Costa Cruises Launches One-Day Tours to Moscow
Costa Cruises has announced the introduction of a major innovation for the 2016 summer season, which will make its Baltic Sea cruises even more exclusive.
Starting this May, guests vacationing on the Costa Luminosa will have the unique opportunity to visit the magnificent city of Moscow, thanks to two new incredible tours.
Costa is the first company to offer cruise passengers day trips to Moscow. During the two-day stopover in St. Petersburg, one of the calls on the Costa Luminosa’s 7-day cruises this summer season, guests will be able to get to Moscow in just 4 hours on the new Sapsan.
Alternatively, they can opt for the 2-day excursion, combining Moscow with a guided tour the next day of all St. Petersburg’s main monuments, thus letting participants get a real feel for Russian culture and history.
Also, when they choose one of Costa’s shore tours in Russia, guests will not have to worry about all the red tape involved in applying for a tourist visa. Visas will be included in the price of the excursion; adding to the flexibility and convenience, these tours can be booked right up until the day before.
The “Moscow in a day” tour starts with a tasty, energy-boosting breakfast on the high-speed train, the perfect way to start the day en route to the marvels awaiting at your destination. In Moscow, the first stop on the panoramic tour is the Kremlin and a visit to its Armory Museum, dating back to 1581, followed by the staggeringly spectacular sight of St. Basil’s Cathedral, the icon of Russia. While in Red Square, guests will have time at leisure, while they will be served dinner on the train journey back to St. Petersburg.
The 2-day “Super Russia” excursion includes all of the above plus a picturesque tour of St. Petersburg during the ship’s second day there. This panoramic tour of the home of the Czars takes in its main tourist attractions, notably the Winter Palace and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Guests will be able to enjoy a guided visit of the Peter & Paul Fortress and Cathedral, before heading for the world-renowned Hermitage, one of the largest museums in the world, with around 3 million items in its collection. Itself a travel destination, the Hermitage occupies more than 5 buildings and you could stay for days and still never see all the art on display. On this excursion there is a 2-hour guided tour of the masterpieces and the majestic architecture in which they are housed.
The “Jewels of the Baltic” itinerary on the Costa Luminosa, featuring the innovative Moscow tour, is available through August 13, with weekly sailings from Stockholm, and calls in Helsinki, St. Petersburg (two days) and Tallinn, before returning to Stockholm, where the ship stays overnight.
