baltic cruise

[memeathome]

we are going on azura to the baltics having never been to russia before, could i please ask which is the best day time excursion to be able to see as much of the city as possible is the boat trip woorth while booking to be able to see the sights in comfort. already booked the ballet so the evening is sorted. many thanks.

[yorkshirephil]

You couldn't see everything in a day, there is so much to see. The last time we went we took the ships tour to the Hermitage with time on our own, which enabled us to spend time at the Church of the Blood and walk around and check out a few bars. Previously we went to Peterhof and Catherine's palace plus canal trip.  It may be worth checking out private tours which are intensive and quite costly or check to see if anyone has arranged anything that you can join on the roll call. Whatever you do St Petersburg is magnificent with so much to see. 

[memeathome]

thank you yorkshirephil for your reply, we have been advised not to walk around st.petersburg on our own which is quite un nerving to me , are we going to a unsafe country? anyway we thought having been advised this to do one day time excursion and one evening at the ballet so we do not have to worry about buyiingour own visa that way. we have been told the church of the blood one place to visit and that was one you have also recommended.I am hoping to be able to buy our grand daughter a set of the russian dolls not able to walk around on our own to do any shopping<will we get chance?. although we are thrilled to be going to such a wonderful country and hoping to go back to see further places but because we have been advised not to go out on our own its put a damper on it which is a shame. thank you anyway for excursion suggestions.

[Legal Stylist]

Morning,

 

Just some information on St Petersburg.  A lot of the reason why people will tell you not to go on your own has to do with an unfamiliarity with the language and Cyrillic Alphabet.  How comfortable you are travelling in a country with a different alphabet and language will heavily influence whether you should go on your own.  I travelled extensively in Egypt and did not have any issues with the foreign language and alphabet, and I have no experience with Arabic.  It just will depend upon your own personal comfort.

 

In regards to general safety, no where is safe anymore.  But this is the UK Foreign Office guidance:

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia/safety-and-security

 

The biggest thing, apart from petty crime, seems to be the need to stay away from any political demonstrations - which bears a similarity to travel in the Arab world.  It seems, reading the guidance, that it just requires common sense and keeping an eye out to be safe.  

 

Another major deterrent to self-travel in St Petersburg is the need to apply for a Russian visa.  They cost £63 plus an additional £39 service charge, and take 4 weeks' to process.  In contrast, the two-day tour we are scheduled to take with TJ Travel in May is $285pp (about £220pp).  So visa fees = £102pp, so for an additional £118 we are getting a two-day tour with all entrance fees, and two hot local lunches.  We also get time to do some shopping.  So this may be a solution for you if it is a 2-stop on Azura.  If you only want a 1 day tour they also do those as well.  

 

Oh in contrast, the tours on the ship are about £285.  So the tour companies, by charging in USD offer a 30% natural discount owing to the exchange rate.  The tour group charges include a visa waiver which they send you by email.  Group tours max out at about 16  PAX.  However, they also do private tours.

 

Hope that is helpful.

[memeathome]

many thanks for this information how helpful, yes personal safety is common sense anywhere in the world weve been to many countries over the years and weve seen a decline in us feeling safe so sad but common sense as i say all we want to do is see beautiful sights in 2 days and the wonderful ballet and shopping.we are looking forward to our cruise best way to see our world! although limited time in each place still excellent value for money holiday.i do feel better reading the information you lovely people take the time to write for people like me so many thanks much appreciated.

[bee-ess]

We use ALLA Tours for their 3 day tour in St Petersburg last year and they were excellent. SPB are another equally well rated company, you won't need visas if you use either company. Both will also discount tours in the other ports you will visit if you book a tour in St Petersburg.

[cruiser1955]

You have several options for tours. You can use one of the local companies such as Alla, StP, etc all of whom offer 1,2, or 3 day excursion plans. Although I haven't been with any of the local companies, I've heard good reports. They use mini buses to take you around and tend to leave the ship very early in order to get in to one or two places before they get too crowded. The ship 2 day tours follow a similar itinerary and also use mini buses.

 

I've been to St Petersburg 8 times, 4 times on a Baltic cruise and will be going again next year. It is a beautiful city and has far too much to see and do in a few days. As to must sees, if you decide not to do a 2 day tour, then I'd suggest Catherine's Palace (add the option of the Amber workshop if available).

 

A river cruise gives a good view of the city and I'd combine it with the Peter and Paul fortress. The Hermitage is one of the worlds best museums and art galleries but the ship's excursion tends to go at a busy time. This is where the 2 day tours try and get there early before the crowds arrive. As you've already booked the ballet - a great choice I did it last year - the option of the evening visit with concert to the Hermitage is out - if you go back do it then.

 

Petershof is another palace that is well worth a visit, but if you do Catherine's, then I'd consider the Church of the Spilt Blood or the trip that includes the underground and local market. You will find that on the general excursions there is limited time for any shopping. Something different would be to go to the Faberge museum where 9 of the Faberge Easter eggs are on show - this may be offered with a river cruise.

 

The cruise terminal has a range of tourist shops once you have gone through immigration. They take roubles, US$, £, Euros and credit cards and are of similar prices to in town. There is one shop on the quayside that does not require you to go through immigration. Only time you are likely to need local currency is for toilets (some are free but others will charge £1, US$1, 1 Euro)  or some purchases in museums/churches but most will accept credit cards.

 

Enjoy which ever tours you decide on and don't forget, you have some other wonderful ports. Last year I was on Azura, and there were some lengthy queues for immigration in StP but it did go smoothly. Unfortunately, you have to go through immigration every time you go ashore. 

 

About 30 minutes after departing StP you will pass the island of Krondstadt which will be on the starboard side of the ship. It's well worth being on deck for the view.

[yorkshirephil]

Memeathome, here is some info we used for our last cruise. The tour we took included time on your own, not sure if P&O have this still available, check your tours brochure. We went last summer and at no time did we feel in any more danger than walking through any town/city in the UK. Russian dolls could be purchased from the market adjacent to the church of the Spilled blood, they were seriously cheaper than those in the shops we visited, especially those linked to the official sights. If you have doubts about walking around on your own you could join up with others on your tours/trips to give safety in numbers. Whatever you do enjoy as the Baltics cruise is fantastic.

 

Visas for cruise ship passengers

Cruise ship passengers visiting St. Petersburg - of which there are now almost half a million every year - do not need a Russian visa provided they are staying in the city for no longer than 72 hours. Therefore, if you book a cruise and St. Petersburg is one of the calls, you DO NOT NEED to get a Russian visa before you depart. However, travelling without a Russian visa does impose strict limitations on your time in St. Petersburg, so it's certainly worth considering the option of getting a Russian Travel Visa before you start your cruise.

The 72-hour exemption for cruise ship passengers does not mean that visitors have three days free in St. Petersburg. Not only will you have to sleep on the ship (not a problem for most cruise passengers), you will also have to be accompanied at all times on shore by a licensed tour guide. In other words, from the moment you leave the ship in the morning to the moment you step back on board in the evening, you will have to follow a pre-arranged schedule and will not have the opportunity to explore the city under your own steam. Cruise operators will expect their clients to book the St. Petersburg tours offered on-board or during booking. In fact, there are essentially three options for cruise passengers visiting St. Petersburg:

1. Book the tour recommended by your cruise operator

This is certainly the simplest option, the path of least resistance even. However, beyond the lack of choice in what you see and do in St. Petersburg, the tours offered by your cruise operator or booking agent are likely to be significantly more expensive than tours you book independently.

2. Book a tour independently

Though you may be encouraged to think otherwise, the tours offered by your cruise operator or booking agent are not the only options for cruise ship passengers to see St. Petersburg visa-free. There are a number of independent companies in St. Petersburg with the necessary licensing to offer shore tours for cruise ship passengers without Russian visas. Not only will this option give you much greater choice in terms of what you can see and do - as well as a wide range of more original and unusual tours, many companies will give you the option of designing your own itinerary - tours booked with independent local companies are in general considerably cheaper than those offered by your cruise operator.

3. Get a Russian Travel Visa

If you prefer to be truly free to do what you want while in St. Petersburg, the only option is to obtain Russian Travel Visas before you depart on your cruise. This is essential if, for example, you plan to meet up with friends or family in St. Petersburg, or if you want to enjoy the city's colorful nightlife (especially tempting if you're visiting during the White Nights). While getting a Russian Visa can seem a laborious process, our simple step-by-step guide will help to make it as painless as possible and, provided you apply for your visas in good time, the expense is likely to be no more than you would otherwise have to pay for guided tours if you chose to travel visa-free.

If staying out late is part of your reason for wanting a Russian Visa, then it's probably also worth booking accommodation in St. Petersburg as there are likely to be restrictions on returning to your ship after a certain point in the evening. If you book accommodation, then you should be provided with visa support documents free-of-charge (this is certainly the case if you book hotel or apartment accommodation through our website). If you are not planning to book accommodation in St. Petersburg, you will need to order visa support documents separately, which you can do from recommended providers here.

[memeathome]

many thanks to yorkshirephil and cruiser1955 most helpful and will take on board whats been mentioned it really has helped me understand and to know loads we didnt know about. thank you for your time to help.

[Scriv]

5 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

Memeathome, here is some info we used for our last cruise. The tour we took included time on your own, not sure if P&O have this still available, check your tours brochure. We went last summer and at no time did we feel in any more danger than walking through any town/city in the UK. Russian dolls could be purchased from the market adjacent to the church of the Spilled blood, they were seriously cheaper than those in the shops we visited, especially those linked to the official sights. If you have doubts about walking around on your own you could join up with others on your tours/trips to give safety in numbers. Whatever you do enjoy as the Baltics cruise is fantastic.

 

 

Yorkshirephil - the P&O excursion with 6 hours free time is indeed on the programme this year and as returners to St Petersburg, we are booked on it. 🙂

[Flowerpower22]

We took a ship's tour which included the Hermitage, a visit to Yusopov's Palace, then a canal boat on the Neva which included a stop at the Church of the Spilled Blood where we had time to shop in the little market which is directly outside the church.  

[memeathome]

many thanks flowerpower22 that really appeals to us and to see so much really. will look up in our planner to see excurisons and see if this one is included this year.