Cruise Insurance and Visa for Russia

[Infrequentcruisers]

1. We have cruised with HAL several times and have always purchased cruise insurance through them and thankfully we have never had to file a claim.

We are contemplating a 12 day Baltic Adventure for July and this will require

us to obtain Visas for the stop in St. Petersburg, Russia. In researching obtaining Visas, there is a mention of required health insurance. Would be interested in opinions on Cruise Insurance and how and where to obtain the required Visas.

Thanks, InfrequentCruisers

[catl331]

You only need to get your own visa if you plan to go off on your own, without any guide - which I don't advise. If you sign up for any HAL tour or go with any of the large, established private tour companies (DenRus, Red Oktober, Alla Tours, SPB Tours, Best Guides, TJ Travel) a "group" visa will include you. We didn't buy any special health insurance for Russia.

Edited May 22, 2014 by catl331

[Fog123]

I used Cruise Critic for advice when I was organizing my mother's trip to Russia. They went with a private company and had a private tour, just the two of them in a Mercedes with a driver and tour guide.

 

The private company organized the visas and anything else that was needed. I can't remember their name off the top of my head but they came very highly recommended and Mom still talks about Russia to this day.

 

You might try the Northern Europe and Baltics forum for information.

[0bnxshs]

From: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/russia.html

 

International Cruise Ship/Ferry Passengers: You are permitted to visit Russian ports without a visa for a period of up to 72 hours. You may go ashore without a visa during port calls, but only if you are with an organized tour and accompanied at all times by a tour operator who has been duly licensed by Russian authorities. Cruise ship and ferry lines offer shore tours that meet these requirements. If you want to do sightseeing on your own, you must have a visa. A visa is also required if you arrive in Russia by ship or ferry, but want to depart by air, train, or other mode of transportation. A U.S. passport must be presented to Russian immigration officers each time you depart or return to the ship during your port call in Russia. If your U.S. passport is lost or stolen while you are ashore, you will not be allowed to return to the ship until you obtain a replacement passport from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow or one of the Consulates General. If your ship leaves Russia without you onboard, you must obtain an exit visa to depart Russia by alternative transportation. Russian authorities may take up to 20 calendar days to authorize an exit visa, during which time you will have to remain in Russia at your own expense.

 

We've been to both St. Petersburg and Murmansk on cruises, taken private tours at both places, and never needed to apply for a visa as we met the above requirements. The cruise lines will make it sound otherwise so you choose their tours. As others above have stated, you should be fine with a reputable tour company. There has never been a question about private health insurance on anything we've provided to the tour companies.

Edited May 22, 2014 by 0bnxshs

[grsnovi]

(see below)

Edited May 23, 2014 by grsnovi

[grsnovi]

When we did our Baltic in 2009, we stayed with HAL shore excursions and did not need a visa. We greatly enjoyed our trip to the summer palace, the Hermitage and seeing Swan Lake at the ballet in town on the night we were in port.

 

Although my SIL has relatives in St.Petersburg we didn't even consider attempting to hook up with them due to the cost and associated hassle of getting visas.

 

We had no special insurance.

[Ineke]

We booked 2 days with a private tour company for 4 of us. We told them what we would like to see and they arranged an itinerary, including admission tickets, no waits, and all paperwork, and made sure everything was in place and agreed on. It's the only way to go. Comfortable van with driver, knowledgeable guide who spoke excellent English. All stops were the length of time we requested, they looked after literally everything, and the cost was less than what a HAL tour would have cost. No hassles at all.

[PROCRUISE]

You only need to get your own visa if you plan to go off on your own, without any guide - which I don't advise. If you sign up for any HAL tour or go with any of the large, established private tour companies (DenRus, Red Oktober, Alla Tours, SPB Tours, Best Guides, TJ Travel) a "group" visa will include you. We didn't buy any special health insurance for Russia.

 

This is correct. We used Red October for two days of private touring and it was worth every penny. Set our own itinerary, had our own driver and tour guide, and NEVER had to wait in any lines anywhere we went. :)