Many of their phone agents are located in overseas call centers. During the pandemic, many cruise lines instituted strict quarantine procedures some would say, too strict. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. But which one is right for you? There are a variety of ocean cruises, from budget to luxury. 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. Its not just one problem, but many. Find your private company bowl on Fishbowl, join the hottest conversation with your colleagues anonymously. As a result of the pandemic, many people have become hesitant to travel, resulting in a significant drop in bookings for Grand Circle Travel. Weve received numerous complaints from readers who purchased overpriced jewelry or art on their cruises. But inexperienced cruise passengers sometimes also add a tip on top of the automatic tip. ConsumerAffairs is not a government agency. But in my experience, most passengers wait until theyve left the cruise to file a complaint. The company notified me of the cancellation and offered either a credit for rebooking or a full refund that would have included airfare. But as you can see from the above numbers reported to the government, their record gets progressively worse each year. Most trips with Grand Circle are, unfortunately, not wheelchair accessible. That can get a little noisy. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced she reached an agreement with a tour company, securing further refunds for canceled trips. acquired by Travelport earlier this year. But it refuses to refund his money. Per the Holland Ministry of Tourism, Tulip season runs from the end of March until mid May, but the flowers are usually at their best halfway through April. On the 22nd of April 2020 we received an unsolicited call from James, a representative of GCT/OAT informing us that our reservation for Holland and Belgium in Springtime, originally departing April 17, 2021, had been unilaterally cancelled and that we had been arbitrarily and without our permission or knowledge rebooked for the same tour departing March 17, 2021. How Can I Get $$ back?? Our help is free. (Annual sales and employees) What industry is the company in? 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! 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. Cruise lines dont include premium restaurants in your fare. Often, they succeed. also step down from her role as co-chair at Grand Circle and as Knowledge of ships (either first-hand or from extensive training) to know which staterooms are the best value, which ones offer the smoothest ride, and which cruise lines best fit your needs. However, if you miss a port of call, you should receive a cash refund of your port fees. The state's lawmakers emphasized the need for transparency rather than criticizing the resort fees. There are new cruise lines, new ships, and new routes this year. Dont let this be you. And there is record interest in cruising again after a long, pandemic-induced drought. Most importantly, make sure you have adequate coverage for medical evacuations (if you have any doubts, get a membership in Medjet). Were always here to help. Theyre not. The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act requires cruise lines to report criminal activity to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Grand Circle Travel is currently facing a difficult financial situation due to decreased demand for its services, increased costs, and decreased revenue. Here are some of the risks. In addition, there is the worry that many travel companies may go out of business due to the loss of business from this pandemic. Because the porters dont always deliver the luggage to your room. All Rights Reserved. was no longer offering refunds. Youre one of a million, literally. Credits And Savings. For more information about reviews on ConsumerAffairs.com please visit our FAQ. The pandemic exposed one of the most absurd aspects of cruising. Were mediating these problems on a case-by-case basis. Thank you, you have successfully subscribed to our newsletter! Its your responsibility yours alone to have the correct documents. The most common ethnicity at Grand Circle Travel is White (70%). That's not entirely true. That doesn't make sense since using them all would have limited the number of passengers occupying them, thus limiting exposure. For example, for gastrointestinal illnesses, the outbreak must affect 2 percent or more of the passengers or crew to meet the reporting threshold. 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. Soon we discovered they had changed our cabin without notifying us and that one of the flights had disappeared . Quality can be subjective, and in our business quality often involves a compromise between speed and perfection. undisclosed amount. Grand Circle Travel was started by the founder of AARP, and as such know their demographic extremely well. Grandparents & grandchildren (ages 13 and up are welcome to join). If the company fails to find a solution to its financial woes, it could mean layoffs and reduced wages for employees. 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 (Take a look at your travel insurance policy, BTW, and see if it covers financial default by the tour operator, in which case you're covered if Grand Circle goes down the drain). Cruise ship gotchas they wont tell you about. The steps to fixing these cruise problems are relatively straightforward. Here is a photo of them enjoying the breathtaking view of Machu Picchu. I had always heard this was a good company but clearly it is no longer good. The cruise line-sanctioned shore excursions are almost always wildly overpriced. If its a small shop, you may not have 24/7 support. Youll also connect with other readers who want to make the world a better place. Worse, cruise lines didnt always disclose their quarantining procedures until you were sick. When you try to contact someone by phone. To Why Choose a Tour with Grand Circle Travel? I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. Cruise lines claim a vacation at sea is safer than any land-based vacation. This tour was phenomenal from the beginning to the end! Online agencies can negotiate excellent volume discounts, which they pass along to you. What are my rights as a cruise passenger? 2023 Grand Circle Travel 347 Congress St. Boston, MA 02210 We use cookies to improve your experience, by using our site you accept such use. Our buses had problems; the drivers were pulled from retirement and were unfamiliar with the vehicles. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME INFO ABOUT THIS COMPANY TREATING HIGH QUALITY EMPLOYEES , AS I WITNESSED, Your email address will not be published. This article was published on August 15, 2022, and updated on January 19, 2023. 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. Plenty of free time is included in the itineraries, and there is a lot of choice among optional tours. It is important to consider the potential implications of Grand Circle Travels financial struggles. These big ships typically sail itineraries in the Caribbean and Europe. The company has been providing travelers with high-quality tours around the world since 1998. We are only a month out. And cruise lines dont like to do that. What's going on? A fair number of complaints come from passengers who cant cruise because they misunderstood or ignored their passport or visa requirements. O.A.T. Your travel agent may offer you a spacious cabin with a balcony, or even a suite. Find the latest travel requirements for your trip. When Will Hawaiis Safe Travels Program End? Even email or call back. Absolutely the worst travel agency in the business the service is virtually nonexistent and if you need to contact them, be prepared to spend hours listening to their recorded music after which the line will probably go dead. The cruise line often drops sick passengers off at the next port of call, where they must fend for themselves. All answers shown come directly from Grand Circle Travel Reviews and are not edited or altered. Empowering Lives with Nutritious and Delicious NDIS Meals! There are mice in my vacation rental! Look out for our newsletters with travel tips and special offers. Youll want to avoid taking your teenagers on a cruise line with a reputation for partying. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. This PayPal invoice scam almost got me. When the level of quality required is in question, we will operate to the high standards expected by our customers. Even though GC advertises travel for mature adults- this is overwhelming in a foreign country. 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! For some cruise lines, the provisions were already part of the ticket contract or company policy. Corp. has 44 offices and employs 3,000 people. Business Bureau had given the company an "unsatisfactory" rating. Well start sending you the news you need delivered straight to you. Traveler Reviews. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress 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.