St. Petersburg, how many passengers take ship's excursion?

[stpie]

For folks who have cruised to St. Petersburg before, what percentage of the cruise passengers, in your opinion, use the Ship's excursions versus using outside guides and tours?

 

Trying to gauge how long we may have to wait if we use an outside guide.

Thank you very much!

[CruiserBruce]

Extremely hard to answer...it is probably proprietary info. Due to the special issues with getting off the ship in SPB (the visa requirement), probably a higher percentage use the cruise line excursions there, as opposed to other ports. But not sure anyone will have any solid stats.

 

All of this doesn't mean people don't use the local vendors commonly recommended. I am sure a good number do. But it is going to vary. A cruise line that caters to more experienced travelers probably will have a greater number who use outside vendors.

 

Lastly there are a number of countries who don't have to get a visa. So they wouldn't need to be restricted.

[stpie]

Thank you, Bruce. May I also ask, what is the most crowded place to visit in SPB? Is it the Hermitage?

[OCruisers]

In St. Petersburg we've always just used the ship's excursions because it was the easiest way for us to do it.

We've been pleased. :)

[CruiserBruce]

Thank you, Bruce. May I also ask, what is the most crowded place to visit in SPB? Is it the Hermitage?

 

Probably. It is amazing...

[Keith1010]

You'll find a lot of people take the ships excursions. Not sure percentages.

 

But many find doing it privately to be a better use of their time.

 

Keith

[John Bull]

Unlike most ports in the world, because of visas and the visa-free tour facility almost all passenger take a tour of some sort rather than DIY.

I'd guess the majority take ship's tour, but because private tours have that same visa-free facility they are popular too.

 

We took a private tour and I've always recommended that others do likewise because the experience is so much better - small groups (max 16), small vehicles which don't get snarled-up in the traffic or have to park some distance from many of the sights, pre-public admission to Hermitage (it was virtually empty when we toured but got very busy later) though I don't know if ship's tours have the same facility, much more flexible, much more personal.

But to be fair, ships' tours in SPB are also well-received by those who've taken them - I think that's more because of their local operators than the cruise lines themselves.

 

On the first day getting thro immigration is slow & lines build up, so I've always recommended being first off the ship, while ship's tour groups are still assembling on the ship. Not a problem that evening or on the second day because the paperwork was done on the first day so thro immigration is quick.

 

But the new disembarkation arrangements - ship's tours first then the local operators' tours - may change the dynamics.

We won't really know the effect until the guinea-pigs have been on the first few cruises of this coming season.

Are you going to be one of our guinea-pigs? :)

 

JB :)

[squadron]

For folks who have cruised to St. Petersburg before, what percentage of the cruise passengers, in your opinion, use the Ship's excursions versus using outside guides and tours?

 

Trying to gauge how long we may have to wait if we use an outside guide.

Thank you very much!

 

I notice that the ship's tours for 2019 are quite a bit more expensive than the private companies. I have found the opposite for tours on other sailings that I have taken.

[Chocolate Teapot]

Thank you, Bruce. May I also ask, what is the most crowded place to visit in SPB? Is it the Hermitage?

 

I always found the Hermitage to be very busy, in a trying not to lose your guide sort of a way. (And regular warnings about pickpockets and minding your possessions)

However Peterhof was quite crowded, especially as all the tour groups were waiting for the lunchtime fountain switch on and the first time at the Catherine Palace, my group was stuck in one of the staterooms because there was a VIP visitor who was holding everyone up. (Normally VIPs arrange to visit after hours to avoid congestion, apparently)

I have posted on here before about going on a ship's tour and being left behind because of the delays in going through passport control, so the bus went without me. Thankfully it got sorted, but as you might imagine, I was not happy!

[manonabike]

We organised a private tour for our family. We tailored the itinerary to suit having a 3yr old with us. The tour company organised everything and it was no more expensive than the ship’s tour for just us.

Getting ashore was no more hassle than at any other port, perhaps because we had a slightly later start than most of the tours (8am). Also the port authorities were geared up for all the passport checks with plenty of desks open.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[finchy1950]

 

But the new disembarkation arrangements - ship's tours first then the local operators' tours - may change the dynamics.

We won't really know the effect until the guinea-pigs have been on the first few cruises of this coming season.

Are you going to be one of our guinea-pigs? :)

 

JB :)

 

There is a link that has been discussing this very question - they are waiting on this year's "Guinea Pigs" to give an update.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2534350&page=2

[Earl Rosebery]

It must depend on the ship. On Marina last year (1100pax) it was about 50/50. They organised 2 distinct lines and gave equal opportunity to disembark. We were in the private line early and were through in about 45 minutes including lining up onboard.

 

I can't imagine being on a huge ship with 4000 passengers.

 

Private tours ar better IMO. We were 6 and paid less than a ships tour with up ro 35 or so on a bus.

However, 2018 may be different. Expect the private tours to start and end later on day 1

[mskaufman]

We did a private tour and friends did the ship's tour. The private tour was slightly less expensive and covered a bit more. Missing from the ship's (Celebrity) tour was a subway ride and using the hovercraft to get to Peterhof.

[Scriv]

It depends on what your ship offers....

 

 

We did a 2 day small group tour with P&O which covered absolutely everything that we wanted.

 

 

Called Simply St Petersburg, it was in a minibus like the private small group tours so with all the exclusive early accesses they all boast, 13 in the group, not much more expensive than the independent ones with lunches both days (one time in a little cafe restaurant ) an excellent St Petesburg born guide and driver plus the subway ride, riverboat and hovercraft to Peterhof.

 

 

It was excellent!

[John Bull]

It depends on what your ship offers....

 

 

We did a 2 day small group tour with P&O which covered absolutely everything that we wanted.

 

 

Called Simply St Petersburg, it was in a minibus like the private small group tours so with all the exclusive early accesses they all boast, 13 in the group, not much more expensive than the independent ones with lunches both days (one time in a little cafe restaurant ) an excellent St Petesburg born guide and driver plus the subway ride, riverboat and hovercraft to Peterhof.

 

 

It was excellent!

 

 

Hi, Scriv,

 

The small-group P & O tour that you took will have been an exact replica of the independently-arranged tours - and operated by one of those same local tour operators on behalf of P & O. :)

And yes, IIRC I've seen it on P & O's website in the same money ball-park as booking direct.

Probably most the advantages of booking with a local operator & none of the disadvantages - and if priority disembarkation / immigration for ships' tours does come about this season it's something I'd recommend to future P & O cruisers.

 

But I've never seen the same tour offered by other cruise lines.

 

JB :)

BTW, did you (& msk) really travel to Peterhof by hovercraft???? Or hydrofoil?

[Scriv]

Hi, Scriv,

The small-group P & O tour that you took will have been an exact replica of the independently-arranged tours - and operated by one of those same local tour operators on behalf of P & O. :)

And yes, IIRC I've seen it on P & O's website in the same money ball-park as booking direct.

Probably most the advantages of booking with a local operator & none of the disadvantages - and if priority disembarkation / immigration for ships' tours does come about this season it's something I'd recommend to future P & O cruisers.

But I've never seen the same tour offered by other cruise lines.

JB :)

BTW, did you (& msk) really travel to Peterhof by hovercraft???? Or hydrofoil?

 

John, yes I thought that. The minibuses all looked the same and the drivers and guides all interacted with each other and seemed to know each other and at times we were in convoy. Interesting you have only seen it on P&O.

 

Oops - yes we did go by HYDROFOIL haha. Now that would have been an interesting alternative :D.

Edited February 28, 2018 by Scriv

[mskaufman]

Hi, Scriv,

 

The small-group P & O tour that you took will have been an exact replica of the independently-arranged tours - and operated by one of those same local tour operators on behalf of P & O. :)

And yes, IIRC I've seen it on P & O's website in the same money ball-park as booking direct.

Probably most the advantages of booking with a local operator & none of the disadvantages - and if priority disembarkation / immigration for ships' tours does come about this season it's something I'd recommend to future P & O cruisers.

 

But I've never seen the same tour offered by other cruise lines.

 

JB :)

 

 

BTW, did you (& msk) really travel to Peterhof by hovercraft???? Or hydrofoil?

 

 

Yes, hydrofoil. Sorry for the mistake.

[John Bull]

 

Oops - yes we did go by HYDROFOIL haha. Now that would have been an interesting alternative :D.

 

VERY interesting if your driver had been Clarkson :D

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmNhfQmiYmY

 

Main St Petersburg part starts at 42.40

Some good shots of SPB too, and the hydrofoil.

(sound is a bit distorted)

 

JB :)

[Scriv]

VERY interesting if your driver had been Clarkson :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmNhfQmiYmY

 

Main St Petersburg part starts at 42.40

Some good shots of SPB too, and the hydrofoil.

(sound is a bit distorted)

JB :)

 

Hey - I saw that on TV not long after we had been!! It was great - Top Gear and our driver covered the same ground lol :)

[anthonyy7]

Catherine’s Place was by far the most crowded and pushy. The hermitage was spotty. I was on Princess and there were quite a few private minivans and guides waiting on the first morning, 40-50 vans. 8 per van isn’t a lot so I figured most take the ship tours on the big buses. A small private tour helps because the vans can drop you off closer to the entrance and guides can sweet talk the guards into letting you skip the long lines to get inside.

[dogs4fun]

During the height of the tourist season both the Hermitage and Catherine Palace are the most crowded.

I would imagine that a large percentage of cruise ship passengers book the ship tours simply because the cruise lines are very adept at misinformation (i.e., you can't get off the ship unless you book a ship sponsored tour).

This year, disembarkation priority will be given to ship tours only on the first day in port. We will see how it goes after the first cruise ships have arrived but I imagine that this new protectionist policy will have a negligible impact on the private tour operators - they will simply rework the timings.