Baltic Capitals Cruise

Tallinn Overview
Estonia’s capital city is only 53 miles across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki but for nearly 50 years, as part of the Soviet Union, was ideologically a world away. That ended in 1991 when Estonia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

Today, thanks to its strategic position on the Gulf, Estonia and its capital city of Tallinn are thriving. Capitalism was quick to catch on here, and Tallinn, population 400,000, is not only a major port but also a major industrial center. Modern Tallinn is Scandinavian sleek mixed with Soviet era concrete.

But the attraction for cruise passengers is the remarkably restored, medieval Old Town, which despite a plethora of shops catering to locals and tourists, still feels a part of the 1400’s because of the cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. Walk the winding streets on cobblestones, past medieval towers and the old city wall, and you’ll feel like you’re taking a step back into a medieval storybook, with striking towers and historic brick buildings.

Tallinn is artsy in a very much post-Soviet way, and a delightful place to hang out and people-watch from one of the sidewalk cafes. The folks here are restrained no more and amidst the fairy tale surroundings there is an “anything goes” ambience. And the shops, especially the galleries and antiques venues, serve up some interesting finds such as elaborate weavings from cloth artists and modern art from local painters; antique shops feature community memorabilia (Lenin paperweight, anyone?).

Copenhagen Overview
Sitting on the east coast of Denmark, Copenhagen has been that country’s capital for 600 years and is the largest city in Scandinavia with a population of 1.7 million people. It’s home to the world’s oldest monarchy (King Erik VII set up permanent residence in 1417) and its present Queen, Margrethe II, currently lives at Amalienborg Palace.

In a country rich in Viking history, grand castles and lush green countryside, Copenhagen is a charming city of 17th- and 18th-century buildings, beautiful parks and gardens, pretty promenades along canals, and ancient winding streets made for walking and biking. During the longer days and warmer weather of summer, outdoor cafe-sitting and outings to the magical Tivoli Gardens are highlights.

Copenhagen recently marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen, the legendary and magical writer of such fairy tales as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Princess and The Pea”.

At any time, getting your bearings in old Copenhagen is easy; it’s a warren of pedestrian streets, bounded by Norreport Station, Town Hall Square and the Central Train Station. Stroget, which is an amalgamation of five streets — Frederiksberggade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv and Ostergade — runs practically smack-dab through the center of the city between Rauspladsen and Kongens Nytorvl. Pistolstraede is chock-a-block with galleries, restaurants and boutiques; Fiolstraed is for antiques galore; and Nyhavn is where some of the most expensive restaurants are located.

Note: The “Cruise Lounge” is located midway along Stroget at Amagertorv Square. Be sure to have proof that you’re a cruise passenger for complimentary coffee or tea and a chance to rest a bit. If you make some purchases at, say, Georg Jensen or Royal Copenhagen, you can leave them at the lounge and pick them up later.

It’s an expensive city, and yet a visit here is worth the splurge. And please note: all prices we list here are approximate and are subject to change.

Here’s a hint: You might want to consider getting the Copenhagen Card, which offers unlimited free access by bus and rail throughout the metropolitan area for one or three days as well as complimentary admission to well over 60 sights and museums. Up to two children under the age of 10 are allowed free with each adult card. For more information, visit the Copenhagen Tourist Information Center at www.woco.dk.

Helsinki Overview
What really struck us on our first visit, and even more strongly on subsequent trips, is that Helsinki is a city with a strange melange of identities. Maybe it’s the Russian influence (St. Petersburg is less than a seven-hour drive from Helsinki). Maybe it’s the strong appreciation of contemporary design — the city is home to Marimekko, world-renowned for its boldly patterned textiles; Kalevala, known for distinctive bronze and silver jewelry; and Iittala, known for glassware. Or it could be the dark, cold and snowy winters that last half the year (fortunately, this is not the season for cruising), making folks here just a little bit wacky. This is, after all, the place where one annual festival features the tossing of Finnish-made Nokia cell phones and another popular mainstay is a wife-carrying competition.

Finland is cut off from Nordic neighbors like Sweden and Norway because of its near-inexplicable language (indeed, Finnish is based on Hungarian, and as it originated as an oral language rather than a written one it’s very difficult to follow). The country itself, which was juggled back and forth over the centuries between Sweden and Russia, is also one of Europe’s newest; independence from Russia was achieved in 1917 following the Bolshevik Revolution.

The historic Helsinki (it was founded in 1550 by Swedish King Gustavus Vasa) offers monuments such as the Lutheran Cathedral (Lutheran is the “state” religion), the onion-domed Uspenski Cathedral (it’s Orthodox) and the neo-classical buildings in and around Senate Square. The sleek Helsinki can be found at Kiasma, the avant-garde Museum of Contemporary Art, and at the Design Museum. You can really feel the different identities on a trip around Helsinki. Helsinki’s other major plus is that it’s bounded on three sides by the Baltic Sea. In summer Helsinki’s waterfront is the liveliest place in Finland — whether you’re soaking up the sun at a cafe, riding the ferry to the island housing the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, or taking a boat tour of surrounding waterways.

St. Petersburg Overview
There’s something eerie about coming to St. Petersburg. Probably Cold War remembrances (this was after all once an Evil Empire), and all sorts of warnings from ship personnel about pickpockets and blackmarketeers — and the fact that you have to go past stern-faced, uniformed customs officials at the pier doesn’t help. Although it did crack us up on a recent visit when a shore-side band broke into “New York, New York” by way of greeting…

Once in the city, you may find St. Petersburg a wonderful place … or you may find your experience here one big hassle. The key museums and attractions are not air conditioned and rarely have special facilities for the disabled. There are few signs in English and understanding what you are seeing — whether it’s a street sign, a shop name or a painting description — can be impossible. And the Hermitage is typically packed to the gills — you may have to do a lot of jostling to see the art highlights.

And yet the beautiful city Peter the Great founded in 1703 in what was then swampland, has today unbelievably sumptuous Tsarist-era palaces (efforts have been underway for years to fix the crumbling ones), onion-domed churches and the lovely Neva River (where twilight cruises are offered). Peter was inspired by London, Paris and Vienna and carefully developed the city by plan, creating canals and passageways. Most of the design remains today.

The fact that cruise ships typically spend at least one overnight here allows you also to explore the countryside as well, where past the bland Soviet-style apartment buildings of the suburbs are opulent country palaces — impressive memorials to the best Tsarist money could buy.

St. Petersburg was capital of Imperial Russia from 1712 to 1914 and remains Russia’s cultural capital — all the big names have been affiliated with St. Petersburg including Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky and Tolstoy. The city itself is like a living museum — you are likely to find yourself ooing and ahhing at the architecture from your cab or bus — and art is a key attraction. You’ve been to the Louve in Paris. Now you have to see the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. And don’t miss a chance to see Russian ballet performed live.

Stockholm Overview
Stockholm was founded in the 13th century and is strikingly pretty — arguably one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world. Take one look and you’ll understand why it’s sometimes called “Venice of the North.”

The city is made up of 14 islands connected by some 50 bridges on Lake Malaren, which flows into the Baltic Sea and passes an archipelago with some 24,000 islands and islets (and a lot of summer homes and cottages).

The city’s a very lively, cosmopolitan place with both modern Scandinavian architecture including lots of brass and steel, along with fairy tale towers, a captivating Old Town (Gamla Stan) and lots of green space (an impressive one -third of the city’s total land area is parks). Nature is close at hand — you can even fish from some downtown waterways.

Sweden is one of the richest countries in the world and its culture is rich as well with fine museums and historical attractions, not to mention an excellent restaurant scene. Such greats as Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and Ingmar Bergman got their start at the Royal Theater. And at City Hall, Nobel prizes are awarded each December (all except the Peace prize, which is given out in Oslo); the prizes are named for inventor Alfred Nobel who was born here.

The government is ruled by a constitutional monarchy (there is a popular Royal Family), it is highly socialized and the taxes here are among the highest anywhere (if you meet up with locals they are likely to complain).

This is the largest of the Baltic ports with a population of more than 1.65 million.

Warnemunde Overview
The fine old Hanseatic red-brick town of Rostock and its neighbouring seaside resort, Warnemunde, are best known as the jumping-off points for Berlin, which is two to three hours away by train. At least half of all cruise passengers head straight for the German capital. But if you’ve been there before, or if you live in Europe and Berlin is an easy weekend break for you, take time instead to explore these fascinating places, with their traditional architecture and long-standing maritime traditions.

Warnemunde — the mouth of the river Warnow — gets most of the attention, despite being a tiny suburb of Rostock with a population of just 15,000 against Rostock’s 200,000. Still an operational fishing port, it’s also an attractive, if windswept, seaside resort with vast dunes and sweeping stretches of sand on either side of the river’s mouth. You’ll see rows of ancient, timber-framed houses, sleepy squares, modern hotels with spas, and boats galore. Ice cream stalls and hundreds of screeching seagulls complete the seaside feel.

Summer is regatta season, and — in addition to the constant buzz of ferries coming from and going to Denmark, Finland and Sweden — hundreds of sailing boats may be on the water at any one time. The season peaks with Warnemunde Week each July (4-12 in 2009), when 2,000 boats gather for seven days of races and nighttime parties.

Medieval Rostock appears smaller than it really is, thanks to miles of undulating countryside and forest around the town. The city’s merchants made a fast buck on beer and fish exports in the 12th century and — to facilitate trade and protect their powerful fleet — were instrumental in the formation of the Hanseatic League, a famous union of rich trading towns in northern Germany. The city later became famous for aircraft manufacture; the Heinkel factory was located at Warnemunde and produced airplanes for the Luftwaffe in the 1930s.

Although some of the city’s magnificent, old buildings were destroyed in World War II, you can still see grand marketplaces, bridges, city ramparts and gates. Even the newer buildings were designed in the traditional style of red brick and stepped gables. The skyline is dominated by three massive churches, including St Peter’s, which used to be one of the tallest buildings in the world.

Rostock has the distinction of being northern Germany’s oldest university town and also has a top school for performing arts. Like many places in Germany, the city still brews excellent beer, but its income today is mainly from cruise ship tourism and, to an extent, the manufacturing of ship parts.

Rostock has a long-standing association with tall ships, and aficionados could time a cruise to coincide with the annual Hanse Sail Rostock (August 6-9, 2009), during which hundreds of square riggers and other classic sailing boats gather to enjoy four days of regattas, fireworks and markets, set up for the duration of the festivities.

from wikipedia:

In the time of Frederick William (1688), shortly after the Thirty Years’ war and a century before the gate was constructed, Berlin was a small walled city within a star fort with several named gates: Spandauer Thor, St. Georgen Thor, Stralower Thor, Copernicker Thor, Neue Thor, and Leipziger Thor (see map). Relative peace, a policy of religious tolerance, and status as capital of the Kingdom of Prussia facilitated the growth of the city.

The Brandenburg Gate consists of twelve Doric columns, six to each side, forming five passageways.Citizens originally were allowed to use only the outermost two. Atop the gate is the Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses driven by Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.

The Gate’s design is based upon the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece and is consistent with Berlin’s history of architectural classicism (first, Baroque, and then neo-Palladian). The Gate was the first “Athens on the River Spree” by architect Carl Gotthard von Langhans. The capital Quadriga was sculpted by Johann Gottfried Schadow.

The Brandenburg Gate’s design has remained essentially unchanged since its completion even as it has played different political roles in German history. After the 1806 Prussian defeat at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Napoleon took the Quadriga to Paris.[1] After Napoleon’s defeat in 1814 and the Prussian occupation of Paris by General Ernst von Pfuel, the Quadriga was restored to Berlin and Victoria’s wreath of oak leaves was supplemented with a new symbol of Prussian power, the Iron Cross. The Quadriga faces east, as it did when it was originally installed in 1793. At that time, only the royal family was allowed to pass through the central archway[1], as well as members of the Pfuel family from 1814 to 1919. In addition, the central archway was also used by the coaches of Ambassadors on the single occasion of their presenting their letters of credence to the monarch.

When the Nazis ascended to power they used the Gate as a party symbol. The Gate survived World War II and was one of the few structures standing in the Pariser Platz ruins in 1945 (another being the Academy of Fine Arts). The gate was badly damaged with holes in the columns from bullets and nearby explosions. Following Germany’s surrender and the end of the war, the governments of East Berlin and West Berlin restored it in a joint effort. The holes were patched, and were visible for many years following the war.

In 1990, the Quadriga was removed from the gate as part of renovation work carried out by the East German authorities.

On December 21, 2000, the Brandenburg Gate was privately refurbished at a cost of six million dollars (U.S.).

On October 3, 2002, the twelfth anniversary of German Reunification, the Brandenburg Gate was once again reopened following extensive refurbishment.

The Brandenburg Gate is now again closed for vehicle traffic, and much of Pariser Platz has been turned into a cobblestone pedestrian zone.

A Soviet flag flew from a flagpole atop the gate from 1945 until 1957, when it was replaced by an East German flag. Since the reunification of Germany, the flag and the pole have been removed.

Political history at the gate

In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviets hung large red banners across it to prevent him looking into the East. In the 1980s, decrying the existence of two German states, West Berlin mayor Richard von Weizsäcker said: ‘The German question is open as long as the Brandenburg Gate is closed.’ [3]

On June 12, 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan spoke to the West Berlin populace at the Brandenburg Gate, demanding the razing of the Berlin Wall. Addressing CPSU General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan said,

On July 12, 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke at the Gate about peace in post-Cold War Europe.

On November 9, 2009, Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, walked through Brandenburg Gate with Russia’s Mikhail Gorbachev and Poland’s Lech Walesa as part of the 20-year celebration of tearing down the Berlin Wall.

From Visit Helsinki

Many cruise ships dock in South Harbour right in the heart of the Helsinki. The biggest ships dock at Hernesaari Quay in West Harbour. From there you can take a nice walk or a shuttle bus to centre.

In Helsinki most sights and attractions are within walking distance and getting around town is easy. The Senate Square and the Esplanade Park are filled with concerts and other outdoor events and festivals during the summer season. South Harbour is the centre of maritime city life. Sightseeing cruises and boats to the maritime fortress Suomenlinna and the Korkeasaari Zoo Island depart from the Market Square. Suomenlinna is Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the world’s largest historical maritime fortresses. The vast fortress is best explored on foot, so prepare for some hiking with good shoes and a windbreaker.

Seurasaari is a popular museum island and recreational area located fifteen minutes by bus from the centre. The Open-Air Museum offers a fascinating look at traditional life in the Finnish provinces. During the summer season various workshops and events are organised at the museum presenting traditional handicrafts, customs and folklore.

Helsinki has many great places to jog or to enjoy long walks. Especially popular is Helsinki’s own Central Park, which begins from Töölö Bay and the Kaivopuisto Park with its shoreline.

The main shopping area is between the Senate Square, the Esplanades and Mannerheimintie. On rainy days, shopping is easy and carefree in department stores and shopping centres which are open also on Sundays from May to August. Check for example the Stockmann department store and the Kamppi shopping centre. Find the wide variety of local culinary delights and souvenirs at the Market Square and in the Old Market Hall.

Helsinki is the definitive design city, offering the look – and feel – of the best from the design world, from past masters to tomorrow’s heroes. World famous Finnish design can be found for example at the Design Forum Finland on Erottaja and at numerous shops along the Esplanade.

Helsinki offers a wide range of restaurants – over 800 in fact! For the gastronomic explorer Helsinki has plenty to discover, from Michelin-starred haute cuisine to old-world traditional flavours. Special HelsinkiMenu featuring the very best Finnish ingredients and delicacies can be experienced in about 20 restaurants. Cosy outdoor cafés and terraces offer a pleasant way to rest your feet and refresh yourself.

The Finns are friendly people who speak good English, and Helsinki’s relaxed atmosphere makes it easy for visitors to feel welcome.

Helsinki Top 10 – don’t miss

• The Senate Square and the Cathedral
• The Market Square and the Esplanade Park
• Suomenlinna Sea Fortress– UNESCO World Heritage Sight
• Uspenski Cathedral
• Sightseeing cruises from the Market Square
• Ateneum Art Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
• Stockmann Department Store
• The Temppeliaukio “Rock” Church
• Sibelius Monument.

from wikipedia:

Vasa (or Wasa)^[1] was a Swedish warship that was built from 1626 to 1628. The ship foundered and sank after sailing less than a nautical mile (ca 2 km) into her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. Vasa fell into obscurity after most of her valuable bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century. She was located again in the late 1950s, in a busy shipping lane just outside the Stockholm harbor. She was salvaged with a largely intact hull on 24 April 1961. She was housed in a temporary museum called Wasavarvet (“The Wasa Shipyard”) until 1987, and was then moved to the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. The ship is one of Sweden’s most popular tourist attractions and, as of 2007, has attracted more than 25 million visitors.

Vasa was built top-heavy and had insufficient ballast. Despite an obvious lack of stability in port, she was allowed to set sail and foundered a few minutes later when she first encountered a wind stronger than a breeze. The impulsive move to set sail resulted from a combination of factors. Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who was abroad on the date of her maiden voyage, was impatient to see Vasa join the Baltic fleet in the Thirty Years’ War. At the same time, the king’s subordinates lacked the political courage to discuss the ship’s structural problems frankly or to have the maiden voyage postponed. An inquiry was organized by the privy council to find someone responsible for the disaster, but no sentences were handed out.

During the 1961 recovery, thousands of artifacts and the remains of at least 15 people were found in and around the hull of the Vasa by marine archaeologists. Among the many items found were clothing, weapons, cannons, tools, coins, cutlery, food, drink and six of the ten sails. The artifacts and the ship itself have provided historians with invaluable insight into details of naval warfare, shipbuilding techniques and everyday life in early 17th-century Sweden. No expense was spared in decorating and equipping the Vasa, one of the largest and most heavily armed warships of her time, adorned with hundreds of sculptures, all of them painted in vivid colors. She was intended to express the expansionist aspirations of Sweden and the glory of king Gustavus Adolphus.

The Vasa Museum has an english website that you can visit at:

http://www.vasamuseet.se/InEnglish/about.aspx

From Cruise Critic:

Estonia’s capital city is only 53 miles across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki but for nearly 50 years, as part of the Soviet Union, was ideologically a world away. That ended in 1991 when Estonia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

Today, thanks to its strategic position on the Gulf, Estonia and its capital city of Tallinn are thriving. Capitalism was quick to catch on here, and Tallinn, population 400,000, is not only a major port but also a major industrial center. Modern Tallinn is Scandinavian sleek mixed with Soviet era concrete.

But the attraction for cruise passengers is the remarkably restored, medieval Old Town, which despite a plethora of shops catering to locals and tourists, still feels a part of the 1400’s because of the cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. Walk the winding streets on cobblestones, past medieval towers and the old city wall, and you’ll feel like you’re taking a step back into a medieval storybook, with striking towers and historic brick buildings.

Tallinn is artsy in a very much post-Soviet way, and a delightful place to hang out and people-watch from one of the sidewalk cafes. The folks here are restrained no more and amidst the fairy tale surroundings there is an “anything goes” ambience. And the shops, especially the galleries and antiques venues, serve up some interesting finds such as elaborate weavings from cloth artists and modern art from local painters; antique shops feature community memorabilia (Lenin paperweight, anyone?).

 Where You’re Docked
Cruise ships dock at the commercial port which is about a 15-minute taxi or shuttle ride to the heart of Tallinn’s Old City.
Getting Around
Cruise ships typically offer a shuttle between the ship and the edge of the Old City; taxis also line up at the terminal. Once in Old Town the going is on foot; several of the streets are pedestrian only.

Watch Out For
Wear comfortable shoes because they’re mainly cobbled and quite uneven. Plus, there are a lot of steep hills — steps have often been carved out of sidewalks to make it easier to climb.

Language
Estonian. Some tourist shop employees speak English (they are friendly if they do and will look at English-speakers in horror if they don’t). Elsewhere, English is less widely spoken.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money
Most shops will take Euros, so no real need to get Estonian Kroon. But if you must, there are ATM’s at the banks in Old Town.

Best Souvenir
Handmade wool sweaters and sophisticated glass art.

Don’t Miss
History-seekers should check out the main draws here, which include Toompea Castle (Toompea Hill) which dates to the 13th century. The castle, which has recently undergone a major rehab, is fronted by a pink parliament house built in 1773 and home to the Estonian government.

Alexander Nevski Cathedral (Palace Square, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily) was built in the late 19th century in the style of Russia’s 17th-century Orthodox churches. Toomkirk (also near Palace Square) is the oldest church in Tallinn (it’s believed to date to the 1200’s or earlier) and boasts an unusual baroque altar and tombs (open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily). Kiek en de Kok — “Peep into the Kitchen” in low German — is the tallest cannon tower in Old Town and offers excellent views of kitchens and more (1 Komandiandi Tee; open Tuesday – Sunday, 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.).

One of our favorite things in addition to these is just wandering the streets of Old Town, checking out the colorful houses, soaking in the atmosphere, catching views and getting lost (you can’t get all that lost anyway since this is a walled city).

Medieval Old Town’s 14th-century Town Hall Square is a central meeting place. It is lined by numerous cafes and winding streets, full of boutique-style shops that peel off from there. And the preservation is so perfect it’s almost eerie — yet incredibly beautiful.

At the edge of Old Town near where the ship shuttle drops you off, check out the fragrant Flower Market. It’s an excellent photo opportunity.

Read the rest of this entry »

Avtovo station.

From wikipedia:

The Saint Petersburg Metro (Russian: Петербу́ргский метрополитен) is the underground railway system in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It has been open since November 15, 1955. Formerly known as the V.I. Lenin Order of Lenin Leningrad Metropoliten (Russian: Ленинградский Ордена Ленина Метрополитен имени В.И. Ленина), the system exhibits many typical Soviet designs and features exquisite decorations and artwork making it one of the most attractive and elegant metros in the world. Due to the city’s unique geology, the Saint Petersburg Metro is one of the deepest subway systems in the world and the deepest by the average depth of all the stations. The system’s deepest station, Admiralteyskaya, is 105 metres below ground. Serving nearly three million passengers daily, it is also the 13th busiest subway system in the world.

One of Europes most famous amusement parks sits right next to Copenhagen’s town square.  Tivoli is a mixture of gardens, open-air amusements, restaurants, cafes, theatres and open-air stage and concert hall.

Tivoli has something for everyone, from the oldest roller coaster in the world built in 1913 to state of the art roller coasters, merry-go-rounds and other fun and thrill rides.

Tivoli’s will cost 95 DKK (just under $20 US) for adults and 50 DKK for kids. Ride tickets are seprate.  They do have an english website (just look for british flag in upper left corner of site) where you can view videos and get more information on all forms of entertainment that Tivoli Gardens provides. www.tivoli.dk

Will I need a Visa to visit Russia since we will be visiting by cruise ship?

Well that depends on what your plans are.

From the US State Dept. website,

International Cruise Ship Passengers: International cruise ship passengers are permitted to visit Russian ports without a visa for a period of up to 72 hours. Passengers who wish to go ashore during port calls may do so without visas, provided that they are with an organized tour at all times and accompanied by a tour operator who has been duly licensed by Russian authorities. These special entry/exit requirements do not apply to river boat cruise passengers and travelers coming to Russia on package tours. These travelers will need to apply for visas prior to entry, and should follow the general guidelines for entry/exit requirements.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1006.html

 Norwegian Cruise Line website says this, 

All guests going ashore (even guests on shore excursions) must provide a photocopy of their passport details (page with picture and personal information) to the Russian Immigration Officials. Guests who purchase any available shore excursion organized by NCL will not require a visa for Russia. In this case guests will need to present a valid passport and the NCL tour ticket to the Russian Immigration Officer as they depart the ship. Please note that without a visa, the time ashore is limited to the period of the excursion and you are not allowed to leave the ship outside of the tour hours without a Russian Tourist Visa. Guests who wish to explore Russia on their own or want to sightsee after NCLs’ shore excursion hours have to obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa before leaving home. Russian Tourist Visas cannot be issued during your cruise. Guests who have not purchased an organized shore excursion with NCL and do not own a valid Russian Tourist Visa will not be permitted ashore in St. Petersburg.

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=VisaRequirements#russia

Another travel site offers this explanation,

Cruise passengers may disembark from the ship without a tourist visa if they participate on tours organized by cruise companies. Passengers not participating on tours and wishing to disembark will need to obtain a Russia tourist visa. Passengers won’t be permitted ashore if they don’t present a valid passport, a Russian visa and a voucher issued by a Russian travel company or another authorized organization.

http://petersburgcity.com/for-tourists/visa/cruises/