Our family (me, my husband, my mom and my almost 3 years old daughter) will take the first
Disney Cruise this summer from San Francisco. We are excited!
However, I have a question about booking excursion in St. Pertersburg. I booked the Disney tour "City Highlight and Hermitage" (SP13).However, I found out it is only for 5+ years old (?!) We all want to visit City Highlight and me/my husband would like to see Hermitage if possible. Is hiring the private tour guide/agent is the only other options? Any advice?
May I jump in and give one bit of very very important advice re St Petersburg. I have been twice, both for two days with DCL.
DCL gives the impression you have to have their tours in STPs, we had Private tours for all four days.
You can't walk off without a tour, but you can organise a private tour with limited private agencies in STB and they give you tickets like boarding cards to go through immigration.
We had personal itineraries on our four days there with.
https://www.anastasia.travel/
Who were brilliant.
Now they accommodate children, just ask for their personal experience and knowledge of STB.
Anastasia is well known and respected, she cares personally she met us st the terminal on disembarkation personally, during our trip, and back in port to ensure a perfect trip.
DCL tends to say an disembarkation time at STB but on our cruises both times we were there an hour or two early, and so we hopped off, through immigration and met by Anastasia about an hour before advertised port time, it took 5 minutes to get through immigration for a family.
They want their port adventures off quickly.
Anastasia got us a great guide modern car that gets down streets that coaches can't. We went in the rear entry if the hermitage avoiding cruise ship tours going through the front and being crushed. We went to
Catherine's palace.
Peterhoff.
Faberge museum.
Boat trip on canals.
Hydrofoil.
Even a helicopter flight over STB, on Utube.
We had a personalised itinerary and went to eat in Russian restaurants with locals even on the subway.
I read a DCL Port adventure review of STB which said, we spent 11 hours looking at the inside of a bus.
https://www.anastasia.travel/
Is not as expensive as you may think, and for a family or sharing with someone in the group well worth it.
It will improve that visit 200%.