Red October

[aqua]

I know this has been addressed several times already, but I just received the Celebrity Shore Excursion Guide for our Constellation Baltic Cruise. It "says guests who have not purchased a Celebrity shore excursion or do not have an individual Russian visa will not be allowed to go ashore in St. Petersburg." (it is even underlined!) We have booked Red October for both days. Is this the same language they use every year, or is this something new? I don't want a problem in St. Petersburg! Thanks.

[BenBar1]

We used Red October when we were in St. Petersburg in August. We had no problem. The representative from Red October met us as we left the ship. They have a kind of "blanket visa" that covers you for touring with them. You can't go off on your own, but as long as you are on their excursion, you don't need a visa. They were terrific, by the way. We saw so much and didn't have to wait in any entry lines. Our guide, Helen, was so knowledgeable about history, culture and spoke excellent English. It really made our two days in St. Petersburg memorable and I highly recommend Red October.