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#21218
07/12/2013 04:04 PM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 62
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Traveler
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 62 |
My husband and I will be visiting a number of Baltic countries beginning next week. As part of our travel plans we will be taking a short cruise from Finland to Russia. I believe we do not need a visa if we are taking a pre-arranged cruise tour from the ship. But if we plan to get off the boat to independently explore we need a visa. I was recently told that a passport and ship's boarding pass are considered legal documentation if the visit is less than 72 hours and a visa is not needed. Does anyone know if this is true or not? I'm getting conflicting information on this. Thanks.
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,595
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,595 |
I believe you are correct, that you need a visa if you are not part of a paid shore excursion from the ship. This is from a Visit Russia website: Cruise Passengers
Cruise ship passengers can currently visit Russia on visa-waiver scheme provided the stop in the port of call doesn't exceed 72 hours and tourists stay overnight on board the cruise ship.
Cruise passengers may disembark from the ship without a tourist visa if they participate on tours organized by travel companies. Passengers not participating on tours and wishing to disembark will need to obtain a Russia tourist visa.
Cruise passengers cannot obtain a visa in Russia. Visas are issued in the country of residence before departure.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 177
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Traveler
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 177 |
We are going to Saint Petersburg, on our own, at the end of August. We are flying to Helsinki, and then taking the train. It took a little over 3 weeks to get our visas. Our application was held up, because I did not put our full middle names on the visa application. You can get a visa quicker, but you will pay a lot extra for expedited processing. Good luck. Jim
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 965
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 965 |
Instead of our cruise ship's shore excursions, we booked a 2-day private tour for four people with SPB Tours. It is a licensed tour company and it is outstanding. We had a private driver and tour guide and it was cheaper than if we had booked separate tours through the ship. Here's a link: http://www.spb-tours.com/st-petersburg/en/nodeI booked with SPB after reading numerous positive reports online. Karen
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