New!!-baltic Cruise Review-part 1

[NancyIL]

Mary Lou,

You said you took the hydrofoil to Peterhof. I guess the driver just drove

alone to the Peterhof to pick you up later? How much extra (if you can recall)

did this add to the itenery. This sounds like a very good idea.

 

I started a thread about this very topic! Hope this helps. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=135296

[japiscopo]

Packed N Ready to Go

 

I believe the hydrofoil was $15/pp, which was included in the price RO quoted us after our itinerary for St. Petersburg was final. Yes, the driver drove to Peterhof and the guide went with us on the hydrofoil. It really made the travel to Peterhof much faster, and if you are going to Catherine's the same day, it only takes 45 min. to get to Caterine's from Peterhof. Driving to Catherine's from the city is at least an hour.

 

Mary Lou

[japiscopo]

Your review was fantastic! How much did the visas cost? When did you apply/How far before your trip? We are still working on our plans about doing it on our own or with a guide. We have been to all the major sites on a previous trip. We can hardly wait.

 

Thanks, Marlyne

 

Marlyne: The visas cost us $311 for both, for a double entry for Russia. The Zierer Visa Service (http://www.zvs.com) is very good. They provide you with the application, and also the letter of invitation. They take it to the Russian consulate or embassy, after you send them all the documentation. There are not Russian consulates or embassys in many cities in the U.S. I believe they are only in New York, Washington D.C. and San Fran. I know another $300 is a expense in an already expensive trip, but I felt better knowing someone who knew what they were doing, was obtaining our visas for us. Don't forget to make several copies of it and your passport before you leave. Leave a few at home with friends and carry a few with you.

[packed-n-ready]

Thank you Nancy for the other thread and Thanks Mary Lou for the price.

I'll check our times for the Peterhof to make sure it would be doable. We are

not scheduled for Catherine that day.

[vjb223]

Would love maybe to do Red October, contacted twice before and no response, DenRus came back in one day with information.????Still thinking. Enjoyed your daily info. maybe someday I can have the penthouse, jealous. Have a nice week-end, vjb

[stanj]

Marlyne: The visas cost us $311 for both, for a double entry for Russia. .

 

Visas are easy to get if a few simple procedures are followed. Consulates charge $100 for the consular fees for single or double entry Tourist Visas.

 

Any number of Hostels, travel services, Hotels and your own Tour operator will send the "invitation" or voucher to you by email or Fax. If you have not booked through them for services or a room, there is usually a processing fee, normally $25-40. Most will send it in 24 hours or less.

 

Assemble an application package including your invitation, a passport style photo, a completed visa application form( if you don't have one I have a copy that is in MS. Word format that can be filled out on your computer that I can send to you or do a Google search for other download sites), your consular fee in the form of a money order or cashier's check, and your passport. If you send the package include a self addresses stamped envelope or a prepaid FedEx mailer. In a little over a week you will get your passport back and notice one full page will have a Russian visa pasted over it plus another card will be stapled to the page.

If you choose a double entry visa, be sure to carry an extra photocopy of that card and visa so passport control does not remove the original. Give them the copy on your first exit and they will remove the original on your second exit.

There are 4 Russian Consulates in the US:

Washington DC: 2641 Tunlaw Road, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007

NYC: 9 East 91 Street, New York, NY 10128

San Francisco: 2790 Green Street, San-Francisco, CA 94123

Seattle: 2323 Westin Building, 2001 6th Ave., Seattle, WA 98121

 

You should apply within about 45 days of your entry but not before. Save the extra $170 and so out for a special romantic dinner in St Petersburg;>)

 

Good cruising

Stan

[japiscopo]

Stan: Thanks for your information re Visas for Russia. I cruised with Radisson, and the only mention of Visas was to use Zierer Visa Service. If you went into Radisson's web site they have a special link to ZVS, so that Radisson and ZVS work together. I never saw any mention that the Tour Operator (Radisson) could get us an "invitation". I would never known to use a hostel, etc to get the "invitation", not knowing any hotels and how to use them, not speaking Russian. I had considered doing as you suggested, but one look at the requirements and application, that idea disappeared. I would rather get it done right, than going through the time and trouble of doing it myself. Besides that, I could never get the application to download onto my computer. In the end, I was very pleased that I went the way I did.

 

Mary Lou

[gopackgo]

Mary Lou,

 

Thanks for posting your Baltic cruise review. We will be on that same cruise in August. I will be printing your info for my file. Do you by chance still have the days and times that some of the more popular tours were offered by Radisson? I am planning on doing mostly RO tours with a group that is going, but I am also interested in the evening Opera outing offered by Radisson and was wondering what night it will be offered. If you happen to still have that info, please let me know. Thanks! (The one I am talking about is called Spectacular Evening at the Yusupov Palace.)

 

Ginny

[japiscopo]

Ginny: I'm sure I still have the excursion book for the Baltic Cruise. I shall get it out of the archives and get back to you asap.

 

Mary Lou

[japiscopo]

Ginny: I'm so sorry, but I must have recycled the excersion book after I wrote my review. I wish I could help you with your questions, but we did not do any ship excersions. Anything else, just ask and I hope I can help.

 

Mary Lou

[gopackgo]

Mary Lou,

 

Thanks for looking for that excursion book.

 

Ginny

[rascalrider]

Stan,

 

You have told me that the ground floor of the Grand Palace at Peterhof is accessible without stairs. Can you tell me what there is to see on the ground floor besides the cloakroom? I understand the main things to see are up a full flight of steps.

 

Thanks,

Rascal Rider Ruth

[rascalrider]

Stan,

 

I have seen photos of some of the metro stations in St Petersburg and realize that there are very long, fast moving escalators to get to them. It has been suggested to me that there might be a safety issue for me on the escalators. Are there any above ground buildings of the Metro System that some of the same fabulous architectural features as the underground stations? If so, which would be the most interesting to see?

 

Thanks,

 

Rascal Rider Ruth

[rascalrider]

Can anyone tell me what has happened with DenRus Tour Operators in St Petersburg? I am in the middle of planning a tour with them and as of yesterday my emails started bouncing and I could not access their web site.

 

Stan or anyone else out there know what is going on? If anyone has current contact with them, please ask Ilya to email me at rfc40@yahoo.com

 

Many thanks,

Ruth

[MizzLee]

Ruth,

 

I also had trouble with emails suddenly being dropped or bounced. DenRus finally managed to contact me through a US affiliate and we were able to straighten it out. Try this address: alisadik@mail.com

 

 

The contact's name is Ali Sadik-Ogli

 

DenRus (St. Petersburg), Ltd. - USA Representation

 

 

Apparently they were receiving my emails, but I was not getting theirs. All is fine now! Good luck,

 

Lee

[ElleninNY]

I just applied for two visas through Zierer Visa Service. You CANNOT get them more than 90 days ahead because the forms change constantly. I paid $333, which included Zierer's fees. Zierer said you need 40 days before departure. Although I plan to use RO in St. Petersburg and will be on a pre-cruise with Radisson in Moscow, I will have time on my own in Moscow and may choose to spend an evening or two on my own in St. Pete's so I need individual visas.

[stanj]

A few points if I may be allowed. I have received several messages regarding Den Rus emails bouncing and the web site down. Apparently there is ISP problem that is interferring with access. The US representive is not a US representitive, but the owner himself in St Petersburg, although sometimes he is in Florida as he was for a week ending March 24th. I am sure the technical computer problem is being worked on and will be resolved soon because the web site problem has been repair and is working again.

 

Visa: US consulates request applications to be submitted within 45 days of departure so that information on the application will be the most recent. The forms to not change at all except for the new for only for US citizens that asks more questions about weapon training and explosives. The new US form is in direct response to a longer more intrusive application form required of Russian citizens when applying for US visas. All other countries which require visa to enter Russia still is the 14 year old form 95 that only had 18 questions and half did not apply to many people.

 

I just got a new 12 month visa and was required to fill out the longer form. It looks daunting but it really is not, most of the questions can be answered with one or two words, not the lists and details it seems to ask for. Most of this information is not even used, it is there solely as a protest about the US visa policies. If there are any questions I can answer them by email more directly and fully.

[rascalrider]

Lee and Stan.

 

Thank you so much for the information. The web site just came up and my email did not bounce! I was beginning to panic! Thank you also for the alternative email address of Ali Sadik-Ogli. I will jot it down in case the problem happens again.

 

Ruth