St,Petersburg "Ultimate: tour questions

[id4elizabeth]

Although I'm sure folks were sprinting down piers at almost every port, at least on the Maiden 50-day cruise they never left anybody behind. We waited in port on a number of occasions, and not just for Viking tour groups. The last tender (I was on it) out of Pula, Croatia waited close to 30 minutes for one lone straggler. In Ephesus, the ship was delayed by over 30 minutes for a party of 6. They know exactly who is and is not on the ship by your key-card swipe as you leave and come back on the ship. Not that I'm advocating not being safely on board long before sail time - far from it! We made sure we were always way ahead of the sail-out time. I'm just saying that you should not be put off taking a private tour because you're afraid of getting left.

 

Worst case, make sure you have the ship's phone number on you whenever you leave the ship - even if you're just going out for a stroll. That way if anything disastrous happens, you or your tour guide can call the ship and let them know you're a few minutes late. Or been arrested by the KGB! :D

[eaglewatchers]

Although I'm sure folks were sprinting down piers at almost every port, at least on the Maiden 50-day cruise they never left anybody behind.

 

On our cruise, they had to make announcements looking for missing folks (based on swipe cards) a couple of times. Announcements included names and stateroom numbers... so some of us joked that we should go decorate their doors :)

 

The scary one was that we actually did leave a couple behind in Tallinn. First the ship made a series of announcements asking them to call the desk. We finally DID pull out of the port, but staff were still scouring the ship looking for people who matched their photos (and asking other passengers if we had seen them). A staff member later told me that the people "lost track of time" while shopping. They ended up missing SPB entirely and meeting up with the ship in Helsinki. It's not possible to simply fly someone into SPB from Tallinn on short notice, I guess, because of Visas. I suspect that flying OUT of SPB could be equally tricky, so do make sure you are on time. We also learned that SPB's notoriously bad traffic was NOT bad in mid July as many people were on holiday. That made it easier for buses and cars to get places on time.

 

There seem to be many on CC who have found reputable and reliable private companies. I think it is simply a matter of personal choice. You'll enjoy SPB, no matter which you choose.

 

BTW, we got a few rubles at Dulles before we left, and they came in handy for VERY cheap souvenirs at Peterhof and at the officer's club I mentioned. Big hits with the grandkids (military hats and matryoshka dolls -- which I cannot spell). We turned in our unused rubles when we arrived back at Dulles. The rate was not great, but we were still glad we did it. We could have used euros for the same souvenirs, but prices were much higher that way. Probably a wash after we paid the airport ruble exchange rate, though.

[OBX Cruisers]

I'd be willing to bet the stragglers were those off on their own. I've taken many, many tours through private companies I found through Cruise Critic and they always have us back to the ship way before the ship's tours return. This even applied to tours that were a long way from the ship, e.g. to Florence. They are very aware of traffic and are in touch with their other tour guides via cell phone. It would only take one mishap to ruin their reputation on Cruise Critic! A shame when folks don't want to try a private tour because of fear they will miss the ship.

For our St. Petersburg tour with TJ Travel, the information they sent they guaranteed that, if for any reason, our ship ever left without us, they would remain with us to where ever we needed to go to meet the ship. (That would, of course, be necessary since we relied on them for our Visas.)

On an Oceania cruise in the Med several years ago, we were only docked in Positano for a few hours one morning and then were supposed to return to the ship which then docked in the afternoon in Sorrento. We arranged instead to be with our private guide for the whole day and met the ship at Sorrento. We, of course, cleared this with the ship's purser, and it went off without a hitch. A wonderful day!

[OBX Cruisers]

Never had to test it, but Rick Steve's wonderful guide to "Northern European Cruise Ports" has a "box" in every chapter on what to do if you miss your boat.:)

[Vineyard View]

OBX - TOTALLY CONCUR!!! We have had great private tours.....and TJ Travel in SPB was 5***

[Celiac Cruiser]

I have the same question as you posted in your original post. Our group is inclined to use the Viking Tours in SPB. Now that you have been there, do you have a review of the 2 day tour? Did you feel like herded cattle? Or did Viking take good care of you??

Thanks

[Dauntless]

I have the same question as you posted in your original post. Our group is inclined to use the Viking Tours in SPB. Now that you have been there, do you have a review of the 2 day tour? Did you feel like herded cattle? Or did Viking take good care of you??

Thanks

 

I feel Viking takes good care of you wherever you go. Their included tour in SPB, as I remember is a 4 hour tour and you are there for 2 days. There are other options from the line for an extra cost. If you try to work around the included tour and piece together other choices from the ship., feel you would not get as much accomplished as each section requires transportation to and from the ship for each section that cuts down on touring time at destination. They do have the 2 day option but their cost is way out of line from what you can get from other offerings in SPB. Don't know how many choose ship tour for the 2 days but if it is a normal bus load, just think of the difference in bathroom time for all those people compared to 12 or fewer. Same thing to think about in mobility though stops. I don't think you are even considering doing it on your own so we don't need to discuss the problems that can add into the planning. Your money, your choice. IMHO you cannot beat private excursion for St Petersburg. The type is dependent on you but for coverage of this city it would be the best choice. We did Alla 2 day Grand tour here but most of the other destinations were with Viking--both included and paid.

 

If I can help, feel free to ask. Have a great cruise, I know we did.

[Celiac Cruiser]

Thanks Duantless. I appreciate the feedback.

[pams17]

Do you remember what Viking charged for the 2 day optional tour?

 

I feel Viking takes good care of you wherever you go. Their included tour in SPB, as I remember is a 4 hour tour and you are there for 2 days. There are other options from the line for an extra cost. If you try to work around the included tour and piece together other choices from the ship., feel you would not get as much accomplished as each section requires transportation to and from the ship for each section that cuts down on touring time at destination. They do have the 2 day option but their cost is way out of line from what you can get from other offerings in SPB. Don't know how many choose ship tour for the 2 days but if it is a normal bus load, just think of the difference in bathroom time for all those people compared to 12 or fewer. Same thing to think about in mobility though stops. I don't think you are even considering doing it on your own so we don't need to discuss the problems that can add into the planning. Your money, your choice. IMHO you cannot beat private excursion for St Petersburg. The type is dependent on you but for coverage of this city it would be the best choice. We did Alla 2 day Grand tour here but most of the other destinations were with Viking--both included and paid.

 

If I can help, feel free to ask. Have a great cruise, I know we did.

[Nippy Sweetie]

We had been looking forward to St Petersburg on our next cruise but a friend has recently returned from a Baltic cruise and has put me off. She said it was absolutely the worst and least enjoyable part of the itinerary and she and her husband wished they'd stayed on board. Obviously I questioned her closely. Her main objections were endless queuing, unsmiling rather grim locals and a slow procession around so many museums and spots of 'historical interest' that it all turned into more of an endurance trial than an enjoyable couple of pleasant days.

I'm not sure what to think. She and her husband are fit, educated people with a lot of travel experience. They loved the other locations they visited but really warned us about St Petersburg.

[Mrs Miggins]

What ship was she on and did she use a shore excursion from the ship or a private company ?

[Nippy Sweetie]

It was nothing to do with the ship or the excursion organiser it was the place itself. She was very disappointed. I suppose it's a major tourist destination but so are lots of places which manage to be pleasanter.

The queuing and visa stuff really put her off as well as the attitude of the staff 'processing' people. The general atmosphere was not good.

[Dauntless]

It was nothing to do with the ship or the excursion organiser it was the place itself. She was very disappointed. I suppose it's a major tourist destination but so are lots of places which manage to be pleasanter.

The queuing and visa stuff really put her off as well as the attitude of the staff 'processing' people. The general atmosphere was not good.

 

You cruise to learn about culture and this is somewhat the culture here. Living under Communism does not produce the same type people as Democracy does. Though Estonia and Finland spent time under Russian rule but were not in original Russian territory and managed to come out on the other side with 'spunk'. The people of Northern Europe are not overbearing as some nationalities and are respectful but not all Smilie Face, "Have a nice day", in your face attitude! Shall we say 'The Welcoming Committee" has probably been instructed how to act, just like the cast members at Disney have been told, since they work at the 'Happiest Place on Earth". They establish a no nonsense tone and remember you have to go through a process to enter the country and just like Grandma's House, they allow you to enter on their terms. I did notice that the people on the street did seem to be preoccupied with their cell phones, maybe as a defense tactic and there was no interaction that would be considered natural in other countries. I assume this to be part of the 'culture' you don't find hanging on the walls in the museum.

 

The line and excursion also influence your opinion. We know cruising is 'snapshot' tourism. You only have so much time to see what there is to see. You either hit the ground running, casually stroll to observe or maybe go to just one attraction that suite your interest. Weather it's the ship or private excursion, these experiences can be found. Make the wrong choice for you and you already have one trike against you. The time you get to the terminal and are processed through, along with the number of ships in port can also make a difference as to how easy this process is. 4000 or 650 passengers, this is a different experience. The size of the group can also add to the time it takes to line up for tickets and bus loading other mechanics of touring. SP has a lot to see but all of it may not be for you. Just like the buffett, you may only want to try one or two things and you're good. So ship size and excursion choices do in fluence the overall experience, just like 'live' music in a restaurant.

 

 

Perception and attitude also are factors in the overall experience.

[philw1776]

We had been looking forward to St Petersburg on our next cruise but a friend has recently returned from a Baltic cruise and has put me off. She said it was absolutely the worst and least enjoyable part of the itinerary and she and her husband wished they'd stayed on board. Obviously I questioned her closely. Her main objections were endless queuing, unsmiling rather grim locals and a slow procession around so many museums and spots of 'historical interest' that it all turned into more of an endurance trial than an enjoyable couple of pleasant days.

I'm not sure what to think. She and her husband are fit, educated people with a lot of travel experience. They loved the other locations they visited but really warned us about St Petersburg.

 

VERY different from our experience with 2 days in St Pete the highlight. Small private tour is the key. Early access and mobility. Yes, when 7 different 3,000 passenger ocean ships hit St Pete the same day, venues can get crowded.

 

By far our most crowded excursion was Copenhagen included Viking tour.

[SantaFe1]

I'm glad to see this thread going again. I do have a question. we will be going to St. Petersburg next June. It is a huge bucket list place for us. But, in checking out the various tours by various tour companies, I see the two day tours are pretty much 8-6 for two days in a row. Much as it pains me to say this, I'm not sure we can go go go that long without a break. Do these tours give you some down time for lunch or a coffee break, especially mid-afternoon, when we start to flag?

 

Otherwise, I plan to take three of the Viking tours, and just skip a few things.

[Off Shore]

We formed our own small group(about 12) with Alla tours. They were fantastic small groups move fast and see more.

[philw1776]

TJ tours had a lunch break each day at a nice restaurant. First was very Russian and fun, and the 2nd somewhat upscale. Great experiences, both of them. After the 8-6 tour my wife stayed with TJ and they took her to the ballet. Got home around 11:30 PM, not quite sure as I was fast asleep.

 

I quite understand not wanting to do 2 long days of touring. I was dreading it a bit beforehand as it seemed grueling, but it was the best 2 days touring I ever had.

[SantaFe1]

Thanks for the information. I get it about just sticking it out and seeing what you've always wanted to see. Might do that. but I don't think can can break off from the group, and go back on your own, in Russia, can you?

 

I've already written off the ballet, as it is just a local troupe, and I can see great ballet here.

[OBX Cruisers]

You can't go back on your own but our TJ guide took the guys back to the ship at end of day and arranged for another person from their company to take the ladies shopping for a Pandora charm. Yes, days were long but nice break at lunch and got a catnap on the catamaran. THE best way to see St Petersburg.

[SantaFe1]

Thanks, I am going to book something with TJ, either Standard or with Faberge. I notice many say keep it to 8. I guess I can just ask for that. And, I might ask to customize. One question about lunch and shopping on your own--can you generally use a credit card, or do we need the local currency?

[OBX Cruisers]

Sorry I don't remember exactly. Think lunch was included. We used credit card in their shop at end. Faberge was so worth it!

[eaglewatchers]

I'm glad to see this thread going again. I do have a question. we will be going to St. Petersburg next June. It is a huge bucket list place for us. But, in checking out the various tours by various tour companies, I see the two day tours are pretty much 8-6 for two days in a row. Much as it pains me to say this, I'm not sure we can go go go that long without a break. Do these tours give you some down time for lunch or a coffee break, especially mid-afternoon, when we start to flag?

 

Otherwise, I plan to take three of the Viking tours, and just skip a few things.

 

I will preface my response by saying that our Viking trip to SPB was in July, 2015, and U.S./Russian politics have degenerated quite a bit in two years.

 

We took three optional tours in SPB, but NOT the included "panoramic tour" (we HATE buses). We did Canal boat tour, Peterhoff, and an evening performance of native songs and dances. Yes, we missed the Hermitage (I was sorry), but what we saw was good because of timing (July many Russians are on vacation and away from the city so crowds are less), an OUTSTANDING guide on Canal boat tour-- with early entrance into Church of the Spilled Blood, and entrance AT opening at Peterhoff. Viking's ability to get you to highly popular sites in time to be the "first in" does make a difference. We were not interested in the ballet and actually enjoyed the evening performance, partly because the venue, an old Russian officers' club, was interesting too. This combo also gave us about half the afternoon off to rest up for the evening. We would have been fine without that, but we weren't sure when we were signing up whether Viking gets you back at the time they state. In SPB, they did-- precisely. We could have done an afternoon tour between the two, but dinner would have been a 20-30 min run through the World Cafe (doable).

 

Some good friends we met on the cruise did Viking's two day extravaganza, and we figured out that they DID get their money's worth compared with signing up for all the Viking's tours of the component parts separately. They did see ALL the highlights and did not sit on buses all the time, I don't think. I know they came back to the ship for meal breaks, as we saw them during a lunch. They did have to "keep moving" to be ready for their afternoon departure. I suspect they may have had some bus time to "rest" between locations, if that helps. They were VERY glad they had done it all. We were jealous that they got to take the hydrofoil back from the Peterhoff.

 

One nice touch Viking did on the performance night was that EVERYONE who went to a performance (ballet or the one we saw) came back to find a cheese and fruit tray in their cabin-- nice touch after a long day. We had planned to order one and didn't even have to!

 

I cannot speak to the total cost of that combo trip except to say that it was lower than the sum of its parts at Viking's prices. Obviously, they could not get to EVERYTHING at opening time since many things open at 10 am, but our friends enjoyed it very much.

 

We also talked to folks who arranged their own trips in a small van of 8 people. They had an excellent time, though they did have to wait for entrance at some locations as everyone did. They were back on time, and their company arranged for their Visas. No idea of the price of that.

 

My DH says Russia "creeped him out" because of all the unsmiling people, especially at passport control. I have been to China and found passport control very similar there. Our canal boat guide was very honest and extremely knowledgeable about cultural differences and did not try to sell us on how perfect Russia is. She talked about the early 2000s vs 2015 a lot. She has been a guide for many outsiders who are staying in Russia for multi-week or month professional activities, so she knew U.S. perspectives well, too. She was especially frank about religion -- which added another dimension entirely. She has worked with visiting seminarians, so had much experience on the topic.

 

Hope this is helpful,

[Nippy Sweetie]

I certainly don't expect or want an artificial 'Disney' style approach by staff! I actually live in Northern Europe so I am familiar with typical personalities!

[AllisonJames]

Would like to share our thoughts on St. Petersburg and SPB Tours in case it is helpful. We were there in August and yes it was somewhat of an endurance test but we certainly saw a lot! August was PACKED with crowds. I don’t want to sound inappropriate, but lots of large tour groups from Asia, very aggressive with the selfies and generally slowing down the process of our group if such a group was in front of us going through the Hermitage and the Palaces. Do not go in August! Take the two day tour rather than the 3, and on the 3rd day do a tour that will allow you to actually see how Russians work and live. SPB was very good, nice lunches in restaurants each day, each day a bit too long at 8-5, we were ready to be finished at 3:30 or 4:00. But we certainly felt like we saw it all and I think everyone has to do it once. Certainly saw enough glitz, marble and gold for a lifetime! Certainly can understand why they had a revolution as people were starving and rulers were building entire rooms out of amber. The trip to the subway and the boat trip were highlights. SPB was very well organized, so much so they didn’t like us to stop for the bathroom! But good value. Do it once and then get an “I survived St Petersburg t-shirt!”

[Nippy Sweetie]

Thanks Allison for your helpful and honest feedback. However, I won't be reading it to my husband as, if he heard that, he'd refuse to leave the ship!!

As it is I don't feel compelled to see these things under the circumstances described. We're not keen tickers of tourist boxes. Will wait and see when the time comes.