Ventura 20th June2008

[roley]

:) Hi there we are wondering if anyone on this cruise has considered booking a private tour in St Petersburg. We went 4 years ago with P&O and loved it so much we are going back. We have done a lot of research on private tours in St Petes and all the cruises we have previously been on we have done a mixture of both P&O and on our own. We want to be more selective this time but notice that most of the passengers who go on private tours dont sail with P&O but other cruise liners (a lot of Americans Canadians etc). I think P&O use Denrus for their tours and I have been in touch with them. We feel confident in doing this ourselves but most probably will only do a one day tour designed for our needs, on the first day and use our on board credit for a tour on the second day there. You do not need a visa as we stay less than 72 hours and you are picked up at the ship side as the entrance to the dock is about a mile and a half away and you are returned to the ship at the selected time. What do fellow travellers think, look forward to hearing from you. Cant wait to go back;)

[supered]

You do not need a visa as we stay less than 72 hours

I thought that you needed a visa if you went off by yourself. My understanding is that you don't have to register it at the tourism office if you're staying less than 72 hours. Others have said that you need a letter of introduction from the cruise line to give to your tour company, but I'm not 100% sure. We're booked on a different Baltic cruise in May 09 so will research this more nearer the time.

 

Eddie

[CASPALL]

Hi Roley

We are doing this cruise too and also wondering what to do about tours. We've been on holiday to St P before and loved it -that was 7 or 8 years ago now.

Like you, we think we will do one tour with P&O.

Been looking on fodors.com(cruise forum) and got some tour/visa info from there.

Less than 3 months to go so better make our minds up!

Caryl

[roley]

Hi Caryl I have been looking at private tours for over 6 months and have been in contact with two. If you arrange a tour through a proper company they send you a letter of introduction and then meet you as soon as you pass through customs who look at your letter and keep a copy of your passport. You can decide where and what you want to do but you must be back on board at the time you say you want your tour to end, you can go back early but not late. There is so much to see but you have to be choosy as it is impossible to see and do it all. We have done the city tour with P&O so we are going to be more specific. If you are interested I can give you some websites. I am going to ring two in St Petes this week (I can do this for 2p a minute. You definately get better value for money this way so we have decided to do this just hope there arent too many ships in that day and they are fully booked. Gill

[roley]

Hi Supered, if you book a private tour with an authorised tour agent you dont need a visa but you have to stay with the guide you cant go off on your own. They meet you at the dock side and bring you back to the custom shed on your return. This is very popular with other cruisers on other ships. I have been researching this for nearly a year but havent done anything as yet just need to get on with it. Enjoy your cruise especially St Petes

[CASPALL]

Hi Gill

Started discussion with my husband this morning on what we should do. He reckons we will take the easy option and go with P&O as we aren't doing tours at any other port with them.

What I really liked about St P last visit was just walking around the city (so much to see as you say), but of course we can't do this unless we get our own visas. Hubby wants to go to the Hermitage this time but I just feel tired and lethargic at the thought of it!!! I remember all the opulent museum stuff we saw in Moscow and it really wasn't my thing!

Do you know if P&O have sent out the tour brochures yet?

Caryl

[CASPALL]

Right! Went on the website and discovered that P&O are now doing private vans for up to 3 or up to 6 people.

Have phoned to find out the price for a 6 seater and its £380 for a 4 hour tour of St P. I booked there and then as we are with friends so it will work out quite reasonably priced, but really its the "not having to go along with 40 other people" that I like best about it!

Good for P&O!

Caryl

[Mazeppa]

Hi Gill, we're on this cruise and were looking to use independent tours of St Petersburg, probably Alla Tours, in preference to Red October or DenRus. This way you get to see much more that with the ship's tours.

 

We're hoping to do the 2-day tour of St Pete's with Alla Tours for $300 (about £150)

 

I agree that you don't need a visa, but only if you use a tour company. Getting around St Pete's independently is not possible without a Russian visa which costs £45 and has to be authorised by a travel agency/tour company. Mike

[Yarco]

I too am booked for this cruise, & i will almost certainly be using P&O's own excursions. Also as it is my first cruise could anyone tell me if i will receive the shore excursion brochure anytime soon?, as i booked with a TA.

About 3yrs ago my mother & sister cruised aboard 'Oriana', but booked direct with P&O & got the brochure around 10 weeks prior to departure.

Or should i book online at the web site and if so will the prices be shown, as i have already looked to what is being offered but no sign of prices.

Regards Mark :)

[roley]

Right! Went on the website and discovered that P&O are now doing private vans for up to 3 or up to 6 people.

Have phoned to find out the price for a 6 seater and its £380 for a 4 hour tour of St P. I booked there and then as we are with friends so it will work out quite reasonably priced, but really its the "not having to go along with 40 other people" that I like best about it!

Good for P&O!

Caryl

Caryl well done doing your own thing you can see exactly what you want. We arent doing the hermitage as it is so vast that you can only do a very small bit ie gold room. but the gardens at Peterhof with fountains is beautiful they say so might do that and a few more bits,canal trip etc we want to see the underground as well. Hope you enjoy your trip Gill

[roley]

I too am booked for this cruise, & i will almost certainly be using P&O's own excursions. Also as it is my first cruise could anyone tell me if i will receive the shore excursion brochure anytime soon?, as i booked with a TA.

About 3yrs ago my mother & sister cruised aboard 'Oriana', but booked direct with P&O & got the brochure around 10 weeks prior to departure.

Or should i book online at the web site and if so will the prices be shown, as i have already looked to what is being offered but no sign of prices.

Regards Mark :)

Mark go onto the P&O website and go to Before you sail and click on up pops personal cruise organizer open this and if you put in your name and booking reference you can see all the tours and prices Gill

[roley]

Mark go onto the P&O website and go to Before you sail and click on up pops personal cruise organizer open this and if you put in your name and booking reference you can see all the tours and prices Gill Sorry if Ive sent this twice:)

[roley]

Mike Ive emailed Alla tours a while ago and have had a reply the only reason I wasnt sure about the two day tour was the paranoia of not getting back intime on the second day (sad I know). Last year they all did organised 1 day tours in smaller groups but now they seem to do 2 day ones instead. That is why we thought we would do a private tour the first day and pick a P&O 2nd day and use onboard credit. We have been looking into this for nearly a year but now need to get on with it before its too late just need to take the plunge. Its not in their interest for you to miss the ship seemingly so they take all precautions but we would want our tour on the last day to end sooner rather than later. Gill

[Yarco]

Mark go onto the P&O website and go to Before you sail and click on up pops personal cruise organizer open this and if you put in your name and booking reference you can see all the tours and prices Gill Sorry if Ive sent this twice:)

 

Gill thanks for the reply & advice, i shall now attempt to book through the cruise organizer.

Mark :)

[melisbest]

Well we got our tour Brochure today for the Baltics on the 20 June. I havent had time to read yet,as we dont want to visit museums all the time so is there any "You Must See" recommendations.

[supered]

Well we got our tour Brochure today for the Baltics on the 20 June. I havent had time to read yet,as we dont want to visit museums all the time so is there any "You Must See" recommendations.

I would give the Destination Forum for Nothern Europe and the Baltics a try as well. It is acessed from the main Forum listing page.

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=192

 

Eddie

[roley]

Hi Melisbest, We went to St Petes P&O 4 years ago and did the Best of St Petes. This gives you an overall picture of the city you drive around and stop at certain points (church of Spilled Blood Fantastic) they take you to a shop and then back to the ship. It is half an hours drive to the city from the ship. This is a good way to see the sites. Then the problem begins what to choose next The Hermitage we avoided as you need lots of time there its so huge that is why people on their own choose perhaps one room (Gold room) The fountains and gardens at Peterhof are supposed to be amazing so we are going there and you get the hydrofoil back a bonus weather permitting. The metro is amazing gold etc (forget London) a ride on the canal as St Petes is known as Venice of the North is another option but all this is personal as we all like different things. P&O love churches and I must admit St Petes are beautiful as are most of the buildings so colourful. We love it. Try these www.st-petersburg.com

www.europeportreviews.com/St.Petersburg You will see the sort of places that might help you choose what you want to see in the time we have. Good Luck you will love St Petes it is beautiful

[Mazeppa]

Hi Gill, I e-mailed Alla nearly a week ago and still haven't had a reply. When she replied to you, did she give any indication that she could accommodate tours from Ventura? Are there any other ships in port that day? Mike

[roley]

:) Hi Mazeppa Alla is the only one who has not replied to me either. I went on a website and there are a few ships in P&O Artemis is in. You cant use Denrus as they are doing P&O tours but I have prices from 3 other tour companies that are legite. As I said before we have been already but it is quite expensive when you go on your own rather than a group of 40. I have been talking to someone on trip advisor and she is on a cunard tour and she is very upset at the prices she has been quoted. the range of quotes in incredible. We are there for such a small time and there is a lot to see that is why we want to be selective this time as you can waste so much time you have to be choosy. I can email you some companies who are decent as someone who is an expert and lives in St Petes has told us who to go with and who to be aware of. There are many respectable companies

[The Monocled Mutineer]

On a trip to the city when it was known as Leningrad in February I spent a delightful four, but very cold days there.

 

There were many highlights, but one of the abiding memories was walking on a frozen River Neva up to a lit large bonfire, set ON the ice!

[Mazeppa]

Hi Gill, Alla has replied. She doesn't have enough enquiries to run the 2-day Complete tour, but can do any of her other three tours. I've replied to her by saying that I'm prepared to pay a maximum of $325 pp, i.e.if she can find another 6 passengers for her Moderate tour or 8 extra passengers for her Comfort tour then I'm interested. She says she's had enquiries for just the 27th and doesn't think that the ship is going to be there for more than one day. I guess that some passengers are nervous about the two full days in case they they don't get back to the ship in time on the second day!

You say you have other contacts for tours in St Pete's. How do I get hold of them?

Thanks, Mike

[Paul&Kathy]

We toured for 2 days with Red October a couple of years ago and can't recommend them highly enough. We shared a minibus with 3 other couple (2 Australian 1 South African) that we met on Cruise Critic and it worked out wonderfully. We got to see the Hermitage (part of) , Spilled Blood, St Isaac's Catherdral, Peterhof (gardens & small palace not the main one), Catherine Palace, another merchant's "Palace" in St P that I can't remeber the name of now and lots of smaller stops for churches & monuments. The cost was similar to the cruise line excursion (we were with NCL on that cruise) but we got to see so much more and had an excellent guide (Polina) between the 8 of us. We did have to stay with her - we tried to skip lunch and escape for an hour to have a look at the shops on our own but that was definitely not allowed. I don't think you need worry about getting back to the ship on time - all the guides are very careful not to be left with tourists who should not be there. The traffic is horrendous but they seem to be able to judge the times quite accurately.

[roley]

Hi Mike if you post your email address I will give you quite a few email addresses and websites for tours one in particular has given me a set price for eight hours and is a bona fida company. We only wanted one day as we are going to Peterhof with P&O on second day. But we wanted to choose the first day ourselves Gill:)

[Mazeppa]

Hi Gill, thanks for this in advance. My E-mail address is Mike fullstop Polak at ntlworld fullstop com. (I work in IT and know how easy it is for spammers to harvest e-mail addresses, hence the rather unorthodox way of publishing my address!)

[melisbest]

Hi Roley thank you for your reply,ref excursions. We have it sussed now ,there are 2 places that were sold out ,so we will go for a walk there but we have excursions for the other ports so we are happy. Only 21 days to go. Mel