Vantage---no phone contact?

Has anyone had trouble getting through to Vantage? I get a busy signal or "no one is available to take your call" THAT has never happened in all the years I've dealt with them. Are there phone issues today in Boston??

Just tried them and phones seem to be working fine. I didn't stay on long enough to actually talk to someone because that could be hours and I'm kinda busy today....but it was the usual recorded message. Also went to BBB and nothing pops up....could have just been a glitch in the system. I did get an e-mail from them today.....for a trip that's been sold out for months and I wish they'd stop sending me ads for it!!

If you are using a land line, you may want to try a cell or vice versa. I have encountered this before when one company will get through but others will not.

If you are using a land line, you may want to try a cell or vice versa. I have encountered this before when one company will get through but others will not.

This is true, but Vantage IMHO, is notorious for being difficult to contact. This is my only real complaint I have with them. You get an answering message that tells you to click say on customer service, then you get another message asking you to hold for a representative while they play godawful music to drive you nuts....and after about 20 minutes you hang up. :D But the actual trip portion is spectacular that's why I continue to book with them!

Son of a Gun....Vantage just called me in response to my call earlier when I didn't wait or leave a message!! I think I may have to eat my words.:D

This is true, but Vantage IMHO, is notorious for being difficult to contact. This is my only real complaint I have with them. You get an answering message that tells you to click say on customer service, then you get another message asking you to hold for a representative while they play godawful music to drive you nuts....and after about 20 minutes you hang up. :D But the actual trip portion is spectacular that's why I continue to book with them!

Finally got through after 3 hours on and off dialing... talked to a rep... got cut off... reconnected and got thru... cut off TWICE more before reaching a human. Finally reached another rep. Apparently they or Boston is having phone issues today...

But that's just part of the problem. We have pre-registered with a deposit for a 2017 trip. It sells out very quickly because it's a small ship. Noticed today that it is listed online and SOLD OUT for all 5 dates! So that's why I called. The rep told me that the reservations are NOT open yet... the dates are NOT set ... So WHY is it showing up on their WEBSITE??? He had no good answer. Hope he wasn't just giving me some B.S.

I've emailed Customer Service and will be seriously P.O.'d if it did sell-out and we were not contacted even though we pre-booked!!!

Finally got through after 3 hours on and off dialing... talked to a rep... got cut off... reconnected and got thru... cut off TWICE more before reaching a human. Finally reached another rep. Apparently they or Boston is having phone issues today...

 

But that's just part of the problem. We have pre-registered with a deposit for a 2017 trip. It sells out very quickly because it's a small ship. Noticed today that it is listed online and SOLD OUT for all 5 dates! So that's why I called. The rep told me that the reservations are NOT open yet... the dates are NOT set ... So WHY is it showing up on their WEBSITE??? He had no good answer. Hope he wasn't just giving me some B.S.

 

I've emailed Customer Service and will be seriously P.O.'d if it did sell-out and we were not contacted even though we pre-booked!!!

Are you talking about the Great Lakes trip or Cuba? I called Vantage the day I got the catalog and all dates were sold out. Every week I've been getting an e-mail telling me how wonderful this new trip is (Great LAkes)....and every week I go to the web site thinking they've added new dates.....but Noooo...every date is still sold out. If they took money from you for a deposit you're probably ok....I know I've done this and never had a problem. Apparently the St Laurant was involved in a bit of an accident and the company has filed for bankruptcy protection....this doesn't necessarily mean they are/or might go out of business, but it could be why they have no dates set yet.

Are you talking about the Great Lakes trip or Cuba? I called Vantage the day I got the catalog and all dates were sold out. Every week I've been getting an e-mail telling me how wonderful this new trip is (Great LAkes)....and every week I go to the web site thinking they've added new dates.....but Noooo...every date is still sold out. If they took money from you for a deposit you're probably ok....I know I've done this and never had a problem. Apparently the St Laurant was involved in a bit of an accident and the company has filed for bankruptcy protection....this doesn't necessarily mean they are/or might go out of business, but it could be why they have no dates set yet.

Did I understand you to say Vantage filled for BK protection or the Owners of the St Laurant (or is that Vantage)????

Are you talking about the Great Lakes trip or Cuba? I called Vantage the day I got the catalog and all dates were sold out. Every week I've been getting an e-mail telling me how wonderful this new trip is (Great LAkes)....and every week I go to the web site thinking they've added new dates.....but Noooo...every date is still sold out. If they took money from you for a deposit you're probably ok....I know I've done this and never had a problem. Apparently the St Laurant was involved in a bit of an accident and the company has filed for bankruptcy protection....this doesn't necessarily mean they are/or might go out of business, but it could be why they have no dates set yet.

It's the Cuba trip and we've paid our deposit. It's with Haimark and they show a bunch of dates on their website. Where did you get the info about the accident?

Haimark had great ships on the Amazon and Irrawaddy rivers. Their on site representatives were very approachable and available. I bet they will offer a great product for Cuba and they seem to work well with Vantage.

Did I understand you to say Vantage filled for BK protection or the Owners of the St Laurant (or is that Vantage)????

No... the St. Laurent is not owned by Vantage. It is a Haimark ship. I haven't been able to find any mention of BK protection... just this link about the ship accident last year. It was sailing as a Haimark cruise at the time apparently.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6417

Edited to add....

Looks like bankruptcy maybe premature... http://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/haimark-hopes-to-cancel-bankruptcy-filing-by-weeks-end.html

"....As for those holding tickets for future cruises, the cruise line says that for now, all cruises all going on as planned – including a Cuba winter cruise out of Miami and a series of summer cruises sailing Northeast waters of New England, the St. Lawrence and The Great Lakes."

Did I understand you to say Vantage filled for BK protection or the Owners of the St Laurant (or is that Vantage)????

Sorry for the misunderstanding.....Absolutely not....Vantage is fine (as far as I know) no the company that owns the St. Laurent (Haimark) has filed for bankruptcy protection and apparently is preparing to withdraw their petition, which was filed last week.

No... the St. Laurent is not owned by Vantage. It is a Haimark ship. I haven't been able to find any mention of BK protection... just this link about the ship accident last year. It was sailing as a Haimark cruise at the time apparently.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6417

 

Edited to add....

 

Looks like bankruptcy maybe premature... http://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/haimark-hopes-to-cancel-bankruptcy-filing-by-weeks-end.html

 

"....As for those holding tickets for future cruises, the cruise line says that for now, all cruises all going on as planned – including a Cuba winter cruise out of Miami and a series of summer cruises sailing Northeast waters of New England, the St. Lawrence and The Great Lakes."

Glad to hear that Haimark is withdrawing their petition, which was filed a week ago. Apparently Haimark filed the petition due to insurance claims arising from the lock incident, but then goes on to say the St. Laurent is owned by Clipper Cruises....I would guess that each passenger ship is owned by separate corporations.

I did get an email from Customer Service at Vantage explaining that the Cruise is NOT open yet and that we will be called before it is announced to the public. So WHY post it on the website and list all the dates as SOLD OUT??? That does not make sense to me. Put it on the website when it becomes available for sale!!!

I did get an email from Customer Service at Vantage explaining that the Cruise is NOT open yet and that we will be called before it is announced to the public. So WHY post it on the website and list all the dates as SOLD OUT??? That does not make sense to me. Put it on the website when it becomes available for sale!!!

Maybe it isn't available for sale....maybe it's sold out already with people like you! I think that' what happened to me with the Great Lakes trip....they posted the first three dates...they sold out within hours...and started taking names and deposits for future dates, which they then booked with Haimark and realized they had enough people on the pre-registration list to sell out those dates too. And yes, the Great Lakes trip is still in their brochure and on line with all of the dates SOLD OUT..... I guess they want people to know they have it and how popular it is..... what frosts me is they keep sending me e-mails about this Great Lakes trip and how wonderful it is when they know damn well I can't book it for 2016 or 2017!! But as I said, I've pre-registered for trips with Vantage before and always gotten a phone call to confirm when the dates became available.

Maybe it isn't available for sale....maybe it's sold out already with people like you! I think that' what happened to me with the Great Lakes trip....they posted the first three dates...they sold out within hours...and started taking names and deposits for future dates, which they then booked with Haimark and realized they had enough people on the pre-registration list to sell out those dates too. And yes, the Great Lakes trip is still in their brochure and on line with all of the dates SOLD OUT..... I guess they want people to know they have it and how popular it is..... what frosts me is they keep sending me e-mails about this Great Lakes trip and how wonderful it is when they know damn well I can't book it for 2016 or 2017!! But as I said, I've pre-registered for trips with Vantage before and always gotten a phone call to confirm when the dates became available.

You mean their 2017 Great Lake cruises are already booked out! :eek:

BTW - we got an e-mail dated Nov 16th offering us an upgrade deal for our July 26th, 2016 date. That tells me that room was available. Hmmm.....

-Rose

You mean their 2017 Great Lake cruises are already booked out! :eek:

 

BTW - we got an e-mail dated Nov 16th offering us an upgrade deal for our July 26th, 2016 date. That tells me that room was available. Hmmm.....

 

-Rose

I have to tell you Rose...I don't know what's going on with this trip...but I've already moved on to somewhere else....