Any amount of compensatory. Here is a photo of them enjoying the breathtaking view of Machu Picchu. The Tour guide read from a book, did little guiding on site and was mainly interested in getting us back on the bus. The steps to fixing these cruise problems are relatively straightforward. Established in 1958. I had always heard this was a good company but clearly it is no longer good. Its gonna cost you. Corp. has 44 offices and employs 3,000 people. Were always here to help. Travel Protection. Its extra. After taking 12 tours with them, they treated us terribly. Vrbo offered a refund after my husband lost his job. Don't sweat the logistics travel providers plan for you. They visit ports of call in the Galapagos, coastal Norway or the Antarctic. 35% of job seekers rate their interview experience at Grand Circle Travel as positive. No answer to emails or snail mail. They have provided great service in the past, but this tour was bad. Its not uncommon to hear of people waiting upwards of an hour for help. again.. Circle Corp. ran into some challenges last year after the Better Your email address will not be published. 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! has refunded more than 5,000 travelers amounting to more than $12 million. They also have limited departures in Africa, South America, the Middle East, South Pacific, North America, Central America, and even Antarctica. Get guided help to find the right trip for you, Travel tips, stories, top 10 lists and more, Get yours before you leave, easier, cheaper. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. (Its all taken care of.) There are new cruise lines, new ships, and new routes this year. Sarah Firshein is a Brooklyn-based travel writer. Grand Circle Foundation Call our Regional Adventure Counselors 1-800-955-1925. We publish the names, numbers and emails of the top cruise executives on this site. Tweaking the immortal words of Biggie: no money, mo problems. By streamlining processes, such as booking and customer service, Grand Circle Travel can reduce costs and increase profitability. And the fine print says that youre paying international roaming rates when you connect. Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. They have a bad reputation and that reputation is very on point, To get a job at Grand Circle Travel, browse, Overall, 55% of employees would recommend, Get started with your Free Employer Profile, Work Here? 1958. Grand Circle Travel is currently facing a difficult financial situation due to decreased demand for its services, increased costs, and decreased revenue. How much of a cut does the cruise line take? ConsumerAffairs is not a government agency. For example, Royal Caribbean says it may, for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or off the vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. If it does, it owes you nothing for the inconvenience. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. Overseas . And if I decided to go, whats the best way to book my vacation? The Elliott Report is supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. Youll also connect with other readers who want to make the world a better place. Sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. Copyright 2022 Consumers Unified LLC. See all activities, themes, and interests >, Save $600 off trips to every continent on earth, Redeem anytime before 2023. For some types of trips, insurance is optional. Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? We value your privacy. I could not have asked for a better experience! If you think youll have less, get it renewed before your cruise. Theres only one way to ensure you dont get caught by these fees. The company notified me of the cancellation and offered either a credit for rebooking or a full refund that would have included airfare. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? And it should have at least six months validity left on it to be safe. By Christopher Elliott Globe correspondent, Updated November 11, 2021, 12:00 p.m. Grand. Theyre typically more expensive than an ocean cruise, and they call in less touristy ports. No. And in many ports of call, the medical facilities are not up to Western standards, and the patient must pay in cash. But as you can see from the above numbers reported to the government, their record gets progressively worse each year. $7000 in their pocket. TripAdvisor, ConsumerAffairs and other review sites show lingering frustrations about the companys coronavirus policies, but several Times readers, according to emails Ive received, have made headway by filing parallel complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the Massachusetts Attorney Generals office. Overseas Adventure Travel is part of Grand Circle Corporation, a family of travel companies based in Boston. Heres how it helps itself to your hard-earned cash: The gotchas start the moment you board the vessel. Our content is intended to be used for general information purposes only. There was a stop at the Hoover Dam to view the dam. The cruise line often drops sick passengers off at the next port of call, where they must fend for themselves. 07070 USA Telephone: (201) 902-2000, Windstar Knows the Way to the Middle East: How to Sell the Red Sea & Persian Gulf. Grand Circle Travel See reviews below to learn more or submit your own review. There are a variety of ocean cruises, from budget to luxury. My trip to Egypt with Overseas Adventure Travel was scheduled to depart in late March. (How generous of you!) How do I know I can trust these reviews about Grand Circle Travel? They tied up over $10,000 of our money on a trip they canceled because the cruise line they offered us had Russian links. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME INFO ABOUT THIS COMPANY TREATING HIGH QUALITY EMPLOYEES , AS I WITNESSED, Your email address will not be published. That's no excuse for not responding to paid customer's inquiries. The average employee at Grand Circle Travel makes $62,003 per year. As a result of the pandemic, many people have become hesitant to travel, resulting in a significant drop in bookings for Grand Circle Travel. Sign into see which companies give additional savings to Travelstride Members (its free). Plan to arrive a minimum of 24 hours before your cruise leaves. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Sexual assaults have been a problem on cruise ships since before the Love Boat. 4x. I have flights with Grand Circle. These Britrail England Flexi Passes are taking forever to refund. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ What Makes Grand Circle Travel Stand Out? 2 hour wait for phone contact. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures. Groups are between 24-47 people, so expect some company! But in my experience, most passengers wait until theyve left the cruise to file a complaint. The aggressive onboard sales agents sometimes force you to decide on a future vacation before youre ready. CONNECT WITH US. Over the years they have established a solid reputation for tours and river cruises that offer good value to destinations around the world. Grand Circle Travel is a well-known international travel company based in Boston, Massachusetts. They dont have any way to contact them. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. The company has been providing travelers with high-quality tours around the world since 1998. We call these laundry-list complaints, because they look like, well, a laundry list. Help! We value your privacy. So should you take a cruise this year? | Although travel has stopped and is only starting up again slowly and in only a few destinations the aftershocks of that screeching halt, brought on by the coronavirus, continue to reverberate. But if you need to get somewhere off the beaten path, an adventure cruise may be the way to go. California, with some of the strongest consumer protections in the country, requires cash refunds for undelivered services within 30 days from whichever date is earliest: the scheduled departure date, the date the refund is requested or the date the service was canceled by the travel company. Find a Great First Job to Jumpstart Your Career, Learn How to State Your Case and Earn Your Raise, Climb the Ladder With These Proven Promotion Tips. I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. It appears that the main cause of Grand Circle Travels financial issues is attributed to a decrease in demand for the companys services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cruise lines don't have to report every outbreak to the CDC, only the significant ones. Learn the word no, and use it often. Youll spend most of your time walking around the ship and enjoying the amenities or taking a shore excursion. By offering more diverse experiences, such as virtual tours and staycations, Grand Circle Travel can draw in more customers and increase its revenue. Grand Circle's annual revenues are $10-$50 million (see exact revenue data) and has 100-500 employees. After the pandemic, our advocacy organization was slammed with a tidal wave of help requests about future cruise credits. A free inside look at Grand Circle Travel salary trends based on 462 salaries wages for 222 jobs at Grand Circle Travel. But it refuses to refund his money. Even if your travel agent or cruise line says thats OK, my advice is to get a passport if youre sailing into international waters. Quality: Our decisions must be made and actions taken in accordance with high standards of quality and service. Another solution to Grand Circle Travels financial woes is to increase efficiency. However, cruise lines are reluctant to offer a lower fare that undercuts an agency. Often, they succeed. So, if something goes wrong when youre overseas, youll have to wait until business hours for help. Service, when it does come, can be slow and impersonal. CONTENTS Overview Reviews Updated 03/02/2023 About Grand Circle Travel This profile has. Who Will Enjoy Traveling with Grand Circle Travel? We plan to go to Iceland. (Think of it as a kind of rewards program.) Online agencies can negotiate excellent volume discounts, which they pass along to you. 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. as its customer service. Do Not Sell My Personal Information -, Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. Crypto Wallet Development: Types, Features, and Popularity, 5 Ways AI is Detecting and Preventing Identity Fraud. The company has seen increased costs due to safety protocols and additional staffing needed to ensure the health and safety of their guests. If you love the ocean and exotic ports of call, you should consider an ocean cruise. Excellent service on ship, considerate of their clients, wonderful discovery trips. They refuse to accept their responsibility to inform me, in order to allow me to make the decision regarding my exposure. Working at Grand Circle Travel has to be one of the best jobs I've worked at. Other travelers looking for refunds may have a better chance if theyre dealing with companies headquartered within Hawaii, Washington state, Illinois or California. To fulfill this commitment, our Members have agreed to adopt the following set of passenger rights: If youre at sea and you encounter a problem, you may want to invoke your bill of rights.. Grand Circle Travel/Overseas Adventure Travel only offered a $250 credit per person to be applied to a future trip, and the option of booking another trip altogether. Surely taking temperatures and separating tables would have helped tremendously. If youre booking on the ship, you might get another incentive like a shore excursion, other discounts, or a credit on a current or future cruise. Most complaints fall into one of these categories: A missed port. Tasteless food. This is definitely a travel experience well suited to older American travelers in the 60+ range, seeking a degree of comfort, in their travel experience, within a mid to high budget range. An epic selection of pre-planned trips on every continent, for every style. This tour was phenomenal from the beginning to the end! I dont want to be obligated to Grand Circle. The activities, lectures, and easy pace are all designed for older travelers. For the flexibility and comfort aspects, combined with unique experiences at every turn. (Thats just asking for trouble.) He tried to justify the change as one of a country change but I read him the GCT policy which I received in writing as part of my final trip documents. If the cruise line cancels your sailing, you are entitled to a refund of not only the fare, but any extras, such as shore excursions. Use simple search and comparison tools to easily find the best trip. Kiddos to the bus drive for being SO informative!! In addition, there is the worry that many travel companies may go out of business due to the loss of business from this pandemic. EMEA +44 20 7330 7500. as CEO by Rakesh Gangwal, former CEO of Worldspan, a Court Square Theyre not. Supervisors and managers want everyone to succeed. In theory, a host agency is not liable to clients of a sub-IC for their acts or omissions. Youll probably get the deepest discounts, and in some cases, a price protection that assures you that if the fare drops, youll get a refund. Ultimately, it is up to Grand Circle Travel to take the necessary steps to ensure its financial stability. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.). Youre one of a million, literally. You should read it before you leave. I feel I was defrauded and the company has been unethical in their dealings. Exploring the Basics, Benefits, and Policies, How to Contact Tesla: Customer Service Phone Number, Website, Social Media, Email & Live Chat, Bruce Willis Health Condition: Understanding the Actors Diet and Exercise Regimen, Exploring the Impact of Greg Gutfelds Vacation from Fox News. Access to possible upgrades and onboard credits. If you have a severe health problem, avoid cruising. When the level of quality required is in question, we will operate to the high standards expected by our customers. Windstars 2023/24 Middle East program kicks off in November. They are what our beliefs and actions are derived from. OAT's email offering a refund would have made your credit-card dispute an easy win. We are either rebooking travelers on another trip or providing a refund. Since mid-March, she said, O.A.T. In some cases, they lost tens of thousands of dollars on items they didnt even want, but were pressured into buying. Our values shape our decisions, give direction to our growth, and allow us to measure our progress. Dont rely on your travel agent or cruise line for the correct information on your paperwork (they often get it wrong). Sometimes it can feel like college at times. All Rights Reserved. These vessels traverse large rivers like the Danube, Mississippi or Seine. Tip: Avoid virus season (usually late winter and early spring). Additionally, Grand Circle Travel can focus on expanding its marketing efforts and building relationships with new partners to reach a larger customer base. But we need to cancel. Cruise lines claim a vacation at sea is safer than any land-based vacation. Want to take the kids out to dinner or to the arcade? But there are risks now, and perhaps more risks than ever. And then it took them over 3 months to give us back our money which they did only after numerous phone call attempts and letters to management. Want a picture of you and your beautiful family? Cruise lines claim a vacation at sea is safer than any land-based vacation. Grand Circle Travel offers distinctive international vacations for older Americans. Grand Circle Corp. is being sold to New York After a series of high-profile customer service incidents in 2012 and 2013, the cruise industry adopted a voluntary bill of rights for its passengers, to clearly communicate to them their rights regarding comfort and care in a number of important areas. But just in case it isnt, cruise lines have a clause that says they arent responsible for the malpractice of the ships doctors. Grand Circle Travel is a company that offers guided tours and river cruises to destinations all over the world. I would not recommend the company. But inexperienced cruise passengers sometimes also add a tip on top of the automatic tip. undisclosed amount. Grand Circle Travel (GCT) seems to play a few nasty games, and cheating its customers!!! You can request a roommate if you travel solo to save on the s We had a great tour guide in Ivan, was very knowledgable, friendly and very considerate of peoples concerns. 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. My wife and I would have been able to have a table to ourselves, not because we are anti-social, but because we would have been safer. It is impossible to reach this company. No, no, no. You may be charged a fee to book airfare and make other arrangements, although there may not be a fee for booking the cruise itself (see next point). Ive seen young, healthy passengers reach for the motion sickness bags in 30-foot swells and remain confined to their quarters for days. Soon we discovered they had changed our cabin without notifying us and that one of the flights had disappeared . Companies displayed may pay us to be Authorized or when you click a link, call a number or fill a form on our site. Grand Circle Foundation Giving back to the world we travel Upload Your Photos, Videos & Slideshows Share your trips with fellow travelers Special Offers The Seine: Paris to Normandy Average Group Size: 38-45 Travelers Traveler Reviews (611) 84% Traveler Excellence Rating If you need help with any problem,please contact us through this form. How Can I Get $$ back?? Grandparents & grandchildren (ages 13 and up are welcome to join). We have just returned from our 6th, and probably last, Grand Circle tour. Plus, we have insightful letters, insider tips, and more. Its an online travel agency. Look out for our newsletters with travel tips and special offers. Youre dealing directly with the cruise line. established a solid reputation for tours and river cruises that offer good value to destinations around the world. A link has directed you to this review. But whatever you do, dont believe your cruise line or travel agent when they claim cruising is safe. Theres no form of travel thats safe right now. You have 24/7 phone support through most of the online agencies. Find the latest travel requirements for your trip. There are many other health perils at sea. Care for a soda? I called, sent letters, asking for a refund. Claim your Free Employer Profile. Every member must be fully accountable for the teams and ones own personal results. Hotels are comfortable and centrally located. They sent me an unitemized bill for $650 for a trip I'd been notified had been completely paid for. Why is Good UI/UX Design Imperative for Business Success? Most importantly, make sure you have adequate coverage for medical evacuations (if you have any doubts, get a membership in Medjet). How can I reach them?? Grand Circle Corporation provides 85+ international small group adventures by land and sea for Americans 50 and older. Privacy Statement - First trip with Grand Circle Tours, liked the tour. A Comprehensive Guide, Is Hiring a Travel Agent Worth It? Grand Circle Travel was started by the founder of AARP, and as such know their demographic extremely well. Avoid the grief and go elsewhere to a reputable business at the outset. Solo travelers make up nearly a third of Grand Circle's customers, and they're made to feel more than welcome on group tours, including some price breaks on single supplements. Finally, Grand Circle Travels financial struggles could lead to an overall decrease in the quality of its services. To As someone who has been on numerous cruises and has helped resolve cruise problems in real time, I have a few recommendations: One of the first things your cruise line will try to do is take away your luggage. Lunch in one of our specialty restaurants? Tours & Operators on Travelstride Awarded and Featured by: 2023 Travelstride. We publish the names and emails of customer service managers. Youre on vacation. O.A.T. It appears that the main cause of Grand Circle Travel's financial issues is attributed to a decrease in demand for the company's services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Adam Anolik, a San Francisco- based travel-industry lawyer, explained over email, thats why oversight forcing a company to comply with state laws can feel like an uphill battle. trips and has been pressuring the company to comply with the states travel-seller laws. Avoid like the plague! And this information was only transmitted because I raised the subject. We got an inc Have taken 12 trips overseas with this company and each one has been wonderful. I read that the company is being sold to some type of Holding Company--that may explain it.