Celebrity and Port of St. Petersburg

We will be taking a Celebrity Baltic's cruise and have scheduled our
shore excursions of St. Petersburg through Red October. Yesterday we
received our shore excursion information from Celebrity wherein it
states "Guests who have not purchased a Celebrity Cruises shore
excursion and who do not have an individual Russian visa will not be
allowed to go ashore in St. Petersburg." In addition our travel agent
contacted Celebrity and they were firm that to get off ship one MUST
have individually obtained visa or on a Celebrity tour or independent
tour arranged by Celebrity. As you can imagine this is causing some
concern with those of us who want to take the Red October tour of St.
Petersburg.

My questions a

Has anyone else experienced this with Celebrity?

Is this a new policy?

Can this be enforced even if one has arranged another shore excursion
from a company such as Red October?

Can this be enforced even if one has arranged another shore excursion

This may be a Russian policy, not Celebrity's. I recall a visa being a VERY
important document to have in our only [it was, though, a land trip, not a
cruise] visit to Russia a few years ago... well post Perestroika. Dates,
destinations, etc, were very specific, and visas were checked thoroughly. I
met two visitors who had to spend an unplanned day or two in Helsinki
[waiting for their visas to become valid] because they hadn't noticed the
dates on their visas didn't exactly match their travel dates. Near the end
of my trip I wanted to extend my visit by a couple of days, but couldn't
because my visa dates couldn't be extended in time.

Is applying for a visa out of the question? I recently got a visa for Brazil
very quickly [after paying a {not too exorbitant}fee, naturally, for the
quick turn-around]. And, just a couple of weeks ago, a Brazilian friend was
denied entry to St. Bart's [as part of a Cunard arranged shore-excursion]
because she didn't have a visa. Oddly enough she was allowed to enter
Martinique, a French Department, without a visa... some technicality, we
surmised, differentiating between Departments and protectorates.

Celebrity may just be covering its a** to avoid responsibility if you are
denied entry.


"DickieD" wrote in message
m...
We will be taking a Celebrity Baltic's cruise and have scheduled our
shore excursions of St. Petersburg through Red October. Yesterday we
received our shore excursion information from Celebrity wherein it
states "Guests who have not purchased a Celebrity Cruises shore
excursion and who do not have an individual Russian visa will not be
allowed to go ashore in St. Petersburg." In addition our travel agent
contacted Celebrity and they were firm that to get off ship one MUST
have individually obtained visa or on a Celebrity tour or independent
tour arranged by Celebrity. As you can imagine this is causing some
concern with those of us who want to take the Red October tour of St.
Petersburg.

My questions a

Has anyone else experienced this with Celebrity?

Is this a new policy?

Can this be enforced even if one has arranged another shore excursion
from a company such as Red October?

It's somewhat trueG
Last fall when we visited St Pete we were told you had to do a ship's tour,
or have a visa.
We had supplied Red October with all our personal info, and had received
confirmation of our tours along with tickets to show the Russian customs
people.
We had no problem, and our Red October guide was waiting for us at customs.

I believe they arrange sort of a blanket Visa for the people on their tours.

We found the service outstanding, and I wrote an article about our
experiences with them.
http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/...Petersburg.cfm
Regards,
Kuki
Features Editor
Cruisemates.com
Internet Crusie Magazine
"DickieD" wrote in message
m...
We will be taking a Celebrity Baltic's cruise and have scheduled our
shore excursions of St. Petersburg through Red October. Yesterday we
received our shore excursion information from Celebrity wherein it
states "Guests who have not purchased a Celebrity Cruises shore
excursion and who do not have an individual Russian visa will not be
allowed to go ashore in St. Petersburg." In addition our travel agent
contacted Celebrity and they were firm that to get off ship one MUST
have individually obtained visa or on a Celebrity tour or independent
tour arranged by Celebrity. As you can imagine this is causing some
concern with those of us who want to take the Red October tour of St.
Petersburg.

My questions a

Has anyone else experienced this with Celebrity?

Is this a new policy?

Can this be enforced even if one has arranged another shore excursion
from a company such as Red October?

It's the Russian policy, not Celebrity's. Red October should have given you
that information at the outset. You must have your own visas and they can
take 4-6 weeks to obtain. They require more photographs and fees to the
Russian government as well as the agent who processes the visa. That said,
it is well worth the money and the effort to have a more individualized
tour. Our family of four had a private van with a guide and driver for two
days for far less than crowded buses with Celebrity excursions would have
cost.

On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 13:44:32 GMT, "Pam Scheer"
wrote:

It's the Russian policy, not Celebrity's. Red October should have given you
that information at the outset. You must have your own visas and they can
take 4-6 weeks to obtain. They require more photographs and fees to the
Russian government as well as the agent who processes the visa. That said,
it is well worth the money and the effort to have a more individualized
tour. Our family of four had a private van with a guide and driver for two
days for far less than crowded buses with Celebrity excursions would have
cost.


I think what he's saying here is that Celebrity will not allow people
to use the Red October visa exemption.


Mason Barge

"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
-- Abraham Lincoln

Mason Barge wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 13:44:32 GMT, "Pam Scheer"
wrote:

It's the Russian policy, not Celebrity's. Red October should have given you
that information at the outset. You must have your own visas and they can
take 4-6 weeks to obtain. They require more photographs and fees to the
Russian government as well as the agent who processes the visa. That said,
it is well worth the money and the effort to have a more individualized
tour. Our family of four had a private van with a guide and driver for two
days for far less than crowded buses with Celebrity excursions would have
cost.


I think what he's saying here is that Celebrity will not allow people
to use the Red October visa exemption.


Mason Barge

"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
-- Abraham Lincoln


Hello (Hope this Helps)

Last year we went to St. Petersburg with Celebrity and was told
the same thing, but we were on the Ship, heading for St.
Petersburg....But had them check again, and they said there would be
no problem... Red October is the best way to see St. Petersburg and if
I were ever to go back I would do it again. You will see more and do
more then anyone else on the ship...I would not
worry about getting off the ship you will be the first off. They will
be waiting for you at the dock. as they do start early and they will
keep you going all day....They seem to have a lot of pull as they get
you places that the ship tour don't go....it was the Highlight of the
Cruise....So Please have a good time and let us know how you like Red
October.......E-mail Red October and tell them what the Cruise line is
telling you......As for haveing a Vesa everyone need one but the
Cruise line and People that book with Red October.
I didn't have a Vesa....I think that Red October is own by the Russian
Gov.....

Martin

Hello (Hope this Helps)

Last year we went to St. Petersburg with Celebrity and was told
the same thing, but we were on the Ship, heading for St.
Petersburg....But had them check again, and they said there would be
no problem... Red October is the best way to see St. Petersburg and if
I were ever to go back I would do it again. You will see more and do
more then anyone else on the ship...I would not
worry about getting off the ship you will be the first off. They will
be waiting for you at the dock. as they do start early and they will
keep you going all day....They seem to have a lot of pull as they get
you places that the ship tour don't go....it was the Highlight of the
Cruise....So Please have a good time and let us know how you like Red
October.......E-mail Red October and tell them what the Cruise line is
telling you......As for haveing a Vesa everyone need one but the
Cruise line and People that book with Red October.
I didn't have a Vesa....I think that Red October is own by the Russian
Gov.....

Martin

Thanks for the positive comments Martin. I'm working with Red October
and thay say this happens all the time, but in the end people do get
to disembark and take the tours. I'm also working this through our TA
as well.

Dick

Did the Red October tour last August and they took care of everything. No visa
was needed as long as you were with them. They meet you as you get off the
ship. Red October is the only way to see St Petersburg.

Have a great trip...

I disagree - RO is NOT the only way to see St. Petersburg!

If you want a truly PRIVATE tour - as opposed to joining a GROUP tour
that RO collects from your ship - you should visit
http://www.travelinrussia.com Yes, you will need to get your own
visas, but even with this extra expense our tours are cheaper. What an
individual visa does is it gives you COMPLETE freedom during your stay
in St. Petersburg, so you can enjoy a nice dinner on your own or
strall down Nevsky Prospect very late into the night.



ojunk (FRUTH123) wrote in message ...
Did the Red October tour last August and they took care of everything. No visa
was needed as long as you were with them. They meet you as you get off the
ship. Red October is the only way to see St Petersburg.

Have a great trip...

We were certainly not in a group tour. A driver and the guide picked my
husband and I up at the ship in a Mercedes and we toured St. Petersburg.

How truly private would you like to get or are you trying to sell you own
tour???


I disagree - RO is NOT the only way to see St. Petersburg!

If you want a truly PRIVATE tour - as opposed to joining a GROUP tour
that RO collects from your ship - you should visit
http://www.travelinrussia.com Yes, you will need to get your own
visas, but even with this extra expense our tours are cheaper. What an
individual visa does is it gives you COMPLETE freedom during your stay
in St. Petersburg, so you can enjoy a nice dinner on your own or
strall down Nevsky Prospect very late into the night.