Grand Circle Corp. is being sold to New York A delayed flight leads to a delayed connection. Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. Required fields are marked *. All Rights Reserved. This could ultimately lead to a decline in customer loyalty and revenue for Grand Circle Travel. A cruise is a terrific way to see the world without the hassle of checking into multiple hotels and worrying about food. 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. The company has been providing travelers with high-quality tours around the world since 1998. A. T.: In a follow-up note a few weeks ago, you said that you feel the company provides a good travel service. But, you wrote, pushing all the risk of uncertainty onto the client by refusing a refund makes me fearful to ever do business with O.A.T. 62% of employees think that Grand Circle Travel has a positive business outlook. In an emailed statement, an O.A.T. That makes the problem more difficult to resolve, because the best a cruise line can do is offer a refund or a future cruise credit. Do they distribute it among the staff? Grand Circle Travel was started by the founder of AARP, and as such know their demographic extremely well. 1958. Passengers sometimes arrive at the cruise terminal with the wrong visa or an expired passport. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ Grand Circle's annual revenues are $10-$50 million (see exact revenue data) and has 100-500 employees. (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). All content is posted anonymously by employees working at Grand Circle Travel. What are my rights as a cruise passenger? They do plenty of one on ones. EMEA +44 20 7330 7500. Infectious disease COVID and norovirus outbreaks are common on cruise ships. I advise focusing on a bigger problem and letting the smaller things go. In addition, there is the worry that many travel companies may go out of business due to the loss of business from this pandemic. If its a small shop, you may not have 24/7 support. The goal is for each of us to maximize our effectiveness, and ultimately our success, in an unpredictable and ever-changing environment. My cruise line requires a vaccination and now my credits are expiring, Take that back: The ultimate guide to a product return, The ultimate guide to getting a repair, replacement or refund for your broken appliance, Cell phone customer service: How to get virtually any problem fixed now, The ultimate passenger guide to Lyft, Uber and ridesharing. GCT cancelled the Greenland portion. Unsubscribe easily. Furthermore, Grand Circle Travel has also experienced a decrease in revenue due to the cancellation of numerous trips and the refund of deposits to customers. 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. Whats the international cruise line passenger bill of rights? But not for cruises. We value your privacy. (Thats just asking for trouble.) We have not had any reports of passengers with COVID being forcibly removed from a ship recently. Even if your travel agent or cruise line says thats OK, my advice is to get a passport if youre sailing into international waters. After taking 12 tours with them, they treated us terribly. WE CAN DREAM ABOUT TRAVEL Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Find the latest travel requirements for your trip. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. This is based on 391 anonymously submitted reviews on Glassdoor. Grand Circle Travel is a well-known international travel company based in Boston, Massachusetts. You raise an important point. View travel requirements for countries around the world. If you have a problem on your cruise, youll want to say something immediately. How are they allowed to keep my money? CONTENTS Overview Reviews Updated 03/02/2023 About Grand Circle Travel This profile has. Employees rate Grand Circle Travel 3.3 out of 5 stars based on 429 anonymous reviews on Glassdoor. I read that the company is being sold to some type of Holding Company--that may explain it. Business Bureau had given the company an "unsatisfactory" rating. Overseas . As Preferred Sir Edmund Hillary Club / Inner Circle Customers, having made five previous trips with this company (customer number 962737), we pre-reserved our trip for mid-April 2021, and paid in full before the end of February 2020, over a year in advance. OAT's email offering a refund would have made your credit-card dispute an easy win. Online agencies are a volume business, so if you like to feel special and appreciated, you might want to book elsewhere. FAQ. Service, when it does come, can be slow and impersonal. Here are my strategies for advocating your case. No answer to emails or snail mail. If you get seasick in a bathtub, please dont book a cruise. It isnt that these items arent fun to have while youre on a cruise, but that in many cases, theyre ridiculously overpriced. Youre out of luck. Two stars ONLY because of the excellent treatment we were given by our program directors both during the cruise and after I contracted Covid. To determine if my hunch was correct, I reached out to O.A.T. 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. Teamwork: We believe in groups of people who work together to create excellent results, solve difficult problems, support each other personally and professionally, and recognize their success. A few practical tips from a consumer advocate. Cruise lines dont include premium restaurants in your fare. Cookie Policy - 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. See inclusive packages for the best values, and get access to amazing deals. 07070 USA Telephone: (201) 902-2000, Windstar Knows the Way to the Middle East: How to Sell the Red Sea & Persian Gulf. Companies displayed may pay us to be Authorized or when you click a link, call a number or fill a form on our site. All of these factors have led to a difficult financial situation for Grand Circle Travel. 1. All Rights Reserved. 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. Empowered teams are committed to taking the necessary actions to ensure that the team will reach its goals. The right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures. Our values shape our decisions, give direction to our growth, and allow us to measure our progress. Even though GC advertises travel for mature adults- this is overwhelming in a foreign country. Quality can be subjective, and in our business quality often involves a compromise between speed and perfection. The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission. Our buses had problems; the drivers were pulled from retirement and were unfamiliar with the vehicles. Booked Iceland Greenland trip this year. You might find yourself sharing dinner at the home of a local family or visiting local schools. One Company Refused to Refund Travelers More Than $100,000, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/travel/coronavirus-refunds-overseas-adventure-travel.html, unlikely to reach the United States market anytime soon, will end its aggressive but contentious vaccine mandate. Then our columnist intervened with the Boston-based tour operator Overseas Adventure Travel. While Grand Circle Travel has seen tremendous success over the years, the company has recently found itself in a difficult financial situation. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Free-flowing booze is at the top of the list. was created in 1958 to serve AARP members. That means cruise lines appear to be less dangerous than they are. Whether its an optional shore excursion or an onboard auction, the cruise line wants more of your money than you spent on the cruise fare. An epic selection of pre-planned trips on every continent, for every style. The company notified me of the cancellation and offered either a credit for rebooking or a full refund that would have included airfare. Harriet Lewis will In order to understand the current financial situation of Grand Circle Travel, it is important to first examine the causes behind the company's financial struggles. The pandemic exposed one of the most absurd aspects of cruising. In 1993, (How generous of you!) It is the nature of the industry - whether it be hotels, air, packages, tours - that there are a wide variety of cancellation policies out there. They also dont work. When the customers asked for a refund, the cruise lines said they couldnt get one future cruise credits were nonrefundable. Again, these offers come by way of the relationships cruise agents have through their company or by being friends with their regional sales representative. On motorcoach tours with Grand Circle you will make frequent stops to stretch your legs, and some longer stops for sightseeing. Traveler Reviews. Book directly with the operator. Exploring the World of Knowledge and Understanding. Vrbo offered a refund after my husband lost his job. . Compare your travel trivia knowledge with friends. Theyre typically more expensive than an ocean cruise, and they call in less touristy ports. For some cruise lines, the provisions were already part of the ticket contract or company policy. You can also reevaluate if you want to cancel the total trip. Grand Circle's three travel brands are Grand Circle Travel. I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. Grand Circle Travel He bought new clothes and toiletries, but the cruise line refused to refund him for it until my advocacy team got involved. Most trips with Grand Circle are, unfortunately, not wheelchair accessible. private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners for an But there are lots of cruise options. Travel Protection. We publish the names and emails of customer service managers. We have just returned from our 6th, and probably last, Grand Circle tour. Agents are not free. Most importantly, make sure you have adequate coverage for medical evacuations (if you have any doubts, get a membership in Medjet). Not so long ago, you had to pick up a phone and call your local travel agent to book a cruise. But it was the industrys way of saying it could do better. A human travel agent who can take the time to sit down with you and talk about your cruise options is a tried-and-true way to buy a cruise. Its location on this page may change next time you visit. They also operate overseas travel adventures. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Alan Lewis will remain on the board but will be replaced Travelers routinely returned home to phone bills in the hundreds or thousands of dollars. The right to transportation to the ships scheduled port of disembarkation, or the passengers home city, in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures. Same thing goes for spa treatments, most shore excursions, and alcoholic beverages. 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. Overseas Adventure Travel/Grand Circle Travel used to be a good company, but they got too large. Your ticket contract, the legal contract between you and the cruise line, spells out your rights. This is the third Tripped Up column in a row that addresses the issue of refunds. Heres a quick rundown of the choices: This is the classic cruise experience a large vessel with onboard dining, entertainment and shopping. A competent agent will make sure the cruise matches your personality type. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. Here are some of the risks. Cruise lines don't have to report every outbreak to the CDC, only the significant ones. Plus, we have insightful letters, insider tips, and more. 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. Circle changed its cancellation policy to give customers a full Grand Circle's 40-plus offices are located in Africa, North and South America, Europe, and the Asia/Pacific . The view of the mountains and Grand Canyon was breathtaking! Sarah Firshein is a Brooklyn-based travel writer. Our content is intended to be used for general information purposes only. When Will Hawaiis Safe Travels Program End? Will this be the busiest spring break ever? Youll also connect with other readers who want to make the world a better place. Special access to agent-only discounts. Did we mention it's free? We are either rebooking travelers on another trip or providing a refund. Since mid-March, she said, O.A.T. Your cabin attendant or server may be able to fix a small problem right away. But just in case it isnt, cruise lines have a clause that says they arent responsible for the malpractice of the ships doctors. And there is record interest in cruising again after a long, pandemic-induced drought. Avoid like the plague! A Comprehensive Guide, Is Hiring a Travel Agent Worth It? If the company fails to find a solution to its financial woes, it could mean layoffs and reduced wages for employees. O.A.T. So should you take a cruise this year? Ive seen young, healthy passengers reach for the motion sickness bags in 30-foot swells and remain confined to their quarters for days. Overseas Adventure Travel is part of Grand Circle Corporation, a family of travel companies based in Boston. Grand Circle CEO Alan But cruise passengers have a lot of questions as the industry transitions back to normal. Ive heard of these kickbacks going as high as 14 percent. Poor food, poor guidance and no involvement from the guide or the Company. Grand Circle Corporation is a global enterprise committed to changing peoples lives through international travel. Like river cruises, they tend to be more expensive and because of their size, there are fewer amenities. they acquired Cambridge, Mass.-based Overseas Adventure Travel and Grand Circle Travel is a company that offers guided tours and river cruises to destinations all over the world. Even though this place offers a month-long training class, I think it would be best if newer agents get taught more basics before they are put on the floor to deal with customers. Even email or call back. Another solution to Grand Circle Travels financial woes is to increase efficiency. They also have limited departures in Africa, South America, the Middle East, South Pacific, North America, Central America, and even Antarctica. Youre on vacation. What if you miss your deadline? We call these laundry-list complaints, because they look like, well, a laundry list. 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! Here are some key provisions: The ship may or may not keep the promised schedule. Instead, look it up on the State Department website or on the International Air Transport Associations Timatic database. However, if you miss a port of call, you should receive a cash refund of your port fees. Preparing for Your Trip. Grand Circle Travel is currently facing a difficult financial situation due to decreased demand for its services, increased costs, and decreased revenue. A porter will deliver it to your room. There are new cruise lines, new ships, and new routes this year. Copyright 2022 Consumers Unified LLC. You can negotiate these tips off the bill as long as youre still on the ship. as its customer service. Youre dealing directly with the cruise line, so the company cant blame an intermediary for anything that goes wrong. Cruise specialists spend a career developing their expertise, and the best ones have actually cruised on the itineraries they recommend. Plenty of free time is included in the itineraries, and there is a lot of choice among optional tours. Read More rugged variety. G rand Circle Corp. is being sold to New York private equity firm Court Square Capital Partners for an undisclosed amount. I feel I am being held hostage by O.A.T. 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. Washington requires travel companies to issue cash refunds within 14 days (or 30 days when the funds are already paid to a vendor, as might be the case for a tour operator) when they cancel a service. Thats because you are a number. Wheres my airline ticket refund from GotoGate? Itineraries are designed for American travelers, with an aim towards immersive experiences such as visiting local homes, interesting walking tours, in-depth cultural interactions and culinary experiences. It's equivalent to changing a flight schedule and not informing the ticketed passenger. Agents are often incentivized by commissions and bonuses called overrides from cruise lines that reward them for booking a lot of itineraries with the same company. Ultimately, it is up to Grand Circle Travel to take the necessary steps to ensure its financial stability. Exploring the Extent of Its Reach, Do Travel Adapters Change Voltage? On our River Cruise Vacations and Land Vacations, you'll enjoy unmatched discoveries . Gangwal left Worldspan when it was Consumer Alert: Your Airbnb comes with heat during the winter, but Did airlines make a U-turn on family seat fees? 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. refund if a trip is canceled. Circle Corp. ran into some challenges last year after the Better 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. The activities, lectures, and easy pace are all designed for older travelers. Dont let this be you. How Does PTO Work for Salaried Employees? trips and has been pressuring the company to comply with the states travel-seller laws. The state's lawmakers emphasized the need for transparency rather than criticizing the resort fees. The right to have available, on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters, full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shoreside medical care becomes available. If the agency is a member of a larger group, like AAA, youll get deals no one else has, and they may be unbeatable. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided onboard, subject only to the Masters concern for passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port. Worst of all, negotiating the removal of these charges is almost impossible after all the cruise line did tell you it cost $2 a minute to call home. Dont let that happen to you. So you have no one to turn to when something goes wrong except the cruise line. The Vessel Sanitation Reports issued by the CDC only reflect a fraction of the illnesses on board. I've traveled with this company 4 times and find the value and service outstanding. All answers shown come directly from Grand Circle Travel Reviews and are not edited or altered. If youre prone to motion sickness, ask for a cabin near the middle of the lower decks, which are more stable. Be the first one to find this review helpful. Its generally a lot of smaller grievances that dont add up to much. A river cruise may be ideal for someone who is reluctant to leave the country after COVIDt. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Proudly powered by WordPress Its extra. Americas +1 212 318 2000. If you have a severe health problem, avoid cruising. I am still pursuing my refund. How many can you get right in 1 minute? The cabin is for sleeping. Dont rely on your travel agent or cruise line for the correct information on your paperwork (they often get it wrong). 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. Always arrive the day before your cruise. I purchased my own flights. There was a stop at the Hoover Dam to view the dam. Our family of travel companieswhich you can read more about belowoffers a variety of innovative trips to more than 60 countries. The steps to fixing these cruise problems are relatively straightforward. Asked for refund and got a credit instead. Payments. Always check before booking.). Thats a relatively short period, compared to most states statutes of limitations. Grand Circle Corporation is a global enterprisecomprised of a family of travel companiescommitted to changing people's lives by offering high-impact experiences to our travelers and building local communities through philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and volunteerism. they would travel with the company again.". Where is it? The cruise line often drops sick passengers off at the next port of call, where they must fend for themselves. 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. All rights reserved. This employer has claimed their Employer Profile and is engaged in the Glassdoor community. The cruise line wont let them board the ship. Answer: Yes. Youre dealing directly with the cruise line. Younger couples or families will probably feel out of place among the crowd on a Grand Circle tour. Windstars 2023/24 Middle East program kicks off in November. To I would not recommend the company. That can get a little noisy. : the realization that issuing refunds en masse would bleed the company dry. To get a job at Grand Circle Travel, browse currently open positions and apply for a job near you. So you couldnt review the quarantining protocols before making a booking decision and say, No, thats too much. The only way to avoid an unpleasant quarantine is to wait until the infection risk is low. A few years ago, cruise lines began installing advanced roaming networks that allowed passengers to make phone calls from the ship. Care for a soda? He paid Vantage $18,536. Get buying tips about Travel Agencies delivered to your inbox.