Shore Excursions on MSC??

[Ladytainn]

We are booked on the Poesia repositioning cruise leaving Genoa 26th May 2012. followed by the Baltic cruise from Kiel, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallin, St Petersburg. Just had the strangest conversation with MSC cruises about booking shore excursions.......... basically she said don't bother, the ship is close enough to walk around most places?????

I said I'd like to at least book St P and Seville from Cadiz, I'm well aware of the opportunities to walk or get hop on hop off buses, but I'd like to know I have some tours in important places booked.

This was the MSC Australian office, are they always so casual? am I likely to miss tours if I don't pre book, for instance the St P all day tour including the Hermitage is important to us, as is Seville.

Any ideas or comments please?

[Satincruz]

Hi Ladytainn,

 

You should be able to pick your excursions online ...

 

Read about them here:

 

http://www.msccruises.com.au/au_en/Cruise-Destinations/Northern-Europe/Russia/St-Petersburg.aspx?excTab=4&year=2012

 

http://www.msccruises.com.au/au_en/Cruise-Destinations/Mediterranean/Spain/Cadiz.aspx?excTab=4&year=2012

 

And then use this form to book:

 

http://www.msccruisesau.com.au/media/PDF/aushoreex.html

[AmoMondo]

On European cruises, pre-booking in advance is not as popular as it is on US sailings. Many book onboard and I mean many. If you are joining the cruise at the official start, I'd be very surprised if any were full on the first day. You'll get a tour magazine in the embarkation hall when you arrive. Just book the first day, either at the ToUr desk, by leaving the booking form in the drop off box, or via the interactive TV innyour cabin.

 

Younsometimes find that they have more tours available onboard than thy do online.

 

Younwill definitely need to have a tour organised for St Petersburg or you won't be able to leave the ship unless you arrange a visa innadvance. If youbare on a ship or private tour, you don't need a visa.

[martinibob]

I fully agree that you can pre-book excursions online. Also, someone mentioned the visa issue for St. Petersberg. It is my impression that this is critically important. If being on the ship's excursion negates the requirement to obtain an expensive visa ahead of time, it is a really good idea despite the fact that organized excursions are pricey. I would investigate the visa issue with your travel agent to be sure. This is a big factor!

[Capricruiser]

You can also research the CC ports of call forum for St. Petersburg and see what other cruisers have done there.

[itravelalot]

We did private car and driver tours when in St. Petersburg. The company we used we got from the St. Petersburg port of call board... They arranged the visa's and it was so worth it. We had our own schedule and could stay as long or as short at each spot.... :)

[Ladytainn]

Thanks for all the great advice, I'm looking into private tours now and will wait and see with the others. I've cruised before and the other lines were happy to book shore tours prior but I understand why Europe cruises may be different. I am quite confident about getting around on my own, but some ports just cry out for a more professional approach :)

[Ladytainn]

Wendy could you let me know the name of the company you used? Theres a lot of them.

ladytainn@yahoo.com.au

[cutecat]

Hey there I have been to St Petersburg before ( not on a cruise ) but I have recently booked this MSC Opera Baltics Cruise for my mum - the visa issue is the main factor - yes everything in St Petersburg is very walkable - but if you want to do your own stuff you need to get your own visa sorted - which is a bit complex for Russia as you need an invite from your Hotel etc or Private Tour Company - really not worth the hassle for the two days you'll be there.

 

I would just book through MSC the excursions that cover most of the good stuff..Hermitage is a must , try to do Peterhof ( Petroverdts (sp?) ) , and Catherine Palace is if possible. Hermitage is in town but the other two are out of town so would not be easy to arrange all this within the short time you're there.

 

Enjoy Russia - fabulous place ... ;-)

[alexkrn46]

Just off the the Fantasia, great cruise, but as far as tours, they group people by language, on our cruise there were only 49 English speaking passengers. You have to hope enough passengers who speak English choose the tour you want, we had several cancel.

[AmoMondo]

Just off the the Fantasia, great cruise, but as far as tours, they group people by language, on our cruise there were only 49 English speaking passengers. You have to hope enough passengers who speak English choose the tour you want, we had several cancel.

 

That is very common on Med cruises where tours get cancelled or combined with another language (if the guide is multi lingual) because of the very low demand for English tours.

 

In the Baltics it is less of an issue as there are far more English speakers onboard especially if the ship is sailing from the UK. There are also Scandinavians who can't get tours in their native language, so opt for English instead.

[Lemur]

This was the MSC Australian office, are they always so casual? am I likely to miss tours if I don't pre book, for instance the St P all day tour including the Hermitage is important to us, as is Seville.

Any ideas or comments please?

 

Dear Ladytainn,

 

I can only speak to the St. Petersburg section of your question. In 2009 we took a Baltic cruise on a different line. You must have a Visa to leave the ship in St. Petersburg. Either you get one on your own (very expensive) or go with a tour group that provides the necessary visa.

 

About two months before our cruise, we went to our cruise roll call, found 10 like-minded and equally mobile fellow cruisers and signed up for a private tour for our two-day visit. We had our own tour guide, driver and van. We saw everything we wanted and had a FANTASTIC guide. She had grown up in the city and knew everything about St. Petersburg. It cost us about $200 per person for the two days and we were on the go from 7:30 a.m. to about 5 p.m. both days. The cost of the tour included lunch as well. It was money well spent.

 

I hope your cruise and excursions are great!

Cheers,

Lemur

[sthelder]

Hi, does anyone know how MSC charges kid below 4?

 

My daughter will be about 3y5m at the time of cruise, I got conflicting information on whether she will be under infant or child rates category.

 

Tried to chat up a MSC on-line customer officer but he cut me off with a message to call them instead...