When Is The Best Time To River Cruise In Russia?

[shoshona2]

Hi again Coral,

 

Thanks. I really appreciate all your answers to my questions. After reading your responses, my DH and I will really enjoy this visit to St. Petersburg since we will not repeat any of the sights we have previously seen. I'd like to visit the Yusupov Palace this time and take the canal boats and wander around just the two of us. We do a lot of taking local transportation in foreign countries and exploring on our own.

 

Sheila

[Suesan Jean]

Suesan Jean,

 

Just spent last weekend in your lovely town--attended a niece's wedding. Guests were headquartered at the Holiday Inn--ceremony in Ridgefield and reception at the Salem Golf Club. We enjoyed Mt. Kisco and envy you your mass transit. Here in Ohio there are only bus lines and none in our city of Beavercreek.

We leave in 3 weeks for our Russia trip. Viking sent us the forms for our Visa and we are waiting for it to arrive. You can only apply a short time before you leave. I think ours was about $200 each. Will look in our folder and get the name of the company. Being so close to the City, you might just go to the Consulate there--might save you tiem and money. Good lick, Pat

 

What a SMALL WORLD that you were just in Mount Kisco......!!! :D

 

 

I have done some research on driving into the City and going to the Russian Embassy, but, it sounds like it is a NIGHTMARE.....!!! :eek:

I would appreciate it if you checked out who did your Visa's. Thank you.

I am also going to ask for the "Invitation" from AMA. Maybe I can save some money there.

[Suesan Jean]

Hi again Coral,

 

Thanks. I really appreciate all your answers to my questions. After reading your responses, my DH and I will really enjoy this visit to St. Petersburg since we will not repeat any of the sights we have previously seen. I'd like to visit the Yusupov Palace this time and take the canal boats and wander around just the two of us. We do a lot of taking local transportation in foreign countries and exploring on our own.

 

Sheila

 

The canal boats sound very nice.....!!! :D

[pacmom]

We are going with Viking and used Generations visa service--recommended by the cruise line. Good luck. Pat:)

[Kellie Poodle]

I'm trying to figure this out. AMA charges you for the "tourist support letter" if they send it directly to ZVS but they will give you the letter for free and you can send it yourself?

 

I'm really confused.

[Suesan Jean]

I'm trying to figure this out. AMA charges you for the "tourist support letter" if they send it directly to ZVS but they will give you the letter for free and you can send it yourself?

 

I'm really confused.

 

I don't know if AMA charges for the "Tourist Support Letter". I do know that the Visa companies charge for it though.

That is what I will find out tomorrow. If I can get the letter from AMA, hopefully for free, then send it to the Visa Company I pick, and then they won't charge me for having to get the letter. I am hoping......

I will post what I find out tomorrow.

[Suesan Jean]

We are going with Viking and used Generations visa service--recommended by the cruise line. Good luck. Pat:)

 

Thank you for the information. I will check them out tomorrow.

[pacmom]

Suesan, when we booked with Viking, they sent us the forms for the visa, with the Russian company they use already typed on it. Good luck. You will feel so much better when you get this all sorted out. Pat

[Kellie Poodle]

That is what they did 3 years ago. ZVS were pretty good - I called to check on the status (as the online status wasn't that great back then) and they said on xx date they were going to drop it off at the consulate and on xx date, they will pick it up. They have regular meetings with the consulate so it was like clockwork.

 

A friend and I both got ours the same summer, but for different dates. I think I specified on mine that I needed the passport back sooner for another tip (didn't pay for express service but indicated that I didn't want them to hold on to it forever). My friend didn't and they sort of sat on it for awhile and it took her longer to get the passport back. So if you can specify such somehow, that would probably help.

 

Thanks Coral. That is great to know. We live on the Mexican border and I have to go into Mexico to see the dentist or do some shopping. I was not happy about being without our passports for a month or more. I'll just ask them if they could hurry it up a bit as I need my passport for a trip.

 

If AMA gives us the letter, ZVS will charge less?

 

I'm making a pest of myself, but this is confusing.

[Kellie Poodle]

I have been looking at the flights. It seems that the return flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow leaves at 6 AM. The next flight is in the afternoon and taking it would require staying overnight in Europe in a hotel.

 

Has anyone who has been on this trip know if the cruise lines can transfer you to the airport for a 6 AM flight?

 

It would be better to stay overnight in St. Petersburg, I guess.

[Suesan Jean]

I have been looking at the flights. It seems that the return flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow leaves at 6 AM. The next flight is in the afternoon and taking it would require staying overnight in Europe in a hotel.

 

Has anyone who has been on this trip know if the cruise lines can transfer you to the airport for a 6 AM flight?

 

It would be better to stay overnight in St. Petersburg, I guess.

 

On your return flight, after the cruise, you are flying from where to where to where to where?

When we fly home on British Airways, it will be Moscow to London to New York. We can do that in one day.

We leave Moscow at 5:15pm, arrive in London and get back to JFK 10:40pm. Hopefully, if the planes leave on time.....

There were eight flights leaving at 5:50am, but, I was like, "No, I don't think so......." I would MUCH RATHER get up at a normal time, have leisurely Breakfast and get to the airport for an afternoon flight.

Keep looking at all the different airlines, British Airways, Swiss Air, Lufthansa, United, Air France, etc.....

[Coral]

I have been looking at the flights. It seems that the return flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow leaves at 6 AM. The next flight is in the afternoon and taking it would require staying overnight in Europe in a hotel.

 

Has anyone who has been on this trip know if the cruise lines can transfer you to the airport for a 6 AM flight?

 

It would be better to stay overnight in St. Petersburg, I guess.

 

I had a 7 am flight out of Moscow (the further airport - Domodedovo). They (Amadeus) were going to transfer me via taxi by myself. I felt a little uncomfortable with that (being the airport was more then an hour away supposedly) so I agreed to go with another couple who had a 5:30 am flight. So instead of leaving at 4 am like they had planned for just me, we left at 2:30 am (the 3 of us). It turned out, it was a holiday and there was no traffic so we got to the airport extremely early.

 

I did a Moscow at night tour and we returned at midnight and left at 2:30 am for the airport!

 

I used FF miles for my flight and that was the only time they could give me. I called the cruise line company as my travel agent was out of town and told them my proposed flight times and they didn't have a problem. A lot of people had 8 am flights out of Sheremetyevo. So morning flights are common.

 

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As far as spending an extra night in St. Petersburg - I strongly encourage you to spend 1-2 more nights there. There is so much to do here and 2 more days would be great. Though, factor in that hotels are very $$$ here and you may need an invitation from the hotel for your visa. My visa came back with dates a week earlier and a week later then my cruise dates but others didn't and I am not sure why. You may need an invite from a service or the hotel for your extra days.

[Coral]

Thanks Coral. That is great to know. We live on the Mexican border and I have to go into Mexico to see the dentist or do some shopping. I was not happy about being without our passports for a month or more. I'll just ask them if they could hurry it up a bit as I need my passport for a trip.

 

If AMA gives us the letter, ZVS will charge less?

 

I'm making a pest of myself, but this is confusing.

 

I was with out my passport for 17 days total. They did have expediated service but I didn't pay for it.

 

I would call AMA and ask them what the fees are for "this year" for the visa through zvs. What they did for us was give a code to use at zvs's website. Supposedly 90 days out, the link to our cruise date would be active and we could download a form. Though the form was the same for the entire season. I still have the form so if you want to email me - I can send you the form for the cruise 3 years ago.

 

It does say "allow 40 days" for them to process the form. They want even more money for quicker then 20 days. All I know is that I got mine within 17 days.

 

I did not ask anyone for a letter. I figured since I was using AMA's service, everything was coordinated. Of course things may have changed since then.

 

If you email me - I can send you the form and you can have a look for yourself.

[Coral]

I am going to try to upload the document for Amadeus and Zierer from 2007.

amadeus.pdf

[Kellie Poodle]

I was with out my passport for 17 days total. They did have expediated service but I didn't pay for it.

 

I would call AMA and ask them what the fees are for "this year" for the visa through zvs. What they did for us was give a code to use at zvs's website. Supposedly 90 days out, the link to our cruise date would be active and we could download a form. Though the form was the same for the entire season. I still have the form so if you want to email me - I can send you the form for the cruise 3 years ago.

 

It does say "allow 40 days" for them to process the form. They want even more money for quicker then 20 days. All I know is that I got mine within 17 days.

 

I did not ask anyone for a letter. I figured since I was using AMA's service, everything was coordinated. Of course things may have changed since then.

 

If you email me - I can send you the form and you can have a look for yourself.

 

Thanks, Coral, my TA emailed me the form. I'm still a bit confused over the invitation letter, though.

[Kellie Poodle]

We are going home from St. Petersburg. From what I can see we have to first fly to Moscow to get anywhere. From the looks of the flights, it appears that 6 AM is the only one that would preclude a night in Europe in a hotel. I'll keep checking.

 

I would definitely want to spend an extra day in St. Petersburg, but all this invitation and visa stuff is a little scary. Don't know if the TA can help as she is just a river cruise specialist.

[Coral]

Thanks, Coral, my TA emailed me the form. I'm still a bit confused over the invitation letter, though.

 

I never saw the invitation form. I think since I used zvs - they coordinated it with AMA. The price on the form is what I paid.

[Coral]

We are going home from St. Petersburg. From what I can see we have to first fly to Moscow to get anywhere. From the looks of the flights, it appears that 6 AM is the only one that would preclude a night in Europe in a hotel. I'll keep checking.

 

I would definitely want to spend an extra day in St. Petersburg, but all this invitation and visa stuff is a little scary. Don't know if the TA can help as she is just a river cruise specialist.

 

You may want to look at code share flights. For example - going to St. Petersburg I flew AA (from Omaha to Dallas and then to London) and then British Airways from London to St. Petersburg.

 

Coming home - I flew Moscow to Zurich on Swiss Air and then American to NYC (or Chicago - sorry don't remember) and then Omaha.

[Suesan Jean]

We are going home from St. Petersburg. From what I can see we have to first fly to Moscow to get anywhere. From the looks of the flights, it appears that 6 AM is the only one that would preclude a night in Europe in a hotel. I'll keep checking.

 

I would definitely want to spend an extra day in St. Petersburg, but all this invitation and visa stuff is a little scary. Don't know if the TA can help as she is just a river cruise specialist.

 

It IS complicated, isn't it?

Good Luck in trying to figure out your flights back home.

I spent HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS researching flights on MANY Airlines for our flights just going from New York to Saint Petersburg and Moscow to New York.

I had a spread sheet, with everything factored in. Cost, layover time, how many connections, total amount of travel time, economy, premium economy, comfort level of seats, "perks", etc........

My brain was tired........