THE PASSENGER PORT OF ST. PETERSBURG IS THE FIRST AND ONLY PORT OF ITS TYPE IN RUSSIA’S NORTH-WEST REGION. ONE OF THE BIGGEST SEA PORTS IN EUROPE, IT WAS BUILT IN 2008 ON RECLAIMED LAND ON VASILIEVSKY ISLAND.
Construction on 33 hectares of land began in 2005, and only three years later the first ship with passengers on board was welcomed in the port. The port’s operating company is Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” PLC.
The general plan and design of the port were created by the American company Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc.
(B&A), world-renowned in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and construction. During the planning process, the decision was taken to adopt a vibrant, functional design, with the clear, precise lines of the terminal buildings accentuating the grace and elegance of the snowwhite cruise ships docked next to them.
The port’s infrastructure includes seven modern berths with an overall length of 2171m. The port has the capacity to welcome ocean vessels up to 340m in length, and two of the berths are also equipped for ferries.
The port’s facilities extend to three cruise terminals and one combined cruise and ferry terminal, ensuring the comfort and convenience of passengers. Guests with limited mobility are also provided with all necessary amenities.
To ensure passengers are processed quickly and comfortably, the port has 116 passport control booths, meaning that the time required for clearance is kept to a minimum.
There are duty free shops and souvenir stalls offering traditional Russian handicrafts and delicacies, alongside ATMs, a post office, and a taxi rank. Throughout the cruise season, welcoming port staff in uniformed white waistcoats are always on hand to offer assistance or answer questions.
Separate car parks next to the terminals make meeting inbound passengers simple, with 411 spaces reserved for cars and 304 for coaches.
PASSENGER PORT Saint Petersburg
In recent years, the port’s management has worked enthusiastically to expand the scope of cruising. In the last year alone, it has signed memorandums of cooperation with the operating companies of the ports of Turku (Finland), Hamburg (Germany), and Busan (South Korea), adding to an impressive list of previously signed international agreements.
Even outside the cruise season, Marine Façade keeps busy, hosting trade fairs, festivals, sports events, and business forums.
Th e Passenger Port of St. Petersburg invites everyone to visit Russia’s Northern Capital, to take advantage of the 72-hour visa-free regime for cruise passengers, and to enjoy fi rst-class service on board and on shore.
The volume of passenger flow to St. Petersburg has doubled since the port’s opening, with more than 2000 ship calls in nine years and a total passenger flow of more than four million people.
The convenience of the port’s infrastructure is praised by cruise vessel captains and passengers alike. In 2009, the Passenger Port of St. Petersburg was named Transit Port of the Year by the Seatrade Insider magazine, and in 2010 the port was awarded by Dream World Cruise Destinations for Most Improved Port Facilities.
The volume of passenger fl ow to St. Petersburg has doubled since the port’s opening, with more than 2000 ship calls in nine years and a total passenger fl ow of more than four million people.
Last year, the port reached its designed passenger capacity of 18000 passengers per day for the fi rst time: on June 8, 2017, there were six cruise liners in port with a total of 17911 tourists.
To date, the port has concluded contracts with all the world’s leading cruise companies, including Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
Th e Passenger Port of St. Petersburg is a member of several professional associations, including the Association of Commercial Seaports, CLIA, and Cruise Europe.
Th e port also plays an active part in the international cruise market, annually attending international exhibitions such as Seatrade Cruise Global, Seatrade Europe, FITUR, and Neva, amongst others. In 2018, for the first time in Russia, the port hosted the Cruise Europe Conference, welcoming more than 120 participants from 30 countries.
TEXT: CHELNOKOVA IRINA
