MS Nizhny Novgorod

MS Nizhny Novgorod cruise ship ("теплоход Нижний Новгород" круизный корабль) is a traditional Russian river passenger vessel built for the USSR (Soviet Union) in the GDR (East Germany). The boat is currently owned and operated by the Russian river cruise company VODOHOD ("Водоход"). MS Novgorod cruises on the Volga River, departing from Nizhny Novgorod. Most itineraries are roundtrip voyages visiting Astrakhan (13-day), Perm (9-day), Samara (6-day), St Petersburg (14-day), Kazan (5-6-day), Karelia (14-day), Cheboksary (3-day), Makarievo (2-day) and Yelabuga (5-day).

The shipowner VODOHOD is Russia's largest river cruise operator. The company was established in 2004 as Volga Shipping Company. After merging with Volga Flot Tour, VODOHOD now operates over 50 cruise ships sailing along the rivers Don, Volga, Kama and Moscow, as well as the Volga-Don Canal, Volga-Baltic Waterway and the lakes Ladoga and Onega.

VODOHOD's predecessor, Volga Shipping Company (Volzhskoye parokhodstvo / Волжское пароходство), was founded in 1843 as a Volga steamship transportation company. In 2011, the company operated over 300 passenger and cargo river vessels and transported more than 6.7 billion tons of cargo and over 368,000 passengers on Russia's largest inland waterways.

The ship is named after the Russian city Nizhny Novgorod, fully renovated in 2011 and last refurbished in 2019.

In 2021 (May–September), the riverboat was chartered by Emerald Waterways and rebranded as "MS Rossia". To the 11-day Volga cruise tour itinerary (themed "Imperial Charms of Russia", between St Petersburg and Moscow) an overnight stay in Saint Petersburg can be added, including a guided tour of Peterhof Palace.

Emerald Waterways’ Russia cruise bookings opened on July 27, 2020. Early bookings (for any 2021 departure) received free roundtrip flights to Russia plus a USD 1100 discount on the cruise fare. Guests paying in full within 14 days of booking received an additional USD 250 per person discount.

Cabins

Accommodations include 6 suites, 94 twins, 19 singles and 10 triples. All staterooms are outside (no interior cabins) and have large opening windows (except Lower Deck cabins, which feature round, non-opening portholes). Each cabin offers as standard amenities central air-conditioning (individually controlled heating and ventilation system), private en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, washbasin, hairdryer), flat TV, radio, refrigerator, wardrobe, safe (in the closet), vanity mirror, writing desk with chair, bedside table, reading lights and 220 V power sockets. Suites additionally feature a double bed, sofa, coffee table, armchairs, cabinet and floor lamps. Ceiling height is 2.2 m.

Following multi-million refurbishments, all cabins were enlarged compared to their original size and now feature new furniture and flooring, deluxe bedding and modern lighting.

• Suites (located on Middle Deck) are 2-room cabins with separate living room and bedroom and 4 large opening windows. Suites offer a double sofabed, armchairs, coffee table and a bedroom with King-size double bed, mirrored vanity table with chair and wardrobe. Suites can accommodate up to 4 passengers.
• Single Cabins (located on Middle Deck and Boat Deck) are 1-bed staterooms with 1 large opening window.
• Twin / Double Cabins (located on Middle Deck and Boat Deck) are 2-bed staterooms with 1 large opening window.
• Triple Cabins (located on Lower Deck) are 3-bed staterooms with 2 porthole windows (non-opening). Triple cabins can also be booked as doubles.

Shipboard dining and entertainment options

Dining onboard MS Novgorod features European cuisine specialties with elements of traditional Russian cooking. Breakfast is buffet-style. Lunches include one main meal (typically a Russian soup). Dinner is waiter-served and focuses on traditional Russian dishes. Waiters are dressed in traditional costumes.

Onboard entertainment is centered on scheduled activities and live performances (classical and Russian folk music). Lectures focus on Russian history and culture. Port talks, delivered by a professional tour guide, provide information on visited river ports, nearby towns, shore excursions and available tours. Passengers can also enjoy traditional Russian tea ceremonies, Russian language lessons, dance and singing classes, vodka tastings and nesting doll (matryoshka) painting workshops.

MS Novgorod ship facilities include:

• (Boat Deck, Middle Deck) 2 restaurants (Volga and Neva)
• (Boat Deck) Panorama Bar Lounge
• (Sun Deck) Conference Hall and Bar (Dance Hall / Cinema / Meeting Room)
• (Middle Deck) Bar Lounge / Library / Reading Hall
• (Sun Deck) Spa (Sauna), Solarium (sundeck area with outdoor seating/deckchairs and 4-seat tables), covered fitness area (outdoor Gym with exercise machines)
• (Main Deck) Medical Room (Infirmary), Beauty Salon (hairdresser and barber services, massages), Boutique (Souvenir Shop), Lobby (Reception Desk)
• (Middle Deck) Ironing Room (laundry service)
• (Lower Deck) Fitness (Gym Room), Kids Room

VODOHOD cruise deals

• Departure port (dock/berth), check-in, boarding and landing times are indicated on the company’s website (vodohod.com) and on passengers’ boarding passes. The ship’s exact departure time is confirmed on the website the day before departure.
• Discounted child fares apply to children up to 14 years of age (including 14-year-olds), with age determined on the day of departure.
• Children from 2 to 5 years of age (including 5-year-olds) travel free of charge but without an additional bed (if no spare beds are available in the cabin). Shore excursions are also free of charge.
• Toddlers (under 2 years of age) travel free of charge, but a bed, food and tour services are not provided. Extra beds (baby cribs, cots) are not available on the ship.
• The single supplement for TWIN (double) cabins is 75%.
• Cabin numbers are allocated 7 days prior to departure. Reserving a specific cabin number costs EUR 50 per person per cruise.
• Ticket prices include 3 meals per day. Onboard dining consists of Breakfast (buffet style; water in pitchers; tea/coffee served; additional drinks such as cocoa, milk, juices; hot and cold dishes), Lunch (buffet style; water in pitchers; tea/coffee served) and Dinner (waiter-served) with 1 Starter, 1 Main course (choice of 3 options – meat, fish or vegetarian) and 1 Dessert (choice of 2 options or fruit).
• On embarkation and disembarkation days, meal times depend on embarkation/landing times. If a land tour coincides with a scheduled meal (lunch), passengers are provided with complimentary food at a local restaurant/café or receive a packed meal (“dry rations”).
• Ticket prices include a variety of onboard events: Welcome Aboard ceremony (“bread and salt”), Welcome Cocktail (1 complimentary glass of champagne or juice per person), “Tea Ceremony” (tea and traditional pies), “Vodka Show” (blini and vodka tasting), Cocktail Party (once per cruise, 1 complimentary cocktail per person from 3 options), Captain’s Dinner (gourmet menu, once per cruise), mulled wine or iced tea (weather-dependent, served on return from excursions), complimentary Coffee Station (coffee, hot water, packaged tea, milk, cocoa, cookies; open 6:00 am until breakfast, 10:00–12:00 am, 4:00–6:00 pm, 9:00–11:00 pm), and 1 bottle of water per day in cabins (0.33 l per person). Tickets also include the services of foreign-language guides and onboard entertainment (language classes, singing lessons, live music, nightly dancing, Wheelhouse tour).
• Complimentary excursions are listed in the ship’s cruise itinerary program. Optional tours can be booked onboard. For excursion services, VODOHOD charges foreign passengers an additional daily fee (including for children 6–14 years old). This surcharge is not applied to tourists from the Russian Commonwealth, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The surcharge depends on the cruise length (1–2 days, 3–4 days, 5 days, 6 days, 7 days).
• VODOHOD cruise fares do not include land transfers, beverages and snacks (purchased in onboard bars and lounges), phone calls, sauna visits, optional excursions, travel insurance, gratuities or personal expenses. Ticket prices include 18% VAT.
• Onboard non-cash payments are made using the company’s debit card “Vodohod” (issued at registration), which carries no interest or commission. The card is accepted in all onboard venues (bars, restaurant, shop, reception). Cash payments are not accepted for onboard purchases. International bank cards are accepted for final settlement.
• “Vodohod” Gift Certificates (vouchers) can be purchased for any amount. The recipient can choose an itinerary, departure date and cabin category. The amount is set by the buyer and is not fixed to a specific cruise. If the chosen cruise costs less than the certificate value, the difference is non-refundable.
• Smoking is allowed only in designated areas (marked “Place for smoking”), located aft on the Middle and/or Boat Decks (depending on the ship). Smoking is prohibited in all interior spaces and on open decks outside the designated areas.
• All VODOHOD ships offer health and fitness activities such as morning exercises and gymnastics (led by the ship’s doctor), oxygen cocktails and dietary food options.
• All VODOHOD ships provide (free of charge) basic medical services including emergency care (for sudden acute illnesses, conditions and exacerbations of chronic diseases), blood pressure and temperature measurement, and initial wound treatment.
• VODOHOD recommends that passengers arrive in the departure port city at least 6 hours before the ship’s departure. Boarding starts 2 hours before departure. All passengers must be onboard no later than 1 hour before departure. Late passengers who miss the cruise are not entitled to a refund.
• VODOHOD’s departure ports are Moscow, St Petersburg, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Samara, Kazan, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Saratov.

Note: You can see CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.