• See why the elaborated decorated Moscow Metro is like an art gallery during an included tour
• Visit Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world
• Enjoy the opportunity to admire some 3 million works of art at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg
• Savor Russian tradition when you participate in a bread-breaking ceremony
• Try your hand at painting during a matryoshka nesting doll craft session
• Be enchanted by Russian fairytales during a folk lecture
• Learn about Russian history during a history lecture
• Visit a local home for tea in Uglich
• Visit a local school in Goritsy
• Admire hundreds of works of art at Peterhof Palace

Russia’s food is mostly underappreciated and even misunderstood, but this country’s rich gastronomy was once considered among the world’s most refined cuisines. This voyage will introduce you to Russian specialties and unforgettable cooking lessons. Here’s a little taste of what you’ll enjoy:

• Learn the art of breaking bread that is served with salt — a traditional Slavic treat
• Visit a local family, where home-hosted tea and tasty pies await
• Learn how to cook Russian specialties during a culinary lesson, followed by vodka and tea with a blini tasting. These traditional pancakes are usually made with buckwheat flour and garnished with sour cream, butter, or caviar
• Enjoy a series of regional foods on board. Menus consist of foods served in the region, with an emphasis on fresh seafood
• Although all meals are included aboard m/s Crucelake during your cruise, you do have opportunities to go out on your own and sample the cuisine in local restaurants at certain ports. Your Cruise Director can recommend restaurants and menu options that you may want to try!

You’ve traveled a long way for this journey, and photography will be key to keeping these memories alive for years to come. Here are a few tips:

• Take your time to capture an image. Think like a photographer and slow down to compose your shot. Remember: Tourists take pictures, while photographers make images
• You’ll encounter some larger-than-life scenes and landmarks on this trip, which might create pressure to fit everything into one shot. Instead, try focusing on a distinctive feature rather than trying to incorporate everything into frame
• Use your surroundings. Instead of edging out other tourists from your photos, utilize them to enhance the scene. Try tilting the camera at your target, including tourists and the real scene in the background or forefront, and the image is instantly more intriguing than a generic snapshot
• Pursue quirky composition — shooting off-center makes for a more artsy, unique shot

Russia may be a secular country, but its deep Orthodox Christian roots are evident in lavish cathedrals and Byzantine religious icons. Here’s a few of this journey’s religious highlights:

• Explore iconic Red Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring colorful St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Mausoleum
• Visit Kizhi Island’s Church of the Transfiguration, an ornate structure with 22 domes, built entirely without nails
• Admire St. Petersburg’s Church on Spilled Blood, where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881
• Enjoy the tranquil village of Goritsy’s fascinating history as a former home to several monasteries

• Be surrounded by history in Red Square and learn about the origin of its name (not the pigment of the bricks, or the color associated with Communism) in Moscow
• Visit the Kremlin, a UNESCO site immortalized as the center of official state ceremonies in Russia’s capital
• Admire the glittering canals and historic treasures in the city of St. Petersburg, collectively known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Marvel at the UNESCO-designated Transfiguration Church of Kizhi Island, built entirely without nails         
• Peterhof Palace — including its enchanting fountains set to music — is a UNESCO site known as the “Russian Versailles”
• Enjoy a visit to the exquisite Catherine Palace, a UNESCO site

Your solo-friendly river cruise has been enhanced with special features catering to independent travelers, including:

• A lively social media night and musical performances most nights
• Solo-friendly social activities, including a Solo Connection mixer
• Onboard entertainment, lectures, and cooking demonstrations

The Worldwide Concierge service will be available throughout your entire river cruise to help you customize your journey. Here are just a few services your Concierge can provide:

• Do you have a special birthday, anniversary, family reunion or other important event you want to celebrate on board? Let your Concierge know and he or she can make all the special arrangements, whether it’s a private reception in your suite, a gathering in the lounge, and more
• Restaurant reservations. Just notify your Concierge of your interests, and he or she will be happy to make recommendations, and will call ahead to reserve your table
• Special excursions. Would you like a limo to take you for a special night in the city? Perhaps you’d like to look up long-lost relatives. Your Concierge is here to help!
• Extend your stay! Your Concierge can help modify your hotel reservations and flights if you decide to stay on