Non Cruise Tour in Saint Petersburg (and overall Baltic stability)

Hey guys, sorry, and thank you in advance, two pronged question.

1. I was reading over my final details from TJ Travel, and they describe disembarking from the ship towards customs, and that you need to bring your tour ticket along with passport and you will be able to get off the ship successfully. However, the part that had me worried was, they said to be aware that ship employees do not have the right to hold us on the ship against our will. Is this something cruises and employees have actually been known to do for people who booked a tour, but not with the cruise line? Also, I generally wanted to make sure that going with this group would be safe, and that we would not get ourselves into trouble by being with a booking separate from the ship. I'm also paranoid now that the ship actually will try and prevent us from getting off to go on that tour now, or that we will get in trouble with the customs staff when getting off or back on from our trip.

2. Second question is just about overall stability right now in the Baltic. There have been several attacks recently (Stockholm, Saint Petersburg),and the US issued the travel warning for visitors to Europe this summer. My wife's family was really worried, and they in turn, scared her some. I happen to think that much of this is precautionary, and the media trying to get a story for the sake of a story, and that I would still generally be safer walking around most of these cities than I would just about any reasonably sized American city (and that most of this fear was about as irrational as panicking about chances of being struck by lightning), but I just wanted to check to make sure that was still the case

Thanks all!

You will have no problems disembarking in St. Petersburg - TJ is a reputable company.

I don't respond to fear issues/stability opinions regarding European travel - it is a very personal issue for each individual and creates heated debate on the forums. I am sure you will hear from others regarding perceived safety issues in Europe.

I spend a significant amount of time in Europe each year and plan on doing the same this year.

We used TJ Travel for 2 days when we were on a Baltic Cruise a few years ago and they were great.

We had a driver and our very knowledgeable guide.

They took us to all the places we wanted to see.

Also had dinner at a restaurant and saw Swan Lake Ballet.

We had no problem getting off the ship.

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I was reading over my final details from TJ Travel, and they describe disembarking from the ship towards customs

You aren't the first to make this mistake and you won't be the last but customs only affects you when you re-enter your own country. Customs concerns itself with how much money folks have spent to buy goods in foreign countries.

You will be going through Passport Control.

... they said to be aware that ship employees do not have the right to hold us on the ship against our will. Is this something cruises and employees have actually been known to do for people who booked a tour, but not with the cruise line?

There are stories that this used to be a problem, but we're talking about a delay of private tour participants. No one has ever been held on the ship because they didn't buy an ship's excursion. Either exit the ship while the ship's groups are assembling or just hold your ground and insist that the security personnel scan you off the ship. FWIW, I printed out the portion of a similar email my tour company sent me in case the ship tried to delay our exit. I never had to show it.

Also, I generally wanted to make sure that going with this group would be safe, and that we would not get ourselves into trouble by being with a booking separate from the ship. I'm also paranoid now that the ship actually will try and prevent us from getting off to go on that tour now, or that we will get in trouble with the customs staff when getting off or back on from our trip.

Put your energy into other issues. None of the above is a possibility. Passports control -- not customs -- wants to make sure your passport matches the information your tour company registered. It wants to make sure the dates and times of your tour ticket match the dates and times you're departing/returning to the ship. That's all!

As Pet Nit Noy referenced, some cruise lines have been known to tell their passengers that they can only take enter St.Petersburg if they are booked on a ship's excursion (untrue). They have also been known to tell their passengers that those taking ship's excursions all get to disembark before anyone else (not enforced). So that is what I imagine TJ Travel is referring to in their statement.

As for safety abroad--that's a personal decision, but based on my experiences having lived on 5 continents (and traveled in a 6th), I tend to agree with Dogs4fun.

Like all the other local tour operators mentioned on this forum, TJ is well-respected and their tours are totally legitimate. You are as safe with them as you are with the others or with ship's tours. Like ship's tours & other local operators' tours, your tour ticket allows you through immigration visa-free to join your tour.

There have been instances of Princess in particular persuading those on independent tours to all meet at some venue on the ship & await instructions from the crew to disembark. This is a dodge to get their own tour groups into line for immigration ahead of the independents.

And a year or three ago Princess tried to control the lines at immigration by sending independents to busy lines & their own excursionists to shorter lines. They were hauled over the coals by Russian immigration for this, and I've not heard of them doing it since.

Hence the advice from TJ, and other tour operators give similar advice.

Now that you know, no problem :cool:

Judging from past threads on the subject, those travelling with P&O, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity haven't had such issues, I don't know about other cruise lines.

Being at the gangway early gets you ahead of ship's tours - check ship's newspaper for their meet-up times and locations and be at or near the gangway ahead of that time.

BTW, if you're on a 2 or 3 day visit, lines at immigration are very very much shorter & quicker on the second / third day (and for evening excursions) because the paperwork was done first time you disembarked.

Dogs4fun keeps the risks of European travel in perspective. :)

As do we for our frequent road trips to the USA, for which there are also numerous travel alerts about race riots, shootings, bombings and such.

Those who don't travel because they can't put things in perspective miss out on so much that the world has to offer.

JB :)

We did St P last year with Princess, and it absolute NONSENSE that they attempt to stop you going ashore with a private tour. We had a private guide and minibus and were off the ship ,in the bus and away by 9-00am....and....in our opinion it was worth the price of the cruise just to see St P over the 2 days....GO...and above all ENJOY

We had tours through TJ Travel in Germany and Berlin and both were excellent. I would feel very good about using them in St Petersburg.

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We just got back from our NCL Baltic cruise and we used TJ travel and did their 2 day highlights tour as well as their optional night tour. Getting off the shop is crazy. You do have to go through passport control and it takes almost an hour to get off the ship! As long as you have a passport and a tour ticket, you are allowed off the ship. The tour companies know it takes a while to go through passport control, so they are prepared for the delays. But I do recommend getting out there early and get in line! As far as safety is concerned, I was completely comfortable and never once felt unsafe. St Petersburg is absolutely beautiful! Enjoy!

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My travel agent tried to insist that we had to take a Princess organized tour in St Petersberg.

That was rubbish.

We used Alla but all the accredited tour companies are OK and about equal.

As others have said, be prepared for the one hour wait for passport control (which is nothing to do with your cruise line.)

The only recent change is in payments. The tour companies require payment in Rubles or credit card - they can no longer accept payment in US dollars or Euros.

We just returned Thursday from our Baltic Sea cruise. I did take note of what I would consider more than average naval military traffic while underway. The Russian military exercise, Zapad 2017, is approaching.

More importantly to add though is a tip regarding Russian passport control. On the first day you will be scrutinized and issued half of a paper form when your passport is handed back. I received one but my wife who was cleared through another line did not receive one. On our return the first day, mine was collected by the officer I spoke with. But my wife was detained by the officer in her line for about five minutes. Two Russian civilians tried to interpret and questioned her about having the form. The officer eventually called a superior, and only then allowed her through. Talking with other passengers later it seems that some others did not receive the form as well.

We were in SPB last Friday and Sat. All of the tour companies appear to be about equal. We used Ulko tours for a group of 6. Excellent. Half the cost of a ship's tour with preferred entry at the crowded sites.

Marina had 1100 people going ashore. There were 2 lines. One for independent tours ( about half) and the other for ships tours. On day 1, we got in line early and once the ship was cleared were through passport control in 15 minutes. Those who got in line late took up to an hour to clear passport control.

SPB can have up to 6 ships at once in 3 separate terminals. They know how valuable the cruise industry is to their economy.

You will be safer there than almost anywhere else because you are obliged to stay with your guide.

It's a beautiful city. Security is not oppressive. The only argument most tourists ever have is with the ladies guarding the public toilets. They want a rouble coin and get upset with a 1 or 2 euro coin.

There were 2 lines. One for independent tours ( about half) and the other for ships tours. On day 1, we got in line early and once the ship was cleared were through passport control in 15 minutes.

Exactly our experience in July 2015 on Eclipse. We managed to get down to the disembarkation deck as they were setting up, so we were in front of the Ship's tours, as they came down the stairs. They were guided to another room and we were pointed to a short line.

The only problem we were told about was that the immigration officers don't smile, so don't try to make them!

The only problem we were told about was that the immigration officers don't smile, so don't try to make them!