Wondering about Russian ports

on our Fortresses and Fjords cruise in June/July. Murmansk, Solovetsky Islands (overnight) and Archangel. We're probably looking at O tours because of the visa issue. If you've been there, what do you think of the ports, and if you've taken an O tour, which one, and did you find it worthwhile? Thanks for any help. Marlene

@travelglobetrotter:

"on our Fortresses and Fjords cruise in June/July. Murmansk, Solovetsky Islands (overnight) and Archangel. We're probably looking at O tours because of the visa issue. If you've been there, what do you think of the ports, and if you've taken an O tour, which one, and did you find it worthwhile? Thanks for any help. Marlene"

If these ports are similar to St Petersburg, you could probably find a local licensed tour company that would include the Russian visa with the tour(s) you take with them. You aren't necessarily limited to O tours. You can check on CruiseCritic or other forums, such as TripAdvisor for more details and reviews of tour companies that offer tours at a given port.

Reportedly, O tours can be much more expensive than independently making your own tour arrangements.

on our Fortresses and Fjords cruise in June/July. Murmansk, Solovetsky Islands (overnight) and Archangel. We're probably looking at O tours because of the visa issue. If you've been there, what do you think of the ports, and if you've taken an O tour, which one, and did you find it worthwhile? Thanks for any help. Marlene

I suggest you contact SPB, TJ, Alla, Best Tours, White Nights, or any of the other well regarded tour companies in St Petersburg. Ask them if they have the ability to offer private or small group tours for your not-St Petersburg port calls. You'll have a better idea of how to proceed when you hear from a licensed tour company.

We used Alla Tours in St. Pete. We covered alot of ground and the itinersry were comparsble with O and other private operators. The tour guide had encyclopedic knowledge, the inly comolaint being her sanitized version of 20th century Russian history.

Harry

At the time we went to Murmansk there were no private guides then but I think there may be now

In anycase we did the city tour the one with pancakes involved ..it was good

found this site

http://www.kolatravel.com/murmansk.htm

We used Kola Travel (link in post above) for both Murmansk and Archangel. Excellent service during the booking process. Guide was excellent in Murmansk; good in Archangel. Private cars with driver. No complaints.

Their tours are a bit pricey but everything is expensive so far north. The best thing is they customize it to whatever you want to see. Or not see, in the sense that O's three or four different tour itineraries are 80% the same as each other with one variable in each. A highlight for us was an amusement park in Murmansk that I asked to visit because it was a warm Sunday afternoon and lots of local families would be there. Lots of fun. Add in lunch at the best place in town (not a tour bus in sight), coffee and pastry at a popular local bakery, a stop at the post office plus a few of the usual historical attractions and we had ourselves a great day.

In the end, what's an extra hundred bucks? Murmansk is quite interesting; Archangel less so. Still, you're there; you went all that distance; you gotta see it.

Caveat: The so-called "port" in Archangel is a long drive from the city on a two-lane road that can get jammed with traffic, so be sure you leave a significant cushion of time for your return drive to the ship. Murmansk: no problem, you're right next to downtown.

There aren't any tour agencies that we could find in Solovetsky. Just take the ship's tours. They visit two different islands, each of which is sort of interesting and, again, you've gone all that way so you might as well see what's there.

on our Fortresses and Fjords cruise in June/July. Murmansk, Solovetsky Islands (overnight) and Archangel. We're probably looking at O tours because of the visa issue. If you've been there, what do you think of the ports, and if you've taken an O tour, which one, and did you find it worthwhile? Thanks for any help. Marlene

We visited these ports last summer while aboard Nautica. The itineary was similar to what you're sailing. We took the ship's tours in these ports and found Murmansk and Solovetsky to be interesting while Archangel was far less so. We were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day in Murmansk which we learned was quite a rarity. As I recall, the majority of the tours being offered were quite similar to one another with a slight tweak here and there. The sail-in to Murmansk was interesting as the approach is via a lengthy inland waterway. It's a naval town. We noted that we were followed by their submarines both coming and going. You will also find that you have nearly continuous daylight at that time of year. So, if you wish to be up very early for the sail-in (as my husband was), you will be able to see all the sights despite the early hour.

Re: the OP's "We're probably looking at O tours because of the visa issue."

O's documentation implies through clever wording that anyone not taking an O tour must obtain a visa in order to go ashore. Don't believe the implication. No visa is needed in any of the ports O visits in Russia as long as you are accompanied everywhere on shore by a licensed Russian tour guide. Touring with Kola up north, for instance, or any of the several recommended agencies in St. Petersburg such as SPB or Alla means you do not need a visa.

In St. Pete, you will receive a tour ticket by e-mail after you've paid your fee. (Every tour company I investigated requires payment up front, but they are reputable so you needn't worry. Just be sure you have travel insurance in case you need to cancel.) You need that tour ticket when going ashore as an individual in St. Pete. It's a bit like landing at the airport: you must pass through immigration control and show your passport and tour ticket. Your guide and driver will be waiting for you on the other side.

Murmansk and Archangel are much more casual. Your guide and driver pull right onto the pier next to the ship and meet you at the bottom of the gangway. They show their papers and yours to the guards upon leaving the port gates and you're on your way. Easy peasy.

Vlthom's post above about cruising into Murmansk is spot on. Absolutely fascinating with all the naval stuff plus countless ships of all descriptions. And the city itself is beautiful in its way, on the river and surrounded by hills. The post is also accurate regarding the various O tours on offer. They're virtually the same but with the order of stops changed around so everyone doesn't hit each place at the same time. I highly recommend customizing your own tour if you can possibly do so.

In St. Pete, you will receive a tour ticket by e-mail after you've paid your fee. (Every tour company I investigated requires payment up front, but they are reputable so you needn't worry

.

Is this something new?

Never required payment upfront for SPB tours

Mea culpa! Getting turned around in my old age…..

LHT28 is absolutely correct. SPB requires a deposit up front (about 20% if I remember correctly) but not full payment. The balance is paid on arrival in St. Petersburg. They accept credit cards for both if that's your preferred method of payment.

Kola, on the other hand, does require full payment before final confirmation of booking…or did last year, anyway. They don't take credit cards directly but you can pay them by credit card through PayPal. Otherwise, it's a bank transfer.

Thanks to you all for the information and personal views. I was aware of not needing a visa for St. Petersburg, and assumed it would be the same for these ports. I'll be contacting the tour providers listed. thanks again for all your help and knowledge.

Marlene

We visited these ports last summer while aboard Nautica. The itineary was similar to what you're sailing. We took the ship's tours in these ports and found Murmansk and Solovetsky to be interesting while Archangel was far less so. We were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day in Murmansk which we learned was quite a rarity. As I recall, the majority of the tours being offered were quite similar to one another with a slight tweak here and there. The sail-in to Murmansk was interesting as the approach is via a lengthy inland waterway. It's a naval town. We noted that we were followed by their submarines both coming and going. You will also find that you have nearly continuous daylight at that time of year. So, if you wish to be up very early for the sail-in (as my husband was), you will be able to see all the sights despite the early hour.

We are considering this cruise for 2017 - mainly for the Russian ports. I have been talking to someone who took the cruise or a similar one on 2010 and she had mixed feelings about the Russian ports. Sounds as if you liked them.

One of the freebies that Oceania is offering is 10 free excursions. However, although it is difficult at best to navigate the Oceania WEN site, it seems as if the free excursions are mostly in the $80 - $150 range and not the ones that we would like to take. An alternative freebie is $1000 OBC which might be better for us as it will cover our tips plus some money left over. What did you do.

If it is not too much trouble, could you or anyone else who has taken this cruise possibly e-mail me at donald.schoengold41@gmail.com so I can ask you some more questions.

Many thanks

DON

For Alla no deposit was required and she collects full payment on the second day of three day tour. Great tours. Done them twice. Also i think she is doing a number of other cities now. :):):)

Murmansk seemed to be primarily a military port and a military town. Lenin statue still in place, at least a couple of years ago. Never were able to find any local guides who could get into the port area. Still, the ship tour was interesting, if only for the militaristic attitude of the guide, who got quite upset when one of the participants broke free to buy some vodka at a nearby store. Seemed very "old USSR."

Mary

For Alla no deposit was required and she collects full payment on the second day of three day tour. Great tours. Done them twice. Also i think she is doing a number of other cities now. :):):)

I do not see any tour for the Northern Russian ports on her site

When did you do those & what ports did she offer tours for ??

Murmansk seemed to be primarily a military port and a military town. Lenin statue still in place, at least a couple of years ago. Never were able to find any local guides who could get into the port area. Still, the ship tour was interesting, if only for the militaristic attitude of the guide, who got quite upset when one of the participants broke free to buy some vodka at a nearby store. Seemed very "old USSR."

 

Mary

we had a nice young lady & she let people loose in the gift shop of the hotel we went to for Pancakes :D

It would have been nice to see more of the navel base but back in 2010 it was still new to the cruise lines stopping there

Hope to go back again ..

We booked a private tour in Murmansk. Found it through Trip Advisor, with others on our cruise. We were a group of 10ish. The tour operator had a large bus, loaded 3 groups together. We went everywhere together, it wasn't a private tour. But it was much less than an O tour. We toured a drydocked nuclear icebreaker, a naval museum and the Kirsk memorial.No shopping stops. The other Russian stops were not on our cruise. Sorry didn't realize your cruise is over.

I can give u excellent guide for truly private tour in Murmansk archangelsk solovetsky islands. Email me

Americanbulldogs58@gmail.com

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I do not see any tour for the Northern Russian ports on her site

 

When did you do those & what ports did she offer tours for ??

We did St. Pete twice and I seem to remember that she was expanding her business to other ports in Europe, but I do not remember which ones. She does have a web sits and they probably can be found there. We got very good tours and would use her again if possible. :):):)

We did St. Pete twice and I seem to remember that she was expanding her business to other ports in Europe, but I do not remember which ones. She does have a web sits and they probably can be found there. We got very good tours and would use her again if possible. :):):)

Yes she does tour in the Baltic area but this thread is about the Northern Russian ports which there is nothing on her website for

Yes she does tour in the Baltic area but this thread is about the Northern Russian ports which there is nothing on her website for

Sorry that I was not able to be more helpful.

did anyone use Kola Travel for Murmansk or Archangel ?

If so did they pick up at the port ?