Saint Petersburg, Russia

The highlight for most cruisers on a Baltic cruise is St. Petersburg, Russia. St. Petersburg is a city steeped in history, rich in culture, and full of must-see landmarks. Most cruises spend at least 2 full days in St. Petersburg. Some spend three. I recommend the latter, because you will need no fewer than 3 full days to truly appreciate St. Petersburg.

When you arrive via cruise ship, you will dock at one of two places. If you sail on a mega-ship (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America Line, or one of the larger Princess ships, for example) you will dock in a commercial area about 25 minutes outside the city. It is not an attractive pier, and reason enough to consider sailing on a smaller ship – Oceania, one of the smaller Princess ships (e.g., Royal or Pacific), Silversea, Regent, or Seabourn. These smaller ships are capable of docking much further up the river in the heart of the city.

Arriving into the former Soviet Union is exciting in and of itself; for many, their trip to this great city is their first glimpse behind what used to be the Iron Curtain. Before my visit, I pictured in my mind a grey, somber, almost colorless decayed city. What I experienced was not even close. We sailed aboard the Oceania Regatta, docking in the most desirable location as far up river as possible, overlooking the city skyline. As you arrive into St. Petersburg, be aware that you will be required to have a Russian visa, or be scheduled on a shore excursion with a licensed Russian excursion provider. Your voucher for your excursion will serve as your visa to get beyond Russian immigration. Don’t expect to clear immigration quickly; even on a smaller vessel with fewer people, our wait time was significant. Also, don’t expect the Russian immigration officers to engage in small talk or be overly welcoming; they are not. Also, don’t expect to see signs in English; everything is in Russian. These somewhat unpleasant experiences aside, however, once in the city, you will be amazed by the beautiful Cathedrals, the colorful gardens, the enormous Tsar-era palaces.

We had arranged a three-day private tour for a group of 10 of us. We were fortunate to have the same tour guide all three days – Maria. In her mid-40s, Maria had grown up during the Soviet-era, lived through Perestroika, and is living through the challenges of modern-day Russia. The insight that comes from spending three days with someone like Maria was invaluable.

Our three full-days were packed. One of our first stops was perhaps the most well-known site in St. Petersburg and one of the most famous museums in the world – the Hermitage. The Hermitage consists in part of “the Winter Palace,” built by Peter the Great’s daughter, Elizabeth. There is an amazing collection of art here, from Van Goghs to Rembrandts, to Renoirs. But aside from the art, the opulence of the building itself will leave you awe-struck. On any organized shore excursion, you are not likely to have the time to really appreciate all the Hermitage has to offer, and the crowds can be immense and at times almost intolerable. But no visit to St. Petersburg would be complete without a stop at the Hermitage.

The following day, we visited Peterof, located about an hour outside the city. I recommend arriving at Peterof, like we did, early in the day to avoid the crowds. It is an absolute must see. The drive to get to Peterof is fascinating. En route, you will pass Soviet-error buildings – for example, an apartment complex that stretches continuously for 5 kilometers. You also will pass Western-style upscale neighborhoods where the “new Russians,” those who have acquired rapid wealth following the Soviet Union’s collapse, live in palatial homes that (if you didn’t know better) could just as easily be mistaken for an affluent American neighborhood. If your guide is good, he or she will shed light on the many sites you are seeing, the changes that have occurred over the past 20 years, and what life was and is like in Russia.

When you arrive at Peterof, you will be impressed by the outside structure, but this is nothing compared to the grounds you will see once inside the gates. By far, this was a highlight of our visit to St. Petersburg. Located on the Gulf of Finland, the extensive grounds are lush with colorful gardens in bloom and rich opulent gold fountains. Spending a day at Peterof would not be too long, but you will have to make the most of the 2 or 3 hours you’ll have to enjoy this wonderful place.

Catherine’s Palace, of course, is another must-see landmark on a visit to St. Petersburg. Largely destroyed by the Germans in World War II, much of Catherine’s Palace has been restored to its original glamour. It is an enormous, inspiring structure, originally constructed in the 1700s, consisting among other things of more than 100 kilograms of gold exterior trim. Though arguably not as beautiful as Peterof, the rich history, elaborate décor, and painstaking restoration will leave a lasting impression.

Inside the city proper, St. Petersburg offers a number of amazing Cathedrals. Unfortunately, and sadly, the Cathedrals that still stand in St. Petersburg are just a small fraction of what used to exist in the city. The Soviets outlawed religion, and many of the city’s Russian Orthodox cathedrals were demolished. Many of those still standing were converted to secular use – indoor swimming pools, storage facilities, and other non-religious uses. Only a few offer religious services; other have been restored and serve as museums. One of the most famous is the Church of the Spilt Blood. The Church was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Church was largely damaged and looted by the Soviets following the 1917 Revolution. During World War II, it served as a vegetable warehouse and, according to our guide, a morgue. Restoration of the church began in 1970, and took 27 years. The elaborate mosaics, intricately depicting scenes from the Bible, have been largely restored and are stunningly beautiful.

Our visit to St. Petersburg was capped off with an evening performance of the Russian Ballet. This was the only excursion we booked through the cruise line. When you visit the Ballet, don’t expect to see the top performers; you are more likely to see the second or third string, and the theater is not posh. In fact, the lack of air conditioning meant the fairly stark theater was also downright hot. Nevertheless, when in Russia, one should see a ballet, and so we did it and the experience was worthwhile.

Less I forget, each day of touring included a lunch at an authentic local St. Petersburg restaurant. When you visit St. Petersburg, please don’t anticipate that the meals or the service will equal American standards. They will not. On each of the three days in three different restaurants, our meals consisted of the same thing – a salad, borscht (Russian soup), and some kind of chicken or pork (we were never sure which exactly). While the food was not great, nor was the accompanying service, it was the experience we valued – eating in an authentic Russian restaurant where locals eat.

In all, although we looked forward to St. Petersburg being the highlight on our 14-day Baltic cruise, St. Petersburg far surpassed our expectations. It is a city that will not disappoint, so plan to make the most of it.