red october tours

[a1dolllady]

We will be on the Constellation to the Baltics July 2, 2005. We have received a great 2 day itinerary in St. Petersburg from Red October.The first day is 10 hours, returning us back to the ship at 5:30. The second day is 9 hours, which is fine. We also want to see either the Russian Ballet or Russian folkdancers on the first night. Which dance group is more worthwhile seeing? Also, will we be totally exhausted after a full day of touring? Based on the suggested itinerary, we would have 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours between getting dropped off and being picked up on day one. If anyone has done the St. Peterburg tours with Red October recently, please give us yur suggestions and ideas. Also, if any couple would like to join us to make it 4 people, it would cut the cost. 4 people for day 1 is $163pp and $172pp for day 2. Lunch is additional. Ballet or Folkdance is additional as well.

 

Thanks so much

Helen

[aqua]

We did 2 days with Red October this summer. We were tired after the first day, but not exhausted. There is lots of "downtime" spent traveling between places, and we found touring with them much less taxing then all of the walking that we did on our own in the other ports. My husband likes to see everything in every port, so we were in pretty good shape by the time we got to Russia! We really wanted to do an evening river cruise to enjoy the White Nights, and we tried to arrange it with Red October. But they wanted us to do it in combination with the folkloric show, and that was just too many hours for us. Red October may let you wait to commit until the first day of your tour, and then you will have a better idea of how tired you will be. The Constellation itinerary that we did this summer (14 day cruise, only 2 sea days) is pretty intensive. But it's a great trip and you will have a ball.

[alcman]

Helen,

 

Glad to see another couple on the July 2, 2005 cruise. The meet and mingle thread for this cruise is located at:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=2234704#post2234704

 

We are 4 couples and have also arranged a tour with Red October. I have e-mailed them about evening options. If you e-mail me at jfisch10@bellatlantic.net we can compare our Red October proposals. There is so much to do and see, we are having difficulty figuring out what to add or change. I would be interested in your thought son their proposals.

 

regards,

Jerry

[MaseratiCruiser]

We will be on the Constellation to the Baltics July 2, 2005. We have received a great 2 day itinerary in St. Petersburg from Red October.The first day is 10 hours, returning us back to the ship at 5:30. The second day is 9 hours, which is fine. We also want to see either the Russian Ballet or Russian folkdancers on the first night. Which dance group is more worthwhile seeing? Also, will we be totally exhausted after a full day of touring? Based on the suggested itinerary, we would have 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours between getting dropped off and being picked up on day one. If anyone has done the St. Peterburg tours with Red October recently, please give us yur suggestions and ideas. Also, if any couple would like to join us to make it 4 people, it would cut the cost. 4 people for day 1 is $163pp and $172pp for day 2. Lunch is additional. Ballet or Folkdance is additional as well.

 

Thanks so much

Helen

 

We had a group of 3 couples tour with Red October August of 2003. While it was a full and very in depth day, two of us couples decided to carry on with the evening ballet. The excitement of being in a real Russian theater, with real locals all around us, while watching Swan Lake, kept us all wide awake! Don't miss the experience.

 

Also, be sure to use have the lunch with a Russian family on one of your days. It was one of our most memorable experiences while in Russia.

[slivers]

A1dolllady - Hi, Helen. We are on the July 2 Baltics cruise and are looking to share a Red October 2-day tour. (You'll find my request on the roll call thread mentioned by alcman above.) We are an active semi-retired couple. I admit to my age (almost 68). My wife is a good bit younger but not exactly her claimed 39. We are just off Summit trans-Canal, which followed one of the Alaska itineraries you were on. We've sailed Constellation 2X before, Caribbean and Best of Europe (Dover-Barcelona).

 

Since we were away for the 1st 2 weeks in October, when RO starts talking about 2005, we're a little behiond on working out a tour. I sent RO an email today.

 

If you're interested, let's get together via email.

 

Steve

[a1dolllady]

Dear Steve,

 

Yes, we would like to join with another couple for the St. Petersburg 2 day tour with Red October. I have contacted them and received an interesting full 2 day itinerary. I will be happy to e-mail it to you. We are not sure yet if we want the Russian folklore or the ballet in the evening. But, we can decide this later. My husband is 62 and I am younger. Please respond with your email address. Our email is shbadt@cs.com. We live in Stuart, Florida

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Helen

[Coopdedoop]

This past summer we booked with Denrus and they were fabulous. From the rates that you have mentioned, I believe that our rate was quite a bit less. Memorable moments were taking the subway and seeing all the amazing stations, going to the grocery store, and buying my souvenirs there and vodka, etc., and of course there is the flea market, seeing the various residential areas, walking along the main shopping streets. Our guide came to the port with a driver. The only thing we felt was that because of the several time changes each of the previous three nights that first long day was exhausting and we got to a point where we just couldn't and didn't want to take in anything else, so it might be something to consider to either leave a bit later around 8:30 or so, or plan a shorter day.

Hope this is of some help.

[gdayhoff]

AIdollady----Just a comment.We also did the Baltic cruise in 2003 on the Constellation.We also used Red October for two full days in St Pete.We also did the Kirov ballet at the Marinsky Theatre the first evening.The first day was a full day and we only had about 1 hour to get ready for the ballet which started about 7:30 pm.Our group of 6 ,with ages ranging from about 15 to 74 years old ,have no problem and was ready to go the next mourning at 7:30 am.Really wasn't that bad.

I look at it as a chance of a life time as we probably will not get back there in our lifetime.Like a bottle of good wine what are you saving it for?

Also,can't say enough good things about Red October.First class all the way.

Anyway enjoy

George

Austin,Tx

If you're interested in the Marinsky Threatre their website is http://www.marinsky.ru/en.

[gdayhoff]

Try http://www.mariinsky.ru/en

[lysolqn]

We were on the Constellation in May and toured with Red October for our two days in St. Petersburg. The cruise is very port intensive and can be a bit tiring (exhilarating is probably more accuate), but it is an incredible trip. When we were working out our itinerary with RO, we opted not to do an evening tour for fear it would be just too much, what with two very long days of touring. While it would have been nice to see the ballet or take a river cruise, we don't regret our decision. We were beat at the end of day one and a quiet evening on the ship made it easy to really enjoy the second day.

[MLinFL]

We also toured with Red October in August of 2003 and it was a wonderful experience. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we saw so much. The lunch with the Russian family (actually we just ate with a single woman - her daughter was at work) was an experience you do not want to miss. I almost did miss this, as I am a very picky eater and thought I truly didn't want to insult anyone by not eating the food, but it worked out just fine.

 

We did the Folklore show in the evening and it was very enjoyable.

 

The best part about touring with Red October is that we never had to wait in line at any of the palaces/museums, etc. Although the lines were quite long everywhere we went, our guide got us right through. That alone was worth the price of the tour.

 

Mary Lou

[JodiBB]

Hi everyone! My husband and I are going on the Jewel of the Seas Baltic cruise setting sail on August 7, 2005. We're looking into the Red October tours during this time. Is anyone else going on this cruise and maybe want to consider traveling with us? It's just the two of us and we're a fun, outgoing couple in our mid- to late-thirties!

 

Let me know!

[nny92825100]

We did day one of a great two day tour plan with RO. We customized our itinerary so the first day was 6 1/2 hours including gold room at the Hermitage. We skipped lunch and got back to the ship around 4, showered, quick nap, dinner and then back out for the folk lore show. The second day, the remainder of our group went back on the RO, I chose RCI canal tour and Peterhoff, while my husband and son went with me on the canal tour and then went to the modern technology museum. For all the techy engineer types, this was a must see.

 

We found ourselves very tired after the 6 1/2 hour tour. A lot of standing and walking on cobblestones. I thought wearing good walking shoes would be the best for cobblestones, but noticed the locals all over the baltic wore really spikey shoes and could just whip along on those stones. I think the heat from the crowds in the Hermitage and Church of the Spilt Blood is what can tire you. You have to constantly shove people out of the way.

 

If anyone is interested in the two day itinerary we got from RO, I will be happy to post or send. I heard prices have gone up, but you can see what we were charged in May 2004.

 

Do watch RO prices if you charge. They quote you in US dollars then covert to rubles at the exchange rate of 30 to 1. The actual exchange rate is closer to 27 to 1 so you can get a surprise on your cc statement. Carrying large amounts of money can be trouble. While at Peterhoff a member of our group got his wallet stolen. He noticed it almost immediatly and the tour guide took off running after a half dozen 8 year old school children and their teacher. We could see her arguing with them and in about 10 minutes she was back with wallet, all cc in place, but no money. We heard of several others who lost their wallets also.

[JodiBB]

If anyone is interested in the two day itinerary we got from RO, I will be happy to post or send. I heard prices have gone up, but you can see what we were charged in May 2004.

 

I'd be interested in getting a copy of your itinerary....could you please email it to tinkerbell111968@yahoo.com? I appreciate your offer...

 

Thanks in advance!

[seagopher]

Originally Posted by nny92825100

If anyone is interested in the two day itinerary we got from RO, I will be happy to post or send. I heard prices have gone up, but you can see what we were charged in May 2004.

I would be very interested in receiving the two day itinerary hfarmer@carr.org

Thanks in advanced

[M&T]

Seagopher, I wondered if you can post it here. I sometimes have trouble with links. Thanks.

[nny92825100]

Here is our itinerary for May 2004. We felt the length of time was just right as we were very tired. It did allow us to enjoy the evening folk show. We did go into the gold room at the Hermitage (extra $15) that added about 45 minutes to our tour. I think the whole tour really came in about 7 to 7 1/2 hours the first day. The Hermitage, Peter and Paul and the Spilt Blood are very crowded and hot, no elbow room, so it takes longer than planned. We seen these on a Sunday, so I don't know if it is less crowded on other days.

 

DAY ONE – 6 HOURS

May 23, Sunday

 

07:00 AM - Ship’s arrival in St. Petersburg

09:00 AM - Start from the pier for a city orientation drive (city highlights): St. Nicholas’s Church, Theatre Square with Mariinsky Theatre, St. Isaac’s Square, majestic St. Isaac Cathedral, “Bronze Horseman” – the most famous monument to Peter the Great, Shmidt Bridge, Vasilievsky Island with Arts Academy, Menshikov Palace, University, Kunstkamera, “Strelka” with Stock Exchange and Rostral Columns and with the most beautiful view of Neva Embankments Winter Palace and other buildings of the Hermitage Museum, Twelve Colleges, Palace Bridge, Palace Square with Winter Palace and Alexander Column, Admiralty, Nevsky Avenue, the central street of the city, Smolny Cathedral and Smolny Institute, “Field of Mars”, drive by the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral, Troitsky Bridge, Peter’s the Great Cabin, Cruiser “Aurora”.

10:30 AM - inside visit of Peter-and-Paul Fortress, place where the city was founded in May of 1703, incl. the Peter-and-Paul Cathedral (1712 1733), burial place of the Romanovs

11:30 AM - Shopping opportunity at the biggest and best souvenir shop of St. Petersburg – Red October (wooden dolls of various dimensions and quality, authentic lacquer boxes from Palekh, Mstera etc., splendid amber, china, Russian shawls etc.)

00:15 PM - Tour of the Hermitage Arts Museum · Excursion to the West-European Masters’ collection (Rembrandt, Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, El Greco, Murillo, Van Dyck etc.)· Living and gala halls of the Winter Palace,· French Impressionists and art of XX century.

02:00 PM - Visit to the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral built in 1907 as memorial church to honor Russian Emperor Alexander II murdered on the spot by the terrorists. It is a sample of "Russian style" architecture and decorative art of the edge of the XIX-XX centuries. Mosaic attire of the church (over 7.000 sq. m) was created by the most famous Russian artists of the epoch.

02:30 PM - Drive back to the pier

03:00 PM - Return on board

 

The per person cost of the program:

if you are 4 is $ 117 pp, if you are 6 is $ 94 pp, if you are 8 is $ 89 pp, if you are 10 is $ 80 pp.

The above costs include car transportation, highly qualified English speaking guide services, entrance fees to the museums as mentioned in the program.

 

 

DAY TWO – 5 HOURS

May 24, Monday

 

08:30 AM09:30 AM09:40 AM10:30 AM - Departure for Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), drive 25km/15 miles south of St. Petersburg- Arrival in Tsarskoye Selo, official residence of Russian Tsars.- Stroll in the wonderful Catherine park with beautiful valleys, Cameron Gallery, Agate Rooms etc. -Visit to the Catherine Palace founded by Peter I for his wife Catherine I and re-built and enlarged for their daughter Empress Elizabeth by Italian architect F.B.Rastrelli; the striking luxury of the interior decoration of the palace was created by the best artists of XVIII and XIX centuries. The most famous Amber Room with the walls paneled with amber was completely lost during the WWII is restored completely. (Early admission to the Catherine’s Palace on special arrangement included in the cost)- Stroll in the beautiful Catherine park with its numerous pavilions and small palaces, ponds and canals, marble statues and monuments.

11:00 AM - Drive back to St. Petersburg

00:15 PM - Visit to St. Isaac's Cathedral (architect Montferrand), one of the finest architectural monuments of the XIX century, the former principal Cathedral of the Russian capital, the largest cathedral in town able to accommodate about 10,000 audience. The cathedral is beautifully decorated inside: marble of 13 colors, malachite, lapis-lazuli, paintings and mosaics made by the most famous Russian artists, impressive stained-glass image of Christ seen through the open doors of the magnificent Icon-Stand etc.

00:45 PM - Drive back to the pier

01:30 PM - Return to the ship

06:00 PM - Ship’s departure

 

The per person cost of the program:

if you are 4 is $ 117 pp, if you are 6 is $ 97 pp, if you are 8 is $ 92 pp, if you are 10 is $ 85 pp

The above costs include car transportation, highly qualified English speaking guide services, entrance fees to the museums as mentioned in the program.