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Baltic Cruise: St. Petersburg, Russia - Part 2

8/31/2016

 
Getting off of the ship on the second day was much easier.
Just a quick scan of our passports and we were back in Russia!
Read about Day 1 in St. Petersburg​
Read all about our Baltic Cruise!
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St. Petersburg is painted in bright, happy colors. to counteract its bleak, harsh weather.

STOP #1: Our first destination was Peter and Paul Fortress.
Back in the day, it was mainly used to hold political prisoners.
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Peter and Paul Fortress
Peter and Paul Cathedral lies at the center of the fortress.
It serves as the final resting place for almost all of the Russian emperors and empresses.
Everyone from the founding father (Peter the Great) to the last tsar (Nicholas II) is buried here.

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Baltic Cruise: St. Petersburg, Russia - Part 1

8/17/2016

 
We spent two amazing days in St. Petersburg during our Baltic cruise.
The first morning in Russia started with a very long line waiting to get off the cruise ship,
followed by more waiting in line to have our passports
and tour tickets looked over by customs officials.
After a few stern glances up at me and back at my paperwork,
I was given the stamp of approval to enter Russia.

Read our St. Petersburg Travel Guide

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​Check CruiseCritic forums for popular tour companies used by cruisers... sometime they even offer discounts for being a CruiseCritic member, forming a tour group, or booking in advance.
​ How to Enter Russia? In order to enter Russia you need to either have an approved visa, which is not cheap ($160-$250) or book an approved tour company that will provide tour tickets, which act as a "blanket visa" allowing you to enter the country as long as you are accompanied by a guide.

One and two day cruise ship passengers are much better off booking a tour company, rather than buying a visa. St. Petersburg is a huge city  to navigate with so many sights to see in such a short period. Tour companies also have the advantage of priority and fast-track entry into museums that many tourists  will spend hours just waiting to enter.

​ Book a tour company BEFORE you get to Russia and make sure you have your printed tour tickets in hand! The tour company can be local or it can be an excursion through your cruise ship. Don't let the cruise lines fool you into thinking that you can't leave the boat if you are not on a "cruise ship tour" or that customs officials will not let you through... you can book a local Russian tour company and usually at a much more reasonable price.

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Cruising the Baltic Capitals

8/14/2016

 
Scandinavia has always been high on my travel wish list, but the task of planning such a trip seemed overwhelming, not to mention expensive! After scanning the latest cruise offers I found two cruise itineraries that caught my eye: the Baltic Capitals and the Norwegian Fjords. Ultimately I decided that the Baltics would provide more variety and 'pins on the map' than the fjords of Norway.
If you still can't decide, then visit BOTH on a back-to-back cruise!
7 Day Guide to Cruising the Baltic Capitals | Adventures Overseas
Our Cruise
​​Our vacation time was limited to two weeks,  so I was thrilled to find a 7 Day Baltic Capitals cruise that began and ended in Stockholm. It gave us a few extra days to explore Stockholm, which many Copenhagen cruisers had later wished for. We also planned a quick stopover in Norway to take the famous Norway in a Nutshell tour before heading home. 
Our Itinerary:
Stockholm , Sweden
Helsinki , Finland
St. Petersburg. Russia
Tallinn, Estonia
Riga, Latvi
a
Norway in a Nutshell
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Where?
​Most Baltic cruises begin out of Copenhagen (Denmark) or Stockholm (Sweden) making a loop around the Baltic Sea and visiting ports such as:
  • Copenhagen, Denmark)
  • Frederica, Denmark
  • Stockholm , Sweden
  • Helsinki , Finland
  • St. Petersburg. Russia
  • Tallinn, Estonia
  • Riga, Latvia
  • Klaipeda, Lithuania
  • Gdansk, Poland
  • Kiel, Rostock, or Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany
Why?
  • Cruising the Baltics allows you to see five or more remote countries in a single week.
  • It also provides a rare opportunity to visit Russia, often staying two full days or more!
  • Many of the Baltic capitals are easy to conquer in just one day. 
  • Going by cruise ship is much more cost effective compared to the inflated cost of food and lodging in Scandinavia.

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