Cruising the Baltics with a Teen and Tween on the Getaway; A Review

That is good to know. Thank you. I could not see it for some reason on my browser and had to highlight it.

 

Here is the link to the new thread that I created in the Baltic forum relating to this topic.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2534350

Thanks.

Please let us know if any new information comes to light from that thread.

Question to all - has anyone else tried to contact the private tour companies to ask them about this rule change?

My 2 Cents -- although the articles about the changes to guidelines specifically states that these rule changes are for busy port days, I wonder if the cruise ships will still only allow ship-tour passengers to exit first. If not, I still speculate that they will use this as a scare tactic (regardless of the number of shipsin port) in their advertising: "enjoy one of our professional ship's excursions into Saint beautiful Petersburg to ensure that you have priority to leave the ship first or avoid an almost two hour delay."

I am pro-capitalism, and do believe the cruise lines have every right to make as much money for their shareholders as they can - it's their responsibility. However, on the flip side, I am also anti-monopoly, where the actions remove or restrict the reasonable choice of the consumers.

The prices they charge for the ship's excursions into SPB are high enough in order to be semi-competitive now. Take away, or greatly hinder, their competition, and they can raise the prices for these excursions even higher.

Is there a way besides walking to get to the free tour in Tallinn? Thanks so much!

Is there a way besides walking to get to the free tour in Tallinn? Thanks so much!

Taxis are at the pier, plenty available.

Taxis are at the pier, plenty available.

Where exactly would you ask them to drop you off? If my research is correct, the meeting place is in the middle of the "old town" which is pedestrian only. Am I correct?

Travel R: If you don't mind, here is a map that corresponds to the information that you provided fir your walking tour in Tallinn. I also through in a few restaurants and a bar. If you do mind, I will delete it.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1j2XXnV1MuSWcQ7Fc_lyVDPqpkDg&ll=59.440645464586126%2C24.751182900000003&z=15

My 2 Cents -- although the articles about the changes to guidelines specifically states that these rule changes are for busy port days, I wonder if the cruise ships will still only allow ship-tour passengers to exit first. If not, I still speculate that they will use this as a scare tactic (regardless of the number of shipsin port) in their advertising: "enjoy one of our professional ship's excursions into Saint beautiful Petersburg to ensure that you have priority to leave the ship first or avoid an almost two hour delay."

 

I am pro-capitalism, and do believe the cruise lines have every right to make as much money for their shareholders as they can - it's their responsibility. However, on the flip side, I am also anti-monopoly, where the actions remove or restrict the reasonable choice of the consumers.

 

The prices they charge for the ship's excursions into SPB are high enough in order to be semi-competitive now. Take away, or greatly hinder, their competition, and they can raise the prices for these excursions even higher.

I have no dog in this fight since I have no plans to go to St Petersburg anytime in the near future, but I do find this topic interesting. While I agree with you completely about what the cruise lines are doing, I think it will end up biting them in the rear in the end. Had they implemented this back in the days before the internet, they would have made money hand over fist with this policy and established a precedent, but what I think will end up happening is if they raise their prices too much, people will be willing to wait the two hours to go on a private tour, and they will see a drop in the excursion participation rates.

Probably the reason they made this move is because they have already seen a drop in people signing up for excursions through the cruise lines. The internet has made it too easy to find and purchase the exact same excursions (or better) outside of the cruise lines without paying the huge upcharge. Plus, there are places like CC where people who are willing to do a little research can get unbiased opinions and ideas on excursions. Those not willing to spend a little time researching will be stuck paying extra.

I think some of the cruise lines are starting to realize this. I'm booked with HAL for an Alaskan cruise tour leaving here in a week or so, and HAL charged the same price for all of the excursions I was interested in (except one) as I could find going directly to the tour operator or a tour seller like Viator. The one tour that HAL charged more, it was only $10 more. Now, it could be because the tours I chose were all the lower cost tours--I didn't price any of the really expensive tours (like helicopter tours)--but it was sure convient to be able to book all my tours through HAL for what I would have paid booking outside of the cruise line.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the future. Monopolies don't work for a reason, especially when something is not a necessity. There will always be those willing to pay more either for the convenience or because they don't do any research (either through laziness or ignorance), and the cruise lines are banking on this. This is a poor decision on their part because their customer base is getting younger and more tech-savvy, and they won't pay the cruise lines' premium if they don't have to.

Some additional information on changes at the Saint Petersburg port. They are limiting the number of taxi services to two authorized facilities - see St. Petersburg Cruise Port Sea Façade Limited Taxi Operations

However, this will only affect the cruisers that get their own traveller's Visas and go off on their own.

Where exactly would you ask them to drop you off? If my research is correct, the meeting place is in the middle of the "old town" which is pedestrian only. Am I correct?

The square itself and the main street is pedestrian only, but there are side streets that the taxi could drop someone off. I do know of some fellow passengers that did go that route.

Travel R: If you don't mind, here is a map that corresponds to the information that you provided fir your walking tour in Tallinn. I also through in a few restaurants and a bar. If you do mind, I will delete it.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1j2XXnV1MuSWcQ7Fc_lyVDPqpkDg&ll=59.440645464586126%2C24.751182900000003&z=15

That's pretty cool - no do not mind at all.

Where exactly would you ask them to drop you off? If my research is correct, the meeting place is in the middle of the "old town" which is pedestrian only. Am I correct?

It was 10 euros from the "bottom" of the old town for our return and 15 euros to the top of the old town at the start of our day.

We shared a taxi to the top and used a map to work our way across and back down. Near the top there is a church for 3 euros where you can climb up the tower for an amazing view. There is also a KGB museum.

Taxis are at the pier, plenty available.

Thanks. I think we will taxi to the center and start walking there.

A Drive Through Saint Petersburg

Quick introductions were had by our group of adventurers and the tour guide (the name of which I, nor my family, are able to remember). We took our places in the mini-bus provided and we were quickly on our way.

Thefirst leg of our journey was a drive through the city to provide us with an overview of Saint Petersburg and a look at its urban dwellings as well and a glimpse of some of its grandeur that we will be visiting during our time ashore. The architecture was a mix of many eras. Many rows of houses and apartments looked no different than any other street in Europe or North America, with a spattering of the unimpressive Stalinist architecture in the forefront of the domes and spires of neoclassical masterpieces like Saint Isaac’s Cathedral or Yelagin Palace.

It was this initial drive that awakened me as to what I did not expect to see. Growing up in Brooklyn I had many friends and had talked to many people that had lived in the former Soviet Union. They would always talk of the oppression and the government’s control upon almost everya spect of their lives. The way they talked about it and the way I perceived it from movies and television, was a country whose cities were built solely in the oppressive and drab architecture that was indicative of its government for mostof the 20th century. Even after two and a half decades of perestroika, I still expected to see the influence of the hammer and sickle upon every structure that we would pass. But the views passing by our window were not despotic images, but of an average city, with its inhabitants going about their businessas I would back in the good ole’ US of A.

As we passed by various places of interest, our guide provided note of each. Being ina motor coach looking out through the window panes while travelling through the city, it was not easy to obtain may picture with careful composition and clarity. But to bring you (the reader) into my travels, I invite you to join our tour group and look out through the window with us as we took our drive across this interesting metropolis:

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

Sailing Upon The River Niva

Our ride came to a halt upon the embankment of the River Neva – the largest river in Saint Petersburg (which was built upon close to one hundred separate island s(consolidated to about 30 today)) and fourth largest in Europe. It was here that our second leg of our tour was to commence.

Our guide had also presented us with ear pieces to wear when we were not in the bus. These were synchronized to he microphone so that we could hear her even when the auditory conditions were not at their best. These came in very handy, especially in crowded and noisy conditions such as the Hermitage.

Our group quickly exited the coach and quickly made our way to the landing of the canal boar rides. A line had already formed for entry upon the boats, but it was here that the magic of the private tours was first revealed. Our tour guide had us wait at the platform while she spoke to someone upon the dock, and a few moments later we were escorted onto an awaiting boat. My DW and DD17 found it to still be a bit chilly, even with the blankets they had provided, so they took seats within the confines of the vessel, while I took a front seat atop this sightseeing cruise.

Whereas the bus drive showed the cracks and age-lines of the city, the façade displayed to the Neva was white different, showing some of the best of what Peter’s city had to offer. As we travelled along the banks of this river we passed by agreat many structures that displayed the more romantic side of the city as depicted in Andrei Bely’s Petersburg .[Note: I had read this book in preparation for the trip. A number of times it describes the Neva as well as many of the locations that will be visited during our tour. I cannot say that it was one of my favorite books, butit did provide a vivid view of the city during the early 1900s and a wonderful depiction of not only the events leading up to the Revolution, but more importantly, the feelings of the people at that time.]

Once again, I offer another invitation, this time to sail down the river Niva with us (remember, although there were no panes of glass between myself and the object of my photographic desire - we were on a moving vessel):

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

Enjoying the ride?

Well, it's not over yet - here are a few more pics:

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

And two more random pictures. On these tours you are not only seeing the major attractions, you are also seeing all of the small bits and parts that make up the city - such as the common and mundane image of a bird quietly floating on the water's surface or a look within it's structure to see what lies within the bell tower, whereas everyone only sees (and photographs) the building as a whole. But these are the things that make up the city that is Saint Petersburg.

 

 

 



 

 

Ooops - deleted.

I Can Cross It off the Bucket List – The Hermitage

Growing up my parents did not have a lot of money, but living in New York provided my parents great number of avenues to occupy, entertain, and educate their children. There were many weekends where we would go to The City (for those of you not from the area – “The City” means the Island of Manhattan, NYC, every other city, and each of the other four boroughs has their own name). The Big Apple (I guess we do call it that from time to time) has many museums and other facilities that include great works o fart, and for a minimal donation, parents can take their families into the depths of culture and history. We took many a jaunt to the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was the aspect of seeing the “knights in shining armor” and the mummies that may have allowed my parents to bring me to the MMA without a fight, but while we visited those exhibits, we took many a stroll through the halls of arts, with my father providing a narrative or two. I can honestly say that as a child, I did not appreciate the art for what it was. In spite of this, it helped me to get that “A” years later in Art Appreciation class, and even begun to appreciate it a little more. Although I, like every kid in High School knew everything there is to know about everything, it was during these college years that I was able to expand my understanding and enjoyment of things beyond my own universe.

But I digress, so back to the Hermitage . . .

Our driver was awaiting us at the launch where we departed the canal tour and made our way on board. It was only a short hop to the Hermitage where we were let off across the street across a sea of tour busses, tour groups, and taxis. We walked right on by the long queue of tourists and tour groups (noted by the tour lead holding up their brightly colored paddles bearing the name of their company, or a number corresponding to their particular group) to the large doors of this great building. The magic of the private tour was upon us again, and after waiting a few moments, we were let into the building and began our experience of the marvels that were to be seen. [Note: We were “handed over” to another DenRus tour guide that provided the tour in this palace – also using the head pieces to convey her information.]

The Hermitage was originally built as the Winter Palace for the Russian Emperors and not as an art museum. The art collection began in 1764 when Empress Catherine The Great purchased 225 pieces of art, including many Dutch and Flemish masters after the King of was unable to go through with the deal. The collection continued to grow and now holds over three million pieces in fivebuildings in that area (there is a sixth building not open to the public), but other satellite buildings.

Viewing the architecture on the exterior of the building, we knew that we would be infor a treat, and we were not disappointed. As soon as you pass through large iron doors, you are transformed into a world of ornate decorations, powerful images, and delicate beauty (and yes, it could also be seen as a bit gaudy as well). I was spellbound taking it all in. Where do you look first? At the delicately engraved shapes and figures upon the wall? At the beautifully done flooring? At the works of art hanging from the walls or placed within protective glass? Up at the finely cut glass chandeliers or the patterns of the ceilings where frecos did not appear? I felt like a kid in a chocolate factory. [Note: which I once was, but that is a story for another day.]

After viewing room after room of amazing artwork, including the Peacock Clock [note: we unfortunately did not arrive on the hour, but to see this amazing animatronictime piece strut its feathers

The next stop was to a hallway where a number of masters were hung, including those of Rembrandt, Rubenes, and Da Vinci to name a few. Although the guide had stopped and discussed a few of the most important pieces, there were a number of other masters that were skipped (I was even proud of myself for noticing a Botticelli before reading the name which was not referenced by the guide). I am not sure if it was the time of day we were visiting, but the glare of the sun shining in on these paintings did not allow them to be seen in all of their magnificent glory (you can see the glare in the photos I took). The hallways between the paintings is not narrow, but there was a huge number of people that were compacted into this area – so be aware of where your group is so as not to lose them, and also be very aware of pick-pockets.

[Visitor’s Hint: If I were to visit the Hermitage again with a tour, I would research the paintings I would like to see and note their locations then bring a map of them with me – and while the group is going from one artwork to another, you will have the locations of everything else you want to see, so you will not miss them – or quickly identify the painting that youh ave seen before, but just cannot place its title or artists.]

Once our race through the masters was complete, we made our way to another section of the complex passing by Greek antiquity as we made our way to the Gold Room. The Gold Room is an area that holds the treasures of the monarchs, including many gold and diamond encrusted items presented to them by other dignitaries such as military paraphernalia (there is a horse’s saddle with over 15,000 diamonds), and other personal items used by the monarchs (hair brushes, snuff boxes, etc.). It was just amazing to view these items and to be where there was so much wealth and amazing works of art concentrated in such a compact area. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed to be taken in this room, so I am unable to provide you with the essence of its beauty through my own photos, but here’s a

Note that the museum only sells a limited number of tickets to view this area, and there is an added cost for access. The tickets are also time stamped, so you can only visit the room at the stated time. One of the guides from the museum provided the tour of this section. The member that organized this tour for our group had also set this up with DenRus, who were able to obtain the Gold Room tickets [once again, a big thank you to her for organizing everything!!]. DenRus purchased the tickets and re-arranged their vanilla template schedule to meet our needs, which was another positive to going with a private tour. Although I was initially psyched about going to the Hermitage to see the paintings and artwork, I was equally impressed with the Gold Room and I am not going to saythat I would strongly recommend adding it to your visit, but it would be like visiting the Louvre, taking a photo of Mona and not gracing the Venus de Milo with a visit. But once again, this is all subjective to one’s own taste.

Returning to the collateral-focus of this review, both of my daughters really enjoyed the Hermitage. They enjoyed the beauty and grandeur of the architecture and many of artwork that it held – especially in the Gold Room. To them, specifically my DD12, was impressed with the Gold Room much more than the bunch of paintings we saw (but like me, one day she will hopefully be impressed with them as she grows older). Also note that she enjoyed being in the throne room. We did not spend many hours at this museum as well, which also probably kept my daughters from getting bored.

[Note: Just to step back in time for a moment – one reason we chose this tour was because it had a canal boat tour. It was a nicer way of seeing the inner workings of the city than on a bus, and it was something enjoyable that my DD12 really enjoyed, and I enjoyed it as well. However, since it was a little cool, it was not as enjoyable for my DW and DD17.]

As to the most interesting piece of work we saw that day . . . . .

Yeah, it got me thinking too.

The Eggcellence of Faberge

After being amazed by the Hermitage, our driver took us to a restaurant within the town for lunch. The lunch was not bad, but also not very memorable. We were served borsch and then something with chicken (I did not jot it down, and I cannot remember) – I remember that it was not too bad, although my family did not really enjoy the food (but they are picky eaters). Everyone from our group sat at a long table in the sparsely decorated room. All of us talked over lunch and we enjoyed the conversation and company. The youth who did not get much of a chance to talk to each other due to all of the touring, were able to speak a bit more.

A few posts ago I had mentioned that I was a little bit intimidated by this group. As I had mentioned, I have been cooking for a while, I was even employed as a cook at one time, and currently organize large charity food-related events from time to time. So when I discovered that a well known chef was part of this tour, I became very excited. Although he is not one of the food channel stars, he is well recognized in the culinary world, and his mother is a James Beard lifetime achievement award recipient (a very big deal). He turned out to be very low-key, and a really nice down-to-earth guy. Although we did not talk food, I am glad I had the opportunity to meet him, although I never did get up the nerve to ask him for his autograph.

Beside sthe Hermitage, which I had placed a top of the list of sites I wanted to see in Saint Petersburg, my DW and DDs had also placed the Faberge Museum, which stores the largest collection of Imperial Fagerge Eggs in the world (nine), besides thousands of other works by Faberge.

 

The museum is housed in the beautiful Shuvalov Palace, where one can see the beauty of the Faberge pieces within the masterful architecture of its dwelling. The Imperial Eggs were beautiful to behold and I enjoyed hearing the stories of the eggs and how each one differed. The other Faberge pieces were also interesting to see as well.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

This museum was definitely one of the high points of my daughters and DW. Although note that there are only a few rooms of exhibits so it does not take very long to go through. The museum ended with us at the museum shop, whose prices were a bit on the high side (as expected).

Blood and Beauty – The Church of the Spilled Blood

The day’s journey has still not come to an end. I have taken a high-placed bucket list item off of my list and we had also seen the world’s largest collection of Faberge Imperial Eggs, not to mention a bus tour around the City of Saint Petersburg, and a boat ride along the Neva. Our next stop was to our first religious site, although it lost its secular designation during the rule of the Soviet government, the Church of the Spilled Blood (or more formerly, the Church of the Savior on Blood), which was built on the place that Emperor Alexander II was assassinated.

The architecture is beautiful and rivals many of the great churches and cathedrals I have seen around the world – and its ornate exterior, in some ways reminds me of the Sagrada Familia.

 

The interior is designed in the Russian Orthodox style without pews, but the sculptures, paintings, and relief on the interior are amazing. A portrait of every Russian Orthodox saint is depicted on its walls – and there is even a place where more recently ordained saints are given homage.

 

It was very crowded and noisy inside, so the headsets came in very handy and allowed us to hear the tour guide over the din of dozens of other tour guides with hundreds of tourists in tow.

It’s Not Over Yet – Saint Isaac’s Cathedral

The afternoon continues to grow longer as we begin to feel the energy begin to drain from our bodies. However, we were to get our money’s worth out of this tour, and it was to Saint Isaac’s Cathedral that would ultimately be our penultimate stop.

This orthodox cathedral is one of the largest in the world and was completed in 1858 after forty years of construction. Although the exterior is not as ornate as from where we had just left, it is imposingly imperial – but the interior is just as ornate.

 



 

 



 

Back To the Ship We Go . . . . With One Last Stop

Afte rleaving Saint Isaac’s Cathedral we headed back onto the bus for what was to be our last stop on the tour for today – the Matroishka Souvenir Shop. It is a pretty large tourist tourist trap where they sell a little bit of everything(although they did not have a very large selection of hat pins, or any Russian hockey souvenirs). Walking in, they did offer a tasting of vodka, and even offered my DD17 a shot (we allowed her to try some, and she hated it). The shop was fairly priced (yes we bought a copy of a Faberge egg here and a few other gifts) and is housed in a Soviet era building.

Below are a few pictures taken on our way home (mostly taken from on the bus), with some more views at the city itself . . . .

 



 

 



 

 

Out of the almost 1600 photos I took while on this vacation, the following is my absolutely favorite study shot of the lot - and it was taken from a moving bus through a window . . .

Travel R: If you don't mind, here is a map that corresponds to the information that you provided fir your walking tour in Tallinn. I also through in a few restaurants and a bar. If you do mind, I will delete it.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1j2XXnV1MuSWcQ7Fc_lyVDPqpkDg&ll=59.440645464586126%2C24.751182900000003&z=15

Said I needed permission to view which I have requested.

Travel R...A friend has asked that I purchase a replica Fabrege egg. Would you suggest I get it at the museum or a souvenir shop? Thanks.