HELP - Must see/do Baltics May 2015 Prinsendam

Hi,

Finally returning to my birth place (Hamburg) for the first time since my parents relocated us to Australia ......

Cruising Amsterdam to Amsterdam via Kiel Canal, Hamburg etc to St Petersburg then returning via Stockholm, Copenhagen.

Overnighters in Hamburg and St P.

In St P. they recommend using the ships tours as this covers (complicated??) visa requirements etc. ..... assume this is the best way to go or ??????

Quick review of past posts indicates most other port visits can be organised privately. Assume public transport in Hamburg is reasonably efficient.

Any suggestions on must see sites would be appreciated.

Traveling May 20th, not too sure on weather in that region at that time of year, anyone been there at that time that can share their experience?

Comments, past experiences and recommendations gratefully accepted.

Cheers Tom

Tom-

Many threads on this board about doing tours in St Pete with private tour companies. Having been there twice and used both Alla and SPb tours. Private is the way to go. They get the visa for you and they are less expensive then ship's tours. Plus, you see much, much more. Get on the roll call for your cruise and you will probably find someone already putting together a "shared" tour with one of the recommended companies. Save money that way.

<<<Karen>>>

Hi,

Finally returning to my birth place (Hamburg) for the first time since my parents relocated us to Australia ......

Cruising Amsterdam to Amsterdam via Kiel Canal, Hamburg etc to St Petersburg then returning via Stockholm, Copenhagen.

 

Overnighters in Hamburg and St P.

 

In St P. they recommend using the ships tours as this covers (complicated??) visa requirements etc. ..... assume this is the best way to go or ??????

 

Quick review of past posts indicates most other port visits can be organised privately. Assume public transport in Hamburg is reasonably efficient.

 

Any suggestions on must see sites would be appreciated.

 

Traveling May 20th, not too sure on weather in that region at that time of year, anyone been there at that time that can share their experience?

 

Comments, past experiences and recommendations gratefully accepted.

Cheers Tom

Hi Tom,

I think you will love your Baltic cruise - I have done several & loved them.

Regarding St. Petersburg:

You do not need to book a shore excursion through your ship. Most of us on these boards will recommend that you book through one of the excellent independent tour companies in St. Petersburg (they also offer great packages that include your other ports of call) because your tour groups will be much smaller, more intimate, more comprehensive and less expensive than the tours offered via cruise line. The independent tour company will provide you with a visa waiver for your time in St. Petersburg and as long as you are in the company of your guide, you will not need a visa.

We used Alla Tours for our shore excursions and they were magnificent. Website: http://alla-tour.com/ or Email: info@alla-tour.com

"Must see" in Saint Petersburg:

Peterhof

Hermitage

Catherine Palace

Church on Spilled Blood

Peter & Paul Fortress with Peter & Paul Cathedral

We also really enjoyed the canal cruise, Yusupov Palace & St. Isaac's Cathedral

"Must see" in Stockholm:

Vasa Museum

Gamla Stan

Royal Palace

"Must see" in Copenhagen:

Little Mermaid Sculpture

Strøget

Church of Our Savior

Nyhavn

Amalienborg Palace

Rosenborg Castle

Weather in the Baltics can be unpredictable. I would advise layering. I was in Amsterdam on May 20th and it was cold & raining for 4 out of our 5 days. It was warm & sunny in St. Petersburg.

Hi,

Finally returning to my birth place (Hamburg) for the first time since my parents relocated us to Australia ......

Cruising Amsterdam to Amsterdam via Kiel Canal, Hamburg etc to St Petersburg then returning via Stockholm, Copenhagen.

 

Overnighters in Hamburg and St P.

 

In St P. they recommend using the ships tours as this covers (complicated??) visa requirements etc. ..... assume this is the best way to go or ??????

 

Quick review of past posts indicates most other port visits can be organised privately. Assume public transport in Hamburg is reasonably efficient.

 

Any suggestions on must see sites would be appreciated.

 

Traveling May 20th, not too sure on weather in that region at that time of year, anyone been there at that time that can share their experience?

 

Comments, past experiences and recommendations gratefully accepted.

Cheers Tom

Hi Tom

In case it gives you some ideas I made a few videos form my cruise in 2010, which you can see from this

All the best, Tony

Hi Tom

In case it gives you some ideas I made a few videos form my cruise in 2010, which you can see from this

 

All the best, Tony

Oh yes, I had forgotten about Tony's videos - they are excellent - a mini documentary for each port. I have made liberal use of them in the past. :D

Dogs4 has nicely summed up the must-sees, and the score in SPB.

If you pre-book an organised tour in SPB you will not need a visa - that tour can be ship-organised or one you book direct with an accredited local tour operator such as Alla Tours, SPB Tours, Best Guides, TJ Tours, DenRus. You must pre-book, the tour ticket e-mailed to you gets you through immigration. But you pay nothing up-front, you don't even have to give your credit card number - you pay while you are there.

Despite cruise lines' literature, the visa-free arrangements with those local operators are exactly the same as for ship-organised tours. Only if you want to go ashore & explore by yourselves do you need a visa.

JB :)

Hi Tom

In case it gives you some ideas I made a few videos form my cruise in 2010, which you can see from this

 

All the best, Tony

Tony, awesome videos! Thank you! They will be very helpful in planning our upcoming Baltics cruise!!

Thanks for the responses to date, haven't looked at the video just yet but will check it out.

Now feel a little better about potentially doing a private tour in SPB, will check out the couple of companies mentioned.

I know it's impossible to see into the future but just wondering what the passenger spread is usually like i.e. majority from USA ?, UK? etc. wondering if I need to brush up on some language skills.

Many thanks Tom

Thanks for the responses to date, haven't looked at the video just yet but will check it out.

Now feel a little better about potentially doing a private tour in SPB, will check out the couple of companies mentioned.

I know it's impossible to see into the future but just wondering what the passenger spread is usually like i.e. majority from USA ?, UK? etc. wondering if I need to brush up on some language skills.

Many thanks Tom

It depends on which ship you are sailing. The majority of passengers will be North American if you are sailing on any of the following ships: Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Oceania, Holland America, Celebrity or Disney.

I can't speak to the national make-up of passengers on other cruise lines so hopefully, someone with knowledge of other cruise lines will speak up.

You really do not need to develop any language skills expect possibly speak slower and with limited slang. To be understood use words where the first definition in the dictionary is the meaning you intended to convey and you will be fine even on the Italian and Spanish cruise lines. In Russia you will not probably talk to anyone who is not there to entertain you so language again will be no problem. English is the international travel language now so if someone who speaks Swahili and someone speaks Mandarin meet up on a mountain in Nepal they will speak English, but an international form that is easier for them to understand than possibly you. Try to talk with locals in Russia, you will find they tend to be very well educated and more speak English than say in Spain or France. You probably will not even see anyone who does not have a university degree in St Petersburg which prides itself in being the most educated city in the world.

You do not need a visas but the ship will try to convince you otherwise. They make more money on the extras than cabins so they will be pushy selling shore excursions that are 80% profit for them, and lying to you should be expected. They contract with a tour operator in each port who provides the tour, the tickets, services transportation, food, guides, insurance etc. In most ports you are probably better off not using any tour, just get ashore and explore. In St Petersburg you need to be hosted by a tour operator who is federally registered. Their are about 130 companies doing shore excursion but only about 12 do most of them. A tour that most people book is for 2 days and covers a lot more inside visits than are available in other ports since they are in other ports for just a few hours. Any type of tour qualifies as an organized tour whether a deluxe luxury $800/per person private tour or a $40 walking tour, immigration does not care. A two day tour that cruisers buy is different than one land tourist go one, it is more intense and time organized to get everything in within the 16 hours you are off the ship typically.

The most common tours, all are copies of one another, is about $300 a person but there are new companies who are deviating in itineraries a bit and lower priced and more flexible. There are also low cost walking tours for those who want to do photography or shop, explore or meet locals instead of the traditional history lecture style tours. Lots of options but whatever you do, you will get the very least for your visit and for your money buying ship sold tours which are big motor coach tours with 45++ passengers. Plus they are expensive, $350-400 for a tour that would be $140 if the difference was not taken as sales commission by the ship.

Thanks spbstan ...... great explanation of possible alternatives to ships tours.

Totally agree they are always too expensive, sometimes more satisfying to put money direct into local hands.

Regards Tom

Tony, awesome videos! Thank you! They will be very helpful in planning our upcoming Baltics cruise!!

Hi Susan, thanks - they are just a bit of fun to help me remember where I've been. I think you are spending a few days in Berlin before the cruise, which is great but in case you fancy a change of scenery Fred the Great's pad and gardens at Potsdam is not far away and well worth a look - and should have some nice flowers in late summer (unlike when I was there).

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