Cruise navigation became one of the key issues of a meeting of the Maritime Collegium at the Russian government that gathered in Saint Petersburg on October 18, 2019. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov called sea and river voyages as “the most popular and dynamically developing type of travels with the considerable multiplying effect”. In his speech Russian Deputy Transport Minister, Rosmorrechflot head Yuri Tsvetkov spoke about the development of home sea tourism based on the example of a cruise organized by FSUE “Rosmorport” in the Black Sea. The specially bought liner, the Knyaz Vladimir, moves on this route.

The Knyaz Vladimir completed a tourist season and returned to the home port of Sochi on October 19, 2019. This was the most continuous and popular navigation in the three-year history of the cruise. This year the vessel has made 23 voyages and about 8.000 tourists enjoyed the beauty of the south resort cities of the country. This is almost 50% more than during the first navigation.

The voyage has traditionally started in Sochi every Sunday. The voyages envisage one-day port calls at the seaports of Novorossiysk and Sevastopol, the two-day stay in Yalta and the return to Sochi.

This season, families with children and sea voyages lovers, who pursue an active lifestyle, are the main audience of the Knyaz Vladimir liner. The major part of vacationists is from Moscow and the Moscow region and from Krasnodar Territory – 24% and 30% respectively. Foreign tourists also show interest in sea voyages. This year representatives from former Soviet Republics, Western Europe, the Asia Pacific Region and Israel have become guests of the liner.

Tourists prized the quality of service, different entertainments aboard, everyday children’s animation, fascinating excursions and three meals daily under the buffet style system.

Next year the navigation will last from March 1 to October 31. The geography of routes will also include visits to Abkhazia: in 2020 the Knyaz Vladimir will make 35 voyages, six of them will include calls at the seaport of Sukhum.