St. Petersburg - 2 days vs. 1 day

[Gull]

We are about to book one of two cruises on rccl. The significant difference is that one is a 5 night cruise and spends 2 days in St. Petersburg the other spends just one day and the cruise is 4 nights.

 

Would welcome advice from those who have been. Is 2 days in St. Petersburg a must?

Thank you,

Gull

[TLCOhio]

We are about to book one of two cruises on rccl. The significant difference is that one is a 5 night cruise and spends 2 days in St. Petersburg the other spends just one day and the cruise is 4 nights.

Would welcome advice from those who have been. Is 2 days in St. Petersburg a must? Thank you, Gull

 

For someone coming from Boston, I am sure you appreciate great history, culture, architecture, etc., right? Then the easy and must-be answer is two days in St. Petersburg. Things are so super spectacular in this city. It is not just one museum or one palace. There are so many great things in St. Petersburg that you would be very, very unhappy if you only had one day there. If you going all of the way to Europe, take the time to see it right and enjoy this wonderful city. Below are a few visual samples or "evidence" to back up my viewpoint. As you can see, this is a "world-class" city with so much to experience. Reactions or questions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Private, personal tours can be worth it, especially in St. Petersburg. Here our group of four are viewing one of the two da Vinci masterpieces at the Hermitage after an early admission. There are only 17 such painting by this artist existing in the world.:

 

 

 

As we entered Catherine's Palace, here was the welcoming band.:

 

 

 

Fountains and water at the spectacular Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg:

 

 

 

A wider shot of the Spilled Blood Church interior:

 

 

 

More beautiful church towers and buildings in St. Petersburg:

 

 

 

An overall view of the size and scale of St. Isaac's interior:

 

[EOS-User]

Is 2 days in St. Petersburg a must?

 

Pretty-much... YES...

 

It's THE highlight of the Baltic. It's impossible to see the 'must-do's' in a single day, unless you're only interested in touring the outside of all the palaces, churches, museums etc.; and (IMO) you'll regret it later if you don't opt for the 2-day stop!

 

Cheers...

[txladycruiser]

We were there 3 days on our cruise in July. We had a private guide for the three days and those days were jam-packed with things to do. I would definitely go with the 2 days in St. Petersburg.

 

 

Karen

[alexandra cruiser]

one of the highlights of our cruise,so much to see and do,,,get a guidebook and google city to see what interests you...after all,,,probably never return,,so see it all,,,,right....????;)

[marazul]

We were in SPB for two very busy days a few years ago on a river cruise. Two days covered the basics - Peterhof, Catherine Palace, the Hermitage, Peter & Paul Fortress, Spilled Blood Church - but it left us wanting for more and at a more leisurely pace. We are going back on a Baltic cruise that will be there for 3 days.

 

Definitely, 2 days instead of one. You can cover all the main sites in two days. Look at the web sites for Red October, Alla, Anastasia, etc and check their offerings for two-day tours. You will be better off and see more with their private or small-group tours than with the ship's tours.

[Gull]

Thank you everyone for your quick responses and advice. We are booking the slightly longer cruise with the 2 day stopover.

 

I'll be posting more questions shortly.

Thank you again,

Gull

[Islanderman]

We just returned from our Baltic cruise. I would definitely suggest the 2 days in St. Petersburg. We did a customized 2 day tour with SPB for 4 of us and we were on the go from beginning to end (11 hours on day 1 and 9 on day 2). While we took in almost all of the "must see" sights, I still feel that there's a lot more to see in that city. Most people seem to be well satisfied with their chosen tour operator and I can highly recommend SPB.

 

By the way, a big thank you to Terry. I used her itinerary as my starting point for selecting sights to see on our tour. We had a fabulous tour.

 

Rich

[Bet & Peg]

We were in St. Petersburg for 2 days on our July tour and I only wish we had planned a cruise with 3 days there! There is just SO much to see!! And we stayed in town for an evening performance of the FolkLore Show that was just wonderful - got back to the ship about 9:30pm.

 

We (4 couples) also had a tour with SPB that was very, very good. They suggested an itinerary and we tweeked it here and there taking their advice which proved to be excellent. And then they took over worry about the timing and driving and for us it wasn't half as frantic as I thought it might be! We covered a lot of places and miles but we didn't have to worry about timing or traffic or directions or parking - so in that regard it was much more pleasant!

 

My only wish would have been for MORE time!!!

[TLCOhio]

By the way, a big thank you to Terry. I used her itinerary as my starting point for selecting sights to see on our tour. We had a fabulous tour. Rich

 

Glad to hear that Gull is doing the two-day version.

 

THANKS for the comment on using "HER itinerary". BUT, I don't do lipstick, wigs or skirts. I'm a guy. No problem! I've been called worse. Got to defend the honor of women that they are not blamed or confused with me.

 

Here's that itinerary for what we did on our two-day private tour with the four of us through Anastasia. We had three days in Russia and did a long, long flight and trip to Moscow on day one through our cruise line. We had seen the subway stations and crown jewels/eggs in Moscow, so that was not as important here in St. Petersburg Then, we had a later start for our first day in St. Petersburg and this plan:

 

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2008

10 am, depart Crystal Symphony ship, starting later due to the Moscow trip.

11 am-12:30 pm, Catherine's Palace, including Amber Room. Lots of gold, huge rooms, lavish living style, etc.

1:30-4 pm, Peterhoff & Gardens (built early 1700's by Peter the Great and all gravity-feed water features). Quick lunch in the gardens there.

4-4:40 pm, Hydrofoil to downtown, seeing all of the many historic buildings, etc.

5:15-6 pm, St. Isaac's Cathedral Both of these churches are super spectacular with unique history on how they were designed and built.

6-7 pm. Private Canal Cruise, just our private guide and us as two couples seeing the palaces and buildings from water level. Nice and relaxing. A break from a busy travel period in Russia and offering a different angle to see the great architecture of this town that was designed to face the water, not roadways.

7-8 pm, Savior on the Spilt Blood Cathedral, plus a little around the downtown and then return to the ship.

This busy day was not tiring as we had a nice mix of riding, walking, riding, no long lines, seeing, riding, walking, etc. Having that right flow and "mix" of activities was good and important "pacing" to make things more enjoyable and manageable.

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2008

8:30 am, Depart Crystal Symphony, shopping stop enroute, more photo opportunities.

9:30 am, Hermitage early admission (ahead of crowds and normal 10:30 am opening). No rushing. Plenty time for questions, pictures, soaking up the history, architecture and great art. These five buildings are BOTH palaces and a current world-class museum. We brought pre-arranged boxed lunches from the ship and had a great picnic lunch in a our van parked on the great square overlooking Alexander Column and the military headquarters on Palace Square. We could have dined in a regular restaurant, but this saved time and was a perfect outdoor setting in a "to die for" location with a world-class view. Two of the seventeen existing Da Vinci paintings in the world are here (one of them is in some other museum in Paris). There are 25 Rembrandt's at this museum, including his last, best painting with its religious connections late in his life.

1:30-3 pm, Yusupoff's Palace, just the four of us and our guide in this historic palace where Rasputin was killed and the richest family in Russia lived and operated.

3-4 pm, Shopping/other options to see or do in main St. Petersburg

5 pm, return back to the ship where they had local dancers with musicians do a great show

6 pm, ship departure sailing out from harbor

 

It was a super great three days! For people who love to ask questions and take pictures, this was a great experience in two of the most special cities in the world. Lots done and seen in just three days. You have to decide how "custom" you want your tour/visit to be versus "just being along for the ride" on their schedule for what works with many tourists.

 

Does this help? Plus a few more visual samples. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

At St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, just one of many, many great galleries:

 

 

 

On the ceilings of the Church of Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, here is examples of its highly-detailed ceiling designs:

 

 

 

Inside Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg with its spectacular reception room, painted ceiling, gold, etc.:

 

 

 

One of many elegant rooms used for entertaining Royals and the powerful at Yusupov Palace.:

 

 

 

An example of bridge details you will see on the canal tour:

 

 

 

[Islanderman]

Oops! Sorry about that.

 

I included those sights, but we did not include the Peterhof Palace. We just did the gardens. We added Peter & Paul's Fortress, a subway ride and an unplanned brief visit to a local market. We also had lunch at a restaurant near Catherine's Palace and at Stolle, a chain that serves various pies (included in the price). With a private tour, you can tailor it to your own interests and probably pay the same or less than the ship's tour.

 

And Terry, sir, how did you get those blue skies. For most of the trip our skies were grey. What a difference it makes in the pictures.

 

Rich

[bra1nchild]

Even with two days, you can barely scratch the surface of SPB. We booked a tour for 4 through www.travel-stpetersburg.com

[traveltospb@gmail.com] and had a wonderfully exhausting time. We hope to return to see more of SPB.

[Ashland]

A 2 day tour is a must..I can't imagine only spending one day there and actually 3 would have been even better..I would have left off Gothenburg Sweden in a heartbeat if it was up to me..We had a private tour (just DH & myself) with the most amazing tour guide, Anna from TJ Travel..She made the adventure, a trip of a lifetime...Thank you TJ Travel and Anna, you will never be forgotten !!!!

[kaisatsu]

Even with two days, you can barely scratch the surface of SPB.

This was our thought. For us, the difference between a cruise that had 1 day vs 2 days in St.Petersburg was a question of a $700/person difference in cruise fare plus a few hundred dollars more for flights to the departure port. We would have liked to have more time in SPB, but we figured the city was too big for a cruise stop anyway, so we would need to plan to go back sometime. (Heck, for $700+airfare we saved, we could probably afford to book a follow-up trip whenever we wanted!) Also, I'd really like to visit Moscow, so we'll definitely be returning to Russia in the next few years.

 

One thing I can say about 1 day vs 2 day is that for a 1-day port visit, it's really worth booking a tour. The cost of the visa is comparable to the cost of a 1-day tour, so although we're huge fans of DIY cruise ports, the tour just made more fiscal sense. Had we been in SPB for 2 days or more, we would have put more consideration into getting a visa and exploring on our own.

[KirkNC]

I agree on the two days but I have another question. As long as it takes and as expensive as it is to get to Europe, why would you do a 4 or 5 day cruise? Please tell me you are spending some time doing some land touring!

 

Kirk

[Ashland]

This was our thought. For us, the difference between a cruise that had 1 day vs 2 days in St.Petersburg was a question of a $700/person difference in cruise fare plus a few hundred dollars more for flights to the departure port. We would have liked to have more time in SPB, but we figured the city was too big for a cruise stop anyway, so we would need to plan to go back sometime. (Heck, for $700+airfare we saved, we could probably afford to book a follow-up trip whenever we wanted!) Also, I'd really like to visit Moscow, so we'll definitely be returning to Russia in the next few years.

 

One thing I can say about 1 day vs 2 day is that for a 1-day port visit, it's really worth booking a tour. The cost of the visa is comparable to the cost of a 1-day tour, so although we're huge fans of DIY cruise ports, the tour just made more fiscal sense. Had we been in SPB for 2 days or more, we would have put more consideration into getting a visa and exploring on our own.

Considering you live in Norway..I'm not surprised at your decision ..But the OP lives in the US...I'm glad we managed to do a 12 night Baltic cruise and then a week post stay in London....A most amazing trip !!!

[Harry Cane]

I agree with all the posters. Just got back from my cruise (more on that when I have time to catch up) and St. Pete is THE highlight of the cruise. The 2 days were go-go-go and we just scratched the surface.

[Gull]

Thank you everyone for the additional comments and thoughts. We really appreciate it.

 

I haven't booked yet - I'm waiting to figure out our summer schedule and hope to have our plans in place next week.

I wish this cruise could be longer but I'm adding it on as an extra treat for me as we will be visiting family and I love using the excuse to have a stopover in Europe.

 

Our dilemma is that we have two weeks of vacation with 7-10 days being spent with family. I would LOVE to take a cruise anywhere. We have wanted to go to Scandinavia as most of our travel has been to Central and Eastern Europe. We could do just land but I am craving some serious pampering that only a cruise can offer. Originally, I was looking for a Norwegian Fjord cruise but couldn't find anything less than 7 days.

 

If we like St. Petersburg as much as everyone else does we would most likely plan a return trip at some point. We are fortunate that we travel two or three times a year.

 

Forgot to mention that we may be bringing our 19 year old son who travels quite often too.

Advice still welcome.

Thanks everyone - you are really wonderful.

Gull

[metwo]

Everyone I have spoken with said the highlight of the Baltic Cruise is St. Petersberg

[TLCOhio]

I would LOVE to take a cruise anywhere. We have wanted to go to Scandinavia as most of our travel has been to Central and Eastern Europe. We could do just land but I am craving some serious pampering that only a cruise can offer. Originally, I was looking for a Norwegian Fjord cruise but couldn't find anything less than 7 days. If we like St. Petersburg as much as everyone else does we would most likely plan a return trip at some point. We are fortunate that we travel two or three times a year. Forgot to mention that we may be bringing our 19 year old son who travels quite often too. Advice still welcome. Thanks everyone - you are really wonderful. Gull

 

Hi, Gull! Appreciate the added background info. No doubt you'll love St. Petersburg and other key places in the Baltics.

 

What are the interests for your son and the other members of your family? Below are a few more visual samples to consider, including the hydrofoil. It's an interesting type of ship and ride into historic St. Petersburg. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

From the dock at the Peterhof, here is the hydrofoil approaching before we started our trip into St. Petersburg:

 

 

 

From the hydrofoil, here is the Hermitage exterior and the water feature:

 

 

 

One of the many fountains on the grounds of the Peterhof is the Orangery Fountain, depicting Triton fighting a sea monster. There is a cafe there with outdoor seating and super views:

 

 

 

These are the surprise fountains that go off on the hour to the delight of kids and others at the Peterhof:

 

 

 

Peter and Paul church tower and fortress:

 

 

 

At Catherine's Palace, here is a small sampling of its historic and highly-detailed furniture:

 

[TLCOhio]

Oops! Sorry about that. I included those sights, but we did not include the Peterhof Palace. We just did the gardens. We added Peter & Paul's Fortress, a subway ride and an unplanned brief visit to a local market. And Terry, sir, how did you get those blue skies. For most of the trip our skies were grey. What a difference it makes in the pictures. Rich

 

THANKS, Rich! No problem. Terry, like some other names, can and might go "both ways" as a name. Glad you mentioned the Peterhof Palace. Most agree that seeing its inside is not a high priority. The "gardens" and the fountains are the super stars at the Peterhof. Catherine's Palace has the great interiors, ceilings, amber, etc.

 

BLUE SKIES? Yes, we were very lucky on BOTH our 2008 Baltics/Russia trip and this July along the Norway Coast/fjords. Nice sunshine does make a positive difference. Here's a super blue sky picture of a gold-cover tower at the Peterhof. Beautiful architectural details that have been nicely restored during the past decade. Plus, another great garden/fountain view there.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

One of the gold-covered towers of the Palace at the Peterhof:

 

 

 

A carved stone statute in these Peterhof gardens:

 

[kaisatsu]

Considering you live in Norway..I'm not surprised at your decision ..But the OP lives in the US...I'm glad we managed to do a 12 night Baltic cruise and then a week post stay in London....A most amazing trip !!!

For a $1000 price difference, we might still have given up a day in St.Petersburg even coming from the US. What can I say? We're frugal travelers, and we were already planning to go back to Russia someday to do Moscow and the Trans-Siberian railway.

[Giantfan13]

Since I have been away, you have gotten some great advice about touring St Petersburg. Sure you can see the 'hi lites' in one very long day, even 2 days offers a sampling of what there is to see there. Three days would be the best, but you only asked about 1 or 2 day itineraries. Even with a 2 day stop there, you still only get a sampling, but you are able to visit many of the places and see for yourself the magnificence of this city.

 

Here are a few more pix of some other things in St Petersburg

Looking down one of the sleepy canals, there is the church of the Spilled Blood

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe648.jpg

 

Riding along one of the main streets, there are these Spinx like statues, where legend has it, you whisper in the ear of one and your wish may come true

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe643.jpg

 

As you enter Catherine's Palace, there is a band that is there to entertain you. A short video of this

http://s834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/?action=view&current=europemaster834.flv

 

Another short video of the Peteroff Palace in all it's fountain glory

http://s834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/?action=view&current=europemaster838.flv

 

If you do decide to overnight in St petersburg, go out after dark and view their 'skyline' all lit up

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe831.jpg

 

The Hermitage has so much to offer, from magnificent artwork, to architecture, to dazzling displays.

Here is a self portrait by Rembrandt. The only one know to exist

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe914.jpg

 

Cheers

 

Len

[dileep]

Thank you everyone for your quick responses and advice. We are booking the slightly longer cruise with the 2 day stopover.

 

 

Good decision! Here is what we saw

[Cornishpastyman1]

Thank you everyone for the additional comments and thoughts. We really appreciate it.

 

I haven't booked yet - I'm waiting to figure out our summer schedule and hope to have our plans in place next week.

I wish this cruise could be longer but I'm adding it on as an extra treat for me as we will be visiting family and I love using the excuse to have a stopover in Europe.

 

Our dilemma is that we have two weeks of vacation with 7-10 days being spent with family. I would LOVE to take a cruise anywhere. We have wanted to go to Scandinavia as most of our travel has been to Central and Eastern Europe. We could do just land but I am craving some serious pampering that only a cruise can offer. Originally, I was looking for a Norwegian Fjord cruise but couldn't find anything less than 7 days.

 

If we like St. Petersburg as much as everyone else does we would most likely plan a return trip at some point. We are fortunate that we travel two or three times a year.

 

Forgot to mention that we may be bringing our 19 year old son who travels quite often too.

Advice still welcome.

Thanks everyone - you are really wonderful.

Gull

 

It's good to hear you're going to have 2 days here. In case it helps with your planning I did this on my 2-day tour, plus a bit of general city sightseeing including the obligatory subway ride :

 

The Fountains of Peterhof

 

The Catherine Palace at Pushkin

 

Peter and Paul Fortress/Cathedral

 

St Isaac's Cathedral

 

Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood

 

The Winter Palace/Hermitage State Museum

 

It wasn't particularly intensive (it was called the 'Comfort tour') so you could easily add another couple of palaces or museums, or book a visit to the Gold Room in the Hermitage, especially if you start early, miss out lunch and finish late. Taking the hydrofoil would help too as the traffic can be horrendous and you'll get a different view of the city.

 

Good luck !

 

PS Fantastic photos Terry, as usual. I have had a very good run with sunny weather on my recent holidays, and kept that going on this last cruise except for Day 1 at St P so it was good to see your shots of Peterhof in glorious sunshine and that one of the Jester Fountains, which weren't spraying when I passed by.