CruiseMapper Mobile apps
  1. CruiseMapper
  2. Ships
  3. Russian River Cruises
  4. MS Ivan Bunin

MS Ivan Bunin

Former name: Alexey Vatchenko

MS Ivan Bunin cruise ship
Rating:

Cruise line
Orthodox Cruise Company (Russian River Cruises)

PositionDeck plansCabins

MS Ivan Bunin last position

MS Ivan Bunin last location was at Azov Sea (coordinates 47.21301 N / 39.71135 E) cruising The AIS position was reported 2 weeks ago.

Current Position

Specifications of MS Ivan Bunin

Year of build1985  /  Age: 39
Flag state Russia
BuilderVEB Elbewerften Boizenburg (Rosslau, Germany)
ClassUSSR Russian cruise ship (Project 302)
Ferry route / homeportsSt Petersburg-Moscow-Rostov on Don
Speed14 kn / 26 km/h / 16 mph
Length (LOA)129 m / 423 ft
Beam (width)17 m / 56 ft
Gross Tonnage5500 gt
Passengers190 - 232
Crew110
Decks5
Cabins104
Decks with cabins5
Last Refurbishment2010
Sister-shipsDmitriy Furmanov-class
Former namesAlexey Vatchenko
OwnerDoninturflot (Russia)
OperatorOrthodox Cruise Company, Imperial River Cruises

MS Ivan Bunin Review

Review of MS Ivan Bunin

MS Ivan Bunin cruise ship ("теплоход Иван Бунин" круизный корабль) is a traditional Russian river passenger ship built for the USSR (Soviet Union) in GDR (Eastern Germany). MS Bunin cruises on Volga and Don rivers in Russia - between Moscow and Rostov-on-Don (19-day itinerary), between St Petersburg and Moscow (11-day itinerary) and also St Petersburg-Astrakhan-Rostov (20-day itinerary).

From the same series are a total of 28 boats manufactured in the period 1983-1992. All these ships are with diesel-electric propulsion (three propellers) and originally designed with a capacity of 332 passengers (max).

The ship was built in 1985 for the USSR / Russian state-owned company "Volga-Donskoe Retschnoje Parochodstwo" ("Волго-Донское пароходство", today "Азово-Донское Пароходство") based in Rostov-on-Don. Currently, the vessel is owned by the Russian company Doninturflot (Донинтурфлот) and operated under charter by the Russian companies "Orthodox Cruise Company" and "Imperial River Cruises Russia".

MS Bunin cruise ship (Russia, Volga River)

The ship is named after the first Russian writer awarded Nobel Prize for Literature - Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin (1870-1953). MS Bunin was completely refurbished in 2010.

Traditionally for this type of Russian cruise ships, MS Bunin ship facilities include:

  • 2 restaurants (dining room, and bar-restaurant / dinner-only
  • 3 bars, small Boutique (Souvenir Shop)
  • spacious Lobby (Reception / Guest Services Desk), Coffee Station (coffee, hot water, packed tea, milk, cocoa, cookies)
  • Bar Lounge (piano bar)
  • Conference Hall and Bar (Music Hall / Cinema / Meeting Room)
  • Reading Lounge (Library)
  • Sun Deck (Solarium with outdoor seating/deckchairs and 4-seat tables), outdoor swimming pool (metal-frame above ground pool located aft), covered fitness area (outdoor Gym with exercise machines)
  • wrap-around Promenade (outdoor deck), outer deck sitting areas
  • Medical Room (Infirmary)
  • Beauty Salon (hairdresser and barber services, massages)
  • Ironing Room (laundry service), Sauna
  • Wi-Fi on the ship costs $5 per device per day.

Onboard entertainment programming includes games, traditional tea ceremonies (with pies), themed parties ( folk shows, dancing evenings), daily live music performances (grand piano and concerts), Russian language lessons, dancing and singing classes, blini (pancake) and vodka tasting, lectures. Dining Room's menu also features local food specialities (based on the itinerary's regions and ports).

Ship's crew includes resident, Russian government-licensed tour guides (speaking fluent English or German) who run the cruise company's onboard and ashore enrichment program. Throughout the voyage, these professional tour guides give lectures themed on the country's culture, art, history, current politics, as well as information about all shore excursions and visited river ports along the cruise tour itinerary.

Cabins

The ship offers several different categories of staterooms, including 8 Triple, 8 Dedicated Single, 50 Standard Twin, 36 Junior Suites and 2 Suites. Standard amenities in all cabins are individually controlled air-conditioning (thermostat-controlled heating and ventilation), wardrobe, bedside table, mirrored dressing table with padded stool, Mini-refrigerator, radio, flat TV, safe deposit box (in the closet), en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single sink vanity), large opening windows (excepting Lower Deck cabins which are with portholes).

Most staterooms are with two single beds. Panorama Suites and Family Junior Suites are 2-room accommodations with separate bedroom (with double bed) and living room (with sofa and armchairs). Suites can accommodate a 3rd person via folding bed. Panorama Suites are with bathtub/shower configuration.

Note: You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.

Other Orthodox Cruise Company cruise ships

MS Ivan Bunin Wiki

Built as Aleksey Vatchenko, MS Bunin is one of Russia's signature "Project 302" river cruise ships.

Dmitriy Furmanov-class Russian river ships

"Dmitriy Furmanov class" (aka "Project 302") are 4 series of Russian river cruise ships built in GDR (Eastern Germany) for USSR (Soviet Union) in the period 1983-1992. The vessel class name honours the Russian writer Dmitriy Andreyevich Furmanov (1891-1926) who also served as Bolshevik commissar (Red Army officer).

These Russian river cruise ships (a total of 27 units) were all produced by VEB Elbewerft Boizenburg and represent an upgraded (larger) version of Project 301 (Vladimir Ilyich-class) riverboats. These ships were used for passenger (cruise) shipping in Northwestern USSR - on the rivers Volga, Belomorkanal, Lake Onega, Volga–Don Canal, Kama and Amur rivers, as well as on Dnieper River (Ukraine), Black Sea (coastal cruising) and Yangtze River (in China). Following the USSR's collapse (1991), all these boats were acquired by private companies (Russian and foreign).

Russian river cruise ship (Project 302) Dmitriy Furmanov-class

"Project 302" ship technology

"Project 302" ships have the following details:

  • LOA length 129 m (423 ft)
  • width 17 m (55 ft)
  • DWT tonnage 3852 tons
  • V-shaped hulls - differ by series as external elements, window shape (rectangular or rounded), wheelhouse headlights
  • 5 decks (4 passengers)
  • Originally, each boat had capacity 332 passengers and 98 crew, all-outside cabins (1-2-3-bed), 2 restaurants (180 seats plus 80 seats), Cafe Bar (79 seats, with dance floor), 2 bar lounges (common rooms), Cinema (102 seats), Music Hall with Bar (75 seats), Observation Lounge with Bar (75 seats), Sauna Room, Souvenir Shop, Hair Salon, Massage Salon, Library, Hospital (first-aid room), 360-degree Promenade Deck (with outdoor seating / 100 seats, sports area).
  • Powerplant includes three marine diesel engines "Viertakt-Dieselmotor " (4-stroke, model 6ЧРН 36/45 / aka ЭГ70-5) each with a turbocharger.
  • Propulsion consists of 3 bow thrusters.
  • The powerplant consists of 3x diesel engines (4-stroke 6ЧРН 36/45, aka EГ70-5) with turbocharger and total power output 2,2 MW.
  • Staterooms are single, double and quads (originally 1-2-3-bed cabins) with en-suite bathrooms.
  • After reconstruction, to the ships were introduced larger cabins (including suites) and quads (with 2 upper bunks / wall-mounted Pullman beds).
  • All these traditional Russian ships were modernized, completely refurbished and rebuilt for both domestic and foreign river cruise companies. During their multi-million dollar drydock refits, vessel's passenger capacity was considerably reduced to improve travel comfort and safety.

Project 302 ships

From Project 302's first series are the boats

  • Dmitriy Furmanov (1983, Дмитрий Фурманов)
  • Akademik Viktor Glushkov (1983, now Igor Stravinsky / Игорь Стравинский)
  • Novikov-Priboy (1983, now Sergei Rachmaninov)
  • Aleksey Surkov (1984, now Viking Helgi)
  • Konstantin Simonov (1984, Константин Симонов)
  • Leonid Sobolev (1985, Леонид Соболев)
  • Mikhail Sholokhov (1985, Михаил Шолохов)

From Project 302's second series are the boats

  • Aleksey Vatchenko (1985, now Ivan Bunin)
  • Yuriy Andropov (1986, Юрий Андропов)
  • Zosima Shashkov (1986, Зосима Шашков)
  • General Vatutin (1986, Генерал Ватутин)
  • MS Russ (1987, Русь)
  • MS Lenin (1987, Ленин)
  • Sergey Kirov (1987, now Viking Truvor)
  • Marshal Rybalko (1988, now Zirka Dnipra / Dnieper Princess)
  • Marshal Koshevoy (1988, now Viking Akun)
  • Georgy Chicherin (1988, Георгий Чичерин)
  • Leonid Krasin (1989, Леонид Красин)
  • Nikolay Bauman (1989, now Knyazhna Anastasia)
  • General Lavrinenkov (1990, Генерал Лавриненков)
  • Narkom Pakhomov (1990, now Viking Ingvar)

From Project 302's third series are the boats

  • Gleb Krzhizhanovskiy (1990, Глеб Кржижановский)
  • Maxim Litvinov (1991, Максим Литвинов)

From Project 302's fourth (last) series are the riverboats

  • Taras Shevchenko (September 1991, now TG Shevchenko)
  • Konstantin Stanyukovich (October 1991, now Princess Jeannie / Xian Ni) Regal China Cruises
  • Arkadiy Gaydar (November 1991, now Princess Sheena / Xian Na) Regal China Cruises
  • Aleksandr Grin (December 1991, now Princess Elaine / Xian Ting) Regal China Cruises
  • Vladimir Vysotsky (planned, hull built in 1996, launched in 2003 as "Ocean Diva Original")