Visas needed for Baltic?

[cruising grandma]

We just booked the Baltic Cruise on Constellation today for June 17-July1. We have never been to any of the ports, but read somewhere on CC about Red October getting the needed visas for tourists using them in St. Petersburg. Are visas required for any of the countries we will visit?????

Thanks for any help.

[Andee]

I don't know what your ports are, but we did not need visas in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, or Estonia.

 

In St. Petersburg, there were three options: take a ship's shore excursion (they'll provide a group visa), use a tour company such as Denrus or Red October (we loved RO) for a more personalized itinerary (they'll provide a gourp visa) or get a visa on your own and tour independently or with one of the guides who do not provide visas.

 

If you are part of a group visa, you must stay with the group and can not explore on your own.

[cruising grandma]

Thanks, Andee. We will be in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, and Denmark. Do you recall the prices for RO??? I have read about them and Denrus, but don't know anyone who has used them. My mom(85 yrs.) will be travelling with us. She's in great shape for her age, but is there strenuous activity in RO tours? She's very active, and has no medical problems.

Also, read tonight we might need to get a typhoid shot prior to going.

[Andee]

I don't remember the RO prices from 2003, when we used them for two days, but it was less expensive than two all day shore excursions for the four of us.

 

My husband and I were travelling with my parents to celebrate my mother's 80th and my father's 85th birthdays. My mother had been discharged from the hospital just a month before after a life threatening bout of viral pneumonia, and her walking was very limited.

 

With RO is that we could tailor the itinerary to our interests, and the driver would drop us off very close to whatever we were seeing, and be waiting at the door when we were done. If my mother didn't feel up to something, she remained in the van with the driver--he was delightful, and she enjoyed getting to know a regular guy.

[cruising grandma]

Thanks, Andee.

We decided on three of Celebrity's excursions for the two days.

Kay

[SaylorGirl]

Also, read tonight we might need to get a typhoid shot prior to going.

 

We were there in September and didn't need to have anytype of shots before we left.

[easy22]

we just got back last week and we didn't need any shots either. we used Denrus. others we know used Red October or Alla. everyone who did a private tour was happier than anyone who did a ship's tour. it's a small group and you can tailor make it to your needs and desires. not just go along with the crowd. and i mean crowd. it's much easier to move about with a small group believe me.