Baltic Bliss

You’ve heard stories of the high cost of travel in Europe, thanks to the decline of the dollar against the Euro. The stories certainly should concern anyone setting out to see Europe on their own. Yes, you may pay $8 for a cappuccino in Europe, and the cost of a hotel room can be stratospheric. But a cruise isolates travelers from Europe’s rising prices. Your hotel room, paid for in U.S. dollars, floats along with you from port to port. Your meals are paid for. And you can always get a cappuccino onboard, even on cruise lines that charge for specialty coffees, for just a few bucks.

So the question is not whether to cruise in Europe, but where to cruise in Europe. The answer? Northern Europe.

But even within this broad region, there are choices to be made.
Northern Europe is rich in cultural diversity, historical attractions, and staggeringly magnificent scenery. Most itineraries will combine visits to Copenhagen and other Scandinavian capitals with at least a day or two in St. Petersburg. Other Northern European cruises set sail along the Norwegian coastline, home to breathtaking views of fjords and quaint coastal towns. It’s your choice. Better yet, do both.

If you’re planning a cruise in the Baltic Sea, you’re likely old enough to remember such events as the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), U.S. President Ronald Reagan and congressional conservatives characterizing Russia as the Evil Empire (1982) and the Cold War, which lasted until late 1991. Thus, visiting St. Petersburg for the first time may hold a mix of emotions for you — the intrigue of seeing one of the world’s greatest cities combined with apprehension of visiting a former enemy state.

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Peterhof, a magnificent 18th century European palace and gardens, features more than 150 fountains and four cascades. Head to the suburbs of sprawling St. Petersburg to visit the region’s impressive palaces and parks. 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. To gain an appreciation of Peterhof’s water features before your cruise, click on www.peterhof.org.

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Like any big city, St. Petersburg has some seedy sides, but you’ll steer well clear of those as you set out to see the main attractions. Even so, before disembarking your ship, you may be warned to watch out for pickpockets and petty thieves. Tourist guide Dmitry Ruchkin told The Avid Cruiser that St. Petersburg’s reputation isn’t deserved and that crimes against tourists are rare. The local English-language newspaper reported that St. Petersburg had 792 registered crimes against foreigners last year, compared to more than 30,000 in Paris. Of course, it should be pointed out that Paris receives considerably more international visitors each year than does St. Petersburg.

During my two visits to St. Petersburg this year and last, St. Petersburg certainly felt safe — or no less safe, I should say, than any city of 5 million or more. I even walked Nevsky Prospect past midnight on two occasions and never felt threatened or intimidated.

What may be intimidating for foreigners, however, is the language barrier and the alphabet, Cyrillic, making signage virtually unreadable for Western eyes. The city is working to put on a “friendly interface” for tourists, but it’s slow in coming. You won’t find an abundance of signage guiding you to the major attractions or friendly policemen who speak English, but you will find well-equipped tourist information centers in highly touristed areas as well as volunteer students who roam the streets as “City Angels” to help tourists.

You need not worry about any of this, of course, if you follow our advice: Get a guide.

Q. I am visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise ship. Do I need a visa?
A. Yes. Nearly 70 percent of all tourists to St. Petersburg arrive by ship, and they all need visas. See pages 14 and 15.

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The first thing you need to know about visiting St. Petersburg, Russia, is that you will need a visa. That’s right, the tedious and time-consuming paperwork for obtaining a visa must be completed — but not necessarily by you. That’s because Russian visas come with several caveats. The one you need to know about is that if you are arriving by cruise ship, the cruise line that operates that ship has a relationship with a ground operator approved by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That ground operator has obtained a “blanket” visa to cover all passengers on the ship.

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