The first ever voyage on the Caspian Sea will take off in late spring 2009. The cruise will start at Astrakhan. Tourists will be able to visit Dagestan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan in seven days, Interfax reports quoting the head of department for domestic tourism and state tourist projects of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism), Gennadiy Pilipenko.

"The first trial sail on the Caspian Sea was successfully carried out last autumn, and we hope that the Caspian Sea voyage will become regular starting from spring 2009. Caspian states are interested in it, and Kazakhstan businessmen even tried to outbid the ship," Gennadiy Pilipenko said.

According to the Rostourism head, the ice-breaker-like ship called "Maria Ermoloba" was built in 1974. It can take 216 passengers on board. It is owned by Caspian Cruise Lines shipping company.

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Russian side intends to launch a cruise line along the Caspian Sea for the first time in the history in spring of 2009, said Gennady Pilipenko, chief of department for development of internal tourism and state tourism projects of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency (Rosturizm).

He said the voyage starts in Astrakhan and in seven days the tourists will be able to visit Daghestan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

He said the motor ship, owned by the Caspian cruise lines shipping company, built in 1974, ice-boat like Maria Yermolova is intended for 216 tourists.

"It passed the first test voyage along the Caspian Sea successfully in autumn of the last year and we hope the cruise along the Caspian Sea will become regular in spring of 2009. The littoral states displayed interest in it and Kazakh businessmen even made an attempt to purchase the motor ship", said Pilipenko.