Regent Experience

[steve1191]

We are going on a Baltic Cruise with Regent in July. I would like to hear from folks who have sailed with Regent and have been on a Baltic cruise.

 

Steve1191

[mrlevin]

Fantastic experience! I sailed on Voyager and spent two nights in St Petersburg. I will be in St Petersburg again this summer on Navigator (if USA doesn't sanction tourism to Russia).  You need to be more specific in what info you are after.  

Edited February 11, 2022 by mrlevin

[steve1191]

Thanks mrlevin! I too wonder whether we will be able to visit St. Petersburg. Just wondering how safe it will be even on a Regent sponsored excursion. Looking forward to sailing on SS splendor and Regent for the very first time.

[Pcardad]

1 minute ago, steve1191 said:

Thanks mrlevin! I too wonder whether we will be able to visit St. Petersburg. Just wondering how safe it will be even on a Regent sponsored excursion. Looking forward to sailing on SS splendor and Regent for the very first time.

Very safe - I will be there again in August.

[ronrick1943]

Regent isn’t going to take you to any Port that isn’t safe.  Just be ready for change without getting upset.

[GOARMY]

Four times to St. Petersburg--one with a day (and night) add-on to Moscow. 

 

First, 1995 with Holland America.  Last three with Regent.  Most-recent:  Explorer's Baltics August-September 2019 segment--Stockholm/Southampton.  We stayed aboard for the next segment around the British Isles.   

 

Each cruise involving St. Pete was, obviously, Baltics-intensive.  Denmark, Sweden, Finland; and to one or two of the three Baltic States--Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia; plus northern Germany. 

 

One--or two--of my endearing memories while on that 1995 visit:  street cars that had not been updated since WWII.  Recalled viewing same in old, historic movies during the infamous July1941-January, 1943 "1,000 Day Siege".  The other was a Band which met our tour bus at beginning of Peterhoff Grand Palace tour.  These guys played a great, and straight, rendition of Star Spangled Banner.  Not a dry-eye in our group (mainly Americans) at the end. 

 

But--this was 1995.  

 

Enjoyment of, and appreciation while at, Russian stops was enhanced due to being relatively fluent in Russian.  However, passage of time (25+years) obviously contributed to diminished capacity in this aspect during our 2019 visit--which was limited to St. Pete.  Just better to keep one's mouth shut when contemplating conversing with Tour Guide--other than in English.  All Guides, going back to 1995, were fluent in English.  

 

We have NEVER had anything less than positive experiences at any St. Pete venue.  Have done most of them--sometimes twice.  Particularly, Hermitage.  If given the opportunity--and one is limited in time--highly recommend Hermitage, Peterhoff Grand Palace, "A Night at the Ballet" in downtown St. Pete, and "Fabulous Faberge Museum" tours.  Regent outdid itself on our last visit at St. Pete.  Flawless.  

 

Glad we had the opportunity when we were Young(er).  Do not plan on a fifth visit.  

 

Times are now turbulent and unsettled.  As noted above:  be prepared for changes. 

 

GOARMY!

     

 

[GOARMY]

Reference my Post 7:  In the interests of historical accuracy, the WWII siege of Leningrad lasted almost 900 days. 

 

Apologies to Harrison Salisbury, whose book:  "The 900 Days--Siege of Leningrad" remains the definitive study of this particularly horrific period.  There are several museums in St. Pete centered on this epic struggle.  We visited The War Museum, as best I can recall the name.  That was many years ago.   

 

GOARMY!

 

 

    

 

[mj_holiday]

We did the Baltic in 2014 - at that time there was an embargo of Russia going on, we were the only cruise ship in port in St. Petersburg (I think the only ship)

We had a great experience in all ports.

We started in Copenhagen with a couple days, one day we went to the Communication Museum and had lunch on the to floor of the museum.  I think this is about as traditional as you can get for a lunch.

Next - Tallin, Estonia.  Our tour took us many different places - a cemetery (so different than in US), Naval museum, downtown, a Museum of Occupation.

St Petersburg - 3 days - we did the usual tours to the Hermitage, Peterhof, canal ride.  Evening trip was to a Song and Dance performance by the Russian Army. We really enjoyed this (do not sit behind someone who thinks they need to take of picture everytime you have a clear view of the stage)

Lithuania - a trip that included an Amber Museum and a stop off at a small village.  I bought an Amber necklace at the museum and a pair of Amber (bet not) earrings off a street vendor in the village.

Gdansk - Walking tour of old town

Stockholm -Walking tour of palace and downtown

We ended in Amsterdam - we went to the Ann Frank home.  I got tickets ahead of time for a time that I felt we could make.  We got there about an hour early and they let us in. To me a very somber place.

Several ports are very pretty sailing in - such as Stockholm.

There seemed to be plenty of time to purchase souvenirs.

When on a bus going to a tour it pays to pay attention to what the bus is driving through.  The massive apartment buildings in Poland is just one example of something you wouldn't think about looking at.

I like to read a couple books about places I am going to see on a trip like this. I recommend any (or all) of the biographies of Russian Czars etc by Robert Massie.  Also a book about the Amber Room (wither historical fiction or true history) would be very good to read.

You probably will need to be with a tour group and not be allowed to go out on your own unless you have a special visa.

Regent experience - everything on the ship was just (as always) great.  Look at port times when booking specialty restaurants, watch Passages to know when the caviar Sunday brunch is held.  Sign up at the (I think) hotel reservation desk for a bridge tour and a galley tour.

You will have a great time and will be safe.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

You started me reminiscing ….

My first trip was in 1986…it was Leningrad then. Our plane was greeted by several soldiers. The airport building was one room. Gorbechev was President. It was the beginning of “glasnos”. I was a chaperone, accompanying my niece’s high school class. We stayed for  several days, visiting everything. We took the midnight train to Moscow. We were never left alone. 
My second visit was on a cruise with my husband in 2008. I had warned Herb of the dreariness that I saw. We arrived into St. Petersburg and I was shocked. It was just beautiful. Although we had a guide, we were alllowed to move more freely. Amazing what happened in twenty years.  
I hope you can all make and enjoy this journey. 
sheilla

[aventureux]

Roll call on the Navigator July cruise is posting only 4 replies.  I have been wondering how many reservations have been made for the London-Copenhagen July 7, 2022 departure since other roll calls on our other cruises are very active.  We are excited to visit and revisit the ports for this itinerary.  We are in London at the Intercontinental Park Lane for 5 days before this Baltic cruise.  After 2020 and 2021 canceled cruises we are happy to be back for an April and July cruise this year.  

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

45 minutes ago, aventureux said:

Roll call on the Navigator July cruise is posting only 4 replies.  I have been wondering how many reservations have been made for the London-Copenhagen July 7, 2022 departure since other roll calls on our other cruises are very active.  We are excited to visit and revisit the ports for this itinerary.  We are in London at the Intercontinental Park Lane for 5 days before this Baltic cruise.  After 2020 and 2021 canceled cruises we are happy to be back for an April and July cruise this year.  

We stayed at the IHG hotel post cruise several years ago on points. We upgraded so we had use of the lounge including breakfast and happy hour. Well worth it. 
sheila

[Jimmcdaniel]

@steve1191, we may be on the same cruise. We are on Splendor out of Copenhagen July 8. We did a Baltic cruise in 2019 on Explorer. It was great. St. Petersburg is definitely a highlight. Hopefully, we will be allowed to stop there on this cruise. I remember coming back to the ship late from the Ballet and being disappointed because we had missed the special Russian buffet they had prepared that evening. I shouldn't have worried--I was on Regent! They had a special late-night version of the Russian buffet waiting for the ballet crowd in La Veranda when we arrived. We all ate well that night. 

 

I especially liked visiting the former SSR countries of Latvia and Estonia. When we were there, the ship docked very close the historical city centers so you could walk into the beautiful old areas of the city. Looking forward to seeing Lithuania on this trip. Originally we were supposed to go to Kaliningrad, Russia but that was taken off the route and replaced by Lithuania. Another thing I really liked about traveling in the Baltic at this time of year is it is still light out at 8:00 pm so if you enjoy sail-aways (we really do). it is nice to be able to see the scenery as we pull out of port. 

[steve1191]

Thanks Jim! We board the Splendor in Stockholm on 7/26 and end in London on7/15. Looking forward to it and hope we can visit St. Petersburg!

[GOARMY]

Reference my Post #6, and Jimmcdaniel's Post #12:

 

We were on that Stockholm-Southampton August-Sept. 2019 Explorer segment.  Yes, that was a wonderful Sunday at St. Pete.  Regent had a pre-Ballet Russian-themed buffet at La Veranda which we participated in; then, on to the Theater for the complete "Swan Lake".  On purpose, refrained from over-indulging at the initial early dinner. 

 

Then--upon return to Explorer, it was back to La Veranda for that late night buffet spread.  Regent really outdid itself.  Slept in late on Monday--but up in time for the "Fabulous Faberge Museum" late-morning excursion.  

 

At this point--our next visit to Russia (Siberia) is scheduled for September, 2023 while aboard Explorer on its segment from Vancouver to Tokyo.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

[UUNetBill]

We've been to the Baltic twice with Regent and the last time we went (probably about 4-5 years ago?) we noticed that Russia was noticeably more western-friendly.  Both trips were fabulous and if there weren't so many other places on my bucket list I'd go back tomorrow.

 

I agree with GOARMY on the excursions but I'd add the 'Imperial Evening with the Tsars' or whatever it's called this year - really, really fun evening.  The day trip to Moscow is also worth it, I think, but it's a LONG day and it takes away from sightseeing in StP - but if you don't plan on returning to Russia it's highly recommended.

 

So many nice things to see and do on the Baltic cruises...

[steve1191]

11 hours ago, GOARMY said:

Reference my Post #6, and Jimmcdaniel's Post #12:

 

We were on that Stockholm-Southampton August-Sept. 2019 Explorer segment.  Yes, that was a wonderful Sunday at St. Pete.  Regent had a pre-Ballet Russian-themed buffet at La Veranda which we participated in; then, on to the Theater for the complete "Swan Lake".  On purpose, refrained from over-indulging at the initial early dinner. 

 

Then--upon return to Explorer, it was back to La Veranda for that late night buffet spread.  Regent really outdid itself.  Slept in late on Monday--but up in time for the "Fabulous Faberge Museum" late-morning excursion.  

 

At this point--our next visit to Russia (Siberia) is scheduled for September, 2023 while aboard Explorer on its segment from Vancouver to Tokyo.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

 

36 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

We've been to the Baltic twice with Regent and the last time we went (probably about 4-5 years ago?) we noticed that Russia was noticeably more western-friendly.  Both trips were fabulous and if there weren't so many other places on my bucket list I'd go back tomorrow.

 

I agree with GOARMY on the excursions but I'd add the 'Imperial Evening with the Tsars' or whatever it's called this year - really, really fun evening.  The day trip to Moscow is also worth it, I think, but it's a LONG day and it takes away from sightseeing in StP - but if you don't plan on returning to Russia it's highly recommended.

 

So many nice things to see and do on the Baltic cruises...

 

[labonnevie]

A couple of unexpected pluses from our Navigator Baltic cruise circa 2013 were Gdańsk (tour of shipyard in appropriate gray dampness as well as the main town area) and Riga where we just walked around many charming areas and visited the Museum of Occupation which was very educational and insightful. 
In St. Petersburg a few couples arranged a two day private tour which was superb. Also this cruise was the only time we got to Berlin. Although a very long day due to the distance from port, it was well worth it imo. 

[UUNetBill]

11 minutes ago, labonnevie said:

A couple of unexpected pluses from our Navigator Baltic cruise circa 2013 were Gdańsk (tour of shipyard in appropriate gray dampness as well as the main town area) and Riga where we just walked around many charming areas and visited the Museum of Occupation which was very educational and insightful. 
In St. Petersburg a few couples arranged a two day private tour which was superb. Also this cruise was the only time we got to Berlin. Although a very long day due to the distance from port, it was well worth it imo. 

This just goes to show how different the experiences can be - Gdańsk (The Ancient Water Smithy) was one of our worst tours ever...it was so bad we STILL laugh about it.  When we got back into town we bailed on our guide (with notification, of course) and wandered around downtown and had a fabulous lunch and a few local beers...great afternoon to salvage a terrible tour. 

 

Similar experience in Malta; terrible guide and we were going to leave with a bad taste of the country...but luckily (?) I had fallen on some church steps and fractured my hand...we decided to leave the ship and head downtown to get a wrap and a brace, and again discovered a fantastic afternoon which completely salvaged our horrible morning.

 

But please be aware - these two excursions are really our only two 'bad' ones out of probably close to 100 excursions...the odds are definitely in your favor.

[steve1191]

On 2/14/2022 at 10:44 PM, GOARMY said:

Reference my Post #6, and Jimmcdaniel's Post #12:

 

We were on that Stockholm-Southampton August-Sept. 2019 Explorer segment.  Yes, that was a wonderful Sunday at St. Pete.  Regent had a pre-Ballet Russian-themed buffet at La Veranda which we participated in; then, on to the Theater for the complete "Swan Lake".  On purpose, refrained from over-indulging at the initial early dinner. 

 

Then--upon return to Explorer, it was back to La Veranda for that late night buffet spread.  Regent really outdid itself.  Slept in late on Monday--but up in time for the "Fabulous Faberge Museum" late-morning excursion.  

 

At this point--our next visit to Russia (Siberia) is scheduled for September, 2023 while aboard Explorer on its segment from Vancouver to Tokyo.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

 

On 2/14/2022 at 6:23 PM, steve1191 said:

Thanks Jim! We board the Splendor in Stockholm on 7/26 and end in London on7/15. Looking forward to it and hope we can visit St. Petersburg!

 

[steve1191]

I meant to say we board the Splendor on 7/26 in Stockholm and end on 8/7 in London

[steve1191]

Any folks on this forum traveling on the Splendor from 7/26 -8/7 Stockholm to London? Wonder if there will be a roll call?

Steve

[UUNetBill]

2 hours ago, steve1191 said:

Any folks on this forum traveling on the Splendor from 7/26 -8/7 Stockholm to London? Wonder if there will be a roll call?

Steve

If there’s not, go ahead and start one. We started one for an April ‘24 cruise already and we have about 5 people posting there already…

[wishIweretravelling]

On 2/15/2022 at 4:47 PM, UUNetBill said:

This just goes to show how different the experiences can be

 

And the same person can have two totally different experiences at the same place. My first visit to St Petersburg was in 2001 on the Song of Flower ( a much-beloved ship that was once in the fleet of what is now Regent), and I took the Yusopov Palace excursion. Our little group from our little ship were the only people there, and we had the run of the place. The guide was wonderful. Someone--I've never been sure if it was a docent, a guide, or someone from our group--made a riotous attempt at a seance to contact Rasputin and find out what really happened that fateful night. A complete and hilarious failure. One of the best excursions ever.

 

Fast forward to 2018 and another visit, this time on Navigator. I told friends what a great excursion Yusapov was, so we all went. One of the worst excursions ever. Crowded, hot, humid, and a guide who couldn't be heard over the throngs.  

 

Same place, different results.

[steve1191]

On 2/11/2022 at 1:27 PM, steve1191 said:

We are going on a Baltic Cruise with Regent in July. I would like to hear from folks who have sailed with Regent and have been on a Baltic cruise.

 

Steve1191

Well, since St. Petersburg is out for this year and next year, we are now going on this cruise on 9/5/2022. Just waiting to see which ports will replace St. Petersburg

[GOARMY]

All: 

 

Reference my earlier Posting on this Thread. 

 

What a sad, sad Postscript to my earlier Postings.  Not much more needs to be opined as to observations for the benefit of others as to our previous visits to ANY Russian Port--whether European or Asian. Mainly, St. Petersburg or Moscow.  

 

The USA is now on the brink of severing formal diplomatic relations with Russia. 

 

Our next-scheduled visit to Russia was to have been 09/2023 while aboard Explorer.  (Vancouver, B.C. to Tokyo segment.)  4th try via Regent to get to Tokyo, either coming or going subsequent to 03/2020.  Such due to numerous COVID-related cancelations.  

 

Hopefully, this cruise will still "Go", minus one stop still-showing at a Russia Siberian Port.   

 

Stay safe, and sane.  

 

GOARMY!