Of all the ports on our Scandinavian Cruise, St. Petersburg was the one we were most intrigued, excited…and honestly, a bit anxious about! Princess Cruises plans their itineraries carefully, and allows for as much time in ports as possible, so we had many early morning arrivals, and departed well after dark on most days. St. Petersburg was no exception, and we actually spent the night in port, giving us two full days in Russia!
One of my favorite aspects of cruising is the opportunity to experience so many ports, specifically places that would be difficult to plan and visit on your own. It’s difficult to express the feeling we had being in this country…it truly was surreal in every way.
Granted we were only there a short time, but everything felt very serious…from the architecture to the people. But Russia certainly does a good ceiling and loves their gold! All the major palaces and museums we visited were hosed down in real gold leaf and mosaic tiles. The opulence was in stark contrast to the nearby rows of gray buildings with barred windows devoid of personality.
Pullover Sweater | Gingham Shirt | Favorite Mid-Rise Jeans | Sneakers | Crossbody Bag
Rugby-Style Tee | Favorite Mid-Rise Jeans | Packable Rainboots | Crossbody Bag | Sunglasses | Hoop Earrings
Pullover Sweater | Gingham Shirt | Favorite Mid-Rise Jeans | Crossbody Bag
Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood is the most recognizable landmark in St. Petersburg, and easily the most ostentatious structure, both inside and out, I’ve ever seen!
Packable Parka | Hoop Earrings | Pullover Sweater | Gingham Shirt
St. Petersburg is known as “Venice of the North” because of its copious bridges and natural canals. I always jump at the chance to see cities from the vantage point of the water, and even though it was reeeallllly chilly, cruising the canals by boat showed us a softer side of the city.
Packable Parka | Hoop Earrings
Sugarplum Travel Tip: If you want to explore Russia on your own, you’ll need to secure a special Visa before your trip. We opted to stick together and booked a 2-day excursion through Princess, with an English-speaking Russian guide! They were long and busy days, but the biggest perk was having tickets (and front-of the-line entrance!) to the major sites, as well as, private viewing time in several of the largest palaces and museums!
The military was practicing for a big parade, and seeing 100s of their tanks and trucks rolling through the city was startling to say the least!
The art collection at the Hermitage Museum rivals that of the Louvre, and is home to over 3 million artworks, including paintings by DaVinci, Monet, Rembrandt, and Renoir. Just be prepared to cover your feet!
Rugby-Style Tee | Favorite Mid-Rise Jeans | Packable Rainboots | Crossbody Bag | Sunglasses | Hoop Earrings
{What Not to Miss}
Hermitage Museum | Catherine Palace | Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood | St. Isaac’s Cathedral | Canal Cruise
{Our Takeaway}
I felt completely safe the entire time we were in Russia, but having a guided excursion gave me the peace-of-mind that we weren’t going anywhere, or doing anything, that would have been ‘frowned upon’ by their government.
Sugarplum Travel Tip: Clearing customs to enter the country, and return to the ship, is intensive and serious…so be prepared with passports and visa or excursion tickets!
St. Petersburg was definitely a Bucket List stop, and I’m so glad I was able to experience it with my Princess family! Russia was a bonding adventure for sure!
Sugar & Charm | New Darlings | Livvyland | Coco & Kelley | Sweet C’s Designs | Sugar & Cloth
Our time in most of these stops was too brief to provide a full Trip Report, but I hope our photos inspire you, and the tips prove helpful if planning your own trips. To see more of our International Travel, click here…and for more Cruising specific trips, click here.
{See More of our Scandinavian Cruise}
Port of Call | Tallinn, Estonia
Sugarplum Style | What I Wore on a Scandinavian Cruise
My 10 Travel VIPs
Formal Night at Sea
Port of Call | Stockholm, Sweden
{Shop My Travel Style}
*I am a proud ambassador for Princess Cruises, but all thoughts, opinions & subway-stalking are my own. Thank you for supporting Hi Sugarplum sponsors!*
Russia looks amazing through your lens! I wish I was there too!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
WOW! What a great recap! And your shots of Russia are absolutely gorgeous!!!
So interesting to see my homeland through others’ eyes… Russia – specifically St. Petersburg – is one of the most underrated destinations in the world. I wish you would’ve had more time to discover all it has to offer beyond the typical tourist attractions. XO
St Petersburg is on my list to go back. I worked for the US at the G20 summit a few years ago. Nearly everything was closed or had very limited hours because of all the high profile people in town. It is such a beautiful city. I felt very safe there as well.
Russia look so beautiful…. so much gold! I’m sure it was an experience you will never forget.
WOW!!!! These photos are amazing. So much gold, it looks unreal. I didn’t have Russia on my bucketlist before but now I have added it. I’m very emotionally driven and connected to travel and your photos have given me so much inspiration. I too love Princess Cruises and how they allow you to visit multiple cities and countries. Last Summer I took a European Princess Cruise to Italy, France, Spain and Gibraltar. And tomorrow I leave for another Princess Cruise of the Greek Isles!!!! Do you mind if I ask what camera you used to shoot these photos? They are gorgeous photos.
http://www.forthewonderer.com
Thank you so much, Sharon!!! And your trip sounds amazing!!! I upgraded to this camera earlier this year, and I’ve been very very happy with it!! http://bit.ly/2mag1aC
Absolutely breathtaking. You truly have a gift for capturing the essence of each of your destinations. The orange and white ceiling with the Pegasus in the background is my favorite. We love to travel abroad as well; it’s a wonderful, mind-freeing experience!
‘frowned upon’ by their government – Russia isn’t North Korea, you know. A pretty ignorant thing to say
I certainly am not insinuating that, Alex, but we were actually prepped on several things/behaviors that are illegal in Russia that are the everyday normal in the US…so we felt better knowing we were in a guided and monitored group that could educate us on these things. The last thing I want to do when traveling is offend the host country. Have you been to Russia? If so, I’m sure you know a little of which I’m referring.
Stunning pictures! But your husband doing that pose in front of a tank with a fellow traveler is pretty funny!
The things men do to keep themselves entertained! 😉 xo
You have wonderful pictures of the Spilled Blood church. We just returned from pretty much the same trip (on NCL though) and had a very cloudy day on that visit. Still amazing though!
Thank you for sharing your trip. And your tips and packing outfit ideas were spot-on!
The pictures are beautiful! I spent 5 days in Russia (St. Petersburg and Moscow). We went on our own, did air b&b, walked and ubered and we felt safe the entire time. Everyone was respectful at worst and kind at best. So much different than we expected!