Rules of disembarkation for cruise ship passengers

These simple steps will help you to clarify the process of disembarkation and meeting your tour guide on the shore. Please, follow our advices and get off tha ship calmly.

Read carefully instructions below. These are exact guidelines on how to proceed through Passport Control in St. Petersburg.

1. Print out your tour ticket (document that you get by email from Sputnik in 1-3 days after filling in the questionnaire), so-called blanket visa.

Important: The tour ticket is a substitute for the Russian visa. This paper is extremely important, without it you won’t be allowed to go ashore in visa free St. Petersburg! Your visa substitute (tour ticket) is personal and each person in your party will hold their own. 

2. Contact the guide and remind him/her about meeting time. Be sure he/she will meet you in the port. You have to meet him near the Passport Control booths, right inside the terminal where you arrive.

Important: After your ship has docked in St. Petersburg you will be allowed to go through Passport Control before the start of your St Petersburg shore tour. Please, make sure that you confirmed time of meeting with your tour guide. Most of the large crowds booked on the ship's excursions will have disembarked by this time and you can make your way to Passport Control at your own pace.

3. Check that you have everything with you for your visa free St. Petersburg tour:
  • Passport
  • Tour Ticket (so-called blanket visa)
4. Walk up to one of the Passport Control booths and wait for your turn. Present the Passport Control Officer with your passport, your tour ticket (so-called blanket visa).

5. The Passport Control Officer will clear you now for entering Russia and give you a shore pass valid for cruise passengers in St. Petersburg.

6. Your guide will be waiting for you a short distance behind Passport Control with the sign where your name is written. 

Important: Meeting point can’t be changed! You will meet your guide near the passport control booths. Neither on the bus stop nor somewhere else.

Please be patient. It may take a couple of minutes to recognize your guide among others. Say good morning in Russian (DOBROYE UTRO). If you pronounce it correctly we'll do the tour in Russian for you! Joke!

Important: Put your passports and tour tickets safely away. These are very important documents and you need them again for leaving the ship. Your personal guide will give you all the details for a safe and trouble-free stay in visa free St. Petersburg.

Important: Coming back to the ship. During your visa-free stay you have to be all-time escorted by your guide. Absolutely no wandering by yourself. Your tour itinerary has been approved with Russian border officials. If you plan to return to the ship and than want to leave it for another tour ar ballet - this also has to be pre-approved and included in your itirnerary.

7. Urgent help: if you have any troubles with disembarkation, please, call us:
+7 950 028 0370 Aleksandra, Sputnik representative
+7 921 934 5681 Alexey, Maxibalttours representative (our partner)

We wish you the best shore tour ever!
Kind regards,
Sputnik team
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