Help! Russia Visa - Tourist Confirmation/Tourist Voucher

[N11KG]

After having an amazing first ever cruise with NCLlast year, im now booked on the Baltic Cruise this summer.

 

Im not one for 'excursions' as i like to explore on my own so Im trying to get a Russian visa for the stop at St Petersberg.

The application is fairly straight forward with the consulate, however, i need to have a Tourist Voucher/Confirmation. This is usually provided by the hotel or the travel agent.

 

As i booked direct with NCL id expect them to provide this, however NCL are stating they cant give me this?!?!?

i can apply for a visa through CIBTvisa's (NCL's Visa partner) but this is double the cost of going direct!

 

am i just getting the runaround from the helpdesk at NCL (who keep trying to get me on an excursion) or do i need to get this voucher some other way?

 

any help would be appreciated.

 

thanks

nik

[shof515]

you will most likely have the get the vista from NCL department. Russia and St Petersberg can have very strict visa requirements from what i read in the past.

[njhorseman]

After having an amazing first ever cruise with NCLlast year, im now booked on the Baltic Cruise this summer.

 

Im not one for 'excursions' as i like to explore on my own so Im trying to get a Russian visa for the stop at St Petersberg.

The application is fairly straight forward with the consulate, however, i need to have a Tourist Voucher/Confirmation. This is usually provided by the hotel or the travel agent.

 

As i booked direct with NCL id expect them to provide this, however NCL are stating they cant give me this?!?!?

i can apply for a visa through CIBTvisa's (NCL's Visa partner) but this is double the cost of going direct!

 

am i just getting the runaround from the helpdesk at NCL (who keep trying to get me on an excursion) or do i need to get this voucher some other way?

 

any help would be appreciated.

 

thanks

nik

 

NCL is not giving you the runaround. If you're not taking an organized shore excursion either through the cruise line or a licensed tour operator you must obtain an individual visa either directly from the Russian government or by using the services of an agency such as CIBT. As I understand the process you have to have a "sponsor" in order to obtain the visa. Yes, using an agency such as CIBT will cost you more than if you obtained the visa yourself, but should make your life a lot easier by cutting through the bureaucratic red tape and assisting you in the proper completion of the paperwork.

[hawkeyetlse]

Your booking confirmation from NCL should be sufficient for this purpose (it includes all the details of your sailing, in particular the arrival and departure times for St Petersburg). It has to be sufficient, since you're not going to get anything else out of NCL…

[N11KG]

Well quick call to the Russian Embassy,

 

Booking confirmation is NOT sufficient, it needs to be stamped and signed and they need to be registered with the Russian Consulate.

they look like this;

 

CIPDvisas will basically get one on your behalf (for a fee of course).

 

Personally i think its disgraceful that NCL wont provide you with the documentation required to apply for a Visa.

if id booked a hotel in St Petersburg, they would provide this free of charge!

[hawkeyetlse]

Visas have always been a big money-making operation, both for the government and for the entire ancillary industry, that is nothing new.

 

I think a lot of people have gotten around the problem by doing just what you suggested: book a hotel room for that night in St Petersburg and get the paperwork you need from them.

[njhorseman]

Well quick call to the Russian Embassy,

 

Booking confirmation is NOT sufficient, it needs to be stamped and signed and they need to be registered with the Russian Consulate.

they look like this;

 

CIPDvisas will basically get one on your behalf (for a fee of course).

 

Personally i think its disgraceful that NCL wont provide you with the documentation required to apply for a Visa.

if id booked a hotel in St Petersburg, they would provide this free of charge!

 

I don't know of any cruise line that provides that documentation, and I'm not sure they are allowed to. Your anger is misdirected. Blame the Russian government, not NCL.

[BostonGal35]

honestly, St. Pete is HUGE and traffic is insane. i would never explore that city on my own. our tour guides knew exactly how much time it would take to get to each place factoring in traffic and time of day.

 

i recommend you book a tour with TJ Travel. you wont regret it. we did a 2 day tour with them and saw EVERYTHING. we saw much, much more than the ship tour provided and for half the cost.

[ozscotart]

Some specialist cruises will do this, but if going on a normal cruise you will need to get it through your tour agency. This I think has to do with the fact (I think still current) that Russians and tourists must have a registered address in Russia, as opposed to most countries where as a resident you do not need to inform your government of where you live, though many western governments do have systems in place of ensuring they know and can keep track of residents , e.g. council tax in the UK.

[Shawnino]

Some specialist cruises will do this, but if going on a normal cruise you will need to get it through your tour agency. This I think has to do with the fact (I think still current) that Russians and tourists must have a registered address in Russia, as opposed to most countries where as a resident you do not need to inform your government of where you live, though many western governments do have systems in place of ensuring they know and can keep track of residents , e.g. council tax in the UK.

 

Correct.

You need to be registered with OVIR as staying in a specific place (hotel or private residence).

[ECCruise]

We have "done it ourselves" in over 100 cites worldwide, on 6 continents, but NEVER would even consider it in St. Petersburg. After the xpense of a visa (and the hassle) you would be on your way to paying for one of the group tours, which are widely available. They know where to go and how to get there, when the lines are shortest, and you would able to see many multiples of what you can do on your own in the same space of time.

[CruiseMH]

NCL doesn`t give you that voucher cause they are not allowed to !

It must be a russian company.Either a hotel or a tour operator,etc. A regular visa is very hard to get, for cruise tourists there is a simplified version of the visa.Bt you only get it based on an "invitation" or either a russian company or a russian private person.

So you`d better check with an agency which is specialised to do such things.

Yes,it is much more expensive then going direct,but it is easier and helps you to be sure that you are allowed to enter the country. ;)

Apart from the visa issue i would also recommend to book a guided excoursion from the cruise line.They are expensive(cause they know that it is very hard to get into the country as an individual), but it saves you time and efforts.St. Petersburg is extremely spacious,so there are big distances between the interesting parts of the city and the public transport is not very good in St. Petersburg.

[philip_eunice1]

Book with alla tours save yourself the headache

 

 

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[philip_eunice1]

Book with alla tours save yourself the headache

We saw loads plus the tour guide is able to skip most of the lines

Would not dream of doing st Pet on our own

To big to busy to much Hassel

 

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[Frugalsgirl]

We often do our own thing in ports but after looking into StPetersburg as others have said the cost and hassle it wasn't worth it. We prebooked SPB tours for ourselves and contacted them with where when and what we wished to do. They were fantastic and we saw and did everything we set out to do and then some.

They also offer small group tours which are even better value. Enjoy. It is a wonderful city.

[hawkeyetlse]

It really depends what you want to do. I would agree that for a first-time visitor, stopping for just two days on a cruise ship, who wants to see as much as possible, including several major attractions that are a hour or more outside of the city, it doesn't make sense to try to DIY.

 

But if the OP only wants to explore central St Petersburg, maybe just one or two museums/churches each day, and the rest of the time shopping and eating and wandering around, you don't need a tour guide and a driver for that.

 

I don't know how much the independent tourist visa costs. It could work out cheaper than a tour, but value-wise it would make for a very expensive port stop where they don't actually see or do very much… If they even manage to get the visa.

[kerryincork]

Also unless they speak Russian they will find it difficult, it is not like a lot of other European countries where English is spoken.

 

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[Seminole1975]

I have never been to St. Petersburg, but have done a lot of research lately. Everything I have read says that it is NOT a good idea to go it alone, especially if you do not speak the language. We have decided to use SPB tours and are going with a group from our roll call. SPB provides the necessary documentation.

 

Another suggestion is to get your own private 1:1 guide just for your party. This is pricey, but probably cheaper and easier than going through the hassle of getting your own VISA for two days.