Warning re: overbooked river cruises

[robthens]

WARNING - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COMFIRMED RESERVATION

We didn’t realize until yesterday that some tour companies overbook river cruises. Then, after the date that a refund can be received they contact the “stand by” bookings and inform them they have to change their travel date. We did see, after the fact, that their web site under “Terms & Conditions” states that they over book in order to have full capacity since they consider they will have cancellations.

Our facts are as follows:

- booked original river boat cruise in May 2006 for October 2007 sail date

- paid in full for trip at the time of booking

- changed sail date in February 2007 to September 2007

- booked extensions for pre & post

- this will be our 4th trip with this tour company

- have 2 other trips scheduled for 2008 with same company

We were contacted and told that when we rescheduled that we were put on stand by (although we were not advised - would have keep our original date had we known).

We had to change our sail date and could not get our extensions; however, we would get a one category cabin upgrade and $150 pp compensation.

We did not feel this was fair compensation since we had not been told we were on standby.

We escalated our complaint with a final out come of changing our sail date, cabin upgrade & free $349 pp pre extension which magically became available.

[azkitty]

What river cruiseline were you booked on? I have never heard of such a thing and don't know why they would do that since they can easily fill cabins that are cancelled. I would have asked for my money back. Some people, like us, book the air almost a year ahead especially using FF miles and can't change plans.

[robthens]

What river cruiseline were you booked on? I have never heard of such a thing and don't know why they would do that since they can easily fill cabins that are cancelled. I would have asked for my money back. Some people, like us, book the air almost a year ahead especially using FF miles and can't change plans.

 

I didn't mention the name of the company because we have been so please with every trip we have taken with them, but since you asked, it was Vantage Travel. We still plan on our 2008 trips with them; however, we have confirmed our spots!

 

I tried to copy and paste from their web site their stand by policy; however, it is a PDF file so I couldn't

 

The mistake by Vantage was not telling us when we changed our sail date that we were on stand by for the new date. It is their policy to advise their customers. Vantage records their calls, so our claim was easily validated.

 

We frequently use our Advantage miles or arrange our own air fare.

I would have been thru the roof had that been the case on this trip.

 

This trip is to Eastern Europe and is always sold out. I don't understand why they feel it necessary to over book.........

 

I did this post as a warning to others. COMFIRM YOUR RESERVATION

[phillipy]

I had no idea...thanks for sharing

[unberwoob]

A friend of mine had this same thing happen last year with Grand Circle, although he had not changed his original reservation. He also lost out on a post excursion.

[robthens]

A friend of mine had this same thing happen last year with Grand Circle, although he had not changed his original reservation. He also lost out on a post excursion.

 

What amazed me most is that we were told we couldn't get either extension. Then after escalating my complaint, a pre-extension becomes available in less than an hours time.

 

In the mean time, I had checked on the web to see if the designated post-extension hotel had rooms available. Actually, they did @ the rate of $430 a night.

 

Since the extension was $329 pp for two nights, the tour company stood firm of the "no post-extension" avalibilty.

 

They did offer to arrange for air travel & post-extension tours; however, we would have to arrange & pay for a hotel........plus we would have to pay the $329 pp extension fee..............Now, that wasn't much of an offer in my opinion.

 

This will not ruin my trip. I'm satisfied with the offer we accepted with the company. I have forbidden DH from discussing this once our feet leave US soil. LOL :D

[ChefPeg]

Glad it all worked for you. Also glad you are not miffed at the cruise line company.

 

Have a great cruise!!

[terpla]

I have just booked two tours with Vantage for the first time and I too have never heard of such a thing. Does make one a little bit nervous. It seems whoever took your change of dates made the mistake of not informing you you were on standby. We are going to China in October with them and to Russia next summer. Both trips are fully paid for and we hopefully will not have to change the date.

[robthens]

I have just booked two tours with Vantage for the first time and I too have never heard of such a thing. Does make one a little bit nervous. It seems whoever took your change of dates made the mistake of not informing you you were on standby. We are going to China in October with them and to Russia next summer. Both trips are fully paid for and we hopefully will not have to change the date.

 

Terry,

I think you are correct re: the overbooking; however, it did happen.

We would have cancelled our 3 upcomming trips with them had we felt there was any malace.

 

On all future trips we will confirm our reservations!

[AZPam]

I have just booked two tours with Vantage for the first time and I too have never heard of such a thing. Does make one a little bit nervous. It seems whoever took your change of dates made the mistake of not informing you you were on standby. We are going to China in October with them and to Russia next summer. Both trips are fully paid for and we hopefully will not have to change the date.

 

Hey Terry! Sounds like you have some great trips planned! Our group is now planning to do a Christmas Markets trip in 2008, but we are leaving the men at home for this one. :)

 

Pam

[terpla]

Robthens how do you plan on confirming your reservations. Just calling them before hand. I have a cabin assignment for Russia and I would think that would be confirmation enough. With China since I have my own air and we are going in October perhaps I better confirm

 

 

 

 

Pam think of you alot especially if anything happens in Phoenix and I especially thought of you when seeing the Christmas Market cruise. Didn't you do that with your mom when we were planning our vacation to the Caribbean. I see you are going again so you all must love it. I am heading next week to the Canadian Rockies and then the rest you know. Pop me an email and let me know how you are doing. Hopefully you still have it.

 

.

[robthens]

Robthens how do you plan on confirming your reservations. Just calling them before hand. I have a cabin assignment for Russia and I would think that would be confirmation enough. With China since I have my own air and we are going in October perhaps I better confirm

.

 

Terry,

If you have a cabin assignment you are confirmed.

 

On your China trip, call and confirm or email and ask for a confirmation.

I know we are being overly cautious, but it is better to be safe than sorry!

[terpla]

You are right to be cautious once burned twice shy as the sayings go. They did have us booked on a flight to Bejiing before I changed for my own air so I guess they have me booked, but will check anyway.

Thanks for all your input and concern.

[robthens]

You are right to be cautious once burned twice shy as the sayings go. They did have us booked on a flight to Bejiing before I changed for my own air so I guess they have me booked, but will check anyway.

Thanks for all your input and concern.

 

Good, I'm glad you are comfirming. Our air showed on the "My Account" eventhough we were on stand-by.

 

We did not have our own air; however, I think you will have no problems.

 

You are in for such a treat with your intra-China flights. They are sometimes delayed, but the service was wonderful. You'll get a meal on all your flights (even your 45 minute one).

 

Actually, the service is great everywhere you go. Attentive staff will be available at hotel, restraunts, etc. It was a real treat. It was even better than European fair.

[terpla]

Thanks Robthen, I was just concerned about the taxi and speaking English and they speaking chinese. We ended up with a direct flight from our town to Bejiing leaving at a distant hour for just $100 more so we just had to take it and of course coming home is a direct flight also. They had us leaving at an ungodly hour and of course not a direct flight.

 

The trouble with confirming is they make you wait forever on the phone when you have to go through Cusomer Service. They really have to do better with their phone service.

[robthens]

Thanks Robthen, I was just concerned about the taxi and speaking English and they speaking chinese. We ended up with a direct flight from our town to Bejiing leaving at a distant hour for just $100 more so we just had to take it and of course coming home is a direct flight also. They had us leaving at an ungodly hour and of course not a direct flight.

 

The trouble with confirming is they make you wait forever on the phone when you have to go through Cusomer Service. They really have to do better with their phone service.

 

Few people in China speak English. I'd suggest you print out your hotel info from the internet. Many of the hotels show the Chinese name and the English name. You'll manage just fine!

 

Vantage telephone que is awful......we received a letter recently stating that they were working to correct the problem. Since we have travel b4 we are "President's Club members" and have a different tel #. I really don't think it is any better than their regular #. The email option is the better choice unless you have to speak to a person.

 

We've email them recently re: our upcomming trip for question like...

the location of where our ship will dock in Budapest?....time we leave the pre-extension to join the tour?, etc......we get answers back in a time manner. We feel the more we know b4 we go helps us to better manage our port time.

 

Here are a few tips:

- consider taking "Culturelle" b4 & during your trip. The ones on our trip who were taking it did not get that awful 24hr bug.....you know what I'm taking about. We didn't but will on all future trips. I ordered it on-line.

- If your post extension is in Hong Kong, consider buying your sourivers at the Stanley Market in Hong Kong. That way, you don't have to deal with them the entire trip. The bus that takes you to the market stops right in front of your hotel. You can get directions and correct change at the hotel. It's easy to get to. On the way back from the market, ride the bus to the Star ferry terminal and cross over to Kowloon on the ferry. We then walked to the hotel.

- Beijing is the best place to buy your official Olympic shirts/stuff. There is an official Olympic store in your hotel. Buy them early they only have a limited supply and they run small. The knock-off shirts are awful.

- bring lots of memory cards for your camera......I took an entire album just of children. They are absolutely precious! On the main land, they are extremely well behaved.

 

Hope some of this helps!

[terpla]

Thanks so much Robthens for the advice on shopping. I went to the Asia port site and got some info on private limos to take us to the hotel for about $40. It seems well worth it to me. I would feel more comfortable doing that.

Coming home we can get a cab at the hotel and I am sure they will help us so it is not a concern.

I think I will email them instead of hanging on the phone. They really have to get their act together. Today I called after they opened and they said to press one for new bookings which I did ( even though it is not) and it immediately goes into customer service and of course they are closed today.

 

I am underwhelmed with their service thus far as to contacting them.

[Benita]

Vantage has caller ID and if you have a booking with them, they will automatically transfer you to customer service, no matter which number you press. The trick is to call from a different phone than the one you used to make the booking. I tried to contact them to make a new booking (our second) and was never able to speak to anyone - kept getting customer service, which was closed. Just by chance, I used my second line and got through right away and the reservation person told me about the way they route calls.

Great company, excellent web site, excellent customer service, once you get through, but almost impossible (and very frustrating) to get through to them by phone (and it seems they ignore their emails).

[terpla]

Benita this will be my first trip with them and what you say is so true. I wanted to book Russia after I booked CHina and kept getting customer service. I am not so sure I want to go through this witih them over and over again. VERY BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE I would say and frustrating to say the least. I hope the trip makes it worth while and now I have to worry about being overbooked. Ugh.

[Benita]

I love Vantage, but if they don't improve their customer service response time, I may start going elsewhere. The problem is their trips are wonderful and their prices super. We are going to India with them in October and Croatia in September, 2008.It was in booking the Croatia trip, that I found out how to avoid being routed through customer service. If I have to hear that annoying tape congratulating them for being so busy that we have to wait, I will scream.

That said, the customer service department is excellent. I purchased an air add on from Florida to JFK airport in NY. Delta cancelled the return flight, so Vantage automatically put us in a hotel at JFK airport (at Vantage's expense) and booked us on flights the next morning. Delta then bumped us to flights that required a stopover in Atlanta. When I called Vantage to try to move back to a nonstop, Vantage said Delta would not do that, but offered to refund the air add on money and let me book the flight myself (which was $100 cheaper than the add on). They are still paying for the hotel room.

For that type of service, I guess I'll have to put up with being on hold so long.

[terpla]

I know Benita I keep hearing great things about their trips. I tried calling back at the times they suggested this Am and guess what Customer Service was closed so those times were for booking new trips only. Oh well there is always tomorrow when I will start early to try to get my question about whether I am really booked answered. This is with getting ready to leave for the Canadian Rockies on Thur.

 

India sounds facinating. I will be in China then but please post your experience especially with Vantage.

[Benita]

I wish there was a cruise critic type board for land trips.

[terpla]

Benita I finally had the time to hang in there this AM and it took 20 min. and you are right once you get them they are so nice and obviously helpful. I am truly confirmed and had all my questions answered well almost. We can't find one picture of the ship for Russia anywhere which does make me wonder why not. Hmmmm. Anyway I know about the standards in Russia and I am not concerned.

 

Also just avoid the message on the Vantage phone about how great and busy they are and press one immediately. This will by pass that aggravating message.

[Benita]

I'm glad it worked out for you and you have been reassured. I never saw the Vantage ship while we were cruising on the Volga last year. All the ships we passed through (they tie up next to each other) looked about the same - nothing fancy, but if you've read everybody's posts about the Russia River cruises you should expect that. I'll try your tip of pressing one the next time I call.

You can try "Googling" the name of the ship and see if you find any sites with pictures of the ship.

[robthens]

Re: Vantage que music

 

I H A T E F R A N K S A N A T R A.........LOL