NCL and visa free tours St Petersburg

[DkswartzFamily]

I have everything arranged through a private company for our tours in St Petersburg in a few months.  Today when I was reading through the fine print I saw a note stating that passengers would need a visa or to purchase an NCL excursion in order to disembark.  Has anyone had any issues with this lately?  I’ve read a ton of reviews of people using the visa-free tour company that we planned to use, but now I’m questioning whether NCL will allow us off or if we will have issues trying to use this company.  I did try the search feature but can’t find much information specific to the actual disembarkation procedure without using a ship excursion.  I will also call NCL but firsthand knowledge is always helpful!

thanks!

[fabnfortysomething]

5 hours ago, DkswartzFamily said:

I have everything arranged through a private company for our tours in St Petersburg in a few months.  Today when I was reading through the fine print I saw a note stating that passengers would need a visa or to purchase an NCL excursion in order to disembark.  Has anyone had any issues with this lately?  I’ve read a ton of reviews of people using the visa-free tour company that we planned to use, but now I’m questioning whether NCL will allow us off or if we will have issues trying to use this company.  I did try the search feature but can’t find much information specific to the actual disembarkation procedure without using a ship excursion.  I will also call NCL but firsthand knowledge is always helpful!

thanks!

NCL has always had this misleading wording that you need a visa if you don't have an excursion booked

they fail to mention that private tours have same visa waiver status as ships tours

we used private company last year

 

However rules changed last year that the port authority wont allow private tour buses into the port area until an hour after ships buses have access .This means you are delayed getting off ship and facing the long Russian immigration queues where they don't care which tour you are on as long as your paperwork is in order and they take a long time checking it!  

[Lagerta]

It seems like all cruise lines make misleading statements, not only NCL. They do not say directly that you can't get off the ship unless you have a Russian visa or buy their tours, but they scare people by saying they are not responsible for any local tour operators that may or may not have authority to arrange visa-free disembarking for the passengers. In fact, all local tour operators who offer their services for visa-free tours in St Petersburg, are able to issue all the required paperwork, and the immigration people do not make any difference between ship's tours and privately organized tours. You should not worry about the disembarking - the NCL does not have the right to restrain you from getting off the ship!

The situation with later start for private tours is true, though. This seems to be a new rule by St Petersburg port. That means you start your tour about 1-1.5 hous later than the ship's tours, when private vehicles are allowed on the port territory. However, you can arrange with your tour operator to go back to the ship later and do some more sightseeing in the afternoon.

Enjoy your tours!

[dogs4fun]

Most cruise lines (not just NCL) provide misleading information regarding disembarking in St. Petersburg in the hope that this will scare their passengers into booking their more expensive tours. Unfortunately for their passengers, these scare tactics often work.  Ignore NCL!

I agree with previous posts - it is absolutely true that you will be allowed to disembark provided you have booked a tour with a licensed tour operator. NCL also uses a licensed tour company in StP and marks up the price. I believe you will have a much nicer experience with one of the smaller groups offered through the independent operators.

That said, it is true that NCL will allow their groups to disembark on day 1 before independent tours are allowed to disembark. Subsequent days (day 2, day 3), you can get off the ship at any time to meet with your group - there are no constraints like day 1.

Edited January 14, 2019 by dogs4fun

[ropomo]

This is why I like Viking.  They are up front and customer focused.  Their statement in FAQ regarding STB:

• "Guests traveling to Russia on Viking Cruises organized shore excursions do not require a Russian Visa provided their stay does not exceed 72 hours in Russian ports, and private tours are available that do not require a separate visa. If you intend to step off the ship alone or to explore independently, you MUST obtain a visa before your cruise commences"

Also, Viking does not resort to the practice of holding private tour passengers hostage until Viking sponsored guests have disembarked.

[John Bull]

It angers me that NCL & Princess so blatantly give out untruthful information like this. 

 

Other cruise lines do at least have the decency to give information that's misleading but not blatant lies - typically "if you wish to go ashore independently you will need a visa, but you will not need a visa if you book our ship's tours". True, but they omit to tell you that independently pre-booked tours have exactly the same visa-free status as ships' tours. Viking's honesty is a rare exception.

 

Yes, a couple of years back the port ruled that ship-sponsored tours would be allowed to disembark first so as to be at the front of the immigration lines- I have very little doubt that brown envelopes are involved.

So local operators simply put back the start & finish times of their Day One tours by an hour.

 

Immigration is 1000% quicker on subsequent days (and the evening of Day One) because all the slow & cumbersome paprwork was done on Day One.

 

Tours booked thro local agents & using 16-seat vans are waaay better than ships' tours.

But it's fair to say that those on ships' tours have also been well-pleased with their excursions in St Petersburg.

 

JB 

 

 

[gma rae]

So if I have booked a private tour that starts at 8:30 am and I am on a Princess ship in St PB, they will not allow me to leave the ship untill ALL of the Princess tours have departed?? The Princess tours have a variety of start times, some before and some after my booked tour. We have a start time of 8:30 am. I would hope that they would alternate with private groups booked  with early start times.

 

Not sure how many ships in port Friday May 3, 2019 and if that would be a factor. Anyone with recent Princess experience that can address this?

Do I show up at the gangplank 1 hour before my tour and hope for the best or do I show up as soon as it is possible to disembark and hope there are no tour groups there yet?

Thanks for any recent info.

Edited January 18, 2019 by gma rae

[John Bull]

I can't give you any recent info, but the best source will be your tour operator - they've had a full season and more to get used to this new policy.

Allowing for time differences and winter weekends, they all seem to be pretty prompt at responding to e-mails  

 

JB 

Edited to add -  Is this a two-day tour? If so, what's the start time for Day Two?

Edited January 18, 2019 by John Bull

[gma rae]

John Bull - the 2nd day tour starts at 8am. I had not thought to call the tour company but you are right they should have an idea on how the disembark affects their tour start time.

[Lagerta]

On 1/15/2019 at 11:18 AM, cansas.piligrim said:

Only to clarify: It is true for the days when there are 5 or more ships in the port. Usually it happens with NCL

 

Checked with our tour operator. It used to be true last year, but in 2019 the vehicles of the private operators will be allowed in the port later, regarless of how many ships are there.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Lagerta

[caripoo]

It used to be that if you were on a private tour, you needed a visa...that was us a few years back....that is still true if you go out on your own.....Part of the reason for the high prices with the ships excursions, are the visas.....they get them, but in reality you are still paying for them.....It is still way less $$$ to do a private excursion, even with the price of the visa...and you can customize it the way you want.....

[dogs4fun]

41 minutes ago, caripoo said:

It used to be that if you were on a private tour, you needed a visa...that was us a few years back....that is still true if you go out on your own.....Part of the reason for the high prices with the ships excursions, are the visas.....they get them, but in reality you are still paying for them.....It is still way less $$$ to do a private excursion, even with the price of the visa...and you can customize it the way you want.....

I may have misunderstood what you are attempting to impart but, to be clear:

The cruise ship does not procure the visa for you - they use a local company that provides their tours for them with visa free touring. The high cost of the tours offered by the cruise line has nothing to do with procuring visas - it is all about profit margin.

Assuming that you arrive via cruise ship (not river cruise) and your stay does not exceed 72 hours, the Russian Federation provides visa free access provided that you book with a licensed tour operator and stay onboard the cruise ship overnight.  There is also a ferry (St. Peter Line) that offers visa free tours. https://stpeterline.com/en/visa-free-rule

You need a visa if you plan to DIY - in other words, you want to get off the ship, hop in a taxi & get around on your own steam. You also need a visa if you arrive via air or train.

I have been to Russia multiple times over the past 9 years and the visa/visa free rules have been the same during this period. 

Edited January 18, 2019 by dogs4fun

[fabnfortysomething]

agree with dogsforfun that ships tours provide the same visa waiver that the private tour operators do-they just charge an arm and a leg for being packed onto a coach with 50-60 others

caripoo-when did you travel that you needed a visa-we did our first Baltics cruise in 2009 and used a private tour and was same visa waiver programme

[caripoo]

Fabnfortysomethin....We were there in 2008 and we sent our passports to San Francisco for our Visa, which we needed in order to have private tours....Glad that it is a little easier these days....Still glad we did private tours for 2plus days.

[angie7911922]

As long as you are with a tour company, you will be fine. They will take care of everything you need. NCL should still let you off the ship. 

[northernrose]

We will be going on a private tour, thanks for the information about visas.