Is Russia going to accept ships for 2022 Summer

[galveston gal]

16 hours ago, Tom47 said:

Just a thought:  Cuba cruise sanctions were imposed in March 2019, w/o a grace period.  Ships at sea had to turn away from Cuba mid cruise.  These sanctions are still in effect.  DW and I did a Moscow to SPB river cruise in 2012.  We want to do a Baltic cruise, but w/o SPB.

You will likely get that chance this year.  Doubt any will actually go there in my opinion.

[milolii]

I’d like to see a Baltic cruise without SPB at this point, but at a lower price point.  I don’t want to commit to a cruise with the risk of a major change after final payment.  

 

Let’s hope for the best for Ukraine.  
 

Sanctions, if anything would make it difficult for a cruise line to pay the port fees to docked at St.Petersburg.  US credit cards probably will not work. 
 

Anyone working on alternative plans?  We are now trying to put together a land trip as we still want to go to the area.   It won’t include SPB.  I agree with @galvestongal

Probably not happening this year. 

 

 

[MamaFej]

Last fall, we booked a Baltic cruise for this July/August that includes two days in SPB. At the moment, I don't want to go to SPB. We enjoyed it in 2016, the people were lovely, and there is so much more to see, but not now.

 

I understand that Viking Ocean (and other lines) won't cancel the port until the writing on the wall is in flashing neon lights, but I'm fine with them doing it before that. I'd love an itinerary change with more time in the other countries, especially if we ended up with more fjords in Norway. 

[pghflyer]

Yeah Saint Pete stops seem really sketchy IMO today.  I am interested in an MSC itinerary with 2-days there in mid-May....but the most likely scenario right now is further annexation/ military exercises resulting in large scale sanctions......which would mean likely hard for MSC to pay port fees/ mandatory local tour providers (to avoid the visa).....plus unclear if Russia will keep the visit protocol at all for citizens from countries sanctioning them.

[nini]

1 hour ago, pghflyer said:

Yeah Saint Pete stops seem really sketchy IMO today.  I am interested in an MSC itinerary with 2-days there in mid-May....but the most likely scenario right now is further annexation/ military exercises resulting in large scale sanctions......which would mean likely hard for MSC to pay port fees/ mandatory local tour providers (to avoid the visa).....plus unclear if Russia will keep the visit protocol at all for citizens from countries sanctioning them.

That is a very valid point. Sadly, we cancelled today. We will wait and see if any ships will be docking there beginning in April. We can re-book.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On 2/20/2022 at 12:04 PM, MamaFej said:

...

I'd love an itinerary change with more time in the other countries, especially if we ended up with more fjords in Norway. 

Me too, I'd gladly give up SPG (even though we've never been), for a couple of extra fjord days, or perhaps an overnight in Oslo or Helsinki.  Our cruise is in July.

[hallasm]

On 2/20/2022 at 6:04 PM, MamaFej said:

I'd love an itinerary change with more time in the other countries, especially if we ended up with more fjords in Norway. 

I do not believe that any Norway fjords will be possible at a Baltic cruise  - Norwegian fjords is a different itinerary - Oslo might be an option but not the deep fjords at the Norwegian west coast. 

[MamaFej]

6 minutes ago, hallasm said:

I do not believe that any Norway fjords will be possible at a Baltic cruise  - Norwegian fjords is a different itinerary - Oslo might be an option but not the deep fjords at the Norwegian west coast. 

My cruise starts in Bergen, goes up to two different fjords, then enters the Baltic, ending in Stockholm. We are planning on some time in Oslo before hand, but I wouldn't mind hitting it again on the way into the Baltic. 

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, hallasm said:

I do not believe that any Norway fjords will be possible at a Baltic cruise  - Norwegian fjords is a different itinerary - Oslo might be an option but not the deep fjords at the Norwegian west coast. 

Wendy The Wanderer is on a Norway and Baltic route, so it is possible. But I would assume that any days not in SP would be in the Baltics, not Norway.

[hallasm]

21 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Wendy The Wanderer is on a Norway and Baltic route, so it is possible.

 

1 hour ago, MamaFej said:

My cruise starts in Bergen, goes up to two different fjords, then enters the Baltic, ending in Stockholm.

Thank you for the clarification - I did consider a Baltic cruise only visiting Baltic ports - this Viking Ocean Bergen to Stockholm is a bit different - so yes, possible for that cruise

[luv2travel90266]

I'm scheduled on the Azamara Pursuit sailing a back to back. Late August on a Baltic cruise with 3 days in St Petersburg. Was about to commit to air and now on hold trying to decide to cancel that part of the vacation. 

[sjhanksaz]

My wife and I were talking about it and as much as we would love to go to SP it may be years before anyone from the states can get in there if they close it down.

 

I think for us it's still a go without it because there are so many other things to see and do.

 

Especially if they add Norway.  We would be over the TOP thrilled or perhaps Amsterdam?

 

 

[gnome12]

59 minutes ago, sjhanksaz said:

My wife and I were talking about it and as much as we would love to go to SP it may be years before anyone from the states can get in there if they close it down.

 

I think for us it's still a go without it because there are so many other things to see and do.

 

Especially if they add Norway.  We would be over the TOP thrilled or perhaps Amsterdam?

 

 

They won't add Norway. It is much farther away, particularly the Norwegian fjords. The cruises that do Norway and the Baltics are 2 week cruises (at least).

[Wendy The Wanderer]

9 hours ago, hallasm said:

I do not believe that any Norway fjords will be possible at a Baltic cruise  - Norwegian fjords is a different itinerary - Oslo might be an option but not the deep fjords at the Norwegian west coast. 

Our cruise is Norway and the Baltic combined, 18 days. We only go up as far as Alesund, however.

[CatLadyFemme]

We are scheduled on Voyager of the Seas May 22nd (also hitting Sweden, Finland, and Estonia). I wonder if they’ll switch to a different port (and which one!), or just cancel the SPB day.

[ontheweb]

16 hours ago, hallasm said:

I do not believe that any Norway fjords will be possible at a Baltic cruise  - Norwegian fjords is a different itinerary - Oslo might be an option but not the deep fjords at the Norwegian west coast. 

Our Baltic cruise included Oslo. The ship's itinerary actually alternated weeks between having Oslo as a port and the port for Berlin. We really enjoyed our time is Oslo.

[HLGW60]

One thing to consider with the sanctions will be the increased fuel and energy costs.   This should make shore excursions more expensive and other charges.   My mind has been racing with what the cruise lines will do.   Will travel be limited to only NATO countries?   So many unknowns.

[hallasm]

41 minutes ago, HLGW60 said:

Will travel be limited to only NATO countries?

Arrivals to St Petersburg may well be affected by sanctions but I can not imagine that it will not be possible to call at Sweden and Finland.

[milolii]

@hallasmAre restrictions in place for the Norwegian fjords with regard to number, size and environmental concerns?  
 

 

[pghflyer]

I have no worries about any ports other than St. Pete WRT Russia/ Ukraine situation.....honestly, still have underlying concerns on all the ports about random COVID requirements.

[tring]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Our Baltic cruise included Oslo. The ship's itinerary actually alternated weeks between having Oslo as a port and the port for Berlin. We really enjoyed our time is Oslo.

 

Yes, but Oslo is in the Baltic so can easily be included on a Baltic cruise whilst Bergen and the Fjords are a distance away.  The cruise doing both the Baltic and the Fjords appears to be a translocation.  You do, of course get the US and Europe on some translocation cruises, but not otherwise.  I do realise distances are quite different, but the same principle applies.  In practice, if SPB is axed which seems likely now, unless they re arrange dates of other port visits, any added ports would need to be in the Eastern Baltic e.g. Helsinki, Latvia (if the big ships can get into a port there), Stockholm.  Also perhaps a possibility of Lithuania, Poland, or elsewhere if there are not a lot of ports on an itinerary - again possibly depend on size of ship.  We have lots of very interesting ports on our 16 night itinerary from the UK, but we are not on one of the bigger ships.  I would not be booking any private excursions in any ports other than SPB at present unless cancellable, as it is possible itineraries will change for other ports with changed dates of the port calls.

 

There is not a "port of Berlin" as that city is well away from the coast, but you may well be offered excursions to Berlin from certain ports that involve very lengthy coach journies.

 

Overall there are a lot of really nice, and interesting, ports in the Baltic without having to travel far from the docking location, so I feel even someone travelling form a distance (e.g. US) will enjoy such a cruise, but individual choice of course.  What's in Port has some short videos on a number of Baltic ports, which posters here may find of interest:-

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/

 

Hope that may be of help to some,

 

Barbara

  

[hallasm]

2 hours ago, milolii said:

Are restrictions in place for the Norwegian fjords with regard to number, size and environmental concerns?  

To my knowledge, there are no restrictions on the size of ships - even very large ships can sail the deep Norwegian fjords.  There are restrictions on how old ships may be.  I believe the original rules have been changed due to Covid but according to the original plan, ships built before 2012 may not sail in the UNESCO Fjords by 2022

[ontheweb]

35 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Yes, but Oslo is in the Baltic so can easily be included on a Baltic cruise whilst Bergen and the Fjords are a distance away.  The cruise doing both the Baltic and the Fjords appears to be a translocation.  You do, of course get the US and Europe on some translocation cruises, but not otherwise.  I do realise distances are quite different, but the same principle applies.  In practice, if SPB is axed which seems likely now, unless they re arrange dates of other port visits, any added ports would need to be in the Eastern Baltic e.g. Helsinki, Latvia (if the big ships can get into a port there), Stockholm.  Also perhaps a possibility of Lithuania, Poland, or elsewhere if there are not a lot of ports on an itinerary - again possibly depend on size of ship.  We have lots of very interesting ports on our 16 night itinerary from the UK, but we are not on one of the bigger ships.  I would not be booking any private excursions in any ports other than SPB at present unless cancellable, as it is possible itineraries will change for other ports with changed dates of the port calls.

 

There is not a "port of Berlin" as that city is well away from the coast, but you may well be offered excursions to Berlin from certain ports that involve very lengthy coach journies.

 

Overall there are a lot of really nice, and interesting, ports in the Baltic without having to travel far from the docking location, so I feel even someone travelling form a distance (e.g. US) will enjoy such a cruise, but individual choice of course.  What's in Port has some short videos on a number of Baltic ports, which posters here may find of interest:-

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/

 

Hope that may be of help to some,

 

Barbara

  

When we were researching our Baltic cruise, I found very few that went to Oslo. That is why I mentioned Oslo in the post you quoted.

 

Also, when I said the "port for Berlin", I knew it was quite a distance away, but it was listed as Berlin with the actual port in ( ). That was what I meant when I wrote the port for Berlin (as opposed to writing Berlin. It is a similar situation to Rome, Florence, and Paris.

[tring]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

 

Also, when I said the "port for Berlin", I knew it was quite a distance away, but it was listed as Berlin with the actual port in ( ). That was what I meant when I wrote the port for Berlin (as opposed to writing Berlin. It is a similar situation to Rome, Florence, and Paris.

 

You are obviously referring to some US run cruise lines which seem to like making it sound as though some places are actually on the coast, or at least are very easily visited from quite distant ports, so they use some "strange" ways of listing ports from a British perspective, but I accept that is what they do, you just have to be aware of that though.  You will find (or may be well aware) that most of the ports used to access places you mention, such as Civitavechia, Livorno and Le Havre are probably a good two hour's journey away.   In the UK we would consider that sort of port listing to be very shady advertising, which is why I clarified the situation on Berlin.  Some people could be genuinely mis lead by that, though clearly not yourself.  I am in no way criticising you personally.  Oslo is somewhat out of the way from the route of most Baltic cruises and probably not the most popular of Norwegian ports, but I can see some may wish to visit Oslo, if only once.

 

As an addition to my previous post, I did not mention Tallin, as a possible replacement port which of course is very near SPB as I knew you had said it was on your itinerary.  It is quite a likely addition to other itineraries though as a possible replacement to SPB and it is a popular port.  I posted really to suggest some possibilities to people who seemed a little unclear on which ports were in a similar location and my clarification of Berlin, was just a small point I added to it. 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by tring

[tring]

2 hours ago, hallasm said:

To my knowledge, there are no restrictions on the size of ships - even very large ships can sail the deep Norwegian fjords.  There are restrictions on how old ships may be.  I believe the original rules have been changed due to Covid but according to the original plan, ships built before 2012 may not sail in the UNESCO Fjords by 2022

 

Must admit, I had not seen the proposed rules on visiting certain Fjords, but was it really to do with the age of the ship, or as I had thought, more about the pollution levels used, hence older ships could go there as long as they have been adapted accordingly?  I was not sure of that though.  I am aware of ships which can use different fuels, so will use the "cleaner fuels" in places where restrictions are on place, whilst reverting to different fuel in other places.