Shore Excursions - St. Petersburg

[housemartin71]

We are scheduled for a Baltic cruise this coming August.  I was checking the shore excursions for St. Petersburg, trying to decide whether to use Regent's or book a private tour (we are a family of six).  It seems that we could see almost everything we wanted to see if we combine a morning Regent tour and an afternoon Regent tour.  On each day, we'd have from 30 to 90 minutes between tours.  Is that permissible?  I'm not quite sure when we'd eat lunch, too.

 

St. Petersburg is the main reason we're chose this itinerary, so we'd like to make sure we see everything.  I'm leaning towards just booking a private tour for the ease of touring. Has anyone had experience just using Regent tours for this port and, if so, what did you think?

[UUNetBill]

We’ve done the Regent tours twice in StP and have been happy with them.  If you’re on the late August sailing you’ll have three days in port so you can see a lot.  Last year we opted to take the Sapsan to Moscow on day 2 and that made for a LONG day...if this is your first time in StP I wouldn’t recommend that.

 

We loved the Imperial Evening With the Tsars night tour, and the Faberge museum is pretty amazing as well.  If you plan closely you can certainly double up in a day.  

 

A lot lot of people recommend doing third-party tours and I’m sure they’re good, but we felt that we were able to see everything we wanted through the Regent offerings.  I’d suggest having the excursion itinerary emailed to you - there’s a link on the excursion page.  Makes planning easier.

Edited December 28, 2018 by UUNetBill

[Travelcat2]

We did private tours during our first visit to St. Petersburg and Regent tours during our second visit.  The private tour was dramatically better.  You can visit places that you want to visit for the amount of time that you want to spend.  

 

There is an option of doing half day private tours and perhaps a late afternoon or evening Regent excursion.

 

Excursions can be extremely tiring when you are doing multiple excursions day after day so keep that in mind.  Leave yourself time on the ship to relax.  

[papaflamingo]

We did St. Petersburg on another cruiseline, so we used a third party company, TJ Travel.  Since we were a party of 10 we had a private minibus and guide for 2 days at a VERY reasonable price per person.  They offer a standard itinerary, but I changed it up.  We added the interior of Peterhof, a tour of St. Isaac's Cathedral, and a tour of Yusopov's Palace and shortened our time in the Hermitage.  Since we didn't want to do a night tour, they added a couple of hours to day one so we could fit it all in.  It was FANTASTIC and it was at NO additional cost, and they gave a discount for Cruise Critic members.  Since you are a family of 6, consider contacting them or any other tour company and let them know the itinerary YOU want and see what they'll do.  The biggest advantage is that you will likely have a private van and you won't fight the crowds.  Some of the large tour busses, for example, due to delays, only drove through Peterhof and saw the gardens.  A real shame.  We changed our timing to end the first day at Peterhof and after touring the palace with a very reduced crowd as it was late in the day, we were able to watch the closing ceremonies of the beautiful fountains at the end of the day.  

Anyway, you owe it to yourself to check some other options and price them out.  If you are like us, this will likely be a "one time only" visit.  There is so much to see.  Explore your options.  

[UUNetBill]

9 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

Excursions can be extremely tiring when you are doing multiple excursions day after day so keep that in mind.  Leave yourself time on the ship to relax.  

This is very true - especially when you're overnighting in StP there are several evening excursions that get you back to the ship late.  Doing that for 2 or 3 days straight can be brutal, especially for those of us who ain't spring chickens any more.   :-)

 

58 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

We did St. Petersburg on another cruiseline, so we used a third party company, TJ Travel.  Since we were a party of 10 we had a private minibus and guide for 2 days at a VERY reasonable price per person.  They offer a standard itinerary, but I changed it up.  We added the interior of Peterhof, a tour of St. Isaac's Cathedral, and a tour of Yusopov's Palace and shortened our time in the Hermitage.  Since we didn't want to do a night tour, they added a couple of hours to day one so we could fit it all in.  It was FANTASTIC and it was at NO additional cost, and they gave a discount for Cruise Critic members.  Since you are a family of 6, consider contacting them or any other tour company and let them know the itinerary YOU want and see what they'll do.  The biggest advantage is that you will likely have a private van and you won't fight the crowds.  Some of the large tour busses, for example, due to delays, only drove through Peterhof and saw the gardens.  A real shame.  We changed our timing to end the first day at Peterhof and after touring the palace with a very reduced crowd as it was late in the day, we were able to watch the closing ceremonies of the beautiful fountains at the end of the day.  

Anyway, you owe it to yourself to check some other options and price them out.  If you are like us, this will likely be a "one time only" visit.  There is so much to see.  Explore your options.  

This is where the private tours shine - you can customize your experience to suit your needs.  We found that the included Regent tours did a good job for us but it was a pretty frantic pace.  Both times we've been to StP, we left completely exhausted - but in a good way.  I'd recommend checking out the thread on StP ports, there are some very good recommendations on tour companies there.  Keep in mind that in Russia you need to be with either a ship's tour or with a licensed tour operator - the government grants the equivalent of a 72-hour visa for cruise ship passengers as long as you're with an approved tour.  There's no just getting off the ship and wandering around as you'd do in other ports, although our last trip in 2017 provided us with several hours of free time to wander around Nevsky Prospekt and the subways, something that they didn't do a few years before.

 

I think you'd do fine either way, it all depends on what YOU want to get out of your excursions.  If there are specific things you want to see that aren't expressly listed in the Regent tour descriptions, a private tour may be your best bet.  But for an overview of the main sights, the Regent tours may fit your needs.  Or perhaps a combination of the two?  After all, you have three days in port...

Edited December 28, 2018 by UUNetBill
Fix typo

[housemartin71]

Thanks to everyone for their good advice.  We're definitely looking at both options as well as combining some Regent tours with a few one-off or 1 day private tours.  For those who have used Regent, is there a minimum 'transit' time between morning and afternoon tours?  I do feel that this is somewhat wasted time, since I assume you're driving back to the ship, but, at the same time, we do need to grab a quick bite of lunch.  

[flossie009]

You are sure to enjoy yourself in St Petersburg whether you opt for the Regent included excursions, paid "Choice' excursions, newly introduced "Small Group" paid tours or go private.

 

When we took a cruise to St Petersburg we opted for Regent included excursions throughout and found them to be excellent.

 

As Bill says, you can also fit in an evening tour. We went to see a performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in the Hermitage historic theatre; a truly memorable experience.

 

2 or 3 days in St Petersburg can be tiring. However it is worth trying to fit in as much as possible; use the rest of the cruise for relaxation 🙂

If you want to return to the ship between tours then you need to allow time for immigration checks. Traffic between the ship and the sights can also be difficult depending on where the ship is docked. If you opt for Regent excursions there is a mandatory minimum time between each booked excursion (cannot remember what this is but I am sure others will chime in or ring Regent for advice)

 

Hope you you have an enjoyable cruise and that the weather in St Petersburg is kind; it can be grey & rainy in Russia 🙁

[DeepFreeze63]

13 hours ago, housemartin71 said:

We are scheduled for a Baltic cruise this coming August.  I was checking the shore excursions for St. Petersburg, trying to decide whether to use Regent's or book a private tour (we are a family of six).  It seems that we could see almost everything we wanted to see if we combine a morning Regent tour and an afternoon Regent tour.  On each day, we'd have from 30 to 90 minutes between tours.  Is that permissible?  I'm not quite sure when we'd eat lunch, too.

 

St. Petersburg is the main reason we're chose this itinerary, so we'd like to make sure we see everything.  I'm leaning towards just booking a private tour for the ease of touring. Has anyone had experience just using Regent tours for this port and, if so, what did you think?

Six years ago in August, DW and I spent 3 days in SP in with Viking on a river boat; followed by 3 days in center city on our own - needed a Russian Visa for this. Three years later we visited (with 17yr.-old GD) for 3 days on a July Regent cruise – didn’t need a Visa for Regent excursions. We had marvelous times during both visits. MUCH to see in SP; the Russians are great at restoration. Great advise in above postings; here’s my opinions:

 

1.       The ship will probably be docked about an hour (horrendous traffic) from center city. You will not be able to see “everything”; prioritize what you value most. TripAdvisor should be a significant help.

2.       The venues will be crowded but weather should be pleasant. You want to be at the museums as early as possible. The museums are MAGNIFICENT.  You definitely want to go inside any of the cathedrals not just a drive-by.

3.       I looked at all the Regent excursions listed as probable; great potential offerings, BUT

-Don’t take the train to Moscow; save Moscow for a several days visit with a center city hotel stay. SP has too much to offer to give up a day there and Moscow has too much for a short visit.

- It’ll not be “ballet season”; so the ballet will be put on by students. On the other hand, the folk song and dance excursion was a terrific fun night event.

- Regent’s shopping stop wasn’t worth the time – too long; limited toilet facilities and expensive prices. Metro ride (short) and canal boat (through middle of town) were fun and not time-consuming.

Hope this helps.

[Portolan]

22 hours ago, housemartin71 said:

On each day, we'd have from 30 to 90 minutes between tours.  Is that permissible?  I'm not quite sure when we'd eat lunch, too.

 

Unless there has been a recent change, the on-line booking engine will not allow you to select tours that have 90 minutes or less between them.  When you select your first tour for a day, it'll gray out any other tours which don't meet this minimum connect time.  You MAY be able to get a tour added if it as right at the borderline by calling Regent directly.

 

The last time we did this cruise (2010) they had the tours gapped enough for morning and afternoon.  In fact, one day we did three with an evening tour.  Exhausting?  Yes, but worth it (and we were younger).

[Travelcat2]

12 hours ago, housemartin71 said:

Thanks to everyone for their good advice.  We're definitely looking at both options as well as combining some Regent tours with a few one-off or 1 day private tours.  For those who have used Regent, is there a minimum 'transit' time between morning and afternoon tours?  I do feel that this is somewhat wasted time, since I assume you're driving back to the ship, but, at the same time, we do need to grab a quick bite of lunch.  

 

As DeepFreeze63 indicated, the traffic back to the ship is horrendous (unless you are docked in town but smaller ships tend to get those prime spots).  You would be wasting 2-3 hours by going back to the ship for lunch.  If you have a private tour guide they will find a reasonable place for you to have lunch.  

 

While I am not trying to diminish the posts by those that have only done Regent excursions, you really cannot make a comparison between private vs. Regent excursions unless you have done both.  

 

P.S.  For those of you that did St. Petersburg long ago (we first did it in 2006), the ships dock in a completely different place now -- very far from anything.  Back in 2006 we were at least close to town but that has changed.

[Catpow]

Thanks to all for this information.  We too are in the same boat (so to speak) as the original poster. I have just drawn up a matrix for the three days/two nights we have in port as there's just so much on offer.  We're in Moscow for a few days before we join the Explorer, which is just as well considering the high price of the day trip to Moscow (> $1000 whilst acknowledging high speed trains ARE expensive).  But the tips of the ballet vs the folk dance, for example are very helpful.  I can't believe there's even a class on 'paint your own' Matryoshka dolls😀.  We have until 1 January 2019 to make our decisions - please keep the tips coming!  And this is a cruise with only one sea day - but it's the Explorer, and a Sunday - that means a sleep in followed by the divine brunch.  We're going to need all the rest we can get from the sounds of it...

[Kinkajou]

Travelcat2 had mentioned previously having used Alla Tours, so that is the company that my husband and I used last August. They were fabulous. Always got back to me within 24 hours if I asked a question online. I decided to use a private company because it didn't look possible to do more than one tour a day with Regent. Alla tailored the tour to us, including the inside of the Peterhof and the Faberge museum. We scheduled 2 days with them, and took 2 Regent Tours.

 

We took UUNetBill's advice and booked the Evening with the Tsars, (2nd night in port) which included the Amber Room and was one of the highlights of the trip.

 

The other Regent tour we took was the Hermitage and the Gold Room on our last day in port. We were divided into 2 groups, and our group went to the Gold Room first. The number of people allowed in the gold room at one time is controlled. By the time we toured the rest of the Hermitage, it was too crowded to see very much. 

 

We didn't take a tour the first night in St. Petersburg, because I knew the 2nd day was going to be a long one. It was.

 

[GOARMY]

To TS and others:  First--will join the TS this August.  Then, stay-aboard for the next segment around Great Britain. 

 

This will (probably) be our last trip to StP.  Fourth time.  Initially in 1995 aboard Holland America; then later on Silversea and Regent.  All very-positive experiences.  That Port of Call changed--and all to the better.  Really rather "dark" in 1995.  So-much obvious poverty and disfunction.  Local Guides did their best, under the circumstances, when dealing with bus break-downs.  Good-natured, and facile in English.  At that time, my fluency in Russian enabled one-on-one communication.  That facility has, unfortunately, diminished over the ensuing years.   

 

Everything that could possibly be said as to private vs. ship-guided Tours has been said by other posters regarding local StP venues, and the day-long Moscow r/t.  Not much new to offer on that.  Have done both, and all were positive.  We will make our selection(s) in about 30 hours (local time).  Given current age and mobility--will not repeat a Moscow excursion (which can seem like an expedition).  Great experience, but that was then, and this is now. We want to remain "fresh" as to enjoying the next weeks aboard Explorer following StP. 

 

Given time of year--mostly daylight at StP; and fewer crowds.  Perfect timing.  Plus, get hours back going east to west en route to Southampton.   

 

Best to all--

 

GOARMY!

 

[mrstanley]

Went online this morning to select shore excursions for our August cruise. Was disappointed that we could not

get 1st Class seats on the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Wondering if this excursion is worth the time and

expense. The cost of the train tickets on the Saspan web site are really reasonable. Regent is charging a lot of

many for this excursion.  1st Class:  $244 per person each way

Business Class:  $130 per person each way

Economy Class:  $ 83.00 per person each way

 

Regent :  1st Class...$1,839.00

Business:  $ 1,639

Economy: $ 1,319

[Catpow]

I can't comment on the Moscow train, but thanks for reminding me to book our excursions!  We're doing the cruise before as well and although it's showing on our booking as one cruise, we could only book the first leg on the 24th and we weren't sure when the second leg would be available.  All our first choices were available, fortunately. 

 

[UUNetBill]

2 hours ago, mrstanley said:

Went online this morning to select shore excursions for our August cruise. Was disappointed that we could not

get 1st Class seats on the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Wondering if this excursion is worth the time and

expense. The cost of the train tickets on the Saspan web site are really reasonable. Regent is charging a lot of

many for this excursion.  1st Class:  $244 per person each way

Business Class:  $130 per person each way

Economy Class:  $ 83.00 per person each way

 

Regent :  1st Class...$1,839.00

Business:  $ 1,639

Economy: $ 1,319

There's really not a lot of difference in Economy and First Class on the Sapsan that I could see.  I'd book economy and be done with it - and yes, it's an expensive excursion and it WILL wear you out, but if seeing Moscow is on your bucket list it's worth going.  The challenge with the pricing is that you can't do this on your own without a visa, and honestly, even if you had a visa it would be tough to navigate around, even with a rudimentary knowledge of Russian.  So they kind of gouge you for the transportation, guide, entrance fees, etc.

 

The trip starts early with a bus ride to the train station, and a mad dash through the morning commuters to the Sapsan station.  Then a long ride to Moscow and mad dashes to see as much as possible while you're there.  Then a long ride back to StP and a bus back to the ship - we arrived somewhere around 1:00 AM as I recall.  That said, you get to see a LOT in Moscow.  Being retired USAF, I saw places I never thought I'd go.  It's a lot to take in, and if this is your first time in Russia, there's definitely enough in StP to keep you busy for 3 days.  I usually only recommend the Moscow trip for people who absolutely, positively want to see Moscow or for people who have already done most of what they want to do in StP.  We considered doing Moscow on our first trip to StP (it was on an Aeroflot charter flight back then) and decided not to.  We don't regret saving Moscow for our second trip over.

 

So unless you really have a burning desire to go to Moscow, I'd say stay in StP and enjoy all it has to offer.

Edited January 2, 2019 by UUNetBill
Typo

[wcsdkqh]

Excursions for the 2nd leg of the B2B cruises (London to London) should available in 12 days, 1/14/2019.

[RachelG]

We have done it both ways.  First time we did private tours.  Second time, we had a nice OBC so we booked a private car through Regent with that for one day then did the regent tours the second.  That was really nice as the first day, we were able to set our own itinerary and we got a great guide and driver.  We were able to see a whole lot.  Ironically the place we went to lunch that day was the same place the private tour had taken us for lunch on our first visit. 

They do require 90 minutes between tours.  So on our second day, we did a morning tour, then as we were back at the ship, they were boarding the buses for the afternoon tours.  I asked the shore excursion lady there on the dock if they had any availability on the afternoon tours for 2 extra persons and could we get on.  She was able to do that for us.  We did skip lunch that day.

[UUNetBill]

As an aside, on our first trip to StP back in 2010, I managed to leave my camera bag on the bus on day 2 (yeah, I was probably pretty burned out from the two days of non-stop tourist stuff) and I was convinced I'd never see it again.  I still had my camera body and one lens that was on my neck strap, but the bag had my spare lens, batteries, memory cards, filters, flash, etc. - not a full camera setup but still worth a few bucks, or rubles as the case may be.

 

I contacted DS who contacted the tour operators, but no one had seen it.  The next morning when we went out for our last day of excursions, I saw our guide from the previous day and ran over to ask her if anyone had found the bag - and lo and behold, the driver was holding it for us in the bus!  I don't know if one of the calls got through or if they were just extraordinarily nice, but there was a happy ending to my carelessness.  Hearty handshakes and healthy tips were had by all.   :-)