'Free time' St Petersburg Hermitage tour

[Fiftysix01]

I have read many posts re' tours from the cruise ships and private ones available. Thanks to those contributors.

 

We will be on Princess Royal in St P. for 2 days in August 2014. 1st day ship tour of Catherine's palace for specifically the Amber room, is our choice.

2nd day Hermitage tour and 'free time'.

 

Query:-:confused:

 

Will we be able to stay or go back to Hermitage?

 

The tickets to the site are valid all day, according to the H's site and it is just at end of Nevsky.

We would like to stay there whilst others may do shopping etc.

 

Will we need to be under the 'guidance' of a guide whilst on 'free time'?.

 

The stated 2.5 hours is just not long enough and we would like to stay there longer. (We have been to St.P. before.)

 

I would appreciate any knowledge or suggestions from others.

 

thanks 01 :rolleyes:

[4774Papa]

I can't answer your specific questions, but we did the Hermitage in 2011. It is easy to get lost there. If you have free time, make sure you take a travel guide with an internal layout of the museum.

[Giantfan13]

I'm not exactly sure if you will be on a ship's tour the second day or something else?

 

If it is a ship's tour, you would be best to contact the cruise line and ask them. maybe they can tell you which guide or tour company they use for their tours and then you can try and contact them for your answer. Not many people on this site have done ship's tours, and what is said to be 'free time' can have any assortment of meanings. Just my thoughts though, if you stay and the rest of the group leaves, how do you get back to your ship? As you say, they are responsible for you, and you are supposed to be under their guidance at all times.

 

Now if you are on a private tour, you can adjust what you want to do to your liking. If you want to spend most of the day at the Hermitage, that would be fine with them. You are paying for a tour, and what you ant to see and do is up to you.

 

Cheers

 

Len

Edited January 25, 2014 by Giantfan13

[spbstan]

The terms of the visa waiver for cruise passengers requires supervision of the representative of the sponsoring tour operator at all times so a guide is not going to allow a group to wander off out of her control.

One tour operator who was the contractor for Norwegian Cruise Lines offered a few hours, a map and dropped people off at Arts Square. They did get into trouble when a couple asked directions from a police officer who asked where their guide was. So I am not sure it that option is available after the immigration officials found out.

[Giantfan13]

The terms of the visa waiver for cruise passengers requires supervision of the representative of the sponsoring tour operator at all times so a guide is not going to allow a group to wander off out of her control.

One tour operator who was the contractor for Norwegian Cruise Lines offered a few hours, a map and dropped people off at Arts Square. They did get into trouble when a couple asked directions from a police officer who asked where their guide was. So I am not sure it that option is available after the immigration officials found out.

 

Dum-de-dum-dum

 

Siberia, here they come :D:D:D:D

 

Cheers

 

Len