misterfuss

Hello,

We are going to be on a 5 night Royal Caribbean cruise this summer that has 2 nights in St. Petersburg, Russia. We aren't really interested in the cruise lines shore excursions, partly since they appear to rush through key sites and focus on shopping.

The options we are looking at are contacting local agencies so they can arrange the "blanket" visa and customize a tour for us or perhaps applying for tourist visas on our own. I have read a few of the other posts and see a few agencies like DenRus and Red October that have received good reviews, but they seem to be a bit pricey. Is there an expectation that quoted prices are "final" or is bargaining expected? (I want to be sensitive, yet I plan on contacting several agencies.)

Assuming we try to get tourist visas on our own, just how daunting is the visa process? Also, how challenging is getting around St. Petersburg and what are the public transportation/taxi options from the port where Royal Caribbean docks their ship?

Also, how easily can I use my ATM card overseas to obtain Rubles?

Thanks for any insights.

Misterfuss

jacketwatch

I think its best to pay for a good private tour. It may be costly but you have to balance that with the cost of getting a visa which is about $80.00 or more per person. Then on top of that unless you know a lot about Russian history you will not fully appreciate what you see w/o a knowledgable guide.

Percy

I agree

I used Alla Tours and can recommend her highly.

You better hurry up if you wan to book a local tour compnay in St.Petersburg.

When are you going.

A guide is indispensible , to take you from point A to point B in the least amount of time and explain the history along the way.

I would not even try getting a Tourist Visa.

How would you get to Catherine's Place or to Peterhof!

You can join up with other if you take a private tour with Alla(Or one of the other good tour compnaies)

Just tell Alla you would like to join up with a small group , undeer 10-12.

This way the price is much less.

Don't skimp on seeing things in St.Petersburg, it is too lovely as place .

abram

We were delighted with the two days we spent touring with Red October. They were extremely cooperative about tailoring their standard two day itinerary to our interests.

It never dawned on me to haggle about the price--although we did arrange to split two lunches among the four of us because they were so enormous.

Our guide paid for anything where rubles were required, and we settled up with her at the end of the second day.

geetika

Alla & SPB come highly recommended, we used the former. However, just the other day I read a post by someone who did St. Pete by herself, and did pretty well too, think it was on the Cruise Critic Baltics forum, you may want to check it out.

misterfuss

Thanks for the replies everyone. @Percy, we are going late June, but haven't finalized our "must see" list quite yet. We actually want to bit of an architectural walking tour one of the days, if that is possible.

Percy

Well in June you will have looon days of daylight!

If you go with Alla I would take her "Strenous Tour"
It is not called Strenous anymore...but this is the tour that

you will see the most in your 2 day tour in St.Petersburg.

I would do this:

1. Stick with Alla Tours for day one and day two because you really do see a lot of places and you also go inside.

2. In the evening, it is daylight until midnight !! so you can then go walking down Nevskiy Prospekt ( which is Nevsky Avneue and the main street in St.Petersburg.)



There are many nice Architectural places all along Nevsky Avenue and just a block off on either side.


3. For Allas' Tours , you can make a list of extra place you want to see, even if it is only for a photo op.

For example:

The House of Faberge
Peter the Great's Original Log Cabin
The Field of Mars and the Eternal Flame. ( This is almost just back of the Hermitage)

I am just giving you a sample...your choices will be different

Let us know what your must see list is

abram

If you book with a tour company (like Alla, Denrus, or Red October), I believe that the group visa they get for you will only be valid while you are with them. I don't think you'd be able to walk around on your own in the evening.

Percy

That's a good point abram

And if it is only valid while you are with your tour company,

then you could ask the tour company ( Alla, Red October or Denrus) to drop you off at Nevisky Prospekt , and pick you up several hours later.

Whatever it takes , if you have the energy after a long full day of touring and sight seeing, to want to walk about in downtown St.Petersburg...I am sure it can be arranged.

abram

Percy, I don't think that would work--I believe that you have to be WITH the tour company guide in order for their visa to be in effect.

Percy

That could be abram........... but some people go to the Ballet in the evening time and Alla has bought tickets for them in advance.

What I do not know is how they got there ( to the Ballet) and back.

I would be interested to know
I assume one of the tours guides is with you at the Ballet or at least at the Opera House.....or picks you up as soon as the Ballet is over ( Hmmm!!)

abram

I wonder, too.

jmvp

Thanks Percy and abram

I am following this also ,and perhaps someone who has gone to the Ballet via a Tour Company can let us know.

traveller69

Hi Percy - As you know my brother went to the Ballet while they were there. Alla got their tickets, picked them up from the ship and delivered them back to the ship so basically they were not unattended. I don't know if the driver waited or just came back to get them.

What are you next plans? My daughter and I are going to relive her youth ( and mine I guess) and celebrate her birthday next weekend by taking the one week repo cruise from LA to Vancouver on Disney. Just for the fun of it.

Percy

Hi traveller69

Thanks for the information.

Yes I remember you telling me your brother went to the Ballet.

So I can now assume you cannot wander about on your own in St. Petersburg unless you have your own Visa ( which makes sense ).

Well abram, I guess we now know you are under the supervision of your Tour Guide while in St.Petersburg, I am glad you broght up that good point

Traveller69 are you back from Arizona , or are you heading straight for LA for the cruise.?

Have a good time, it should be a nice little cruise .

I am trying to decide where to go this year.
Take Care.

traveller69

Hi Percy
We are back in Victoria. My daughter lives in Texas and we usually do something together once a year. The cruise was a real bargain so we thought it was a good idea. The only ports are San Francisco (where she used to live and has friends she can meet up with) and Victoria where we can make everyone jealous because we are boarding the ship and sailing away - all the way to Vancouer. They stretch the trip to make a week cruise out of it so the last day is actually in Vancouver itself and we disembark the next morning. She will fly back to Texas and I will board the BC Ferry for not such a glamorous cruise.
Keep us up to date on your next adventure - any contenders so far?

misterfuss

Thanks to everyone for all the great information. We are definitely planning on having an agency meet us in St. Petersburg. We are awaiting responses from a few of them now.