Baltic Cruisers-private St. Petersburg tours-heads up!

[elin]

Don't know if anyone saw this (copied below) on the Oceania website recently.
I found this under the information they have posted on their tours which are available for each port. What is very interesting is that they are saying if you DO NOT do their (Oceania) tours that you have
to get a separate Visa (something that both Red October and DenRus say that you don't have to do if you book with them) and THAT YOU
WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE SHIP AFTER THE OCEANIA CRUISE TOUR PEOPLE HAVE LEFT.
My TA told me that she was told we HAD TO HAVE Russian Visas if we were not doing the Oceania tours.
Has anyone else had a problem with using an "Other" tour group with
either a) Visas and b) NOT being allowed to leave the ship until everyone else has left?
I would appreciate any input from anyone who has gone on this cruise
recently, or anyone going soon if they can report back.
Thanks.
Elin

- from the Oceania website -

RUSSIAN TOURIST VISA INFORMATION FOR CRUISE SHIP GUESTS
All visitors to Russia must be in possession of a Russian Tourist
Visa – however this requirement is waived for Oceania Cruises
Guests
while they are participating on an Oceania Cruises tour or private
vehicle arrangement. During your 2 or 3 -day stay in St. Petersburg,
a very special program of tour choices is available. Guests who have
purchased one or more of the available Oceania Cruises tours will not
require a visa to go ashore while participating on the tour. Guests
who wish to go ashore while not participating on one of the Oceania
Cruises organized tours, must be in possession of a valid Russian
Tourist Visa.

RUSSIAN TOURIST VISA WAIVER FOR OCEANIA CRUISES TOUR PARTICIPANTS
Russian Tourist Visas are not required for Oceania Cruises tour
Guests participating on an Oceania Cruises organized tour. All
Guests who elect to participate on an Oceania Cruises tour in St.
Petersburg, including Private Vehicle tours and the tour to Moscow,
may disembark the ship for their tour without a Russian Tourist Visa
provided they present the following to Russian Immigration:

* A valid passport.
* A Oceania Cruises tour ticket.

INDIVIDUAL RUSSIAN TOURIST VISAS
Guests who wish to sightsee outside of an Oceania Cruises tour MUST
obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa before leaving home; visas
cannot be obtained during the cruise.

Should you wish to obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa, you
will need to be sponsored by a licensed Russian tour company. This
company will provide you with the necessary Visa Support Letter and
documentation to obtain your individual Russian Tourist Visa. If you
choose this option, please note that you will be obligated to use the
services of the Russian Tour Company that provided you with the Visa
Support Letter.

For those guests who wish to travel independently of a licensed
Russian tour company you must obtain a Visa Support Letter issued by
the Russian government. To purchase a Visa support letter contact
the visa service of your choice (such as Zierer Visa Service). You
may contact Zierer Visa service at: www.zvs.com or 1 (866)-788 1100.
NOTE: Please plan for an estimated processing time of 30 to 45 days
for any Visa support letter and Visa Package service.

After obtaining a Visa Support Letter (either via a licensed Russian
tour company or the visa service of your choice), it is necessary for
you to contact the visa service of your choice (such as Zierer Visa
Service which you can call, e-mail or download information, forms and
fees) or the Russian Embassy for the procedures to obtain the visa.
Guests participating on the Oceania Cruises tours (visa requirements
waived) will be disembarked first upon arrival in St. Petersburg;
Guests with individual Russian Tourist Visas will disembark after the
tour Guests and must present the following to Russian Immigration:

* A valid passport.
* Russian Tourist Visa

We anticipate independent Guests with individual Russian Tourist
Visas being able to disembark the MS Regatta only after all Guests
participating on the Oceania Cruises tours (visa requirements waived)
have disembarked, at approximately 90 minutes after the ship's
arrival and therefore recommend that any independent services be
arranged no earlier than this time. Guests who have not purchased one
of the available Oceania Cruises tours and who do not possess an
individual Russia Tourist Visa, or whose visa is not properly
supported by the proper documentation, will not be permitted ashore
in St. Petersburg. Visas cannot be issued during the cruise. In order
to apply for a Russian visa, a guest must have a valid passport,
which does not expire within 30 days of the last day of the cruise.


PURCHASING TOURS
We highly recommend the pre-reservation of either the Discovery
Collection, Explorer Collection and/or the Complete St. Petersburg
Collection in advance due to limited space availability and
documentation requirements. Participation on a Oceania Cruises
organized tour eliminates the need to obtain an individual Russian
Tourist Visa and maximizes your time in St. Petersburg.

[Druke I]

We were in St. Pete several years ago, with NCL, and you could not leave the ship without a Russian Visa, UNLESS you went on a ship's organized tour.
They were very careful ashore to insure you did not stray from the group!

We were told that was the standard procedure in Russia, and have seen the same issue raised on other CC boards.

We're booked to do the Baltic again this year on Regatta, Aug 30 from Stockholm, and have not yet decided whether or not to get Russian Visas, or just go ahead with the "canned tours".

[aaannnthony]

We used Red October last year for two full days on Celebrity's Constellation. We were one of seven separate groups from Celebrity; our group totaled ten. All groups agreed that their service was excellent....they arrange your visas at no add'l cost. I recommend highly!

[elin]

Hi Michael,
We will be getting off the Regatta when you get on in Stockholm. We are doing the reverse, from London to Stockholm departing on Aug. 17.
From what I have been told by DenRus (and Red October) they take care of the Visa when you are travelling with them and that you do NOT need an independent Visa.
Have you booked your St. Petersburg tour yet?
Elin

[warburg]

We are booked on the July 20th Regatta cruise and would like to book with Red October for Saint Petersburg. I have tried searching for them on the web with no success. Can anyone tell me how to get in touch with Red October?

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

We were in St.Petersberg last Sept. We booked Red OCtober along with 7 other guests from the Radisson Seven Seas Voyager. The Red October uses a "BLANKET" visa that covers everyone in your group. You sent them the information they need beforehand and they do the rest. They will send you passes to disembark the ship and they are waiting there for you as you get off. Radisson didn't make anyone wait until "their" excursions got off. I wouldn't anyway. As soon as the ship clears; GO! Red October arranged everything for all of us. No lines anywhere. They took us to very good restaurants the guide was excellent. People worry too much and I was one of them. Believe me, it went very smoothly. At least until I got sick in the Hermitage. Our guide was kind enough to have our van driver drive us back to the ship. I would taken a taxi but they were so nice about it.

[jfb128]

Warburg-

Try http://www.redoctober.spb.ru

[warburg]

Thanks very much. I appreciate the help. We've been in Saint Petersburg before and had personal visas. We live in New York, so the Russian consulate is available. What most people don't know is that in order to obtain a personal visa, one must have an invitation from a Russian travel agent or tour provider. The two visits we made to Saint Petersburg were on the Seabourn Sun, and the line provided these so-called invitations. I don't know whether they can be obtained from Oceania.

[Jane110]

Companies like Red October and Denrus do provide a blanket Visa and there's no problem. The one and only drawback is that you can't go off the ship at night by yourself togo a concert, ballet or restaurant. If you want to do something like that you'll have to go with the ship's group tour or have Red October or Denrus serve as a chauffeuring service.