Does st petersburg cruise terminal have cafe

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, ladysail2 said:

Well, A. There was no tour itinerary that the payees knew about, B. They were not rude...they simply stated, no shopping portion, no tour, no tip, and C. Aren’t you judgemental!!

 

I'm confused about your story as well. You booked a tour with no itinerary? Was this a private tour just for your group?  Or a semi-private tour with a larger group? Or a ship tour?

 

I can't imagine committing to a tour with no itinerary provided. 

 

(Also, I hate tours with shopping, so would not have been happy if the guide was overruled by only a portion of a tour group. IMHO, tours are for touring, not shopping. Folks should get their own visa if they want to go to Russia for the shopping opportunities....🙄)

[Hlitner]

18 minutes ago, clo said:

LOL!  Sounds just too-too 🙂

 

Thanks a LOT for all this detail.  I'm looking forward to the research being the info-junkie that I am.  Did you go to Moscow?  I understand it's a long day.  I've also been told that it's not worth it...in some people's opinions.  But we all know about opinions, don't we?

 

Again, I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this.

Cath

No, we have never been to Moscow.  We would never consider that as a cruise excursion but might (someday) go to Moscow on a land trip when we can spend a few days in the city.  There are also some interesting River Boat cruises in Russia (which would work with an extended stay in Moscow) but it is not real high on our own "bucket list."

 

I also noticed that some cruise lines have actually been alowing embarkation (for cruises) in St Petersburg.  This sets up the scenario of flying to Moscow, spending a few days, and then making one's way to STP for the cruise.   Again it is not high on our bucket list, but we are adventurous enough to try such a trip.

 

Hank

[ladysail2]

4 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

The way you told the story they were rude. You may not have given us all the facts and you may not know all the facts but if they told her that she could forget the tips if they didn't stopped somewhere for souveniers they were rude.

 

Can't we assume that the tour guides in Russia has a itinerary they shall follow? You say that the payees had not been given a tour itinerary,  right? Then they were not promised a "souvenier stop" and it was rude of them to demand that the guide should change the itinerary she probably had to follow. I hope the guide wasn't fired, or since we are talking about Russia that something worse happened to her...     

Perhaps you’re reading more into the story than is necessary.  Perhaps your tolerance for what is rude and what is not is different from mine. I took 9 tours from this same company, I assure you that there is no fixed itinerary. There is an assumed itinerary because of the description of the tour...but because some groups move slower/faster than others, there is flexibility.  They don’t rush you through site seeing places, unless the group is getting close to having to get back to the ship. I assure you that there is nothing in the tour description that says ‘you are not going shopping/there are no shops to visit/the tour guide will refuse to go into shops/no shopping allowed’.   So there’s always flexibility to please the payees, if the tour guide wants to.  My tour guide in Moscow simply wouldn’t answer if we asked if we could go into a souvenir shop. I wasn’t the only one asking.  I’m sure the other group’s guide was not fired....why would she....the group was happy to be able to shop.  I doubt if guides are fired for pleasing the customers.  We have different views on situations, I don’t think the other group was rude, they stated their wishes, the guide could accept them or not.  BTW, the guides in the other countries, and SPB, were very pleasant and eager to ensure our day was a happy one. 

[ladysail2]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm confused about your story as well. You booked a tour with no itinerary? Was this a private tour just for your group?  Or a semi-private tour with a larger group? Or a ship tour?

 

I can't imagine committing to a tour with no itinerary provided. 

 

(Also, I hate tours with shopping, so would not have been happy if the guide was overruled by only a portion of a tour group. IMHO, tours are for touring, not shopping. Folks should get their own visa if they want to go to Russia for the shopping opportunities....🙄)

There was a tour description, it’s a private tour for about 15 people, from a popular, highly recommended, and large Baltic tour company. The description told us what we would be seeing but there was no ‘9-10 visit this, 10-11, visit that, etc.’        I don’t care for museums, but will go in one if everything else about the tour description pleases me.  I really don’t see how a 20-minute stop at a souvenir shop bothers people who dont like shopping.  They’re not forced to go in, and alot of men get annoyed.  Obviously it bothers you.  I’m not going through the hassle of getting my own Visa for a 20-minute souvenir stop.  That idea is rather ridiculous, IMHO.  I’d rather skip the lengthly lunch they want you to have. 

[clo]

2 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

There was a tour description, it’s a private tour for about 15 people, from a popular, highly recommended, and large Baltic tour company. The description told us what we would be seeing but there was no ‘9-10 visit this, 10-11, visit that, etc.’        I don’t care for museums, but will go in one if everything else about the tour description pleases me.  I really don’t see how a 20-minute stop at a souvenir shop bothers people who dont like shopping.  They’re not forced to go in, and alot of men get annoyed.  Obviously it bothers you.  I’m not going through the hassle of getting my own Visa for a 20-minute souvenir stop.  That idea is rather ridiculous, IMHO.  I’d rather skip the lengthly lunch they want you to have. 

So when the 'group' went to a museum or a lengthy lunch why couldn't you break away and find somewhere close by to pick up a trinket.  Is that not allowed in Russia?  I loathe stopping for souvenirs so I suppose this is a good thing to know - that some of these tours anywhere in the world may include that.

[cruisemom42]

11 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

I don’t care for museums, but will go in one if everything else about the tour description pleases me.  

 

 

You're talking about the Hermitage?

 

I have no words....

 

 

[clo]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

You're talking about the Hermitage?

 

I have no words....

 

 

Laugh. Out. Loud.  And yes 🙂

[ladysail2]

45 minutes ago, clo said:

So when the 'group' went to a museum or a lengthy lunch why couldn't you break away and find somewhere close by to pick up a trinket.  Is that not allowed in Russia?  I loathe stopping for souvenirs so I suppose this is a good thing to know - that some of these tours anywhere in the world may include that.

No, you’re not. In Russia, the tour guide makes it quite clear that her/his group stays together. That is when she/he will get into trouble, if someone in her/his group goes ‘rogue’.  In fact, our guide went running after a couple who tried to pop into somewhere away from the group (that happened in SPB). 

[ladysail2]

42 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

You're talking about the Hermitage?

 

I have no words....

 

 

OMG......there are museums all over the world....I travel quite a bit.   Did I say The Hermitage?   Glad you have no words..cause what you could be saying is.....sorry for being so judgemental.....!   

[ladysail2]

46 minutes ago, clo said:

Laugh. Out. Loud.  And yes 🙂

I’d like to know what’s so funny??   Do you think I was referring to The Hermitage Museum?  

[clo]

11 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

No, you’re not. In Russia, the tour guide makes it quite clear that her/his group stays together. That is when she/he will get into trouble, if someone in her/his group goes ‘rogue’.  In fact, our guide went running after a couple who tried to pop into somewhere away from the group (that happened in SPB). 

Thanks.  Another reason we're already seriously considering going for our own visa.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

I’d like to know what’s so funny??   Do you think I was referring to The Hermitage Museum?  

What museum were you referring to?

[ladysail2]

2 minutes ago, clo said:

What museum were you referring to?

I don’t care for aviation museums, car history museums, celebrity museums, general history museums......and there are museums I do like.  I wasn’t necessarily referring to my Russian visit.  I also didn’t necessarily mean cruise tours either.  I don’t know what you found so funny about my statement. Maybe you were making fun of the response. I don’t know.

[cruisemom42]

St. Petersburg is a bit different from most places. Private tour guides more or less 'guarantee' you will stay with them and that they will see you safely back to your ship at the end of the day. Some are very reluctant to let you out of their sight. Others are more amenable to a brief unattended wander.

 

That said, if you want to go the private tour route, the best thing to do is to talk (via email) to several different agencies -- let them know the kind of experience you're looking for. But also, arrange the tour just for yourselves, not as a group. And agree on an itinerary -- with the understanding that you may want to change your plans on the fly, if desired (and not against any rules). Sometimes in Russia the tendency is still very much to do things according to a plan. For better or for worse.

 

To be honest, visas cost about as much as a private tour for a couple of days. I took my son on a Baltic cruise when he was around 13, and at that age I figured he would be more likely to listen to a guide than to me. We lucked out and had a young, very cute (according to him!), smart and thoughtful guide who made our two days a pleasure. For me alone, however, I'd rather go the 'visa' route and DIY.

[clo]

4 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

I don’t care for aviation museums, car history museums, celebrity museums, general history museums......and there are museums I do like.  I wasn’t necessarily referring to my Russian visit.  I also didn’t necessarily mean cruise tours either.  I don’t know what you found so funny about my statement. Maybe you were making fun of the response. I don’t know.

FWIW I was laughing at cruisemom's comment.

 

[cruisemom42]

19 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

OMG......there are museums all over the world....I travel quite a bit.   Did I say The Hermitage?   Glad you have no words..cause what you could be saying is.....sorry for being so judgemental.....!   

 

We were talking about your experience in St. Petersburg, so yes -- it seemed to me that you were referring to the Hermitage. Why would you be talking about other places?  🤷‍♀️ Sorry if I misunderstood.

[clo]

3 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

DIY

We've always been quite DIY.  But then a few years ago we did a number of escorted land tours (Turkey, Israel, SE Asia and more).  We learned a tremendous amount and, granted, it's nice to get waited on.  But we found that the daily schedules for the most part made DIYing pretty much impossible, especially if we were traveling from one city to another every day.  I do remember that twice in Vietnam we dropped out of the daily tour and did our own thing.  And had THIS!

 

[ladysail2]

12 minutes ago, clo said:

FWIW I was laughing at cruisemom's comment.

 

I didn’t see the humour in it, but that’s just me. I don’t tend to criticize people for their likes and dislikes.  The Hermitage Museum was quite amazing.....FWIW.

[Glaciers]

22 hours ago, clo said:

I just booked an Oceania cruise that includes three days in St. Petersburg and haven't looked at anything.  But I'm wondering if there are tours that include a 'traditional' lunch.  I'll keep reading this thread as I'm already excited a year out 🙂

We went with SPB Tours and stopped by a restaurant and had a "traditional lunch", or so they called it. I think we had Borscht.

 

And, in another post regarding a coffee shop at the terminal. We were on a smaller Seabourn ship and the only thing I remember at the dock was a small building to process passengers coming and going.

[sverigecruiser]

3 hours ago, ladysail2 said:

There is an assumed itinerary because of the description of the tour...but because some groups move slower/faster than others, there is flexibility.  They don’t rush you through site seeing places, unless the group is getting close to having to get back to the ship.

 

I hope that you are correct that the tourguides are allowed to change the itinerary. I have always thought that it's easier to get a "tour visa", compared to an "individual visa" , because the Russian government then know where people go and what they might see.

 

You say that the guides are allowed to change the itinerary  and as I said, I hope that is correct.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, ladysail2 said:

I didn’t see the humour in it, but that’s just me. I don’t tend to criticize people for their likes and dislikes.  The Hermitage Museum was quite amazing.....FWIW.

 

It is amazing with an amazing history.  I don't like that a lot of the art was "nationalized".     

[ladysail2]

39 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I hope that you are correct that the tourguides are allowed to change the itinerary. I have always thought that it's easier to get a "tour visa", compared to an "individual visa" , because the Russian government then know where people go and what they might see.

 

You say that the guides are allowed to change the itinerary  and as I said, I hope that is correct.

I can only speak from what I experienced.  When we met the tour guide...we all agreed to what time we'd be back to the ship. Then she described what places we would be seeing and in approximate order.  Along the way, if the group got tired or tired of seeing something that seemed the same as something else, then we skipped it and decided on something else at her suggestion. We went to public places, we walked on public streets. There was nothing secret about what we did or saw.  I didn't get the feeling that any official was spying on us.  I'm sure if the whole group wanted to go sit in the park for the afternoon, I'm sure she'd be fine with it. It's our tour, and her country.....so we'd have to be respectful of her guidelines, as she would have to be respectful of our wishes.  There was no fixed itinerary, just a verbal/written list of things tourists might want to see.  You can always contact the tour companies and ask them.

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

I can only speak from what I experienced.  When we met the tour guide...we all agreed to what time we'd be back to the ship. Then she described what places we would be seeing and in approximate order.  Along the way, if the group got tired or tired of seeing something that seemed the same as something else, then we skipped it and decided on something else at her suggestion. We went to public places, we walked on public streets. There was nothing secret about what we did or saw.  I didn't get the feeling that any official was spying on us.  I'm sure if the whole group wanted to go sit in the park for the afternoon, I'm sure she'd be fine with it. It's our tour, and her country.....so we'd have to be respectful of her guidelines, as she would have to be respectful of our wishes.  There was no fixed itinerary, just a verbal/written list of things tourists might want to see.  You can always contact the tour companies and ask them.

 

I don't understand why this has become such a big deal  (other than the need for fault-finding).  I see nothing wrong with paying customers expressing their wants to the tour guide. And, if the guide decided he wanted to ignore his customer's desires, then why would he get a tip.  It all seems reasonable to me.  Of course, if the KGB is someone involved, I guess that could change things. Lol.   

[Sunshine3601]

Wow this really got off track.  I was simply asking if anyone knew if the cruise terminals have somewhere to grab light lunch since we booked 2 separate excursions thru rccl.  

Thank you to the person who responded with the fact there is a cafe in terminal 3 that serves russia food to sample.

Also learned the post office to mail postcards is in that terminal.

Several different places to shop souvenirs with prices cheaper than the ones tour guides take you too is nice to know too.

Thank you for answering my question.

Have fun cruising and exploring the world!!

[Floridiana]

I don't know which is the terminal 3. The port is horse shoe shaped. If your ship is docked on one side and terminal 3 is on the other side, it takes longer to get there than to go back to the ship for lunch unless your tour drops you off at terminal 3 and the next tour picks you up there as well. I took the photo from our ship docked on one side of the horse shoe. Our pier only had souvenir shops with one before passport control.

Edited October 9, 2019 by Floridiana