Saint Petersburg, Holland American Cruise, May 2018, our experience, Alla Tours

Just got back a few days ago from our cruise. Wife and I took the Holland American Zuiderdam out of Ft Lauderdale on a Baltic cruise. Before we sailed we booked a tour with Alla Tours for Saint Petersburg. Crossed the Atlantic and less than two days before we hit Saint Petersburg we got a notice in our mail box stating that "Guests who book their excursions independently must wait 90 minutes after docking before independent tour operators and drivers allowed into the by Port Authorities." Our ship was scheduled to arrive at 7 AM and our tour operator was supposed to pick us up at 830 AM! Hmmm that would not give us much time to get through customs. So I went to our EXC guide, he was no help. Customer Service next, I asked to see the Officer in Charge. No help there either. I felt as if they were treating us differently than the others who had booked our tour through the ship. I can understand them trying to make more money for the company but telling us less than two days out? We wanted to take our tour and see St Petersburg!

The day arrived and there were two stairwells letting the guests out. I could see the passengers slowly ebbing out. We went down to the floor where they let us out. We were told that the Russian customs officers would turn us away as we were on a tour with a independent company. Okay, no problem we would just get back into line until they approved us. Wife and I just walked out of the ship by the Officers and workers who wanted us to stay onboard. I believe it was about 7:45 AM. You head to a building where there are several lines of single customs agents sitting in booths. There are agents helping the lines move forward as well as the ship officers trying to move people along. I did not count the lines of booths because we were in one side and I could not see the other but there had to be 8-10 booths. The lines move slowly as you enter the booth one at a time. They look at you, swipe your passport through a reader, look at the paperwork provided to you by Alla. They print off a visa which you turn in at the end of the first day. It took my wife and I about 35-40 minutes by the time we got into the line and were both through. You really feel that you are in a movie: our nervousness, the guards in their uniforms, going through customs, being in Russia etc.

My wife did ask when she was in the booth with the customs officer if it were okay to be there at that time as we were with Alla Tours. He replied "of course." All in all it was the best tour we have had. I talked to others who went into Russia by themselves with a visa they bought before they got there that it cost 175 USD per person! Alla Tours is worth all the five stars they have earned. At the end of the first day Alla drops you off, you again go through the customs booths. They take the visa form they printed out from you and you head back to the ship. The second day was so much easier. They still have to see you but it is a lot quicker, a wait of about five minutes. No printed visa, just a quick look. In all you get two stamps in your passport. The weather in St Petersburg is sunny 55 days a year and that it is very rainy. I hate to tell you that we used up two of those sunny days while we were there! We still love Holland America though and wish all going to St Petersburg blue skies and flat seas. I hope this review of us getting into St Petersburg helps!

Dear MichiganTwoSome,

Our experience was nearly identical 4 years ago. We just got off the ship with everyone else and had no problems. Alla Tours was top notch in every way. It was the best excursion we have ever had on our 16 cruises. Happy to hear they are still giving good service. We would gladly use them again!

Jim (also from Michigan)

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Thank you for your report. My question is was Alla there at 8:30? Recently read on the forum that port rules changed and the private tour operators were not allowed into the port area until 90 minutes after the ship docked.

We has brilliant tour with SPB. We booked a tour with them because they were #1 on TriAdvisor and they 100% deserved that rating. There were only 8 in our mini-van, our guide was warm, friendly knowledgeable and surprisingly good fun and she was happy to amend the itinerary to suit us. What an amazing 2 days

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Thank you for posting this. I'm so glad the new port rules didn't affect you, and that you had a wonderful time. You are the second poster this season to report independent tour members being able to leave with the ship tours, despite announcements to the contrary, so that's important for others to note (although there is no guarantee enforcement won't be stepped up, especially at the height of the tour season or when there are more ships in port, and boarder patrol agents might be stretched a bit thinner. I think we might still be in the shoulder season).

We has brilliant tour with SPB. We booked a tour with them because they were #1 on TriAdvisor and they 100% deserved that rating. There were only 8 in our mini-van, our guide was warm, friendly knowledgeable and surprisingly good fun and she was happy to amend the itinerary to suit us. What an amazing 2 days

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Keeping my fingers crossed that my tours with SPB Tours goes just as well. I've only heard great things about them. Alla tours receives the same excellent reviews. Just hope there's some sun left for us, LOL.

Diana: Alla was there around 8 AM the first day and 7 AM the second day.

Diana: Alla was there around 8 AM the first day and 7 AM the second day.

Interesting . So much for the new 90 minute rule lol

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are taking an Alla tour at the end of next month and will know what to expect now. Did your group need to wait long for everyone to get off? would hate to think someone could be left behind because of being given bad information!

We did a 2-day Alla tour in St. Petersburg July 2015. Best tour experience in all my years of cruising. Highly recommend them.

Thank you for the info.

Glad you enjoyed your tour.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are taking an Alla tour at the end of next month and will know what to expect now. Did your group need to wait long for everyone to get off? would hate to think someone could be left behind because of being given bad information!

No! Actually we were the second to the last couple to get on. The last one came a few minutes later and then we were off. Seems we weren't the only ones that waited! Good luck.

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!

Thanks for the heads up. We go in August on RC, but are using TJ Travel. TJ has already forwarded us a notice of the impending 3rd party tour delays and insured us they will wait for everyone before they leave. Some of the cruise lines apparently have staff in the stair wells and holding areas checking your paperwork too allow cruise tour people off first. My opinion is that is none of their business, I can leave when I wish. Interesting to know if people with normal visas going on their own have to wait until the 3rd party tours have left. Prioritization.

Thanks for the heads up. We go in August on RC, but are using TJ Travel. TJ has already forwarded us a notice of the impending 3rd party tour delays and insured us they will wait for everyone before they leave. Some of the cruise lines apparently have staff in the stair wells and holding areas checking your paperwork too allow cruise tour people off first. My opinion is that is none of their business, I can leave when I wish. Interesting to know if people with normal visas going on their own have to wait until the 3rd party tours have left. Prioritization.

We are also booked with TJ travel for cruise in August on NCL - TJ Travel provided a very nice letter stating that the cruise ships cannot prohibit you from getting off the ship unless you are booked with them - as far as Russia is concerned a visa is a visa - they don't care what tour your on. This is a ploy by the cruise line to give some "value added" to the fact that they book with the same exact tour companies and then charge 2x (or more) for the tour.

We just returned from the Celebrity Eclipse and had the same run around on board about the priority of their tours over Alla. Celebrity told us (we had a group of 60pax on Alla) they would not allow us to leave b4 their tours but would give us the next priority. This turned out not to be true and the departure was chaotic including waiting about 1 1/2 hours in line before exiting the ship.

BTW, Alla gave us an outstanding tour .

We first went to SPB in 2013 and because we enjoyed it booked another cruise this year with a different Baltic itinerary.

On our first visit we booked a trip with Alla and as we were very satisfied we booked with them again this time and were not disappointed.

We have just returned from our cruise and in SPB we're told to meet the tour guide at 08.30. We got off the ship around 08.00 and as we were leaving were asked if we were on a tour, to which we replied, yes. Nobody on the ship asked to see our ticket.

We got through immigration straight away and we had to show our excursion ticket. There were a couple of Alla representatives to greet us and we were directed to some seats. The guide arrived at 08.30 and explained they are not allowed to pick up earlier.

We had another excellent 2 day tour and added on the Faberge Museum on the first evening. Really glad we did as the museum was closed to general public when we visited, so only a handful of people there.

In general SPB was extremely crowded and very hot, 35c. We'd return to Baltic ports, but not revisit SPB as it has become to busy to make the most of it now.

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We first went to SPB in 2013 and because we enjoyed it booked another cruise this year with a different Baltic itinerary.

 

On our first visit we booked a trip with Alla and as we were very satisfied we booked with them again this time and were not disappointed.

 

We have just returned from our cruise and in SPB we're told to meet the tour guide at 08.30. We got off the ship around 08.00 and as we were leaving were asked if we were on a tour, to which we replied, yes. Nobody on the ship asked to see our ticket.

 

We got through immigration straight away and we had to show our excursion ticket. There were a couple of Alla representatives to greet us and we were directed to some seats. The guide arrived at 08.30 and explained they are not allowed to pick up earlier.

 

We had another excellent 2 day tour and added on the Faberge Museum on the first evening. Really glad we did as the museum was closed to general public when we visited, so only a handful of people there.

 

In general SPB was extremely crowded and very hot, 35c. We'd return to Baltic ports, but not revisit SPB as it has become to busy to make the most of it now.

 

 

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IMHO, the best times to visit St. Petersburg are spring and fall. I especially love visiting in October - November (weather is still reasonably mild). The cruise ships have departed by this time and the venues are not anywhere near the crowded conditions one experiences during the months of July - August.

Saint Petersburg is a beautiful city and has become a victim of its own success. Like other cities (thinking Rome although not nearly as busy), there is simply no time that one will not experience many tourists - especially Chinese (who are now the largest middle class worldwide).

There are many venues in Saint Petersburg that are never crowded - the main "must sees" are always busy.

We went this month and had a similar experience with Cunard. The ship programme said ship tours would go first and there would be an announcement for everyone else. It was 8am and there wasn't an announcement yet, so we went to the gangway and the ship employee looked at our tickets and let us go. The people in front of us were with a local tour company as well and we were all directed to one of the lines. The custom officer processed it without asking any questions. There were only 3 people in front of us in that line, so we were done by 8:15am. Half of the people on our tour were already there before us. An Alla representative was waiting.

The guide and the bus arrived later, at 8:40am. They said the bus was charged based on how long they spend in the parking lot, so that's why the bus doesn't get there too early. We boarded at 8:45am and waited for 2 people and left promptly at 9:00am since everyone was there.

Delighted to hear positive reviews of Alla, we are booked to tour with them next month.

We went this month and had a similar experience with Cunard. The ship programme said ship tours would go first and there would be an announcement for everyone else. It was 8am and there wasn't an announcement yet, so we went to the gangway and the ship employee looked at our tickets and let us go. The people in front of us were with a local tour company as well and we were all directed to one of the lines. The custom officer processed it without asking any questions. There were only 3 people in front of us in that line, so we were done by 8:15am. Half of the people on our tour were already there before us. An Alla representative was waiting.

 

The guide and the bus arrived later, at 8:40am. They said the bus was charged based on how long they spend in the parking lot, so that's why the bus doesn't get there too early. We boarded at 8:45am and waited for 2 people and left promptly at 9:00am since everyone was there.

I think you must have been on the same cruise as us.

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