RubyP1981

Our experience with Alla was similar to the other members.  Princess did not take our passports though and we had to show both the tour ticket, passport and sail and sign/medallion to passport control

We used Alla Tours for St. Petersburg and other Baltic ports and were very satisfied.  Prior to this, we had only taken cruise line tours and the smaller group makes  big difference.  The guide was wonderful.  The group size also enables the guide to personalize the experience somewhat.  One of our group members had a bad cold and the guide made sure that we stopped at an apothecary where she could obtain the appropriate medicines.  We were worried about getting back on time but the guide was aware of when we had to be back and planned the time accordingly.  Because of our good experience, I would go with an independent tour in the future (after checking recommendations, of course).  

We also used Alla Tours in St. Petersburg and Yulia, our guide, was outstanding

Although a member/reader of Cruise Critic for a number of years, I have not posted very much but I just wanted to thank the many CC posters recommending Alla Tours in St. Petersburg.  We used them in St. Petersburg as well as Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm and Tallin and were very pleased.  The guides were very knowledgeable and were able to respond to questions on any topic.  The tours were also well thought-out and we were able to see all of the highlights of each of the cities.  

If you are interested in a tour, we used Alla tours in Helsinki (as well as other Baltic ports) and they were great.  We saw all of the highlights noted above.