Celebrity Baltic Question Re: St. Petersburg

[SF]

Would like to know from any past Celebrity cruisers who visited St. Petersburg whether the Celebrity cruise line kept your passport when you boarded or did you keep it the whole cruise?

 

Also, what's the procedure if you are on your own tour in St. Petersburg? Did you just walk off when they said the ship was clear or did you report to Celebrity ahead of time that you booked your own private tour and wait in a lounge? What time were you allowed off? Our tour starts at 8am and I'm kind of concerned they'll hold us on board until all their tours leave making us late.

 

Would like to hear what others have done.

[Jill_b]

Would like to know from any past Celebrity cruisers who visited St. Petersburg whether the Celebrity cruise line kept your passport when you boarded or did you keep it the whole cruise?

 

They take it to process information for the port immigration officials but return it before arriving in St Petersburg because you need it.

 

Also, what's the procedure if you are on your own tour in St. Petersburg? Did you just walk off when they said the ship was clear or did you report to Celebrity ahead of time that you booked your own private tour and wait in a lounge? What time were you allowed off? Our tour starts at 8am and I'm kind of concerned they'll hold us on board until all their tours leave making us late.

Don't wait in any holding area even if they tell you to, you can disembark any time the customs officials have cleared the ship. Over the last couple years there have been a number of posts about people who were told to wait and were late for their tours. Just be ready to leave the ship as soon as the clear announcement is made. From what I understand it is not even legal for the ship crew to hold you up when the ship is in port and cleared, that is up to the port officials, not the ship crew.

[SF]

Thanks. If they take our passport and return it prior to St. Petersburg will they give it back at least the night prior or will they make us get it in the morning. That could hold things up also.

[jmsevens]

I did the Baltic on Celebrity May 2006. Bring three copies of your passport with you. If you have a copy they will check it against your passport at check-in and keep the copy only. My mother did not have a copy and they kept hers to make a copy and returned it before the 1st port day (we had 2 days at sea).

 

The other two copies.. I left one in the safe and gave one to my mother. I also left one at home with my husband along with a copy of my itinerary.