Excursions in St. Petersburg;difficult at best

[travel1]

I have been researching the options for visiting St. Petersburg off the Century in July. The options are limited and expensive. It seems that if you want to just "wander", you must have a visa that costs $120 pp. Evidently

you can't even get a taxi, or guide outside the terminal with out prior arrangement, and a visa.

I have a friend that travels to St.Petersberg on business, and he contacted

his Russian friend about meeting us and showing us around. The friend's e-mail said "The problem is that is visa situation on cruises is a trap and I think

they will be either obliged to be with the group or to stay on the ship......

to my knowledge they will only be able to get off the ship if tjay are on the ships list for the visas."

 

Has anyone had this experience in St. Petersburg ?

[Nancyquilts]

Our experience was in 2001, so it was a while ago. We got Russian visas and went on our own around the area. Fortunately, the ship had a bus that would take people into the city - the pier is a long way away. We took the local metro (count how many stops you will have before you get off), and the bus. We even went to Peterhof on the ferry. Probably, if the tours aren't too expensive, that might be the way to go. I have read something on these boards about "Red October"????? I think it was called as a tour. You might check into them. Nancy

[42trvl]

The visa is not the cruise line's requirement, but rather the country's. The ship's excursions allow you to use a group/tour visa, but then you must stay with the group. It's the same with any type of a group tour. But, nobody stops you from going out on your own. You just have to make sure you get a visa before you go. If you have booked through a travel agent, the agency should be able to help you get one. You can also go through the Russian consulate in the US to get one. Once you have the visas, then you can meet up with whomever you want or just do your own thing.

[kitty9]

Anytime you get off the ship in St. Petersburg, there will be Russian soldiers in a terminal carefully checking your passports and your Russian visa, if you aren't with the ship's tour or with a Russian tour company like Red October. This is not the ship's rule, but the Russian government. I find that it's just much better to either go with Red October or with the ship's tours. St. Petersburg isn't the safest place, and you will be surprised by how many people do not speak any English. Also, the ship docks in a very industrial area and there's nothing nearby to see on your own/

[RichardK]

How far, time-wise and miles, from where the ship docks to the Hermitage??

[madforcruising]

I have been researching the options for visiting St. Petersburg off the Century in July. The options are limited and expensive. It seems that if you want to just "wander", you must have a visa that costs $120 pp. Evidently

you can't even get a taxi, or guide outside the terminal with out prior arrangement, and a visa.

I have a friend that travels to St.Petersberg on business, and he contacted

his Russian friend about meeting us and showing us around. The friend's e-mail said "The problem is that is visa situation on cruises is a trap and I think

they will be either obliged to be with the group or to stay on the ship......

to my knowledge they will only be able to get off the ship if tjay are on the ships list for the visas."

 

Has anyone had this experience in St. Petersburg ?

 

I´ve ben to St. Petersburg last year on the Jewel and will be there again in less than two weeks.

Yes you can apply for a russian visa. I did this last year. However it was wasted money as I had no use of it.

As others said the ship is docked in the industrial harbour and it is a long way from the ship to the harbour entrance. Not really a distance or an area you want to walk through.

There has been NO transportation from the ship to the harbour entrance. NO buses, NO taxis. So if not being on anything prearranged tour with the ship, or a company like Red October or Denrus, it will get very hard for you to get anywhere.

If you would manage to reach the harbour entrance it still would be a long way into the city and I don´t know how the chances are to get a sort of transportation from the harbour gate.

If you could arrange with your russian friend to meet it would be doable with a visa, but I doubt that the friend will be allowed to enter the harbour to met you at the pier, so you would still have the problem to get out of the harbour to meet him.

Just wandering around will be almost impossible on any of the tours as you have to stay pretty much with the group and you can´t leave the group without a visa. Not speaking about the problem of getting back when leaving the group. So i.E. staying in town at the end of the tour and making your own way back to the ship is not an option in St. Petersburg.

 

Last year I had booked only ship tours. This year I´m opting for Red October. I worked out a tour that fits my needs and they´ve been perfect so far in matching my wishes. I tried to give myself a little time to wander around and included a stop at Nevsky Prospect giving me some free time to wander around there. Of course I don´t know how this all will work out. I´ll report back when I´m back at home.

But of course this tours will cost as much as the ship tours. As I customized these tour it will be a tour just for the two of us and so it´s not to be called cheap but I truly hope it´s worth the money.

[madforcruising]

How far, time-wise and miles, from where the ship docks to the Hermitage??

 

I would say it´s about 30 to 45 minutes with the tour bus.

[gkm]

madforcruising, thanks for the information. My DH and I have booked the Jewel for next July and plan to use Red October. We'll look forward to your impressions and suggestions on your return.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Garry

[madforcruising]

madforcruising, thanks for the information. My DH and I have booked the Jewel for next July and plan to use Red October. We'll look forward to your impressions and suggestions on your return.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Garry

 

Thanks a lot! Be sure I´ll report back:) .

[Tatka]

I was under impression that port was within the city..and there is subway station there?:confused: (At least it was this way in 1986!!!)

 

I agree..not many people (actually almost none) would be able to speak fluent English(or any English) and with cyrillic alphabet being so different from latin you might experience trouble trying to use directions.

 

I would use Red October or Ship tours. It's expensive...but majority of tours on European cruises are $$$. (Same in Rome or Florence etc)

[kitty9]

There are actually two port areas for St. Petersburg, one within the city near the Military Museum, and the industrial port. The in-city port is only used by smaller cruise ships such as Seabourn and Silversea, but the larger ones must use the industrial port.

 

Both times I visited St. Petersburg there were a number of taxis outside the Immigration terminal at the industrial port---nothing at the in-city port. You can barter the cost, and many of them will take you to most of the tourist sites. I found it to be only about a 20 minute drive to the Hermitage from the port.

[frankpc]

We went to St. Petersburg on another cruise line in '01 and used a Russian tour agency run by the same folks that now operate Red October. They are the way to go in our opinion. You need a passport, but they provide you with a Visa that is valid while you tour with them. It is not a general visa. Our tour guide walked us past the lines at the Hermitage, we spent a great three days on tour with them. Very, very good.

I can tell you that the Passport Control officers were not allowing us past until we showed our tour agency pass.

Pricing was competitive with the ship tours.

 

Another Russian agency that gets good reviews is Denrus, but I have no first hand experience with them.

 

Frank

[Tatka]

There are actually two port areas for St. Petersburg, one within the city near the Military Museum, and the industrial port. The in-city port is only used by smaller cruise ships such as Seabourn and Silversea, but the larger ones must use the industrial port.

 

Both times I visited St. Petersburg there were a number of taxis outside the Immigration terminal at the industrial port---nothing at the in-city port. You can barter the cost, and many of them will take you to most of the tourist sites. I found it to be only about a 20 minute drive to the Hermitage from the port.

 

Thanks :) ,

 

I remember helping French couple who were lost get back to the port...had no idea there were 2 of ports.

[wanderlust2001]

I have been researching the options for visiting St. Petersburg off the Century in July. The options are limited and expensive. It seems that if you want to just "wander", you must have a visa that costs $120 pp. Evidently

you can't even get a taxi, or guide outside the terminal with out prior arrangement, and a visa.

I have a friend that travels to St.Petersberg on business, and he contacted

his Russian friend about meeting us and showing us around. The friend's e-mail said "The problem is that is visa situation on cruises is a trap and I think

they will be either obliged to be with the group or to stay on the ship......

to my knowledge they will only be able to get off the ship if tjay are on the ships list for the visas."

 

Has anyone had this experience in St. Petersburg ?

Hi, I was in St. Pete in Sept. 2004 and decided it was simpler and cheaper to just sign up for a few of Celebrity's tours. You don't need a visa if you go with Celebrity. It cost an average of about $60.00 for a morning tour and ditto for an afternoon tour. I went to the Hermitage museum in the morning and a city tour in the afternoon. The next day I went to the summer palace (that was really beautiful). I wouldn't recommend going out on your own. Not too many people speak english and be very wary about using your credit cards.

[Tatka]

Hi, I was in St. Pete in Sept. 2004 and decided it was simpler and cheaper to just sign up for a few of Celebrity's tours. You don't need a visa if you go with Celebrity. It cost an average of about $60.00 for a morning tour and ditto for an afternoon tour. I went to the Hermitage museum in the morning and a city tour in the afternoon. The next day I went to the summer palace (that was really beautiful). I wouldn't recommend going out on your own. Not too many people speak english and be very wary about using your credit cards.

 

I'd like to say... don't use credit cards at all...:( (and it pains me to say this)

[evoni]

A cruiser who just returned from St. Petersburg, wrote about their positive experiences with being on their own (with Visa) in the Baltic section of the boards. I think the thread begins with the subject about doing St. Petersburg on your own. Anyway, currently it's on the first page in the first 3rd of the threads, if you want to read about their recent experience.

 

Diana