship Project PV 300 LMPP-110

In late 2016 the leading Russian passenger shipping company signed a contract with the Russian shipbuilder USC (United Shipbuilding Corporation) for construction of one PV300 unit.

The building contractor is the USC's subsidiary PJSC "Krasnoe Sormovo" located in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on the Volga River.

The newbuild is planned to cruise the Volga River, between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, with the navigation season lasting for 5 to 6 months.

During winter months, the ship is scheduled to operate Sea cruises navigating between ports in the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Azov Sea

Cabins:   

The Russian charter cruise company increased the ship's passenger capacity from 300 to 342.

The boat has a total of 169 staterooms, including 2 Suites, 2 Owner Suites, 2 Junior Suites, 159 Deluxe (Twin Comfort) and 4 Standard Twin cabins.

All staterooms are outside (no interior cabins) and with floor-ceiling windows.

Standard cabin amenities include wardrobe, electronic safe box (in the closet), flat TV (satellite reception), radio, phone, mini-bar/refrigerator, power sockets (220V), en-suite bathroom (single-sink vanity, toilet, shower, hairdryer, shaver socket, toiletries, towels, bathrobes). All suites are with bathtubs.

The average cabin size is 19 m2 (205 ft2).

For comparison, the size of a Twin Standard Cabin on other Russian river ships is 10 m2 (110 ft2).

All cabins on this "river liner" have private balconies. Suites and Junior Suites are sized 30 m2 (320 ft2).

A total of 22 cabin pairs (44 rooms) are connecting. There is also an option for booking a 3-Room Suite (midship-portside on Boat Deck) which is comprised of 3 connecting cabins.

Cabin amenities and shipboard services correspond to 5-star hotel standards.

Shipboard dining and Entertainment options:

Dining on board features European cuisine specialties with elements of Russian traditional cooking.

Breakfasts are buffet-style. Lunches include 1 meal (Russian soup). Dinner is waiter-served and with a traditional Russian food menu. Waiters are dressed in traditional costumes.

Onboard entertainment is focused on pre-scheduled activities and live performances (classical and Russian folk music).

Onboard lectures are themed on the country's history and culture.

Port talks (by a professional tour guide) provide information on visited river ports, nearby towns, shore excursions and tours available for booking.

Passengers also enjoy traditional Russian tea ceremonies, Russian language lessons, dancing and singing classes, vodka tasting, nesting doll (matryoshka) painting classes

Ship Facilities include:

• 2 restaurants, 2 bar lounges, Pub (Beer Bar)
• Conference Hall, Reading Hall (Library Lounge)
• Show Lounge (Music Hall with dance floor, stage and grand piano for live performances)
• Ironing Room (laundry service), Kids Room, Souvenir Shop
• Sauna, Spa Salon (Hairdresser, Massage Room)
• 3 lifts (passenger elevators), 2 Atriums (each with its own Reception Desk)
• Sun Deck (Solarium with loungers, 10-m long swimming pool, 2 whirlpools/Jacuzzi), Medical Room (Infirmary),

Cruise itinerary

Mustai Karim ship will be cruising along the Volga River with Northbound and Southbound itineraries - Moscow-Astrakhan and between Moscow and St Petersburg (passing through Onega and Ladoga lakes).

The riverboat also operates on the route Moscow-Rostov-on-Don (passing through Volga-Don Canal).

The inaugural cruise is scheduled to begin in mid May, 2020.

The 12-day (11-night) itinerary Moscow to St Petersburg visits Moscow (2 overnights), Uglich, Yaroslavl, Goritsy, Kizhi Island (Lake Onega), Mandrogi, and St Petersburg (3 overnights). The reverse St Petersburg to Moscow itinerary has length 11 days (10 nights).

Ashore travel and Excursion options include:

• Moscow: airport-to-ship transfer, city tour by bus, visiting Kremlin, restaurant lunch
• Uglich: walking tour, visiting Kremlin, Church of St Dmitry on the Blood, and Transfiguration Cathedral
• Yaroslavl: city tour by bus, visiting an outdoor market (shopping), Church of St Elijah the Prophet, Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Art Gallery tour
• Goritsy: visiting the monastery and the museum of icons
• Kizhi Island: visiting the outdoor museum of Russsian traditional wooden architecture
• Mandrogi Village: outdoor grill / kebab
• St Petersburg: city tour by bus visits Peter and Paul fortress (1703-built citadel), State Hermitage Museum (art and culture), Peterhof State Museum-Reserve (lower park), ship-to-airport transfer

During winter, when Volga River is closed for navigation, the Mustai Karim ship will be cruising on Caspian Sea, Azov Sea and Black Sea itineraries.

Shipboard activities include as complimentary events classical music concerts, grand piano concert, show lounge (daily and nightly live music and dancing), Russian traditional tea ceremony (samovar-prepared tea), food tasting party (Vodka and blinis/pancakes), Russian language class, cooking class, yoga with professional fitness instructor, lecture themed on traditional Russian arts and crafts (English- and French-speaking lecturers), talent show (by crew members), cocktail party (for presenting the ship's crew), Q&A session with Russian students, Navigation Bridge / Wheelhouse tour and Engine Room tour. 

River Cruise deals: 

• Departure port (dock/berth), check-in, boarding and landing times are indicated on the company's website and on passengers' boarding passes. Ship's exact departure time is clarified on the website the day prior departure
  
  
• Kids discount ticket prices are for children up to 14 years of age (14-yo including), the age being fixed on departure day
  
  
• Kids from 2 to 5 years of age (5-yo including) travel free of charge, but without providing an additional bed (if there are no free beds in the cabin). Shore excursion is also free of charge
  
  

• Toddlers (kids under 2) travel free of charge, but bed, food and tour services are not provided. Extra beds in staterooms (baby cribs, cots) are not available on the ship

• TWIN (double cabin) single supplement rate is 75%

• Cabin number is provided 7 days prior departure. Reservation of a specific room number costs EUR 50 pp per cruise

• Ticket prices are inclusive of 3 meals a day. Onboard dining includes Breakfast (buffet-style, water in pitchers, tea/ coffee served, drinks - cocoa, milk, juices, hot and cold dishes), Lunch (buffet-style, water in pitchers, tea/coffee served), Dinner (waiter-served) with 1 Starter, 1 Main course (choice of 3 available / meat-fish-vegetarian), 1 Dessert (choice of 2 or fruits), midnight soup

• On embarkation day and disembarkation day (voyage's end), meal times depend on landing times. If a land tour coincides with a mealtime (lunch), passengers are provided with complimentary food at a local restaurant (cafe) or given "dry rations"

• Ticket price inclusive on board events are Welcome Aboard ("bread and salt" ceremony), Welcome Cocktail (complimentary 1 glass of champagne or juice per person), "Tea Ceremony" (tea and traditional pies), "Vodka Show" (blini and vodka tasting), Farewell Captain's Cocktail Party (once per cruise, complimentary 1 cocktail / out of 3 choices per person), Captain's Dinner (gourmet menu, once per cruise), mulled wine or ice tea (weather-depending / upon returning from excursions), complimentary Coffee Station (coffee, hot water, packed tea, milk, cocoa, cookies, opening times 6am-breakfast, 10-12am, 4-6pm, 9-11pm), 1 bottled water (0.33l pp per day in cabins).

  Tickets are also inclusive of foreign language speaking guide services, onboard entertainment (language class, singing lessons, live music, nightly dancing music, Wheelhouse tour)

• Complimentary excursions are detailed in the ship's cruise itinerary program. Optional tours are available for shipboard booking. For excursion services, the cruise company charges an additional fee per person per day, including children 6-14 yo.

  This fee is not charged to tourists from the Russian Commonwealth, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The surcharge varies by cruise tour itinerary length (1-2-days, 3-4-days, 5-days, 6-days, 7-days)

• Cruise tickets don't include any land transfers, beverages and snacks (in onboard bars and lounges), phone calls, sauna, optional tour, travel insurance, gratuities and personal expenditures

  Ticket prices include 18% VAT

• Non-cash onboard payments are made via the company's debit card "Vodohod"(received upon registration), which is without any interest or commissions. The card is accepted in all the ship's venues (bars, restaurant, shop, administration). Cash payments for onboard sales are not accepted. International bank cards are accepted for final payments

• Gift Certificate (vouchers) can be pre-purchased for any amount. The recipient can choose an itinerary, cruise departure date and cabin category. The amount specified is not fixed and is set by the buyer. If the cruise tour costs less than the certificate's amount, the difference is not refundable

• Smoking on the ship is allowed only in designated areas (marked with "Place for smoking" signs), located aft on decks Middle and/or Boat (depending on ship). Smoking is prohibited in all interior spaces and on open decks (except at designated areas).

• On all cruise ships are available health gymnastics and morning exercises (led by a certified physician/ship's doctor), oxygen cocktail, dietary food.

• On all cruise ships are provided (free of charge) the following medical services - emergency medical care (assistance required for sudden acute illnesses, conditions, exacerbation of chronic diseases), measurement of blood pressure and body temperature, primary treatment of wounds

• The cruise operator recommends passengers to arrive in departure port cities at least 6 hours prior to ship departure.

• Boarding starts 2 hours prior departure. All passengers must be boarded at least 1-hour prior to departure.

• Late passengers missing their cruise tour are not refunded

• Departure ports/homeports are Moscow, St Petersburg, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Samara, Kazan, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don and Saratov.

MS Mustai Karim

Former name: Prince Vladimir (Князь Владимир)

Double Cabin

MS Mustai Karim cabins Review

MS Mustai Karim cruise ship has a total of 169 passenger cabins and capacity 342 passengers. The boat has 6x Suites, 159x Deluxe (Twin Comfort) and 4 x Standard Twin cabins. All staterooms are outside and with private (step-out) balconies. A total of 22 cabin pairs (44 rooms) are connecting, making them perfect for families with kids. There is also an option for booking one 3-Room Suite (midship-portside on Boat Deck) which is comprised of 3 connecting cabins (category Deluxe).

Follows review of MS Mustai Karim cruiser's staterooms as furniture, price-included amenities and complimentary services:

• Hotel beds (size 2 x 1,6 cm), optional twin-bed configuration (twin beds are sized 2 x 0,8 m), under bed storage space (for suitcases), wardrobe with hangers, mirrored dressing table (writing desk with chair), bedside cabinets, bed lights, 220 V power sockets, premium bedding, LED lighting.

• En-suite bathroom (WC, single-sink vanity, glass-door shower, hairdryer, bath products/toiletries, towels, bathrobes, slippers.

• Phone (direct dial, onboard communication only), mini-bar/refrigerator, radio, electronic safe (in the closet), flat HDTV (local and satellite reception, infotainment system). Suites additionally have a cabinet, coffee table, armchairs, sofa, double bed, floor lamps.

• Individual air-conditioning (thermostat-controlled heating and ventilation)

• Complimentary ironing room, laundry (no dry-cleaning and self-service laundromats on the ship), Wi-Fi internet (shipwide coverage)

MS Mustai Karim cabin and suite plans are property of Vodohod (Russian River Cruises).

All floor plans are for informational purposes only and CruiseMapper is not responsible for their accuracy.

MS Mustai Karim Review and Specifications:

Specifications of MS Mustai Karim

Ship facilities include:

• 2 restaurants, 2 bar lounges, Pub (Beer Bar)

• Conference Hall, Reading Hall (Library Lounge)

• Show Lounge (Music Hall with dance floor, stage and grand piano for live performances)

• Ironing Room (laundry service), Kids Room, Souvenir Shop

• Sauna, Spa Salon (Hairdresser, Massage Room)

• 3 lifts (passenger elevators), 2 Atriums (each with its own Reception Desk)

• Sun Deck (Solarium with loungers, 10-m long swimming pool, 2 whirlpools/Jacuzzis), Medical Room (Infirmary)