Recent St Petersburg debarking

[hototo]

Wondering if someone who sailed very recently could share their experience in going through Russian Immigration at St Petersburg being on an independent tour.

 

How did the Jewel staff handle independent tour people?

 

There have been a lot of horror stoies on the boards about problems getting off!

[hototo]

Wondering if someone who sailed very recently could share their experience in going through Russian Immigration at St Petersburg being on an independent tour.

 

How did the Jewel staff handle independent tour people?

 

There have been a lot of horror stoies on the boards about problems getting off!

 

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[junebride]

We were on the June 3rd sailing, and to be honest, Russian immigration was quick and painless. We got off the ship as soon as they announced that we were cleared (I think about 7:40am), and were on the tour bus leaving the port by 8:30 with our entire tour group. They had two lines open for independent tour/visa people, and the rest for NCL tour people. There were FAR more NCL tour people. We were out there waiting in line long before we saw anyone on the NCL tours. The key is to get out there ASAP after being cleared. The 2nd day, we just walked through (no line at all) and got our landing card. Hope this helps! Have a great time:)

[Giantfan13]

Seems some of the early problems we have read about, are being corrected. Thanks for the good news.

[njhorseman]

It really boils down to the whim of Russian immigration officials. If a sufficient number of immigration officers are staffing the pier, you'll be able to get off quickly. If not, you're in for a wait.

[hototo]

Keep them coming

[aquatic]

We were on a late May sailing and it is completely up to the number of immigration officials they receive at the dock that day. NCL has two lines, one for NCL tours and one for independant travelers. However, the NCL tour line received 4 Russian agents and the independant line only 2 agents. We waited 2 hours to get stamped and off. They also give you a little pink card the first day and we had to wait in a short line on the way back in as they collected the card. The Russians are very stern faced, not nice at all. They have a high counter so you don't see what they are doing, and they do it all by hand, no computers. The second day was much better. The ship's hotel director explained they have no control over Russia's procedures. It was worth seeing the Russian art work and palaces, as they are magnificant, but this country is still very backward. Hope this helps.

[hototo]

We were on a late May sailing and it is completely up to the number of immigration officials they receive at the dock that day. NCL has two lines, one for NCL tours and one for independant travelers. However, the NCL tour line received 4 Russian agents and the independant line only 2 agents. We waited 2 hours to get stamped and off. They also give you a little pink card the first day and we had to wait in a short line on the way back in as they collected the card. The Russians are very stern faced, not nice at all. They have a high counter so you don't see what they are doing, and they do it all by hand, no computers. The second day was much better. The ship's hotel director explained they have no control over Russia's procedures. It was worth seeing the Russian art work and palaces, as they are magnificant, but this country is still very backward. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks

[hototo]

Any new posts?

[njhorseman]

Any new posts?

 

As a couple of us have already said, it really boils down how many immigration officers the Russians have working that day.

 

It's not something that's either in your control or NCL's, and the fact that things ran smoothly one week is no guarantee they will the next.

 

I'd suggest you not lose any sleep over it, because it's out of your control.

[Griller]

We were on a late May sailing and it is completely up to the number of immigration officials they receive at the dock that day. NCL has two lines, one for NCL tours and one for independant travelers. However, the NCL tour line received 4 Russian agents and the independant line only 2 agents. We waited 2 hours to get stamped and off. They also give you a little pink card the first day and we had to wait in a short line on the way back in as they collected the card. The Russians are very stern faced, not nice at all. They have a high counter so you don't see what they are doing, and they do it all by hand, no computers. The second day was much better. The ship's hotel director explained they have no control over Russia's procedures. It was worth seeing the Russian art work and palaces, as they are magnificant, but this country is still very backward. Hope this helps.

 

Oh yes, Russia is such a backward country they will very soon be the only ones capable of taking stuff up to and down from the Space Station..............

 

And I found the Russian immigration ladies were smiling and polite - if I smiled at them and was pleasant.

 

But then that works the whole world over, usually even entering the US as a non-citizen.

[pennies2]

We took this trip several years ago. Here is what we did....We got off the ship in Estonia... spent most the day sightseeing, caught the overnight train to Moscow. Had a driver and car pick us up, took us to red square and around Moscow. He had purchased us tickets to the Russian Ballet and then back to the train station. We caught the overnight train to St Petersburg and spent the day there before reboarding.

Everyone was nice and friendly. I am so thankful we did it this way as we probably will never go back there and I really wanted to have a short visit to Moscow. Really wasn't that expensive, and so worth it.

I did inform the cruise line before we went.

[luvmytigs]

Wondering if someone who sailed very recently could share their experience in going through Russian Immigration at St Petersburg being on an independent tour.

 

How did the Jewel staff handle independent tour people?

 

There have been a lot of horror stoies on the boards about problems getting off!

 

 

Hello! I just returned from the June 15th Jewel to the Baltics. St Petersburg is much much smoother than previous trips. We booked a tour with SPB-Viktoria and couldnt have been happier with the active tour.

After our cruise critic meeting with the ship officers on the first at sea day, we were feeling much better about the process. While they still unfairly blame the Russians for queuing private tour folks separately, the reality is that it doesnt matter. NCL pre-prints your landing card, (and gives you a copy of your passport )and it comes to your room a day before porting. Get to the gangway area for debarkation about 15-20 minutes before clearance is announced, have your passport and your tour receipt ready and getting off is a breeze. NCL tour folks start down about 20-30 minutes after the ship clears so if you get off early, you dont even wait.

 

The Russian immigration folks are pleasant and efficient keeping the lines moving. Only NCL slows the process a little by sliding their tours in as they come down. (understandable that they need to keep the herd together in order to get them to the correct bus).

 

It really wasnt a big deal, apparently both NCL and the Russian immigration folks are getting the hang of processing 2700 people off of a ship.

 

Day 2 was nothing...all you need is your passport and tour ticket.

 

 

 

Suzanna

[luvmytigs]

We were on a late May sailing and it is completely up to the number of immigration officials they receive at the dock that day. NCL has two lines, one for NCL tours and one for independant travelers. However, the NCL tour line received 4 Russian agents and the independant line only 2 agents. We waited 2 hours to get stamped and off. They also give you a little pink card the first day and we had to wait in a short line on the way back in as they collected the card. The Russians are very stern faced, not nice at all. They have a high counter so you don't see what they are doing, and they do it all by hand, no computers. The second day was much better. The ship's hotel director explained they have no control over Russia's procedures. It was worth seeing the Russian art work and palaces, as they are magnificant, but this country is still very backward. Hope this helps.

 

 

I disagree with the "very backward" comment. I am a proud US citizen, however, our treatment of non-US citizens entering our own borders is much more difficult than what my family and I experienced in Russia! Hotel Director Julian does make the Russians seem to be difficult, however, as we waited 30 minuters on a tour member to go back on board to get cash (because he refused to pay the tour company with a credit card getting an unfavorable exchange rate), I watched the Russian folks process passegers. It was at least as quick as airport immigration in the US..... NCl slips their tour folks into line as they come down the gangway and the Russians could have cared less what tour people were on. They kept calling for more passengers to come forward!

[mummsie]

We did a sailing in mid May and as other posters have said it was slow the first day - took us about 45 minutes to get off but the second day is a breeze. We found it no worse than trying to get through your US Homeland security - us Australians who are considered aliens we not treated any better.!! :)- mummsie

[Almagetty]

I just posted my review of the June 15 sailing, and my experience is much like luvmytigs'. Immigration was quick and painless. Just make sure to have all the proper paperwork ready to be presented.

 

My group was through immigration in less than 40 minutes from the time we got in line. It was nothing compared to the horror stories reported back from earlier cruises. I'm glad it's gotten better!