we took RSSC's excursions both to Moscow and in St Petersburg. We went in small groups, mini vans not big busses. we were able to enter the Hermitage a little before it opened to the public which was very nice because as the morning wore on it got REALLY crowded in there. We also took the trip to Peterhof Palace, the evening at a palace whose name escapes at the moment but it is where Rasputin was murdered. We loved every minute. If you take the cruise line's tours you don't need a Visa. Tell your friends that Moscow was a vibrant, cosmopolitan city that was soo worth the visit; The Armory and the Kremlin, Red Square, these are once in a lifetime. I can't encourage you enough not to miss the opportunity and I am sure Denise agrees. There is no one I have seen that went and regreted it.