This could ultimately lead to a decline in customer loyalty and revenue for Grand Circle Travel. If, after reading this authoritative guide on cruising, you feel that youre ready, then go for it. You raise an important point. Airlines are sidestepping refund regulations established by the United States Transportation Department and the European Union, betting that negative press (and even class-action lawsuits) are still preferable to negative-balance bank accounts. Many of their phone agents are located in overseas call centers. Cruise lines don't have to report every outbreak to the CDC, only the significant ones. 4x. If you get seasick in a bathtub, please dont book a cruise. Younger couples or families will probably feel out of place among the crowd on a Grand Circle tour. Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion. Quite frankly, I don't know if I was infected by other passengers (there were others on the same cruise that came down with Covid before I did) or if I infected others. I am disappointed, disgruntled and dissatisfied; I didnt spend money to get this treatment; I could have done better on my own! undisclosed amount. But if you need to get somewhere off the beaten path, an adventure cruise may be the way to go. Thats because you are a number. https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/proavel-0021-3848, Beware of Grand Circle Travel and Overseas Adventure Travel, Beware, Beware, Beware, Beware!!! One-on-one service and attention to detail. Soon we discovered they had changed our cabin without notifying us and that one of the flights had disappeared . Two days before departure, it was a call from the Program Director in Romania who informed me that masks were no longer required. In an emailed statement, an O.A.T. Whats the international cruise line passenger bill of rights? UNACCEPTABLE!! Our family of travel companieswhich you can read more about belowoffers a variety of innovative trips to more than 60 countries. Is cruising really safe now? It is important to consider the potential implications of Grand Circle Travels financial struggles. Ultimately, it is up to Grand Circle Travel to take the necessary steps to ensure its financial stability. Translation: When they cancel your trip, they are legally required to offer you the money back. But we need to cancel. 13% of Grand Circle Travel employees are Hispanic or Latino. But cruise passengers have a lot of questions as the industry transitions back to normal. Grand Circle Travel is a company that offers guided tours and river cruises to destinations all over the world. Site Map|Global Site Map|Terms of Use|Privacy Policy, Save this trip to your favorites or other list. See reviews below to learn more or submit your own review. Want to take the kids out to dinner or to the arcade? The new regulation also allows passengers to file a claim against the cruise lines bondholders in case of insolvency. This is based on anonymous employee reviews submitted on Glassdoor. Asked for refund and got a credit instead. Todays travel websites try to combine the best aspects of a full-service agency with the conveniences of modern technology. Is it just your server? Cruise lines dont include premium restaurants in your fare. The pandemic exposed one of the most absurd aspects of cruising. Business Bureau had given the company an "unsatisfactory" rating. A few practical tips from a consumer advocate. 1Is cruising safe?What kind of cruise should I take?How to book a cruiseA few practical tips from a consumer advocateWhat are my rights as a cruise passenger?Whats the international cruise line passenger bill of rights?If my cruise is canceled, am I entitled to a refund?Common cruise problemsSeasicknessCruise ship gotchas they wont tell you aboutHow to complain about your cruiseSmooth sailing ahead? While there are several included activities, you have many options for personalization through optional extensions and plenty of free time in each destination. Grand Circles motto is We Change Peoples Lives; it has certainly changed ours. We plan to go to Iceland. Most medical care on cruise ships is adequate. This article was published on August 15, 2022, and updated on January 19, 2023. On motorcoach tours with Grand Circle you will make frequent stops to stretch your legs, and some longer stops for sightseeing. Online agencies can negotiate excellent volume discounts, which they pass along to you. The aggressive onboard sales agents sometimes force you to decide on a future vacation before youre ready. Last minute changes OK, You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type, Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics. In Illinois, the Travel Promotion Consumer Protection Act was created in the 1980s to safeguard against travel scams that promise too-good-to-be-true deals. Try to call this phone number 1-800-221-0814/1-877-220-2610, holding for 2 hours cannot get a connection, if The Cruise Company cancel the trip they should automatically refund your money, finally I have through the credit card company to dispute payment. Our 2020 tour has been re-booked to 2022. Sharing Your Travel Videos, Slideshows & Photos. That's no excuse for not responding to paid customer's inquiries. Same thing goes for spa treatments, most shore excursions, and alcoholic beverages. Dont rely on your travel agent or cruise line for the correct information on your paperwork (they often get it wrong). But, if the extraordinary number of reader complaints I have received more than a dozen and counting are any indication, they have been doing so anyway. EMEA +44 20 7330 7500. As a result of the pandemic, many people have become hesitant to travel, resulting in a significant drop in bookings for Grand Circle Travel. I could not have asked for a better experience! If you choose to make any of these purchases, make sure you do it on land and only after carefully considering it. Onboard doctors dont have the equipment or facilities to handle a serious illness. The next week, I learned via email that I had been rebooked on the same trip next year. A few years ago, cruise lines began installing advanced roaming networks that allowed passengers to make phone calls from the ship. USTOA is a nonprofit professional association representing the tour operator industry.Its members are made up of companies who provide services worldwide but who conduct business in the U.S. Travelstride helps you search and compare 50,000+ expert-planned trips from 1,000+ companies. One way that Grand Circle Travel can overcome its financial difficulties is by diversifying its offerings. Do they distribute it among the staff? Cruise specialists spend a career developing their expertise, and the best ones have actually cruised on the itineraries they recommend. Itineraries are designed to give you more time in each stop, allowing for a more balanced combination of included activities and independent time. in 1997 they established Grand Circle Small Ship Cruises with a Candidates give an average difficulty score of 3.1 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) for their job interview at Grand Circle Travel. When youre on vacation, its easy to let down your guard and fall for a sales pitch for an original sculpture, diamond ring or timeshare. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures. What's going on? Its an online travel agency. Harriet Lewis will A river cruise may be ideal for someone who is reluctant to leave the country after COVIDt. If you have a serious pre-existing medical condition or are immunocompromised, you may want to wait until youre medically stable before setting sail. You might find yourself sharing dinner at the home of a local family or visiting local schools. This company policy was the reason I booked with them in the first place, because, as we all know, vaccinations may keep one out of the hospital but does NOT keep one from contracting COVID. (Think of it as a kind of rewards program.) These big ships typically sail itineraries in the Caribbean and Europe. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. Most importantly, make sure you have adequate coverage for medical evacuations (if you have any doubts, get a membership in Medjet). Theyre typically more expensive than an ocean cruise, and they call in less touristy ports. All Rights Reserved. Care for a soda? Here are my strategies for advocating your case. I purchased my own flights. We have just returned from our 6th, and probably last, Grand Circle tour. Special access to agent-only discounts. They complained of being treated like second-class passengers. Don't do business with these people. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full, My wife and I were excited to take our first river cruise with Grand Circle Travel/Overseas Adventure Travel (GCT/OAT) in The Netherlands in spring 2021 to see the flowers. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment based on your own personal circumstances and consult with your own investment, financial, tax and legal advisers. Grand Circle Travel was started by the founder of AARP, and as such know their demographic extremely well. also step down from her role as co-chair at Grand Circle and as Overseas . Additionally, Grand Circle Travel may be forced to close some of its offices and cut back on its operations. #traveljobs #peru #excellenceaward. While they didnt answer my question directly, I was able to recoup more than $100,000, collectively, for you and 10 other readers. Virtually zero. And in many ports of call, the medical facilities are not up to Western standards, and the patient must pay in cash. Archive - Sears couldnt deliver my appliances. 7% of Grand Circle Travel employees are Asian. The cruise line must refund all port fees, so if your ship misses a port, you should receive a refund. General Air Questions. Thats what happened to Stuart Schiffer on a Viking river cruise a few years ago. If my cruise is canceled, am I entitled to a refund? Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? View travel requirements for countries around the world. If youd rather have a bit more action, or are after a "see a lot, do a lot" city and country hopping pace, this style of travel is probably not going to hit the right note for you. These Britrail England Flexi Passes are taking forever to refund. Furthermore, the companys reputation could be negatively impacted if customers do not feel confident in their ability to provide quality services. If you leave the country, you must have a passport. I've traveled with this company 4 times and find the value and service outstanding. Plus, we have insightful letters, insider tips, and more. One of the cons can be coworkers taking advantage of the casual vibe of the office. (Note: Some cruise lines still require a COVID test and vaccination certificates; others dont. They are what our beliefs and actions are derived from. By Christopher Elliott Globe correspondent, Updated November 11, 2021, 12:00 p.m. Grand. Ill make it simple. refund if a trip is canceled. Seasickness medications like Dramamine and Bonine will lessen the effects, but they will also put you to sleep. On our River Cruise Vacations and Land Vacations, you'll enjoy unmatched discoveries . There have been some reports that the company is in financial trouble, and may be shutting down soon . You can also appeal your case to a company executive. I told them that I had a medical condition and did not know when or if I would be able to travel, and asked whether they were just going to keep my $17,500 if I couldnt travel by the end of 2021. Thousands of itineraries from over 1,000 trusted travel companies. With GCC, our associates have the unique opportunity to travel numerous countries and experience once in a life time events. But not for cruises. Access to possible upgrades and onboard credits. In addition, there is the worry that many travel companies may go out of business due to the loss of business from this pandemic. Grand Circle Travel (GCT) seems to play a few nasty games, and cheating its customers!!! Alternatively, you could have filed a case in small claims court, although you would have had to limit your . Our content is intended to be used for general information purposes only. Thats not entirely true. : Tanzania/Kilimanjaro Tour Company, Any recommendations for Grand Circle Tours and/or Overseas Adventure Tours, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Nevertheless, Grand Its their terms. There are mice in my vacation rental! For more information about reviews on ConsumerAffairs.com please visit our Join us on Thursday, June 3, 2021 from 4-6PM at our corporate headquarters located at 347 Congress Street in Boston and see if we can change yours, Happy Monday! COVID and norovirus outbreaks are common on cruise ships. I have flights with Grand Circle. The "older sibling" of Grand Circle Cruise Line, Grand Circle Travel specializes in land tours for Americans of baby boomer age and above (fifty-plus, but leaning toward the plus). Watch for food-borne illnesses. We booked a river cruise, including airfare, and documented every detail. What is paid time off like at Grand Circle Travel? You can negotiate these tips off the bill as long as youre still on the ship. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ Whats more, its not always entirely clear who gets the tip. Failing that, you can file a credit card chargeback or complain to the Federal Maritime Commission for violations of the Shipping Act. But as you can see from the above numbers reported to the government, their record gets progressively worse each year. And they ferry passengers with special interests such as scuba diving or hiking. Grand Circle Travel is currently facing a difficult financial situation due to decreased demand for its services, increased costs, and decreased revenue. What are my rights, and what should I be worried about? chairman of Grand Circle Foundation. Some got total refunds, while others (including you) received partial refunds or continue to wait for certain fees and sums to clear. Working at Grand Circle Travel has to be one of the best jobs I've worked at. In Hawaii, consumers have the right to a cash refund (minus previously disclosed cancellation fees) within two weeks of requesting one. 07070 USA Telephone: (201) 902-2000, Windstar Knows the Way to the Middle East: How to Sell the Red Sea & Persian Gulf. Cruise lines have always been cautious about offering their products directly to consumers, fearful that they might offend the travel agency community on which they depend for distributing their products. Uh-uh. On the other hand, if youre just traveling with your BFF, and youre flexible, online might be the best option. . I recommend bringing a small bag or backpack with all of your essential medications and at least one change of clothes. I am still pursuing my refund. How Can I Get $$ back?? fleet of more than 50 ships. 1. Now it wont refund my $3,606. I respected allan lewis and spoke highly of him till i saw that he is not a man of his word and terminated loyal people and hire stupid ones he fooled us and i think this company is toxic ,he knew about sexual harassment for women and didn't do anything about itRead More. You are on hold for 2-3 hours. Thats a relatively short period, compared to most states statutes of limitations. Without adequate funding, the company may be unable to invest in new technologies or hire the best talent to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. as its customer service. please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. In 1993, In a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment each member of the team is critical for success. Copyright 2022 Consumers Unified LLC. <br>Expertise in leadership coaching and mentoring, training and development, financial management in a constantly changing environment, public speaking and total guest . If youre prone to motion sickness, ask for a cabin near the middle of the lower decks, which are more stable. For some types of trips, insurance is optional. If relaxing on the cruise with a book in hand for hours on end, gliding by quiet European shores is your idea of a grand old time then Grand Circle is for you! Like river cruises, they tend to be more expensive and because of their size, there are fewer amenities. Required fields are marked *. Free-flowing booze is at the top of the list. Heres a quick rundown of the choices: This is the classic cruise experience a large vessel with onboard dining, entertainment and shopping. The best they do is send a canned letter saying how sorry they are that they are behind in correspondence because of having to frequently change airline reservations for various tours. Use simple search and comparison tools to easily find the best trip. I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. We are either rebooking travelers on another trip or providing a refund. Since mid-March, she said, O.A.T. There are a variety of ocean cruises, from budget to luxury. To get a job at Grand Circle Travel, browse currently open positions and apply for a job near you. Even though GC advertises travel for mature adults- this is overwhelming in a foreign country. Asia Pacific +65 6212 1000. Service, when it does come, can be slow and impersonal. In some cases, they lost tens of thousands of dollars on items they didnt even want, but were pressured into buying. How are they allowed to keep my money? Unsubscribe easily. I feel I am being held hostage by O.A.T. This pandemic could cause some of them to be dusted off, said Mr. Anolik. After taking 12 tours with them, they treated us terribly. Just to name a few, we have danced the Turkey with school children in Costa Rica, climbed the Mayan Temples of Tikal, laid roses with Veteran travelers at the grave of the WWII Cemetery in Normandy and walked the ancient stone boulevards of Ephesus. would not recommend extremely long for no reason, multiple interviews just for entry level, low paying roles you will work weekends rude staff They do not respect your time. But even when individual consumers know their rights, they have few options at their immediate disposal when a customer-service representative usually the only public-facing proxy for a companys official or unofficial policies refuses to relent on refunds. Agents are not free. Grand Circle CEO Alan : the realization that issuing refunds en masse would bleed the company dry. Grand Circle travels all over the world, with a strong focus in Europe, Aisa and Southeast Asia. This company must not have enough staffing. operator. They sent me an unitemized bill for $650 for a trip I'd been notified had been completely paid for. Discover the worldin comforton Viking ocean cruises to Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Asia, Australia, the Americas or around https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Grand-Circle-to-be-sold-to-private-equity-firm. If you are on a slim budget try the " last minute" opportunities. We value your privacy. Tweaking the immortal words of Biggie: no money, mo problems. What should I do? This is a common problem at my consumer advocacy organization. Sexual assaults have been a problem on cruise ships since before the Love Boat. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME INFO ABOUT THIS COMPANY TREATING HIGH QUALITY EMPLOYEES , AS I WITNESSED, Your email address will not be published. Being well organized may sometimes be less important than moving quickly. We are only a month out. Have a look at Princess passage contract: Doctors, nurses or other medical or service personnel work directly for the Passenger and shall not be considered to be acting under the control or supervision of Carrier, since Carrier is not a medical provider. In other words, when a doctors negligence leads to the death of a family member, the cruise line is off the hook. Always arrive the day before your cruise. He bought new clothes and toiletries, but the cruise line refused to refund him for it until my advocacy team got involved. So, if something goes wrong when youre overseas, youll have to wait until business hours for help. I feel like I was duped by a bait and switch and wonder how many others were caught in the same scheme. Sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. At a time like now, some may be safer and more convenient than others. If you prefer a smaller ship and dont like waves, a river cruise might be right for you.
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