eastwestbroker Posted October 27, 2012 #1 Share Posted October 27, 2012 We have just booked the London to Stockholm cruise on the Marina on June 11, 2013. I found a 3 day tour package with SPB Tours that looks great and eliminates the need for individual visas. This tour also gives some "free time" during the lunch hour. We usually like to pick our own restaurants rather than a set tour luncheon. Does anyone have personal experience with this tour while in St. Petersburg? Thanks for any help. Ths visa requirement is new to us, even though we've visited many European ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted October 27, 2012 #2 Share Posted October 27, 2012 We have just booked the London to Stockholm cruise on the Marina on June 11, 2013. I found a 3 day tour package with SPB Tours that looks great and eliminates the need for individual visas. This tour also gives some "free time" during the lunch hour. We usually like to pick our own restaurants rather than a set tour luncheon. Does anyone have personal experience with this tour while in St. Petersburg? Thanks for any help. Ths visa requirement is new to us, even though we've visited many European ports. You'll have to stay within sight of the guide for the entire time that your group is off the ship. No splitting up or "restaurants on your own". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalkerry2002 Posted October 27, 2012 #3 Share Posted October 27, 2012 and did the 2 day Deluxe SPB tour, and then tacked on a 4 hour subway/shopping one for the 3rd day( for much less than O would have charged for their subway/shopping one) Our fabulous guide could see were all zonked the first day, (with jet lag, and losing an hour's sleep each of the previous 2 nights). That first day should have been 12 hours, and she kindly offered to tack the last 4 hours on to the 3rd day, so we ended up with 3 8 hour days. Lunch was included the first 2 days as it was the Deluxe tour. The 3rd day, our guide took us to an area where there was a selection of 4 restaurants and we could go where we wanted. Our group of 10 split up, and we all ate where we wanted, then met at the pre-arranged spot to continue on. The tour was fabulous, our guide beyond incredible! Her name was Ekaterina Samarina. Ask for her! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestbroker Posted October 27, 2012 Author #4 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Thanks Tropical..., That is exactly what we are looking for, just a coice of a couple of restaurants to choose from. I really appreciate your feedback. No visa necessary, is that correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbird56 Posted October 27, 2012 #5 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Thanks Tropical..., That is exactly what we are looking for, just a coice of a couple of restaurants to choose from. I really appreciate your feedback. No visa necessary, is that correct? All of the private tour groups in SPB will issue you what they call a tourist visa once you sign up for their tour and provide required info like passport #, DOB etc. You will be able to download it off their website or they will e-mail it to you. You actually get one for each day you are in port. Print them off and don't forget to take them with you. You will not get by the very serious Russian immigration agents at the port without it. Have a great time, its a fabulous city and you will definitely be worn out each day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roothy123 Posted October 27, 2012 #6 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Just be sure to read the documents you get from the tour company, and don't expect to leave the ship 5 minutes before you're asked to meet the guide in the terminal. Lots and lots of people leave the ship in St. Petersburg, mostly in the early morning, so lines can be long, especially on the first day. It took at least 20 minutes or so to get off the ship, stand in lines to get through immigration in the terminal, and meet our guide. (We used Alla Tours - also excellent. We were on Marina. They gave us instructions on what we needed when we left the ship, according to whether we were traveling with a group like SPB or Alla, as independents with visas, or with an Oceania shore excursion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalkerry2002 Posted October 28, 2012 #7 Share Posted October 28, 2012 We got one visa(printed from our computer) that was good for all 3 days, so make sure you put it away safely after going through customs. The first day off ship there was lots of passport stamping and stern-ness, the next 2 days the agent just gave it a quick glance. Didn't seem to take long to get off ship the first day, but we were on an R ship. Next 2 days it was a breeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roothy123 Posted October 28, 2012 #8 Share Posted October 28, 2012 My husband was laughing because when we returned to the terminal to board the ship after our second (last) day of touring, the Russian immigration rep was actually friendly, and also barely looked at our paperwork. My husband couldn't help but wonder if she was happy to see us leave, although I suspect she was just a little more comfortable speaking to foreigners that the other reps had been. Yes, they were a serious group of people! I had never had to go through immigration when returning to a cruise ship, so it was an interesting experience - but certainly worthwhile in order to visit beautiful and fascinating St. Petersburg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestbroker Posted October 28, 2012 Author #9 Share Posted October 28, 2012 Thanks so much for the responses, as I understand it we will be okay if we book with the tour company and there is no need to apply for individual visas. We have been on 7 previous cruises in Europe but have never encountered the Visa issue. St.Petersburg is the main reason we are booking this cruise so I don't want to make a huge mistake and not be able to get off of the ship there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tansy Mews Posted October 28, 2012 #10 Share Posted October 28, 2012 We used SPB in July this year. Wonderful tour guide. Small group arranged through CC. One of our group did wander away a bit and it wasn't a problem with the guide. We tailored our tour and made last minute decisions at the end of the first day for more onion-domed churches. Accommodating tour guide and extremely knowledgeable. Great driver too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Lady Posted October 28, 2012 #11 Share Posted October 28, 2012 We are going to St. Petersburg in July. I conisdered booking a one day private tour for just my husband and myself. I looked up one of the recommended agencies, but we would have had to get our own visas. I suspect that a one day tour for two people would not have been profitable enought for them to provide the visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbird56 Posted October 28, 2012 #12 Share Posted October 28, 2012 We are going to St. Petersburg in July. I conisdered booking a one day private tour for just my husband and myself. I looked up one of the recommended agencies, but we would have had to get our own visas. I suspect that a one day tour for two people would not have been profitable enought for them to provide the visas. We had a tour all booked with bestguides-spb as a private tour for four which was less than the ships tour by bus. They supplied the visas by e-mail. Unfortunately our partners had to cancel for medical reasons less than a week before the cruise. Bestguides did not have room in another group for us but offered to take us privately for two, but the cost was higher than we wanted to go. Ended up with a last minute alla tour in a group of 14, they did visas. Tour was excellent. I believe you can schedule a 2 person private tour in a sedan with either of those companies. Check their web sites for available packages and prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted October 28, 2012 #13 Share Posted October 28, 2012 We are going to St. Petersburg in July. I conisdered booking a one day private tour for just my husband and myself. I looked up one of the recommended agencies, but we would have had to get our own visas. I suspect that a one day tour for two people would not have been profitable enought for them to provide the visas. I am sure SPB-TOURS offer the 1 day tour There are some ships that do only 1 day there http://www.spb-tours.com/st-petersburg/en I would check with Viktoria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miata6 Posted October 29, 2012 #14 Share Posted October 29, 2012 We are going to St. Petersburg in July. I conisdered booking a one day private tour for just my husband and myself. I looked up one of the recommended agencies, but we would have had to get our own visas. I suspect that a one day tour for two people would not have been profitable enought for them to provide the visas. Check out more of the tour companies referenced here on CC. Prices are usually based on the number of passengers in the group. You can schedule tours for two people but they will be expensive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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