Baltic Cruise and "Evening of the Tsars" and Evening of Russian Ballet"

[malily]

We are very much looking forward to our upcoming Baltic cruise and particularly Saint Petersburg. We have pre-booked the "Evening of Ballet" but have heard that this is probably a performance for tourists and is not the STP professional ballet and can even be students. What is everyone's opinion of this?

Also, after a long day of touring, is the "Evening with the Tsars" a don't miss or should we just enjoy the Voyager and rest up! Thanks for your advice.

[gfranzen]

Did anyone do either of these excursions -

 

Please....

[nana541]

My husband and I did Regent's Baltic cruise in late Aug of last year (2008), we loved the entire cruise - we did do the Ballet one evening and it was students....however I must say these were VERY talented students...in looking back I don't know that I would do that evening over...St Petersburg was so tour intensive that I was exhausted that evening wished I had stayed on the ship! The performance certainly matched any professional ballet I has seen, but it had been a very long long day. We hired private tour guide for St Petersburg, as the Regent tours were not included in the price of our trip....we did love our private guide.

You are going to love the ship and the Baltic....enjoy every minute, we did!

[malily]

We think we will probably skip the ballet as well and enjoy the ship that evening. Thanks very much for your response. We are certainly looking forward to the trip!

[nowornever]

this was not Regent so it may be completely different but our Evening of Russian Ballet might give you a smile. We did a simililar program while on a Tauck World Discovery trip to Russia 3 years ago in St. Petersburg. It was summer & very warm & no a/c in the Rimsky-Korsakov which is next door to the Mariinsky. The seats were sooo uncomfortable & the sightlines dreadful. Nevertheless, the theater itself it so full of history that it was a privilege to be there. The paint was peeling off the walls, the stage creaked when anyone walked on it. It was a classic firetrap & we later found out that the exit doors were locked, except for the one through which we all exited....at once (imagine a fire!) The performance was Swan Lake (allegedly Swan Lake) & it was performed by students, probably Advanced Students. The theater was full of flying bugs & darned if they weren't attacking the dancers causing them to SWAT them at very inappropriate moments...the lady sitting next to me had obviously had a bit too much vodka at some point & when the Prince first appears, said very loudly "NICE BUNS." It was an evening that we shall not soon forget! Just know if you go & if it's the same Tourist Ballet, that the dance will be dreadful but the theater a piece of living history.

[malily]

We will only go if the lady will attend again and say "nice buns." Thanks for your reply - we got a kick out of it!

[linda_22003]

If they still have the operatic evening at the Yusupov palace, don't miss it. That's still an excellent memory from our Baltic trip with Regent in '06.

[nana541]

this was not Regent so it may be completely different but our Evening of Russian Ballet might give you a smile. We did a simililar program while on a Tauck World Discovery trip to Russia 3 years ago in St. Petersburg. It was summer & very warm & no a/c in the Rimsky-Korsakov which is next door to the Mariinsky. The seats were sooo uncomfortable & the sightlines dreadful. Nevertheless, the theater itself it so full of history that it was a privilege to be there. The paint was peeling off the walls, the stage creaked when anyone walked on it. It was a classic firetrap & we later found out that the exit doors were locked, except for the one through which we all exited....at once (imagine a fire!) The performance was Swan Lake (allegedly Swan Lake) & it was performed by students, probably Advanced Students. The theater was full of flying bugs & darned if they weren't attacking the dancers causing them to SWAT them at very inappropriate moments...the lady sitting next to me had obviously had a bit too much vodka at some point & when the Prince first appears, said very loudly "NICE BUNS." It was an evening that we shall not soon forget! Just know if you go & if it's the same Tourist Ballet, that the dance will be dreadful but the theater a piece of living history.

 

Wow that is exactly how I remember it!! Minus the "nice buns" comment of course....very hot and stuffy...Swan Lake (check), beautiful old building, very hard seats and oh ya the lady that got pissed off when I snapped (one ok two pictures) of the ballerina for my 4 yr old granddaughter....keep in mind I was not the only one sneaking a picture...she was a Japanese tour guide how loudly informed me and all who could hear that I was a "rude, and blank blank American" yes sir that was one memoriable performance!!

I think they actually said these were their Senior dancers .... and these tourist performances help support the school and the building.

Just sign me an Inconsiderate Tourist!