St. Petersburg, can you do a private day tour and a night ship's tour?
Jeff Gersten
Princess.
I had asked Alla about goiing back to the ship between tours if we used
one of her night activities. She replied that it was not typically done
like that. She said there was not time.
Both my wife and I think it is a very long day, especially if we do
something at night. We like the idea of going back to the ship to take
quick showers and then hit the buffet. We also do not want to totally
"burnout" in the first day in St. Petersburg, especially because the
Hermitage, which is my wife's main reason for wanting this cruise, will
be on our second day.
Our last scheduled activity in our Alla comfort tour ends at 4:30. The
next listing is 4:30 return to the ship. I guess I need to know how long
it takes to get back to the ship, and what time that ship tours (for
example the folkloric show) leave the ship to know if the logistics work
out. Since the ship has both day and night tours, obviously, it can work
with just ship tours? Can it be made to work with a combination of
private during the day and ship's tours at night? Has anyone done this?
clint
calm. A nice "Old Florida" downtown.
"Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:20261-465...@storefull-3258.bay.webtv.net...
Tom K
Petersburg, of course, traffic dependent. Also depending on where your last
activity was. There's also a train that crosses the road right inside the
port area... and our guide said that sometimes the train engineer likes to
be a bit of a "nuisance".
We went to the Hermitage our second day as well.... but didn't do anything
our first evening there. We went to Catherine's Palace and the Peterhof
Palace the first day and were pretty much exhausted when we got back. Both
of those are LONG drives out into the countryside.
"Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:20261-465...@storefull-3258.bay.webtv.net...
Jeff Gersten
>The port is roughly 20-30 minutes from many
>of the downtown places in St. Petersburg, of
>course, traffic dependent. Also depending on
>where your last activity was. There's also a t
>rain that crosses the road right inside the port
>area... and our guide said that sometimes the t
>rain engineer likes to be a bit of a "nuisance".
>We went to the Hermitage our second day as
>well.... but didn't do anything our first evening
>there. We went to Catherine's Palace and the
>Peterhof Palace the first day and were pretty
>much exhausted when we got back. Both of
>those are LONG drives out into the
>countryside.
Thank you for your answer. If I am reading you correctly, you are saying
it is possible, but watch out for it being too exhausting. This is a
concern of ours. It would even be more of a concern if we did not return
to the ship in between and did an evening activity staying with
Alla-tours.
Our first day also includes Catherine's Palace and Peterhoff, just as
yours did. Our last scheduled activity before 4:30 PM either return to
the ship or evening optional activities is 3:00-4:30 leisurely time in
the city (shopping, rest to sit in bar/cafe, walk along Nevsky
prospect).
BTW, which of the tour services did you use?
Diana Ball
Yes, some people on our cruise (HAL) did a private day tour followed by one
of the ship's evening tours. As you note, the logistics depend on the start
time of the evening tour you have in mind. If your excursion booklet (online
or print) doesn't indicate the start time, perhaps if you go to the Princess
website and begin the booking process for the folkloric show or other tour
that interests you, you'll discover the time information you need. (Most of
those reservation engines are set up to reveal the tour times at that point
where you tick your choice, thus you don't actually have to follow through
on the booking to get the desired information.) Alternatively, you could
Google for Star Princess reviews or search the archives for discussions
about Star Princess trips in the St. Petersburg forum at Cruise Critic (it
was a very active, helpful forum when we were preparing for our trip a
couple of years ago).
Because of the driving distances and traffic, we chose to stay in the city
through the evening. It was a looooong day, but well worth it. We had our
big meal of the day at lunch. Around 5p, our guide took us to a casual cafe
where we hung out for 1-1/2 hours and relaxed and recharged (and per the
guide, avoided competing with the peak rush hour traffic). Then we drove to
the evening show. It was between 10-11p when we returned to the ship--we saw
many others returning at the same time, so I guess that's pretty normal
whichever nighttime show or activity one chooses.
Are you doing a small group tour with Alla? She gets rave reviews, and you
will be very pleased with your decision to see the major attractions with a
small group. We traveled as a party of 8, so constituted our own small
group, and we had a terrific guide and driver through Denrus. Because you
mentioned the visit to the Hermitage was your wife's main reason for wanting
to take this cruise, may I suggest you consider a private tour for day 2 to
optimize your time at the Hermitage. The reason I say that is, the museum is
huge, and your time there will be limited, especially if there are other
stops on your itinerary for day 2. While I thoroughly enjoyed our visit, it
felt rushed, and I didn't see everything I wanted to see. If your wife can
review the collections on the Hermitage website and email a priority list of
"must see's" to the guide before you travel, the guide can prepare a logical
touring plan through the museum to make sure your wife sees the pieces she
came to see (or as many as feasible--it's physically impossible to "do it
all!"). ... Just food for thought...no matter how you do it, I know your
wife will love her visit to the Hermitage. Learning about the building's
history, architecture and design is almost as fascinating as the magnificent
art on display.
Diana Ball
Austin, TX
The Captain
Make sure you check on visa's?
Diana Ball
Hi, Captain,
All cruise line-contracted tour operators and those private tour operators
catering to cruisers--including the two mentioned here--are able to take
their charges ashore under a special visa waiver they procure from the
Russian government. This is nice for cruisers because it eliminates the need
to procure a visa. The downside is you have to stay with your guide at all
times, or they get in big trouble. Our guide was nervous about letting me
stroll a city block in her sight.
I did consider getting visas so we could do our own thing; however, I am so
glad we let a guide and driver take us around for our first, brief visit to
St. Petersburg. It is difficult to appreciate the vast geographical area
covered to see the main attractions until you are there, and the traffic is
nuts!
Diana
Nonnymus
way past Russian immigration and security in St. Petersburg to shop for
bargains. I was stopped and turned back to the ship.
Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
You don’t stand any taller by
trying to make others appear shorter.
Peri
> Diana, I know a lady - let's just call her "Ermalee" - who talked her
> way past Russian immigration and security in St. Petersburg to shop for
> bargains. I was stopped and turned back to the ship.
If anyone could do it, this so-called "Ermalee" is the one, I'm sure!
~ Peri
Ermalee
you could possibly be talking about.
Hey, Nonny, do you wanna go again? Another visit would let us do some
different tours, seeing stuff that we missed before.
Ermalee <----just one of many, I guess
Nonnymus
Ermalee wrote:
> Hmmm. There are so many Ermalee's in this world. I can't imagine who
> you could possibly be talking about.
>
> Hey, Nonny, do you wanna go again? Another visit would let us do some
> different tours, seeing stuff that we missed before.
>
Dunno, Erm. I talked to Mrs. Nonny today about an Amazon River cruise
in the fall. I'm dying to go back, and feel that the Amazon River
cruise was one of my cruising highlights. Mrs. Nonny disagrees, so I'm
not sure how she'd feel about the Baltic again. As you know, she really
had a great time there, though. The way things are right now, cruises
that have few port calls and things to see from the ship seem a bit more
practical for us. Tobie- what do you think?
I just thought of you today when i saw that nested egg you bought and
gave us from the Hermitage.
Jeff Gersten
>She gets rave reviews, and you will be very
>pleased with your decision to see the major
>attractions with a small group. We traveled as
>a party of 8, so constituted our own small
>group, and we had a terrific guide and driver
>through Denrus.
Yes, I put together a group of 10 through the roll call for the ship on
cruise critic. We will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in
Poland two days before we get to Russia. Another couple on our tour will
celebrate their 37th in St. Petersburg. It is also the husband's
birthday, so I guess he never forgets their anniversary. LOL
>Because you mentioned the visit to the
>Hermitage was your wife's main reason for
>wanting to take this cruise, may I suggest you
>consider a private tour for day 2 to optimize
>your time at the Hermitage. The reason I say
>that is, the museum is huge, and your time
>there will be limited, especially if there are
>other stops on your itinerary for day 2. While I
>thoroughly enjoyed our visit, it felt rushed, and
>I didn't see everything I wanted to see.
We did customize by adding 1/2 hour in the Hermitage taken from lunch.
And we do have special early entrance. I do realize we will never see it
all even if that's all we did in St. Petersburg.
The other stop on our customized tour is after lunch. It is from 1-4 and
is excursions to St. Peter and Paul Fortress and Church on the Blood,
St. Isaac Cathedral and the Choral Synagogue. If we did just the
Hermitage, there would still be so much more to see.
She teaches art in an elementary school. On our very first cruise was to
the Mediterranean. On the very first port in Nice, I was almost as
excited as her to see the Chagall and Matisse museums. By the 6th day in
Malta when she just had to see a small museum in an Episcopal Church, I
had had more than my fill of museums. I don't think i went to another
for 2 years. lol
>If your wife can review the collections on the
>Hermitage website and email a priority list of
>"must see's" to the guide before you travel, the
>guide can prepare a logical touring plan
>through the museum to make sure your wife
>sees the pieces she came to see (or as many
>as feasible--it's physically impossible to "do it
>all!"). ... Just food for thought...no matter how
>you do it, I know your wife will love her visit to
>the Hermitage. Learning about the building's
>history, architecture and design is almost as
>fascinating as the magnificent art on display.
As always, thank you, Diana, that is a great idea. I passed it on to
her, and she will do the virtual tour to check it out.
Tathraman
worth the money. They took care of the visas, meeting us at the dock
with driver and knowledgeable, fluent guide. No waiting in queues -
straight through every time. Cann't recommend this company enough.
St P is once-in-a-lifetime - make the most of it!!
David
Diana Ball
sounds like you've done a terrific job with your planning--good job on
getting the CC group and customizing your touring with Alla. The Heritage is
simply overwhelming, so for most, the "taster tour" is really quite
satisfying. You will enjoy the churches--fascinating. Did you ask Alla to
include a subway ride at a stretch that includes some of the famous ornately
decorated stations? I highly recommend it. It is very easy to incorporate in
your day 2 in town as the driver can stop, let you out (with guide, of
course), & pick you up at the agreed stop a few stations up the line.
You're going to have a wonderful trip!
Diana
Diana Ball
Diana
Tom K
You're correct about my point... don't push yourself to the point of
exhaustion. It's a long hot day out in the sun (at least it was in July
when we went). Vegging on the ship that evening let us get our energy back
for the Hermitage the next day. You, of course, know your energy level
better than I do.
Most evening excursions are for something like the ballet or opera... not
something I'd be interested in, so with going back to the ship, I didn't
miss something that I really wanted to do.
By the way... I'm not sure what I expected, but the Hermitage was SO
CROWDED, most of the time you were like 10 people deep at all the good
works. And the line out front to get in, was like a half mile long. I
asked the guide when the best time was, to visit the Hermitage so there
weren't huge lines... and she said January and February.... during the
Winter... the same Russian winter that stopped the German army in WW2.
--Tom
"Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:16968-465...@storefull-3252.bay.webtv.net...
Nonnymus
Just be careful, because she can get you in LOTS of trouble.
Nonny
Diana Ball wrote:
> I look forward to cruising with the mischievous Ermalee someday!
>
> Diana
>
>
--
Tom K
"Nonnymus" <nob...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:8Ur6i.392316$115.2...@newsfe10.phx...
> Diana, traveling with Ermalee and Bill is always a great experience. Just
> be careful, because she can get you in LOTS of trouble.
>
But Diana's a lawyer... so she can get everyone back OUT of trouble... <VBG>
--Tom
Tom K
"Diana Ball" <di...@removespamball.net> wrote in message
news:5butccF...@mid.individual.net...
Diana, an excellent suggestion. People on our sailing RAVED about the
Subway excursion they did... said it was the most fun part of the entire
visit to St. Petersburg. I like your thought about building it into one of
the daily activities.
Wow... since I missed seeing the subway there... that's about all the
reason I need to re-book a Baltics sailing.
And... as I think about it... the top of the mountain at Geiranger was
clouded in... so I guess I have to do the Fjords again because of that....
Hmmmm.... picking up a pattern.
--Tom
Ermalee
> I look forward to cruising with the mischievous Ermalee someday!
>
> Diana
>
>
old Caribbean jaunt out of San Juan?
Or would you prefer the Journey to Bermuda at the end of September?
Ermalee
Ermalee
Ermalee
Ermalee
was IN trouble..........:-) Sometimes if you ignore it, it'll just go
away.
Ermalee
Sue and Kevin Mullen
Ermalee in trouble, NEVER........hehehehehe
sue
Ermalee
Trouble? What's that? Thanks, Sue.
Ermalee <----would love to be cruising right now!
Nonnymus
Nonny
--
Diana Ball
some extra subway tokens, which she gave the kids for keepsakes. They are
cool reminders of the most interesting subway ride I think any of us has
taken.
-D
Tobie Gerbrandt
>
> Dunno, Erm. I talked to Mrs. Nonny today about an Amazon River cruise in
The way things are right now, cruises
> that have few port calls and things to see from the ship seem a bit more
> practical for us. Tobie- what do you think?
>
> I just thought of you today when i saw that nested egg you bought and gave
> us from the Hermitage.
> --
> ---Nonnymus---
> You don’t stand any taller by
> trying to make others appear shorter.
Hi Nonny,
I'm still trying to talk you, Erm, and Jean into joining us on the fall 2008
Trans Atlantic crossing on the Oceania Regatta.
Oh yeah, there's some talk on GGC0000 about doing an Alaska Group cruise in
the summer of 2009. It could be a GGC or SGC, or something like that, but
there seems to be quite a bit of interest.
Tobie>>>>on an Island in the Pacific
Jeff Gersten
>We used Red October.
I've read good reviews of Alla, Red October, and DenRus. I ended up with
Alla because she was the most prompt at answering my initial query. She
has been very patient working with my group and answering questions.
>You're correct about my point... don't push
>yourself to the point of exhaustion. It's a long
>hot day out in the sun (at least it was in July
>when we went). Vegging on the ship that
>evening let us get our energy back for the
>Hermitage the next day. You, of course, know
>your energy level better than I do.
yes. I thought that was what you were saying. I have been concerned all
along about the possibility of us burning out. After all, none of us are
as young as we used to be. Five years ago, on a Mediterranean cruise, my
wife, after 6 straight port days before a seas day said, "I'm tired of
people waiting on me. I just want peanut butter and jelly." LOL
>Most evening excursions are for something
>like the ballet or opera... not something I'd be
>interested in, so with going back to the ship, I
>didn't miss something that I really wanted to
>do.
I was looking at the folk shows. My wife also eliminated the opera. She
said she was interested in either the ballet or the folk shows.
>By the way... I'm not sure what I expected, but
>the Hermitage was SO CROWDED, most of
>the time you were like 10 people deep at all
>the good works. And the line out front to get
>in, was like a half mile long. I asked the guide
>when the best time was, to visit the Hermitage
>so there weren't huge lines... and she said
>January and February.... during the Winter...
>the same Russian winter that stopped the
>German army in WW2.
I think I'll pass on the Russian winter. How hot should we expect St.
Petersburg to be in mid-August?
Ermalee
> "Nonnymus" <nob...@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:I4n6i.142573$Fk2.1...@newsfe08.phx...
>
>>Dunno, Erm. I talked to Mrs. Nonny today about an Amazon River cruise in
>>the fall. ...........
>
> The way things are right now, cruises
>
>>that have few port calls and things to see from the ship seem a bit more
>>practical for us. Tobie- what do you think?
>>
>>I just thought of you today when i saw that nested egg you bought and gave
>>us from the Hermitage.
>>--
>> ---Nonnymus---
>>You don’t stand any taller by
>>trying to make others appear shorter.
>
>
> Hi Nonny,
>
> I'm still trying to talk you, Erm, and Jean into joining us on the fall 2008
> Trans Atlantic crossing on the Oceania Regatta.
We just might do that. We are interested, and I know Jean and Ed are
too. Just keep us posted on the plans, Tobie. I wouldn't mind having a
day or two in Barcelona. :-)
Ermalee
Tobie Gerbrandt
"Ermalee" <ehm369.@.comcast..net> wrote in message
news:9tadnTNjXdWLncbb...@comcast.com...
--
Tobie>>>>on an Island in the Pacific wrote
>> I'm still trying to talk you, Erm, and Jean into joining us on the fall
>> 2008 Trans Atlantic crossing on the Oceania Regatta.
>
> We just might do that. We are interested, and I know Jean and Ed are too.
> Just keep us posted on the plans, Tobie. I wouldn't mind having a day or
> two in Barcelona. :-)
>
> Ermalee
Hi Erm et-all,
If we can talk you and Bill, Ed and Jean, and Tom and Vicki into joining us,
we could be persuaded into spending a few days in Barcelona before the
cruise.
Just remember that group space is limited on these cruises. Best you all
talk to Cal and get booked if you're at all interested. If you have to
cancel at a later date (God forbid), it costs you nothing.
Think about it!
sheree
alla tours, denrus and red october.
there's a few differences between each of the "tours"
after bermuda, i'll really start in and will need to pick your brain!
sheree
"Tom K" <tkan...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:C9h6i.670$0A1...@newsfe12.lga...
> The port is roughly 20-30 minutes from many of the downtown places in St.
> Petersburg, of course, traffic dependent. Also depending on where your
> last activity was. There's also a train that crosses the road right
> inside the port area... and our guide said that sometimes the train
> engineer likes to be a bit of a "nuisance".
>
> We went to the Hermitage our second day as well.... but didn't do anything
> our first evening there. We went to Catherine's Palace and the Peterhof
> Palace the first day and were pretty much exhausted when we got back.
> Both of those are LONG drives out into the countryside.
>
>
> "Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
> news:20261-465...@storefull-3258.bay.webtv.net...
>> Specifically, we are using Alla-tours, and our ship is the Star
>> Princess.
>>
>> I had asked Alla about goiing back to the ship between tours if we used
>> one of her night activities. She replied that it was not typically done
>> like that. She said there was not time.
>>
>> Both my wife and I think it is a very long day, especially if we do
>> something at night. We like the idea of going back to the ship to take
>> quick showers and then hit the buffet. We also do not want to totally
>> "burnout" in the first day in St. Petersburg, especially because the
>> Hermitage, which is my wife's main reason for wanting this cruise, will
>> be on our second day.
>>
>> Our last scheduled activity in our Alla comfort tour ends at 4:30. The
>> next listing is 4:30 return to the ship. I guess I need to know how long
>> it takes to get back to the ship, and what time that ship tours (for
>> example the folkloric show) leave the ship to know if the logistics work
>> out. Since the ship has both day and night tours, obviously, it can work
>> with just ship tours? Can it be made to work with a combination of
>> private during the day and ship's tours at night? Has anyone done this?
>>
>
>
Jeff Gersten
>i juust started researching
>alla tours, denrus and red october.
>there's a few differences between each of the
>"tours" after bermuda, i'll really start in and will
>need to pick your brain! sheree
Someone over in the Baltic section of cruise critic asked for those
comparisons. Someone else answered that no one seemed to have used more
than one of those services. This is a function of the fact that this is
often a once in a lifetime trip and that people seem to find whichever
tour service they use excellent, so if they do go back, they use the
same one.
All three get uniformly glowing reviews over at cruise critic. In this
thread Diana seems to have been very happy with DenRus and Brian with
Red October. We have not been on our tour yet, but I can say that Alla
has been very easy to work with. Her response time is very good. She
answers all questions. She has been very accommodating to the
customizing we have asked for. I have a feeling that because hers is a
smaller organization, her responses are quicker and more personal.
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three major tour
services.
sheree
early to know if i can make it a 8-10 person trip i'm looking at their small
group tours. a few variations on what they see, i'm not real sure of the
differences. none do the synagogue and that i want to do.
so far only denrus gave me a price, $264 each for the 2 days
sheree
this is for next summer so it'll be interesting to read what you have to say
since i know both diana and tom and their opinions!!
"Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:20509-465...@storefull-3255.bay.webtv.net...
Tom K
The cruise lines make a LOT of money on excursions like the ones in St.
Petersburg. And they don't like sharing. As such... they will make things
much more difficult for those passengers who book privately.
They may try to hold up your exit from the ship for several hours, until all
the cruise tours have gone.
And it's easy to do since you can't simply walk off the ship and go into
town there. You must clear through Russian Border Access. They even keep a
paper copy of your passport at passport check.
When they tried to detain our group from leaving the ship (Red October asked
us to meet at like 9:00 and told us the ship may try to detain us)... we
kind of made a mini commotion with the cruise director. We even showed him
a fax from Red October stating how they might try to delay us, even though
they weren't supposed to. Finally he gave in and let us go on our way.
Otherwise we'd have sat several more hours.
"sheree" <sheree...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:4c%6i.226$Tu4...@newsfe12.lga...
Jeff Gersten
>I sent a question to all 3. alla was last to
>respond!! since it's too early to know if i can
>make it a 8-10 person trip i'm looking at their
>small group tours. a few variations on what
>they see, i'm not real sure of the differences.
>none do the synagogue and that i want to do.
>so far only denrus gave me a price, $264 each
>for the 2 days
There was someone in our party who really wanted a synagogue added to
the tour. Everyone in our group was fine with adding a synagogue to our
tour. When I communicated that to Alla, she added the Crystal Synagogue
to our tour.
sheree
I think i'll see if i can put together a 10 person tour on cc
then i can go to all 3 with the must dos.
at leats i have plenty of time!!
sheree
"Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:23952-465...@storefull-3253.bay.webtv.net...
Jeff Gersten
>thanks Jeff
>I think i'll see if i can put together a 10 person
>tour on cc then i can go to all 3 with the must
>dos. at leats i have plenty of time!!
>sheree
You're welcome Sheree
Alla has 3 basic tours, the moderate tour, the comfort tour, and the
strenuous tour. My wife and I decided on the comfort tour. I then
e-mailed Alla that we wanted the various prices on that tour, and that I
would try to put a group together from my ship's cruise critic roll
call. After seeing the prices, I decided we needed at least a party of 6
to make it viable. We ended up with 10 (out of the 16 ) from the roll
call. And she has been very amenable to customizing the tour.
She has been very good about responding to e-mail queries. One must
remember that there is an 8 hour time difference, more if you're not in
the Eastern time zone.
At 10, her comfort tour (which is the most expensive of the three) works
out to $305 per person. That's a total for the 2 days. It does not
include lunches or any night time activities. It includes all musuem
admissions and one picture (but not video) taking permission per
museum.
sheree
not a huge difference
not sure about the "picture taking" pricing
red october wants $500 pp for the 3 of us each
sheree
"Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:25743-465...@storefull-3254.bay.webtv.net...
Tom K
> denrus is 265 for their tour, not customized and lunch was included
> not a huge difference
Careful of the concept of lunch in Russia. Especially the first day. You
don't want to eat something that makes you sick so you're stuck on the ship
the second day. It's Russia... not a place like Switzerland, Germany or
England...
We were given a box lunch that hadn't been refrigerated (everything was
warm) for some time. There was a lunch meat sandwich, yogurt, and apple.
Some ate the lunch. I didn't. I opted to bring bread, peanut butter and
jelly packets, and water from the ship.
--Tom
Jeff Gersten
Interesting.
Everyone in our Alla-tour group wants to see as much of St. Petersburg
as possible. We therefore decided to bring our own lunches from the ship
on the first day and eat on our drive to Peterhoff. This gives us an
extra hour. On the second day, we added a half hour to our Hermitage
time and reduced lunch to half an hour. I am assuming we will only be
left time to eat at the cafeteria at the Hermitage.
sheree
about a boxed lunch. I too would be hesitant.
sheree
"Tom K" <tkan...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:Y4s7i.543$Tu4...@newsfe12.lga...
Jeff Gersten
>denrus is 265 for their tour, not customized
>and lunch was included not a huge difference
>not sure about the "picture taking" pricing
>red october wants $500 pp for the 3 of us
>each
Earlier today, I read a thread over in the Baltic section of cruise
critic in which someone says that DenRus wants to charge them a camera
fee and wants to know if this is a rip off.
The price on the Alla tours includes one camera permission per couple at
each museum. Someone who responded to the thread said that they received
a sticker that they put on the camera with Alla.
I don't know if the camera fee is or is not included with Red October.