Photos - Day 1, Day 2
- Sat/Sunday, July 18-19, 2015: 7 am Sat - 6 PM Sun
- Because we signed up for our cruise at the last minute, English speaking shore excursion was sold out. (Most passengers on our ship were Germans and Italians.) We were very disappointed - it was too late to get a Russian visa on our own AND it was expensive. These days, most countries have outsourced visa issuance to private companies such as http://www.visaexpress.net/russia/russiatouristvisa.htm who charge a lot of money to get it done - even more for Rush or Urgent orders, as you can see below. Even at the cheapest option, we would shell out $193+$79+$27 = $289 just to enter the country. All sightseeing will be additional.
- Consulate Fee & Service Fee:
| SERVICE TYPE | ENTRIES | CONSULATE FEE | SERVICE FEE | PROCESSING TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REGULAR | 1 | $193 | $79 | 8 BUSINESS DAYS |
| REGULAR | 2 | $193 | $79 | 8 BUSINESS DAYS |
| RUSH | 1 | $283 | $159 | 3 BUSINESS DAYS |
| RUSH | 2 | $283 | $159 | 3 BUSINESS DAYS |
| URGENT | 1 | $313 | $199 | 24 HOURS |
| URGENT | 2 | $313 | $199 | 24 HOURS |
Return Shipping Option & Fee: Extra $27-$75.
- I couldn't imagine cruise ship passengers being stranded on the ship only because they don't have a visa OR excursions were sold out. There had to be a way. That's when I found TJ Travels. TripAdvisor reviews were great. Their itinerary was better than the one offered by the cruise line, and less expensive. We didn't have to pay in advance, and we didn't need a visa. For $285 - about the same amount of money as getting a visa (coincidence?), we were able to do a two-day shore excursion - All Highlights St Petersburg Excursion - a 20 hour full itinerary. We had to stay with the tour group the entire time, but then there was no reason not to.
- Price included admission fees to all museums, photo and video permissions at the museums (except for Yusupov Palace, where camera pass is 5$ pp, video pass is 12 pp), hydrofoil ride and a boat trip along rivers and canals, guide and driver, Mercedes minibus with A/C, all port fees, blanket visa, all local taxes, two traditional Russian lunches, bottled water each day, headsets for the group.
- I signed up online on July 11 - three days before the cruise started and only a week before we arrived in St Petersburg. Unlike other companies, TJ responded to my emails quickly, and provided very clear instructions about how and where to meet their guide. They assured us that cruise ship can not stop us from getting off the ship, and Russian immigration doesn't care who the tour company is as long as we have a reservation - apparently the most asked question. I still had my doubts, and only after getting the visa at the port that I believed that we will see St Petersburg on this trip after all. - A smaller bus/group works much better than the big buses cruise ship provided. With only 11 people - 4 families including 3 preteens (all Americans), it was easy to keep the group together and on time. Free wifi on board, a safe place to leave valuables if necessary, bottled water and umbrellas/ponchos (that we did NOT need) - everything was thought of and taken care of. With individual headsets, we were able to hear everything that our guide Daria was saying - even in crowded Hermitage. Russian lunches on both days were a nice touch - though ice cream for dessert didn't sound much Russian.
- Daria was very knowledgeable, friendly, and spoke very good English. Most importantly for us, the weather cooperated - in fact, it was surprisingly clear on both days except light drizzle on second morning. St Petersburg doesn't have two such days in a row that often. A couple of days later, we heard a report that there was hailstorm there.
- Payment with a credit card was taken on the second day in the afternoon - one of the last things we did. We received a souvenir bag, and shots of vodka to boot. We had only one shopping stop - that too because one family asked for it. No pressure tactics or wasting time at local shops. Very positive experience.
The itinerary, subject to change, was as follows:
- Actual itinerary was slightly different, but all items were covered, with no rush.
- Like clockwork, the ship docked on time, so we could depart at 7 am. I was expecting a mad rush of people wanting to get out and then having to endure long lines at Immigration. We had arrived at the ship exit a bit earlier, so we were in fact the first ones to get off the ship, and therefore, at the Immigration. After checking the passport and our tour reservation, passport was stamped and we were give a loose slip of paper noting a two day blanket visa - we had to safe keep that and return to Immigration when leaving.
- Just outside, Daria (guide), Tatyana (owner) and Alex (driver) greeted us and led us to the waiting minibus. Two other families from our ship joined soon thereafter. To pick up the fourth family, we drove to the adjacent pier where Norwegian was docked. They were delayed getting out so we had to wait a while. St Petersburg is known for its horrendous traffic jams. For us, it being a weekend, traffic wasn't bad at all, and we were still ahead of schedule.
- The city straddles the Neva river and is connected by many bridges - some of them are opened at night for ship traffic. A drive along the Neva river gives you the lay of the land (pretty much all the sites we visited in two days) and some nice pictures. We also had a stop near St Isaac's Cathedral for outside pictures.
- We were still early for the 10 am Hydrofoil ride to Peterhof, so we visited a metro station “Admiralteyskaya.” Why would anyone visit St Peterburg to see a metro station - I had wondered. How does a metro station become a tourist attraction - but it was.
- Only recently opened, this is the deepest metro station in Russia - with escalators almost 400 feet long. During cold war, it was designed as a bomb shelter, and is now decorated with mosaics all over. Until recently, even picture taking was not allowed inside the station. Worth visiting even if you do not need to take the metro.
- Because we needed to deposit tokens to enter the station, Daria offered to ride the train to the next station, turn around and come right back. None of us were interested.
- The station is located only one minute walk from Nevsky Avenue and five minutes walk from Dvortsovaya Square - ideal for tourists to visit the central part of the city. Entry and exit are located at the intersection of Malaya Morskaya Street and Kirpichniy Lane - very close to Palace Square. - Hydrofoil dock is adjacent to Hermitage - on the other side of the Palace Square. TJ Travels had the tickets ready for us. We left right on time. Hydrofoil to Peterhof takes roughly 45 minutes. It is the fastest and most expensive way (about 700 Rubles) to get there. Hydrofoil ride did not feel any different/special other than being fast and very noisy.
- As soon as we docked, the pier led to ticket windows for Peterhof. By the time we reached there, Daria had those tickets ready and we rushed towards the palace. A lot of groups were already there. Show began exactly at 11 am when all fountains started one by one - all operating under gravity, no pumps.
- Peterhof or Petergof ("Peter's Court") is famous for its palaces and gardens - laid out on the orders of Peter the Great and sometimes called the "Russian Versailles." The area was extensively damaged during World War II during occupation by Nazi Germany. Reconstruction efforts began almost immediately after the war, and are still continuing. Nevertheless, what you see is breathtaking.
- From the lower gardens, you can enter upper gardens for free, but not the other way around.
- The gardens are well manicured and fountains are all around - small and large, some are gimmicky and will get you wet when you are not watching. A small canal from the gulf all the way to the steps of the palace is symbolic of Peter the Great's victory over Sweden, bringing him back to his palace by boat. Fountains on both sides of the canal as well as the gilded statues and fountains at the steps of the Palace are a sight not to miss (picture tells the story.)
- We did not visit the palace itself - short on time and long lines. Catherine Palace and Hermitage more than made up for it.
- By then, it was lunch time already. We drove to a nearby lunch place that looked like a two story bungalow converted to a restaurant. Another bus load from TJ Travels also joined us for lunch, which was pre-ordered. Courses were brought in one after the other, and we were done before we knew it.
- There are usually at least three courses to a Russian lunch. First course, a heavy Russian “salad”; usually made of potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, pickles, chicken or ham, and mayonnaise. Second course is usually soup, such as Borsch, served with sour cream. This one had beets in them, which some don't like. Third course is usually a meat dish consisting of a piece of meat with buckwheat porridge or mashed potatoes. Tea or coffee are typically served with lunch. For dessert, Ice Cream.
- After lunch, we traveled to Tsars’ Village in Pushkin, about an hour away, feeling relaxed after lunch. We still had three more places to see. First up was Catherine's Palace. Named after Catherine the Great, this Palace and the surrounding gardens make you feel like a royalty. Huge gilded rooms, fine furniture, imported silk wallpaper and imported china serving pieces are everywhere. And of course, the Amber Room. This room, aptly decorated in Amber, was destroyed and no photos or drawings were found. What you see now is partly original amber art, with rest filled in with replacement parts to match what the original might have looked like. Shoe covers are needed to protect the Parquet floors. Outside grounds and gardens were very well maintained.
- Like all other places, you always want more time there if possible. Instead use the time you have to hit the highlights. A guided tour, which we had, help move you through and cover the main areas. No photos of Amber Room.
- A 4.30-5:00 pm guided tour of the Church on Spilt Blood (Church of the Resurrection, also known as the "Savior on Spilled Blood") is one of the city’s prime attractions. If you haven't been to Moscow, this is your opportunity to see Onion Domes up close. Built at the location where Tsar Alexander II, a reformist, was assassinated, this church by the canal is a huge tourist attraction.
- A 45 minute guided tour of St Peter and Paul fortress/Cathedral where Tzar and Emperors of Romanov dynasty are laid to rest.
- Romanov dynasty ruled Russia from 1613-1917. Czars become Emperors and then "the Great" depending on their military success. Peter the Great began building St Petersburg - supervising personally - to defend against Sweden. It is fitting that Romanovs from Peter to Alexander III (with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI) are buried here.
- The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral which has a 402 ft bell-tower (the tallest in the city center) and a gilded angel-topped cupola.
- Fortress served as city garrison and later political prison, and now a museum. The fortress walls overlook sandy beaches that have become among the most popular in St. Petersburg. In summer, the beach is often overcrowded.
- This Cathedral is the only place where we had to stand in the line, but it moved quickly. - This was the end of Day 1. We returned to the ship, not opting for the evening program.
- Unlike yesterday, it was very cloudy with some drizzle in the morning. A good to day to be visiting museums. We left on time and took a boat ride along the river and canals to Hermitage. We had early entrance tickets (before official opening hours) so we were ahead of the crowds. By the time we came out, there were long lines of people waiting to get in, and inside was packed.
- Spread over several interconnected buildings, Hermitage is a vast museum. Like Louvre or Smithsonian, you can stay here forever, or pick and choose areas you like and skip others. The Winter Palace is an attraction in itself - both outside and inside. Luxury in palaces in St Petersburg is mesmerizing - This Palace is no exception. - For Traditional Russian lunch, we had Borsch without beets. Dessert - crepe.
- Next up was St Isaac cathedral - Not covered by all tours, but worth visiting!
- St. Isaac’s Cathedral with a delightful golden-domed creation was built during Romanov dynasty, for Peter the Great. It was the tallest structure in St. Petersburg. Massive columns in front, ceiling frescoes and walls with lavish mosaics are the reasons to go. Inside, scale models of the Cathedral's designs - small to current, as well as model showing how the columns were erected are also interesting. - The last item on our tour was 3.00-4.30 pm guided tour of Yusupov palace - Not worth it, unless you like murder mysteries.
- We signed up for our guided tour specifically because it included Yusupov Palace - many others don't. A non-descript looking building is still a massive palace. It starts out like Haunted Mansion in Disneyland with twisting halls and stairs where you go down to the spot where Rasputin was (presumably) murdered. The guide tells you the story along the way, and then you enter the room where the wax figures let you imagine what it would have been like on that day.
- We didn't know what to expect on the rest of the tour, but it was a tour of a beautifully maintained place of a rich family. Because we had already seen Hermitage, Catherine's Palace and Peterhof, it paled in comparison. We wouldn't have missed much. - Two days of wonderful experience in St. Petersburg - one of the primary reasons for this cruise.
- In case you can stay up late at night, experience this - With its crazy traffic jams and flood of tourists, St Petersburg remains a major shipping port. Which means large ships have to be able to make it through Neva River - and they can do so only at night. Find the schedule when bridges are drawn (closed for foot and car traffic) and large ships parade in and out. During the day, you can take ferry and other tourists boats under the bridge.
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