Overseas Adventure Travel Reviews

We have traveled with OAT previously and have found their trips to be wonderful. However, we booked a trip to Japan for April 2020 which was cancelled by them due to Covid19. Not a problem. Although we had purchased trip insurance, we are told we cannot get a refund, only a voucher. We are both in our 70s and even though the voucher is good for awhile, we are not sure we will be traveling internationally in the near future. So be very careful in booking, knowing that even with trip insurance you will not receive a refund even when THEY cancelled the trip.

We have traveled with OAT 11 times. If I can help it, there will be no 12th. We had a trip to Japan scheduled, and paid for, in late March. The trip was obviously canceled. I asked for a refund of the $7800 and was assured I would receive it. I called five (5) times from March 20th to April 20 to check and was told initially we would receive a refund in 7-10 days, then 1-2 weeks, then 1-2 months, then 2-3 months, then on 4-20 it was "several more weeks" and I asked to talk to a Supervisor. Seven days later on 4-27 a Supervisor called to tell me OAT was not giving any refunds due to a 'Policy Change' on March 23rd. Why all the lies?? I could reschedule another trip and apply the funds towards that if I liked. I need the money NOW not let OAT have it for another year + and pay even more.

Overseas Adventure Travel cancelled our trip to Italy/Sicily which was to depart on May 17, 2020 in mid March. They refuse to give us our money back although their website all through February and March stated we had the option of a full cash refund or a rebooking. On April 1 they "updated" their policy on their website to say they were rebooking all trips. They rebooked our trip to 2021 even though we requested a full refund. They did this without any consultation with us. We never heard from them until we filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Better Business Bureau, and then only to again tell us there will be no refund. We also contacted the Massachusetts Attorney General's office who reviewed our complaint and told us we were eligible for their assistance.

Like other recent posts we booked a trip that has been canceled. When it was canceled, OAT website specifically said not to contact them. They would contact us, in order of trip departure date, to discuss rebooking of refund. Now their retroactive policy is no refunds and we are rebooked, without our consent, to 2021. We have not accepted this and are still requesting a refund. Complaints to BBB of Boston, the Massachusetts Attorney General and disputed charge to our credit card company is where we are now. OAT is not being fair and equitable to their clients. The second time we refused the rebooking, we were offered a free pre or post trip, a $1600 value. Those that have accepted the rebooking the first time, oh well, I guess they are out of luck. Maybe the third time they'll offer free airfare.

I had a trip to northern Italy booked for April 2020. OAT cancelled and on March 6, promised a full refund. I have the email that explains that the refund will be 'processed' after April 12 and may take 7-10 business days. Today (April23) I called since I haven't received promised refund and was told that they've changed the policy and aren't giving refunds, only vouchers for future trips. So I'm out over $8000??? They didn't even have the courtesy to notify me of supposed policy change. So disappointed in this company and will NEVER use again.

The facts are undisputed. OAT admits them. In late 2019 I booked and paid for a two-week trip to Mongolia slated for July 2020. It was expensive. It was to include airfare, hotels, and travel insurance among other things. In February 2020, OAT cancelled the trip ostensibly due to the coronavirus pandemic. Understandable. They said they would return all my money, but needed until April 5th because they were inundated with returns and everyone was working from home. Meanwhile the travel insurance company Allianz said I could only get my refund through OAT, so I couldn't even get a partial refund that way. Okay... I didn't receive my refund from OAT by the 5th, gave them 10 additional days, and called them to follow up on April 15th. They admitted they hadn't even processed my return and couldn't tell me when or even if they would.

We paid for an advance reservation a year ago. Due to the Corona Virus they cancelled our trip. However, they called it a "postponement". They arbitrarily rebooked us on the trip for 2021 without our consent. When we asked for a refund they said they would not do it and said we should be happy with the $500 credit (that would be 1% per year return) they offer for our trouble. They said many others are happy with that arrangement. It doesn't appear that way based on the reviews! They've had our $23,000 for a year and now want to keep it for another year. Do they really think it will be safe to travel to South Africa in May of 2021? The experts predict it will be 12 to 18 months before a vaccine is even available. We strongly recommend you do not put any money down with this company. They are not reliable!

Booked trip to Greece and Turkey for April 3-29. OAT canceled because of covid-19, promised a refund, and then reneged, saying they were re-booking for next year. I complained to them and they refused to refund. Then I complained to Boston Better Business Bureau and Massachusetts Attorney General. OAT is violating Mass. law that requires a tour operator who cancels a trip to advise traveler of their right to full refund and to give the refund within 30 days if traveler requests it. Citation is 940 Mass. Reg. 15.06. Google it. You can file complaints with both Better Business Bureau and Mass. Attorney General online. I got my refund within a week of filing both complaints, after multiple denials by OAT.

I would give less than one star if possible. OAT cancelled my trip with my daughter (spend was 7K) due to pandemic (totally understandable) and offered me a full 100% refund (great). We spoke on the phone and they followed up with a written confirmation via email. BUT then, they withdrew their offer, said the trip was not "cancelled" but "postponed" and my money was now put toward a trip next year. UNACCEPTABLE (and possibly illegal?) to do a bait and switch after confirming in writing a refund offer.

My husband and booked a trip to China for May 2020 to China which was cancelled due the Covid 19. We rebooked another trip to the Balkans for May. We bought the insurance for two people -1500. We were told on three occasions to wait for OAT to cancel in order to get a full refund. The trip was cancelled last week. The company now tells us that they have changed their policy regarding refunds and will only credit us for a similar trip that we do not want. We want no more trips from OAT. We want our money back - in excess of $15,000. I call this practice unethical. We don't want their service and they are keeping our money. We are engaging a lawyer.

OAT has a policy of accepting pre-registrations for future tours that aren't yet listed on their website. According to conversations with OAT reps and the confirmation e-mail I received, these deposits are fully refundable ("no risk" is specifically communicated). I cancelled my pre-registration when future travel became speculative due to Covid-19 and was told a refund of my 'no risk' deposit would be forthcoming promptly.

Regarding OAT no single supplement policy. This is really a scam. They claim to have no single supplement, but then offer couples a $1500. to $2000. credit to book a trip. They offer singles nothing. This in effect charges singles a premium to travel. If there really was a no single supplement, they would offer singles 1/2 of the couples credit. Am I the only one to figure this out. OAT charges a single supplement. They are depending on the stupidity of clients to not figure out their shell game.

Our $20,000 trip was cancelled due to C-19. Initially assured a refund to be paid in May, now no refund. Offered vouchers for a trip next year, but it seems to us that plans for a future trip overseas must be dependent on the availability of a vaccine. I checked with two other travel companies we frequently travel with - Wilderness Travel and Rick Steves. Their policies to this date offer full refunds. Disappointed in OAT.

My $7000 trip was canceled due to Coronavirus. I was offered a full refund option and accepted that offer. My trip cancellation insurance was canceled by OAT. Now they have switched to no refund. Do not trust or travel with OAT.

We had booked our 6th trip with OAT, for this summer. In Feb. OAT cancelled the trip due to Covid-19 with a follow up email stating we could get a full refund. Now they are reneging, saying they can legally keep our money--basically an interest free loan to them--and they are no longer granting the refunds they had promised, stating that our money can only be used towards a future trip. Is this even legal?

When OAT cancelled all trips in April on 3/15/20 I called and cancelled our trip to Prague. On 3/16/20 I was told I would get a complete cash refund. On 4/3/20 I called and was informed that "policy was changed" and that I would not receive a refund - only credit. OAT can not be trusted to keep their word and have acted in bad faith by not honoring their commitment to REFUND my money. I would hesitate to entrust myself, and family, to this organization for any travel opportunities. Buyer Beware!

On Mar 11, 2020 OAT cancelled my trip to Vietnam (Mar 10 to Apr 4, 2020) and on Mar. 13 OAT cancelled my Italy trip (May 5 to May 28, 2020). Combined cost of these 2 trips is $17,450. OAT told me I would get a refund but when refund (Visa credit) didn't show up in 2 weeks I called and was told OAT changed their refund policy and were applying it retroactively so I would only get VOUCHERS. I already had deposits on trips in Oct 2020, Jan 2021 and Mar 2021. OAT would not allow me to use vouchers on these trips. Must use vouchers on a NEW booking and vouchers expire 12/31/2021. Since I had already had 2 trips booked in 2021 I had no intention of booking additional trips. Combined my husband and I have given OAT/GCT more than $326,528 for 55 trips since 2006. Until this happened I never had a problem with OAT and highly recommended them to friends and family. NO MORE. STAY AWAY FROM OAT.

We were book on trip for Greece leaving March 21 with a group of 9. We were informed, understandable that they cancelled the trip! We had insurance but when they cancelled they offered us full refund but have since decided to change their policy and went ahead and said we have to rebook on another trip. When we asked what change they said, "Our policy" which they said they have the right to do at any time. We asked when and they said last Thursday. 12 days after they said that they would gives us a refund. They then also want to charge us for any changes with potential increase and decide when we can go. After our previous trip I thought they were trustworthy. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM! Since we had to cancel our insurance after what they said initially we have no way of getting our money back. Buyer beware with OAT!!??

I have taken several OAT trips and was overall pleased with the experience. Based on that, I convinced several of my friends to sign up for a trip to Israel/Jordan for next April. At the time we signed up I informed the agent that there would be 7 of us. They had not yet assigned the dates for 2020, so we made a deposit to get an early notice of the trip. They did not inform me that I needed to create a group number to ensure that we all were included on the same date. When notified we called to reserve for the April 12 trip. When one couple, called a day after notified, they were informed that the trip was full.

Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), is a travel company that caters to adults over 50. I have gone on 6 trips with them and have paid for another one this summer. My husband and I had planned to travel to China and Tibet with OAT on March 23, 2020. Bad timing! OAT, understandably, cancelled the trip but refunded our insurance premium, flight and trip costs, and upon receiving our receipts, will refund the China Visa application fees we had incurred. In addition, they have offered us $500 discount each on any trip we sign up for in 2020. Our trip to China was a last minute deal and they will give us the same price if we book the trip in 2020. Until we know that COVID19 has been contained, we are not likely to take them up on the last offer, but the how they have handled the rest of the cancellation truly reflects excellent customer service!

We have done 9 trips with OAT and most of them have been very enjoyable. Their air department has gotten better over the years, but we find using miles to be best. You would think that after 9 trips we would get better rooms as has been mentioned in other reviews, but this is often not the case. We were in a coffin like room in Porto and a room with no heat and hot water in Patagonia. The trip leader did not believe me after my cold shower until they checked out the room. This is my major complaint. OAT is very affordable and if you book with them do not expect anything over a 3 star hotel or the worst rooms in a 4 star.

I was logging on to get the link the the OAT site to book a trip for next year and spotted this review site. SO sorry for the folks who have had a bad experience but need to say we've done 5 trips and every one of them has been outstanding. And the service complaints, wow, we've had great help from these guys. On virtually all our trips we've done some self hosted travel on either or both ends, and OAT has been able to make that work out much more economically than I could trying to stitch together the flights myself. OAT tends to provide experiences outside the normal travel agency, small groups, run by local folks, spending quality time with local folks. They have a nice balance of independent time on the trip with help sorting out what makes sense for you and your interests, abilities, and physical limitations. At this point I'd have to say I would not want to travel with any other travel company. 5 stars in my book.

As I am about to take my 13th trip with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) I am astounded by the number of whiny comments that seem to make OAT look like a bunch of boogers looking for any means possible to ruin one's travel plans. Come on folks, if OAT were that bad a travel company, how on earth could they have remained in business for this long a period?

I have traveled with OAT almost every year since my first trip to Thailand in 2000. I have seen parts of the world that I would never have seen otherwise. A visit to an: orphanage, school, and a home hosted meal are standard for all of my trips....wonderful experiences that I would never have had without OAT. Ever been to the snake charmers village in India or a Masai village? The trip leaders are all local people that know their countries and are very willing to share their political / cultural insights, priceless.

I made the mistake of telling our tour leader that my husband had early stage Alzheimer's. Her immediate reaction was to say that OAT policy was to send people with this disease home if they were traveling alone -- he CLEARLY wasn't. She warned me that he would be my responsibility (which I already knew) and then suggested that it would be better for us to go home and she could arrange that. I thought this might be my husband's last chance to travel so I told her we would not go home. Throughout the trip, she harassed me, telling me every time I let him do something wrong, like accidentally pick up and eat someone else's box lunch - a mistake I could easily have made. He also "wandered" once when we got off a bus for a bathroom bank.

The company's insurance is more expensive than purchasing by oneself. I went with the company policy figuring it would be more convenient if it became necessary to cancel my trip. However, this was NOT the case. In order to file a claim I was sent via the web to another site. I had to fill out all the information that OAT already had and submit it to a totally unaffiliated website. I got NO HELP from OAT. In addition, and as a warning, I booked this same trip a year ago and after paying in full and getting confirmed, I was "bumped off" less than 60 days from my departure date. No reason was given. I foolishly rebooked for this year, but due to an illness in the family I am now unable to take the trip. No one at OAT seems to care, nor do they offer any help. Chose another travel company!!

We have traveled with OAT four times (Spain/Portugal, Turkey, Morocco and "The Holy Land" and have been very pleased with the trips until our most recent trip to "The Holy Land". They arranged the air and said our VISA to Jordan and transfer to the hotel in Amman would be covered by OAT. Our flight to Amman was changed by Austrian airlines to a day earlier for reasons that were not clear. Because of this change we arrived in Amman the day before the official start of the tour and because of that OAT refused to pay the VISA fees or provide transfer to the hotel in Amman. Upon our return I had a long conversation with customer service and they remained intransigent citing bureaucratic rules. If I ever travel with them again I will book my own flights.

Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions is my first trip to join OAT. On Day 3, our tour’s first real start date, I was surprised that despite having 1 whole day in Palermo and walking around for about 4-5 hours, we didn’t go inside any of the top attractions in Palermo, like Cappella Palatina/Palazzo Reale, etc., except for the Cathedral.

I have taken 10+ OAT trips and have been generally happy but have a few suggestions for those who are new to OAT:

I didn't keep track of all the iterations so the below is essentially a sampling of my frustration. Representatives presented themselves as knowledgeable but the information provided was simply wrong. In particular, they really have no clue about how upgrades work. We were upgrading our coach seats to business for the Africa safari trip. There was great initial confusion on the part of OAT about what could be upgraded, and for what cost. We were simply given incorrect information and ended up paying $600 more per person than promised. Still worth it to us. But the upgrade didn't include one of the 6 flight legs, a long one, for some reason.

Unethical pricing. We received a brochure for a 21 day tour of Africa. After waiting for an hour on the phone, my wife was ready to give the credit card information. The woman reviewed everything and stated it was a 13 day tour. My wife said it was a 21 day tour according to the brochure. The woman conferred with someone and then told us it was a marketing error and that it was really only 13 days. We'll never travel with OAT again.

I took the Moroccan Odyssey trip in February of 2018. OAT booked me a round trip with Air France in premium economy for which I paid an additional charge of almost $900.00. Air France could not provide me with a seat in premium economy on the return trip. I submitted all paperwork less than a week after my return to be reimbursed for the premium economy surcharge for that leg of the trip. Despite numerous calls to OAT I have not received any refund as of April 2019, over one year later. I have been continually lied to by customer service people at OAT. The bottom line is, DO NOT take a trip with this tour company. They have zero credibility and the worst customer service of any company I have dealt with.

Last trip, February, 2018, to Israel, had OAT reserve air portion to include AISLE seat, even given assigned seat. After 24 trips it seems incredible to find out I was assigned a CENTER seat (learned when at airport.). I was lied to. A couple of other folks on same trip also assigned center seats (1st or second time travel.) Reserved trip in 2017. Phone issue was same problem then, "we are in process of training....". prior to that, in 2016, took their trip to Nepal -- 12 hours nonstop in an incredibly cramped United Air flight (had I known, I would have booked myself on a more customer focused airline. Apparently, OAT reserves cheapest seats by blocks, but you are not told that. They even allow you to reserve aisle seat knowing you will not be getting it. Used to be airline department would book, and that worked well. Now agent booking trip also handles air resv. NOT GOOD.

Recently, we recently took an African Safari through OAT and found them to run a dishonest business. We and will never travel with them again. The only reason we booked with them was due to a specific itinerary they were doing in South Africa. The night before going to the region we were most excited to see, they notified us while in camp that we would only be going for 1 hour rather than 3 days as advertised. They have refused to compensate for this in any adequate way.

We were planning on taking our 1st OAT trip this August to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. I booked in on November 27th, 2018. OAT booked our flight incorrectly, TWICE. They booked it a day too late. The error was not caught until last week, five months later. To change the flight, it would cost us $500.00. OAT acknowledged it was their fault, a Supervisor said, and I quote, 'it was human error. The 2 people involved will be reprimanded. It will be a good learning experience for our staff and for the company.'

I have traveled many times with this company, therefore I am sometimes given very good rooms in hotels. It always bothers me to hear people complain about the frequent travelers getting upgrades. Today Most US companies give their frequent customers perks. My grocery store gives me sale prices if I show them my frequent shopper cards. Airlines give their good customers early boarding, and sometimes reduced baggage fees. Hotels sometime give you a free stay after several visits, even Amazon has perks. Think about this before you complain about it. I always let them book my air and then I change or upgrade my seat. They have also changes routing if I requested.

I have used them two times one to Israel and one to Australia. Both trips were great. Now in Cairns at that time there was Cyclone (Dec 2019). We missed the Great Barrier Reef. I personally always do my own airfare. I hate traveling economy anyway. So I have always had great communication with them.

In every hotel we were given a room that faced a parking lot, a roof, by an elevator or on a very low floor with no view of the city. We were told previous travelers with OATS received preferential treatment. Not once was our room equal to most of the people. Other first timers were given decent rooms several times. We were treated like second class citizens!!! Even after making the leader aware of this- nothing changed!! We paid the same as all of the people, but treated very poorly.

Booked single share to Egypt but told representative I had friend who might like to sign up. Told I had a 14 day grace period. Friend called two days later and was told my share had been filled. No other space on this trip. I have traveled extensively with OAT but they don’t care. Cindy called the next day to say they wouldn’t accommodate me and my friend and the “grace period” didn’t apply to single share. I cancelled my trip with OAT and won’t travel with them again.

During my current trip I learned about OAT's "caste system" for assigning rooms. The most loyal travelers (think cumulative spending of $100k or more) are given seriously upgraded rooms. There may be some ranking on spending after that, but I couldn't tell based on my two trips. Next are couples, friends traveling together in solo rooms and finally lone solos.

This is our third trip with OAT and our first two trips were great. We did not use their airline service until this one. We had read the negative reviews but decided that I would try for the Vietnam trip. (My husband went a week ahead). I arrived last night at the airport and learned they had changed my flight date by one day later however I was not notified. Evidently, during the “administrative audit” saw we did not want an extra day in Hanoi so changed my flight by one day. I was told that they had called (numbers were verified) but I did not receive call. To me, this just verified what I had read and will no longer use them for airline reservations.

I booked this trip traveling as a single and as such paid a single supplement due to the fact that we were on a boat part of the trip. It was Panama cruise; a continent divided. I discovered that two woman traveling together did not pay a single supplement. They did share the rooms in the three hotels but when it came to the boat they had separate rooms and DID NOT pay extra. I called the company and asked for either a refund or credit to a future trip but was told NO. I have traveled with this company 10 times. I feel I was treated unfairly. I will not travel with them again.

We went to Australia with OAT, my 7th continent and was really excited about going. Very early on in the trip, we discovered (at least 10 of the 12 people) that our tour leader was not up to scratch. In fact she alone spoilt the whole trip due to her lack of leadership and other problems too long to write about. Upon returning home, I filled out the survey and wrote a letter to Harriet Lewis. Someone from her office called and we played telephone tag for a couple of weeks. We finally spoke and she solicited more comments regarding my survey results and letter. She said she was going back to the executives and would call me back in 24/48 hours. Not sure why, but her commitment and she has never called me back despite me leaving her 2 more messages. This tells me all there is to know about their customer service!!!

We signed up to travel with Friends for a Baltic’s Capitols tour in June 2019. We put down a deposit and installment in Feb of 2018. OAT was easy to work with in the beginning. Indeed, they seemed more than willing to accommodate our interest in synching this trip with our plan to see our daughter in Aix en PROVENCE in May. And then it all fell apart!

My sister and I made a reservation with OAT in Sept. 2018 leaving for the Middle East at the end of January, 2019. We paid in full for both the tour and airfare in October and were confirmed for both - by OAT and the airline we were traveling on. On December 28, 30 days from our departure, I received a phone call telling me we were being bumped off the tour as they "overbooked."

Just happened across this site and was very surprised by the negative reviews. We travel extensively but almost never with a company. That said, we've now done 3 OATS trips and I believe they were all exception. A major piece of each of those was their help with flights. Our trip to India we booked, but OATS actually coached us on what to get (ie got 0 for helping us but did). Last year OATS helped us craft a trip to S America, where we added days in Lima before the started the OATS tour and then a full 9 days we spent in Colombia, all booked through OATS who were able to book us cheaper and more efficiently than we were able to. Then this past summer we had a last minute trip we needed to schedule to Europe and I happened to call to see if they had something going on we could use to get us to Europe. They didn't but they had a trip on our list, Africa, that flew through Europe.

I am a 7 time traveler with OATS and Grand Circle and have never had a bad experience. I love the small groups that OATS provides and have loved all the hotels! The tours have been active and have always met my needs! Fabulous tour company.

I have travelled with many other tour companies. What sold me about OAT was their itinerary for Vietnam. Don't get fooled by great itineraries. Months after booking, I received a letter informing me that there were changes made to the itinerary. They removed a lot of the museums and excursions that were included in the price, without replacing any of these or reducing the price.

I signed up for an OAT trip a year in advance and paid a $350 deposit. Eight months before the trip, I needed to cancel and called them to give maximum notice. I asked if I could apply my deposit to another trip. They said I could not and I was lucky that ‘only’ $300 was non-refundable and it could have been much worse. Seriously...8 months before the trip! I travel with many companies and have never experienced anything like this. At a minimum, any deposit has always been able to be transferred to booking another trip. Based on this experience, I will never book with them again and urge anyone considering a trip with them NOT to book so far in advance and to consider other companies with more logical policies.

Warning on OAT Ultimate Africa trip. I was at the Okavango Delta in June. They opened a new camp within the last month of our group's arrival. This camp was 90+ minutes from the Okavango Delta, the Area we were was almost devoid of life. Not what was sold to me! I believe all in our group sent in complaint letters as this was to have been the APEX of the trip! It was the worst part of the trip.

I can't understand the negative reviews I'm reading. My wife and I have gone on 7 OAT trips and find them wonderful - the tour guides have been uniformly excellent, the hotels unusual and well located, the food interesting, but more than that, the trips have been very educational. As for the people who answer the phone to begin with, we've had nothing but excellent service, including making plane reservations. We live near RDU, and flights to other smallish airports, like Vilnius for example, can be hard to get right, but they've done a great job for us, including getting inexpensive upgrades for premium economy on Cathay Pacific for our flights to Asia. I think their trips, their planning, their service is first rate, and on the 7 trips we've taken there are many, many people who've traveled with them over and over, which is the best kind of "review."

Overseas Adventure Travel/Grand Circle Travel used to be a good company, but they got too large. After taking 12 tours with them, they treated us terribly. We booked a river cruise, including airfare, and documented every detail. Soon we discovered they had changed our cabin without notifying us and that one of the flights had disappeared, while the total price remained the same. In contacting the Travel Relations Manager, we were asked basically to take care of it ourselves! Upon pressing her, she agreed to handle it, but she evidently did no follow up. In finding the problem hadn’t been solved, I left messages for her, but she never called back.

I have just completed my fourth trip with OAT. Over a short period of three years I can see that the value for the dollar has decreased. Unless you are traveling as a single with no additional charge for a private room, you are supplementing the cost of those who are. This pricing scenario has to be covered by cheaper hotels and meals among other ways. I had a very bad experience on my last trip. I usually book my own airfare knowing my transfers to and from the airport are not included.

I had booked a trip and then cancelled for another trip. OAT recently changed their Good Buy plan downward. I was told I would be given the maximum amount but on my invoice, they gave me a step less. The agent I spoke with had told me I would get the max, but subsequent phone calls disallowed it but "would review it." Needless to say I never got a call back except from the agent who asked me to reiterate what he had said! I am still booked for the trip, but very disappointed with OAT that they don't stand by their word. This is my first negative experience after 12 successful trips, so I am not ready to leave the company, but another mix-up may push me over the edge.

You're lucky if they answer the phone in 20 minutes (so sick of their background music!). After several calls about a price issue with promises to call back. NOTHING! Maybe hire more staff??? I see a lot of complaints about customer service here. Guess they don't read their reviews or they just don't care. But it will eventually catch up to them...

My husband and I have traveled with OAT 11 times. We love their tours- especially the small size and the superb guides. Their air service, however, is mediocre at best. We have just had a most unpleasant experience with them on our travel home from Australia. This trip, I think, is the first time we have used their service and I would hesitate before ever using their air service again. Below I highlight just two of our problems as a warning about OAT air service. Our poor opinion of OAT air service started months ago. I didn’t keep the details because I did not anticipate future problems. For some reason I called OAT air services and found out that the time had changed between our arrival in The United States and making a very tight departure home. The OAT person told me that if I wanted to keep abreast of these changes I needed to be in contact with the airline directly.

Save your time & money! This travel company has ZERO customer service. They are quick to pick up the phones for purchasing a trip but, they do not pick up if you have questions or need to cancel a trip, for whatever reason. This is not a reputable or service oriented company. After calling several times & not being able to reach a live person, I emailed them to cancel a trip. No record of email cancellation. When I called their 'sales' number, they picked up immediately. Their answer to me for delaying answering the phones was "they are in the process of hiring & training new people." NOT MY PROBLEM!

The ten trips we have taken with OAT/GCT have all been excellent. Our trips have earned us travel credits toward future trips, however, they do expire. Some of our credits are expiring due to trip inactivity. We have not taken any trips since our home was flooded (Hurricane Harvey) and we are just getting back into our home (April 2018). Travel counselors with OAT/GCT have informed us they do not waive the expiration date. It is unfortunate this policy is inflexible given our circumstances.

The group leader in Peru, Freddy, was difficult to understand. My experience of him is that he was rude, arrogant and condescending and unhappy to be doing his job. I found his people skills extremely lacking. I have been on several OAT trips and have never had a bad experience. I continue to be in contact with the group leaders from Africa and Vietnam. The airline portion of this trip was exhausting - not only due to the length of the flights and layovers, but because of the seat assignments - last row is NOT acceptable when OAT has had 6 months to make flight arrangements. I requested a change of seat for my return flight - I waited for several days and when I hadn't heard from them, I purchased a different seat...then, OAT contacted me to confirm that I had the seat I had purchased. This is the LAST time I will take a trip with OAT.

When I asked OAT to make my wife and my flights, the cross Atlantic legs, ie outward and return, I got invoice that says Economy Plus. When I receive flight information, only return journey shows Economy Plus. Repeated call got standard answer that they will listen to the recording and get back to me within 5 business days. 5 business days passed by three times with my follow up. Adventure staff and flight staff repeats the same and would not do anything to rectify but that we can do it on our own.

My husband and I and two friends used OAT for an amazing trip to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. We were so satisfied with the experience that we are taking their Ultimate Africa tour in March of this year. Our tour guides both in Peru and Ecuador were educated, well informed, gracious hosts. They took care of our group of seniors to the utmost of their abilities. When I was struck with altitude sickness in Peru our guide could not have been more helpful. He did exactly what was necessary to get me the proper treatment so that I could recover quickly and rejoin the tour in less than a half hour.

A couple of key pointers about my Peru Travel experience with OAT in late 2017: 1. They are quick to take your reservation but you will spend almost 2 hours on the phone waiting for OAT customer service at any point after giving them your money. Horrible customer service. Virtually no customer service provided since I'm sure so many give up trying to reach OAT after making a nonrefundable reservation deposit. 2. OAT on their website will delete or prohibit from publishing, truly useful mixed and negative reviews. Biased and sneaky. 3. They force you to eat with the group at expensive restaurants. If we didn't have to do this and if the trip was cut short by at least 2 days, the price would have been a bit more reasonable.

I have not yet gone on my trip, so I cannot offer a review in terms of actual travel and accommodations but I was deeply bothered by the misleading information I was given when making arrangements. When I booked my two trips, I wanted to include a visit (on my own) to Santiago. When I asked the rep (Sarah) how much this would cost, or if it would be extra she assured me it would most likely fit within the travel budget and wouldn't exceed the $1700 I was already paying for airfare. She said it "might" be a little extra... When I said, "Well I hope it won't be a lot," she assured me it would not be. She mentioned a small amount, and while I can't remember what exactly what that was, it was so minimal I told her to proceed.

I've made one trip with OAT that was excellent from beginning to end. I have three more scheduled and making arrangements for all three have been excellent. Two are back-to-back trips and they patiently worked out the details for leaving one tour and connecting with the next. They seem fully aware of recent problems with contacting their representatives and are making apparent heartfelt efforts to work it out. Part of the problem might be that their reps, when they do get on the phone, take extraordinary efforts to make the call seem personal.

Ultimate Africa air travel - We booked our trip air fare included and were told by two representatives we could change our air travel arrangements by Nov. 1 at no additional charge. I called back on Oct. 31 and was told there would be a fee of 460.00 and that our first class ticket from Cape Town to Amsterdam would be changed to coach. If I had been told the truth when I booked I would have extended the nights in Amsterdam the same day. The two people who misinformed me were either poorly trained or lying to me. Either of which is unacceptable when you are booking a trip that is over $26,000.00. I wish now I had booked with Odyssey. Depending on whether the trip is as bad as the pre-service I may never travel with them again.

My friend and I had taken a trip with this company earlier this year and we were extremely satisfied. The process for registration was easy, all questions were answered, the tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and professional, and the group had wonderful experiences. We therefore decided to take another one early next year. Again, the process for registering for this trip was wonderful. However, once our trip was booked, our experience with this company became totally different. We were no longer able to speak to an agent without waiting a minimum of 30+ minutes on hold. We were given different information about flights every time we finally did manage to speak to an agent. One agent said that we could get a direct flight home. Another agent told us they did not exist. We asked for business class seats. One agent told us they were not available. Another "managed" to get them for us.

We have a trip to Cuba scheduled to leave Sept 29. With the destructive path of Irma we are concerned about whether the trip will go. All we get when we call is a standard reply. The trip leaving on Sept 19th was cancelled less than a week before departure. Complicating this is that we are residents of Fort Myers, FL and have no power. We need to be in FL repairing our homes and those of our friends. OAT will not return calls. If we cancel we lose our money. If we wait for them to make a decision it delays our return to FL to recover from Irma's damage.

I traveled last spring with OAT to Central Europe. The travel guide was outstanding, attentive, smart and very competent. All the individual guides in the various cities and towns were interesting and knowledgeable. The accommodations were always great, both clean and convenient. Our intercity travel was very comfortable and I would definitely book all my travel with this company. I traveled with another company and OAT far exceeds them in customer service.

I recently booked my first trip with OAT which will start in Nov. 2017. However, after I booked the trip, it is virtually impossible to get hold of them. On telephone, I cannot get them even after holding for 1 hour! The voice says they have high call volume and their telephone system is being changed! This of course is nonsense. I am wonder if they are still in business. Can someone advise me on that? Which is the right Government agency to report complaint? OAT is simply horrible!

This will likely be my last trip w/ OAT. Can't get through to anyone to talk about your travel. You're put on hold for 30+ mins or longer. It's frustrating. I went to Tuscany last year and never had this problem. I could get through to a person to ask questions, but not anymore. I have a trip reserved to Iceland this fall and I'm considering just saying bye bye to my deposit. I have questions about the invoice and can't reach someone on the phone to ask and they don't respond to email either. Very bad service; I don't know what happened.

We have had many wonderful trips with OAT, but their customer support has become terrible. Wait time on the phone averages close to 1 hour for any phone call except to book a new trip. I am very disappointed with this company!

I'll begin by stating that my husband and I have enjoyed five trips with OAT and Grand Circle as well as the Cuba Revealed trip with the Grand Circle Foundation. We have never been disappointed. In April, 2017, however, we were literally walking out the door to catch our cab to the airport for the OAT Sicily trip. At that moment I received a text that our Delta flight out of Pensacola had been delayed. We might, however, still make the connection to Rome. Following up on the second Delta delay notice, I learned that we would not make our connection.

We planned a trip with Overseas Adventure Travel. We were not advised that (1) if we planned our own airfare it would not include transfers and (2) that there would be an additional charge for internal flights. When we received the invoice we called numerous times and were kept on a wait (with music and their advertising of a cruise) for a Grand Circle Travel Support Department (they apparently are no longer OAT) for up to 45 minutes and then did not get satisfaction. We are still waiting for a call back.

Since February 2010, I have traveled with OAT 32 times. Not once I had bad expedience with the Boston Office, the tour or the trip leader. I read lots of complaint about health issue, cancellation, or food or hotels. Well those people should stay home, because OAT delivers 101% what they advertise. I tell all my trip leader that I would follow them to the end of earth. People who are looking for adventure, foreign culture, food, religion and customs should try OAT once. Make sure you are in good physical condition, because you walk an average of 3 miles per day, and you are on a go from sunup to sundown. I have travel to all the 7 continents and when I come home I relax and take it easy. Adventurous people give OAT a try, there are never more than 16 people on a trip.

Trying to reach OAT air travel department. Three times left on hold for over 25 minutes! Had important information to convey. No idea how else to reach the air travel department. Their claim to be the best travel company, does not fly with me.

I have traveled with OAT and Grand Circle Travel numerous times. I felt very safe and taken care of. My sister and I have been on a combined number of 8 trips. We have found everyone to be so helpful. The drivers are so kind and considerate. I haven't found anyone in the company who does not bend over backwards for you. This is a great company. My husband and I are just getting ready to book his retirement trip. We plan on spending 3 weeks to a month with the company.

My experience with OAT while in Lima, Peru was jilted into an unpleasant reality when only six hours into the trip, my purse was stolen while dining with our group at La Panka Restaurant. While having our lunch, the tour guide asked me to learn a new dance that he knew as a native Peruvian. I was hesitant, but decided to be polite. As a reflective person, I thought it strange that he wanted to teach me a new dance during lunch and while local dancers were performing on a stage not far from us. The rest of our group of twelve were all seated at our table but when I returned, my purse was missing from the seat where I left it. Many in my group helped search for the missing purse to no avail. Stolen were my purse, passport, credit cards, phone, and cash. It was a flash of thinking and feeling like I had been set up. There were surveillance cameras but the tour guide was unable to get any information and did not follow up on this as he said he would.

We have traveled with OAT and are very happy! We have traveled to Africa, Costa Rica, Machu Picchu & Galapagos - with a pre-trip to Peruvian Amazonas. Every time we enjoyed our guides and the places we stayed. Last trip was to Cuba in November 2016! Another trip we really enjoyed! Looking forward to more with our friends! Next is Ancient Kingdoms of The South East Asia! One of the things we really enjoy is the donations to schools and communities we visit! I am surprised at the negative reviews and they mostly relate to some small insurance refund or a misunderstanding! That should not be the only criteria for bashing a great and philanthropic organization!

There are so many opportunities here for hardworking and excellent people. At the same time, we don’t tolerate subpar work/unprofessionalism. I had purchased the travel insurance. My mother is 94 and in the pre-hospice program. She had two heart related surgeries in 2015. When I booked the trip she was pending Medicaid and we were expecting Caregivers to arrive shortly. The Medicaid was delayed and as of the date of my canceling this trip the caregiver status was not guaranteed. Although I have provided medical documentation, the travel insurance, Tripmate has denied my claim. They did not deny my claim until February but have issued me a travel voucher which I am not able to use due to my mother's health. Due to my mother's declining health the travel voucher is a mute point even though it is suppose to be good for one year.

In December 2016 I signed up with OAT for my first travel adventure alone, as my husband has become permanently physically and mentally disabled. This was a big deal for me and I put myself into the trusted hands (based on recommendations) of OAT. They signed me up for TripMate for $599 and this was paid up front with my deposit. Because I trusted OAT, I didn't personally check out this company. BIG mistake. My husband and I have travelled extensively before and had such good experiences with travel insurance, I didn't realize that this bad behavior was possible - and especially marketed by OAT. I agree with the previous reviewer - Shame on OAT!

I am writing to let you know of the experience I have had with your agency and how it ruined my retirement trip. First of all I was working with Sarah who eventuality left your agency to start her own business. I was then switched over to Cheri ** and no information was given to her from Sarah. Only the information I had kept. We pretty much had to start all over again. I not only found this to be a pain in the ass but totally unprofessional. My trip was to travel to Australia and New Zealand from November 22nd to January 30th. After spending much time with Cheri over which places to go, she then mentioned the bus passes since I did not wish to drive because they drive on the other side of the road and sooner or later I would have an accident. She told me it was a 'hop on hop off' bus ride which gave me the impression that it would be easy and convenient. This was not the case.

I have taken about 41 trips with Grand Circle Travel and OAT. 3 were the worst trips ever - Australia and New Zealand was a nightmare because of the people in the group and an inadequate tour director. Costa Rica and Guatemala was bad because the tour guide in Guatemala kept trying to get money from us to feed kids. I just went to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Russia on May 20. I had signed up to go to the ballet in Russia but because of problems with our tour director that day I wasn't able to go. We were supposed to meet at the coat check at 4:30 and our tour director and the group never showed up.

I booked a trip on OAT and gave a $350 deposit. The agent I spoke with advised me to purchase an insurance policy with their recommended company, Trip Mate. I was assured that if I needed to cancel I would get my deposit back for ANY reason. I did have to cancel but it seems that the reasons Trip Mate lists are so outrageous that nothing I can say will fit. OAT returned $50 of my deposit and said I needed to file a claim with Trip Mate, which I did. Trip Mate and OAT both refuse to return my money, not for the insurance, which I realize I lost $599, but for the balance of my deposit.

I booked a trip to Morocco. I was led to believe that I would have a direct flight. I was then booked on a one stop flight and told that I would have to pay the difference. I wanted to add a pre-trip excursion. It was now not available. Their representatives would tell me what they thought I wanted to hear. The information was untrue and misleading. I cancelled the trip but was told that I would forfeit $300 per person. This is unfair considering that the reason for cancellation was due to their misinformation.

I have just read the complaints several individuals have written below and find them rather typical of older inexperienced travelers. My wife and I have taken OAT trips to China & Tibet, Baltic States & Russia and most recently to Turkey and also a Grand Circle trip to Spain & Portugal. We have had nothing but great experiences, very good hotel accommodations and excellent & knowledgeable guides. We have encountered these miserable older inexperienced complainers on every trip. Don't listen to them or take any credence in their complaints! They are the types that complain about everything on the trip and don't take the time to enjoy the adventure to a foreign country, its people, its food or its history!

On 11/27/15, I called OAT to reserve a trip to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos for 3/12/16. I was informed that this particular trip required booking the pre-trip to the Amazons. I did not want the extra week nor spend the extra $1,000 but was persuaded by the salesperson plus I really wanted that time frame. When I received the list of fellow travelers, there was only 8 for the pre-trip and 5 joining us for the MP portion. Each of the five said a mandatory pre-trip was not even mentioned. When I returned home I called OAT and expressed my dissatisfaction and anger about that practice. I got nothing except a "Sorry but that was company policy to fill trips." The rep did say this was a gray area but it would not be changed. I was offered $100 travel credit to soothe my feelings and I told her to forget it because I would never use it because I would not travel with them. She could have cared less, so much for customer service!!!

I took the OAT ultimate Africa (arrive Jo'burg 7/04/15 and depart 7/19/15) and I injured myself by tripping the duffle bag. The visit to the Chobe Medical Center in Kasane, Botswana costed me US$65. The doctor found I had broken ankle but I continued the trip since I could walk despite of pain. I did have surgery after returning to the US. I sent my claim of $65 to the Trip Mate. After I went through all procedure which Trip Mate requested I still not received any compensation of my claim of $65. The OAT does not try to help to resolve my problem. I think it is very poor customer service. Other than that the African safari and the guide was wonderful.

Complaints about OAT: In May, 2015 I took a trip to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. Everything about the trip was very well organized and I believe everyone in our group had a similar positive experience. However as a Canadian I was treated in a very unusual way. From the time I registered and paid my deposit I suddenly seemed to have become an American, albeit without going through Immigration or applying for, or receiving, a Green Card. For the real reasons known only to OAT or Grand Circle, I was shown as living at the Head Offices address in Boston. If that was not weird enough, I was travelling with a friend from London, and during the trip I met another Canadian and a Swiss woman and we all had our place of residence changed to exactly the same Boston address! All of this was done without our permission or agreement.

LEFT STRANDED IN CAMBODIA AT 73 YRS OLD! They use their misconduct policy to kick me off the tour because of food poisoning. Keep in mind when using this company you are subject to their policies at your own risk. I felt it was important to let others know that this company will use their policies against you even if it means leaving you stranded in another country. When I signed up with them, I trusted them to keep me safe and guide me through an amazing experience. They instead gave me an experience that has now kept me from enjoying traveling in a way I never will again.

There are many safari organizations that do a much better job than OAT. Took the Africa trip 5 years ago and it was great. Took it again in June and it was poorly done. They overtaxed the resources on the ground and some things advertised did not happen. We did not get to the Okavango Delta, we did not get a whole day in Chobe National Park. We lost three days with hard uncomfortable travel from camp to camp and one camp was falling apart, was poorly maintained and needs to be closed for a complete revamp.

Made a reservation 4 weeks ago on China trip in May. Had to cancel due to lack of information that I need to walk 3 miles a day. I am 81. Paid a deposit of $2100. All they returned is $400. I have taken 7 trips with OAT. Will never take another. Be careful with this company.

When I arrived at the Berlin Tegel airport to begin the tour with OAT, a bad windstorm came in and the luggage from many flights could not be taken off the airplanes. We were told to leave the airport and the luggage would get to us, to leave the details of where we were staying. The tour leader told us not to worry, but after two days and no word, I insisted that we go back to the airport to find some information. There were six of us on the tour with no luggage. The tour leader said that he tried to call, but got a busy signal and that's all he could do. We demanded to be taken to the airport and he finally agreed. It was then that we learned that our information was not entered into their computer and so with insistence, he did that.

I read some of the review, "18 Complaints about OAT". Wow is all I can say. I have been on three trips so far, and soon going on my fourth. I LOVE OAT. They meet you at the airport. The manage your baggage from the get go. They wine and dine you. They take you places most travel companies don't. The pricing is better than most companies. Only 16 people in a group! As for the single supplement not being fair, it is the ONLY company that doesn't charge single people a fee for being single! It is so nice! I went to Ireland, and all the B&B's charged me 40 Euros and my couple friends paid 65 Euros for two people. I have done the Peru trip, Tuscany and Umbria and Greece/Croatia and soon going to Sicily, and I think OAT is one of the best travel companies around.

I've been on two trips with OAT with several years between them. Both trips were excellent. The guides were amazingly knowledgeable about history, culture, religion, and every aspect of the trip. The hotels were good, home visits wonderful, and both trips exceeded our expectations. We invited a friend to go to Turkey with us and she loved it also.

I own my own company and I was horrified to learn of my Aunt's best friend that used the Overseas Adventure Travel company to go to Nepal this year. The treatment her friend received during a horrific time was appalling. The follow-up experience after she and her son finally got home to the USA was even more disconcerting. Regardless of the extenuating circumstances of the earthquake that leveled that country, being left behind without this tour group was so unprofessional. The reason people hire Tour Groups when traveling outside of the United States is so they are safe. Not only did the tour guide leave them stranded they also had their travel visas and documents required to travel. After five days of anguish and using their own money were they able to get out of Nepal but to finally arrive in Chicago. They had to make other arrangements to finally get home to Colorado.

Oat's advertising states "Enjoy FREE Single Supplements on all of our Land and Small Ship Adventures and trip extensions." Therefore, if you travel as a couple, your effective cost is much more per person than a single, since two people get the same room as a single (yet pay twice as much). OAT does not give any benefit or discount to the Couples. It is clear that OAT caters to singles and penalizes Couples.

I have read with dismay the negative reviews here about Overseas Adventure Travel. I have no way of knowing the whole story about these negative stories but people do not go online to give compliments, usually just complain so it can seem to skew the overall impression that is given about a particular company. I have traveled with OAT 11 times and Grand Circle Cruise Lines (same company) 1 time and have never had a bad experience with customer service personnel, air travel, trip leaders or in-country experiences. It does not mean that issues did not come up but they were dealt with in a quick and professional manner.

OAT was purchased by Grand Circle Tours some years ago and has now adopted their policies for many administrative processes - which is why those who have traveled with them in the past have noticed a change. As for cancelling a trip - it must be for one of the reasons stated in the insurance policy. You generally have a few days to cancel the trip insurance and try another policy. Read it. Call and ask questions before you purchase it. I have had no issues with 3 different refunds from 3 different travel insurers given that I had medical situations and documentation. You cannot decide that you cannot go - a doctor must tell you that. It is the same as any other insurance - the insurance company always determines what is covered and what they will pay.

OAT is a third rate travel outfit. We stayed in second class hotels... some of them filthy. The group leader was ignorant and rude. I had to endure her horrible behavior to other members and endure personal attack against myself. The quality of the tour was at a third grade level. This tour is for the deaf, dumb and blind. Don't waste your money and time.

I have traveled with OAT one summer ago and had a wonderful experience. I was scheduled to travel with them again this summer. Unfortunately I had to cancel my trip. When I called OAT they walked me through the process of getting my refund. I cancelled in January, my trip is the middle of June. I was told when I called that I was out my 1200 in trip insurance and my 600 dollar deposit, but since I had purchased travel insurance through them, I would get my 600 dollar deposit back, all I had to do was file a claim. Per their instructions I filed the claim with Trip Mate.

We had an even worse experience with OAT. We paid for a cruise in the Ukraine and about 2 weeks before it was supposed to leave we were notified by OAT that they had to cancel it because they never got permission from the Ukraine to travel there. Was OAT sorry, not in the least! To top it off, they wanted to keep the $9,000 we had paid to be applied to a future trip. We have never and will never travel with them again!

I am due to go on my 5th trip with OAT in two weeks. I decided to get on the site just to see some reviews. For a company this large, I was astounded to see only 11 reviews and all BAD. I now see why anyone I've recommended to this company has not signed on. Our tour guides have been great. Things have always gone pretty smoothly. We've stayed in really nice places, but I have to agree with the poor service coming from the home office. The right hand NEVER seems to know what the left hand is doing.

In April 2011, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed OAT's "Turkey's Magical Hideaways", with a pre-trip extension to Syria and a post-trip extension to "Nemrut and the Bible Lands". We were on the pre-trip in Syria, just as the Syrian opposition to President Bashir al Assad inched the country to the brink of civil war. Fortunately, our guide, Nabil **, was able to skirt any areas of conflict, and we completed the scheduled itinerary. This was our third time exploring Turkey, not counting the two years I spent there on assignment with the U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps; but we felt there was still more of this country that we wanted to see and enjoy. So in 2013, we booked a return trip on OAT's "Turkey's Sacred Lands and Ancient Civilizations", with a scheduled departure of October 2014. Using OAT's "Good Buy" program, and including the cost of travel protection paid to OAT's travel insurance subsidiary, we prepaid the trip at a cost of approximately $12,000 for the two of us.

THE WORST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EVER. My mother was so upset by her customer experience that she told me in tears that she wanted to cancel the trip - a once-in-a-lifetime trip that she has been excited about for months. Numerous customer service agents told her that they were working on an issue and would get back to her, including supervisor James ** - but none of them never did. When I called to find out what had happened, I received the exact same treatment - I was transferred, told that people would call me back, and the issue was never addressed. When I asked to speak to the manager of the supervisors, I was told I could not speak to them.

OAT headlines its web site main page with the phrase "never more than 10 a 16 travelers...guaranteed!" We haven taken two of their tours, one with 13 travelers, the other with 16. Last month we signed up for their "Patagonia, the wilderness beyond" tour in March 2015. We now discover the group will likely be 24 travelers, a 50% increase! We have already paid all of the money for the tour and airfare, and are feeling taken advantage of and cheated. More importantly, isn't this type of false advertising illegal?

I am angry with OAT Travel and they lost us as good customer and I will tell everyone about it. Emergency medical, they didn't postponed the trip, no money back, just because we didn't buy the travel protection from them??? That was our 5th trip! The rate I will give to them -0. Very, very bad :(

I am very disappointed with OATs. I've taken several trips with them. The trips are fine but the customer service is really lacking. They are inflexible and unresponsive. My recommendation is to avoid them!

I have been on two trips and been fortunate to have only minor problems. When you book a trip with OAT, they require you to sign an onerous contract waiving just about all your legal rights (like the right to a trial, right to bring a class action, etc.). Also, they pretty much say, they are not liable for anything that happens to you, including death, because they allegedly have no control over their overseas vendors, such as bus drivers, tour guides, etc. Amazingly, they reserve the right to overbook trips and give you notice, just 4 days before the trip, that the trip is overbooked and you have been bumped. As other people on this site have said, they reserve the right to cancel at any time. They also reserve the right to increase the price of the trip at any time if things happen such as a change in currency valuation, price increase in fuel, increase in admission fees at parks, etc.

**Don't ever use the room safes to put your valuables in.** I booked a trip with OAT to Africa. While there, I used the room safe while the camp guides took us out on safari each day. It just so happened that I counted my money in the safe before I left one day and even wrote down the denominations of the bills I put in the safe. Later that evening, I realized $400.00 was stolen from my safe by the staff at the camp that stays behind while we were all out on a scheduled safari drive. How clever of them. Another woman had her traveler checks stolen. Plus, she already signed them in both spots so she was out of luck too. I complained to OAT the day after this happened but they DID not care and DID nothing about it. I was a seasoned traveler with them for years but will **never**, ever travel with them again. Please beware and never use the room safes. Keep your valuables with you at all times, especially in 3rd world countries.

I booked in March 2013 for a departure late November. By August, I had to make the full payment for the tour. In mid-September I was informed that I needed to accept a different departure date. Meanwhile, I had made my own flight arrangements. Because of health concerns I could not accept their booking for a 20-hour flight. When they bumped me off the tour, I incurred a penalty for the flight cancellation, lost a prepaid one-night hotel stay (I was planning the trip in 2 stages with a 1-night layover), plus the cost of the 2 visas, altogether almost $1000. OAT will not let you cancel and sticks it to you, but they can do it? Something wrong here and I intend to speak to an attorney. Time for a class a action lawsuit.

Laos/Vietnam cancelled: It was cancelled with two weeks to go. I had paid for frequent flyer miles and visas that had specific entry/departure dates. Luckily, I was able to fit another tour (Intrepid) into the same parameters. OAT sent me a refund eventually after many calls (why should I wait 10 days when they didn't wait to put through the charge?) and a letter telling me THEY were sorry I had to cancel. I read all the fine print on their information and nowhere does it say THEY can cancel at any time.

We went to Morocco in March 2011 with OAT. Our flight, Sacramento-Houston-Paris-Casablanca, was late departing from Houston by three hours because of engine trouble. Our tickets were booked by OAT. I called on the cellphone saying that we would miss our connection in Paris, and hence, the agent to receive us in Casablanca should expect us in the subsequent connection to Casablanca, which I can only find out in Paris. There were none to receive us in Casablanca. We had no time to telephone from Paris as we had to run to our subsequent connection. We had a real scare in Casablanca, had to buy telephone coupon card for $100.

Overseas Adventure Travel disappointed us. We had paid for our Morocco holiday and had paid OAT to arrange for our air travel from Sacramento, CA so that if there is any delay in flight, a representative would still meet us in Casablanca upon arrival. Our flight from USA got delayed.

I booked a trip to India using this company because I heard this company was a reputable and good company that provided everything including international air. I paid a $350 deposit around the beginning of May 2010 which is non-refundable after 30 days. They said if I paid the balance full online, I could save an additional $50. So I paid in full including all applicable taxes online by using my checking account. Since I had plans to spend a time with my family in Japan on December through January, I had to book and purchase the tickets for my own round trip airfare from San Francisco to Narita and a round trip airfare from Narita to Delhi. I did this about 3 weeks ago. If I waited, those airfares would have gone up significantly closer to the trip. As you know those tickets are non-changeable and non-refundable. I also just applied for a visa going to India.

This is commendation for OAT's (Grand Circle) handling of my recent complaint. I took their first-time offering: a Red Sea Cruise - including Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. We've traveled with Grand Circle many times in the past and always had excellent trips. We were disappointed in some aspects of this trip mostly due to this being the first time this trip was offered and there were bugs in the implementation. However... we complained by letter, and were responded to very promptly by phone, and completely satisfied with their response. We have found Grand Circle a great travel tour group to travel with.

In Dec., 2007 I booked a 23-day African Safari with OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) and paid in full. I had trouble booking the trip because their trips were full and I had to take the dates I got because that was the only availability. OAT sent me a confirmation, airline flight schedule, and Visa applications. They even allowed me to book an optional tour on Apr.1, 2008. On Apr. 3, 2008 they contacted me to tell me my trip had been canceled due to low interest, and they could not offer me alternate dates! I was promised a full refund (which I have not yet received) but they have been holding my $10,000 for all this time. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST USING OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL or their parent GRAND CIRCLE TRAVEL!