Regular cruises, which are carried out by the ferry from St. Petersburg to Finland, Estonia, Sweden and other countries, have gained great popularity. The word "ferry" has long ceased to be associated with an elementary means of crossing, used since ancient times. Today it is one of the modern types of water transport, which allows you to travel by sea surrounded by maximum comfort and excellent service.
Passenger port
The ferry from St. Petersburg departs from one of the 5 berths of the Marine Station. This mooring complex was opened in 1982 to receive cruise and ferry ships. Its inability to accommodate ships over 200 meters in length has led to the need to build a new passenger terminal.
In 2005, the construction of the largest specialized passenger port in the B altic region "Marine Facade" began, nowconsisting 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 stage of the new port was opened. The Marine Façade was completed in 2011.
St. Peter Line ferries
Marine Station is the point of departure and arrival for cruise trips, which are carried out by ferries from St. Petersburg "Anastasia" and "Maria", owned by ST. PETER LINE. With the commissioning of the cruise-ferry station at the passenger port, the Princess Maria vessel, plying from North Palmyra to Helsinki, was transferred to the Marine Façade, the second ferry was supposed to be transferred to the new terminal from October 2011. The project was not implemented, and the ferries again depart from the Marine Station. The reason was argued by the inability of the road junction in the Passenger Port area to withstand the load of cars transported by ferry.
It should be noted that since 2003, the Georg Ots ferry has been regularly running to Kaliningrad from the Marine Station. In 2010, the crossing to the westernmost regional center of the country was closed; ferries from St. Petersburg do not come here. Kaliningrad is now connected to Russia and Europe by two ferry routes from B altiysk.
Ferry Boom
There was a time when there were no regular ferry lines in St. Petersburg for several years. The situation changed with the adoption of a law allowingpassengers traveling by ferry to stay in Russia without a visa for 72 hours. In 2010, along with ST. PETER LINE, the well-known company S-Continental launched its ships to the B altic cities. Petersburg has become a transit city between Russia and Europe.
From that time on, they began to actively plan the development of the ferry communication between St. Petersburg and neighboring countries - Estonia, Poland, Germany. At the same time, it was assumed that the new lines would be used for the transport of passengers and the delivery of goods using road trains.
Since 2010, ST. PETER LINE has opened a new route St. Petersburg - Helsinki, operated by Princess Maria cruise ferry. The next year was marked by the opening of another ferry line to Stockholm. Since then, cruises on the B altic Sea, carried out by this company, have become the most popular routes in the tourist market in the region. This attracted a considerable number of tourists to the Northern capital, and the city itself received the status of the Ferry Capital of Russia.
First ferry operator
Shipping private company ST. PETER LINE was founded in 2010. This is the first ferry operator in Russia, besides the only one that operates year-round in the market of its field. 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 an additional influx of tourists from 138 countries to St. Petersburg.
The company has its own mascot - a cute lobster, whose name is Oliver. Cruises from the company are carried out by ferries from St. Petersburg - "Anastasia" and "Maria".
Princess Anastasia
The ferry "Anastasia" from St. Petersburg is capable of carrying 2392 passengers. On board are 834 cabins, a car deck that can accommodate 580 cars, restaurants, bars, cinemas, casinos, beauty salons and duty-free shopping centers. The guests of the ship are entertained by an excellent show program.
The cruise ferry did not leave little passengers unattended. In 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 entertainment.
The ferry "Anastasia" from St. Petersburg carries out passenger transportation along the route with entry to Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm, with a return to the Northern capital.
The ship was built in the Finnish port of Turku in 1986 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 Pride of Bilbao and ran on the Portsmouth - Bilbao line. Later, after its acquisition by ST. PETER LINE, it was renamed Princess Anastasia in honor of the Grand Duchess, refurbished to ensure safety, higher comfort and compliance with all necessary requirements of international conventions.
Cruises onScandinavia
One of the most popular destinations in Russia are cruises in Scandinavia. The proximity of the ports of Denmark, Sweden, Finland makes such sea travel affordable and fairly inexpensive. Depending on the purpose of passenger transportation (international travel or regular flights between ports), as well as on personal preferences, the level of expected comfort and price range, a cruise liner or a ferry from St. Petersburg can run along the route.
Ferry trips in the B altic are very popular, even with transfers in a short period of time, they allow you to see a lot of exciting things. A ferry from St. Petersburg delivers to Helsinki, and from here you can easily and quickly get to Germany and be in Stockholm in just a couple of hours.
During the trip, tourists can plunge into the festive and vibrant atmosphere of entertainment centers located on the ferry, or, being on deck, contemplate the landscapes of the water surface, admire the unique landscapes of the B altic, picturesque islands and the architectural beauties of coastal cities, and if you're lucky, then the enchanting magic of the white nights.
The duration of the trip and the route itself can be selected individually. For example, ferries from St. Petersburg leave for Finland every day. "Anastasia", which, like a ferry, is not much inferior in comfort to a cruise liner, provides an opportunity to embrace the immensity during the trip. During one journey, the ferry enters Finland, Estonia and Sweden. ATbetween excursions in Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallinn, you can have fun in the cinema, nightclub, SPA-salon or relax in cozy cabins. The ferry runs all year round, it does not need to wait only for the navigation period like a liner.
Special tours
Very interesting cruise trips to neighboring European countries for the May and 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 been a reality. They allow you to get a lot of refreshing impressions and a charge of vivacity for a long time, celebrate your favorite New Year and Christmas holidays with your loved ones or colleagues.
For registration, tourists come to the Marine Station, from which ferries depart from St. Petersburg. The reviews that they leave on the forums upon returning from a trip testify to an interesting time spent, to the additional service of travel companies offering travel. Experienced tourists share their impressions of what they saw, advise the services of some companies that offer hotel reservations in the country of arrival, transfers or car rentals. Such services allow you not to waste time on organizing your leisure time and spend several days comfortably on a trip to the B altic.
There are also negative reviews. Of course, there will always be hungry and dissatisfied with the service, but most often the disappointment of travelers is caused by a long wait in line forregistration. It comes as a shock to many. According to many tourists, the capacity of the station and the throughput in the passport control area clearly do not correspond to the number of passengers traveling by ferry on a cruise.
But perhaps the most important thing to learn when going on a trip is not to get upset if something goes wrong. There are bad weather, and hotels, and cabins that did not live up to expectations, and mistakes in planning a vacation, leading to loss of time. However, any trip, even not the most comfortable one, after some time will be perceived only as an adventure, which is still nice to remember.
Optional tours
One of the most popular tourist destinations is Finland. A ferry from St. Petersburg regularly departs for Helsinki. Travel reviews explain the choice of this route by its affordability in the price range, maximum information saturation and minimal organizational costs. And indeed it is. A sea voyage is much more comfortable and interesting than spending many hours on a bus tour. During the whole trip, there are many entertainments and types of recreation. You can bring cars with you on the ferry. There is also 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 of the cities, visiting the Sealife aquarium and the Murulandia family development center in Helsinki, the Vasa Museum, the Skansen Museum, the royal residence in Sweden, Rakvere Castle in Estonia andothers.
