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st. petersburg tours

janines

By janines,
in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

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janines

janines

Posted
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I heard from trip advisor to connect here for info about tours. I haven't been able to connect with that info. I would like info on tour companies and advice in selecting one for a complete 2 day tour. We would also be interested in joining a group. We are on Constellation arriving July 25.

janines

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cruisemom42 Great Review Rare

cruisemom42

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To learn more about St. Petersburg sites and tour companies, I suggest you read/search on this board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=192

 

To connect with others on your sailing, go to your "roll call" board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=727610

 

Good luck!

 

 

Edited to add: Sorry -- I see you already posted on the roll call thread!

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Andee

Andee

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Red October was fabulous. They were very willing to tailor their standard two day itinerary to our interests. DenRus got positively snippy when I asked about changes. Four of us had a van, guide and driver; the guide was great, and the driver made us feel safe, and was extremely helpful to my mother, who was having some mobility problems.

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cruisemom42 Great Review Rare

cruisemom42

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Red October was fabulous. They were very willing to tailor their standard two day itinerary to our interests. DenRus got positively snippy when I asked about changes. Four of us had a van, guide and driver; the guide was great, and the driver made us feel safe, and was extremely helpful to my mother, who was having some mobility problems.

 

 

Funny, we had exactly the opposite experience in 2005. Red October didn't want to work with us on itinerary changes, but Den Rus had no problem doing so and we enjoyed a wonderful tour with them.

 

A lot probably depends on language issues and who is answering emails. I doubt you could go far wrong with either of these operators...

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  • 2 weeks later...
lynncarol

lynncarol

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I was under the impression that Denrus was bought up by Red October. Anyway, we used Alla and were extremely pleased. My elderly parents had mobility issues. A rickshaw ride was arranged for them in Peterhof Gardens and a wheelchair was utilized in the Hermitage. (No easy feat, for there are very few elevators.)

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Peregrina651 "Live from...." Rare

Peregrina651

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I heard from trip advisor to connect here for info about tours. I haven't been able to connect with that info. I would like info on tour companies and advice in selecting one for a complete 2 day tour. We would also be interested in joining a group. We are on Constellation arriving July 25.

janines

 

We had an amazing two days touring with Alla Tours. Two couples met on the roll call and worked out an itinerary that was loosely based on the comfort tour. Another couple from the roll call joined the group immediately and a invite to share the tour was put out on the roll call and on Alla's bulletin board for tour shares. By mid-April, the group was up to 9 people and by the time we sailed in August, there were an unexpected 12 people in the group.

 

Alla was very easy to work with; she answered e-mails promptly and was very patient with us. Our guide, Elena was excellent--knowledgeable on a diverse number of topics, personable and very good at herding cats. It is just a shame that we couldn't spend more time in St.P.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Coastaljen

Coastaljen

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I am doing a private tour (with two couples) in Berlin and St. Petersburg with Viktoria from spb-tours.

 

I had posted on Alla, Denrus, and Viktoria's website, but it looked like I was going to have to take a general tour since I am solo. Then Viktoria e-mailed me that she had two couples who would let me join them.

 

In St. Petersburg, we are doing a two day tour. It consists of some buildings, but also we are going to the local food market, Kuznichnej, the subway, a boat ride, eating dinner in a local restaurant, and having tea/coffee with a Russian family. I am excited. Also, Viktoria's husband is doing a photo project with the family.. interviews, photos, etc. like every ten years. Thus, we received some information about the family we will be visiting. It sounds very neat.

 

I tried the roll calls, and the message boards, and I was really giving up. I even contacted a company in Berlin, and they said they don't normally put groups together. Then last week I did post on the spb-tours message board. You just don't know until you try, but I would contact the tour companies if you want to join a private tour.

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friendship

friendship

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I found the best thing was to contact several different companies and then to go with the one I felt most comfortable with. We chose Viktoria at spb-tours.com It also helps sort out priorities seeing what each company has to say. Good luck it is a wonderful trip.

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belle907

belle907

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I have a tour booked with Anastasia in St. Petersburg. We have a group of 12 going from our roll call. She has been very accomodating in organizing a personalized tour for us and answering all questions.

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ontheweb Holiday Sharing Rare

ontheweb

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We were on an Alla comfort tour last August. Alla was wonderful to work with. She always replied promptly, and was very accomodating to all requests.

 

Our guide was Viktoria. She now runs her own agency spb tours. I am sure she is also very good, and the few posts from cruisers who have used her service seem to confirm that impression.

 

The following is from my review which can be found at:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=33517

 

<<days 6 and 7 our Alla tour in St. Petersburg We finally met our last 2 from the roll call and our Alla tour group. We left the ship and cleared customs as soon as the ship allowed us to leave. We found the Alla van and our guide Viktoria and driver Boris. I would highly recommend a private tour. We had flexibility. Our guide, Viktoria, asked if there was anything we would like to add. I mentioned I had heard the subway stations were interesting. She agreed. We ended up seeing 3 subway stations, all with different art work and unlike US stations, graffiti free, before proceeding to our first stop at Catherine's Palace. O

 

Our 9 1/2 hours on day 1 and 7 hour on day 2 flew by. We did run out of time to see the Choral Synagogue on day 1 that had been added to our tour, but saw it the second day.

 

At one point, while we had photo opportunities, Viktoria disappeared. She came back with flowers for us for our anniversary and also for Ron and Deb for both an anniversary and a birthday. Later Alla gave everyone a dvd of St. Petersburg.

 

We accomplished much of our Christmas shopping in one of the gift shops, buying several nesting dolls. The shops offer booze and chocolate as you enter.

 

I would recommend Alla to anyone. The other local tour groups also seem to come highly recommended. I have since read on the CruiseCritic.com Baltic board that our wonderful guide, Viktoria, has opened her own agency, spb-tours, with tours in St. Petersburg and Berlin. I wish her good luck with her new business, and I'm sure she will have an excellent product.

 

Most everyone we spoke to who took Princess tours were also happy, but I heard a few exceptions. One person told me his bus' air conditioning did not work the second day. (It was 87 degrees that day and sunny.) We did not have that worry being in an air-conditioned Mercedes van. After I told one person that our guide had 18 years' experience. I was told he had a guide who was 18 and answered one question by saying "Why would you want to know that?". And one other person said that their guide was bitter over the fall of Communism.

 

People thought we must have paid more than for Princess tours especially having to pay for visas. But, the truth was we paid less, and, just as they went into Russia on Princess tour visas, we went on Alla's group visa.>>

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jammer5122

jammer5122

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We will be in St. Pete June 7 & 8 2008 off the Constellation and have not found any fellow pax to book with. Has anyone ever booked a St. Pete tour after they got on the ship? We are looking for 1/2 day tours and maybe a whole day tour the first day.

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volkoff

volkoff

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I recomend you visit: Pushkin (Ekaterina's palace, amber room), Petrodvorets/Peterhof, City Sightseen excursion, walk in the center (Palace's square, St.Petr& Paul fortress) and... (you'll have no enought time)... :)

 

If you'll have 5-6 hours free you can visit Kronshtadt (city of naval base)...

 

I reccomend to take a Private car and do this route: Center of STP-> Kronshtadt (dam, city, forts...)-> trip from Kronshtadt to Lomonosov by ferry-> Lomonosov-> Peterhof/Petrodvorets-> Strelna (president's residence)-> City...

 

At the Night: City

 

Next day: Pushkin-> Gatchina...

 

You can take city tours in the center: metro "Gostiniy Dvor". There is a lot of tours. I reccomend you "Davranov" company. :)

 

Don't hesitate ask me.

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  • 1 month later...
bocaraton

bocaraton

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We are doing 3 day tour with Alla and she customized it to include Chorale synagogue. 3 couples...Hope we have as good an experience as you did. By the way, if you want cruise critic reception on boarding an Azamara tour sign up at:https://secure.azamaracruises.com/cruisecritic/home.do

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nabby

nabby

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When you tour with DenRus or Red October or Viktoria what do you do about getting visas? Do they do the "invitation" part?

Thank you..we sail next year but planning ahead!

Sherry

 

They are able to get a group visa for you. You just give them your info and they take care of the rest! It is part of the package price.

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