sagafemina

Well, yes, we are on a Japanese cruise.  So here's hoping they do the appropriate thing given the pax ethnicity.  I get that you're saying the only difference is the 50 sqft. Haven't been on Princess in years, and not all that enthusiastic to begin with.  Thanks for the reminder to pack the flip flops!

On 5/3/2018 at 10:25 AM, fannym123 said:

Last year I had my first cruise in Japan on Diamond Princess, we had slippers and kettle in room (inside). All Japan hotels provided slippers and kettle and robes, Princess needs to follow suit if they are trying to attract Japanese to cruise.

Hope you're right, fannym, about D.P. and you are ABSOLUTELY right that Japanese (reportedly many of the pax are) expect these things.  I am NOT going to pack them, will hope that our pre-cruise hotel provides them, and will make a stink if they are not provided in our mini-suite, after actually wasting 15 mins precious packing time researching the matter! Thanks!

Very helpful thread, and shame on HAL for foisting this notion on trusting pax.

We spent over $1K on separate visas for Russia, St P is a city we know well and we will have friends waiting.

If HAL wants to try and stop us for their overpaying tour guests, they will see some civil disobedience!

How much are you spending to get to St Petersburg? To skimp on a tour in this amazing city would be a "penny wise pound foolish decision."

I of course agree with this observation if, unlike us, you haven't seen it all before.

There are only a few new things that have completed renovations since our last trip there, and we want to spend time with dear friends NOT by illegally skipping out on a tour, or cramping it into stroll allowance on Nevsky Prospekt.

I was simply trying to figure out if there was a way to do this and save money over an unestricted visa using the "visa free" excursion prices, and if you are on a cruise ship, there is not. Next time, we will take a ferry and have 2 to 3 full free days!

Incidentally, for anyone who is thinking of scheduling a longer return trip that includes more than 3 business days, in addition to the tourist visa you have to spend a half a day "registering" your tourist visa at a police station. If you escape from there without having to pay a bribe, you are lucky. If you are there for less than 3 business days (e.g. over a weekend), off duty but uniformed police will likely accost you at the airport, demand to see your passport, claim that the law says "3 days" and demand a bribe. Just ignore them, and walk on. Or tell them in Russian you know the law says "tree bizness dinya" and THEN walk on. They'll go on to the next marks.

some time within the past year, this board was flooded with posts about some ship's excursions and some private licensed companies that were willing to offer visa-free entry to ST Petersburg but allowed the cruisers to travel about the city independently. ]

 

 

 

Yes, you are right there are a few tours that let you out on Nevsky Prospekt and a guide would not possibly be able to keep up with everyone this way. So basically, the self serving law that says the guide must be with you at all times is routinely ignored when convenient, but they have to say it, so it looks as if they are complying. I think the hours restrictions would still apply, you just have a few hours "free". But unless you pay for an all day tour and an additional night tour, you have to be back at customs with your guide when the first day's tour is over.

 

The prices on the spreadsheet are 2017 prices and everything has gone up. The cheapest full day tour I could come up with was about $210 for adults and $180 for children on a ridiculous itinerary.

 

So we went with the tourist visa. It is NOT cheap: $300 Canadian per person plus the pain of putting together the application form (which is ridiculously extensive), getting photos, and the angst of being without a passport while they process it (went directly through consulate). But even that is far less than what the cruise line's recommended visa service wanted for the same service.

 

And, we will get to see our old friends and places, which is why we chose this cruise in the first place.

 

Glad to see such good discussions on this list. St P is unparalleled, one of the most beautiful cities in the world and one of our very most favorite; but it is complicated to negotiate the rules. Almost more so now than when we started going in 1989....and CERTAINLY needlessly difficult when visiting from a cruise ship. Had we not planned and paid for this long ago, we would probably go with the ferry and save a bundle!

Thanks for this advice and I certainly have perused the wonderful spreadsheet. It's a bit outdated in prices, but an excellent resource. I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who hasn't been to StP before and may not go again to take full advantage of everything and basically sightsee until you drop! (which you might!)

But you misunderstand. We've been to St P at least 13 times and have seen everything (long before they started gouging, and also since). Just want to get off the ship and see friends and perhaps the one or two sites whose renovations have been completed since last visit. The cost of tourist visas for 4 is pretty steep, so was hoping that this "visa free" option might be more reasonable. But not if we have to have a "tender". And from what I can see, the price is about the same. If you go 'visa free" you are only allowed off the ship for the exact hours of your tours, and with the exception of one company that offered us a car and driver for $60/hr/pp, you have to have a guide with you every step of the way except possibly while you're attending a performance.

Interestingly, it seems if you come on a ferry and book a bus ticket and hotel, you can do everything you want on your own. But they seem to have a (cooperative and) captive market in cruise pax, and obviously they're taking maximum advantage.

It is my understanding from several sources that you must at all times be accompanied by a guide from an official tourism agency if you are to be off ship at all without a formal tourist visa. (Possible exception is for a performance, where the guide could drop you off and meet you at the end of the performance).

Otherwise, you would not be allowed off the ship.

So my question is, for anyone who plans to independently attend a performance, did you find a travel agency that would provide you with a driver just to accommodate your attendance at the performance, and what did it cost you?

Can you get to other decks from the aft Nav deck of Noordam? Can't see any steps

Anyone have the actual photos? The link doesn't work, Karen has apparently disappeared.

I would have said the opposite. Alaska twice, going on three times now and it is wonderful, but Antarctica was WAY more impressive. Also WAY WAY more expensive! But worth it as a Once-in-a-Lifetime experience.

If you are in Tracy Arm for 7 hrs and then have 6 hrs in Juneau that's plenty of time to get a city bus to Mendenhall glacier and do a bit of hiking, just depends on the timing. Our cruise lists afternoon tours obviously timed to coincide with those wanting to do sequential tours.

Having said that, someone reported here that their cat was late getting back and everyone missed their afternoon tours. If they were booked on the ship, they should have gotten refunds.