St. Petersburg

This was the highlight of the cruise and likely the main reason most people book a Baltic Sea cruise. Unfortunately, visiting the city is only allowed if you book an organized tour. On the plus side, you don’t have to worry about the visa paperwork nightmare, but you do have to follow their itinerary, which often includes visits to shopping and eating places of their choice (and where they get a commission)... Traveling with a 2-year-old and a buggy, it was actually nice to be driven around, so we didn’t mind.

Two days didn’t feel like enough to see everything, and we felt a bit rushed at times, but we did manage to visit a lot. We started at the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral and then walked along the river, crossing bridges and canals toward the St. Peter and Paul Fortress. We also visited the Winter Palace and the Summer Palace, and then had lunch in a “traditional” restaurant that was clearly catering to tourists with preselected, precooked dishes (you get the idea)...

Returning to the ship for the night was a nice relief—no need for a hotel, and we had access to a 24/7 canteen to top up after that “traditional” meal.

The next day, we took a small boat to Peterhof, where we saw the enormous Peterhof Palace and its stunning gardens. It was easily the most impressive palace I’ve ever seen and the highlight of our visit to St. Petersburg. Before we knew it, and after 1000 photos, it was time to return to the ship and depart, but not without a quick stop at the souvenir shop for a babushka or matryoshka doll (the proper name, of course)…