Complain about a product or service

Grand Circle Travel

347 Congress Street, Boston, MA

zelma of east meadow, NY November 21, 2009

great rivers of europe 10/21/09 my 81 bday. about 7 days into trip i got a note under door of cabin for a meeting. it turned out to be my guide, the capt and his interpreter. i was being repremanded for asking too many questions and for being late. she spoke to me like a first grader and this was a behavior lesson. Both time I asked the questions she said something and i apologized. after that i wrote my questions down so at the meeting i assured her i would not aplopgize and she said if i couldnt follow rules i could leave now.

she said i was late. i came late for lunch (1/2 hr) and when she told me i was too late i said that is ok i didnt intend to eat. the headwaiter saw me upstairs with friends and said the dining room was still open and he made me a sandwich. so i thought this was very nice. that evening i asked another guide if i could go with his group and he said yes. however in the morning he said i couldnt because it had something to do with the capt and that my roomate was more at fault. this has nothing to do with me. they did have her at the meeting but i was so upset i dont know what they blamed her for except that she did have a run in with the guide in nuremberg but i wasnt even there.

all i wanted was an explanation of what really happened and they said 17 people complained and the other group didnt want me either. the other group didnt even know me. i got a call from them yesterday from a mary h. and she was rude and nasty and quite imphatic that i was 100 wrong. was never so humiliated, embarrassed and insulted and even mentally abused in my life.

how can [they] be so disrespectful to a senior and my birthday and a trip i paid alot of money for. my roomate doesnt want to follow up. it is too hurtful. but i dont want them to get away with this...especially since many people travel with them and think they are great. it is mainly the mental abuse and the fact that they ruined the rest of my trip because i had to go on with my guide to brussels and i never spoke to her again

Priscilla of Boston, MA November 10, 2009

I wanted to respond to M&M of Canton, GA and to Mary of Berkeley Heights, NJ. Each had run into problems in late October as they tried to enter their names into our drawing for a free trip. I checked into the situation, and apparently, we had a computer glitch for a few hours that impacted several other people who entered as well. Those travelers called us directly, and we were able to enter them into the drawing. We'd be glad to enter M&M and Mary, if they'd still like to be. If they e-mail Michelle Lane at mlane@gct.com and provide their name, address, phone, and customer number before 11/13, they will be all set. We apologize for the for the inconvenience!

M&M of Canton, GA October 30, 2009

I too received a Post Card from Grand Travel with a special offer: WIN A FREE TRIP FOR TWO! Tried to access their e-ail and was told, "no such address". I have traveled with them before and have found them to be reliable. What happened. Thank you for your time.

willy of pelican landing bonita bay, FL October 30, 2009

I was recently working on the river ships of Grand circle and left the company because I could not accept anymore the way customers are treated by Brand circle. The cruises are very cheap offered but once they have signed the contract the money starts to build up. very expensive excursions are offered . 5 times the price . The food is second quality on board the ships and easterncountry Cheffs??????? are cooking in the galley. Many tour managers are selfmade people and never worked in tourism business and have no clue what they are doing they just babysitt along.If you compare with other rivercruise lines I prefere uniworld and Avalon above Grand circle cruises.

Mary of Berkeley Heights,, NJ October 29, 2009

We received an invitation to enter a drawing for a free trip for two. The EMail address given is non existent. It is : www.get.com/freetrip 1113 So, there is no way to try and enter this drawing. Disappointng ...

Jack of Oakland Park, FL October 26, 2009

I was one of 70 Individuals who contracted with Grand Circle Travel for a Pre and 52 Post Vacation Packages adjacent to a 12 day Holland American Cruise in Europe beginning October 2, 2009. We were contracted and promised the Continental Hotel on the Grand Canal (contract says that hotel may be changed) with ability to walk around and enjoy Venice for 3 days/2 nights and then board the ship and enjoy one more day in Venice.

We were promised a tour to include the Rialto Bridge across the Grand Canal (which we never saw). BROCHURE: "... sites you may wish to see more of during your free time in romantic and mysterious Venice. Enjoy afternoon at leisure. You can choose to remain longer to enjoy St Mark's Square . . ."

On Wedneday before leaving we received an answering machine phone message that the hotel had been changed to the city of Mestre which is six miles from the Island of Venice. I called the Continental Hotel their time 2 AM, and was told that the contract with Grand Circle had been cancelled on Oct 1, 2009. I called the HN Laguna Palace in Mestre and was told it was in an industrial park and it was not safe to walk far from hotel after dark. FYI our room overlooked the construction of the new Holland America and Costa Cruise Ships.

Our Baggage handling for 2 pieces each and a GCT representative was promised in both cities. We arrived in Venice and were taken to our hotel and our luggage was placed out on the street and the bus drove away. We had no representative and our rooms would not be ready til after 3 PM. We asked if our luggage could be brought into hotel and the luggage guys were too busy. We found a GCT rep out on the boat dockage smoking and talking on her cell phone and she never came into the hotel all afternoon. She did however give everyone who approached paperwork on tours she was selling.

Asked about Breakfast since it is also is provided and were told to go ask the front desk in the hotel. People finally began bringing their own luggage into hotel and when rooms available we carted them to our rooms individually without assistance.

We were provided dinner that evening at a restaurant that could not seat 70 persons and my wife and I sat on end of a table with others adjacent to us with no room to enjoy the meal. The meal was to sell the tours for the next few days. We were told that there would be boat to transport us to Venice at 8:30 AM tomorrow. The trip took almost one and one half hours each way. We were to be back at the dock on Grand Canal on our own at 3:30 PM for the return. He showed up at 3:40 and you can imagine the fear in 70 people in a foreign country when guide did not show up. We arrived back to hotel at 5:30 and were told to get ready to go back to Venice on shuttle at 6PM. That would mean we would not be home til midnight. We choose not to go but rest.

Many who stayed decided to go by vans to Cruise ship at 11 AM the next day and let GCT transport our luggage to ship as contracted. The guide told us that that was not acceptable and that we must all arrive together and we cannot go on our own. He also told us that we had to go to Venice at 8:30 AM with him and return at 1PM (returning at 2:30 PM. Then we will all go by shuttle to boat and arrive at Cruise Ship at 4:30 PM.

I have 33 Cruises under my belt and knew he was absolutely lying. Many persons did not know what to do but we had to be out of our rooms by noon and would be in the hotel lobby for 3-4 hours waiting for his return. We each rented our cabs for 35EU (52.50) and went to ship at 11 AM. We enjoyed lunch, and took the ships shuttle bus to Venice and enjoyed Venice. The other people did not arrive til 4:45 PM and were bushed from 4+ hrs on boat

1) No Hotel in Venice or on Grand Canal 2) Nothing relaxing and only possible for 11.5 total hours in Venice. 3) Hotel nor Shuttle allowed us to enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee in Venice. 4) Luggage was not handled whatsoever by GCT. 5) No assistance and representative available except on boat ride 6) Last day cab and or Lunch (provided by Holland America) at our expense staying at hotel.

Earl of Unity, ME September 24, 2009

Grand Circle Called and said I had an additional 500 off a trip to Central America, I paid the bill without checking to see they didn't apply that credit. They also gave me over 400in credits that they have not applied to my account. They refused to mediae with the credit card company or communicate with me in writing about their over charges.

Diane of Evansville, IN September 23, 2009

I won't travel with them again. We received 866 travel dollars at a customer appreciation breakfast in January,2009 with which we booked a two week Spanish hotel/air vacation in November. They cancelled in August saying the trip wasn't full. Several family had made non-refundable trip plans to join us. GCT couldn't or wouldn't allow us to just use the air and hotel at that time, but would book an additional week at 775 a person and we would just be on our own which somehow was all right. They offered nothing on the 300 of air penalties we would incur to join the canceled trip in Chicago. The extra credits melted alway when they offered to book any other trip at that time. Now eight months later I got the bank deposit back and I'm waiting to see if the credit card has been refunded. No apologies and this sure smells like a bait and switch operation. I'm sorry for the seniors who use this agency.

don of harrod, OH September 19, 2009

currenly traveling aboard nordam. were instructed by gct rep to coordinate with ships admin regarding our dis- embarq time and procedures on 9/26.m they don't seem to know any details about that or when your rep will meet us ashore near rome. can you give us any detailed info? we will try to pass that along to the ship's admin and others travelling in your/our group.

JO of SKY VALLEY, CA September 6, 2009

in 2000 my cousin and i prepared for a trip of a lifetime with [this] company. it was to begin april 7, 2001 until may, 2000 include australia, new zealand, and fiji. we were supposed to have a side trip to rotorooa. this was one of the reasons why i wanted to go on this tour and see their culture. however on the eve of our leaving, Quantas supposedly went belly up and we were shifted back to Auckland. late we found out that other tours were able to get to rotorooa.

I paid extra for insurance and unfortuntaly on april 13 my mother passed away. I was told that I had to pay full fare to get back home, submit a death certificate and then would be reimbursed my fare. Being a senior citizen I did not have the full fare and therefore continued on with the tour.

it has taken me this long to write this letter to let [them] know how i feel that i was taken advantage of and to clear my mind. i will never recommend [their] company to anyone. i feel that all [they] wanted was my money, which was quite a lot, and i did not get my money's worth from [Grand Circle]. i was not helped in time of trouble and really left out in the cold even tho i had paid extra insurance and i really paid my life savings for a trip that was not promised to me ie rotorroa and other things. i do have more of a list but these are the main things

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