Baltic Bliss

From the cruise terminal, you can get to Peterhof, a magnificent 18th-century European palace and gardens (inspired by Peter the Great’s visit to Versailles in 1697), by bus or hydrofoil. Take the hydrofoil if possible, 30 minutes each way as opposed to about an hour each way by bus, advises tourist guide Tatiana Ivanova. She recommends that time-pressed cruise passengers stroll only among the gardens at Peterhof to admire the waterworks, featuring more than 150 fountains and water-jets that shower gilt statues of ancient gods and heroes.

When in St. Petersburg, be sure to take time to walk along Nevsky Prospect. The famed street is to St. Petersburg what the Champs Elysses is to Paris, or Broadway to New York. Ask your guide to take you to a cafe for a coffee, Russian beer or Soviet champagne (technically, sparkling wine). “Walk along Nevsky Prospect, have a cup of coffee, watch people pass by, and you understand all of Russia,” says Timophey Beliaev, of the Corinthia Nevaskij Palace Hotel, situated on Nevsky Prospect.

While in St. Petersburg Russia, The Avid Cruiser stopped in at the Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel. This beautiful five-star hotel is currently undergoing a Euro $75 million renovation and expansion. But it’s still open for business and when we were there, the work was not intrusive. We spoke with Timophey Beliaev, one of the executives at the hotel, about the best way to see St. Petersburg. His recommendation: on your own (which you can only do with a tourist visa) or with a guide. Check out private tours offered by cruise lines for touring with a guide.