Charging to use camera in St. Petersburg

[jeanb]

What places in St. Petersburg charge to use a digital camera? And how much do they charge?

Can you use the flash?

[cannonball]

Pretty much every place charges to use a camera in St. Petersburg, this includes the Hermitage, Yusopov Palace, St. Isaac's. You are allowed to use you flash everywhere except the Hermitage and don't be fooled by those little old ladies sitting in each of the rooms there, they are no push overs when it comes to the no flash rule.

 

Grand Princess 5/29/2004

Dawn Princess 3/7/2004

Dawn Princess 3/10/2003

Golden Princess 2002

Sea Princess 2001

Carnival Fastasy 1997

[mek]

Most of the major attractions charge extra for camera usage. I believe it was an additional $3-$4 each time. Most rooms you can use flash, there are a few exceptions and there is an attendant who will let you know.

[spappa]

We just returned from the Baltic and we cheerfully paid the camera fees in each of the palaces and museums. At each place, we were told that we could use our flash but NOT for paintings--that included the Hermitage. If you have a no-flash setting on your camera, then you can get some great pictures of the paintings but you need to practice turning into a human tripod so you don't get motion in your pictures!

 

There are specific places you cannot take pictures such as the Amber Room at Catherine's Palace. These are well-marked with signs and everyone is right--those ladies sitting in each room are well versed in visiting with people who violate the rules.

 

We also got to venture into the St. Petersburg subway. You CANNOT take pictures there--our guide warned us that the police would not just fuss at us if we took pictures there, but would take away our cameras.

So of course we didn't take the pictures.

If you get a chance, visit the subway--very beautiful.

 

And digital is perfect for this trip--we ended up with tons of pictures on our two digital cameras and I wouldn't trade any of them. What a great way to remember your trip. You get a little 'over-loaded' in St. Petersburg because you are seeing so much stuff--the pictures really help you when you get home.

[canyousayvacation]

Camera question for you.......How did you handle downloading your pictures while on the cruise? Did you take a laptop, use multiple memory sticks, use the ship's computers???

[Mercury]

Are video cameras allowed to be used - is there a similar charge?

Thanks!

[spappa]

Yes there is a charge for video cameras--if I remember it's the same as the camera charge or maybe a dollar more.

 

We took a Delkin PicturePad that we could download our digital pictures into. We had considered taking a laptop but knew that the loss of the PicturePad would be much less than the loss of a laptop. We carry several digital cameras and we take lots of pictures.

When we got home, we just downloaded the pictures from the PicturePad to the computer.

 

You may want to check out the ship's photo services. Some of them will develop your 35mm film and they may have the capability of downloading your pictures to a CD. Also check with the internet cafe. They may be able to help you.

[mimie]

Did they take US Dollars or Rubles?

Thanks!

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

The first time we were in Leningrad in 1991 we had to use rubles to pay the people for the use of our camera and video camera.

 

But the second time we were there just a few years ago, they accepted US dollars for the camera fees.

 

:)

[photofoot]

Camera question for you.......How did you handle downloading your pictures while on the cruise? Did you take a laptop, use multiple memory sticks, use the ship's computers???

We travel with our Mac Laptop and love being able to share a slideshow with our traveling companions.

[Toots]

We just returned from St. Petersburg and are so glad we took all the pics we were allowed. It's worth paying a few bucks in each location - you'll be so glad when you get home. Red October asked us each day what places we wanted to photograph in and then they added it to our bill.

We also bought a DVD from ladies that had a table set up in one of the Hermitage halls. It's wonderful, 1 1/2 hours of a tour of the Hermitage, much better than we could have taken. Well worth the $20 or so that we put on the charge. Their footage was taken without the large crowds we encountered. We wish now we had bought more DVD's of the different sights.

[aqua]

We were in St. Petersburg last week with Red October. Prices to use a still camera averaged about $4-5, but a video was from $9-15. I think that Peter and Paul Fortress was the only place that we didn't have to pay a fee.