Russia's largest cruise company and tour agency Vodohod expects its newbuild cruise ship MS Mustai Karim (currently under construction at Nizhny Novgorod's Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard) to be delivered by July 10, 2020,
Victor Olersky (Vodohod's Chairman) recently said during a webinar “From Volga to Yenisey: will river cruise shipping survive?”. He added there were some delays but they were more of an aesthetic character since the company was "striving to get a beautiful ship" claimed to be of a premium class.
The Mustai Karim ship is being built under the tripartite contract signed in January 2017 by USC (JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation), Mashpromleasing (fka Goznak-Leasing) and Vodohod. The vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) on September 11, 2019.
MS Mustai Karim will be cruising on the routes Moscow-St Petersburg, Moscow-Astrakhan and Moscow-Rostov-on-Don. Land accommodations (5-star hotel stays) will be also offered.
The 4-deck cruise ship of Project PV300 is able to accommodate 329 passengers in 169 cabins (mainly double), including 7 triple cabins (2 adults + 1 child) sized between 17-46 m2.
This modern riverboat (deck plans) has 2 restaurants, Conference Hall (140 seats), 3 bar lounges, Kids' Room, wellness facilities (Sauna, Fitness, Spa Salon / Hairdresser, Massage Room), Show Lounge (Music Hall with dance floor, stage, grand piano), Reading Hall (Library Lounge), Souvenir Shop, Solarium (sundeck sized 700 m2) with an outdoor gym, 10-m long swimming pool, 2 Jacuzzis.
There are also lifts connecting all decks, communications, and toilets, enlarged passageways, and the absence of obstacles for wheelchairs are foreseen for physically challenged guests.