Questions about St. Petersburg...and also about the Constellation

[Live the good life]

Our family of 3 will be joining another family of 4 for a 2-day private tour of St. Petersburg (Denrus tour). Would greatly appreciate infos on:

1) Time you were able to get off the Constellation in St. Petersburg (our ship is supposed to arrive at 07:00 a.m.)

2) If you had taken a canal tour of St. Petersburg, how long was the canal tour and how was it? Also, what would be its operating hours in July and where would be a good place to embark...A web site on the canal tours would be great...(We heard there is a canal tour with concert on board in the evening as well...)

3) Did you spend the evening out and about in St. Petersburg, and how was it? Any recommendations? We just found out the sun will not set until 11:00 P.M or so on July 09, 2005, and might go for a show (Ballet at the Marinsky or Folklore), and walk around with the private tour company (since we won't have separate visas)...Also, any recommendations for a good restaurant/cafe with good background Russian music?

 

Thanks, Kim

[msiowa]

We did the Baltic cruise on Constellation in August 2003.

 

We had no trouble getting off the ship at 7:30. We toured with Red October and we were told al passengers going on private tours should go to some lounge or other. We didn't. We went down to the gangplank and got right off. (The first ones off the ship are the tours going to Moscow.) The rest of the Celebrity tours, who were purportedly supposed to be allowed to get off before us, were still gathering in various places around the ship. No one questioned us. We just got off like at any other port.

 

We did the ballet at the Maryinsky that night. It was wonderful. (The ship's ballet is somewhere else and is designed for tourists. Ours was designed for Russians!)

 

This is a fabulous cruise. Have a great time.

Joanie