Must Do's in St Petersburg

[pappy3393]

My 2012 cruise will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days. I already have a private guide lined up. They have pre-defined tours but they said they are flexible. What are your must see sites? What sites did you think were overrated and had you known what you do now, you would have skipped it. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[TLCOhio]

My 2012 cruise will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days. I already have a private guide lined up. They have pre-defined tours but they said they are flexible. What are your must see sites? What sites did you think were overrated and had you known what you do now, you would have skipped it. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

 

St. Petersburg is super wonderful and a private tour can work very, very well. Especially with three days there! BUT . . . however . . . so much depends on you and your personal needs and interests. Tell us more about your party size/make-up, budget, ages, past Europe travel experience, where from, etc. How much are you interested in history, museums, food, art, music, shopping, architecture, etc.? How much of it in a leisurely style versus fast-paced? Do you considered a one-day trip to Moscow? You can see most all of the top highlights in St. Petersburg in two days and doing Moscow is awesome. That's what we did. Then, with more detailed information from you, we can make better, more specific suggestions on what best fits your needs and interests.

 

Below are some of my personal "WOW!!" places that we experienced in 2008 in St. Petersburg. Don't just do the "pre-defined tour" a company views as working best for them and/or what the average visitor likes. Make it personal and fitting your needs.

 

From our previous travels to these great cities of the Baltics, here are some of my book and research tips. You might grab, maybe from your public libraries or ask for them to do a book transfer they can process for you, such super excellent visual books such as Eyewitness, Insight, etc. Rick Steves, Fodors, Frommers, etc., can work well, too. In my opinion, no one travel book has it "ALL", perfectly and completely for all of your needs. These resources, especially the visual ones, can help you better figure out your priorities, in advance, for what you want to do and see. That early research is very important. Don't wait until you get on the ship to "GUESS" what might be of interest. I always build a "file" on my laptop computer for each port stop with highlights from that reading and then pulling up stories/articles from the travels sections of the New York Times, Telegraph of London, Wikipedia, etc. All of those help to consider your many great options. Amazon can be very good in providing such books at reduced prices, plus some used books websites. Lots of great options!!! Especially in these days of the Internet, it makes things easier to research and plan ahead. You can use Google.com for great access to various text items, plus a wide variety of visuals and maps. One option for some private tour and other local options is to contract the tourism office in each of your ports. You can use Google.com and put in the search term such as "city/port name tourism office". Then follow-up to each of those office by e-mail, ask your questions, get their suggestions, options to consider, etc.

 

Our guide, Jane or Zhenya with Anastasia, was super in having a "CONVERSATION" with us. That makes all of the positive difference to enjoy and experience things in the best manner. She loves her country and its long history. She shared that well and answered our questions, responding to our interests and needs. You're the customer. You should be happy! It was much better than being "forced marched" through the Hermitage in a group of 25-25 people with a guide barking out details to us as we walk quickly by these great art treasures.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 52,024 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 54,993 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

 

 

Private, personal tours can be worth it, especially in St. Petersburg. Here our group of four, with our guide, Jane or Zhenya, we are viewing one of the two da Vinci masterpieces (Madonna Litta or Madonna and Child) at the Hermitage after an early admission. There are only 14 such painting by this artist existing in the world. We did an early admission at the Hermitage, adding to the enjoyment in this spectacular place AND museum. It is both!:

 

 

 

Examining one of the highly-detailed tables in the vast Hermitage collection that includes more than just paintings:

 

 

 

Fountains and water from the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg:

 

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace outside of St. Petersburg, here was the welcoming band.:

 

 

 

Inside Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg with our personal guide, we view this spectacular reception room, painted ceiling, gold, etc.:

 

 

 

Here is a wider shot of the Spilled Blood Church interior in St. Petersburg. Its exterior design is more traditionally "Russian" or Orthodox than St. Isaac.:

 

[MRSBITS]

My 2012 cruise will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days. I already have a private guide lined up. They have pre-defined tours but they said they are flexible. What are your must see sites? What sites did you think were overrated and had you known what you do now, you would have skipped it. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Terry's advice is spot-on, and his pictures are always amazing! For me, I wanted to add a visit to Yusopov's Palace where the murder of Rasputin took place. Our canal cruise was a bit of a disappointment because it was raining...no control over the weather!

 

Enjoy your planning and visit to St. Petersburg. The city and suburbs are remarkable.

 

Carolyn

[TLCOhio]

Terry's advice is spot-on, and his pictures are always amazing! For me, I wanted to add a visit to Yusopov's Palace where the murder of Rasputin took place. Our canal cruise was a bit of a disappointment because it was raining...no control over the weather! Enjoy your planning and visit to St. Petersburg. The city and suburbs are remarkable. Carolyn

 

Appreciate the nice and good comments from Carolyn. YES, we found Yusupov Palace to be very interesting and fascinating. Below was our full schedule. As I noted, so much depends on what's of interest to you and your party. See more below on Yusupov Palace and other places in this great city and area. Let us know any added questions, etc.

 

In late July, 2008, we did Crystal Symphony cruise of the Baltics (Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm) and had three days in St. Petersburg. Our first day was doing the Moscow one-day trip through cruise ship folks. It was a long, but super day flying there in the am. We saw the inside of the spectacular Kremlin Palace, Red Square, historic Cathedrals, Kremlin Towers, crown jewels and Fabrege Eggs, KGB Headquarters, riding the subway there, seeing the main ballet building exterior, experiencing the shift to capitalism there, dinner in an old writer's club, etc. It was a once in a lifetime experience, especially to help understand better more on Russia's complex and long history. We got back to the ship a little before 1 am after the return jet flight.

 

The next day, we started our custom, private tour with our guide and driver a little later in the next day to allow a better timing situation after the full day in Moscow. Here is what we did in St. Petersburg:

 

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2008

10 am, depart Crystal Symphony

11 am-12:30 pm, Catherine's Palace, including Amber Room. Lots of gold, huge rooms, lavish living style, etc.

1:30-4 pm, Peterhoff & Gardens (built early 1700's by Peter the Great and all gravity-feed water features)

4-4:40 pm, Hydrofoil to downtown, seeing all of the many historic buildings, etc.

5:15-6 pm, St. Isaac's Cathedral

6-7 pm. Private Canal Cruise, just our private guide and us as two couples seeing the palaces and buildings from water level

7-8 pm, Savior on the Spilt Blood Cathedral, plus a little around the downtown and then return to the ship

This busy day was not tiring as we had a nice mix of riding, walking, riding, no long lines, seeing, riding, walking, etc. Having that right flow and "mix" of activities was good and important "pacing" to make things more manageable.

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2008

8:30 am, Depart Crystal Symphony, shopping stop enroute, more photo opportunities

9:30 am, Hermitage early admission (ahead of crowds and normal 10:30 am opening). No rushing. Plenty time for questions, pictures, soaking up the history, architecture and great art. We brought pre-arranged boxed lunches from the ship and had a great picnic lunch in a our van parked on the great square overlooking Alexander Column and the military headquarters on Palace Square. We could have dined in a regular restaurant, but this saved time and was a perfect outdoor setting in a "to die for" location with a world-class view. Two of the seventeen existing Da Vinci paintings in the world are here (one of them is in some museum in Paris). There are 25 Rembrandt's at this museum, including his last, best painting with its religious connections late in his life.

1:30-3 pm, Yusupoff's Palace, just the four of us and our guide in this historic palace where Rasputin was killed and the richest family in Russia lived and operated.

3-4 pm, Shopping/other options to see or do in main St. Petersburg

5 pm, return back to the ship where they had local dancers with musicians do a great show

6 pm, ship departure sailing out from harbor

 

It was a super great three days! For people who love to ask questions and take pictures, this was a great experience in two of the most special cities in the world. Lots done and seen in just three days.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 52,024 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

This is the lower-level room where they were preparing to kill Rasputin at Yusupov Palace.:

 

 

 

Yusupov Palace had its own Opera Hall. Don't most homes have this feature?:

 

 

 

At Catherine's Palace, here is a small sampling of its historic and highly-detailed furniture:

 

 

 

One of the many fountains on the grounds of the Peterhof is the Orangery Fountain, depicting Triton fighting a sea monster. There is a cafe there with outdoor seating and super views:

 

 

 

Here is an overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior in St. Petersburg. It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in this historic city and was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The cathedral took 40 years to construct, 1818 to 1858, under direction of a French architect. During Soviet rule, it was nearly destroyed and was made into a Museum of Scientific Atheism. It has been restored to its religious beauty/role. The cathedral's main dome tops out at 333 feet and is plated with pure gold.:

 

 

 

Lots of beautiful church towers and buildings are located all over in historic St. Petersburg:

 

[Giantfan13]

My 2012 cruise will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days. I already have a private guide lined up. They have pre-defined tours but they said they are flexible. What are your must see sites? What sites did you think were overrated and had you known what you do now, you would have skipped it. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

 

Hi Pappy.

 

Which tour company are you using, if I may ask??

 

Most of the main players (tour companies) in St Petersberg know exactly what they are doing. If you book any one of their tour packages, you will assured of seeing ALL the main sites in this marvelous city, and then more. When they say they are flexible, it usually means, if you are more interested in something special, they will make arrangements to include that into your tour also. We have had people from all walks of life who wanted to see specific parts of St Petersberg, or specific things there. If you are a history buff, you may want to spend more time in a certain venue than you are scheduled for, they will accommodate you as much as they can.

We used SPB Tours for our time in St Petersberg. We are of the Jewish faith and we hard so much about the Grand Choral Synagogue in St Petersberg. it wasn't on our tour itinerary, but all we needed to do was ask, and viola, it was included.

So do some home work, know what might interest you and run it by your tour company. They will bend over backwards to make your time in St Petersberg a memorable one.

 

Here are a few more pix of some of the more known attractions

 

St Petersberg is a maze of canals. Here is a pix of a lazy canal with the Church of the Spilled Blood in the background.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe648.jpg

 

Speaking of canals, one of the things you should definately consider is a canal boat tour, which most of the companies offer. (some are included in the price, others you ahve to pay extra, but it is well worth it)

Going under one of the many low bridges along the way

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe774.jpg

 

As has been mentioned, Peterhof is one of the main attractions. here is a pix from the lower level, looking out towards the Sea of Finland

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe721.jpg

 

another place some tours stop at is the Smolny Cathedral, a very picturesque place

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe860.jpg

 

Another major stop is the Fortress or Church of Peter and Paul, where you will view the tombs of Peter the Great and some of the Romanov family

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe878.jpg

 

As has been mentioned, Yusupov's palace is another must see. Not just because it is where Rasputin was murdered, but for the many wonderful things to view there.

The Palace has it's own theater, built for the Tsars and they ahve their own private box that you can view

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe914.jpg

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Len

[pappy3393]

Thanks for your valued inputs. Here are some of our facts: Crystal Symphony, booked with Anastasia, just 2 of us in our mid 50's and we intend on a private tour for just the 2 of us; our interest are history, architecture and to a lesser degree art. Hermitage is definitely on our list. Everything that you mentioned is on our agenda with the addition of St. Isaac's Cathedral & Pavlousk Palace.

 

We've been on a Mediterranean, Alaska and Canada/NYC fall foliage cruises. We have always liked private tours.

 

Is the canal trip worth it? I have read mixed reviews.

 

How far is Moscow. Terry I know you used Anastasia in St. Petersburg. Did they take you to Moscow?

 

I would also like to get some sense of life in Russia from the common folk. Any ideas on how best to appreciate that? The market maybe?

 

You guys have been a great source of reference.

 

The rest of my cruise: Stockholm, Tallinn, Helsinki, Copenhagen & Warnemunde with overnights in Stockholm and Copenhagen. Any thoughts on these ports as well? I was thinking about doing these on our own. Any thoughts on structured tours for these ports?

 

Thank you in advance.

[Giantfan13]

Pappy

 

Going over this thread, I see there are several other sites you might be interested in, so, just take a look

 

As I mentioned previously, we had the Grand Choral Synagogue included on our tour. It is a remarkable building and well worth the time to visit. it was the ONLY religious place to remain open during the Soviet regime.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe991.jpg

 

You probably know all about the Hermitage, but if you wish, you can request to spend more time here than normally one would. there is just so much to see. Here is one of it's most famous artworks by Leonardo Da Vinci, Madonna and Child

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster944.jpg

 

We were asked if we would like to visit a market and a sort of supermarket. At the latter, you can buy everything from groceries to vodka

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster996.jpg

 

If you do decide to do the canal boat tour, you will get a completely different perspective of St Petersberg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster771.jpg

 

Most tours include Catherine's Palace, but make sure you get to see the grounds outside, as well as touring inside. the Gardens are spectacular

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe714.jpg

 

We visited St Isaac's but did not tour it

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe658.jpg

 

St Petersberg is such a magnificent, and picturesque city. there is something for everyone. As I said before, do a bit of research, trying to gain some knowledge as to the city and what it can do for you, as to your likes or dislikes.

For us, we are not big time museum people and would opt to spend more time outdoors than in. You mention that and they will bolige. Whatever you like, they will cater to. We wanted to eat in a real russian restautant and enjoy a typicaql Russian meal. We did a lunch at a palce that was great and enjoyed some great Russian food.

 

Again, hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Giantfan13]

Pappy

 

As for the rest of the ports, VERY EASY to do all on your own. We are seniors and we had no problem doing walking tours in Copenhagen and Tallinn. Just a great way to explore these cities.

 

In Helsinki you will need some sort of transportation to get you around, but also, very easy to do on your own. Stockholm was our favorite port. Depending on where your ship docks, you will probably need some sort of public transportation to get you from place to place, but we have posters here, from these cities, and will help you with any sort of logistics you may have.

We are not people who like to do ship's excursions, and we love to get out and be with the people of the places you are visiting. Walking around is the best. Even if you don't get to see ALL ther major things, you will definitely get a feel for where you are and enjoy yourself so much more.

Stop in and try the local foods, browse in a small shop, explore some of the narrow cobblestone streets, and meet the people.

When we were in Helsinki, we were on a corner, looking for the Church in the Rock. We were studying a map we had. A man, who was just walking his dog, asked US if we needed any help. We told him what we were looking for and he personally escorted us to within a block of our objective, going several blocks out of his way. That made a lasting impression on us.

 

If you don;t mind a few more pix, here are some of the highlites of these other ports

 

In Helsinki, most start at Market Square and make their way around from there. A couple of blocks from Market Square is Senate Square where you can view or visit the Lutheran Cathedral

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1062.jpg

 

In Stockholm, you MUST visit the Vasa Museum and also spend some great time exploring Gamla Stan. In Gamla Stan you have narrow winding streets, some, where, they are so thick with tourists, and a block or two away, you can be almost by yourselves.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1268.jpg

 

We stopped at a local cafe in Gamla Stan to just sit, eat and watch the people.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1265.jpg

 

In Tallinn, here is the perfect city for a walking tour. One of our posters made a great one which many of us have followed. Tallinn is a remarkable city to explore and can be done in 4-5 hours at a leisurely pace.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe573.jpg

 

Warnemunde is a nice little town but most people do not spend their day here. It is the point to travel to Berlin (a 3 hour ride each way). We took the ferry to Rostock, another small German city, but an enjoyable one. others take the train, and travel to other parts of the area. it is easy to do on your own.

In Rostock, the main square in town. again a great place to sit, relax and have a brew.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe407.jpg

 

Since you will overnite in Copenhagen you will have plenty of time to explore this great city. So many things to do and see.

The part we loved the best was the Nyhavn section where you should do their canal boat tour. this section is just made for strolling around.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster248.jpg

 

Most of us have done these ports so if you have any questions, just ask away. We love to help

 

Cheers

 

Len

[pappy3393]

I always find it amazing the amount of information you can get from these discussion boards. I have used these cruise critic boards to plan all of my cruises and the advice is excellent. There are always a couple of people that go out of their way to share information and Len and Terry are examples of that.

 

In Tallinn, we are set with a walking tour that we picked up from these boards.

 

St Petersburg is set except for fine tuning what we want to see and do with the private guide

 

Stockholm: definitely Vasa and Gamla Stan and maybe the outdoor museum if we have time. Considering the on off boat to get around. We are docking at the main ship terminal so we should be close to everything.

 

Helsinki: still working on that; would appreciate some suggestions

 

Copenhagen: definitely a canal cruise

 

What are your recommendations for figuring out the bus routes or other transportation options in each of the cities given that we will do most on our own. That's confusing at this time. I read people say use the 56 bus or something but I don't have a sense of where to catch a specific bus or get off the bus.

 

Do you need local currency in each port for public transportation or a credit card a accepted?

 

Except Tallinn, is English common?

 

Arriving in Stockholm and departing in Copenhagen. I am considering the cruise ship transportation to and from the airport. I assume that cabs are readily available at the Stockholm airport but is that the case at the Copenhagen port where we will leave the ship?

 

The train to Rostock is our plan.

 

Copenhagen: definitely

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for your valued inputs. Here are some of our facts: Crystal Symphony, booked with Anastasia, just 2 of us in our mid 50's and we intend on a private tour for just the 2 of us; our interest are history, architecture and to a lesser degree art. Hermitage is definitely on our list. Everything that you mentioned is on our agenda with the addition of St. Isaac's Cathedral & Pavlousk Palace. Is the canal trip worth it? I have read mixed reviews. How far is Moscow. Terry I know you used Anastasia in St. Petersburg. Did they take you to Moscow? I would also like to get some sense of life in Russia from the common folk. Any ideas on how best to appreciate that? The market maybe? The rest of my cruise: Stockholm, Tallinn, Helsinki, Copenhagen & Warnemunde with overnights in Stockholm and Copenhagen. Any thoughts on these ports as well? I was thinking about doing these on our own. Any thoughts on structured tours for these ports?

 

Glad to know that Len and I have been helpful. Here's a few additional items/reactions:

 

1. We did our one-day trip to Moscow through the ship. We could have done it with Anastasia, but my wife felt more "comfortable and confident" working with the ship for that tour. It cost a little more, but they have done it lots. If there had been any issues, there were less worries for us. Now, Crystal might be doing it with the higher-speed trains that are available.

 

2. Glad you are hooked up with Anastasia. I was very impressed with her. Don't be shy! Ask questions. She was very, very helpful as we planned, considered our many options, etc.

 

3. It's nice as a goal to connect with "common folks" in Russia, but it is not as easy as it might seem to do. St. Petersburg is a busy tourist town and many of the "average people" do not speak English and/or hang out in the places where we will be. I would focus on seeing the many great options there. Some will offer a lunch with a Russian family, but I don't know that this will be either worth the time and/or really connection with the "average" person in this huge and diverse country.

 

4. We liked our canal trip! It was very relaxing and restful as we just rode, listened, watched, enjoyed, etc. No walking or standing!! And we saw this great and historic town from the viewpoint that the elite did in its peak days as they used boats on the canal to go places, arrive at fancy parties, etc. Not having to battle or worry with traffic was nice.

 

5. English is fairly common for many of these cities, especially among those younger and working in the tourist areas.

 

Keep those good questions rolling along.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 52,175 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 54,993 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest

[TLCOhio]

Stockholm: definitely Vasa and Gamla Stan and maybe the outdoor museum if we have time. Considering the on off boat to get around. We are docking at the main ship terminal so we should be close to everything.

Helsinki: still working on that; would appreciate some suggestions

Copenhagen: definitely a canal cruise

Do you need local currency in each port for public transportation or a credit card a accepted?

Arriving in Stockholm and departing in Copenhagen. I am considering the cruise ship transportation to and from the airport. I assume that cabs are readily available at the Stockholm airport but is that the case at the Copenhagen port where we will leave the ship?

 

Below are some key suggestions and ideas for Helsinki. Yes, for Vasa, Gamla Stan, Copenhagen canal cruise. All are super must-do's. We mostly got by with credit cards, plus euros, for these various ports with many different currencies.

 

Check this posting I did earlier:

Copenhagen: Why Walking Back to the Ship Is Super Great!!!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=975779

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Here's the web location for the official tourism office in Helsinki.

http://www.visithelsinki.fi/In_English/Visitor/Helsinki/Tourist_Information.iw3

 

 

Helsinki’s Church of Rock, or Temppeliaukion Kirkko, is carved out of solid stone with a unique contemporary design. This is a very unique design and a must-see, in my book.:

 

 

 

Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki’s traditional Orthodox Church is placed on a solid stone base overlooking the main market:

 

 

 

Overlooking Helsinki's Senate Square, this is the Lutheran Church with its dome that is a key local landmark:

 

 

 

Helsinki’s City Hall in the main downtown overlooking the market area:

 

 

 

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard was one of our highlights from visiting this historic capital in Sweden. Loved this part of our visit.:

 

 

 

Tivoli has a wide variety of entertainment happening each day and evening. Here we enjoyed this super energized “BIG BAND” performance, including the Duke’s famed “Night Train” sounds. At night with the lights, it is magical!!:

 

[Cornishpastyman1]

My 2012 cruise will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days. I already have a private guide lined up. They have pre-defined tours but they said they are flexible. What are your must see sites? What sites did you think were overrated and had you known what you do now, you would have skipped it. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Hi Pappy

 

Terry and Len have covered everything really. How wonderful to have 3 days in St P, as I reckon everything is a 'must-see'. I case you need net another view of things, I did this on my Baltic Cruise :

 

St Petersburg

 

The Fountains of Peterhof

 

The Catherine Palace at Pushkin

 

Peter and Paul Fortress/Cathedral

 

St Isaac's Cathedral

 

Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood

 

The Winter Palace/Hermitage State Museum

 

 

and elsewhere :

 

Copenhagen

 

Tallin

 

 

Helsinki

 

Suomenlinna (Fortress of Finland)

 

Stockholm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NweRnGqZ1k

 

If you need to be as time-efficient as possible in the Vasa Museum head straight for the information desk to find out the time of the next showing (in your language) of the terrific 25-minute film of how the ship was found, raised and restored. Then go to the theatre 5 minutes before 'showtime'.

 

Royal Warship Vasa & the Vasa Museum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x45l1WMZOXA

 

If you are in two minds about Berlin - go. 3 hours transfer each way is a pain, there's no arguing about that, but you will still have a good 6 hours to see things and what great things there are to see. These were made on a non-cruise holiday but took about the same time a cruiser would have on a well-organised day trip.

 

Berlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCdvsq9lJJ8

 

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wgke23Hfuw

 

The Berlin Wall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZCwlKiiZrs

 

The Reichstag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o57Fb88tVTM

 

To go onto the roof of the Reichstag/Foster Dome you need to either book a (free) tour in advance or book a table at the restaurant (definitely not free but very good)

 

Tony

[Giantfan13]

Pappy

 

First of all, I echo Terry is saying thanks for the kind words. We love to help fellow cruisers who desire info on these wonderful ports.

 

When we traveled, we wanted some local currencies with us instead of trying to find an ATM at each port. We changed about $50 in Danish Kroner, Swedish Krona's, and had about $100 in Euro's. We ended up needing more Euros as we spent another week in Europe pre and post cruise.

You can get buy using Dollars, as they are accepted everywhere, but your exchange rate will be awful, and you will get the local currency back.

 

As for Credit Cards, we used the Capital One card where there are no foreign transaction fee for any charges. We went with the theory that we would charge anything we could, and we followed thru on that plan. In some ports, you can charge just about everything, even a taxi ride. Usually the local buses you will need local currency, unless you can buy a ticket before you board.

Our thinking was, we wanted to feel as much a part of these new countries as possible and using their currency was a big part for us. others here, never bothered, and used Dollars, not really caring about the exchange rate. it's your call on that. We jsut found that locals seemed to appreciate it that you are trying to use their currency. (won't get you a better deal, but a nice smile instead:D:D:D:D:D)

 

As for Helsinki, over all we found this wonderful city the one we could have spent a bit less time in. it is a great place to see, but it is more modern than many of the other ports. We loved our time there, but if we had to rate all the ports we visited, Helsinki would rate below most of the others. This is NOT a bad thing, just we found most of the other ports to be better.

 

A few more pix of Helsinki

First place you want to start is Market Square, a maze of tents and vendors selling anything and everything. A marvelous place to spend some time

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europemaster1150.jpg

 

From Market Square, you can go off in several directions. Many take the ferry to Suomenlinna Fortress, which you can catch in the same area as Market Square

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1121.jpg

 

In a slightly different direction from Market Square is the Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral sitting atop a hill for all to see

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1135.jpg

 

return again to market Square and grab some wonderful food that is cooked in large grills. Food is good and relatively inexpensive

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1146.jpg

 

Then in still another direction right off Market Square is Esplanade Park, a few block walk, thru some wonderful gardens and park like settings

MY DW enjoying the flowers

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1156.jpg

 

Finally, you need to get to a different section of Helsinki to view the church in the Rock. From the outside it is just an entrance into a sort of rock, but on the inside, it opens up to a glorious church, with it's saucer like dome and magnificent organ.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe1103.jpg

 

Any more questions, please feel free to ask away.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[pappy3393]

I know I am going off topic by asking questions about other ports but I feel good about what I have set up for St Petersburg and since we will have a guide, I don't need a lot of logistical help. Your suggestions of the "must see's" will help me fine tune the 3 days.

 

I don't have a good sense of the transit systems in the other cities, particularly Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki. Are there web sites or other sources of information that would show what buses, boats, trains, etc. I would need to take to get to a specific location? For example, from the cruise ship terminal, how would I get to the Vasa museum? I was thinking the hop on/hop off boat in Stockholm would be a good choice. I realize that where you dock makes a huge difference. I know there are sites that show where your ship docks but for the life of me, I can't find those references. Can you point me in the right direction? I want to have the logistics down before I get there.

 

Should I start using multiple threads, one for each city as far as communicating on these message boards? I don't want to lose the dialog I am having with Len, Terry and others. I feel as if I have met a couple of personal cruise planners.

 

Thank you.

[TLCOhio]

I know I am going off topic by asking questions about other ports but I feel good about what I have set up for St Petersburg and since we will have a guide, I don't need a lot of logistical help. Your suggestions of the "must see's" will help me fine tune the 3 days. I don't have a good sense of the transit systems in the other cities, particularly Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki. Are there web sites or other sources of information that would show what buses, boats, trains, etc. I would need to take to get to a specific location? For example, from the cruise ship terminal, how would I get to the Vasa museum? I was thinking the hop on/hop off boat in Stockholm would be a good choice. I realize that where you dock makes a huge difference. I know there are sites that show where your ship docks but for the life of me, I can't find those references. Can you point me in the right direction? I want to have the logistics down before I get there. Should I start using multiple threads, one for each city as far as communicating on these message boards? I don't want to lose the dialog I am having with Len, Terry and others. I feel as if I have met a couple of personal cruise planners. Thank you.

 

Glad we have been helpful. Len and Tony have posted great added info, pictures, etc.

 

For Stockholm and other cities, there are options with hop-on/hop-off and public transit. BUT, in my view, you need to consider the value of your time. Cabs are not cheap in Stockholm and some of these other costly cities. Much time, however, can be wasted waiting for a bus and dealing with such hop-on buses than can be very crowded on some days, depending how many cruises are in port that day.

 

Parts of Stockholm, especially on nice weather days, can be great for walking, seeing the great architecture, etc. If traveling as a couple or as two couples together, a cab can help save time, give time to chat with a driver, etc. Just another option to consider.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 52,396 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[bazzaw]

We are doing a Baltic cruise on Queen Victoria next year.

 

I have been researching these ports and taking "notes" of the various ports . It is difficult to plan too thoroughly as we do not know some variables - such as weather.

 

The "notes" that I have taken are shown below. They are somewhat cryptic - but I understand them - hope maybe they can be of some help to others as well. basically, we are doing a fair bit of walking combined with hop-on hop-off busses and boats in some places, a ships tour in another and private tour in SPB

 

 

Tue 10 May - Kristiansand,Norway – Walk around and shore tour -KRISTIANSAND FORTRESS,KRISTIANSAND CATHEDRAL,THE FISH MARKET - SKOTTEVIG & LILLESAND ships tourTour

 

Wed 11 May - Oslo, Norway – (with Emerald Princess) - HoH bus tour - $1 AUD=7.8NOK, HoHo Citysightseeing http://citysightseeing.no/ 20 Euro/150NOK/ $26AUD , Port Authority shuttle bus 5Euro, closest HoHo stop just outside dock. . Starts 9.30AM ,Vigeland Sculpture Park, Viking Ship Museum, Akershus Castle & Fortress – Changing of Guard at 1330 at Fortress, Aker Brygge, Royal Palace, Opera House, Munch Scream at National Gallery

 

Thu 12 May - Copenhagen, Denmark ( with Pulmantur Empress, Emerald Princess) - Walk around (with walking tour map) and either HoHo bus or boat tour -$1AUD=5.6DKK, Tivoli Gardens(opens 11Am – free) – Ship berths at Langeline. HoHo stops 8&9 nearest to dock, Red bus is best one . It is possible to walk the city if busses too crowded. – Nyhavn waterfront area for canal boat cruise(70DKK or 85DKK for combined waterbus/tours from head of Nyhaven), HoHo boat stop (40DKK single journey ) next to ship in Langeline Quay, shuttle bus next to Little Mermaid, Amelianborg Palace (changing of the Guard at noon), Kronborg Castle,Rosenborg Castle(70DKK),Fredensborg Castle,Frederiksborg Castle, Christiansborg Palace, 2 klm walk along water to Nyhavn, Christiania (no cameras), Citycirkel bus No 11. Free bicycles ( 20 DKK coin deposit) Castellet ( only grounds) , National museum for Viking stuff.

 

Sat 14 May - Stockholm, Sweden – (with MSC Lirica , Thomson Spirit) Walk around plus HoHo boat $1AUD=6.8SEK, HoHo boat (100SEK/11 Euro/15$AUD) &bus (two routes). Public Bus 76 goes from berth to city. Ship docks at Frihamnen, Free shuttle bus to Opera house or Blue HoHo bus route from ship berth, Gamla Stan, changing of the guard 12Noon at Royal Palace, Vasa museum(go early), Stockholm Cathedral, Gold Room in Museum of National Antiquities, Blue Hall and Golden Hall inside City Hall ( Nobel prize ceremony), spectacular scenery on departure

 

Sun 15 May - Helsinki, Finland –(with Thomson Spirit) $1AUD-0.75 Euro (1 Euro=$1.32) – HoHo bus and walk around - Port Authority Shuttle bus 5Euro, HOHO bus http://www.stromma.fi/en/SIGHTSEEING/SIGHTSEEING/?Activity=Bus , Combination HoHo , yellow plus green routes 30 Euro, Yellow route stops at Hernesaari Cruise Terminal, Green/yellow common stop at Senate Square . open air Market Square, Senate Square & Lutheran Cathedral, Uspensky Cathedral, The Rock (TEMPPELIAUKIO ) Church, Sibbellius Park. 3T tram?

 

Mon/Tue 16/17 May - St Petersburg, Russia – ( with MSC Lirica, Albatross, Thomson Spirit) - $1AUD = 31.7 RUB, Yusupov Palace and a canal tour, The Fountains of Peterhof, The Catherine Palace at Pushkin, Peter and Paul Fortress/Cathedral, St Isaac's Cathedral, Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood, The Winter Palace/Hermitage State Museum - Private tour

 

Wed 18 May - Tallinn, Estonia – ( with Artania , Thomsen Spirit) Euros– walk to town or free shuttle bus, walk around Upper Tallinn --Toompeah castle, Alexander Nevsky cathedral, St Mary’s cathedral Lower Tallin – Town Hall square

 

Sat 21 May - Zeebrugge, Belgium – (with Queen Elizabeth) - Bruges, Ghent, possibly shuttle to Bruges or free shuttle to train station Blankenberge (train every hour to Brugge 5.40Euro, 15 minutes, then 20 minute walk to Old Town), definite take canal tour in Brugges. Tram to Oostende ( Check Blankenburg train times)

[MacThespian]

Which tour company are you using, if I may ask??

 

Most of the main players (tour companies) in St Petersberg know exactly what they are doing. If you book any one of their tour packages, you will assured of seeing ALL the main sites in this marvelous city, and then more. When they say they are flexible, it usually means, if you are more interested in something special, they will make arrangements to include that into your tour also. We have had people from all walks of life who wanted to see specific parts of St Petersberg, or specific things there. If you are a history buff, you may want to spend more time in a certain venue than you are scheduled for, they will accommodate you as much as they can.

We used SPB Tours for our time in St Petersberg. We are of the Jewish faith and we hard so much about the Grand Choral Synagogue in St Petersberg. it wasn't on our tour itinerary, but all we needed to do was ask, and viola, it was included.

So do some home work, know what might interest you and run it by your tour company. They will bend over backwards to make your time in St Petersberg a memorable one.

Speaking of canals, one of the things you should definately consider is a canal boat tour, which most of the companies offer. (some are included in the price, others you ahve to pay extra, but it is well worth it)

Len[/size]

 

[butting in]--We used Denrus, which had gotten excellent reviews, and we too added the Grand Choral Synagogue. We also visited the smaller, "everyday" shul that was just behind it, and which I found even more moving.

 

But while you can research tour companies all you want, everything really depends upon the specific guide. We were part of a small group (3 families, with three preteen girls and six adults), and although we had a very interesting tour, we felt that our guide didn't really want to vary things for us--despite having arranged for this in advance. She was very rigid ("You will go to the bathroom at this stop, because you will not be able to go again for the next four hours!"), and kept trying to push things along much too quickly for our taste (and for the stamina of the girls). Seven of the nine of us were Jewish, and we felt she was a bit anti-semitic.

 

By the way, I see you're from West Hempstead. I grew up there (WHHS class of 1965). Interesting coincidence.

[Globetotter]

Tony, Terry, Len,

 

Since you have already been there you know the answer: how much is a fare tip when you pay 280€ each for a 2 day tour in St. Petersburg?

We're joining a group of 16 and we're 5 in my family so I'm already paying around 1,500$: does it have to be a percentage amount (which would make up another 150$ on top) or a certain amount as a family group is OK? What did you do about the tipping? Also, do you have to tip both driver and guide or they will share?

Sorry for this stupid question...

Laura

[Cornishpastyman1]

Tony, Terry, Len,

 

Since you have already been there you know the answer: how much is a fare tip when you pay 280€ each for a 2 day tour in St. Petersburg?

We're joining a group of 16 and we're 5 in my family so I'm already paying around 1,500$: does it have to be a percentage amount (which would make up another 150$ on top) or a certain amount as a family group is OK? What did you do about the tipping? Also, do you have to tip both driver and guide or they will share?

Sorry for this stupid question...

Laura

Hi Laura

 

Not stupid question at all. In the end it is entirely up to you, but 10% is considered reasonable if you think you have had a good time, which I'm sure you will, so that could be another $150 in your case. However as you are a family group you could justify scaling it down, especially if there are children in the party. Don't get too hung up on this, just give what you feel like (and can afford) really.

 

As for the split, 2/3 guide 1/3 driver is normal. For ease of admin, and because I had spoken to the driver quite a bit on day 1, I sorted the notes into 2 separate envelopes and handed one to each at the end.

 

So that's my thoughts ! I'm sure you will have a ball and not really care + or - $10 what it cost.

Tony

[Globetotter]

Thank you Tony, you're very helpful, as usual...

 

Laura

[janina]

We did this cruise last June, and had a private guide for the two of us in St Petersburg, it was wonderful. They are regulated by the government to take you to certain sites, and the itinarary they give you with the visa will show this. But, once there our guide took us to the places we wanted to see. I loved the Church of Spilled Blood, and the little market area around there. She also took us down to see some of the nicer stops off the subway, chandeliers just beautiful. I've ridden subways all over the world and have never seen stations like that. She drove us around in her van, but just took us to a couple of stops on the subway. We also loved a local restaurant she took us to with what she called "pies" but were floured pastries filled with different meats or fruits.

 

In Helsinki the market area had some good souvenier shopping, and the trams were very easy to use. We saw a lot of the city by riding around on the tram.

 

In Stockholm I strongly suggest going to the Vasa Museum first thing. The area gets very crowded and congested later. We waited for the opening, and it was worth the great pictures, before tons of people. As we were leaving the groups were pouring in. We took the Hop on Hop off bus there, but didn't want to wait for it to leave. We easily walked to the main downtown area towards the castle.

 

No where did we have any language problems, except St Petersburg, but we had our guide. Did Tallin on our own walking to Old Town from the ship.