Russia, best use of time

[Homie]

We are booked on Holland America, Northern Europe cruise in Sept. 2006. Would appreciate information of the port in St. Petersburg. Best ship excursions to make best use of our time in Russia.

[tall traveler]

Use Red October touring company in St. Petersburg. They are excellent! You can find them at www.redoctober.com

[tall traveler]

Sorry, the address is www.redoctober.us

[jhannah]

I would also highly recommend Red October. Going with them will eliminate your having to stand in long lines for entrance into the museums. They do a great job.

[keep on cruising]

I too advise using Red October. We used them on our Baltic cruise last year. We took a two day custom tour and saw much more than we would have on a ship's tour. We had a guide and a driver; both spoke very good English. This was truely the highlight of our trip

 

We used the Russian site to book, the web site is http://www.redoctober.spb.ru/.

 

We did not have to put down a deposit; we paid at the end of the first day.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions

[Druke I]

We were in St. Petersburg this past August, on Oceania's Regatta. We didn't use DenRus, Red October, or other shoreside services, but did hear many favorable comments from fellow passengers.

 

My wife went to an evening ballet performance, a ship's excursion, and enjoyed it very much.

 

I went on a ship's excursion that also included a ride on the local subway system, and a general overview of the city by bus.

[NancyIL]

Loved our tour with DenRus last summer: http://www.denrus.ru

[trixi]

Another satisfied customer of Red October. They customized our tour to accomodate our last minute requests. Answered all questions we emailed. We really enjoyed lunch with a Russian family. Very professional operation.

[RuthC]

I swear I saw everything on my Red October Tour as every single HAL tour! And the service was personal, to boot. Visas are included in the price.

In the Hermitage we saw the HAL groups---they had maybe 25-30 with a leader. Those in the rear couldn't see or hear what was being discussed. There was no way they could all ask questions and hear any answers.

At the Summer Palace we went straight to the head of a long, long line.

Red October was more expensive, but this cheapskate thinks it was well worth it.

[ldog]

We took the HAL excursions because it was our first cruise and we didn't know any better. They were well run but as Ruth has said they were on big busses and there were too many people for one tour guide. I don't know about the other tour companies but we I felt quite captive in the bus. It never stopped for pictures.

 

We went to a Folkloric show at night which was very good also. No ballet was offered. I'd have loved that.

 

One thing to remember and pace yourself for is that going to Russia you lose one hour in time change for two days before. It takes a lot out of you. We took a long tour in Helsinki the day before (the arctic circle - if it's still offered it was terrific but long).

 

That said the highlight for us was the Hermitage it is an amazing place. We also went to Peterhof and Catherine Palace which were beautiful.

 

Enjoy your cruise. It's a fabulous part of the world!

 

jan

[Jules1]

Another vote for Red October-they are fabulous! If you go to the Baltic Ports boards there is a wealth of information.

[trixi]

Red October can be quite pricey if just two of you are in your tour. We found 2 other couples to share the tour with us and the price ended up being half of the price quoted for just two of us. Their tour guides are outstanding, so knowledgeable. We were very pleased with our tour.

[jjones]

I used Red October in St. Petersburg - just me, the guide and a driver. Yes, it was expensive, but worth every penny. They customized my tour for all the things I wanted to see and do, they arranged the visa, we didn't have to wait in long lines and I had no problem hearing the guide as I would have on a ship's excursion. Peterhof and Catherine's Palace are highlights, as well as the Hermitage. The only ship's excursion I did was the Folkloric Show, which was wonderful (and allowed video taping). A private tour is the most convenient and satisfying way to see this magnificent city.

[RuthC]

I just remembered another factor in the "best use of time/private tour" heading, and that is the mode of transportation.

St Petersburg traffic is beyond horrendous. When you're stuck in it on a bus you're stuck. In a private van you can go around it by riding on the sidewalks like the rest of the cars do.

 

That's a big time-saver right there! :D

[Homie]

Thank you so much for the information of Red October.

 

Homie

[questor]

I used the Cruise Critic Board to find two other couples when I booked with Red October. Red October was great and the cost was equivalent to the cruiseline (or better) and we saw much more and in a more convenient manner.