Nathan Toohey
Could it be the perfect romantic date for breaking the ice - a winter tour on the Moscow River aboard an ice-breaking cruise ship. Year-round cruises running right through the depths of Moscow's frigid winter are set to sail - starting today.
A fleet of five ships - Scarlet, Ferdinand, Bon Voyage, Celebrity and Capella - has been constructed by a Turkish dockyard over the course of 1 ½ years at a cost of $2 million apiece. Each of the white river boats has three decks, can accommodate up to 200 guests, and is capable of sailing through ice to a depth of 10 centimetres. Currently only two ships have been fitted out ready to sail, Ferdinand and Bon Voyage, while the rest of the fleet is due to come into service during the course of December.
The cruise ships are docked by the Radisson Royal Hotel Moscow, the Stalin-era hotel that was previously known as the Ukraina prior to undergoing a complete overhaul. As part of the hotel's renewal, the neighbouring waterfront is to be revamped and docking facilities installed.
Although the hotel is not set to open until early next year, cruises are already available to the public. The cruises last two hours and run between the hotel and the Novospassky Monastery opposite Paveletskaya district. The excursions depart several times a day - Monday to Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 7:30 pm and 11 pm, Saturdays at 1 pm, 7:30 pm, and 11 pm and Sundays at 7:30 pm and 11 pm. Next year the timetable is scheduled to be expanded to eight runs a day. Lunch is served with the day cruises and supper with the evening runs - and breakfast will be served when the earlier excursions start. The meals are to be prepared by Radisson Royal Hotel Moscow and are included in the price of a ticket. Tickets are priced at 1,000 roubles for the Monday to Thursday cruises while Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays will go for 1,500 roubles. Children under five ride for free, and children 12 or under receive a 25 per cent discount. More information about the cruises can be found at www.radisson-cruise.ru.
Meanwhile, water transport of a different ilk saw its prospects dim last week as the mayor cancelled plans for a water taxi service. The mayor's office said that due to the difficult financial situation and a lack of interest from investors, the plans would have to be dropped, RIA Novosti reported. The three fixed-route services were to have run around the Strogino floodplains, along the Khimki Reservoir, and from Gorky Park to the spit of Vodootvodny Canal.
