St. Petersburg ship excursions

[readinglady]

We are booked on the Rotterdam Baltic Cruise on July 4 2006. Has anyone had experience with Holland America's ship excursions in St. Petersburg? Thanks.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have the Hermitage, Puskin's Palace, the Winter Palace at Peterhof, general tour of the City. All were great.

[readinglady]

Thank you so much. It seems that everyone uses either Denrus or Red October and we are a family of 5 that would like to use the ship's excursions.

[RuthC]

I used Red October and recommend them highly. In two days and one evening with them I believe I saw just about everything included in all of the HAL excursions. They obtain the visa for you, too---just like the HAL excursions.

Since there are five of you in your party you would probably be alone as a group---I believe their groups top out at six---so you would be able to design your own tour. At the Summer Palace we were able to go straight to the head of a very long line---quite a time-saver. In the Hermitage we had individual attention. The HAL groups were maybe 25-30 people. Those in the back couldn't see or hear what the guide was showing; nor could they ask questions.

Certainly it's your decision, but I do want to encourage you to think about alternatives to HAL tours.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I took HAL excursions in St. Petersburg. They're good, but I think private tours are probably better.

 

Here is what I said about tours in St. Petersburg in my review of the cruise:

 

Shore excursions in St. Petersburg have long been a big topic of discussion on web sites like Cruise Critic, with many members giving rave reviews to private tours with companies like DenRus. We seriously considered this, and in fact had pretty much decided in favor of it, but friends of ours who were travelling with us were obliged for reasons beyond their control to take HAL’s tours. This left us as a group of three, which is a rather disadvantageous situation as far as taking private excursions is concerned. A group of two can go in a passenger car with a driver and guide, but larger groups must take a van – and of course, prices go down as more people join the group. Rather steep prices result from having only three people in a van with a driver and guide. We also weren’t sure if we wanted to spend two days touring St. Petersburg without the company of any fellow passengers… So, reluctantly, we settled on the cruise line’s excursions.

I felt that HAL’s excursions in St. Petersburg were OK, nothing more. It certainly is possible to see more – and more of what you want – by taking a private tour and personally if I return to St. Petersburg any time soon, I would make an effort to do that instead – that is, notwithstanding the difficulties of being a group of three. We were also unlucky enough to have a few tour participants on each tour who fit the “Ugly American” stereotype pretty well – there is nothing like being herded around all day with people you don’t like or worse, people who embarrass you with their boorish behavior in foreign lands. So for these reasons I do think that a private tour is probably the way to go if you can. Now, I well knew this ahead of time, but figured I’d impart it to you as the opinion of someone who didn’t opt for a private tour. (Opinions of those who did are plentiful.)

 

For you, as a group of five, the prices per person for a private tour should probably not be much more than they would be for HAL's tours... So if I were you I would strongly consider taking a private tour.

 

This is part of a really long review I wrote of this same cruise last summer - unfortunately I can't find the URL right now but when I do I will post it on this thread.

 

Whatever you decide as far as shore excursions are concerned, you have chosen a great ship and itinerary combination! It should be a wonderful cruise and I am sure you will enjoy it.

[readinglady]

Thank you all for your great advice. We have a lot to think about.

[Copper10-8]

Doug beat me to it!;)

 

We also used the ship's excursions last August and had no complaints. On Day 1 took the Catherine's Palace at Pushkin & Pavlovsk tour (Catherine's and Paul's palaces). That night took the Folkloric Spectacular show and on Day 2 took the Imperial St. Petersburg tour (Peterhof summer palace, hydrofoil ride back to the City, lunch at the Grand Hotel Europe, Church of the Spilled Blood). Very interesting City:) - have a great time in July!

[Gerd]

Hello LI Traveller,

 

It’s nice to see, that you are locking for shore excursion proposals – for a cruise, where I will be either….

 

If you are interested, then I would be delighted if you sign in into my MS Rotterdam Roll-Call at_

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=252653

 

_it will be nice to find you there.

 

 

And of course, I will follow your expert request, because we did not yet fantasized our choice for the two days at St. Petersburg.

 

 

Tanks in advance for your responses, happy cruising,;)

 

 

G E R D

 

 

 

 

Our marvelous cruises :

 

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997

MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001

MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002

MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004

MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004

MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005

MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005

 

82 days - 22 '839 Nm

 

 

 

Future Cruises :

 

MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars - July 2006

 

 

MS RYNDAM - Southern Caribbean - March 2007

[Old Salty Dog]

We were on the Westerdam Baltic cruise last September and took the HAL excursions in St. Petersburg. We were satisfied with what we did, the city and Hermitage the first day and Catherine's Palace at Pushkin the second day. We didn't want to go through the trouble of getting a Russia visa, and the cost of our visas would have been almost as much as one of the tours. Didn't know some of the private companies obtained visas for their clients. For 5 of you, that may be the way to go. Of course we don't have the stamina some of you younger travelers have, like we did 30 years ago in our 50s.

[Gerd]

Hello Olt Salty Dog,

 

In your response I Find "Visa"

 

Are you European ?

What did you heard/learn about that issue ?

 

I am German, and I understood, that for excursions, other then from HAL organized, one need a Visa to go ashore at St. Petersburg.

 

Is this correct ??

 

 

Tanks in advance for your responses, happy cruising,

 

 

G E R D

 

 

 

 

Our marvelous cruises :

 

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997

MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001

MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002

MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004

MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004

MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005

MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005

 

82 days - 22 '839 Nm

 

 

 

Future Cruises :

 

MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars - July 2006

 

 

MS RYNDAM - Southern Caribbean - March 2007

[ciaobella]

Doug and Copper 10-8,

 

We - a group of four - will be on the 7/4/06 sailing. I am curious about the St. Petersburg excursions - if you want to do a day trip AND also the folklore show at night, do you go back to the ship between these excursions? Or, do you stay out "on tour" the entire time? It's hard to tell from the brochures.

 

We are also trying to decide about private excursions - so much to see and so little time!

 

I appreciate your help and input from anyone else!

 

Ciao!

[Old Salty Dog]

Gerd-

Don't have specifics on the visas for Russia, but we were told the visas were $100 plus, that you didn't need one if you only used the HAL shore excursions. We're American, so don't know what the rules are for Germany. Perhaps someone out there knows the straight facts on visas better than I.

[eldercruser]

We were in St. Petersburg three years ago and took the HAL tour to Moscow (which, I believe, is no longer offered) which was terrific. The second day we did with Red October and saw as much or more than HAL could offer in two days. For a group of six the cost was less than HAL would have charged for comparable tours.

 

We had early entrance to Peterhof (third group in, it was like a private tour) and walked right in. When we came out hundreds were waiting in line. Same thing at Hermitage. We went in a side door bypassing all the tour groups online in the rain.

 

Can't recommend Red October highly enough.

[NancyIL]

Thank you so much. It seems that everyone uses either Denrus or Red October and we are a family of 5 that would like to use the ship's excursions.

 

We were a group of 6 that toured St. Petersburg with DenRus last summer, and we were very pleased with our tour. DenRus now offers "value excursions" that cover most of the major sights, with a somewhat larger group, but at lower prices: http://www.denrus.ru/valueexcursion.html

[Copper10-8]

Doug and Copper 10-8,

 

We - a group of four - will be on the 7/4/06 sailing. I am curious about the St. Petersburg excursions - if you want to do a day trip AND also the folklore show at night, do you go back to the ship between these excursions? Or, do you stay out "on tour" the entire time? It's hard to tell from the brochures.

 

We are also trying to decide about private excursions - so much to see and so little time!

 

I appreciate your help and input from anyone else!

 

Ciao!

 

Bella Bambina:)

 

No, you definitely have time in between the day-trip and the evening folkloric show depending on what excursion you take. Day 1 was a 7 1/2 hr tour. We got back on the Rotterdam around 4 pm and had to be ready at 7 pm for the evening show so that should give you plenty of time to have dinner (except not in the formal dining room - we did the alternative dinner (served from 5-8pm) in the Lido. You can also use the Terrace Grill 'till 4:45 pm on lido deck if you like ) If you're thinking about doing this, don't reserve the Imperial St. Petersburg tour on Day 1 because that one is 8 1/2 to 9 hours and you might run out of time.

I also have heard good reports about Red October and might try them next time

Hope that helps

Ciao!

[ciaobella]

Copper10-8,

 

Grazie mille! We are looking into several options and appreciate your help!

 

Ciao!