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Season of river cruises in Russia - 2020 began: features and new rules

Navigation along the rivers of Russia, which began in Moscow more than two months later than usual, is gaining momentum and will last until the fall.

The start of navigation on Russian rivers was postponed almost 2 months later than planned. The first to depart from Moscow on June 28 were the ships of the Vodohod shipping company, on July 3 - the cruise company Mosturflot.

The launch was complicated by the forced postponement of scheduled flights and the suspension of sales of the current season for an indefinite period, but the loading of the first ships in both companies at least 60%.

Short cruises are actively filled, decisions about them can be made promptly, and the load figures for long cruises are 10 days or more behind 2019.

“I would like the occupancy of the first flights to be better,” says S. Goncharova, Deputy Director of Tourism of Mosturflot. Later, the opening of sales made it impossible for many to quickly buy a long trip.

Since the opening of offices and the beginning of offline sales, customer activity has increased, and long flights in early August sold by 90%.

Complicating the beginning of navigation uneven opening of regions and their unpreparedness to receive tourists. In order to avoid trouble, the companies are thinking in advance about the options for other visits in the region and changes in the program.

The requirements of Rospotrebnadzor corrected the usual life on board: the buffet was canceled, meals in several shifts were introduced. On ships marked to observe the social distance.

The use of masks on board for passengers is desirable, but crew members are required to wear gloves and masks.

Strict requirements apply to ground service - excursion groups are reduced to 5 people, boarding the bus is a distance, tourists are provided with radio guides, you can enter museums with masks and gloves.

When boarding, passengers pass a non-contact temperature measurement, and fill in a “health questionnaire”. The ships have rapid COVID-19 tests, sanitized baggage, dishes, surfaces on board and shoes.

The crew undergoes a health check, 3 days before arriving on the ship, employees take a test for coronavirus.

A significant blow for shipping companies this season is the lack of foreign tourists: this segment will not be able to compensate for domestic demand, and some ships will be unclaimed.

To compensate for the inevitable loss of revenue, some of the ships working with foreigners switched to Russian lines: this increased comfort for Russians and positively affected demand.

This year’s season will last until late autumn. In Vodohod, the depth of sales reaches November 27, the same plans are considered in Mosturflot.

Novelties: sea routes along the coast of the Azov Sea with a visit to resort towns, and cozy cruises in Karelia in the velvet season.

Vodohod has two unique novelties: the only Yenisei cruise on the market and the debut of the Mustai Karim ship.

In the company "Mosturflot" unique offers preserved: calls to Veliky Novgorod, thematic ethnocruises, tea cruises, etc.

Introduced the designer of river cruises, on ships "Nikolai Karamzin" (comfort +), "I.A. Krylov" (vintage), and "Princess Anastasia" (premium) - extended travel program from short flights to full 10-13 days.

Representatives of shipping companies are sure that it is necessary to keep regular tourists, and make sure that people do not feel deprivation on board or on a cruise, and everything remains the same.

Source: atorus

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