The best way to approach a new destination is by boat and Russia is no different. Gliding in to a city at water level is how most travelers approached waterfront cities when they were still just towns. The views have only gotten better. This is how we made our first visit to Russia – to St. Petersburg to be exact. And the St. Peter Line ferry is the way to do it.
If you don’t want the hassle of getting a visa for Russia you can make a 3-day visit to St. Petersburg via this ferry visa-free. The rules change so check for updates. While you can book your ferry online at: https://stpeterline.com/en/-/the-schedule-of-princess-anastasia-ferry-for-2019 I recommend using a travel agent in Stockholm or Helsinki to book the trip as they will know the latest visa rules and special deals. The St. Peter Line website is not as informative as I would like. Information on this route and ferry are not that easy to find.
Part of the adventure of this trip is experiencing Russian customer service onboard. They don’t actually hit you with a stick but sometimes you’re sure they’d like to. I loved it. The cost is very reasonable, probably because you aren’t paying for smiles and other frivolous add-ons. The round trip cost us about US$200 each for the three-night journey in cabin class that included afternoon stops in Tallinn and Helsinki. Luxury rooms were priced at about US$650. I’m not sure if smiles are included in luxury class.
When we made this trip in 2017 all we had to pay was for the ferry but travelers have since reported that on occasion passengers on the visa-free trip have been required to buy US$30 tickets for a mandatory city bus tour of St. Petersburg or to stay one night in an affiliated hotel. These rules change frequently. Check with your travel agent or at: www.stpeterline.com/en/-/visa-free-rules.
The Ship
We left Stockholm from the ferry terminal at Frihamnen on the Princess Anastasia. There are three terminals in this area so be sure to confirm which one the St. Peter Line is currently leaving from. Upon check in 2 hours before departure we were given boarding cards (which doubled as our room keys) and Russia arrival and departure cards. The cabin class rooms were small, dated but clean and comfortable.
The Princess Anastasia is a former P&O ferry that’s been in service since the 1980s and is more like a cruise ship with dated night clubs, a casino, and
several restaurants. For a small fee there is a spa, a sauna and a small pool. I’ve seen whales in speedos so I skipped these.
And of course there is the duty free shop with an enormous selection of vodka, European perfumes, and snacks. There is WiFi for a fee (about US$6 per hour) but it doesn’t work very well. But who needs WiFi when there’s so much scenery to enjoy?
The Food Onboard
There are “American”, Russian, Italian and unidentifiable eateries on board. If you are on the Princess Anastasia you can find more about the restaurants here: www.stpeterline.com/en/princess-Anastasia/restaurants
My sister ordered scrambled eggs for breakfast one morning at Bake and
Coffee but received something more whimsical – it resembled tofu or vanilla
pudding but she reported it only aspired to be as good as tofu.
The People Onboard
Most of my fellow passengers were Russians and Europeans. There were a number of Chinese, Koreans and Japanese on board too. I didn’t hear any American accents (except my family and friends) on the journey. The waiters and waitresses were still mostly undecided about whether they should smile or seem pleasant. After plopping down the food on the table they were exceedingly thoughtful about not interrupting our conversation with idle chitchat about whether you were still “ok” or needed anything.
Disembarking in Russia
Getting off the ship was a struggle because so many of the Russians and the
Chinese tour groups were loaded with huge bags that barely fit through the narrow corridors. But once we were through the exit doors we breezed through customs. We had hired a guide through the travel agent in Stockholm so she met us at the exit and loaded the six of us into a van for a tour on the way to our hotel. I rarely engage a guide to meet me at disembarkation but this service was inexpensive for a small group and enabled us to see the most in a rushed two days. You can also book excursions onboard the ship: stpeterline.com/en/group-tours-in-st.-Petersburg
The ships disembark at the Sea Station Terminal at Morskoy Slavy Square, several miles from downtown.
Where to stay in St. Petersburg
The St. Peter Line recommends the Sokos Hotel Vasilyevskiy or the Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge. If you are allowed to choose on your own, like we were, you can choose something less expensive. We stayed at the 3-star Asteria Hotel for US$45 per night. There are about 9,000 hotels and hostels in St. Petersburg and the average price is US$40 per night.
What to do in St. Petersburg
With only two days your choices are limited but here are the no brainers:
1. The Hermitage
Buy your ticket online in advance or have a guide buy it for you. Otherwise
you waste too much time in line. Every room of this museum is amazing. It was made even better by our guide who explained the highlights. If you don’t have a guide I recommend paying for the audio guides you can
rent for just a few dollars. This is, after the Louvre, the second largest museum in the world – so you could easily spend a day here.
2. Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
Located inside of the Peter and Paul Fortress this Russian Orthodox cathedral
sports the world’s tallest Orthodox bell tower. This is where almost all of Russia’s emperors and empresses since Peter the Great are buried.
3. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood + Soviet Arcade
The church is distinct. It’s Medieval Russian style stands out from the rest of Baroque and Neoclassical St. Petersburg. Why the strange name? Because this is where Alexander II was murdered.
4. Winter Palace
The former royal residence of the Russian czars is across from the Hermitage and is part of the Hermitage Museum. Palace Square lies
between the Winter Palace and the Hermitage. This enormous square
After seeing the church go around the corner to the Museum of Soviet Arcade
Machines to see 1960-80s Soviet versions of everything from pinball machines to soda dispensers. It’s a gas and only costs US$7 which
includes coins to play the machines.
5. Peterhof Palace
On the outskirts of St. Petersburg, this is a series of palaces and gardens designed by Peter the Great to rival the Palace of Versailles. Without a guide and a van it may take too much time to get to on a short two-day itinerary but I’m glad we saw it. The Grand Cascade and Samson
Fountain were the highlight. All of the aggressive spraying and squirting are achieved without the use of pumps.
Eating in St. Petersburg
We didn’t have much time for eating on our whirlwind tour but the first night we wandered into the only open restaurant we could find near the Asteria Hotel. It was guarded by a fierce Korean-Russian lady that mocked us into being seated. “What do you think these chairs are for?” Fortunately, the Russian menu had yellowed pictures of food on dishes we could point to. We discovered that the menu was little more than a list of good intentions. One after another, we pointed to a photo of a dish and the shy waiter would disappear into the kitchen only to return a few minutes later with head down to report “no have. Sorry.” After three or four tries I ordered fried potatoes out of concern the young waiter might not muster the will to come back. We could see that working for the evil Korean-Russian lady had already sucked his soul dry.
On our second day we ate dry baked goods at a coffee shop and spent our time exploring St. Petersburg’s amazing subway stations instead of eating. I did stop at a Teremok Russian fast food outlet to grab a small cheese pizza. Teremok seems to be a McDonalds-like chain serving everything from sushi to burgers. There are 50 of them in St. Petersburg so they are easy to find.
Would I Do this trip again?
In a heartbeat. I enjoyed the entire Russian cruise experience for its uniqueness. As long as you go mentally prepared for Russian-style customer service
(http://www.russiaknowledge.com/2018/05/17/customer-service-with-a-russian-twist/) you will do fine. For a first, short, peek at Russia this was the way to go. It was double fun because we traveled with family and friends. But next time I go back to Russia I will get a visa and stay longer.
The Links:
St. Peter Line
https://stpeterline.com/en
The Hermitage
https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/?lng=en
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/peter-paul-cathedral/
The Church of Savior on the Spilled Blood
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/church-resurrection-jesus-christ/
The Winter Palace
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/palaces/winter-palace/
Peterhof Palace
https://en.peterhofmuseum.ru
Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines
Konyushennaya Sq., 2b, St. Petersburg 191186
Hours are 11 am to 8 pm.
The nice Russian-Swedish agent we used in Stockholm:
Natasha Andersson
RYSSLANDSRESOR Östermalmstorg 1 11442 Stockholm +4670557722
