St. Pete/Russia: Private vs. Ship's Tours??

We are finalizing our second cruise. For July 2008, it will be Baltics, Oslo to St. Petersburg to Stockholm, plus, plus. Did our first cruise on Seabourn last summer Athens to Istanbul, Greek Isles, Turkish Coast. Great!!!

For next year it will be on Crystal Cruises, which is highly rated, also. BUT, the key question is about the shore tours offered on the boat, especially in St. Petersburg.

Ship's tours . . . VERSUS . . . those through the private shore companies such as Red October, Denrus, Alla, Anastasia, etc.???? Lots of folks love the private tours and have said great things on these Boards. Clearly those private ones offer more personal service, flexibility, BUT, maybe at a higher cost per person. Some of have said the private ones like to steer you to certain "sales" places to push business from their friends and maybe get special commissions back.

On some of the some the smaller ships such as Crystal, Seabourn, Regent, Silversea, how well have people rated the value, quality and service on their ship's tours compared to what is offered from the "usual subjects" by the private tours?

Another other major or minor pro/con factors to consider?

Look forward to hearing more.

Thanks! Terry in Ohio

We were in St Petersburg last August (for one day only) & used Red October who we contacted only a week before we were due to sail.

Forgive a little copying & pasting here...but the ships tour we would probably have taken:

SPT13 - PETRODVORETS (PETERHOF) & HERMITAGE (full day with lunch)

This excursion will enable you to visit two of the sites of major historical and cultural interest of St. Petersburg. First we will reach the Palace of Petrodvorets, considered one of the loveliest tzars’ summer residences. We will visit the rooms and its wide park rich in fountains and gardens. We will then visit the Hermitage, the museum that houses three million works by Italian, Dutch and French artists. Lunch included.

For our party of 3 adults one child, cost.approx $565

Our Red October tour.

07:00 AM - Ship’s arrival in St. Petersburg

07:30 AM - Start from the pier for a city orientation drive (city highlights):

St. Nicholas’s Church, Theatre Square with Mariinsky Theatre, St. Isaac’s Square, majestic St. Isaac Cathedral, “Bronze Horseman” – the most famous monument to Peter the Great, Shmidt Bridge, Vasilievsky Island with Arts Academy, Menshikov Palace, University, Kunstkamera, “Strelka” with Stock Exchange and Rostral Columns and with the most beautiful view of Neva Embankments Winter Palace and other buildings of the Hermitage Museum, Twelve Colleges, Palace Bridge, Palace Square with Winter Palace and Alexander Column, Admiralty, Nevsky Avenue, the central street of the city, Smolny Cathedral and Smolny Institute, “Field of Mars”, drive by the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral, Troitsky Bridge, Peter’s the Great Cabin, Cruiser “Aurora”.

09:00 AM - inside visit of Peter-and-Paul Fortress, place where the city was founded in May of 1703, incl. the Peter-and-Paul Cathedral (1712 1733), burial place of the Romanovs.

10:00 AM - Short stop for paying your invoices due to RED OCTOBER and shopping opportunity at the biggest and best souvenir shop of St. Petersburg – Red October ( wooden dolls of various dimensions and quality, authentic lacquer boxes from Palekh, Mstera etc., splendid amber, china, Russian shawls etc.)

10:30 PM - Tour of the Hermitage Arts Museum

·1 Excursion to the West-European Masters’ collection (Rembrandt, Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, El Greco, Murillo, Van Dyck etc.)

·2 Living and gala halls of the Winter Palace,

01:00 PM - LUNCH AT A CITY RESTAURANT – EXTRA CHARGE – USD 17 pp – USD 23 pp

02:30 PM - Hydrofoil to Peterhof

Peterhof is a jewel of the Russian art, a town of parks, palaces and fountains. In the past it

used to be an exquisite summer residence of Russian tsars.

03:15 PM - Arrival in Peterhof.

- Stroll through the wonderful “LOWER PARK” with its 150 fountains, cascades and various pavilions and palaces.

04:30 PM - Drive back to the pier

05:30 PM - Return on board

07:00 PM - Ship departure

The per person cost of the program without lunch is:

3 adults USD 171 per person

1 child USD 132 per person

The above costs include air-conditioned car/van transportation, highly qualified English speaking guide services, entrance fees to the museums as mentioned in the program.

Total $645 + lunch, so yes, more expensive.

We were off the ship and heading towards the city whilst everyone was still gathering in the lounges. Our guide Natalya was lovely, stopped at most of the sights listed on the city tour so we could have a closer look. Went inside St. Nicholas's church etc. Asked if there was anything in paricular we wanted to see so also took us to the Catholic Church at my husbands request.

We were leaving the fortress as an excursion from our ship was arriving.

At the Hermitage, tour was catered to our interests, my youngest son wanted to see artefacts more than paintings, so that's what we did. (Paintings too of course)

Pick up & dropped of at entrances & exits, no walking to coach parks etc. No waiting in line. We were there as the Fortress opened, straight through the front door at the Hermitage, hydrofoil left shortly after we boarded. Timing was excellent.

We had a brilliant day. I would definately go this route again.

Yes, there was the sales stop. I didn't buy anything as I was determined not to. I felt things were expensive. With hindsight though, it may have been worth a closer look if I wanted to treat myself to a decent souvenir. We found some at Peterhof though for the small gifts we needed. The sales stop was however useful as a coffee & loo break.

I felt it was worth the extra expense. We saw more & the trip was catered to our needs. A larger group would probably find they could do it for less than the cost of a ships excursion.

We just returned from the Baltic on Oceania. I booked our three day tour with Alla after emailing all the companies and looking at cost etc. She was the most versatile and helpful for me. I can never say enough about our trip. We had Viktoria who was fabulous. She was so informed, English perfect, and flexible. She took us to two out of the way stores and the prices were very good. She took us to restaurants where she eats and lunches were $10 apiece. Alla was so flexible. We added an extra hour one day and it was $25 total for the driver and guide. Talking to those who took ship tours they said it was a bus load of people, waiting etc. We could eat at little places as there were only four of us. We could get in and out of palaces without waiting for others. It was well worth the cost!!!! Everywhere else we did our own thing on the local trams, buses or hop on hop off except for Berlin. Viktoria's husband was in Berlin (they live there in the winter)> He picked us up at the ship and gave us a tour of Berlin with a friend of Viktoria's as guide. I highly recommend this!!!

We just returned from the Baltic on Oceania. I booked our three day tour with Alla after emailing all the companies and looking at cost etc. She was the most versatile and helpful for me. I can never say enough about our trip. We had Viktoria who was fabulous. She was so informed, English perfect, and flexible. She took us to two out of the way stores and the prices were very good. She took us to restaurants where she eats and lunches were $10 apiece. Alla was so flexible. We added an extra hour one day and it was $25 total for the driver and guide. Talking to those who took ship tours they said it was a bus load of people, waiting etc. We could eat at little places as there were only four of us. We could get in and out of palaces without waiting for others. It was well worth the cost!!!! Everywhere else we did our own thing on the local trams, buses or hop on hop off except for Berlin. Viktoria's husband was in Berlin (they live there in the winter)> He picked us up at the ship and gave us a tour of Berlin with a friend of Viktoria's as guide. I highly recommend this!!!

We just returned from the Baltic on Oceania. I booked our three day tour with Alla after emailing all the companies and looking at cost etc. She was the most versatile and helpful for me. I can never say enough about our trip. We had Viktoria who was fabulous. She was so informed, English perfect, and flexible. She took us to two out of the way stores and the prices were very good. She took us to restaurants where she eats and lunches were $10 apiece. Alla was so flexible. We added an extra hour one day and it was $25 total for the driver and guide. Talking to those who took ship tours they said it was a bus load of people, waiting etc. We could eat at little places as there were only four of us. We could get in and out of palaces without waiting for others. It was well worth the cost!!!! Everywhere else we did our own thing on the local trams, buses or hop on hop off except for Berlin. Viktoria's husband was in Berlin (they live there in the winter)> He picked us up at the ship and gave us a tour of Berlin with a friend of Viktoria's as guide. I highly recommend this!!!

What was the price for the tour in Berlin? Do you have an itinerary? How can I get in touch with them?

Thanks Trish

To get in touch with Victoria email her at mail@spb-tours.com She is starting her own company. The Berlin tour was $250 each , I think. It was less than the ship's bus tour. There were four of us. We were driven various places in Berlin. I do not have a definite itinerary.

We just returned from the Baltic on Oceania. I booked our three day tour with Alla after emailing all the companies and looking at cost etc. She was the most versatile and helpful for me. I can never say enough about our trip. We had Viktoria who was fabulous. She was so informed, English perfect, and flexible. She took us to two out of the way stores and the prices were very good. She took us to restaurants where she eats and lunches were $10 apiece. Alla was so flexible. We added an extra hour one day and it was $25 total for the driver and guide. Talking to those who took ship tours they said it was a bus load of people, waiting etc. We could eat at little places as there were only four of us. We could get in and out of palaces without waiting for others. It was well worth the cost!!!! Everywhere else we did our own thing on the local trams, buses or hop on hop off except for Berlin. Viktoria's husband was in Berlin (they live there in the winter)> He picked us up at the ship and gave us a tour of Berlin with a friend of Viktoria's as guide. I highly recommend this!!!

We are in the process of returning from the Norwegian Dream's last cruise to the Baltic which included two days in St. Petersburg. (We're currently waiting at Heathrow - between bus drop off and flight home to Dulles International.

We used Alla in St Petersburg and she was great! We also had Viktoria as our guide and what a wealth of information she was. A point here and a point there. And don't forget the Hermitage, she didn't miss a beat. We also went into a local Russian market (quite a bit different from what we experienced in "the west.")

For the night we were in St. Petersburg, my wife and I chose to have dinner in town. After several e-mails with Alla, we decided to let Viktoria help us select a place to eat. She recommended the "Idiot" restaurant; its name is based on Dolstoyeski's book by the same name and the fact that one of the characters was supposed to have lived in the same building the restaurant was in.) What a wonderful treat to see some of St Petersburg which we would not have otherwise experienced. Cost was for 2 hours for drive and van ($25 / hr) plus cost of meal.

We also rearranged our schedule on the fly when it we saw one or two sites had too long a wait. We just came back later when it was less crowded. We also got some extra shopping in.

Oh, cost was $250 per person (10 in tour) for two days of touring plus tips for the guide and driver, which we all gladly chip in for.

Bottom line (IMHO) - a private tour in St. Petersburg may be a bit more expensive than a ship's tour, but it's a lot more flexible and has better value.

- Stoney in NoVA

To get in touch with Victoria email her at mail@spb-tours.com She is starting her own company. The Berlin tour was $250 each , I think. It was less than the ship's bus tour. There were four of us. We were driven various places in Berlin. I do not have a definite itinerary.

Thanks,

I'll check it out. Trish

To get in touch with Victoria email her at mail@spb-tours.com She is starting her own company. The Berlin tour was $250 each , I think. It was less than the ship's bus tour. There were four of us. We were driven various places in Berlin. I do not have a definite itinerary.

We were on the Star Princess in St. Petersburg 8/15-16.We also used Alla with Victoria as our guide. Let me second what others have said about how wonderful the experience was.

Victoria did say she was thinking of opening her own tour company. I did not realize it would be so soon. I wish her good luck as she was wonderful.

We chose Anastasia for a highly personalized two-day program including a ballet performance at the Mariinsky. It was just fantastic.

We were picked up at the pier by a Mercedes mini-van and got envious looks from the passengers who stood in line boarding the tour buses. Later, they told us that they spent most of their time with boarding and deboarding the bus, waiting in long lines in front of the toilet, waiting in front of entrances etc.

In the Hermitage, we saw the bus tours in groups of 50 crowding around a tiny Leonardo painting - just horrible.

Our guide was highly flexible, followed our individual wishes and was extremely clever in avoiding any lines. At Peterhof, there were two busloads waiting. Our guide spoke to an official, then to another official, and then a rope was opened and we were inside - with burning looks in our backs.

In the Hermitage, there were about 30 ladies waiting in front of the toilet. Our guide led our ladies to hidden toilet in no time - again sounds of anger from the bustours.

We really got VIP service, saw at least twice as much and paid half as much as for the ship tours.

Highly recommendable: http://www.anastasiaworld.com

I highly recommend the private tours in St. Petersburg. If you dig far enough, you'll find messages from board members who took ship's tours only to find that they had to wait in lines--sometimes as much as two hours!--at the sites while the private tour operators have timed reservations for groups that are wisked to the front of the lines. Also, some passengers have reported that they had to stand in lines in the rain (not my idea of fun on vacation and definitely not if it is chilly as is the case sometimes in the Baltics).

Also, if you compare the ship's excursions schedules against standard itineraries for the tour companies, you'll see that you can see a lot more by going in small groups. The time that it takes to load/unload buses, potty, etc. for 40 - 50 passengers really adds up during your time in Russia. Your time is also much more flexible to change timing during the day in small groups.

I've cruised the Baltics twice and used Red October Russia and Denrus. Both companies offered very good tours, but we had a strong preference for Denrus out of the two. If you need additional explanation, please let me know, and I'll be glad to leave additional information regarding our experiences.

Happy travels,

Donna

Donna...I wonder if you could explain a little more about the reasons for your "strong preference" for Denrus...I appreciate your input as we are trying to decide between the 2 companies.

Thanks!!

No one has mentioned anything about Visas for St Petersburg....

Comments please?

Howard

HLR

Visa are needed if you wish to tour Russia independendly. but there are special rules for shore excursions.

If you either go on a ship's excursion or a private tour, with Alla, Denrus, Red October etc, you do not need a visa, they arrange all the necessary paperwork for you and give you instructions. You do need a copy of your passport, (the page with your photo & passport number) but the tour companies will tell you this before you leave. That's it.

In actual fact, our ship actually provided these copies on embarkation.

Thanks everyone for all the great information. We'll be in St Petersburg next Sept and want to do a private tour.

Our private tour for six of us in a 10-passenger van was definitely a highlight for all of us. Went to the front of the lines at all the major attractions. Had relaxing enjoyable lunches. Even though the guide picked the souvinere shops, we did not feel pressured and were glad we had the time to go into one (also was a good restroom stop). The prices varied so there was something for everyone. We used DenRus and would use them again if we were fortunate enough to do this again!!

Have fun in your planning.

Did Princess give you any problems regarding leaving the ship in St. Petersburg to go with another tour company? We are considering the Crown Princess next July. Did you walk off the ship earlier than the designated time?

Did Princess give you any problems regarding leaving the ship in St. Petersburg to go with another tour company? We are considering the Crown Princess next July. Did you walk off the ship earlier than the designated time?

We were on the Star Princess this past August. We decided on a meeting place, and as soon as we heard the announcement that the ship had cleared customs, we all went right off. There was absolutely no hassle. Vans from Alla (which we used), Den Rus, and Red October were all there waiting.

A Baltic cruise is a trip of a lifetime; if you're considering it, do it. And a private tour in St. Petersburg is definitely the way to go.

No problems. Just get your group together and go off, as usual.

There might be someone outside trying to direct you into one of the customs lines. 1st day off at 7:15am and 2nd day off at 8:20am.

In June 2007 my husband and I, along with our 2 young daughters and my in-laws sailed on the RC Jewel of the Seas and visited St. Petersburg. Viktoria Rother (http://www.spb-tours.com) was our guide and she was WONDERFUL. Immediately from the first moments we met her, we felt comfortable and so glad we had chosen to tour with her. We had a private van just for our group, along with our driver and then Viktoria, our guide. We learned so much on our tour about Russian history, current culture and life in St. Petersburg, and then of course all about the sights we visited. We were able to make up our own itinerary and choose the spots we wanted to see. In addition, I made changes as I continued my research and thought of other things, or had questions about places I initially choose. We LOVED everything we saw and feel we could not have been in better hands. Viktoria was warm and friendly and really gave us a sense of life in Russia. At the end of our 2 days, we were truly wishing we could stay in Russia longer to see and learn more with Viktoria.

Throughout the days we would catch glimpses of tours from the ship and they were such LARGE groups. In the end, we saw so much more than we would have been able to see with a ship's tour. Also the price was reasonable considering how expensive the ship's tours were. All together I would whole-heartedely recommend a private tour with Viktoria and spb-tours (http://www.spb-tours.com)