Now is the time to be concerned...

[GradySRQ]

We are booked on the AOS June 12th. My payment is due the end of the month.

I’ve been going back and forth on this and like for many of you SP was the main attraction for me.

When I heard about possible visa bans for Russian diplomats I got nervous about Russia retaliating with their own visa bans.

This morning I looked into changing our flights and just visiting London. Change fees and hotel costs are not cheap.

I think I’m going to wait and see what transpires. I’d be very surprised if Putin denied foreign visitors and the money they bring to Russia’s ailing economy.

Edited March 4, 2014 by GradySRQ

[seaofwonder]

For all of you who are afraid of booking a Baltic Sea cruise without St.Petersburg, I'd just like to remind you that St.Petersburg does have an international airport. You could apply for a visa, fly there, see the city at your leisure. You could even even book tours with some of the helpful guides discussed on this board.

 

Well of course, but if they ban visas then that wouldn't be possible. In addition, for me, I am not interested at this point in my life at a trip dedicated solely to Russia (if I did, I would likely go to moscow). It's the entire combination of the cruise with all of the ports.

[iluvbkk]

I agree with several of the posters. I see no problem discussing this since it involves travel plans. We have already paid for our trip a week ago since we are sailing from England on May 11. For us, it's a done deal but I am hoping that we will be calling at SPB. We have been in Greece, Egypt and Jerusalem when unrest was going on. At this point, we have no fears about going but we always pay attention to the world news and keep abreast of current events.

[happytalk44]

Estonia and Poland are NATO countries now. Attacking those countries would be very doubtful.

An attack on one is an attack on all.

 

That may well be but Poland is already expressing their concern. The Budapest agreement should have kept this from happening in the Ukraine and you see how well that worked.

Edited March 4, 2014 by happytalk44

[buggins0402]

Interesting link just posted on the Oceania board.

 

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/ukraine-crisis-could-affect-several-cruise-regions-exposure-varies-by-operator.html

[seaofwonder]

Interesting article. So the key seems to be any trade sanctions. We'll see how it shakes out of the next couple of weeks. Putin appears to have backed off a bit today.

 

 

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[seaofwonder]

I worried some more, looked at other options and decided that life is too short to worry about a port being cancelled. If they cancel SPB, then so be it. I'll see Russia some other time. It was the big draw, but i also wanted a 12-14 day cruise to somewhere with a temperate climate in August. C'est la vie :)

 

 

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[shoreham01]

BIB I am tending to agree with you - and am praying that it will.

 

We are going on AoS Baltic Cruise in June and we have already paid for the cruise (unfortunately we have to pay well in advance here in the UK!). I don't think it will affect our stopover in St Petersburg.

 

Here's hoping, anyway!!

 

We stopped booking through our local travel agency with a boys first name and someone who works in restaurant for second, because they wanted final payment so far in advance. If you book direct you pay much nearer the sail date. Our final payment is 8 weeks before sail date. Worth finding out for next time.

[kaznaid]

We stopped booking through our local travel agency with a boys first name and someone who works in restaurant for second, because they wanted final payment so far in advance. If you book direct you pay much nearer the sail date. Our final payment is 8 weeks before sail date. Worth finding out for next time.

 

Mmm - you learn by mistakes, eh? We booked through a cruise-specific travel agent who advertises regularly in the newspapers. The offer was too good to refuse but we have decided that we will book direct in future.

 

BUT the events in Ukraine are not bothering us too much ... if we don't get to see StP this time then c'est la vie! We will go another time ... so handy living near to Southampton, eh?

[seaofwonder]

Even though they might require final payment far in advance you still have until the cruise company's mandated final payment date to cancel.

 

 

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[Reggiefan]

I admire the approach that the cruise will be a wonderful experience regardless of whether SPB is excluded.

 

However, most book a Baltic cruise for the itinerary, not the time on the ship, which for this type of itinerary serves as a floating hotel. And a Baltic cruise with three days in SPB can be something like a Monte Carlo Grand Prix cruise or a British Open cruise. The reason that many--though not all--book the cruise is the main event.

 

As a result, if--at this time, just speaking hypothetically--the cruise lines decide to exclude SPB from the itinerary, then I would want to know what exactly the itinerary will consist of, so I can make an informed decision.

 

At the moment, tensions seem to be in check. The European countries are reluctant to impose economic sanctions because of how they would economically be affected.

[RickT]

Hopefully things will work out both for the people of the Ukraine and those that have cruises booked with a stop in St. Petersburg.

 

Should something occur that causes cruise ships to remove St. Petersburg from the cruise itinerary it will be interesting to see if the cruise lines give customers the option to cancel after final payment date or otherwise provide some form of compensation?

 

I just read the terms and conditions of my recent Celebrity cruise and it basically says Celebrity can change the itinerary for any reason and would have no obligation to provide compensation. I think this clause is primarily designed for bad weather issues and such but it would also apply to this scenario.

 

I have an August Baltic cruise booked and while I would be disappointed if we don't stop in St. Petersburg I wouldn't cancel as the other ports of call are also on my "to do" list.

[beachgal]

Booked for May 19 Baltic cruise and not too concerned about it, although if St. Petersburg was canceled, I would cancel the cruise. Too many other places that I really want to see and would do St. Petersburg another time. But all systems go for now.

[angeleyes27]

I have a tour booked in STP and now tried to add one in Berlin with the same company. They told me they would send a confirmation this week but I have not heard. Could this be due to the situation in the Ukraine or are they just busy?

 

 

 

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[seaofwonder]

Apparently usa going to impose visa sanctions. I expect Putin to do the same. Bummer for everyone.

 

Following this closely ..... really escalating now.

 

 

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[buggins0402]

Apparently usa going to impose visa sanctions. I expect Putin to do the same. Bummer for everyone.

 

Following this closely ..... really escalating now.

 

 

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US visa sanctions are very limited (individual visas of those actually involved in the occupation). Russia would have to really really up the ante to restrict the group tourist visas that most of us would tour St. Petersburg under.

[seaofwonder]

True....I read more and learned they were limited. But it could escalate further.

 

 

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[mauimary]

We imputed our information on March 2 for our group Visa for SPB tours and received the group Visa on March 4th. We too were wondering how long it would take to come through.

[GradySRQ]

The more I think about it the less concerned I am about not getting to St Petersburg.

 

It would take an all out travel restriction by the U.S. and EU. That rarely happens and when it does it’s usually do to a war zone or significant terrorist threats.

 

In some ways it makes my stops in Russia and Estonia that much more interesting.

 

Last year we stopped in Turkey during the riots and it was interesting speaking with some of the Turkish people about it.

[Minuteman III]

A few years ago we got diverted from Athens because of rioting....don't see St Petersburg rioting though.

 

At that same time we visited Egypt 3 weeks before their change of governments, and the fine people their were as nice as usual.

 

Seems a few always ruin it for the rest of us.....

[seaofwonder]

Well, it's not so much state department travel bans that I would be worrying about (I don't see rioting in SPB)....I would be worried about economic sanctions. There is talk now that Moscow is considering sanctions on EU and US businesses and seizing assets. Cruise lines may not be able to stop there.

 

So much going on today...it appears to be continuing to escalate.

 

I haven't submitted my paperwork for the group visa yet, because my passport expires and I am getting a new one. But maybe I should...i.e., maybe they honor visas issued before a certain date or something.

 

I don't know....it is giant mess right now.

[hubofhockey]

The more I think about it the less concerned I am about not getting to St Petersburg.

 

It would take an all out travel restriction by the U.S. and EU. That rarely happens and when it does it’s usually do to a war zone or significant terrorist threats.

 

In some ways it makes my stops in Russia and Estonia that much more interesting.

 

Last year we stopped in Turkey during the riots and it was interesting speaking with some of the Turkish people about it.

 

Unfortunately, that is on the table. From cnn.com.

 

The European Council, an arm of the European Union, said it would suspend bilateral talks with Russia on visa matters, and also threatened travel bans, asset freezes and cancellation of the EU-Russia summit if there is no timely diplomatic progress.

[GradySRQ]

I wasn’t suggesting that there will be riots in St Petersburg. I was simply relating a story about political unrest in Turkey.

You people also need to read a little more carefully what is being proposed in terms of visa bans. The U.S. is talking about restricting visas for Russian diplomats and people they feel lead to the unfolding events.

Things need to deteriorate pretty badly for countries to have all out travel bans.

[buggins0402]

I wasn’t suggesting that there will be riots in St Petersburg. I was simply relating a story about political unrest in Turkey.

You people also need to read a little more carefully what is being proposed in terms of visa bans. The U.S. is talking about restricting visas for Russian diplomats and people they feel lead to the unfolding events.

Things need to deteriorate pretty badly for countries to have all out travel bans.

 

Agree.

 

Also the EU had been discussing relaxing visas with Russia - so what is referred to on the previous post #(97) is just putting those discussions on hold. As for travel bans - the EU is just threatening to perhaps do the same thing as the US which would only involve certain people. The EU countries are much more economically tied to Russia - so they will think long and hard about any harsh sanctions.

Edited March 6, 2014 by buggins0402

[Norwegianlatvian]

A few years ago we got diverted from Athens because of rioting....don't see St Petersburg rioting though.

 

At that same time we visited Egypt 3 weeks before their change of governments, and the fine people their were as nice as usual.

 

Seems a few always ruin it for the rest of us.....

 

 

Yeah,, a "few"... A pity isnt it..

 

This involves at least two million: The population of Crimea... and couple of tourists that might get their vacation cancelled.