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14 October 2009
My wife and I have nothing but the highest praise for the competent and thoroughly professional manner in which Viktoria assisted us. First in structuring a workable timetable for our 2 day stopover; secondly in providing us with a very personable and knowledgeable guide in Elena and thirdly for recommending an authentic top quality but moderately priced Russian restaurant (Orient Express) for dinner on our first night (driver included).
Our party consisted of 6 couples. One couple, Bob and Carole McLaughlin, live in Seattle, I am sure they would be willing to add their thoughts, so I am taking the liberty of forwarding your email and my reply to them for comment.
With kind regards
Ross Armstrong ross.armstrong [at] xtra.co.nz

14 October 2009
I certainly understand your concerns. They were the same that I was concerned about. Viktoria is outstanding. We have traveled many places and have used both ship and private tours. I will say that there is absolutely no tour that I have taken better than Viktoria's. She delivered everything promised and then a lot more. I talked to many people on other tours other than Viktorias and all had not been able to see what we did. I would recommend that you keep your group small --- no more than 12. You are wise to utilize Viktoria. Her staff is really good. The guide we had was excellent. I would not hesitate to take any tour offered by SPB. There were 12 on our tours in the beginning strangers to each other and in the end great friends planning on a cruise is April.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Don McGee dbmcgeeaz [at] gmail.com

5 October 2009
Dear Victoria,
I wanted to send you a note to say thank you. Our 2 day tour of Russia was great. We all had a fun time, and Elena was a wonderful guide. I told my travel agent, who is also my friend, that if she books anyone on a trip to St. Petersburg to tell them about your services.
Thanks again.
Elaine Wolff elainewolff [at] comcast.net

3 October 2009
It's been a while since our tours (August 2009) but I wanted to tell you about our great experience. First, our Berlin tour with Sara (sp??) was the BEST!! Not only was she knowledgeable, but she knew exactly what we wanted to hear and what sites were important. I can’t believe we covered everything in such a short time.  All in all, she did a wonderful job and covered everything I wanted to see.
 
Our St. P. tour was equally informative as Berlin. We had Elana as the guide and Stas as the driver.  Both were extremely professional and pleasant to have for the two day tour. They were very reliable and the bus was very confortable and clean.  Elana tried to keep up with our jokes and finally came around on the second day.  I think the first day she was just feeling us out. All eight of us had a wonderful time and loved the two places she took us to eat - very good and reasonably priced food.  My only negative experience was the shopping.  I felt the two shops she chose weren't the best choices. The two things I wanted to buy were Vodka and books which I told her in the beginning. The store she took us to for Vodka offered two or three types. Later in the day, we went to another shop which had about 15 types of vodka to choose from. Unfortunately, I had already purchased my vodka. Regardless, it worked out OK and we bought the things we came for.
I will highly recommend your company in my communications and wish to thank you for the wonderful time. I would highly recommend both tours and guides.
All the best,
Joyce  j.schultz534 [at] comcast.net

3 October 2009
Hello, Victoria,
We are now back from our cruise and want to tell you how much we enjoyed our St. Petersburg tour. Tim Kruglikov was an outstanding guide. His extensive knowledge was impressive. He was also helpful and told us some funny Russian jokes that we all enjoyed.
We are happy to recommend your firm to others.
best wishes,
Herbert Whitney budwhitney [at] hotmail.com

27 September 2009
Viktoria:
Hi. This is Darlene and Art from your last St. Petersburg 17-18 Sept Emerald Princess Tour under the Maggie Chan group. Remember us?
Now that we are back in the States, we just wanted to send you a thank you note for the outstanding time we shared with you in St. Petersburg.
Our canal ride was great, because we had a great time talking to you. (We don't remember the sights on that ride, but what makes a trip special are people like YOU). Thank you for sharing your pictures of Steffen, Maxim and precious Daria with us.  A beautiful family for a beautiful person.
Thanks to Tim and his great wealth of knowledge. I talked to Nicole Johnson, and she told me that her group thought that he was great too. Hello to Luba and another hug to Iness (so glad to meet you in person). Maybe we'll get to meet Mary some day?
We will be sure that recommend SPB to ALL our Cruise Critic contacts, and wish you and your business continued success. You are a role model to your daughter and a marvel.
Please tell Steffen that we will be taking him up on his offer if we go back to Germany. Maybe you'll be there too.
Because of you and our tour experience, we hope that we will return to Russia in the near future with friends to do a more in depth, special tour with SPB, and to see/talk with you more!!
All the best, Darlene & Art dartglobal [at] hotmail.com

23 September 2009
Hi Viktoria
I wanted to write to let you know that Mike and I had a wonder ful time in St. Petersburg. Irina was more than wonderful. She made our time there special. You have a beautiful city and thanks to Irina we now know so much more about the history. I will certainly sing your praises to anyone who will be travelling your way. I hope some day we will have the opportunity to revisit. Thanks again for everything.
Janice
thenurse28 [at] verizon.net

22 September 2009
Hi again Viktoria:
You are more than welcome. Or two days in St. Petersburg were the hilights of our trip for sure.
Nicole brought her boyfriend with her and he is such a lovely man. I am so happy for her.
Everyday I talk to someone about our two days in St. Petersburg and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
It has been lovely doing business with you and I will be sure to pass on your best wishes to everyone else.
Best Wishes.
Stella
sm_taylor [at] shaw.ca

19 September 2009
It  is now some weeks since our Baltic cruise but we still enjoy the memories! St.Petersburg was definitely the highlight of our tours and your tour guide, Luba , was brilliant. We were all so impressed by her extensive knowledge, enthusiasm and charming personality. We have already recommended SPB tours to others as the BEST way to see St. Petersbourg. Good luck with your business in the future.
Barry Jessop eandbjessop [at] yahoo.co.uk

17 September 2009
Dear Viktoria
I just returned home from the Emerald Princess, and had a tour with Catherine on Sept 7 & 8. I don’t usually review a tour but she was so wonderful that I feel it is necessary. We had a few problems with travelers- one who should not have been on this tour, he walked with a cane, and we lost them in Peterhof. They were at the pier waiting and they should not have been there. She worked very hard to find them. We felt terrible for her. And the second day one of the couples overslept. She worked tirelessly to try to find them and we waited as long as we could.
This aside, she provided a wonderful tour and her level of knowledge was excellent. She had an answer for every question, was patient and always professional. I am also a travel agent and feel confident in referring your company to any of my clients traveling to the Baltic. I was very concerned about getting back to the ship on time, and we were early.
Thank you for your services. I also would like to tell you that I emailed a few other companies like Red October and Denrus. You responded to my email faster than they did, and with more details including pricing faster. Red October took a very long time. Because they took such a long time I was not interested in using them at all. When traveling overseas, especially areas that I am not familiar with, I usually travel with the company that makes me feel like my inquiry is important. You accomplished that. And I was very impressed that you met our group, personally.
It was a very personal touch and everyone on my tour of 14 was happy that we chose your company for a tour of your beautiful country.
Regards,
Bonnie Gelb

16 September 2009
Thank you so much for our wonderful tour with Luba--she was great.
We will recommend you to anyone travelling to St. Petersburg.
Everyone appreciated the daily water bottle and hand sanitizer, you thought of everything!
Rita Foss

13 September 2009
I just wanted to let you know what a great tour we had with the other Victoria. Please let her know if she ever gets to the US we are in the Philadelphia area and would be happy to show her around. Please feel free to give her my email address.
Thanks Beverly Hines BLHns [at] aol.com

12 September 2009
Viktoria,
Just want to let you know that both tours were great. Luba is an outstanding guide with wonderful personality & a world of knowledge. Totally enjoyed being with her for 2 day. Preston was outstanding as well. We loved his sense of humor.
I have recommended your services to friends of ours(Pete & Corrine Matts) who are coming over in a month or so. If they sign up, see if you can set them up with Luba & Preston.
Thanks again. Your tours were the highlights of our trip.
Chuck & Anne Martin chuck84132 [at] ameritech.net

12 September 2009
Dear Viktoria:
Thank you so much for the wonderful tour of St. Petersburg. It was the highlight of our trip. My friend is interested in taking her daughter on the tour, and I'm saving all the information for her about your company.
Thank you again,
Sincerely,
Sharon & Al Shanus AShanus [at] aol.com

10 September 2009
Hi Viktoria,
I would just like to say, on behalf of my family, that we thoroughly enjoyed our tour of St. Petersburg. We cannot praise Oksana enough for all her efforts guiding us through the city and her knowledge and inside tips on Russia and St. Petersburg. We've travelled a lot and have had experience with many tour guides and she is by far one of the best guides we have encountered. She truly was a joy to be around: very patient and accommodating, extremely knowledgeable about the city (I cannot state this enough), and above all she had a great sense of humour and great personality.
Thank you so much for pairing us with Oksana, she was a perfect fit for our family. And please let her know that if she ever comes to Toronto, Canada, the she should only email me and we would love to reciprocate her efforts and take her for a little tour of our city.
Marylou.Mejia [at] rbccm.com

7 September 2009
I'm processing our pictures from our cruise, and wanted to write you about our tour August 6th and 7th tour with your company. It was, without a doubt, the highlight of our trip. We really enjoyed Lubi (she said Luba, but spelled Lubi) and thought she was a wonderful guide. She was patient, articulate, knowledgeable, flexible, and caring. We loved her!! (we'd love here email address if she'll share it with us so we can send her a personal thank-you)
Looking at our pictures, we must admit we were blessed with great weather, but SPB did a great job of showing us St. Petersburg in the short time we were there.
pete_menefee [at] suddenlink.net

5 September 2009
Dear Viktoria:
I would like to take a moment of your time to compliment you and your company for giving me, Bob, Milton, Elaine, Sharon, Alvin, Bob and Kathleen a wonderful tour in your beautiful St. Petersburg. The tour and the exceptional service by both Andreas our driver and the wonderful and charming Elena exceeded our expectations.  They did everything in their power to see that we were happy with all the choices we had made and also threw in a few more sights for us.
I will make sure that I report the wonderful excursion on Cruise Critic.
I was also a great pleasure to meet you.  I wish you would have been able to come along with us.
I wish to praise Elena for being so helpful with the wheel chair.  She did most of the pushing around Peterhof and the Hermitage. She gave my husband Bob and huge break by doing so.  I would love to write her a personal letter by email, but, I cannot remember her address. Would you be so kind as to forward her email address to me?
Again, I am so happy I chose St. Petersburg Tours for my group. They too were most happy and could not thank me enough for booking with you.
I hope you had a most successful season and will have some time to rest and be with your family for awhile.
Regards,
Marie Wolff Memawree [at] aol.com

4 September 2009
Dear Viktoria,
The highlight of our Baltic cruise was the 2 days we spent in St Petersburg. Albina was a wonderful guide. We enjoyed very much her interesting explanations about the places we visited.
Thank you for arranging such a memorable and pleasant tour of St Petersburg.
Ray & Margaret nhrayed [at] yahoo.com

Dear Victoria
Thank you very much for the tour of your wonderful city that we took from the Norwegian Jewel. Elana was a great and very knowledgeable guide, and Yuri a great driver. It was an exhausting few days, the highlights for us being the subway ride and the visit to the market hall. We also loved our evening at the folklore show.
Once again thank you very much for your organization and planning.
Yours Sincerely
Derek & Fran Parker

2 September 2009
Hi Viktoria
We just arrived home, (we spent a week in London post cruise) and the first thing I wanted to do was thank you for a fantastic time in St Petersburg. The two days we spent there were great and the entire tour was absolutely terrific. I will never stop singing the praises of you and SPB tours. Also thank you for the wonderful gift.
If there is anything I can do for you, please feel free to email me and let me know. Your company helped make this vaction and cruise, the best we have ever gone on.
Thank you once again.
Sincerely
Len and Doris giantfanlen [at] msn.com

31 August 2009
Hello Viktoria,
Well we arrived home from our Baltic cruise on Monday and it took me the rest of the week to catch up with office work but I just want to take the time to say "Thank You" for all your help with arranging our 2 day tour in St. Petersburg and our 1 day tour in Berlin. It was also very nice to get to meet you in St. Petersburg and Steffen in Berlin! The tour guides along with the van drivers in St. Petersburg were absolutely wonderful! I can't tell you how much everyone in the group loved the time we spend in both cities. In Berlin, we had another wonderful guide that was so easy to understand and she was able to get us around the city on a day when the city was filled with people for the marathon. The bus driver and her made a great team that day to figure out which streets were closed and which streets were open. They both got us as close as they could to all the sites, which was very helpful with the handicapped person that was with us. I also want to thank all of your office staff with getting our tour tickets in order and answering  all my questions. I will make I use your services again for all my clients that take a Baltic cruise and I will not hesitate to recommend your tour company to other travel agents I'm associated with, especially at our national convention in November. I can't tell you enough how satisfied we all were with your tour services!
Dora and Tim tcdeemer [at] verizon.net

29 August 2009
Viktoria,
We really enjoyed our tour of St. Petersburg and our guide, Irina, was great!
Eugene Law elaw48 [at] gmail.com

26 August 2009
Viktoria:
My family wants to thank you and your staff in Berlin and St. Petersburg for an absolutely professional and enjoyable tour. We truly enjoyed Berlin and St. Petersburg, and unlike some of our other friends from the ship, we saw so much!! Preston in Berlin was wonderful. He made the tour so much fun and my children learned so much about what they had studied in their classrooms.  Svetbana in St. Petersburg was terriffic and took such pride in her work.  She is so well informed on Russian History and made our tour so efficient. Your tour is such a great value and is truly money well spent. Thank you so much.
Bob Davidson
Nashville, TN robertjdavidson [at] bellsouth.net
P.S. If anyone wants a recommendation, please don't hesitate to refer them to me for a great referral!!
   
25 August 2009
Dear Ms. Rother, Thank you very much for helping us on the tour of St. Petersburg. It is the most beautiful city I have seen. Your tour was very good and we especially enjoyed Albina, who was friendly, knowledgeable and had tons of energy. She was by far the best tour leader during our cruise of the Baltic. I am certain that I will refer all my friends travelling to St. Petersburg to take your tour. Thank you again. Regards, Ram Shenoy shenoyrs [at] verizon.net

16 August 2009
vika,
i wanted to let you know how happy my clients were with the tours. they were especially impressed meeting you and stefan. they really enjoyed everything and said they would definitely use your company again and also recommend you. i am so glad that all went so well. i knew that if melodye recommended you everything would be well taken care of. i am so pleased. i hope i have other clients i will be able to send your way.
melodye said to send her regards and of course she is please as well. i assume you will be sending the commission through let's travel together. thanks for everything again.
cori wiesel coricw [at] the-beach.net

13 August 2009
Hello Viktoria,
My wife Karen and I (Jonathan) wanted to send an e-mail to you thanking you, the guides and drivers of the tours we took with your company. Our communications with you prior to the cruise were always prompt and professional and we appreciated the personal touch.
We were on the July 28th Berlin Tour with Sarah as our guide.  She was knowledgeable and had a genuine love for her surrogate home city. We had a really good time.  The driver was professional and courteous.
We were also on the Aug 1 and Aug 2 St. Petersburg Tour with Elena as our guide and Andre as our driver. We only had one minor complaint. As we disembarked and met with the SPB representative in the terminal, we were asked if we didn't mind switching groups. The person that asked was very nice about it and wasn't being pushy however, we didn't like being asked this since we had organized a group with people we built a relationship with before the cruise began.
The tour itself was absolutely fantastic. This is such a beautiful city. Once again, Andre was a great driver and was very flexible to our needs. Elena, what can we say about her. She was extremely knowledgeable, she had an engaging personality and she was very funny. She handled any problems that arose during the tour with professionalism and grace.

We'll be writing a review of our cruise in the next couple of days and we'll surely mention SPB in a very positive light.
Thank you for a lovely time,
Jonathan and Karen Kenney jonathan7434 [at] yahoo.ca

12 August 2009
Dear Viktoria,
We just wanted to thank you for the wonderful 2 day tour my family & I enjoyed with Elena in St. Petersburg....it was the highlight of our cruise. Elena was so knowledgeable, warm & friendly, nothing was to much trouble. We've so many great memories & photo's of the fabulous city. When we said good-bye, it was like saying good-bye to an old friend.
Was a beige jacket left on the coach back from Berlin?
Thanks again.
Dawn Butcher sdfrbutcher2 [at] ntlworld.com+

11 August 2009
Hello Viktoria!
I hope your summer has been going well. We remember fondly our time spent on the tours in Berlin and St. Petersburg.  I am hoping you can put me in contact with Eugene, our tour guide in St. Pete - we took a picture of our group together and I don't know who has the picture? I was with the Lee Mackenzie, Nate Bornstein and Grubbs group. I hope you can help me find the picture and send greetings to Eugene.
Thanks so much
Beth e.ham [at] comcast.net

10 August 2009
Hello,
We returned after an outstanding cuise.
Your St Petersberg tour was outstanding. A highlight of the entire trip. The guide was excellent. I will recommend your company to all. Thanks for the wonderful two days.
Regards,
Hal Lewis hallewis [at] tpco.cc

9 August 2009
Hi Vika
We arrived back home yesterday after a wonderful Baltic Cruise, which was made that more enjoyable by the 2 day tour arranged by yourself.
Please extend our personal thanks to Svetlana and Yuri for looking after us and providing us with a great service and an unforgettable experience, which made it for us, the highlight tour of the Cruise . Svetlana's knowledge of St Petersburg was incredible. Having talked to others on our ship about their tours, it was very obvious that they did not see as many sights as we did.
We will have no hesitation in recommending your tour to other people who will taking a similar cruise
Thank you so much for such a wonderful time and I have enclosed two photos of our tour group (I'm behind Svetlana and my wife is in the middle, in green).
Alan and Annette White white.aj [at] btinternet.com

9 August 2009
Dear Viktoria,
I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you and Stefan for our wonderful tours in St. Petersburg and Berlin. Both Svetlana and Preston were so knowledgeable and accomodating! I've attached a couple pictures of our tour group of July 9 & 10 in St. Petersburg.  Your professionalism was greatly appreciated, and we will highly recommend your tour company in the future. Thanks again. Hope all is well!
Scott (David) Newman and Debbie Ullner dnewman [at] fuse.net

9 August 2009
Hi Viktoria
Just got back from our cruise tonight!
Well, what can I say!!!! Both Berlin and St P tours were fantastic. The Berlin group were SO impressed with Sarah....she was terrific. It was so unexpected to find an American guide....but what a pleasant surprise she turned out to be. Equally, Elena was such an exellent guide....good sense of humour too!!!! Everyone was extremely impressed.
If I can be of any assistance to you in the future..(in any way) please feel free to email.....I will post on CC regarding our trip soon......and will ofcourse sing your praises - quite justifiably so!!!
Well done to your team
Oh.......and by the way......belated 40th Birthday greetings......and thanks for the champagne!!! Not a drop was left!!!
I have to finish unpacking now........
Many thanks Viktoria.
Kindest regards
Nerys
nerysj2005 [at] aol.com

6 August 2009
Viktoria,
Thank you so much for arranging for Yelena to guide us yesterday and today. We had a wonderful time and gained an insight into St Petersburg that we couldn't have got close to on our own.
You made everything so easy and efficient for us that it took all the stress out of things.
Please thank Yelena for looking after us so brilliantly and for being such a knowledgeable and good companion.
I apologise to Yelena if I have got the spelling of her name wrong - I haven't seen it written down. We all agreed that I should be Ivan for the two days. I may adopt it permanently .
Good luck for your business - you have all the ingredients to continue to prosper.
Regards
Catherine , Alastair and Ivan Pittaway Ian.Pittaway [at] sackers.com

5 August 2009
The tour of Berlin on July 24th was outstanding. Heather is an excellent
guide.  She was very well informed and a pleasure to be with all day.
Patricia.Cosgrove [at] ontario.ca

4 August 2009
Hi Vikochka,
Very nice to see you in person after our long correspondence, and in two places. Anyhow, as I promised, I wanted to provide you with the quick review and a feedback on both tours.
St. Petersburg: everything about that tour was wonderful. I am sure you will hear the same from others. All 4 guides were great. But, I can only speak about ours, Elena Levchenko. We really enjoyed her. She was knowledgable, professional, very good English, and very personable. She tried to accommodate all our needs and not to overburden us with too much information, at the same time provided us with a lot of data. All this was done with the smile and consideration. She never lost her audience for a minute and kept us all interested. By the end of the tour we were tired, but very pleased. If I were to rate this tour on a scale from 1 to 5, I would give it a 5.
Take care. hbatsalkin [at] hotmail.com

29 July 2009
Dear Viktoria,
Thank you for a lovely visit in St. Petersburg. My head is still spinning! "Helen" did a wonderful job of explaining lots of complex information. It will have a long lasting effect on us all, I'm sure.
I wish you the best in your business and please give my best to Helen,
Shirley Sokolosky shirleysok [at] aol.com

28 July 2009
Dear Viktoria
We would like to thank you for organising our shore excursions in St Petersburg. We throughly enjoyed our three days and found Elena to be a surperb guide with excellent English and extensive knowledge. Please pass on our thanks to her also. We would have no hesitation in recommending your company to our friends.
Very best wishes and sincere thanks
Vivien and Alastair vivien.vance [at] googlemail.com

28 July 2009
Viktoria---just a note to thank you for making our tour of St Petersburg the outstanding event it was. In Elena we couldn't had a better guide.You were right when you said you would provide us with an excellent guide. She was every bit of that. She was a hit with our granddaughter. It was always a pleasure and joy to work with you in setting the tour up. Right now I would say you are the number one travel agency in St Petersburg. You deserve it.
Anyway,Thanks again
The Dayhoff family gdayhoff [at] att.net

27 July 2009
Viktoria –
Thanks again for a wonderful tour of St. Petersburg – a month has gone by and we still talk about the wonderful time we had in your city, in large part due to your efforts and those of Natalie and Sergei.
Thanks for your help, and sincere regards,
Bonnie and Greg Taylor taylorbg0309 [at] cogeco.ca

27 July 2009
Hello Viktoria,
We  had a safe trip back home and before I get too busy here at work I just wanted to send you a big thank-you to you, Eugene and Sergie (don’t know the correct spelling). Our two days in St. Petersburg were the best and Eugene made it just that more special for me and my family. I will continue to recommend SPB-Tours to all our friends. Thanks again and have a great day.
EMILIO VALLE EValle [at] co.fresno.ca.us

27 July 2009
Hello Viktoria,
Karen and I arrived home safe and sound last night. Today we actually had to go shopping and cook our own food.
We wanted to thank you again for the wonderful tour you gave us in St Petersburg. What a special treat for Karen and me to have you as our personal guide through that lovely city. We loved the historical background and details of the artwork in the cathedrals and palaces you provided. Plus we had you and the driver and just us in a very comfortable Mercedes. Everything was planned perfectly for us by you. There you were at customs, which we sailed through with the paperwork you had told us to bring and tour tickets you had e-mailed to us. The driver was always able to drop us off at the entrance to where we were going and we never had to stand in line. We had a wonderful lunch in the "pie" shop and enjoyed the day immensely.
You are so warm and friendly that after just a little time we felt as if we were touring with a friend. It was such a wonderful experience. We know next time we visit St Petersburg or Berlin we will contact you again. Karen has vowed to whip me into shape so we can spend more time exploring.
Thank you,
Richard RWScherer [at] aol.com

26 July 2009
Hello Viktoria
We just wanted to thank you for arranging our 2-day tour in St Peterburg. We really enjoyed our time with our tour guide, Luba. She was very friendly and knowledgeable. Our driver Sergei was very polite and professional.  We would happily recommend your company to any of our friends who are visiting St Petersburg.
I have attached some photos from our trip. Could you please forward them to Luba since I do not have her email address.
Many thanks and hope your Summer is going well
Paula, Leo, Mark and Sean pcoutts [at] rogers.com

26 July 2009
Dear Viktoria
I am writing to thank you for the excellant tour you arranged. We were part of a group of 8 who visited to St Petersburg on 17 & 18 July from the Celebrity Constellation cruise ship. Our guide was Albina (I am sorry if I have mis-spealt it)- she was terrific - very knowledgeable and made our tour outstanding. Please pass on our thanks to her - we saw so much in the short time we had - 2 days in St Petersburg is not nearly enough time.
If we are able to visit St Petersburg again in the future we will be in touch with you.
Once again thank you very much
With kind regards
Joyce Williams and Marilyn Roberts joyce.williams4 [at] ntlworld.com

25 July 2009
Hi Elena----Just a note to thank you for the wonderful time we had in St Petersburg. You may it possible.We were truly amazed at your knowledge of St Petersburg, especially your knowledge of the individual pieces of art in the Hermitage Museum. We were very lucky to have had you as our guide. You're the best.
Attach are some pictures you might enjoy.
The Dayhoff family
Austin, Texas gdayhoff [at] att.net

25 July 2009
Hi Viktoria,
This is Anne-Marie Naughton, writing from my travel email, since we are still in Europe.
We want to thank you so much for the great tours you arranged for our group. Every one was so full of praise for your tour company and the fantastic guides you provide. There were  10 persons taking the Berlin tour off the Norwegian  Jewel cruise on June 18th and then 24 of us in St. Petersburg on June 21 and 22.
As soon as I get back to Hawaii,  I will also make comments on the Cruise Critic, praising your company.
Thanks again for your friendly and professional service. It was a great experience.
Aloha, Anne-Marie Naughton and the Hawaii Group ami-john [at] hotmail.com

24 July 2009
We are home and catching up with life. My group asked me to send alongtheir sincere appreciation and thanks for two wonderful days. We couldn't have asked for anything more (maybe a little more shopping time... but we didn't tell Elena). She was a wonderful guide with great knowledge and a great sense of humor. The restaurant you sent us to was perfect.  The Folkloric show was fun. I will be sure to referyou to any of my clients traveling your way. Hope the rest of the season is a great success.
Ted Schlesinger hschlesinger [at] verizon.net

24 July 2009
My sister and I had a wonderful time on this tour. Yuri and Oksana were great! I will be sure to recommend your company to others.
llt30683 [at] yahoo.com

22 July 2009
Dear Viktoria,
We just arrived home in Boston yesterday and wanted to send you a quick email to let you know what a wonderful time we had with Elena during our tour of St. Petersburg last week (Ship - Norwegian Jewel). 
Elena was extremely knowledgable in all of the finer points of St. Petersburg. She never quit showing us new things wether we were driving by, walking, and even on the special boat ride! The small bus we used was lovely and Andrei was a terrific driver as well. He certainly could navigate the narrow streets and all the traffic.
I would recommend SPB Tours to anyone...Fantastic job!
Thank you,
Linda Patricio lmpatricio [at] comcast.net

22 July 2009
Viktoria,
Just wanted you to know how much we enjoyed our tours with SPB while we were in St Petersburg a few weeks ago on Oceania's Regatta. My group of 7-9 people had Elena Wolfe as our guide.  Elena was exceptional and was the major reason we so enjoyed our tours.  She is not only professional, well informed, very patient and courteous....but also is a lovely person.  We were really sorry when our 3 days of touring came to an end, and we had to say good-bye - Elena was the BEST!  Our van driver Andrew was also excellent.
We will recommend your tour company to our friends. Thank you to Elena and Andrew for making our stay in St Petersburg so memorable!
Best Regards,
Susan Slaght sslaght [at] cox.net

21 July 2009
Hello Viktoria,
We are all safely back in South Africa (and back at work) after a wonderful holiday.
I would like to, on behalf of the whole group, thank you very much for your contribution in making our holiday a most memorable experience. I personally have fallen in love with St Petersburg and would like to return to your beautiful city one day.
Please thank both Elena and Tim for sharing their knowledge of St Petersburg with us and Andrew for driving us around safely.
The passion that Elena has for her city, culture and history is wonderful and was evident whilst she was with us. We thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with her.  She certainly is an asset to your company.
Kind Regards
Annette Nel annette.nel [at] hansen-genwest.co.za

18 July 2009
Good afternoon, Viktoria. I want to let you know how very much we enjoyed our two days in St. Petersburg and also our one day tour of Berlin. As promised, you provided us with outstanding guides who were extremely knowlegeable, friendly, entertaining, helpful, and just plain fun! We especially enjoyed Ylena (Elena?? spelling?) in St. Petersburg.  She has such a charming manner and we loved how she made it a personal experience.
Every person in each of our tour groups expressed to me their great satisfaction with the tours.  I can't thank you enough for providing an incredibly satisfying experience. I was glad that I had the opportunity to meet you in person as well. You can be sure I'll refer your tour company to others, in person and also online with Cruise Critic, Trip Advisor, etc.
Have a wonderful evening,
Dee deezeee2 [at] gmail.com

14 July 2009
Veronika
Our recent tour of St. P was outstanding ant easily the highlight of our Baltic cruise.
Oksana is an absolute gem. I can't remember when I have had as good a tour guide.
Thanks again
Bud Blumenthal bblumen [at] yahoo.com

14 July 2009
Hello Viktoria,
This is a short note to 'Thank You' very much for organising such a special tour of St Petersburg for us on 24/25 June 2009.
We had a very busy time but we thoroughly enjoyed all our experiences.
Albina and Nikolay were excellent people to have as our 'instructors', and we did appreciate their efforts in keeping us on a very
busy, informative schedule. They did a marvellous job.
We have now returned to Western Australia....to the rain....and have such happy memories of the fine weather in St Petersburg !!!!
Best Wishes
Kath and Albert Chedzey  (Narelle's parents) kchedzey [at] iinet.net.au

12 July 2009
Dear Viktoria:
We will never forget St. Petesburg experience and the great job you did for us. Also was a plesure to meet you in person.
We will be in touch.
Best regads.
Alfredo riosalfre [at] gmail.com

9 July 2009
Hi Viktoria,
I like to thank you for the wonderful tour I had with Lee etc on May 20 this year( 12 people goup). Pls send my thanks to Luba. She is very professional and an excellent guide.
Regards,
Teresa Hui huiteresa [at] hotmail.com

9 July 2009
Hi  Viktoria,
Just a short note to say thank you and to let you know how pleased all our group was with our “Grand Palaces tour” whilst we were in St Petersburg June 24 and 25 on the Prinsendam. And also how delighted we all were with our guide Albina and her limitless knowledge.  We had a fantastic 2 days and learnt and saw so much. It was such a pity that we didn’t have more time but we were very happy with what we saw and were amazed at your beautiful city.  Thank you so much for your patience and organization in helping to make these 2 days a success for us all. I’m also glad we got a chance to meet after our correspondence and I appreciate you taking the time when I know how busy you must be in the cruise season.
Please pass on my best regards and thanks again to Albina. She did an amazing job – so very grateful to you both for making our visit such a wonderful experience.
Best Regards
Narelle Chedzey nchedzey [at] esri.com

9 July 2009
Dear Viktoria,
Just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had in St. Petersburg. Luba was the most incredible guide and we all fell in love with her.
The tour was the highlight of our trip. Thank you for everything!
Patti and Jennifer mcc29 [at] cox.net

6 July 2009
We had great fun with Elana. She worked very hard to make every one happy and satisfied. She was funny as Iness indicated to me. I said I had heard Elana was a commedian. I hope she took it as a compliment. It was her humor that made the sightseeing more enjoyable. With all the talking she did she needed a vacation to the Black Sea. Everyone involved, Iness, Elena, and Nikolai, the driver, were outstanding.
I would recommend your Company to anyone I might know that would be going on a tour to Berlin or St Petersberg.
Best Wishes and Aloha,
John john_nie [at] msn.com

3 July 2009
Viktoria,
This is a brief note to let you know that your planning and the tremendous guide work helped to make our visit to SPB one to remember for a long time.
You may remember our 'group of 8':  Kathy and Richard, Helene and Judy, Lorraine and Marylin.
In addition to the visits to the 'usual sights' of SPB, the visit to the Grand Choral Synagaogue was very special.
Thanks so much for your incredible planning and attention to detail.
Richard Weiner rlwpedmd [at] optonline.net

2 July 2009
Viktoria,
Alan and I would like to send a note of Thanks for the most memorable trip. Elena was the best! Her knowledge and guidance was amazing.
We couldn't have asked for a better group of people and guide. Please tell Elena Thank you!
Till we meet again!
Mary and Alan Barrett mbeachy [at] mac.com

30 June 2009
Just a short note to let you know how much we enjoyed our time in St Petersburg! Maria was top notch and very professional. Her English is better than mine! I've told friends about STB tours so maybe some of them will venture to Russia some day. St Petersburg was the highlight of our trip, thank you for making it so enjoyable.
Dick & Rosemary rsmall70 [at] comcast.net

30 June 2009
Yesterday, Kenith and I returned home from Europe safely and with no problems. Of course we had a long day flying in from London, but we continue to smile at each other with the nice memories of the great people we enjoyed along the way and the interesting places we visited. Thanks to each of you, whether you made our trip better as we traveled, or you simply followed us with interest from afar.
I plan to continue with posting pictures on the web that some of you may have seen. Now that I've stopped taking new pictures, I'll have time to catch up with the backlog. http://soaz.info/Europe2009/menu.html
Thanks,
Donald and Kenith Ijams  dsijams [at] gmail.com

29 June 2009
My sister-in-law and I had the pleasure of working with Viktoria Rother, the owner of SPB Tours, to schedule our 2-day St. Petersburg excursion in June of 2009.   On a scale of "0 to 10"……where "10" is thevery best…..our experience was a "10+"!
Not only did Viktoria provide us with a phenomenal tour guide (whose name was also Viktoria) and van driver (Sergei), but she was on hand to see that everything was perfect several times throughout the 2 days of touring. We had a van for 8 passengers and it was a delightful experience from beginning to end.  We learned so much about Russia's history, saw all of the high points in the city, received a real education about what it's like to live in Russia……and we all loved every minute!
I had an experience with Viktoria that I will never forget.  On one of our excursion days, I had a very painful foot problem.  Our tour guide called Viktoria and she came to my aid!  She personally took me to the most wonderful salon and served as my interpreter with the lovely pedicurist who quickly took care of my problem.  Her concern and her kindness were only surpassed by her warmth and sincerity. I had the pleasure of spending some quality time with Viktoria and found her to be, not only a consummate professional, but just a fantastic lady.
SPB Tours is a quality organization and Viktoria is excellent at attending to every detail. I heartily recommend her and her company to anyone looking for the best of touring services!
Judy Paul  jpaul [at] omnirecruiting.com

28 June 2009
Hello Viktoria
Just like to say thank you for our 2 day tour on 16/17 June 2009, we found Elena to be an excellent tour guide, she was very knowledgeable and flexible with our arrangements for lunch.  Serge, the driver, did a good job and we felt safe as he was a competent driver. Please pass on our thanks to them both.
Kind regards
Marylyne and John Williams marylynewilliams [at] hotmail.com

25 June 2009
We enjoyed the St. Petersburg tour with Svetlana.  She was knowlegeable and attentive to our interests. It was a special pleasure to meet you, Viktoria. The van and driver were perfect -- with the rain he was right there to pick us up.  Thank you for generously sharing your city with us.
Laurey and Charlie Stryker ltstryker [at] comcast.net

22 June 2009
Viktoria,
Thank your for arranging an amazing tour with Alena in St Petersberg. It was the highlight of our trip to the Baltic and frankly ALL of our European excursions over the last 4 years. Thank you thank you thank you!
Suzanna Campbell scampbell823 [at] charter.net

22 June 2009
Hi Victoria
Thank you for an excellent tour of St Petersburg on the 9th & 10th June 2009, we were in a party of 15 and our driver Urie and the guide Seventa could not have been more helpful and had a vast knowledge of all the attraction/palaces we visited along with the painters and painting in the galleries’, the Subway ride, private boat ride and the hydrofoil rides was a nice touch along with the 2 meals (3 course lunch) that were served were also excellent.
Once again thank you for making or visit to St Petersburg very enjoyable and a place we will not forget in a hurry and having spoken to some of the other’s on this tour they feel the same
Regards
Dave Peers dave.peers [at] ntlworld.com

17 June 2009

Dear Viktoria,

We have just returned from our Baltic cruise and would like to thank you and Katya for a great 2 days of visiting St. Petersburg. Both of your expertises and patience are appreciated. Our visit was exactly what you promised.

Best,

Patricia Jennifer Rohrer-Walsh jennifer.rohrerwalsh [at] gmail.com

15 June 2009

Hi Viktoria,

It was so nice to meet you even for a brief time in St. Petersburg!  This photo must have been taken the second day when two of the ladies were not up to par and didn't join us. At any rate, I want to commend you on an excellent tour.  We bragged about it to all our shipmates and I have referred you to several people here in Sun City Carolina Lakes. Albina did an absolutely fantastic job, not only narrating the tour, but attending to each individual need. I would make a suggestion, however, and that is, to provide several breaks of silence throughout the day, that is, have the narration is given in segments. Some of us were trying to follow in guidebooks, take notes, etc., which was impossible.

Margaret (far left) and myself (beige top, third from right) truly enjoyed the opera and are grateful for your getting tickets, although we were not prepared to go that evening.  It would have helped to have been notified beforehand, if that was possible. I'm afraid the seats were not as good as you thought.  We were in the second row of the box.  The couple in front of us turned their seats together so that we could not see the stage sitting down, even though I requested assistance from the usher and she tried to get them to move back.  Consequently the only way we could get a clear view of the stage was by standing, so we took turns doing so!

Having that break between the tour and the theatre in the lovely little restaurant gave us the chance to rest.

All in all, it was the highlight of our trip and I hope to be able to do it again.

Sincerely grateful,

Sally IndLandTravel [at] comporium.net

15 June 2009

Viktoria,

I just want to thank you again for a great tour in St. Petersburg, and especially for giving us such a great guide - Luba. She was knowledgeable, fun, friendly, unique, and an absolute gem!  She is so passionate about her beloved St. Petersburg, and it showed.  We loved our Luba!

We can’t recommend your tour company enough, and anyone looking for the best company doesn’t need to look any further. It was simply an awesome experience and a pleasure dealing with you from day one. It was so refreshing to get “real” responses from a perceptive and witty person, who could answer all my questions promptly and effectively, and make us feel comfortable that we were indeed in good hands. 

By the way, the canal trip and the bonus champagne was the perfect touch. Everyone from the group is still raving about the tour, as we are sharing pics and staying in touch. 

I wish you all the best, and hope our paths cross again! You and Luba should feel free to look us up if ever in our city. We will take care of you like you did for us.

Sincerely,

Greg Prigmore & Steve Reegler

San Francisco, California gprigmore [at] yahoo.com

13 June 2009

Dear Viktoria,

I want to thank you for seeing that our group was well taken care of in both Berlin and St Petersburg. Your guides were the best. I have to say you are more beautiful in person; more so than I thought possible. I hope to make it back to Russiasomeday, and perhaps we can meet again. However, no matter what the future holds, I do hope you become more successful and happier than you can ever imagine. I will leave a recommendation on you web link in the near future.  Thanks Viktoria.

Sincerely,

Robbie rvndvn [at] att.net

4 June 2009

Dear Vika,

We wanted to take a moment and send you a thank you for making out trip to St. Petersburg so enjoyable. The 1-day tour you set up for our family was wonderful. I was very nervous traveling with two toddlers to all the palaces and churches but our guide Elena did an excellent job making us all feel comfortable.  She was fantastic with our kids and never did I feel like she was bothered to have them along the way.  It was very obvious to us that Elena loves her job and that came through in the excellent tours she gave. I am amazed at how much we saw and how much I learned. Doing the private tour was the absolute best way to see your beautiful city and I am so glad we choose spb-tours.  Please pass along a huge thank you to Elena and let her know that we loved her and the kids talk about Ms. Lena when people ask about our trip to Russia.

I am attaching a couple photos from our trip.

Best to you all !!

Happy Customers,

Todd, Tori, Chloe, and Cade Boullion tcboullion [at] yahoo.com

4 June 2009

Hi Viktoria

We sure did enjoy our tour a couple of weeks ago and it was highlight for our entire cruise for everyone in my group. Thank you so much for everything!!!! I do have some more clients who want to book the same baltic pearl tour with you. Also they are interested in doing a Berlin tour.  There are 6 on the Emerald Princess sailing Aug 14th so will be in St Petersburg on Aug 18 & 19. Berlin on Aug 22nd. They want the same small group of 16 or 18 so do you have one they can add to and Elaina for guide if posssible?  I showed them all my pictures and info from my tour. Also can you get me info for the Berlin tour with your husband?

Also have 4 for July 25th Emerald sailing but one is 80 year old.  Don't think she could do as much walking as us so do have a small group on something else to add them to? 

Joan Catroneo jcattravel [at] bellsouth.net

4 June 2009

Victoria,

Just a short note to thank you and your company for an excellent tour of St. Petersburg.

I, my wife and our touring companions were all more than pleased with the outstanding job Elena and Sergey did in showing us the City. We got in all of the items on the itinerary plus some much appreciated 'bonus' stops along the way. Elena was most considerate of our needs and her lighthearted approach was well received.

We will recommend your company to others without hesitation.  Thank you.

Donald Ijams dsijams [at] gmail.com

3 June 2009

Hello Viktoria,

We are now back in the UK after an extremely enjoyable cruise.

It was a pleasure to meet you in St Petersburg, where we had a wonderful time seeing the sights of the city. Helen proved to be an excellent guide (and a very good driver - we felt very safe). The chocolate was good too!

We would recommend both your company and the actual 2 day tour that you gave us, and good value for money compared with the bigger group tours offered by the cruise line.

Our thanks to you both.

Best regards,

Christopher Ramsey cramsey [at] btinternet.com

2 June 2009

Hi Vika,

It was very nice to see you in person. You look younger and very pretty. Everybody thought so.

We loved our guide Victoria, she is very intelligent and knowledgeable.

I will recommend your company to everybody without any hesitations.

I will post on Cruise Critics and Trip Advisor with pleasure.

E-mail me if you want me to do anything else.

Best regards

The Bermans berman.victoria [at] gmail.com

1 June 2009

Hi Viktoria

Well we have come back down to earth again after our wonderful tour of the Baltic cities - but the highlight was expected to be and was, St Petersburg.

What a great job you did organising such a great tour - all the group agreed what a fantastic experience for us all. Luba was utterly charming and so fantastic and Nikolei made sure we by-passed all the traffic problems!

I intend to mail you a reference for your web-site and have already passed you name and SPB onto passengers who have friends doing the same cruise later this year - I think someone else in the group was passing your company name on too. None of us have any hesitation in recommending SPB.

I attach 3 pictures for you - 2 of our group and one ofl Lori in front of the Church of the spilled blood. I will send you the reference in a day or 2.

Thanks yet again for being so fantastic and delivering exactly what you promised - as we say in England "exactly as appeared on the can"

With best wishes,

Lee lknowles33 [at] yahoo.co.uk

1 June 2009

Viktoria,

My husband and I were on the May 15, 16 St Petersburg tour from the Celebrity Century. We want to let you know how satisfied we were with the tour experience.

Your coach was very comfortable and clean, and Yuri, the driver was very skilled in driving through dense traffic and finding spots to park around the tourist sites. Our group of 17 ranged from college to 50+, and we thought the pace of the tour was just fine.

Luba, our tour guide, was exceptional.  Once she got used to our group’s humor, she was able to interact with lively discussions and kept the tour on time, without anyone feeling rushed.  She was able to show us the major points of interest at the fascinating palaces and was able to teach us all more about Russian history along the way.  Luba has a keen sense of humor and was a delight to spend two days with.

The tour of the Winter Palace, Hermitage, the Peterhof, the subway ride, and the Youssopov palace took us through truly spectacular sights. The tour greatly enhanced our knowledge about Russian culture and people.

As a group, we asked Luba to take us to a regular Russian supermarket. I think she thought we were somewhat crazy, but we all had a wonderful time. I don’t know whether this is a regular option on your tours, but we would highly recommend consider adding it on as an option. We were at the store on a very busy Saturday, but Luba was able to navigate our group from vodka, to caviar, to candy, and St Petersburg sparkling wine - all with good humor – and her raised flower. Even when our group caused some frustration at the checkouts, she was there to donate rubles to finish our purchases. What a great time. We brought our empty St Petersburg sparkling wine bottle home as a remembrance of the day.

Our two days on your tour was the highlight of our cruise. We received great value for the money. Now you need to prepare a new tour for those of us who will return to St Petersburg someday. Thanks again for a wonderful experience.

Lynn and Leo Montroy DomerCruisers [at] aol.com

31 May 2009

Dear Victoria,

Just a note to let you know how much I enjoyed our two day tour with Helen in St. Petersburg.  This was the highlight of my trip.  Helen is a knowledgeable, well-spoken, intelligent and interesting guide.  I do not think we could have been assigned anyone better.  Please let her know how much she contributed to a memorable, never to be forgotten tour. This was the best tour I have ever taken. And Don Quixote by the Kirov made the experience even more fantastic.  I have not stopped talking about these 2 days since I returned home. Please feel free to include my note on your website.

Thank you again,

Cecilia Donnelly CeciliaTherese [at] aol.com

29 May 2009

Hi Viktoria,

Hope you still remember me. My wife Carol and I had tours of St. Petersburg booked on May 17 & 18. As it turned out Carol was sick on May 18th and was unable to go on the tour.  I am submitting a claim to our insurance company to get reimbursed for the day Carol was unable to go on the tour. I would appreciate an email from you stating that she did not go  on that date due to illness.

I want to thank you for the wonderful tour you arranged for us in St. Petersburg. I think I can speak for all of the group that the itinerary was excellent and we got to see much more than expected. I want to especially compliment our tour guide Albina for a job well done. She gave us a great incite into the history of every place we visited. She really made our tour very memorable.

I don't know if you knew that my wife Carol is a travel agent. But because of our wonderful experience in St. Petersburg she has told her colleges about your company and highly recommended it. Hope they send some business your way.

Yours truly,

Joel R. Kaplan joelrk35 [at] gmail.com

29 May 2009

Dear Viktoria,

Just wanted to express our thanks for the wonderful tour we had with your Tour Guide Elena & our driver Nicolas. As a group of 10 from the Tahitian Princess, we were able to visit your wonderful city and enjoy the sights with such a knowledgable guide. I would recommend your company. Everyone was professional and made our experience in St. Petersburg enjoyable.

Sincerely,

Elaine & Steve Baldel ebtrip [at] yahoo.com

28 May 2009

Hi Viktoria,

Just wanted to thank you for a wonderful tour. Our guide and driver were EXCELLENT. You are very lucky to have such competent people. I will certainly refer you to anyone that asks my opinion. Thank you again for everything, you have been very gracious.

Brenda Grinceri

Emerald Princess brenda21hm [at] hotmail.com

28 May 2009

Hi Viktoria,

Back in the U.S. and the hot and humid Florida summer but still thinking about the wonderful time we had in St. Petersburg. I want to let you know that Elena and the tour met all of our expectations and we are already looking forward to coming back and seeing more of your wonderful city. If you ever need to use me or my name as a reference for others considering please don't hesitate to give them my name, email address or telephone (407-876-8871) I would be happy to tell others how much we enjoyed not only the tour but Elena and your company.

Best regards,

John Sweeton jrsweeton [at] aol.com

28 May 2009

Hi Viktoria,

It was so nice to finally meet you in St Petersburg last week, l would just like to thank you for both the Berlin and the St Petersburg tours, both my wife Lorraine and myself thought the tours were well organised and the guides were extremely knowledgeable and passionate about there job. I would like to especially thank you for arranging tickets for the Ballet at short notice, for my wife this was the highlight of our whole trip.

Regards Peter plappa9 [at] hotmail.com

 

27 May 2009

Dear Viktoria,

We have returned from our cruise safely and I had to write and thank you for a wonderful tour experience on May 14 & 15. Our group of 10 can't compliment Elena (our guide) & Andre (our driver) enough. They were wonderful and we felt like we were leaving a family member behind when we had to board our ship for departure.  Andre knew how to get around the heavy traffic areas so we could make the most of our time touring.  He would even drive the coach 50 feet closer so we wouldn't have to walk. He was a good driver and never got frustrated with traffic.  Elena was very knowledgeable and couldn't have been any nicer. It didn't matter what we wanted to see or buy she would offer take us to the best place to get it. It was obvious she enjoys her job and has a real passion for the history of Russia. She answered all of our questions with enthusiasm and made us feel that she was enjoying our company as much as we enjoyed hers. We shared alot of laughs with her and she made our tour the highlight of our trip. Please give her our regards and thank her again for us.

 

Viktoria, thank you very much for the beautiful calendars. We all loved them. That was very thoughtful of you and you couldn't have given us anything better. My 8 year old grandaughter took the calendar to school today to show her classmates the beautiful pictures and how the months of the year are written in Russian.

Thanks for making our visit to Russia one we will never forget.

Grace Durham gmdurham [at] bellsouth.net

25 May 2009

Viktoria, please forward this to Luba. I do not have her email address. Thank you.

Luba, my husband and I were in your group of 8 earlier this month.  Our time with you was just wonderful.  On your advice, I got The Madonnas of Leningrad.  I read it all in one day.  What a touching story.  The author really seemed to capture the hopeless and helpless feelings of the people in Leningrad.  Thinking of walking through those huge buildings in the dark was scary.  Trying to save the art work, having so little to eat, the incredible cold, the constant bombing....all seemed so real in the book. Thank you for recommending this book. It will always help me to remember St Petersburg and you and our lovely visit.

Barbara Walters bwalters7 [at] att.net

16 May 2009

Hello Viktoria and Luba,

I wanted to thank you for the wonderful experience of St. Petersburg that you provided for our group. Luba, you are wonderful, an expert on your subject and a terrific, patient person. I cannot thank you enough for bringing the world of St. Petersburg alive for me.

Carolyn Stadier seven1113 [at] yahoo.com

15 May 2009

Hi Viktoria,

We are back almost 1 week, and things start getting back to normal.

We had a wonderful time in Berlin and St Pete. The weather was perfect.

Someone ask about you and SPB in the Trip Advisor Forum, and I replied as follows:

"We just came back from a Baltic cruise and Viktoria of SPB Tours arranged our 1-day Berlin and 2-day St. Petersburg tours for us. The guides she provided us were excellent. Viktoria always replied promptly when we had any questions. I would highly recommend her any time."

I'll keep writing good reviews about you and SPB in the future.

It was a pleasure to know you. Thank you.

Edward echo168 [at] yahoo.com

12 May 2009

Viktoria,

We could not have been more pleased with you, your company, Luba, and Anton. Thank you so much for helping me put this group together. You're the best!!!!

Barbara Walters bwalters7 [at] att.net

20 April 2009

Hi Viktoria

Just got back home today after our great trip to Russia,  And i would like to thank you for all your help with this trip, You have been very nice,friendly and helpful in all your Email's  and you don't see that level of good service very often now.

I Must also say that your staff were also fanastic,  Anton was always on time and is a safe and calm driver,  Luba, is a great guide,and you can see the passion she has for Russian history,  She is also a wonderful person, And after the two days was like someone we had know for years, So much so that my wife was upset when we said our goodbyes !! They are both a great credit to yourself and your company, Please pass these words on to them, I will recommend SPB Tours to everyone i know

Regards

Tony tonynancarrow [at] msn.com

23 September 2008
Viktoria: My clients really enjoyed the two days with you in St. Petersburg. They would highly recommend you and I will definitely keep you in mind if I have other people traveling to St. Petersburg or Berlin. Claudia Riesel-Erwin lctravel [at] embarqmail.com

19 September 2008
Dear Viktoria: We have arrived home in Canada after our wonderful cruise to the Baltic last month. It was such a joy to have had you as our guide for the two days that we were in your beautiful city of St. Petersburg. Talking to others on group tours, they were not happy with the large groups and congestion they faced on their tours orgainized by Celebrity. You had a wonderful knowledge of how to escape the crowds by your excellent timing of being in just the right place at just the right time. No other tour on our cruise could come close to the professionalism you showed to us. Your fantastic ability to relate the history of your country so that we could see and understand was greatly appreciated. It was the highlight of our time in Europe. Your work ethic is impecable.We know that your business will grow and do very well. It can‘t help but do so with your super, outgoing, enthusiastic personality. Thank you again for wonderful time, Gary & Eileen Bart

16 September 2008
Dear Victoria, We just want to thank you for the wonderful tour of St. Petersburg that you gave Bob and myself in St. Petersburg. Since we are back home in the US, we have not stopped talking about St. Petersburg and the tour we took. It was certainly the highlight of our vacation. I will certainly be recommending you to anyone who is going on a Baltic cruise and would like a private tour. Best regards, Ellen and Bob Held bobbyfreddy [at] cox.net

04 September 2008
Victoria: We are trying hard to send you photos. I am working with a new program and am thoroughly confused!!! Please notify if you receive them. We had a wonderful time in St. Petersburg and you made it come alive. Thanks for your hard work! Sincerely Jim and Rayma JRGORJANS [at] aol.com

04 September 2008
Viktoria, just a short note to tell you we had a great tour with Elena. She and Andre (the driver) were just right for our group. Thanks to you, Elena, Andre and SPB. We had two great days in St. Peters-burg. Everything worked out just right. José Vázquez caibarien [at] yahoo.com

31 August 2008
Hello Viktoria, I just wanted to tell you that my Mom and I completely enjoyed our tour with you and your sister and that St. Petersburg was the highlight of our trip. My Mom has been expounding on how great it was to several friends, and wouldn‘t you know it, one friend is set to be in St. Petersburg in the next week or two. Is that too late for her to book a tour with you? Let me know and I‘ll forward your email address to her or vice versa. Hope the rest of your summer was splendid! Catherine desertminky [at] aol.com

25 August 2008
hi viktoria: how is everything going? now that we‘ve had time to recover from our trip and get back into a normal life, we wanted to keep in touch. our 2-day tour was just wonderful and luba is an EXCELLENT tour guide! do you have her e-mail address? i hope everything is going well for you and your business! we will keep in touch. ladyjane3napa [at] aim.com

21 August 2008
Hi Viktoria, We have just arrived home after a short stay in England with family, totally exhausted now we need another holiday. Thank you for arranging such a wonderful Tour, we had a magnificent programme, I never imagined that St.P was so incredibly interesting and magnificent We had a great group and Svetlana ( do I have her name right) was a wonderful guide, all you promised her to be ,we got back to the ship tired but happy, having seen so much, it was by far the best tour we have ever had, thanks to you. Should you ever need to, please give our name for a wonderful reference, and we wish you the best of luck with your new venture. Thank you again Colin & Suzette colindickie [at] att.net

 

19 August 2008
Hi Victoria, Sorry this is so late in coming. I just wanted to thank you so much for the lovely tours you put together for my group. They all said it was the highlight of the cruise/trip! Please say hello to Stefan for me, I am sure to visit again both Berlin and Russia. You all did such a wonderful job in making my group feel welcome and by showing them your beautiful country. I am letting all my travel agent friends know about you :) thanks again for a wonderful time, Cindy Campbell Travel Services / 878 Amidon St. Deltona, Florida 32725 / 386-574-2379 campbelltravel [at] cfl.rr.com

19 August 2008
Hi Victoria, I‘ve been thinking of you frequently lately, especially with all the news about Georgia. Hope things are going along well with you. I enjoy telling my friends at work about our exciting visit to St. Petersburg. You made it very special for us. Warm regards, Daisy Marks Mendelsohn daisy [at] WestsideRC.org

19 August 2008
Hi Viktoria This is just to say a big thank you for organising our two day trip in the wonderful city of St Petersburg. If I made one right decision this year it was booking the trip through yourselves. We had a great time, I suspect we saw much more than anyone else on our cruise ship. Very Big thanks must go to Svetlana and Boris who made us feel really welcome. What a team I thought they had worked together for years. They really were the best. I will send you some photographs once I have sorted them…….people commented how Svetlana resembled my youngest daughter Many thanks again, John, Joanne, Alice and Ava Clark john-c [at] boston.ac.uk

13 August 2008
Hello Viktoria Just a quick note to thank you for exceeding expectations. I will definately stay in touch. We are presently leaving Helsinki nand on our way to Stockholm but everyone is still talking about St Petersberg. I started editing my photos at 4:00 am and didn‘t even make a dent... Kindest regards, Brenda sun.set [at] sympatico.ca

11 August 2008
Vika -- thanks again for our wonderful two days in St. Petersburg. All 6 of us were so pleased with how much of the city we covered, and how much of the history we learned. We are looking forward to our day in Berlin. I sent your name & email contact to my travel agent friend in Kansas City. If you ever decide to come to Orlando, let us know. Lawlers & Gauerts would be happy to host you. Sharon gauert [at] cfl.rr.com

31 July 2008
Hi Vika. We just wanted to Thank ALL of you for making our visit to Russia so wonderful!! We loved every minute! You have such a beautiful country! The architecture, the gardens, the history...AMAZING!!!! Helen and Max were great! Helen is so well informed about EVERYTHING!! We really learned a lot while we were there. It was so nice getting to know them. It was an added surprise to meet you and your adorable children, Maxim and Doria, who are extremely well behaved! I don‘t know what we liked the best....Hermitage, ballet at the Mariinsky or meeting Luda and all of her children! We expecially enjoyed looking at all their pictures, talking and spending time with them. As we told Helen and Max, we would like to take a Volga River cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in a few years. We will definitely look you all up then. There is so much to see in St. Petersburg, that we could do it again! If any of you ever make it to the US, you must come see us! I will keep your email address, and you do the same! With Warmest Regards, Trish & Anant Singh, Trishinva [at] aol.com

22 July 2008
Dear Victoria, We are all safely back in Toronto after our Baltic cruise, but we still have wonderful memories of St. Petersburg. All of us agreed that the tour you did with us that day was the best of our entire trip. Thanks again for the great personal service; it was so much better than the larger bus tours we did elsewhere. We will recommend you to anyone we know who plans to visit your city. I‘ve enclosed some photos, including shots of the exhausted group in the Hermitage. Best of luck with your future tour business. Wayne Sumner, sumner [at] chass.utoronto.ca

21 July 2008
Hello, Victoria, We were members of your two-day tour on July 2 and 3 from the Jewel of the Seas. We want to express our enthusiastic appreciation for your professionalism, working with our group from the early planning stages through our incredible two days in St. Petersburg. Touring your beautiful city and its structures was definitely the highlight of our cruise. Your knowledge of the history behind the sites and your ability to relate it to us truly enhanced the experience and our understanding of Russia‘s history and culture. Thank you so much for the educational and memorable experience. Howard and Phyllis Josephson, paj1001 [at] earthlink.net

16 July 2008
Dear Victoria, I just wanted to tell you what a fantastic time we had with Ann. Thank you both so much for everything, we have all fallen in love with St. Petersburg. Everything was absolutely perfect. We spoke to many people who saw the city many different ways and nobody saw nearly as much as we did in such an organized fashion. Most people complained that the Hermitage/Palaces were so crowded they saw half of what we did in twice the time with much less flexibility due to the difficulty of moving such a large group around. We were so happy that we decided to go with your tour. I would also like to tell you (although I‘m sure you already know) what a fantastic guide Ann is. She was easily the most knowledgeable guide we had on any of the tours we took in the 7 countries we visited and she fit several extra things into our itinerary that we asked her for. We are very grateful to have had her. I would like to offer you my email to you for use as a reference, I‘d be happy to tell anyone how much they‘d be missing out on by not going with you. Also, if it is alright with you, I‘d love to pass your email along to my travel agent. We would like her to able to offer your tour as an alternative to people who, like us, were unsatisfied with the tours Celebrity offers. Thank you both again for the fantastic experience we had. We hope to be back some day to explore your country some more. Sincerely, Robert and Lesley robertefaulkner [at] gmail.com
 

 

16 July 2008
Victoria, Thanks again for everyhting. We really had a great time on our trip and your tours were the highlight. I already gave your name to a friend of mine who is planning a trip to St. Petes. We‘ll be thinking of you as we go through our pictures and drink our vodka. Take care. Michael, Joe, Larry and Dan, mrobbinslaw [at] aol.com

09 July 2008
Hi Viktoria, How are things going? We had such a wonderful trip and loved Russia and spending our days with you! You made our trip very ,very special. How are your kids? I will let Michael know that you are sending his glasses. Thanks YOU so much! As soon as I get the pictures developed I will send you the one of us. it turned out so great. Talk to you soon! Debbie ALiPuP1220 [at] aol.com

05 July 2008
Hello Viktoria, The first thing to say is how much we all enjoyed our two days in St Petersburg. As you said Luba is so friendly and easy to get on with but also very knowledgable about all aspects of St Petersburg. We had some interesting chats and discussions and by the end of Saturday I felt I had known her for years. The tour on Friday was perfect for our large group of different ages and interests. The children loved the climb up the steps to the dome of St Issacs and the beauty of the Church on the Splilled Blood. All the adults enjoyed seing the beautiful city and it‘s history. The weather was great as well! The second day gave us a facinating insight in to the Siege and the Revolution. The memorials we visited were moving and made us realise the sacrifice the ordinary Russian people made in fighting the Nazis. The highlight of Saturday though had to be the visit to Smolnij. My son will be studying the Russian Revolution and Stalin next year in his Modern History studies at college so to be stood at such an important place in the Revolution was fantastic. We all felt privieged to be allowed to visit such a place and have a personal tour. I have attached a picture of Luba me my wife and son in Palace Square and all our group by the Bronze Horseman both taken on the Friday. Thank you for arranging everything. I would be pleased if you want to use any of the above in your website. I would also be happy to give your email address to the travel agent we booked our cruise with to pass on to other people who are looking for an independant tour guide for their visit to St Petersburg. Please give our love to Luba and hope to visit St Petersburg again soon. Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo will be top of my list!! Kind regards, Nick susan.lane [at] talktalk.net

30 June 2008
Vika Thank you for being the highlight of our 21 day cruise!! Thanks for your professionalism and your personality. The 2 days with you will always be in our memories and we wish only the best for you and your family. If I can ever do anything to help you by acting as a reference or reassuring someone in doubt please feel free to contact me. Be well and happy. Who knows, maybe someday my Russian blood will return to Russian soil again. Your friend Bill McDonald, jmcdonald19 [at] kc.rr.com

29 June 2008
Hi Victoria, In the event that you may have made some suggestions to Elena, we wanted to let you know that the tone of our day today was much improved in comparison to yesterday. The events which were planned, of course, would make any traveler envious—the Hermitage & Yusopov. But we asked if we could see a supermarket, and we were taken to one. That turned out to be interesting and fun, too. If you were responsible for the change in attitude, you did a fine job. Elena tried to adhere to our wishes, and that is not really easy, since we are each so different. The Kirov Ballet last evening was “over the top,” and perhaps I will never again see anything so perfect. Thank you for arranging it. If I might suggest for future American travelers, perhaps you might want to advise them about the type of seating in the Mariinski Theatre—and about the lack of ventilation, as well. Women might bring a fan or wear a very cool dress. (But we are spoiled.) It has been a lovely three days in Leningrad, and I shall never forget being here, being with you, and being treated so very kindly and warmly. Thank you so very much for all that you have done, and if there is ever anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. My email in Los Angeles is daisy [at] westsiderc.org Kindest regards, Daisy Mendelsohn, daisy [at] westsiderc.org

27 June 2008
Viktoria, Just a short note to thank you and Lena for the wonderful time we had in St Petersburg. It was like spending three days with family. Having a private tour made our visit as easy as visiting the next town here at home. E-mailing our Visas to us made our entry into Russia as easy as walking next door to visit a neighbor. Your knowledge of the many sights in St Peters-burg is outstanding and made our tour a pleasure. We only wish St Petersburg was closer so we could return more often. St Petersburg is at the top of our list of places to return to. I might also add that Lena was the best driver we have ever ridden with. If you need a personal recommendation for any prospective tourists we will gladly give it. Ken Porter, Azamara Journey June 2008 kwcp [at] comcast.net

26 June 2008
HI VIKA! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR A MOST ENJOYABLE TRIP! ST PETERSBURG WAS BY FAR MY MOST FAVORITE PORT..AND IT IS MOSTLY BECAUSE OF YOU, AND THE SERVICE YOU PROVIDED! WELL DONE. YOU ARE A TRUE PROFESSIONAL! I HOPE YOU DONT THINK LESS OF US PUSHY AMERICANS!! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GIFTS FOR MY CHILDREN! THEY LOVE THEM AND WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR KINDNESS! STAY IN TOUCH IF YOU WOULD LIKE! IF THERE IS EVER ANYTHING YOU NEED FROM THE U.S. JUST LET ME KNOW!!! WARMEST REGARDS! LORI MARZKA AND FAMILY, Lorijmarzka [at] aol.com

26 June 2008
Viktoria, A quick note to thank you and Lena for making our experience in St. Peters-burg run so smoothly. We are making our way through jet lag and cat-ching up with mail. I have attached 2 pictures of us with Ken and with Lena (am I spelling her name correctly?). You and Lena are very photogenic! We‘re glad you enjoyed the syrup (u not o) and the photos (not es) and that you do not mind us helping you with some of the english spelling. We loved the chocolate bars and have consumed one already. We are savoring the others eating some we bought later in Germany but not enjoying them as much as the ones from St. Pete. We‘ll stay in touch! Please give our best to Lena. Jill jilleporter [at] comcast.net

25 June 2008
Hi Viktoria and Tim, It‘s such a delight to have a wonderful andb unforgett-able experience in visiting your country. We could not stop talking about how amazing was the St Petersburg tour. Thank you for assigning Tim to our group, he was very informative and professional. Thus, we have learned so much about your history and culture not to mention the lavish picturesque of the sites visited. We still try to test ourselves about what we have learned from Tim, so Tim - you might get an e-mail of our queries and debates. Definitely, the St. Petersburg tour is by far the high-light of our trip. We would like to thank all of you again for such a re-markable experience and we wish you great success in your business. You guys are the best..... Sincerely, Madelyn, francismaggie [at] sbcglobal.net

24 June 2008
Thanks Vik we had a great time. Really enjoyed the tour. Chat later. Bev, BJHErie [at] aol.com

22 June 2008
Viktoria, We wanted to THANK YOU again so much for a great few days in St. Petersburg. Cecilia and I were both so impressed with the history, arts and the people. Because of your great coordination and knowledge, we feel that we were able to see so much over the 4 days. Also, it was very fun spending time with you and your sister! Please let us know in advance if you‘re able to make it to San Francisco. Thanks again, Bobby and Cecilia Bell, Bobby.Bell [at] kla-tencor.com

 

22 June 2008
Hi Viktoria, We too, as you know, enjoyed our three days with you. I will be sure to send you pictures and write a review on your web site for you. Also, I will either send you the leg makeup, or send it with my friend if she comes in August. I hope you will like it. We have great hopes for your business and your family and believe you will have tremendous success. I would love to keep in touch and hear how you and your family are doing. Please send me your home address so we can send you a Christmas card. You can show your children again how good you are in your business that your clients leave as friends. Remember, we have room for you if you come to America! Warmly, Catherine catherineminoofar [at] cox.net

30 May 2008
Hi Viktoria I was thinking again today about our wonderful 2 days in St Petersburg. Hope you are having a good summer. I am attaching one pic - see if you get this OK, if you do, then I can send some more. Linda Crowe (May 11/12) amcrowe88 [at] aol.com

24 May 2008
Hi Victoria, Sorry for the late response but you are SO very welcome! You were wonderful with organizing our group‘s tour and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were sad that it ended so soon as there was still much more to see in St. Petersburg. I hope you enjoy wearing the earrings and bracelets. The bracelets were made by a friend of mine who makes her own jewellry with. Again thank you for allowing us the privilege of meeting you and touring St. Petersburg with you. I will send your regards to my friends. Sincerely, Lihry, lkbcat123 [at] yahoo.ca

24 May 2008
Hello Viktoria- we just got home a day ago and I wanted to drop you a line to thank you for the wonderful time you showed us in St Petersburg. Funny how just after 3 days you can feel like you‘re saying good bye to a friend! Hope you and Anton are well and that you are getting some sleep between all your groups and e-mails. Tannis, thopkins [at] braincomm.ca

19 May 2008
Hi Viktoria Thanks for making our visit to St Petersburg so memorable. Our days with you could not have been better. Linda and Andy Crowe

17 Oktober 2007
Hi Victoria, I have been meaning to send you an email for days, weeks. Larry and I had such a fabulous time on our tour with you in St. Petersburg. You gave me such insight into the people and times in Russia... Be well. Fondly, Andy Alexander aatrekker [at] earthlink.net

16 Oktober 2007
Hi Victoria, ...We really enjoyed our trip and your tours were the highlight. A friend of ours has asked for your contact information so I have passed it on to her, for her friend as well. Her friend is planning a trip for next year. Hopefully, in time, they will be in touch with you. Please give our regards to Steffen and to Sarah in Berlin as well. sincerely, Shirley shirley.germain [at] sympatico.ca

26 September 2007
Dear Viktoria: We have all spoken so much about you and how wonderful you were to us while we were in Russia. I just unpacked my teapot and lovingly put it out for everyone who comes by to see. You were the highlight of our trip. We also enjoyed meeting Steffen so much and being able to see how your family fits together. It was a quick but nice trip to Berlin. However, it wasn‘t quite the same without you! I am giving some cards of yours to my travel agent to pass out. Good luck on your business. I truly hope we will meet again. Thank you once more for your kindness. Do keep in touch! Love Elizabeth evt [at] fuse.net

10 August 2007
Dear Vica, Well home at last and back to our mundane routines! Its quite hard to get back to normality after such a wonderful holiday! Thank you very much for two fantastic days in St. Petersburg! You are a fantastic guide and you can be sure we will be recommending you to anyone who may be thinking of going over. If ever you visit this part of the world you are most welcome to visit us and we shall be your tour guides in return heh! Heh! (though not as thorough as you for sure!). I will keep in touch now and again, but in the meantime good luck for the future in whatever you do! Regards, Christine Vasquez and family christinevasquez [at] gibtelecom.net

02 August 2007
Vica, Jim and I just wanted to send Birthday Greetings from Chicago. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!! We had such a wonderful time the 2 days we spent with you. I‘m glad there really wasn‘t a test. It was like a huge history lesson for us. We enjoyed it more than you could imagine. We hope you have a wonderful day since as I am typing this you are probably already up and enjoying the day. I hope you aren‘t working too hard. Thanks again for everything. I‘m sure the other boys are sending their wishes to you for a great day as well. Best regards Rick Gutjahr, Jim Smith BossRic [at] aol.com

25 Juli 2007
Hello Victoria! Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that we made it to Amsterdam without any issues. We had a lovely time in St. Petersburg and enjoyed visiting the sites under your expert guide. It was a pleasure to spend the time with you. ...It would be our pleasure to give you a glowing reference. Just contact us in Canada, using the same e-mail address. We look forward to hearing from you in the fall. Once again, thank you for everything!!!! Wishing you the very best, Cheers, Andrew, Ivana, Katherine & Alexandra King P.S. We think your web site is VERY good! aikaking [at] rogers.com

17 Juli 2007
Viktoria, We can‘t thank you enough for the wonderful tour of St. Petersburg. You were the most gracious, patient and intelligent guide. There was so much to see in very little time and you really worked hard to show us your beautiful city. Thanks again and we hope you got some well deserved rest with your beautiful children. Best wishes,Sue and Art Karesh akaresh2 [at] bellsouth.net

29 June 2007
Dear Victoria, What a wonderful experience spending time with you. Thank you for sharing your kindness, patience, knowledge, insights, honesty, and home with us. Every guide we have ever had pales to our time in Saint Petersburg with you. Everything was beyond our dreams and expectations. If you ever decide to visit Seattle, Washington where I live, I would love to be your guide! Warmest regards, Paula Begoun paula [at] cosmeticscop.com

19 June 2007
Dear Victoria, I wanted to write to express our absolute delight in the tour we took with you last week. From the moment you picked us up at the port, we felt comfortable, as if we had known you for much longer than just a few hours. We feel that we learned so much and appreciated how much information and detail you were able to offer us. Our days in St. Petersburg were just perfect and we have you to thank for that. Gabriella is still talking about “Miss Victoria” and how nice she was. She sends a special hello. Our days in St. Petersburg were just perfect and we have you to thank for that. Gabriella is still talking about “Miss Victoria” and how nice she was. She sends a special hello. We could not have asked for a better guide to show us the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. At the end of our tour, we found ourselves wishing we could stay for more days to see and learn even more. A return visit is DEFINITELY in our future plans. The next time we are in St. Petersburg, and when we make it to Berlin as well, we look forward to contacting you and having our paths cross again. Best Regards, Nicole, David, Gabriella and Faith Johnson johnson.stuff [at] gmail.com