VESSEL REVIEW | Pyotr Velikiy – Russian river cruise ship with 310-guest capacity

Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation, via its Lotos Shipyard division, has completed the main construction phase of the river cruise ship Pyotr Velikiy ("Peter the Great").

The newbuild is owned by Moscow River Shipping Company and is to be operated by Mosturflot. It belongs to the Project PV300VD series of river cruise ships derived from the Project PV300 series designed by local naval architecture firm Marine Engineering Bureau.

A sea-river navigation capability means the ship can sail on long-distance cruises between Moscow and Astrakhan and Saint Petersburg via the Ladoga and Onega lakes and Rostov-on-Don via the Volga-Don shipping canal as well as trips to the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Sea of Azov. The hull is durable enough to withstand sailings in wave heights of up to three metres as well as navigation in areas with thin surface ice.

Pyotr Velikiy has an LOA of 141 metres, a beam of 16.82 metres, a draught of 3.25 metres, a depth of 5.5 metres, and space for 90 crewmembers. Up to 310 guests will be housed in 155 cabins of various classes. Accommodation options include all-balcony staterooms and cabins for passengers with limited mobility. All cabins have double beds, air conditioning, satellite TV, and wifi connectivity.

Other facilities include an observation lounge on the bow, a sun deck, a pool, a bar, a restaurant, a children's play area, and a fitness room. There are two passenger lifts providing access across the four decks while another four lifts will be used mainly for cargo.

Four 1,200kW diesel engines drive three Schottel 1,000kW fixed-pitch rudder propellers to enable the vessel to reach an operating speed of just over 12 knots and an endurance of 15 days while a 600kW bow thruster operates in conjunction with the main propellers to provide adequate manoeuvrability even in narrow inland waterways. Power for the onboard systems is supplied by four 1,140kW main generators and a 214kW emergency generator.

Space is also available for two rescue boats and six 50-person inflatable liferafts.

Some of our readers have expressed disquiet at our publication of reviews and articles describing new vessels from Russia. We at Baird Maritime can understand and sympathise with those views. However, despite the behaviour of the country's leaders, we believe that the maritime world needs to learn of the latest developments in vessel design and construction there.

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