Grand Circle Travel

Looking forward to my trip, but wish they would pick up the phone in a timely manner.

Now up to 5 trips in 2 years with Grand Circle and OAT.
Excellent value for money– especially if a solo, since many trips supplement free and most others you can avoid supplement if agree to be paired with person of same sex (and no supplement if other person shows).
In general, very good tour leaders– but some exceptions. Where large group split up, possible (although difficult) to get moved into another section IF insist strenuously.
Object to overpriced optional tours– sometimes more than 50% more than available if optional from smartours, gate 1 etc. Also while breakfasts usually very good to excellent, some of included lunches and dinners were dreadful.
Hint: read the traveler reviews on the trip. They contain tips of what to see or avoid, special restaurants etc.

Are you thinking of booking a trip with Grand Circle Travel? Well please think again. I booked a trip with Grand Circle Travel for a trip to the Canadian Rockies. I was told with certainty from the Grand Circle Travel representative that if I purchased their recommended travel insurance with TRIPMATE I would be guaranteed a full refund if I canceled for ANY reason. I was also assured that Grand Circle Travel has a ’ best price guarantee’, if I find a better price they would provide the cash difference. Well to make a long story short I booked the trip relying on the guarantees. I subsequently canceled the trip and it cost me $ 702.00 WITH the purchased travel insurance from TRIPMATE. They don’t tell you that:
1. You can cancel, but only get a cash refund of the ADMINISTRATIVE fee of $ 300.00 only if you meet and prove certain conditions. You must file a claim and then if you don’t meet the ‘conditions’ then you are issued a limited credit voucher for more insurance which you can only use with Grand Circle Travel. really?
2. The TRIPMATE insurance cost a whopping $ 352.00 of which is NOT refundable.
3. I did not purchase air with Grand Circle, but they slipped in $ 50.00 fee for air insurance. I still don’t know how they did that, but that is not refundable.
4. What they don’t tell you about filing a claim for price guarantee??? Well after doing research and finding a significantly lower cost for a comparable Canadian Rockies tour, I filed a ‘price guarantee’ claim. OK the claim was denied because they then told me the price guarantee… it is ONLY for cruises… really! Grand Circle Travel omitted that part in the sales pitch.
There business practices are deceptive, to say the least. In my opinion this company should be investigated for their bad business practices and ethics.

We have taken 7 trips with Grand Circle Travel and their company for smaller groups (Overseas Adventure Travel). We also travel once a year on our own so I can balance the pros and cons of both forms of travel.
Here’s what GCT does really well: they balance showing you the touristy things you want and need to se with giving you a ‘feel’ of the country and its people. I find that’s something valuable. Their trips are overall a really good value for the money.
Now, a couple of tips: I find they really care about their customers but they have to follow rules (due to the large number of people they take). If you want something, tell them. And, if something isn’t to your satisfaction, tell them. We have and severeal times they have either fixed the issue or even made a refund towards a future trip.
Second, read all the trip reviews on their website. There are some really good tips to be found there.
Finally, if this is your first trip with GCT or OAT, they offer a $ 100 credit when you say you were referred by a prior traveler. Feel free to use my name and number (I also get a credit which I will gladly use on the next two trips I already have planned). Jesse Slome #932 019
And, I will gladly answer any questions before you travel. I’ve traveled the world … and am pretty direct in what’s good and what isn’t.
Jesse Slome

Summary of Grand Circle Athena experience
The cruise itself was pleasant and easy. We went from Athens through Greece to Albania, Montenegro and Croatia. It was a small ship and the other passengers were quite congenial. My review is to let people know that my one (big) concern with the cruise line was the way that they handled my father’s medical emergency. One morning my father woke up quite ill. Because the ship was small there was no medical staff on board. The paramedics were called but the captain would not let them on the ship immediately as there was some issue about their not being able to leave Croatian territory. The captain spent precious time making phone calls. Then the captain refused to allow myself and my husband to use the oxygen on board for my father (although we are both physicians). My father was rushed to the hospital where he remained for 9 days. Grand Circle cruise line was absent for the first 8 days of an experience where my 91 year old father shared a room with four other men who smoked in the bathroom, where coffee was served in pans, and where no one other than his cardiologist spoke English. Grand Circle referred us to their insurance company, On Call. On call also did not show up but rather had a different 22 year old representative call and talk to my parents every day to check in. My father was cleared to leave five days after admission. On Call, the insurance company, who was supposed to escort him back, did not even start to initiate a plan to return him until the day he was cleared for release. He had to remain in the hospital for four more days waiting for a nurse to arrive from the US. Then he had to wait two more days before he was escorted home. He spent an additional 5 days in Croatia just waiting to go home. Meanwhile, the hospital was appalled at the lack of communication from both the cruise line and the insurance company. This experience cost myself and my siblings thousands of dollars in expenses and lost income. It turns out that Grand Circle contracts out their insurance to On Call but On Call contracts out the underwriting to something called Trip Mate. Basically everyone kept passing the buck and saying that it was the other organization that should have done something. Fortunately my father returned home safe and well. However, both Trip Mate and Grand Circle refused to reimburse most of our expenses. My 91 year old father is now trying to see what his health insurance will reimburse for the hospital bill and then we will see if that portion of cost will be reimbursed by Tripmate. What we did get finally was an apology letter from Grand Circle for our miserable experience… and a final denial to compensate us in any way. We did get some reimbursement from Tripmate but it was a fraction of our expenses and lost income (and we did not ask them to reimburse our lost income, just our expenses). If you have any potential medical issues I would strongly suggest NOT going on this ship as the captain, the company, the medical insurance company and underwriter were not responsible, professional, caring or respectful.

Grand Circle’s integrity and reliability is questionable based on our current experience:
October 2014: a group of friends nationwide paid over $ 50,000 IN CASH (ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE) to OAT Travel (Grand Circle’s small tour company) for a NOV 1, 2015 Galapagos trip.

June 30, 2015: 4 months before scheduled trip, our group leader received an email (below) from Grand Circle stating that our trip was cancelled with an implausible explanation that their boat was broken, limited choices without compensation, and no attempt on their part to provide a solution in over 4 months.
We chose Grand Circle based on reviews of happy travels. Also, because they are an established US based company with a relatively high profit margin for a tour company, we expected the security that when issues arise, the company would be financially equipped to take the burden rather than passing it on to the customers. This was not the case for us.
Email raises questions about integrity and customer service:
(1) They requested a decision in 1 week (by July 7) to change the date to OCT 2015 departing 1 week before our scheduled trip.
We are a group of working professional women who have been planning for 1 year – juggling work schedules, family obligations, and pet care to celebrate a momentous occasion with a good friend.
They gave the group leader 7 days (spanning the 4^th of July holiday) to contact the group, change airline tickets, coordinate with family, reschedule work, find pet sitters… Further, Grand Circle’s offices were closed for 4 of the 7 days so could not contact them for options.
2) Compensation: NONE. No refund offered if we cannot change time or for the price difference to travel on another month – published rates are $ 100-​$ 200 more to travel in November than most months.
A $ 250 travel credit was offered for future travel, but we won’t travel with GC again.
The change was likely an attempt to maximize profit. No gesture to share profit with us or compensate for our flexibility. Instead, they are currently offering travel specials (fee airfare) to new travelers to take their Summer 2015 Galapagos trip. We paid for our airfare. GC should take care of customers who paid one year in advance first.
They likely invested our $ 50,000 in cash; a 2% secure CD would yield $ 1000 in a year.
(3) Reason: Boat broken? They offered us an OCT trip departing 1 week before our scheduled trip, so why will the boat be broken for our NOV trip? Further, GC is actively recruiting travelers for additional 2015 Galapagos trips. Isn’t 4 months enough time for a GC, boasting a fleet of private boats, to fix or find a boat for a group who paid over $ 50,000 in cash one year in advance. Likely reason is that our boat was not full to maximize profits.
(4) Notification process: Only the group leader was notified, not individual travelers. My online account did not have a message and when I called the 1 – 800 number, I was told there was no change to my itinerary. 45 minutes on hold with the call representative to hear that I was right, but she had no further information on options. My calls and email to Grand Circle regarding possible solutions have not been returned. It is now July 7, the deadline to book the alternate date. I have not heard back from OAT or Grand Circle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JUNE 30 EMAIL
From: Michelle xxxx;
To: xxxx
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2015 8:23 AM
Subject: Important Information from OAT
Hi xxxx,
I tried calling you yesterday. but was unable to reach you.
I have some changes in regards to your upcoming Amazon & Galapagos Wilds trip.
Unfortunately, the ship you were scheduled on did run aground while doing a night sailing. It was a combination of very dark lava rock that’s difficult to see at night, some rough seas, and then of course it was dark out. At this point, the ship is too badly damaged to be able to operate any other departures. We have tried finding alternate ships, but we could not arrange that for all of our departures. Your departure is one of the ones where we do not have an alternative and we are required to reschedule your group. Your options are:
1) Move the group to the departure date of 10÷24−11÷9. However this date does not have the pre-​trip extension.
2) Move the group to a departure date in 2016. If the group chooses to move to 2016, the group will be price protected against any year over year price increases and each traveler will receive a $ 250 credit for future travel.
Please advise as soon as possible, I am currently holding space on the date of 10/​24, but will need to release it to the general public by July 7^th.
I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
Warm Regards,
Michelle xxxx
Groups Account Executive
Grand Circle Corporation
800−597−2452 option #3
Ask me how you can earn $ 1000 when you refer a new group leader!

Beware of Grand Circle’s bait and switch pricing. They do not honor contracts and Alan and Harriet Lewis and upper management refuse to speak to customers. My invoice from them gave my balance and due date for getting their Good Buy discount and once my deposit was past the refundable date they emailed to us to say they changed their policy and we had to be paid in full by the end of this month to receive quoted price. Over 14 months prior to departure rather than 12 months before departure as is stated twice on contract. Otherwise price goes up. It looks like they are in financial trouble and need the cash. Makes me wonder if traveling with them is secure.

Thee days after I wrote the review below, GCT contacted me to say that it had decided not to apply its new policy to customers with current reservations. Logic prevailed, and I am happy GCT recognized its error. I am more than satisfied with GCT’s response to complaints about this matter.
In April 2015, I paid the deposit for a trip departing August 30, 2016, with the understanding that I would receive a «Good Buy Savings» of 10% if I paid in full by August 30, 2015. On April 30, 2015, I received an invoice with those terms; also, my current online GCT account shows those same terms. On July 1, 2015, I received an email notifying me that the «Good Buy Savings» program now required me to pay in full by July 30, 2015, a full 30 days earlier than originally committed. Discussions with GCT representatives have been fruitless, and I am expected to pay in full earlier than I was originally notified to receive the savings. I have not traveled with GCT before and this retrospective change in policy makes me very leery about continuing to do business with this company. I am planning on withdrawing from my tour based on other negative reviews and this incident because I have no assurance that GCT will not renege on other aspects of a tour.
Jean S.

My husband & I, with a group of 10 other friends, took our 2^nd riverboat cruise in Sept. The trip itself was wonderful (great weather, great Program Director etc.).
During the trip, my husband had a medical emergency. The medical issue was resolved, and we were able to complete our trip. I opened a medical claim with Trip Mate Insurance on 9÷22÷14. Trip Mate Insurance is the Travel Protection Plan recommended by GCT.
We purchased the Trip Mate Insurance for $ 1,500.
We submitted a claim to Trip Mate for 329 Euros (300 euros for Medical care, and 29 euros for taxi). After several conversations with Trip Mate within the last 10 weeks, I found out today that they are only going to pay for the taxi expense of 29 euros!
Supposedly we have to submit the 300 medical bill to my husband’s primary insurance (Medicare — to be denied) and then to his secondary insurance (probably to be denied), and then to Trip Mate. We were just told this today. What a joke!
According to GCT’s booklet, «Don’t worry about having to pay for medical expenses if you fall ill or become injured while on vacation. You’re covered up to $ 50,000 for expenses such as doctor’s visits, hospital costs, and emergency care during your trip…» When I read this to Heather of Trip Mate, she told me this was GCT’s advertising, and not the actual language of the policy.
I called GCT to express my disgust, and then cancelled our $ 1,000 deposit on an upcoming $ 20,000 trip. Neither Kristin (customer service at GCT) or Mike (supervisor at GCT) were concerned about the cancellation of this trip.
GCT — You let us down. We will tell our friends, and take our traveling monies elsewhere.

BEWARE! This company is HORRIBLE! (I’d give negative stars if I could)
On a recent river cruise with Grand Circle, my husband and I took an optional outing in Germany to an abbey, which included a ferry boat crossing to another monument. Unfortunately, I made a wrong turn coming out of the abbey and became separated from the group. My husband told the tour directors I was missing, and they told him not to worry, that I’d probably gotten on the ferry ahead of the group. They assured him he’d find me on the other side of the river. He was frantic, but trusted them, and left on the ferry with the rest of the tour. In the meantime, I was literally abandoned (without my passport, which was kept on the river boat) in a small village where I could find no one who spoke English. I was in a state of panic as was my husband, when he found I HADN’T taken the ferry, and when he realized the tour directors had no idea what to do next.
It took hours of MY efforts to find someone who spoke enough English to help me. A lovely woman closed the window to her shop, and helped me determine find out where the river boat (it was relocating while we were on the outing) was, find out where the group was, and to make taxi arrangements to reconnect.
When I finally reconnected with the group, I was terribly distraught and traumatized, as was my husband. Instead of trying to make it up to me, the tour directors ignored me, and ultimately told me they were not responsible for losing me, since it was «MY choice» to leave the group. Unbelievable.
My follow up with Grand Circle has been even more frustrating. First of all, the tour directors gave the name of their supervisor as someone who was no longer even with the company. Then, when I finally connected with someone in the quality management department, she refused to tell me her position or pass me on to her supervisor (or even provide the name of her supervisor) as requested multiple times.
So…to make a LONG story short, our trip was really tainted by a horrific experience on day 3 of a 17 day (very expensive) vacation. The tour directors were rude and in my opinion, quite incompetent. The best the company would do was to offer reimbursement for the cab fare and small vouchers for our «next trip» with them (like we will ever travel with them again). Appalling. Many of my friends have traveled with them before, and are now using other companies… as are we. We are booked for four international trips for this upcoming year… sorry, Grand Circle, it could have been you, but due to your horrible treatment of clients, especially when something goes wrong, lost you a heck of a lot of business.
Take warning, everyone…

Company does not stick to itinerary as published. Side trips are usually not completely or honestly described by company – they don’t tell you the «full» story. You can usually do side trips on your own cheaper.
Guides don’t know your names after you’ve just spent 10 days with them! They are just interested in how much you are going to tip them. High turnover rate at company which speaks volumes!
There are other more ethical, economical trips to take than Grand Circle. Just search the internet. (You’ll find lots more complaints about them too.)