GCT vs. Vantage

[PCruzer]

We have done 2 GCT river cruises - 1) The Seine; 2) Romance of the Rhine & Mosel. Lately we've been looking at Vantage brochures. They seem to be a little more costly than GCT, but also seem to offer more. If anyone has done river cruises on both lines, could you compare the 2 companies for me? Is one better than the other? Or are they basically the same? Thanks for your help.

[Talisker92]

We have done 2 GCT river cruises - 1) The Seine; 2) Romance of the Rhine & Mosel. Lately we've been looking at Vantage brochures. They seem to be a little more costly than GCT, but also seem to offer more. If anyone has done river cruises on both lines, could you compare the 2 companies for me? Is one better than the other? Or are they basically the same? Thanks for your help.

 

I have done 3 cruises on Vantage and have been very happy. They are basically all inclusive of air, transfers and excursions. We just got back from a cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, and in 2007 we did a Danube cruise with them. Both stories are on our website.

[npphotog]

Hi PCXruzer - We just returned from Vantage's Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. Check out my report Eastern Europe Report. This has been our 4th with Vantage and been well satisified. Can't report on Grand Circle - never used them. You have to check both listings and see what is included in each. Some companys are cheaper but have more optional tours you have to buy where some companys include them. Willard

[suec12]

We have done 2 GCT's - we have now reserved a Vantage for next fall - we have been happy with GCT's but they do not have a river cruise in Portugal and Vantage does. The Vantage trip is certainly going to be pricier than GCT! there do seem to be more included activities that on a GCT would probably be optionals - Vantage says the includes are worth $1200 per person or something like that. I'd rather the trip was cheaper and we could choose optionals - we like to do a fair amount of exploring on our won. So maybe its all in what you want - I'm getting the impression that Vantage may be a bit more ipscale (maybe that was posted here) in the hotels they use and maybe food - so far it seems the accommodations have been at least roomier on the GCT trips but I think at least on Vantage the beds can be put together to make one bed!

 

Just FYI we did the Danube - Budapest to Prague and then Burgandy and Cote d' Azure with GCT - loved them both!

[Carhut]

I've been on 6 GCT river cruises and enjoyed them all. However, I've notice that they are making more and more of their tours "optionals" at a fairly high cost. My first GCT river cruise was the Great Rivers from Vienna to Amsterdam. We only had to pay for one optional tour on that trip which was Rothenberg au de Tauber. Now if I took the same trip I'd have at least 5 optionals at the added cost of $415.

I now have a cruise booked on Vantage. I'll be able to compare better after I take the trip. As far as being more costly. Not! Of course I'm going at the end of the season where the weather may be a factor, but they first had a discount of $700. off. Then added another discount $500. for Nov. bookings. Got this offering from an email that they sent me as I've been on their mailing list for some time. Then they gave me a $150 discount for referring my friend who is going with me. She got $100 off, new customer. Don't know why they gave me that as I've not gone with them before, but maybe because I've been on their mailing list. Didn't question it. Then they told me they would honor our credits from GCT and they sent us a check for that plus another $50. for "smart money discount". Don't ask me. I don't have a clue what that was about. I guess they really wanted our business. Then to top it all off, we usually have to pay an "air add-on" which usually amounts to $350-400. Don't this time. They gave us air all the way. If I were taking this same trip on GCT, I'd have to fork out $455. for the "optionals" that are included in this trip. Vantage only has one optional offered for our cruise at $79.

[Hydrokitty]

I'm heading out on my 4th Vantage trip in Feb. and I have no desire to try anyone else! I researched heavily before our first river cruise and chose Vantage over GCT because Vantage included air fare from NY AND had only one optional tour, everything else was paid for. That was Budapest to Amsterdam, then we did Egypt and Jordan, and Holland and Belgium this past spring. All of them were great. My only complaint with Vantage is that they do not respond to e-mail questions.....EVER....you will do much better calling them and talking to one of their agents, all of whom are very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. I don't know what the problem is with the e-mail, I tell them about it every time I fill out a survey, but still they don't answer. :D PS: If I'm not mistaken, and I could be, Vantage and GCT are owned by brothers. GCT originally was part of AARP and split off from them quite a long time ago. That could be why Vantage was so cooperative with giving you credit from GCT.

[PCruzer]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I think we are going to try Vantage for our next river cruise. And I'll see if they will give us our GCT credit. It would be really nice if they did. The trip we are looking at is the Danube Odyssey. It sounds wonderful.

[robthens]

I'm heading out on my 4th Vantage trip in Feb. and I have no desire to try anyone else! I researched heavily before our first river cruise and chose Vantage over GCT because Vantage included air fare from NY AND had only one optional tour, everything else was paid for. That was Budapest to Amsterdam, then we did Egypt and Jordan, and Holland and Belgium this past spring. All of them were great. My only complaint with Vantage is that they do not respond to e-mail questions.....EVER....you will do much better calling them and talking to one of their agents, all of whom are very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. I don't know what the problem is with the e-mail, I tell them about it every time I fill out a survey, but still they don't answer. :D PS: If I'm not mistaken, and I could be, Vantage and GCT are owned by brothers. GCT originally was part of AARP and split off from them quite a long time ago. That could be why Vantage was so cooperative with giving you credit from GCT.

 

Re: Vantage & E-mail.....through the years with Vantage we have sent them e-mails and have always gotten responses. Their agents are helpful; however, I wish they would change the "on hold" music. I'm not an "Old Blue Eyes" fan. LOL

GCT & Vantage are owned by brothers. I wonder which company is older?????

[Hydrokitty]

Re: Vantage & E-mail.....through the years with Vantage we have sent them e-mails and have always gotten responses. Their agents are helpful; however, I wish they would change the "on hold" music. I'm not an "Old Blue Eyes" fan. LOL

GCT & Vantage are owned by brothers. I wonder which company is older?????

 

 

OH YEAH!!!!:D I asked then about that once and they told me "the owner loves Frank Sinatra".....You're lucky with the emails....I get the official email response that they have received my mail and will respond within 48 hours, and I never get anything else.

[robthens]

OH YEAH!!!!:D I asked then about that once and they told me "the owner loves Frank Sinatra".....You're lucky with the emails....I get the official email response that they have received my mail and will respond within 48 hours, and I never get anything else.

 

Last Sat I sent an e-mail to Vantage asking for the docking location in Budapest....... this is the reply we got today:

 

The general docking location in Budapest is below. The exact docking spot will not be known until 24 hours prior to arrival. We hope this information helps but please let us know if we can further assist you.

"Belgrad Street" Different piers of company "Mahart" located between "Szechenyi" Bridge and "Elisabeth" Bridge, near to City Center.

Kind Regards,

Customer Care Email Specialist

 

Hydrokitty,

Hope you have better luck in the future with your e-mails.

Off the subject...last week 2 different TV "pilots" played Frankie songs in the background....1 featured Frankie JR. It's a conspiricy to drive me nuts!

Hope you read this. LOL

 

[Hydrokitty]

Last Sat I sent an e-mail to Vantage asking for the docking location in Budapest....... this is the reply we got today:

 

The general docking location in Budapest is below. The exact docking spot will not be known until 24 hours prior to arrival. We hope this information helps but please let us know if we can further assist you.

"Belgrad Street" Different piers of company "Mahart" located between "Szechenyi" Bridge and "Elisabeth" Bridge, near to City Center.

Kind Regards,

Customer Care Email Specialist

 

Hydrokitty,

Hope you have better luck in the future with your e-mails.

 

Off the subject...last week 2 different TV "pilots" played Frankie songs in the background....1 featured Frankie JR. It's a conspiricy to drive me nuts!

 

Hope you read this. LOL

 

 

 

Glad you got a response to your e-mail, maybe they're monitoring these posts. RE: Frankie, I guess you missed Jr. in person singing the National Anthem before a football/baseball??? game this week!!!1 Sounds just like Dad, almost. :D:D

[bobinaustin]

Since you've been on GCT's Rhine and Moselle tour, can you tell me what shape their ships are in? Their website says they were built in 1999 - have they been maintained?

Also, I've been on two Vantage trips - the Danube and Peru/Ecuador/Galapagos - and their program managers are fantastic. They work hard to solve every problem, they are well informed and enthusiastic.

[CPT Trips]

On a GCT trip, we were tied up to a Vantage ship at one of our docks. Ran into two staff on Vantage that remembered us from a previuos GCT ship, so we got a tour. As far as the aesthetics, Vantage was more "modern" - glass and chrome to Gct's "traditional - wood. The cabins on Vantage seemed larger and there was at least one suite. Vantage had an additional public area. Both ships looked in good condition and well maintained.

 

GCT had a bowl of mints at reception - Vantage did not ;)

[Carhut]

Re: Vantage & E-mail.....through the years with Vantage we have sent them e-mails and have always gotten responses. Their agents are helpful; however, I wish they would change the "on hold" music. I'm not an "Old Blue Eyes" fan. LOL

GCT & Vantage are owned by brothers. I wonder which company is older?????

 

I called Vantage last week about a question I had and listened to "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" and other vintage tunes for about 20 minutes.

[Carhut]

Since you've been on GCT's Rhine and Moselle tour, can you tell me what shape their ships are in? Their website says they were built in 1999 - have they been maintained?

Also, I've been on two Vantage trips - the Danube and Peru/Ecuador/Galapagos - and their program managers are fantastic. They work hard to solve every problem, they are well informed and enthusiastic.

 

Been on the Rhine and Mosel twice with GCT. The boats were fine. Dubussey and Bizet (twins). Only problem I had on the Bizet was the mattress had seen it's better day. I felt like I was going to roll out of bed because the mattress sagged on the edge where people would sit. I complained and they claimed they turned the mattress. Didn't help if they did in fact turn it. I ended up putting the folded up blanket under the mattress along the edge to help the situation. Another lady had the same problem and she said they brought her a new mattress. Guess they only had one extra one aboard, because I didn't get one. Hopefully they replaced it by now. That's the only time I've ever encountered something like that in my 6 river cruises. Other than that everything else was in good shape.

[brownblonde]

Hi, We were just on the Mosel/Rhine in July and our first with GCT. We felt the lounge area was a little better then the Viking's area and liked the dining room better.

 

To me it was the cleanes ship I have been on, they didn't forget to do the rug where it meets the wall and the bathroom had the best shower I've seen for a small cabin The age built in 1999 the River Harmony inside was in good condition. the sun deck could have seen some updates with carpeting and furniture.

[cindiedee]

We have done river cruises on both - GCT and Vantage - both were fabulous! And truly, there was very little difference between them and I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other. The crew and guides on both were some of the best we have ever had - and nothing was too much trouble for any of them. Their prices are pretty much in the same ballpark - sign up for their emails and you will get 'last minute deals' - we got one yesterday for a 16 day cruise (can't remember exact itinerary but it was all in France) with air, etc - for $1695 pp and it was from GCT. Believe me, if we weren't already leaving for Athens next week for a cruise, I would have booked that one in a heart beat - but it goes in another 10 days or so - just bad timing for us since we are already booked on something else. Now, not to say those kind of prices happen all the time but they do happen a few times a year and if you can take advantage of it.........:D

 

Both Vantage and GCT offer the absolute best value for the money in river cruising.......DH likens it to being on a large, private yacht - we do go in the 'off' seasons just because it is less costly but out of 41 cruises, they have been our favorite ones.

 

Smooth sailing and enjoy!

Cindie

[williegirlcat]

It is interesting reading your comments b/c when we booked the Amazon River cruise with Vantage, they refused to honor any of the credits we had with GCT. They said it was absolutely a different company, which we know.

 

BTW, that was a unique river cruise.

[PCruzer]

It is interesting reading your comments b/c when we booked the Amazon River cruise with Vantage, they refused to honor any of the credits we had with GCT. They said it was absolutely a different company, which we know.

 

BTW, that was a unique river cruise.

We booked the Danube Odyssey for next year with Vantage about a month ago. We got $100 pp discount for being referred, $125 pp discount from a promotional e-mail, and they honored our GCT credits which totaled $236. A discount of $686! Pretty good! Don't know why they would not honor your GCT credits!(?)

[Carhut]

It is interesting reading your comments b/c when we booked the Amazon River cruise with Vantage, they refused to honor any of the credits we had with GCT. They said it was absolutely a different company, which we know.

 

BTW, that was a unique river cruise.

 

I was talking on the phone to a lady at Vantage after I had booked my latest cruise and she told me I was just going to love my cruise. I told her I already had 6 river cruises with GCT. Then she asked me if I had any travel credits from them and I told her I did. Then she proceeded to tell me that they would honor them, but GCT wouldn't do the same for Vantage credits. I then told PCruzer about it and she got hers, too. Maybe it's something new with them. I don't know. This is going to be my first cruise with Vantage.

 

Your Amazon River cruise sounds interesting. I'd like to hear more about it. Have you posted elsewhere about it or done a review?

[ArthurIhde]

i will choose GCT