MS Zosima Shashkov

MS Zosima Shashkov cruise ship ("теплоход Зосима Шашков" круизный корабль) is a traditional Russian river passenger vessel built for the USSR in the GDR (East Germany). The ship is currently owned and operated by the Russian company VODOHOD ("Водоход"). MS Shashkov operates on the Volga River, sailing between St Petersburg and Moscow.

The riverboat is named after Zosima Alekseyevich Shashkov (1905-1984), Bolshevik commissar and Minister of the USSR’s Sea and River Fleet (1946-1960). The vessel was extensively refurbished in 2013.

Vodohod is Russia’s largest river cruise shipping operator. Established in 2004 as Volga Shipping Company, and later merged with Volga Flot Tour, the company now operates more than 50 cruise ships along the Don, Volga, Kama, and Moscow rivers, the Volga–Don Canal, the Volga–Baltic Waterway, and Lakes Ladoga and Onega.

Vodohod’s predecessor, the Volga Shipping Company (Volzhskoye parokhodstvo / Волжское пароходство), was founded in 1843 as a Volga steamship operator. By 2011, the company operated over 300 passenger and cargo vessels, transporting more than 6.7 billion tons of cargo and over 368,000 passengers across Russia’s major inland waterways.

MS Zosima Shashkov was named after Zosima Alekseyevich Shashkov, Bolshevik commissar and Minister of the USSR’s Sea and River Fleet. The ship underwent a major refurbishment in 2013.

Cabins

Accommodations include 2 suites, 128 twins (2-bed cabins), 7 quads (4-bed cabins), and 10 singles (1-bed cabins). All staterooms are outside (no interior cabins) and feature large opening windows, except Lower Deck cabins, which have round, non-opening portholes. Standard in-cabin amenities include central air-conditioning (individually controlled heating and ventilation), private en-suite bathrooms (WC, shower, wash basin, hairdryer, towels, bath products), flat TV, radio, direct-dial phone, refrigerator, wardrobe, safe (in the closet), vanity mirror, writing desk with chair, bedside table, reading lights, and 220 V power sockets. Suites additionally include a double bed, sofa, coffee table, armchairs, cabinet, and floor lamps. Ceiling height is 2.2 m.

• Suites (Boat Deck) are 2-room, 27 m² accommodations with separate living room and bedroom, and four large opening windows. Features include an L-shaped sofa, low table, bedroom with King-size bed, two wardrobes, console with mirror, and TV. Suites accommodate up to 3 passengers via folding bed.
• Single Cabins (Boat Deck) are 7 m² one-bed rooms with one large opening window.
• Twin / Double Cabins (Main Deck / Middle Deck / Boat Deck) are 2-bed staterooms with one large opening window.
• Quad Cabins (Lower Deck) are 13 m² four-bed rooms with two non-opening portholes. They can also be booked as doubles or triples.

Shipboard dining and entertainment options

Dining onboard features European cuisine with elements of traditional Russian cooking. Breakfast is buffet-style; lunch includes one hot meal (typically Russian soup); dinner is waiter-served and showcases traditional Russian dishes. Waitstaff wear traditional costumes.

Entertainment focuses on scheduled activities and live performances, including classical and Russian folk music. Lectures cover Russian history and culture. Port talks delivered by professional guides provide information on ports of call, nearby towns, shore excursions, and tour options. Guests also enjoy traditional tea ceremonies, Russian language classes, dance and singing lessons, vodka tastings, and matryoshka doll painting workshops.

MS Zosima Shashkov ship facilities include:

• (Boat Deck, Middle Deck) Two restaurants
• (Boat Deck) Panorama Bar Lounge
• (Sun Deck) Conference Hall and Bar (dance hall / cinema / meeting room)
• (Middle Deck) Library / Reading Hall / Bar Lounge
• (Sun Deck) Solarium (outdoor seating with deckchairs and tables)
• (Lower Deck) Spa (sauna)
• (Main Deck) Medical Room (infirmary), Beauty Salon (hairdresser and barber services, massages), Ironing Room (laundry service), Boutique (souvenir shop), Lobby (reception desk)

VODOHOD cruise deals

• Departure port (dock/berth), check-in, boarding, and landing times are listed on the company’s website (vodohod.com) and on boarding passes. The exact departure time is confirmed online one day prior to sailing.
• Children’s discount fares apply to guests up to 14 years of age (inclusive), with age determined on the day of departure.
• Children aged 2 to 5 (inclusive) travel free, without an additional bed if the cabin has no free berths. Shore excursions are also free.
• Toddlers under 2 travel free, but bed, meals, and tour services are not provided. Extra beds (cribs, cots) are not available.
• TWIN (double cabin) single supplement is 75%.
• Cabin numbers are assigned 7 days before departure. Reserving a specific cabin number costs EUR 50 per person per cruise.
• Ticket prices include three meals daily: breakfast (buffet; water in pitchers; tea/coffee served; drinks include cocoa, milk, juices; hot and cold dishes), lunch (buffet; water in pitchers; tea/coffee served), and dinner (waiter-served) with one starter, one main course (choice of meat/fish/vegetarian), and one dessert (choice of two or fruit).
• On embarkation and disembarkation days, meal times vary depending on landing schedules. If a land tour overlaps with lunch, passengers receive complimentary meals at a local restaurant or “dry rations.”
• Included onboard events: Welcome Aboard (“bread and salt” ceremony), Welcome Cocktail (one complimentary glass of champagne or juice), Tea Ceremony (tea and traditional pies), Vodka Show (blini and vodka tasting), Cocktail Party (once per cruise; one complimentary cocktail per person), Captain’s Dinner (gourmet menu, once per cruise), mulled wine or iced tea (weather-dependent, after excursions), complimentary Coffee Station (coffee, hot water, tea, milk, cocoa, cookies; open 6 a.m.–breakfast, 10–12 a.m., 4–6 p.m., 9–11 p.m.), and one bottle of water (0.33 L per person per day). Foreign-language guide services, onboard entertainment (language classes, singing lessons, live music, nightly dancing, wheelhouse tour) are also included.
• Complimentary excursions are detailed in the ship’s itinerary. Optional tours can be booked onboard. Foreign passengers are charged an additional excursion fee per person per day (including children aged 6–14), depending on cruise length. This surcharge does not apply to tourists from the Russian Commonwealth, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania.
• Ticket prices do not include land transfers, beverages and snacks purchased onboard, phone calls, sauna visits, optional excursions, travel insurance, gratuities, or personal expenses. Prices include 18% VAT.
• Onboard payments are made using the company’s debit card “Vodohod,” issued at registration and free of fees or commissions. The card is accepted in all onboard venues. Cash payments are not accepted. International bank cards are accepted for final settlement.
• Gift Certificates (“Vodohod” vouchers) may be purchased for any amount. Recipients may choose itinerary, departure date, and cabin category. If the fare is lower than the certificate amount, the balance is non-refundable.
• Smoking is permitted only in designated outdoor areas (aft on Middle and/or Boat Deck). Smoking is prohibited inside the vessel and on open decks outside the designated zones.
• All VODOHOD ships offer morning exercises and health programs led by the onboard physician, as well as oxygen cocktails and dietary meals.
• Free medical services include emergency care (acute illnesses, conditions, or flare-ups of chronic diseases), blood pressure and temperature measurement, and initial wound treatment.
• Passengers are advised to arrive in the departure city at least 6 hours before sailing. Boarding begins 2 hours prior to departure. All passengers must be onboard at least 1 hour before departure. Late arrivals are non-refundable.
• VODOHOD departure ports include Moscow, St Petersburg, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Samara, Kazan, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Saratov.

Note: You can see CruiseMapper’s full list of river cruise ships and riverboats in the “itinerary” section of our River Cruises hub, where all companies and their fleets are listed.