tuscanlifeedit

Hi
I've been searching cruise lines and haven't found the sort of itinerary that I'm looking for. That may mean very little, because I have never been on a cruise and other than Fodors, where I visit daily, I'm not on any other boards, nor do I know how best to search for cruises.

My "perfect cruise" would include a Norwegian fjord or two, and St Petersburg, Russia.

My perfect cruise would NOT cost 10K USD for a couple.

So I'm looking for a moderate cruise line, not luxury, and a shortish cruise that would hit a Norwegian fjord and St P.

Is there such a thing?

I've found a ferry from Norway to St. P. but have no idea if the ferry accommodations would be pleasant. I was thinking I could do a short Norway cruise, then tack on a visit to St. P. if I couldn't find an all-in-one trip.

Looking for ideas and feedback is welcome. Thanks.

janisj

I don't know myself -- but have you considered two different cruises back to back? One for Norway and then one for St Petersburg and the Baltics.

Otherwise your idea of a Norway cruise and then an independent visit to St Petersburg might be you best option.

Eschew

The economics and the geography does not allow for St. Pete and Norway fjords all on the same cruise even if it is 2 weeks in length, which is the outside limit of most mass market cruises.

To visit the Norwegian Fjords properly should be done on small boat cruises, and NOT mass market ships. They big ships just can't get to where you really wanted to go.

http://fjordtravel.no/tours-cruises-...tours-cruises/

If you really want to see St Pete in all its glory, you need a few days and cruise ships overnight for a couple days is simply not enough time.

http://www.expresstorussia.com/st-pe...sia-tours.html

thursdaysd

Agree with the posts above.

I visited the Norwegian coast last year on a Hurtigruten boat. I am not a cruiser, and it is a not a boat for someone who expects casinos and floor shows and glitz, but it was a wonderful trip for someone interested in the scenery.

https://www.hurtigruten.us/

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...e-kong-harald/ and following posts.

If all you want to see in the Baltics is St. Petersburg, no reason to take a cruise. Even if you want more, still very easy traveling without a cruise, and you will get longer on shore.

BarbAnn

Last year I took a back to back cruise on Royal Cruise Line out of Copenhagen. Each cruise was 7 days. First week was their Norwegian Fjords cruise and the second week was their Scandinavia and Russia cruise. We stayed in the same cabin, so the transition from the first week to the second week was seamless. It was a fabulous cruise! RCL only offers that particular back to back a few times each season. I know they are offering it during May 2017. No need to spend money for a balcony cabin in May as it is too cold to enjoy them.

tuscanlifeedit

Thanks for the very informative responses.

I am thinking that what would be most affordable is a trip to Norway with Hurtigruten for fjords scenery and then a flight to St Petersburg. I even saw a ferry from Bergen, I think, with three nights in St P.

I will be exploring the options for including both destinations in one trip.

I sincerely doubt that we would ever return to the area, and the fjords of Norway and St Petersburg are on my must-see-in this-lifetime list. And this lifetime is winding down.

BarbAnn, I will also look at RCL.

deladeb

You will love Norway, we rented a car and drove around several years ago. This summer we enjoyed a Baltic cruise with 2 very busy days in St. Petersburg. You probably already know this, but without a Visa you will have to be with a tour guide during your St Petersburg visit.

HappyTrvlr

Do a Hurtigruten cruise in Norway and then fly to St.Petersburg for a land based exploration of this beautiful city. You'll need to get a Visa for Russia.

tuscanlifeedit

Happy, that sounds like the solution I should pursue. Thanks.

Bedar

We, too, wanted to hit all Scandinavian countries but the only trip was a couple of years ago on Cunard. We don't like supporting the cruise industry so weren't ready to sign on. Should look again. Was to Russia in 2003 so not particularly interested in Petersburg, tho' wouldn't mind revisiting Moscow.

doug_stallings

The only difficulty with flying into Russia for a St. Petersburg visit is the visa issue, one that is overcome when you're on a cruise. Here's my advice. Do the shortest Hurtigruten cruise you can arrange, then fly to Stockholm or Helsinki and do a short cruise that hits St. Petersburg, which you will then be able to visit without a visa on a cruise (St. Peter Line is the company that offers these short cruises, which may include a hotel stay in St. Petersburg).

But I agree that the only way you can get both of these experiences on the same trip is with two separate cruises.

HappyTrvlr

But if you don't have your own visa you would not be free to explore on your own. My understanding is that you would have to be on a guided tour, either the ship's or with a private guide. That would drive me crazy. The visa is costly but so is the whole trip. We enjoyed exploring St.Petersburg independently. You could still hire guides but not only be guided about, have independent time too..

tuscanlifeedit

Well, the visa/cruise issue is what made me think of finding a cruise that would include both of my "list" places in the general far northern European area: Norway fjords and St Petersburg.

So back to the drawing board. A short fjord cruise and a combo with a short cruise to St Petersburg could be it.

I wonder if the St Peter Line, which I have looked at, provides a visa. How does that work with staying in a hotel?

Eschew

If you book the ship's excursion, the ticket is your visa. You don't have to book with the ship's excursion as the ship does not provide the visa, the tour company does. As long as you go with an accredited tour company, and there are many, your tour ticket/voucher is your visa, and you do not need to apply for a visa on your own.

You have to go through immigration when you go ashore, they will ask to see your tour voucher. For those with overnight hotel stay, the tour company will book the hotel for you, typically includes meals, a show (ballet), the accommodation, transportation etc and is responsible for your well being the whole time while under their care.

tuscanlifeedit

Eschew: that sounds good. I want to see a ballet (no other kind of show) and the Hermitage, and maybe a little more. I know that St Petersburg deserves a lot more time and money than I will probably have but a few days would be better than nothing.

Eschew

We booked with Alla Tours for our 2 days in St Petersburg. We booked them based on recommendation from Percy and a few others who posted here and had used their services. Check with them and see what they have to offer. They reply to email real quick and answer questions. Like most, I was confused about the whole visa thing and they helped explained it. Some ships actually makes you believe that their excursions are the only one that can get you off the visa challenges.

tuscanlifeedit

thanks!

janisj

I'd look at both denrus https://www.denrus.ru

and tickets&tours http://www.tickets-and-tours.com

Ticket&tours is run by an American expat and does some terrific tours.

tuscanlifeedit

thanks janisj

elissabi

You might take a look at Pullmantur Cruises. They do a back to back 7 day Norwegian and 7 day Baltic cruises on the Monarch. The cruises run from $300 - $500 pp (+about 200 taxes).

Pullmantur is a Spanish cruise line serving the Spanish market (Spain & Latin America) but apparently they do all announcements in English and most of the crew speak English to some degree. They use old Royal Caribbean ships - so not top of the line cruising; however, their itineraries are very good. 2 nights in St. Petersburg and 2 night in Stockholm on some of the cruises. The standard stops on Norway cruise.

There aren't a whole lot of reviews out there and they tend to be mixed. If you're looking for inexpensive cruising and you're not too picky about entertainment or amenities, this may be a good fit. Check out pullmantur on the cruise critic message boards and you will find more information.

The Pullmantur website prices are not indicative of the actual prices because they are targeted to the European market. Try vacations2go to see more accurate pricing for the US market.

I was really tempted by the prices to try this but unfortunately the rest of my family was not crazy about it.