St Petersburg.

Peterhof Palace - the words grand and WOW are lost on me.



The Bronze Horseman Statue.

The Hermitage - so vast it would take a lifetime to experience it's treasures.

The Folklore Evening - something different from the Ballet.

Catherine Palace Amber Room.

Catherine Palace. The facade of the Palace is almost a thousand feet long - I guess you could say that is double fronted! What style and Grandeur..................

Greetings Everyone,

What a Cruise this has been for ship visiting. Very exciting for me!

We sailed out from St Petersberg on Saturday evening in glorious sunshine. Everyone enjoys a good sail away - this is an experience that is unique to cruising - you just don't get this wonder at an airport or a railway station! You have to be on board to capture the moment.

On Sunday we were alongside in Helsinki - with a wet morning and a brighter afternoon. Another great City on this Baltic Cruise. I will post some photographs in my next blog.

From Russia with Love……..here is Alison Webster’s report on our call at St Petersburg. Many of you will know Alison our Port Presenter, before taking up this position Alison worked on board as a Future Cruise Sales Manager.

Arcadia arrived in St Petersburg and berthed at the new cruise ship terminal (Marine
Façade) for the first time, and what a difference from the container berth we used before. Gone were the views of cranes, containers and a little shed that served as immigration we had on previous calls; instead we had smart passport control booths, a terminal that resembled a modern airport and parking facilities for the coaches to line up (almost) in order.

With 5 separate dispatch operations, over four thousand people booked on tours over the 2 days, we knew it was going to be busy for everyone involved!

In between the dispatches I managed to join the Boat cruise and Yusupov Palace excursion which was excellent. Starting with a coach ride into the city we joined our sightseeing boat for a cruise down the Neva (River) and into the waterways of the city. The weather at the beginning saw some ‘liquid sunshine’ but that didn’t deter our sightseers as some chose to sit on decks holding their umbrellas in one hand and their camera’s in the other!. Turning into the canals though the sun came out and we saw the city at its best. Next stop was Yusupov Palace, overlooking the Moyka River where we enjoyed a guided tour of the interior of this fantastic Palace and saw the recreated scene where the enigmatic Rasputin was lured to his eventual death.

Lauren and Kellie were both entertained in the evening, when they went along to the Russian Folkloric Show. This is a colourful show where three professional folk groups perform including a vocal quartet, a Cossack song and dance group and ‘The Stars of St Petersburg’ a different dance group with performers who have graduated from the leading choreography schools of Russia. It’s a lively and colourful affair and the girls, along with 250 of our passengers, all had a great evening.

For anyone visiting this city for the first time it’s an almost overwhelming task to decide the best way to spend time ashore in St Petersburg. It’s the highlight port of any Baltic cruise itinerary, everyone wants to make the most of their visit, and this is where the knowledge and experience of the Tours Team can help.

Almost everyone wishing to go ashore books an organised Shore Excursion (unless they’ve organised their own visa). With choices galore of city tours by coach or boat, visits to Palaces and museums for the full day or half day, there’s a lot on offer and something to suit everyone. The best way to make the most of your days is to plan in advance!

Newcomers to the city will benefit from the panoramic city tour, which travels from highlight sight to sight and stops for photo opportunities along the way. An evening tour to either the Ballet or the Russian Folkloric show allows the wonderful opportunity to experience the city at night, and at least one visit to a Palace or the Hermitage Museum should be considered, in order to gain some understanding of this city that was founded in 1703, by Peter the Great.

This is a name you’ll hear mentioned a lot as you explore ashore and you can visit his tomb at the Peter and Paul Fortress or his Palace at Peterhof, inspired by the Palace of Versailles, which has an impressive interior as well as the famous and incredibly ornate fountains and beautiful gardens.

Catherine II (also know as Catherine the Great) was another influential person in the shaping of the city and you can visit Catherine Palace, a favourite residence of hers, although it was originally named after Catherine 1st. The highlight sight of this Palace is the famous reconstructed Amber Room, which took 25 years to complete and cost $25,000,000

Another attraction associated with Catherine the Great is the world famous Hermitage Museums with its 12 miles of corridors and over 3,000,000 pieces of artwork.
Built to accommodate Catherine the Greats growing collection of Art we can book a range of tours from the stand alone to combination options, and the exclusive crème de la crème opportunity of an evening visit with a special classical concert performance.

There’s a lot to do in this city with almost 5,000,000 residents, and with careful planning you can take full advantage of your time here or pace yourselves and enjoy it in a more leisurely way. Whatever style suits you the best, The Tours Team on board can help you make sure that you have an excellent time ashore, in this highlight port of call.

Thanks to Alison for her report, this is appreciated by me. I hope you enjoyed it.

Last evening I enjoyed a perfect dinner in Arcadian Rhodes, and today was the Portunus Lunch. Between office business I attended a rather unique joint Renewal of Vows Ceremony this evening conducted by Commodore Burgoine. One couple were celebrating 50 years of marriage and their son and daughter in law were celebrating 25 years of marriage. It was an honour to be present on such an occasion.

Tomorrow we are due in Copenhagen - on of my favourite Cities in the world. It is all on your doorstep with P&O Cruises.

Yours,

James.

The starting place of excellence is wherever you find yourself at this present moment.