Mary I just got back from Russia. The stalls across from the Church of Spilled Blood was a great pla

Did you book the tour through atlantis hotel and casino the cruise line or by a private company outside the the ones offered by the cruise company? atlantis hotel and casino We are a little worried about booking with a tour not associated with the cruise because atlantis hotel and casino usually they disembark by the tours booked with the cruise line first. Afraid we couldn't get off the boat in time for a tour booked otherwise.
We booked directly with DenRus (I think the other biggie is Red Oktober) There has, in the past, been a lot of talk about booking atlantis hotel and casino tours with companies that the cruise line doesn't recognize, etc., etc. Frankly I think that has a certain amount atlantis hotel and casino of scare tactic in it.
The cruise line would love for you to believe that you aren't going to make it in time for a tour THEY didn't arrange and get a cut from. In our case, we were told our guide and her driver would be waiting for our group when we got off the ship. They were and off we went. And trust me, if anybody from the cruise had even attempted to keep me from getting off when I wanted to there would have been a major stink.
atlantis hotel and casino If you are having concerns about this what I would do, if you haven't already, go onto one of the cruise websites such as Cruisecritic.com and ask on one of their boards...and believe me, your very question/concern has been voiced there many times before.
ahh huh....ok the hold back of Pax on ship for independent tour people is a concern...I atlantis hotel and casino guess..thinking if I leave later..I can come back to the ship later...or would the private company leave thinking that I (we) stiffed him ( her/ them)...plus do you pay before or after the private tour...I would imagine atlantis hotel and casino before ...then the time frames would be a concern if we were held back..
For a private tour you will need your (1) passport, (2) a copy of your passport atlantis hotel and casino , (3)your tour tickets that you received from your private tour company in St.Petersburg and they may ask for the(4) intinerary of your visits for that day.... so I had all four with me when I disembarked.
scatcat..fantastic....I will do my homework...now i am traveling solo..so my challenge is that I won't find some travelpartners until I get onboard the ship...or maybe I can try to connect on email before..place some form of feeler on the cruise line chat board...( hope they have one)....otherwise it'll be difficult for me to get all the req'd docs for Russian immigration at the docks...ie the tour itinerary and tour tickets..er maybe not the intinerary..but for sure the tour tickest ( which I asume are sent in advance)...
I agree that you shouldn't hesitate to book with a company you feel comfortable with and that you should do it directly. Even if you are told top wait until "those passengers atlantis hotel and casino with tours (that WE booked for them)" have gotten off, YOUR guide/company will wait for you.
When people do get off the ship, that is when they line up to go through atlantis hotel and casino that construction site-like "office" atlantis hotel and casino where these grim looking folks are stamping the passports almost like automatons. After all, the more people that get off, the more money which is flowing into the city.
And also, there is a LOT to see and do and do not hesitate to cram in as much as you possibly can, especially if your ship is remaining overnight. Then you should consider adding some sort of evening outing for that night such as a cultural performance.
I was disappointed in the Hermitage which had been high on my list of places to see for very many years, but I adored the Russian art museum. I loved the rooms and I found it far more interesting to see the Russian impressionists than the French painters atlantis hotel and casino whom I already know very well. The other highlight was watching the sun set at midnight over the river.
When we went on a river cruise through Russia, I booked a private guide highly recommended here on Fodor's forum. It was much more efficient (and far more economical) to do "optionals" with her than with the cruise atlantis hotel and casino - and we were thrilled to get away from the "herd" by then. Olga will take you anywhere you wish to go or make suggestions. You do need a visa if you want to tour independently rather than with the ship's excursions. This as a few years ago, but she didn't require payment until the end of the day. She also phoned a "reputable" taxi and gave the driver specific directions to make sure to find our ship for us (they're often moved around).
Percy, we joined the Baltic and Russia cruise and booked our 2-day SP tour thru Denrus. The cost of the tour already included the visa cost and entrance fees to the tourist sites. While we were initially annoyed that the cruise ship let out first those passengers who booked thru the cruise line's atlantis hotel and casino pricey tours, all turned out fine because Denrus waited for all of us. Denrus seemed well connected because atlantis hotel and casino our group did not line up in any of the places we went to and their buses were the only ones allowed to park inside the Sts Peter and Paul church which saved us a long walk. SP can be quite hot and humid in the summer! Our guide, Ana, was very efficient and knowledgeable as we went to all the customary places including atlantis hotel and casino a cruise along the Neva river. My daughter and I esp enjoyed Peterhof but wished we had more time at the Hermitage. On the 2nd day, we were even able to squeeze in a folkloric show in the evening, also booked thru Denrus, and was back on the ship before the midnight departure.
I just booked our St. Petersburg tour through DenRus. I bought the Complete St. Petersburg tour. I think it even includes lunch. We are only there for one day so my price was $195 per person. Glad to get that done as we depart from Oslo on June 9. Thanks Percy and Dukey1. I never would have done this without your help and recommendations. atlantis hotel and casino Thanks again. So looking forward to St. Petersburg. If we like it, we are going to book another cruise atlantis hotel and casino next year that allows atlantis hotel and casino 2 full day there.
Visiting Russia for the 1st time in July, 2012 with the GCT Russia Revealed, Moscow -SP. Thanks for the tips about booking our own tours outside the cruiseline. I had no clue that was possible. This is our 1st small river cruise as we normally prefer sleeping on land.
Visa info changed April 2012. You now MUST have a visa to visit Russia. We're close to DC but were told it is next to impossible to obtain a tourist visa on our own. Cost on own is now $170 but $210 thru visa svc.
If you are visiting active churches, women are required to cover their heads. Some churches have a few scarves at the entrance, but you can't count on this, so it would be best to have your own (a hat will suffice as well). Men must remove their hats. Inside, don't put your hands in your pockets either.
I always thought the best spot for souvenirs atlantis hotel and casino was behind the Church atlantis hotel and casino on Spilled Blood. Surprisingly, many can be found cheaply atlantis hotel and casino at bookstores along the Nevsky Prospect as well. Make sure to get postcards at Dom Knigi. Huge selection of gorgeous scenes.
Buy vodka at a supermarket or a convenience store, never at a dedicated tourist spot (Gostiny Dvor is guilty of this). A decent bottle shouldn't be more than $10. We students would buy the under $5 stuff (with the government label!) and it was fine. Having lived in St. Petersburg, I always thought soda and snacks were a bit on par cost wise with US prices (just a tad cheaper). A 20oz bottle of Diet Coke can range anywhere from 26R (supermarket off the tourist beat) to 50R (tourist spots). Once you step inside a restaurant, the price can hike over 90R for a soda.
I can't answer your questions about cruise ships and currency, but there are loads of cash machines ("bank-o-mat") in St. Petersburg to get rubles. Don't fret, there will be an English language option on all cash machines.
Mary I just got back from Russia. The stalls across atlantis hotel and casino from the Church of Spilled Blood was a great place to buy things. I bought some nesting dolls, they range in price from the ones I got my Grand Daughter for around $5 to the ones I got for myself that were $150 or so. It depends upon what you want and how much you want to spend. I found that the people in the stalls atlantis hotel and casino were very friendly and not pushy at all. I also found that the same thing at one stall would be a completly different price at a stall a few down. So comparison shop.
Regarding visas: atlantis hotel and casino to enter Russia by any means other than an international cruise ship or a ferry-cruise(a ferry cruise is one which you arrive by ferry and depart by ferry in from 1 to 3 days back to your origin port, normally Helsinki), you will need a visa obtained before you leave home from your nearest Russian consulate. You can't get one at the border or another country while traveling unless you have a residency permit for that country. US citizens pay $140 for the consular fee and now, starting May 12th 2012, a visa service company fee of $30. You apply through a designated visa service company who in turn takes your application to the consulate. atlantis hotel and casino You can't apply directly to the consulate any more.
For cruise ship passengers, all is much easier, there is no visa required. Some called it a blanket visa and some less than honest tour companies charge for that but there is no visa if you are a cruise ship passenger who arrives and departs within 72 on the same ship. There is one requirement, to have a tour operator as your host or sponsor. Sign up for a tour from an authorized tour operator such as DenRus Ltd ( www.denrus.ru atlantis hotel and casino ) and show your passport and tour ticket to passport control officers and you are admitted into the country. It is that simple.
Cruise ships can't sponsor your visa free entry because they are not tour operators so they contract with a tour operator each season to provide tours to their passengers, atlantis hotel and casino and sponsor them when off the ship. The cruise line sells the tours as if they were their own but their only connection is as a sales agent who, by the way, retains most of the selling price as their sales commission.
The cruise lines warn about using independent tour operators but in reality those independent tour operators are the only ones who can sponsor you visa free entry into Russi