Vacations To Go Reviews

Original Review: Jan. 12, 2024

During Cyber Monday of last year (2023) I purchased a FastDeal cruise from Vacations To Go (V2G) for a cruise taking place in May 2024. This week I was looking at my booking on the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) website and realized that I could not find all of the offer incentives that were included with the package that I purchased. I contacted NCL support and was told that I would have to speak with V2G about the discrepancy. I contacted the V2G agent that I worked with during the initial booking and asked if he could help me find the options in the package that I had purchased.

The booking that I purchased included the following offers: 1. $50 onboard credit per cabin 2. Unlimited open bar 3. 1 meal at a specialty dining restaurant 4. Free Wifi 5. $50 shore excursion credit per cabin. When I asked the V2G agent to show me where to find these within my reservation he stated that my booking did not include the "Free At Sea" offer and that he had booked my reservation under NCL's "EasyFare" offer which does not include all of the options that I thought to have purchased. He then proceed to tell me that I could pay more to add the "Free At Sea" offer. When I purchased the cruise, the agent and I had extended dialog about how great of a deal it was because it included the unlimited open bar. In fact, he never mentioned anything about a "Free At Sea or EasyFare" package. When challenging him on this, he reiterated that he could certainly add the option and that I would need to pay for it.

I asked to escalate the matter and he told me that there was no escalation path. He stated that they record all of their calls to ensure accuracy so I asked for a copy of the recording, he refused to provide the recording citing that that it was for internal use only. To this point the agent has refused to acknowledge or correct his error. The phone recording of our conversation would reveal that I was led to believe the offers were in fact included and there is no mention of either the "Free At Sea or EasyFare" offers. If this cannot be resolved, this will be both my first and last V2G purchase.

First off, I want to highlight the positive aspect of our journey—the cruise itself with Holland America Line. The cruise was exceptional, and we would highly recommend this cruise line to anyone seeking a memorable and enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, our praise does not extend to the level of assistance and service we received from Vacations To Go. Our disappointment began with the agency's lack of support in preparing for the trip. We anticipated assistance with air travel, hotels, logistics from the train to the ship, meal accommodations, and more. However, we found that your organization provided very little information or support in these areas. As a result, we had to create our own itinerary to reach the ship and plan our post-cruise destinations.

Moreover, the excursions we booked through Vacations To Go were not seamlessly integrated with the cruise ship's offerings. This lack of integration led to communication challenges, and unfortunately, we were unable to partake in an excursion for which we had spent a significant amount of money. Despite adhering to all rules and submitting the required documentation, we are still waiting for reimbursement four months later. This experience has left us disheartened, especially considering that we invested in your protection plans, which proved to be a waste of money.

The delay in reimbursement and the apparent disregard for your own policies are particularly troubling. As a company with an annual revenue in the millions, we expected a higher level of professionalism and adherence to stated guidelines. It is disconcerting to discover that Vacations To Go has numerous complaints on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, further diminishing our confidence in your services. In conclusion, our experience with Vacations To Go has been disappointing, and we have decided not to use their services in the future. We hope that this information serves as an opportunity for their improvement, and for them to reconsider your policies and practices to enhance customer satisfaction.

I definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND buying excursions from Vacations To Go ever!!! Other cruisers experienced the same disappointment as us. I'm never getting tickets from them. This was my first time and will surely be my last. We're frequent cruisers and we strongly suggest that you'd be better off getting tickets directly from the cruise line or get it from the locals at the ports. So again, don't waste your money on Vacations To Go!!!!

We provided Vacations To Go with the letter we were given by the cruise line apologizing for the port delays. Didn't matter, we were told, "Again sorry, some people made it to the excursions and you are not getting any part of a refund." We contacted a manager at Vacations To Go. We explained our situation again, provided that same letter, told him what an awful experience we had on the cruise, (one engine failed causing delays, 4 hours late getting home. Sewage issues, toilet not flushing, terrible food, it was a nightmare!) He once again went to the dreaded excursions department which we waited days to hear back from, only to be told again, "Sorry, you're out $318 and nothing we can do."

So because I was absolutely disgusted and expressed that, the manager said, let me see what we, "Vacations To Go" can do for you. Supposedly he spoke to his manager and a few hours later called me back to say, "We can give you 5% off your next cruise." I assure you, we will not be booking any vacations with Vacations To Go again. I would encourage you to book directly through the cruise line. Very disappointing.

During the booking process, Mimi assured us that she would help us change our flights to more desirable times if we were dissatisfied with the ones assigned (given she was “unable to provide the times to us in advance of booking”). However, once we booked and requested the change, we were hit with an unexpected fee of $200 per person, totaling $1000. We had never authorized this change, yet Mimi went ahead and altered our flights without our consent. Only after escalating the matter to her managers did they acknowledge the error and waive the fee. Such careless and deceptive actions are inexcusable and reflect a complete lack of integrity on Mimi's part.

During the booking process, Mimi assured us that she would help us change our flights to more desirable times if we were dissatisfied with the ones assigned (given she was “unable to provide the times to us in advance of booking”). However, once we booked and requested the change, we were hit with an unexpected fee of $200 per person, totaling $1000. We had never authorized this change, yet Mimi went ahead and altered our flights without our consent. Only after escalating the matter to her managers did they acknowledge the error and waive the fee. Such careless and deceptive actions are inexcusable and reflect a complete lack of integrity on Mimi's part.

As if this incident wasn't enough, on July 11, 2023, Mimi sent an email to myself and an unrelated individual containing all our personal and reservation information. It was a shocking breach of privacy and professionalism. When I raised this concern, Mimi tried to downplay the severity of the situation, claiming the email contained no personal information. Furthermore, her attempt to shift blame by alleging she sent the same message on March 16, 2023, was baseless, as she had actually sent it to the same wrong person. Her defensive and combative attitude when confronted with her mistake only further highlighted her lack of accountability and customer service skills. She proceeded to hang up on me when I pointed out her mistake and refused to take my calls subsequent to that.

Mimi **'s unprofessionalism, incompetence, and poor communication skills are utterly unacceptable. Her actions have not only caused us immense stress and frustration but have also jeopardized our trust in Vacations to Go as a whole. It is clear that Mimi is ill-suited for her role and does not possess the necessary qualities to provide quality service to customers.

I strongly advise anyone considering Vacations to Go to steer clear of Mimi **. Her actions reflect poorly on the company, and she has demonstrated a complete disregard for customer satisfaction and basic professionalism. Vacations to Go needs to address these serious issues and ensure that their employees are capable and accountable. In conclusion, my experience with Mimi ** at Vacations to Go was an absolute nightmare. I urge others to seek out alternative travel agents who prioritize customer service and professionalism.

Original Review: July 11, 2023

In April of this year my wife and I booked and sailed on a Princess Cruise through Vacations to Go. The agent was great. However naively booked us pre-cruise overnight in the most horrendous “motel” I’ve ever had the misfortune to visit in my entire long life. Pictures online at the website for this place don’t even come close to being an accurate depiction of the horror that awaits the unsuspecting traveler. Even a supervisor at Vacations agreed she would never book anyone there.

When we arrived tired after our flight and shuttle from Houston we found this “establishment” had been turned into a motel that housed transients for $1000 monthly. Police were actually arresting and forcibly removing residents of the “motel” as we arrived and attempted to check in, the room in question was filthy, unkempt and broken down with live and dead roaches all over, rusted and broken windows and AC, missing fixtures, stained walls, lamps and carpet, pickup trucks full of garbage in the parking lot, dead barbecues outside from residents and much, much more… It was unquestionably and absolutely the most disgusting and dangerous place I’ve ever been booked in in my many, many years of traveling professionally worldwide…

I wrote to the rep who booked us even before our cruise and requested a full refund for the nights booking which we fled from immediately. I was assured it might take a little time but would receive a full refund. I’ve written to several reps at the company recently and all my emails to date have been ignored. I have contacted the rep in question repeatedly to request a refund for the booking which I was told was non refundable. I’ve spoken to the supervisor about the debacle and also requested a refund. I’ve been assured multiple times that we would receive a refund for what would have been a very horrible nights “stay” we definitely and rightly refuse to pay for!

We have received nothing to date… Although the amount was only $70 dollars I feel justified in asking that this small amount be refunded to us as a matter of principle as this was not even CLOSE to a reputable establishment. Our personal safety was at risk and both my wife and I were disgusted and frightened by this awful experience. We refused to stay due to the conditions at this roach motel hellhole and we incurred increased expense to get us the hell out of there immediately and find someplace safe and clean to stay before our intended and expensive “luxury” vacation all booked through vacations to go. At this point it’s getting mighty late to expect a refund but believe we deserved one, we will NEVER book with this agency again for anything…

Original Review: They will not send you the packet to review before purchase. Booked the wrong cruise. Spent hours on the phone almost immediately trying to get it switched. Nope. No help from this company. In fact, at one point Princess changed it for us and V2Go changed it right back. Feeling regretful for trying to support an outside company. We will pay the price by not going on the trip we thought we were getting. Princess said if we had booked directly we would have help from them. Booo. We don’t tend to repeat our trips, so this is probably one and done. Not bitter, just smarter. My advice? Just spend the extra few $ and book with the company directly.

"While I appreciate your very belated sorrow at my illness on board, my critique isn't at all about getting ill. My critique is that I bought travel interruption insurance from you, and you abandoned me, ghosted me instead of stepping up and connecting me to the insurance. You left me stranded and locked in a tiny cabin so you and Generali would not have to pay for the travel interruption. By ghosting me, you weren't complying with any Covid policy. Under the cruise line's policy, I was permitted to leave that ship at any time. Indeed, under then present Covid policy, you could have put me on a flight home, and you certainly could have gotten me someplace that didn't feel like solitary confinement in a 8'X12' steel cabin with no natural light.

It isn't about the sickness. I've been sick before. It's about selling me a fraud of a travel interruption policy and then pretending I didn't contact you to open a claim. Generali is lying about not receiving the claim, and I have the UPS receipt to show it was delivered to their double-secret snail-mail only location. But, we're all going to meet soon enough in court. Too bad your other customers aren't lawyers."

Original Review: I took the insurance Vacations To Go was selling because it had to be better than the cruise line’s captive insurance, and I knew I needed insurance, because it was going to be my first cruise since Covid. I was fully vaccinated and "bivalented" and senior flu vaxxed, and I'd been exposed a few times and never got it. There were few masks and close quarters on my first cruise in years, and, by the fifth day of my 15-day cruise, I had the version of Covid that makes you utterly weak, constantly exhausted, and struggling for oxygen while feeling you are breathing. I was confined to an interior cabin, started on **, and told the soonest I could leave my cabin would be six days later.

I contacted my travel agent because I could not decipher the insurance policy they sold me, and I was very very sick. I asked them to get me off the ship so I could recover at home, or, at least, not serve more solitary confinement than a prisoner at San Quentin! The travel agent ignored me for a day and then gave me links to the insurance and thereafter ghosted me. That's my last time with Vacations to Go!

They never rescued me. They never intervened with Generali to provide service. They got their commission, and all they did from then on was write emails telling me they were “escalating.” They even had the nerve to send me an email denying that I’d ever contacted them, though they somehow withdrew that email. I may have gotten a discount of $75 cheaper than buying the cruise directly from the cruise line, but the only place I could use the $75 on-board credit was to pay for the $800 ** or the antibiotics and medical care costing another $450. Instead, they did nothing to get me off that boat. They left me abandoned, locked in a tiny cabin for six days while they didn't answer emails and, when called, they just told me they were escalating and we hadn't even opened a claim.

After I got home, they worked with their insurance agency, Generali, to set up a series of barriers, so I had to assign the case to a paralegal in my office to jump the hoops. First, Generali insisted I prove I made a claim against my health insurance. Next, prove I made a claim to the travel agency. Then, fill out an outdated form of Generali’s asking, at one point, for how ** is compounded. I'm back almost a month now with nothing but lies and obfuscation and "we're escalating" as they click off the days until the claim is untimely under their tricky dick policy.

The fun part for me is that I'm a lawyer, and I know I'm going to sue for the medical and the reimbursement and the cost of the flight they should have put me on. It'll cost me more than I will recover, but I intend to take their lawyer out for a martini afterwards. Maybe he'll pay with all the law firm will charge to defend. If you aren't a lawyer and want the insurance you thought you bought, don’t buy it from Vacations to Go, and, if you thought that you were buying through a travel agent to have an advocate if things go wrong far away from home, use a real travel agent. Stay away from these defrauders.

We finally called the number listed on the shore excursion and he told us to walk our way back to the port. There we saw lots of signs listing tour companies that weren’t familiar. Finally, Creg identifies himself. He calls for our ride which is a small sedan and we cram our way in. The tour itself was okay but we were so cramped in the semi-sub, we suffered severe body pains and had to cancel our Cozumel port shore excursion.

Our second shore excursion, port of Costa Maya, MX, Costa Maya Beach Day, was booked through a vendor called Tucan Tours. The instructions for POC location was easy but a long walk which aggravated my body pains even more. The taxi ride to/from the beach area was great (dropping us off near the ship area on return was a plus). The issue we had was the beach day location. When the taxi pulled up to the location, we were a little leery about getting out. I even took a pic to show the drop off location. We couldn’t even see the beach area at first but once the greeters escorted us closer, we felt better.

The beach was very crowded and we were placed in a shaded area initially. Once we saw an opening elsewhere, we moved. The food and drinks were included in the beach day; however, there was little to no alcohol at all. We ordered shots so we could add it to our drinks. The food was horrific and the waiters were confusing at times. We were starving when we returned to the ship. All in all it was nice to lay on the beach and relax even with all chaos. My body’s aches and pains certainly appreciated it!

When I checked R.C. L. for the same cruise and desired cabin, the price R.C.L. quoted was $672.00 Lower than the quoted price furnished by Ms. **. When I complained to her manager regarding Ms. ** miss information, he/she showed no interest by responding to my comment/s. The word to wise would be clients interested in future cruises, contact the cruise line for pricing prior to utilizing a travel agent. It goes without saying, with my recent experience with V.T.G. I do plan on nor would I recommend doing business with a company who cares so little about customer satisfaction

The next emails then told me that VTG is sorry but my excursion was cancelled, on the day before the excursion!!! There was no clear explanation why and I was very, very mad because if I had known earlier, I could have waitlisted on the ship excursion and/or made other arrangements, like at the information center at Reykjavik. VTG literally ruined my cruise by cancelling on me at the last minute and not making arrangements for alternatives. When I emailed the travel agent, she said it was cancelled because the 9 am excursion may not be able to get back before the ship departs. Then why the heck did VTG take my money and confirmed the shore excursion???

It's not about the money. I don't care that VTG did not charge my card. That is not the point. The trip was supposed to be a break from taking care of my two very sick parents, and I don't have the luxury of TIME OR MONEY to go back to Iceland to take the excursion. Iceland is not a common trip for cruises, especially for those who are traveling solo and can't pay the single supplement. What a disservice to their loyal customers! I will never use VTG again as I cannot trust the company. You don't know whether the shore excursion you bought from them will be honored or you will be left stranded without any alternative on a trip you paid for.