Mike, we had a great guide, and I've sent several letters similar to the one to Sybil attached to this one.
We made our own reservations through MIR, partly to save money but because we had tremendous reccos on MIR. In the event, Olga was a treasure. Loved the city so much she and her family moved back from Denmark, despite having a much higher standard of living. We didn't do anything at night, but the ship can arrange for ballet, etc.
Go to all the tourist traps -- they are well worth while for two days: Peterhof was superb, Church of Spilt Blood, the Fortress of St. Peter, especially the view of the city from that side, Katherine's Palace, the subway, and of course shopping.
The Hermitage is so vast that you have to pick and choose carefully. We saw the Treasury and their selection of French Impressionists. One weakness -- you have to have a separate guide at the Hermitage who was pretty weak. There is a tradition in shops and in the museum where you are assigned a clerk on entry who shows you what they like -- be firm and look at what you want to see.
Two days will be too short in our experience -- three gave us a great sampling but we would go back in a heart beat.
Regards, Bob
Hi Sybil,
We cruised with Regent Seven Seas Voyager from Copenhagen to Stockholm with three days in Saint Petersburg during July 2007. We stayed on the ship at night, and toured hard during the day -- so we didn't attend the ballet or eat ashore. We had an excellent driver and an absolutely wonderful guide:
Olga Lankina, Licensed Guide,
Teacher of English, 4 Lvovskaya Street, Flat 11, Strelna 515903, St.
Petersburg.
Olga_lankin@mail.ru t/f: 7 812 421 4112
We hired Olga and the driver through MIR independently of the cruise ship -- they offered a number of excursions, but our travel agent recommended that we book independently with MIR. It was great advice -- the booking was seamless and both Olga and the driver not only did everything we were promised, but they gave us more than the itinerary called for. MIR also followed up by cell phone several times during the three days -- at a restaurant to be sure the food was as we were promised for example.
We loved St. Petersburg and found the people wonderful. Olga was a real treasure -- we've traveled extensively around the world and she was one of the very best tour guides we've ever had. She lived in Denmark with her husband and children for three years, and has traveled in the US and throughout Europe, so we could share many experiences. She's been a guide in Russia for at least 20 years.
This was our first cruise together -- I went once alone to Antarctica -- and we usually travel independently. We wouldn't hesitate to go back to Saint Petersburg alone, particularly if Olga -- or someone she recommended -- were available as a guide. Saint Petersburg was much more than we ever expected -- fantastic experience.
As to your specific questions:
(1)
Where did you travel to and what was your overall
experience like?
Covered above, but two of our close friends took the same trip in reverse order, and spent their evenings at the ballet, at a restaurant and at another event. Their experience was very similar to our -- all positive.
(2) What was the best part of your trip? What
was the worst part?
We liked different parts, of course -- we loved the art generally but not the Russian art in the museum dedicated to Russian art. We found the people very "American" -- a great experience is to take the subway a couple of stops, and look at the faces of the passengers as you go down and up the escalators -- the journey takes at least a minute and you get five second snapshots of a wide variety of people as they pass you going the other direction.
The only negative was a vague uneasiness based on being Cold War babies -- I was born in 1936 and my wife ten years later. In the event, everyone was very nice to us, but you have to give up your passport at times. Be sure to carry Xeroxes of the original -- we were told it is a serious problem to be without a passport in Russia.
(3)
Did you encounter any problems, and if so, what
were they and were they resolved to your satisfaction?
None -- Olga was able to bypass lines through special passes, and as far as we could tell she resolved everything.
One odd cultural difference -- store clerks are assigned to you as you enter the store -- vodka is almost always offered -- and the clerk tends to lead you through the stock pointing out their favorite items. It's difficult to focus on one piece without being dragged away to the next item they like. We had the same experience at the Treasury in the Hermitage. Our guide moved us from one item to the next much to quickly for my taste. I felt rude -- but finally just looked at what I wanted to as long as I want to. The guide then returned and waited for me. It was hard to do, since the people are so nice.
(4)
Were you pleased with MIR Corp’s handling
of the trip arrangements? If not, why not?
Top flight performance -- we are delighted to recommend them at least for our rather limited exposure.
(5)
Would you travel with MIR Corp again? Why
or why not? Yes. My only c riticism is that the literature isn't always accurate -- for example, they recommended tipping $3 to $5 for guides and drivers, for example -- much too low in our world wide experience -- Europe, Asia, US -- where private guides generally expect and deserve 10%, private drivers a bit less. It might be ok for a group tour, but the literature was aimed at private tours. Read their literature with care.
(6)
Did you feel safe during your trip? If not,
what were your concerns?
Yes. Our driver was a bit quick, but very careful and very responsive when we asked him to stop for views or to reduce speed for comfort.
(7)
Anything else that would be helpful for me to
know?
St. Petersburg is one of the top ten places I've personally visited, and I've been blessed in traveling to over a hundred countries. An incredible city and the inhabitants just can't seem to leave it.
Regards, Bob
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