Ferry from St. Petersburg: directions, reviews
Regular cruises that ferries fromSt. Petersburg to Finland, Estonia, Sweden and other countries, have won great popularity. The word "ferry" has long ceased to be associated with the elementary means for crossing, used since ancient times. Today it is one of the modern types of water transport, allowing to make sea voyages surrounded by maximum comfort and excellent service.
Passenger Port
In 2005, the construction of the largestBaltic region of the passenger specialized port "Marine Facade", now consisting of seven berths for receiving ocean liners, the length of which reaches 330 meters, three cruise and one specialized cruise ferry terminal.
In 2008 the first line of the new port was opened. The construction of the "Marine Facade" was completed in 2011.
Ferries of St.Peter Line
Sea terminal is the point of departure and arrival in cruise travel, which are operated by ferries from St. Petersburg "Anastasia" and "Maria", owned by ST.PETER LINE.With the commissioning in the passenger port of the cruise ferry terminal, the vessel Princess Maria, running from Northern Palmyra to Helsinki, was transferred to the Marine Facade, the second ferry was supposed to be transferred to the new terminal from October 2011. The project was not implemented, and ferries again depart from the Marine Station. The reason was argued by the inability of the street-road junction in the Passenger Port area to withstand the load of cars transported by the ferry.
It should be noted that since 2003The station regularly shuttled to Kaliningrad by ferry "Georg Ots". In 2010, the ferry to the westernmost regional center of the country was closed, ferries from St. Petersburg do not come here. Kaliningrad with Russia and Europe is now connected by two ferry routes, carried out from Baltiysk.
"Ferry Boom"
There was a time when several years in St. Petersburgthere were regular ferry lines. The situation changed with the adoption of a law allowing passengers traveling by ferry to stay in Russia without a visa for 72 hours. In 2010, along with ST.PETER LINE, its well-known company S-Continental launched its ships to the Baltic cities. Petersburg has become a transit city between Russia and Europe.
Since that time,the development of ferry communication between Petersburg and neighboring countries - Estonia, Poland, Germany. It was assumed that the new lines will be used for passenger transportation and cargo delivery by means of road trains.
Since 2010 the ST.PETER LINE opened a new direction of St. Petersburg - Helsinki, carried out by the cruise ferry Princess Maria. The next year was marked by the opening of another ferry line to Stockholm. Since then, cruises in the Baltic Sea, carried out by this company, have become the most popular routes in the tourist market in this region. This attracted a considerable number of tourists to the northern capital, and the city itself received the status of the Russian Ferry Capital.
First ferry operator
Shipping private company ST.PETER LINE was founded in 2010. This is the first Russian ferry operator, besides the only one operating year-round in the market of its sphere. Foreign passengers of the company are allowed to stay in Russia without a visa permit for 72 hours. This feature of travel was highly appreciated by tourists and attracted to St. Petersburg an additional influx of tourists from 138 countries.
The company has its own talisman - a pretty lobster, whose name is Oliver. Cruises from the company make ferries from St. Petersburg - "Anastasia" and "Maria".
Princess Anastasia
Ferry "Anastasia" from St. Petersburg is able to carry 2392 passengers.On its board there are 834 cabins, a deck for cars, accommodating 580 cars, restaurants, bars, cinemas, casinos, beauty salons and duty-free shopping centers. Guests of the ship are entertained by an excellent show program.
The cruise ferry was not left without attention andsmall passengers. At the Children's Club located on Deck No. 8, under the guidance of a qualified specialist, children are invited to participate in tournaments, various master classes and other entertainments.
Ferry "Anastasia" from St. Petersburg Passenger transportation along the route with entry into Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm, with a return to the northern capital.
The vessel was built in the Finnish port of Turku in1986 as a ferry for Olympia cruises. For its time it was one of the most significant and comfortable ships in the world. The ferry was known as the Pride of Bilbao and cruised on the Portsmouth-Bilbao line. Later, after its acquisition by ST.PETER LINE, it was renamed Princess Anastasia in honor of the Grand Duchess, re-equipped to ensure safety, higher comfort and compliance with all the necessary requirements of international conventions.
Cruises in Scandinavia
One of the most popularRussia is cruising in Scandinavia. The proximity of the ports of Denmark, Sweden, Finland makes such sea voyages available and quite inexpensive. Depending on the destination of passenger transportation (international travel or regular flights between ports), as well as personal preferences, the level of expected comfort and the price range along the route, a cruise liner or ferry from St. Petersburg can cruise.
Ferry travel in the Baltic is very popular,even with transplants for a small period of time they allow you to see a lot of fascinating. The ferry from St. Petersburg delivers to Helsinki, and from here you can easily and quickly get to Germany and only a couple of hours to be in Stockholm.
During the trip, tourists can take a dip in thea festive and bright atmosphere of the entertainment centers located on the ferry, or, while on the deck, contemplate the landscapes of the watery surface, admire the unique landscapes of the Baltic, the picturesque islands and architectural beauties of the coastal cities, and if lucky, the enchanting magic of the white nights.
Special tours
Very interesting cruise travel inthe nearby European countries for the May, New Year holidays are regularly organized by ST.PETER LINE. You can find out about them on the official website of the company, these tours are also offered in numerous travel agencies.
Winter cruises have long become a reality. They allow you to get a lot of refreshing impressions and a charge of cheerfulness for a long time, celebrate your favorite New Year and Christmas holidays in the circle of your relatives or colleagues.
For registration, tourists come to the Marinea railway station from which ferries leave from St. Petersburg. The feedback they leave on the forums on their return from the trip is evidence of an interesting time spent, about the additional service of travel companies offering travel. Experienced tourists share their impressions of what they have seen, advise the services of some companies that offer hotel reservations in the country of arrival, transfer or car rental. Such services allow not to waste time organizing your leisure activities and to spend a few days on a trip around the Baltic Sea.
There are also negative reviews. Of course, hungry and dissatisfied with the service will always be, but more often disappointment of travelers is caused by a long wait in the queue for registration. For many, it causes a shock. According to many tourists, the capacity of the station and the throughput in the passport control zone clearly do not match the number of passengers traveling by ferry to the cruise.
But perhaps, most importantly, what needs to be learned,going on a trip - it's not upset if something goes wrong. There are bad weather, and hotels and cabins that have not met expectations, and mistakes in planning the rest, leading to a loss of time. However, any journey, not even the most comfortable, after some time will be perceived only as an adventure, which is still pleasant to remember.
Additional excursions
One of the most common destinations among tourists is Finland. In Helsinki, a ferry from St. Petersburg is sent regularly. Reviews about travel explain the chosenness of this route Availability in the price range, maximuminformation saturation and minimal organizational costs. And indeed it is. Sea voyage is much more comfortable and more interesting than the many hours of sitting in the bus tour. During the whole trip there are many entertainments and recreation. With you on the ferry you can drive cars. It also presents a unique opportunity to visit the capitals of neighboring states. For 3-4 days of travel a number of interesting additional excursions are offered: sightseeing tours around the cities, visiting the Silife aquarium and the Murulandia family development center in Helsinki, the Vasa museum, the Skansen museum, the royal residence in Sweden, the Rakvere castle in Estonia and others.
