viking river cruises Russia and Ukraine 2010

[spree]

Would appreciate any advise from those that have taken either of these cruises. Places to shop, extra side trips not included in cruise but worth taking. Stratagies for good use of time.

Also any suggestions for hotels in St. Petersburg as we will have 2 nights before our cruise.

Thank you.;)

[Mickie]

Would appreciate any advise from those that have taken either of these cruises. Places to shop, extra side trips not included in cruise but worth taking. Stratagies for good use of time.

Also any suggestions for hotels in St. Petersburg as we will have 2 nights before our cruise.

Thank you.;)

 

We are taking the Waterways of the Czars trip on June 10 - but Moscow to St. Petersburg. Have booked the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petsrburg Vasilievsky, but there are many, many other options -all quite expensive. Just remember, 4 or 5 star hotels in Russia are NOT generally the same as those in the US.

 

We are staying three extra nights in St. Pete because there are so many things we want to see. The Viking ship does offer tours, but not enough time at many of them, the Hermitage, for example. Everyone who has been tells us you need MUCH MORE than 2-3 hours there.

 

I am not really in to shopping much, but we are taking PRIVATE, non-ship tours in St. Petersburg. As you can see from many postings on this board, there are quite a few very well thought of private tour operators.

 

Let me know if you need any more specifics.

Mickie

 

You might want to look at two very good web sites for reviews of hotels - http://www.booking.com or http://www.venere.com.

[spree]

Thank you for your reply. Could you give me the website or information for the tour company you are using in St. Peterburg for your own tours.

[Mickie]

Thank you for your reply. Could you give me the website or information for the tour company you are using in St. Peterburg for your own tours.

 

I am afraid that if I mention a private tour company on Cruise Critic, they will not allow it.

 

Please send me an email -- MickieB@aol.com - and I will reply to your email address.

 

Mickie

[Mickie]

Thank you for your reply. Could you give me the website or information for the tour company you are using in St. Peterburg for your own tours.

 

I was thinking further about my earlier reply to you - and realized that EVERYONE on Cruise Critic seems to mention specific private tour operators they have used or liked. You might want to also go on the part of the boards that say Ports of Call, and look at the northern Europe ones, then there are loads of posts about various private companies.

 

We have looked at several - I think they are all mentioned - but you might want to look at SPB Tours, Anastasia Tours, Alla Tours, Red October, just to name a few.

 

Most important advice I can give, though, is to outline the places that are INCLUDED in your Viking tour and see HOW MUCH TIME IS BEING ALLOWED THERE and then list the places you also want to go to and base an itinerary with a private company on that list. Note which sites are OPTIONAL and then compare the price from the ship versus the private tour operator. I will bet you dollars to donuts that the private ones are much less expensive.

[no fuss travel]

Don't miss Catherine's Palace (Pushkin Palace?) and Peter the Great's summer palace. Both are incredible and must sees. The Heritage is also fantastic and tours do not tend to give you enough time to see everything, at least the ones organized by ships and bus tour companies. If you have time and they offer the Russian Folklore show, go, it is fantastic. They do dances and songs from all over Russia with the ethnic costumes.