"Braemar" at St Petersburg September 2009

[goodwinmacc]

My wife and I are joining "Braemar" for its Baltic cruise departing Dover 20th September this year. We are hoping to book with one of the independent excursion companies (Denrus etc) for our trip(s) into St Petersburg, rather than taking the "official" one from the ship. These excursions are usually made up of smaller groups, travelling in a minibus, and the cost to everyone is cheaper if the bus can be filled. Are any fellow passengers booked on this cruise interested in joining us?

[dorisday]

My wife and I are joining "Braemar" for its Baltic cruise departing Dover 20th September this year. We are hoping to book with one of the independent excursion companies (Denrus etc) for our trip(s) into St Petersburg, rather than taking the "official" one from the ship. These excursions are usually made up of smaller groups, travelling in a minibus, and the cost to everyone is cheaper if the bus can be filled. Are any fellow passengers booked on this cruise interested in joining us?

 

Im not booked on this cruise but I did do the same itinary Sept 2008 on the Carnival Splendor. 36 of us from Cruise Critics booked 3 tour buses through Alla Tours and had a fantastic 2 days touring around St Petersburg. The pace was leisurely, my Mom who walks with the aid of a 4-wheeled walker was very well looked after and accommodated for.

I can highly recommend this company for independant tours around St Petersburg, they organise your visa's, you are well informed & taken care of & their drivers & guides are extremely knowledgeable.

 

One point I will make is check the exchange rates closely, we paid in Rubles & luckily got the best deal in 2008

[goodwinmacc]

Thanks for this useful tip. Did you go on the tour with a group of friends, or were other pre-booked visitors able to fill the bus?

[dorisday]

We had a fantastic Roll Call group here on Cruise Critics and had been chatting to eachother online for over 12 months prior to the cruise, we sorted out all our trips between us & have become great friends thanks to Cruise Critics.

 

I wish CC would start a Roll Call section for Fred Olsen so I could get to know & chat with fellow cruisers on my December cruise.

[Great Danes]

Hi, Interested to read about your independant excursions, we were thinking along the same lines and contacted Red October. They are very helpful but we are now completely confused as to what trips we should take and are contacting friends who have done this cruise. Reading your blog I will now look into these other tour operators.

 

I want to know should we spend more time at the Hermitage than they allow, both through independant and cruise line excursions?

 

If anyone else is out there who are sailing on 24th May and would be interested in touring independantly, please contact us.:)

[goodwinmacc]

There are three or four independent companies offering excursions, and I believe they will 'tailor' the trips to suit the group. Probably your best bet, (and this is what we are hoping to do),once you have decided on the company, is to read up on what's to see and do and present your choices to the company. I imagine they'd have plenty of advice to give you, anyway!