Has anyone who's done the Baltic been able to join the White Nights festivities?

[Beach Nut]

I'm pretty sure that O docks near "downtown" in St Petersburg, Russia, rather than at the "commercial" dock further from center city. I'd been hoping that we'd be able to participate in the night time festivities held outside during the White Nights, when the Regatta will be there June 27 to 29, 2008.

 

However, Michael at Red October U.S. (who called me within minutes after receiving my email!) said that there was a good likelihood that we'd need to be back at the ship by 11 PM, as the Russian passport checking booth for checking people back in might be closed after that.

 

Also, a further confounding point is that the bridges in the city apparently are "lifted" at night "in the summer" and it is not possible once they are lifted to get from certain areas to other areas. This might not affect those of us who are docked in town, but not having a Russian official to check you back in to the ship evidently would preclude one's ability to get back on board for the night.

 

Is there anyone who has taken Oceania's cruise to the Baltic who has been able to stay out to the wee hours, say 1 AM or so, to experience the White Nights festivities with the locals? It seems a shame to be there at this time and miss out on this cultural phenomenon.

 

Which tour company or guide was able to do this for you?

 

Do the Russians keep the passport checkpoints open later during the 2 or 3 week period of the White Nights?

 

Oceania doesn't have their shore excursions available for booking yet, so I can't see if O will offer this as one possibility.

 

Red October told me to ask Oceania how late we'll be able to stay outside, but doesn't O have a poor record of answering people's questions, and expects all inquiries to go through one's TA? I'd rather hear directly from O and not second hand through a TA, but O may also be reluctant to give me info that will benefit an outside shore excursion agency. :confused:

 

Mr. Del Rio, if you're reading this, can you tell me if Oceania offers late night shore excursions to the White Nights celebrations, and, what time do we have to be back on board each night before we turn into pumpkins? :eek:

 

Thanks to anyone who can help with this in any way. I felt I'd get a broader response here, as our roll call is not too active and a post I posted a few months ago on the roll call is no longer there! :confused:

 

Susan

[LHT28]

Is this the roll call

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=590370

we were there several year ago & people went to the ballet and returned later than 11 pm ..unless things have changed I would think they would have a Russian Offical on board until the ship departs.

They get treated very well while on the ship ;)

[Beach Nut]

Yes, that's the roll call for our sailing.

 

Good to know that there is actually a Russian official on board and not in some booth at the dock that closes at 11 PM. If passengers came back from the ballet after 11 on your cruise, there's a good chance there's no "curfew" we have to worry about., or at least not one that early.

 

I'll call O today and see if I can nail down the current situation. and will report back here what I do or don't find out.

 

Susan

[LHT28]

Yes, that's the roll call for our sailing.

 

Good to know that there is actually a Russian official on board and not in some booth at the dock that closes at 11 PM. If passengers came back from the ballet after 11 on your cruise, there's a good chance there's no "curfew" we have to worry about., or at least not one that early.

Susan

 

It was not Oceania & I guess it depends on where the ship docks ..we were up the river so maybe they had permission to come in later.

Maybe someone who did the tour this past year will comment .

They do open the bridges at night for the ship traffic to go through so if you are on the wrong side of town you are stuck till morning!!:)

[Beach Nut]

Talked with Trey at O. He talked with someone who relayed, through him, that O does not have a curfew in St. Petersburg, but you need a visa to get off the ship. I knew about needing a visa, or being with a registered guide company, but when I spoke with Michael from Red October, he mentioned that "they" want us to get people back by 11 PM.

 

On the website of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco, there is a link to a site to get a visa. When I called the phone number, the person I spoke with kept telling me to call a specific number and they would be able to arrange a hotel room for me. I tried to explain that I would be on a cruise ship and would be sleeping on board the ship, but he had the same stock answer each time I tried to rephrase what I was asking about. After hanging up, I realized that he was probably working at a call center. I may call back and try to talk with the people who arrange "hotel rooms", as maybe that's not all they arrange. :confused:

 

I tried to call the Russian Consulate in SF a few times, but kept getting a busy signal, so will try again. Am considering driving in to SF and walking in to the Consulate to see if there is a person there who may be able to give me more specific info.

 

I spoke with a friend who lived in Moscow with her husband for several years when he was working for Mobil. Friends of theirs had gone to St. Petersburg for the White Nights and liked it a great deal. My friend had 2 main caveats for me:

1. Wear your valuables inside your clothing, as the gypsies are literally swarming visitors in St. Petersburg during the summer, and

2. You definitely don't want to get on the wrong side of the red tape of the Russian bureaucracy.

 

Both of these are things I already knew, but it's probably good to have them as mantras as I make plans for us in St. Petersburg.

 

I guess if my visit to the Russian Consulate has the effect of confusing the issue even more than it already is for me, I'll just bag the idea of experiencing the White Nights and pretend that a world class night party and cultural celebration isn't really happening just out of reach. (Although that's the reason I booked this particular cruise.) :(

 

By the way, Red October gave me a ballpark quote on the phone of $1,600 for two days and $1,900 for 3 days (daytime only) tours, for 2 people. And that doesn't even get you to the White Nights! I knew that the dollar doesn't go far these days against the euro, but I had no idea that Russia had become so upscale. Yikes!

 

If I make it to the Consulate, I'll post my findings here. If I don't post, it means I've given up.

 

Susan

[cadreamer]

Beach Nut I can understand your frustration. On one visit to St. Petersburg we got a a visa for Russia and we did it online. I found the site using google.The application form is very lenghty and a challenge but we were glad we persisted. You sound persistant so you may want to try it. An good alternative is to contact Alla-tours in St. Pedtersburg (also you can find her using google) and get another quote and ask specifcally about the White Nights. We were definitely out late with her. The point is that I think she could do a tour to White Nights. You should also get a day tour quote while you are at it. Her web site is very useful. By the way seeing the bridges go up is another unique experience in St. Petersburg. We have not done it but hope to this trip.

[LHT28]

There are a couple of tour guides that offer evening activities so maybe they could do the tour to see the White nights'

http://www.anastasiaworld.com

http://www.alla-tour.com/

http://www.denrus.ru/

 

 

The prices are usually for a group (I think)so if you can get others to share the tour it will be better price. They use a blanket visa for the tour so you must stay with the group

[Beach Nut]

Many thanks for your supportive responses.

 

I emailed DenRus today. They have an option called "St. Petersburg on your own", where they help you get a visa and arrange some things for you ahead of time. I asked them if it'd be possible to use their guide and car part of the time and explore on our own part of the time. With three days there, I think a mixture of the two ways of sightseeing might work well for us.

 

DenRus also has some 2 and 3 day "value tours" that they have not made available to "smaller" ships that dock in town in previous years and I asked them if they'd be changing that in 2008. I guess the volume they get from the large ships makes it worth their while.

 

I'll also contact Alla within the next few days.

 

I don't want to repeat the experience I had in Istanbul, where we took the big special 2 day ship's tour (Celebrity) and saw the grand sites: Topkapi, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, etc. but frankly, all the grandness seemed only that - grand, but without life. It wasn't the tour for me. To top it all off, I couldn't stand the psychic blitz of the Bazaar and had to leave after only 10 minutes, and we walked a bit while waiting for the bus to take us back to the ship.

 

The most memorable part of Istanbul, for me, occurred then: we found a small royal cemetery with a tiny open mosque on its grounds and roses blooming and a tea garden at the far end. It was a lovely, peaceful slice of Istanbul that made a permanent impression on me.

 

Another thing that I was greatly looking forward to in Istanbul was hearing the "call to prayer" from the minarets, and was disappointed that, when it occurred, it was just a static-y recording that was played.

 

I guess that grand structures and museums are a "must", but I find more meaning and connection in the smaller, more subtle, everyday things that make up the people's lives. So, it looks like I've just talked myself into doing "St. Petersburg on my own". Thanks for listening. If I do wind up getting a visa and roaming the city on my own, I'll be sure to post some of my experiences here.

 

Susan

[cadreamer]

Beach Nut It sounds like you are on track to getting what you want. There are lots of alternatives and I really think you will be able to see just what you want. You have a day or two to take in the "must sees" and then it sounds like you want to get off the beaten path. I have found Alla very flexible and accommodating. Good luck!

[lovecruisingtoo]

 

I emailed DenRus today. They have an option called "St. Petersburg on your own", where they help you get a visa and arrange some things for you ahead of time. I asked them if it'd be possible to use their guide and car part of the time and explore on our own part of the time. With three days there, I think a mixture of the two ways of sightseeing might work well for us.

 

 

Susan

 

Susan,

 

What did you wind up doing and who did you sign up with? Your idea of 2 days of tour and 1 day on your own sounds like the way to go.

 

Thanks.

[Beach Nut]

Greetings

 

We cancelled the cruise due to the rather sudden emergence of two health issues for me simultaneously in March. I felt overwhelmed and wasn't sure I'd be ready to do a major trip in June. Decided to sort things out and stabilize my situation first. (The sudden death of a very close friend at age 59 occurred around the same time. And, another close friend got a diagnosis of oral CA.) I just don't feel like leaving home right now. :(

 

However, optimistically, I put a deposit on a Caribbean cruise for next January, so I believe that things will resolve. :)

 

We were on the verge of booking through Denrus. I was about to post on the Roll Call to try to find another couple or two who might want to go in with us for about 4 hours one of the nights. I got the impression in my emails back and forth with Denrus that customizing was something that they'd be happy to do.

 

I hope that everyone who will be on the cruise will have a great time. I'll be thinking of you all and wishing you fair weather and good health.

 

Susan

[Wendy The Wanderer]

 

The most memorable part of Istanbul, for me, occurred then: we found a small royal cemetery with a tiny open mosque on its grounds and roses blooming and a tea garden at the far end. It was a lovely, peaceful slice of Istanbul that made a permanent impression on me.

 

Susan

 

Susan, we found this cemetery too, and yes, it was memorable. Thanks for reminding me. We did the sights in Istanbul on our own, but had the luxury of 6 days to do it.