St Petersburg excursion celebrity Reflection advice please!

[Simbamax]

Hi everyone. 

My mum and I will be on the 12 night Scandinavian cruise with celebrity reflection soon. 

The operator I booked it through said for the St Petersburg stop, we HAVE to book our excursion with the ship as no other way to get off the boat as the ship sorts out visas etc. 

Have since been reading that other CHEAPER excursions are available with outside tour operators? Is this true? 

The ships 2 day excursion is extremely expensive! About £450 per person. 

Has anyone else booked a St Petersburg excursion away from the celebrity reflection route?

Help appreciated 

first time cruise and absolutely overwhelmed by it all. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Simbamax
Spelling mistakes

[ontheweb]

10 minutes ago, Simbamax said:

Hi everyone. 

My mum and I will be on the 12 night Scandinavian cruise with celebrity reflection soon. 

The operator I booked it through said for the St Petersburg stop, we HAVE to book our excursion with the ship as no other way to get off the boat as the ship sorts out visas etc. 

Have since been reading that other CHEAPER excursions are available with outside tour operators? Is this true? 

The ships 2 day excursion is extremely expensive! About £450 per person. 

Has anyone else booked a St Petersburg excursion away from the celebrity reflection route?

Help appreciated 

first time cruise and absolutely overwhelmed by it all. 

You are being LIED to. We were told the same garbage on the Star Princess years ago.

 

The private tours by approved agencies provide the same group visa as the cruise ships.

 

We used Alla and can heartily endorse them. Go to the port boards on cruisecritic and read posts. You will see positives about all the agencies. Contact them, and see which fits you the best. Alternatively, check your roll call. Perhaps someone has already booked a private tour and is looking for others to join. See if that fits your needs. Or, if you find one that fits your needs, post about it in your roll call and see if others want to join you.

[Simbamax]

Thank you for replying. 

not even sure what a ‘Roll call’ is? 

I’m Absolutely useless at this cruise thing. 

Its my first time and I’m just a disaster at researching or booking anything. 

Starting to panic and get upset that I won’t be able to book the right excursion. 

What company was Alla with please? 

I simply cannot pay over £400 per person for the St. Petersburg excursion with celebrity so I’ll have to find another way. 

How they can be so awful to lie and say that booking with the ship is your only way off! That’s just awful they do this. 

I know they want to make money but that’s just terrible. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Simbamax
Spelling mistake

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, Simbamax said:

Thank you for replying. 

not even sure what a ‘Roll call’ is? 

I’m Absolutely useless at this cruise thing. 

Its my first time and I’m just a disaster at researching or booking anything. 

Starting to panic and get upset that I won’t be able to book the right excursion. 

What company was Alla with please? 

I simply cannot pay over £400 per person for the St. Petersburg excursion with celebrity so I’ll have to find another way. 

How they can be so awful to lie and say that booking with the ship is your only way off! That’s just awful they do this. 

I know they want to make money but that’s just terrible. 

Yes, unfortunately it is common practice for the cruise lines to give you misleading information. Disregard what they tell you and book with one of the local operators.

We also booked with Alla Tours - her tours are excellent and depending on which tour you book, her 2 day, all inclusive tours (including lunches and all entrance fees) range in price from $240 USD to $285 USD. Her groups are small (limited in size to just 16 but often smaller) and are guaranteed to run (you need not worry about cancellation). You can contact her via email or through her website. You can also book tours through TripAdvisor – viator.

There are other independent operators as well - you can check-out TripAdvisor for the top tier companies.

Are you a member of cruise critic? That is where one finds the roll call for their sailing.

 

[Simbamax]

Hi! 

Thank you for the info. Really great. 

I am a member on here. Finding it a little confusing to navigate around the boards. Took me a long time to learn how to post! I am just rubbish at these things! 

So with ALLA tours, there’s no long lengthy wait to process the visa to actually get into SPB? They will sort out the visa? 

 

The cruise operator I booked with said it’s a nightmare if you even attempt it yourself so only option is with cruise ship tours. 

I will definitely get onto the page for Alla tours. 

For the ‘Roll call’ do I just put into search, Celebrity Reflection Scandinavian cruise and the Roll call will come up? 

Thanks for your patience. 

 

 

[dogs4fun]

11 minutes ago, Simbamax said:

Hi! 

Thank you for the info. Really great. 

I am a member on here. Finding it a little confusing to navigate around the boards. Took me a long time to learn how to post! I am just rubbish at these things! 

So with ALLA tours, there’s no long lengthy wait to process the visa to actually get into SPB? They will sort out the visa? 

 

The cruise operator I booked with said it’s a nightmare if you even attempt it yourself so only option is with cruise ship tours. 

I will definitely get onto the page for Alla tours. 

For the ‘Roll call’ do I just put into search, Celebrity Reflection Scandinavian cruise and the Roll call will come up? 

Thanks for your patience. 

 

 

Don't listen to what the cruise line is telling you - they are NOT being truthful. Yes, Alla will take care of the visa issue.

I have visited Russia multiple times and am visiting again this year.

If you would like to email me, I can give you some specific information including providing the link to your cruise critic roll call.

email address is: itravel4kicks

at 

gmail.com

Edited June 19, 2019 by dogs4fun

[dogs4fun]

What is your sail date? June 26? July 20? Aug 1? Aug 25?

[Simbamax]

June 26th 12 night Scandinavian cruise celebrity 

 

[John Bull]

Hi, and a belated welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

The agent you booked your cruise with may have been lying, as ontheweb has said.

Or it's just as likely the agent that you booked with was simply taken in by the cruise line,  same as so many cruisers.

This happens with all cruise lines, not just Celebrity.

 

Check Celebrity's website for their ship-sponsored excursions. 

Pound to a penny (dollar to a cent?) it says that to explore independently you need a visa but if you book ship's tour you won't need one / the ship arranges it for you.

Clever but misleading phraseology, cos that's all true.

But what they fail to mention that tours booked direct with accredited local tour operators are also visa-free. The tour ticket issued to you by the ship, or the tour ticket e-mailed to you by the local tour operator and printed-off by you, gets you through immigration without a visa.

This is because of a Russian govt. dispensation to cruisers - only valid for visits of up to 72 hours (I'm not aware of any ship that stays more than 3 days), you must overnite on the ship, and the tour ticket only allows you to disembark for that tour. So if you book a one-day tour you won't get thro immigration on the other day.

 

Yes, tours by local operators are generally cheaper than ships' tours.

More importantly, they're waaaaaay better.

They're in 16-seat vans, not large coaches. Much more personal, flexible, quicker thro traffic, closer parking, no waiting at every stop while 50 people board and alight, some interesting bits like a trip on the metro (St P is known for its ornate metro stations) or the hydrofoil to Peterhof aren't possible with large groups. Etc etc .

 

Alla is one of those local tour agents. We used her, very good. But so are all the others -  TJ Travel, Best Guides, SPB Tours, Anastasia, DenRus, to name just a few.

 

The only real advantage to using a ship's tour is that they're given priority disembarkation (on Day One, I don't know about Day Two). So local operators' tours start 60 - 90 minutes later and tend to finish later.

A second advantage, which cruise lines ram down your throats, is that you're guaranteed not to miss the sailing. We're ardent DIYers, but there are ports/timescales where we very very occasionally take a ship's tour for that reason. St P isn't one of those ports, all the local operators are exceptionally careful to avoid a tour missing the sailing - not only would that screw-up their reputation, the Russian govt. would probably send them to a Siberian gulag  

 

RollCalls on Cruise Critic are a section where each thread is devoted to an individual cruise. It's where you can say "Hi" to your cruise-mates, swap hints & ideas, and arrange tour-sharing.

If you're happy to take a standard tour with any of the Sp P operators you don't need to share - you can book your own seats in a van shared with others on your ship. But browse the RollCal & see i someone's looking for sharers for a rather-more specialised tour that appeals to you.

Celebrity RollCalls are here

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/572-celebrity-reflection-roll-calls/

Scroll through them to find your sailing date. They're not in chronological oder - just like the other forums every time someone posts on a thread it gets bumped to the top.

 

And here's the ports-of-call forum for northern Europe.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

Lots of threads on there about St P.

And sadly far too many threads started by folk who've been taken-in by cruise lines' underhand phraseology re BSt P visas.

 

Not techno-savvy?

You can't be less techno-savvy than doombrain John Bull.

Yes, it takes a while to get the hang of this website, but persevere - there's just so very much useful stuff on it.

 

JB 

 

Edit. June 26? 

That's real close.

If you're to book a local tour operator you need to get on it right now.

Right today.

Right this minute.

E-mail several, book with one, print-off the tour tickets when it hits your in-box.

Your cruise RollCall https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2504675-june-26-2019-baltic/

Edited June 19, 2019 by John Bull

[dogs4fun]

Here is the link to the roll call for your sailing:

 

[dogs4fun]

Check your email Leah! 😃

[dogs4fun]

23 minutes ago, John Bull said:

JB 

 

Edit. June 26? 

That's real close.

If you're to book a local tour operator you need to get on it right now.

Right today.

Right this minute.

E-mail several, book with one, print-off the tour tickets when it hits your in-box.

Your cruise RollCall https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2504675-june-26-2019-baltic/

Agree - you need to choose a tour company immediately and book! Your time is very short.

[Simbamax]

Well if I’m out of time I’ll just have to book the celebrity one then. 

 

[Simbamax]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

Hi, and a belated welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

The agent you booked your cruise with may have been lying, as ontheweb has said.

Or it's just as likely the agent that you booked with was simply taken in by the cruise line,  same as so many cruisers.

This happens with all cruise lines, not just Celebrity.

 

Check Celebrity's website for their ship-sponsored excursions. 

Pound to a penny (dollar to a cent?) it says that to explore independently you need a visa but if you book ship's tour you won't need one / the ship arranges it for you.

Clever but misleading phraseology, cos that's all true.

But what they fail to mention that tours booked direct with accredited local tour operators are also visa-free. The tour ticket issued to you by the ship, or the tour ticket e-mailed to you by the local tour operator and printed-off by you, gets you through immigration without a visa.

This is because of a Russian govt. dispensation to cruisers - only valid for visits of up to 72 hours (I'm not aware of any ship that stays more than 3 days), you must overnite on the ship, and the tour ticket only allows you to disembark for that tour. So if you book a one-day tour you won't get thro immigration on the other day.

 

Yes, tours by local operators are generally cheaper than ships' tours.

More importantly, they're waaaaaay better.

They're in 16-seat vans, not large coaches. Much more personal, flexible, quicker thro traffic, closer parking, no waiting at every stop while 50 people board and alight, some interesting bits like a trip on the metro (St P is known for its ornate metro stations) or the hydrofoil to Peterhof aren't possible with large groups. Etc etc .

 

Alla is one of those local tour agents. We used her, very good. But so are all the others -  TJ Travel, Best Guides, SPB Tours, Anastasia, DenRus, to name just a few.

 

The only real advantage to using a ship's tour is that they're given priority disembarkation (on Day One, I don't know about Day Two). So local operators' tours start 60 - 90 minutes later and tend to finish later.

A second advantage, which cruise lines ram down your throats, is that you're guaranteed not to miss the sailing. We're ardent DIYers, but there are ports/timescales where we very very occasionally take a ship's tour for that reason. St P isn't one of those ports, all the local operators are exceptionally careful to avoid a tour missing the sailing - not only would that screw-up their reputation, the Russian govt. would probably send them to a Siberian gulag  

 

RollCalls on Cruise Critic are a section where each thread is devoted to an individual cruise. It's where you can say "Hi" to your cruise-mates, swap hints & ideas, and arrange tour-sharing.

If you're happy to take a standard tour with any of the Sp P operators you don't need to share - you can book your own seats in a van shared with others on your ship. But browse the RollCal & see i someone's looking for sharers for a rather-more specialised tour that appeals to you.

Celebrity RollCalls are here

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/572-celebrity-reflection-roll-calls/

Scroll through them to find your sailing date. They're not in chronological oder - just like the other forums every time someone posts on a thread it gets bumped to the top.

 

And here's the ports-of-call forum for northern Europe.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

Lots of threads on there about St P.

And sadly far too many threads started by folk who've been taken-in by cruise lines' underhand phraseology re BSt P visas.

 

Not techno-savvy?

You can't be less techno-savvy than doombrain John Bull.

Yes, it takes a while to get the hang of this website, but persevere - there's just so very much useful stuff on it.

 

JB 

 

Edit. June 26? 

That's real close.

If you're to book a local tour operator you need to get on it right now.

Right today.

Right this minute.

E-mail several, book with one, print-off the tour tickets when it hits your in-box.

Your cruise RollCall https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2504675-june-26-2019-baltic/

Thank you so much for the detailed info. 

Move just emailed ALLA tours. 

Will try post now on the Roll call section to check if there’s 2 spaces left on a 16 person 2 day tour 💜

 

[dogs4fun]

5 minutes ago, Simbamax said:

Thank you so much for the detailed info. 

Move just emailed ALLA tours. 

Will try post now on the Roll call section to check if there’s 2 spaces left on a 16 person 2 day tour 💜

 

Make sure to let Alla know that you are a cruise critic member - you will get a further discount. 😃

[Simbamax]

Brilliant. I will. 👍🏽🚢 such a helpful board this is. 

Thank you to everyone. 

[John Bull]

Just now, Simbamax said:

Brilliant. I will. 👍🏽🚢 such a helpful board this is. 

Thank you to everyone. 

 

They're pretty quick about replying, but bear in mind the very different time-zones.

Because of the short-notice, can I suggest you also e-mail a couple of the others in case Alla is fully-booked. . You really can't go wrong with any of the frequently-mentioned ones.

 

With most local operators if you book just two seats on a standard tour you normally don't pay with your booking - they trust you, you pay (by card is normal) at the start of Day Two. But they will need your passport details, to advise the immigration authorities.

 

JB 

[Simbamax]

https://www.spb-tours.com/index.php?plugin=tour_details&action=inrussia&tId=3

on website attempting to book 

[SantaFeFan]

2 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

Yes, unfortunately it is common practice for the cruise lines to give you misleading information.

 

 

The OP wrote "the operator I booked it through". I assume the OP meant a travel agent, not the cruise line. We have never been told by any cruise line that shore excursions could only be booked through them. When we visited St. Petersburg on Celebrity we were never told that visas could only be obtained through them. They did tell us that visas were required to go ashore, but no suggestion that they were exclusively through them. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[Simbamax]

I didn’t say the cruise line. 

It was the person I booked it through. 

Sorry if I got it wrong. I’m a first time cruiser and booked it through a company in the uk. THEY told me that 

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, Simbamax said:

I didn’t say the cruise line. 

It was the person I booked it through. 

Sorry if I got it wrong. I’m a first time cruiser and booked it through a company in the uk. THEY told me that 

If you booked through the link you supplied above, you did not book with Alla Tours - just so you are aware.

They all offer good tours so you should be happy with whomever you book.

[Simbamax]

 I was searching on ALLA tours and SPB tours... comparing them. That’s all 👍🏽👍🏽

 

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

The OP wrote "the operator I booked it through". I assume the OP meant a travel agent, not the cruise line. We have never been told by any cruise line that shore excursions could only be booked through them. When we visited St. Petersburg on Celebrity we were never told that visas could only be obtained through them. They did tell us that visas were required to go ashore, but no suggestion that they were exclusively through them. 

Lucky you. I have enjoyed 3 Baltic cruises and was given misleading visa/tour information from all three cruise lines: NCL, Oceania & Celebrity. Our cruise with Celebrity (Constellation) was back in 2013 so perhaps they have changed the information provided to their guests. 

 

[SantaFeFan]

35 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Lucky you. I have enjoyed 3 Baltic cruises and was given misleading visa/tour information from all three cruise lines: NCL, Oceania & Celebrity. Our cruise with Celebrity (Constellation) was back in 2013 so perhaps they have changed the information provided to their guests. 

 

 

Ours was August 2010. The difference, I think, is that I don't automatically assume that they are trying to screw me which means I actually understand what their actual wording means. 

 

We used Anastasia Travel Company for our group of 4. They were fantastic, and even surprised us with unexpected bonuses such as a private boat ride, including sipping Champagne and nibbling on chocolates, instead of seats on a public tour boat through the canals, 

Edited June 19, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

The OP wrote "the operator I booked it through". I assume the OP meant a travel agent, not the cruise line. We have never been told by any cruise line that shore excursions could only be booked through them. When we visited St. Petersburg on Celebrity we were never told that visas could only be obtained through them. They did tell us that visas were required to go ashore, but no suggestion that they were exclusively through them. 

 

I think it's more a matter of crafty website phraseology misleading cruisers than them actually saying that disembarkation at St P. without a personal visa is only possible with the cruise line's tours - and every cruise line website that I've seen does that.

The only times I've seen that outright lie were on Princess's website - and they've recently changed their website phraseology to much the same as other cruise lines. 

 

But I strongly suspect that some cruise line telephone staff and travel agents still say that folk need a ship-sponsored tour or a personal visa - that's the OP's complaint, & I've seen other CC complaints of incorrect (rather than misleading) information.

As per my first post, mebbe deliberate lies or mebbe said inaccurately but in good faith.

 

The complaints on this subject on this are so numerous that it's clearly a pretty mucky business. 

 

JB