Denrus tour

[M&T]

We have worked with Denrus on a totally custom tour, and they are less expensive for what we wanted over Anastasia. It sounds as if recent travelors are not as high on Denrus as in past years. Any comments or insights? Thanks. Marlyne

[txladycruiser]

Hmm, we've just booked a custom tour with Denrus for 3 days in mid-July. Will be watching this to see what everyone says.

 

 

 

Karen

[MercedMike]

We have worked with Denrus on a totally custom tour, and they are less expensive for what we wanted over Anastasia. It sounds as if recent travelors are not as high on Denrus as in past years. Any comments or insights? Thanks. Marlyne

 

You know, on this board you get many different opinions, but each one is only a small peek at the whole picture. You need to sort of "average out" many posts to get the true feeling.

 

Now our personal report on DenRus is 100% positive. We loved their communication, the way they listened to what we wanted to do, we loved the guide, we loved St. Petersburg with DenRus. The thing we particularly loved was "Lunch with a Russian Family." YMMV.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/baltic.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[M&T]

Thanks. I enjoyed your pictures. Marlyne

[camNaud]

Great pictures and descriptions - enjoyed very much - can't wait to visit these places in June. :)

[estebofarr]

I hesitate to comment, but here goes. Everyone's view of a particular tour is subjective. While we enjoyed DenRus' tour very much it had a few drawbacks. There was quite a bit of down time. We sat around the restaurant after lunch, both days, sat around the park because the schedule was so rigid if we finished up early there was nothing to do but sit.

We avidly checked the boards and read about tipping. So we tipped, a lot, and found out subsequently the tipping suggestions were put on cruise critic by someone at Den Rus. That left us feeling, what? disappointed? We still had a good tour just feeling wary of recommending them.

[M&T]

Thanks. We are actually re-thinking what we want to do. I think Denrus is getting impatient with my changes and they are not offering any creativity of their own. We are also looking at Anna and Anastasia. Marlyne

[estebofarr]

You're welcome. Some people on our ship loved Red October, but that's all I know.

[fabnfortysomething]

I contacted most of the tour companies and specified a tour with minimal walking because my husband walks with a stick.We found Denrus very rigid and have decided on Anastasia becuse she was able to make suggestions or adapt their standard tour to what we wanted.I was also impressed with SPB and a private guide called Masha who was recommended on these boards.in the end Anastasia just seemed the best "fit "

 

best of luck with whoever you go with

 

Lyn

[MercedMike]

I contacted most of the tour companies and specified a tour with minimal walking because my husband walks with a stick.We found Denrus very rigid ...

 

HMMM, that is very interesting. Our experience with DenRus was just the opposite. They were extremely flexible as we arranged the tour by email, and when we actually arrived the guide was well aware of my limitations and took my cane into account at all times, moving at a very leisurely pace when I need to, and getting from place to place with expedition. In fact at the Hermitage she actually took advantage of my cane and talked the guard into letting us skip the line!

 

I wonder if the difficulty was wanting to accomplish too much and working so many things into the schedule that you would have had to rush? We found that we just could not do it ALL in two days walking with a cane, so we had to pick and choose, and DenRus helped us a lot in deciding what was possible and what was not.

 

That is the great thing about this board, we get varied reports from lots of people so we can see the big picture.

[MercedMike]

I hesitate to comment, but here goes. Everyone's view of a particular tour is subjective. While we enjoyed DenRus' tour very much it had a few drawbacks. There was quite a bit of down time. We sat around the restaurant after lunch, both days, sat around the park because the schedule was so rigid if we finished up early there was nothing to do but sit.

We avidly checked the boards and read about tipping. So we tipped, a lot, and found out subsequently the tipping suggestions were put on cruise critic by someone at Den Rus. That left us feeling, what? disappointed? We still had a good tour just feeling wary of recommending them.

 

This must have been their "Value" tour with a bus group? Of course, on any bus tour you experience what you describe above, ship's tour or private. Not everybody is one the same pace and fast ones have to wait for slow ones. Then the next stop it may be the other way, you feel rushed while others finish early ...

 

With a private tour from DenRus, we found that the guide accomodated the schedule to us at every point. While there was a rough schedule, it was flexible for our needs. When we were ready to go, we left! When we wanted to stay longer, we stayed longer! It worked marvelously well.

 

How do you have a problem with somebody recommending tips? It is just a recommendation. Are you unsure of your own judgement? In every case, we tip according to the enhancement of our traveling experience. With DenRus, both Elena our guide and the driver did an excellent job so we tipped lavishly, and felt it was well earned, because they did such a great job not because it was (more than) the "recommended" amount.

 

Whichever company you choose to tour with I know you will have a GREAT cruise!

[gdayhoff]

We have used Red October and STB-Tours in our two visits to St Pete and both were outstanding.Don't have a problem recommending either one of them.Both were very flexible and a big help in the early planning.I went with STB-tours the second visit and not Red October because Viktoria of STB-Tours was very prompt in her e-mail and had an excellent command of the English language.Very flexible and just a joy and a pleasure to work with.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the major tour agencies in St Pete. If your tour is a private one and if your plans can be done within the time available I'm sure they will be more than willing to work with you.After all it's your money.

Enjoy

[Giantfan13]

We have used Red October and STB-Tours in our two visits to St Pete and both were outstanding.Don't have a problem recommending either one of them.Both were very flexible and a big help in the early planning.I went with STB-tours the second visit and not Red October because Viktoria of STB-Tours was very prompt in her e-mail and had an excellent command of the English language.Very flexible and just a joy and a pleasure to work with.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the major tour agencies in St Pete. If your tour is a private one and if your plans can be done within the time available I'm sure they will be more than willing to work with you.After all it's your money.

Enjoy

 

When we were planning our tour, we also wrote to just about every tour company mentioned on these boards. While most of the tour packages were about the same and the prices also, we almost immediately started to lean towards SPB tours mostly because of Viktoria. She replies to all emails the very next day (during the off season anyway), she adds a personal touch to her replies, not like a sort of 'form' reply we did get from Denrus. Viktoria also assured us, no matter how mnay sign up for the tour, our group will be no more than 20. I had head that Denrus sometimes takes 30 or more.

Everyone has a certain thing that makes one go with a particular group, ours WAS the personality thing. Viktoria really seemed to care that we had a great time in her city and tried to do everything possible to help make it that way. THAT, to us was the most important selling point. I was not just a number, but a person.

 

If you haven't contacted SPB tours, you should. Explain your needs, your handicaps, and let Viktoria see what she can do for you.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[gdayhoff]

Speaking of personal touch---Viktoria(STB-Tour) sent the family xmas greetings in both 2008 and 2009---It's the little things

[Giantfan13]

Speaking of personal touch---Viktoria(STB-Tour) sent the family xmas greetings in both 2008 and 2009---It's the little things

 

 

You are so right. We received one also.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[cruisemom42]

Back when we did the Baltics (2005) there were really only two choices: Red October or Den Rus. We went with Den Rus and felt the tour was tops.

 

I've been on these boards long enough to see that agencies that were considered tops at one point become less favored when new agencies come onto the scene that are eager to get business and are either more flexible and responsive or cheaper. I have the feeling this may be the case with Den Rus now that there are several more competitors in St Petersburg.

 

Whatever the story, we certainly did have a good experience with them; our guide and driver were both terrific (and did a great job of keeping my son, then 13, from getting bored with all the history and "grand palaces" we were seeing).

[jjferr]

Interesting!

 

About 3 days ago, I sent private tour requests to 6 companies. I recieved prompt responses from SPB (Viktoria), Anastasia, and an our of the office response from Red October's office in the USA. No response from DenRus, Masha, or Alla. I guess I have narrowed my choices down to choosing from the 3 companies that have responded. I will have to wait until after March 1 though as I feel it is only fair to give Red October a chance since their US rep is traveling. Just my opinion though.

[TMLAalum]

 

I will have to wait until after March 1 though as I feel it is only fair to give Red October a chance since their US rep is traveling. Just my opinion though.

 

From what I've learned on this forum, US Red October requires pre-payment for their tours. For that reason alone, I would go with either Anastasia or SPB. Another good reason to choose one of those two is their prompt responsiveness to your inquiries.

 

We've booked with Vika at SPB because she readily customized a tour for our group of 8 based on the experiences of 2 in our party who have been to St. P-burg and have a sense of what sites they felt required more time to explore.

[jjferr]

From what I've learned on this forum, US Red October requires pre-payment for their tours. For that reason alone, I would go with either Anastasia or SPB. Another good reason to choose one of those two is their prompt responsiveness to your inquiries.

 

We've booked with Vika at SPB because she readily customized a tour for our group of 8 based on the experiences of 2 in our party who have been to St. P-burg and have a sense of what sites they felt required more time to explore.

 

I have already been leaning this way based on response time.

[tally10]

This past summer, we emailed all of the major tour companies except for SPB. The two that responded immediately were Anastasia and TJ Travel. The rest said to contact them in 2010 and we felt that they were not interested in our business. Though we were leaning towards TJ Travel, the others in our group from our roll call thought we should go with Anastasia because they have been around a little longer and were more well known. Both were very responsive to our questions. We have been to the Baltic twice before and we figured out an itinerary that would please us and the others who have never been. Anastasia was happy to go along with what we wanted. We are so looking forward to our two days with Anastasia. We have only taken the cruise line tours in the past with mixed reviews.

[M&T]

I have been working with Anna, Denrus and Anastasia. Denrus is less expensive, we have about decided to go with a standard tour. Marlyne

[Treatmesweet]

We have worked with Denrus on a totally custom tour, and they are less expensive for what we wanted over Anastasia. It sounds as if recent travelors are not as high on Denrus as in past years. Any comments or insights? Thanks. Marlyne

 

I booked a custom tour with Denrus last year. They kept me from making some very big mistakes. When I contacted the other companies with my inquiries I told them my mom uses a wheelchair as she can't walk any distance. Denrus was the only company who told me what I originally wanted to do would not be possible for my mom.

They helped me work out a great itinerary and we had a wonderful tour. I would use them again if I was returning to Russia. ;)

 

Hope this helps you.

[M&T]

We have decided to go with Denrus. We finally got the price to where we were OK. We will have the freedom to stay a while at places. We are wanting fewer sites but a more leisurely time to soak it all in. Thanks for everyone's input. Marlyne

[myr1234]

This past summer, we emailed all of the major tour companies except for SPB. The two that responded immediately were Anastasia and TJ Travel. The rest said to contact them in 2010 and we felt that they were not interested in our business. Though we were leaning towards TJ Travel, the others in our group from our roll call thought we should go with Anastasia because they have been around a little longer and were more well known. Both were very responsive to our questions. We have been to the Baltic twice before and we figured out an itinerary that would please us and the others who have never been. Anastasia was happy to go along with what we wanted. We are so looking forward to our two days with Anastasia. We have only taken the cruise line tours in the past with mixed reviews.

 

 

How was your cruise and how did you like Anastasia ?

I leave in a few weeks and any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Myriam

[Sominex]

I have already been leaning this way based on response time.

We're booking with Red October based in St. Petersburg and they do NOT require payment until you are on the tour. http://www.redoctober.ru. Contact Laura@mc-fortuna.ru she's more than helpful in planning private tours.

Som