All Things Vantage

I was responding to what Feliseop and Shmoo here said above. If I am reading your post correctly you are saying that the cruise director and concierge should be tipped in the 7-10€ range and not 7 - 10€ per day. That is a very big difference.

Another area of concern for me is that I have been trying to contact Vantage with a question and am having trouble getting through. This morning when I called to book the cruise it was no problem. Now when I am calling with a question I'm having trouble Earlier today I waited on hold as the recording said it would be six minutes. I gave up when I was listening to the same songs for a third time. Now I took the call me back when it's my turn option and when they called back I was put on hold. Is customer service always like this?

Unfortunately, I have also had problems reaching the customer service line of Vantage. Somewhere along the way, I was given #888 982-6824 as the Customer service line to use. It actually does work better than the numbers on the Vantage brochures seem to.

Good luck.

I was responding to what Feliseop and Shmoo here said above. If I am reading your post correctly you are saying that the cruise director and concierge should be tipped in the 7-10€ range and not 7 - 10€ per day. That is a very big difference.

Another area of concern for me is that I have been trying to contact Vantage with a question and am having trouble getting through. This morning when I called to book the cruise it was no problem. Now when I am calling with a question I'm having trouble Earlier today I waited on hold as the recording said it would be six minutes. I gave up when I was listening to the same songs for a third time. Now I took the call me back when it's my turn option and when they called back I was put on hold. Is customer service always like this?

Sorry if I confused you....cruise director and concierge should be tipped in the $8-12 range per person, per day and that is separate from the tips for the rest of the crew.

I agree with you....Vantage has the WORST corporate management of any company I have ever dealt with and I have posted that many many times here on CC. They do not return phone calls. They do not return e-mails. BUT their actual tour staff is exceptional. I know right now you're wondering "have I made a terrible mistake"...but trust me, the service you will get from the time you claim your luggage and clear immigration until the time they return you to the airport for your trip home, the service and attention you get will be world class.

our documents said:

Gratuity of €17* per passenger, per day will be pre-charged to the guests’ credit card and can be

adjusted at the end of the cruise or modified to cash gratuities. The Gratuities are shared among

the whole crew, including the Cruise Director and Concierge.

* The €17 per passenger, per day is applicable for all non-suite cabins. All guests in suites,

including the Owner’s Suite will be pre-charged €20 per passenger, per day.

We sail in September on the Danube and this is what our documents say also, 17E day/per passenger, and it is split by entire crew and CD/Concierge.

The .pdf packet was 11 pages. The only new info was the ships phone number. They include a very cheezy looking tag you can print out to wrap around the handle of your luggage.

All the ads they send are very glossy, very professional productions. The pre-cruise .pdf, not so much. Also surprised that on their web site, they touted the launch of the new ship River Voyager, for 2 years. That's what we'll be sailing on, so I was very interested to get more info.

Even after it launch, until mid July or so they still had the designer concept photos up, and no real video. It seems like they could have updated that sooner.

Hope it's like Hydro Kitty says, and that upon boarding it will all be sweet.

All tipped positions for € 17 sounds much more reasonable, and in line with other companies, than the previously mentioned € 7-10 each for concierge and cruise director.

We made several attempts to call Vantage, yesterday, to book a future cruise. After trying another phone number, we finally got through and were able to book. I wonder how many people try and give up! I was surprised that we had no trouble getting the cabin category we wanted, and even though the cruise is in September, 2017, there were availabilities! Our past cruises were booked almost a year and a half in advance.

Vantage just called and offered us $1000 to change our trip date for our river cruise to Portugal. We've had the trip booked for over a year but have not special affinity for the date. Just felt October was a good time. They tell us that they have 3 groups booked on the ship for the date in October and it is their experience that travelers not with a group often feel left out. Do agree with this. They SAY everything will stay the same... pre-trip, stateroom category, etc. We had booked our flights with them so that's their issue (although I'm a bit worried we may get stuck with the worse seats on the plane with only 4 weeks to go...)

We'll probably take the deal ....

Vantage just called and offered us $1000 to change our trip date for our river cruise to Portugal. We've had the trip booked for over a year but have not special affinity for the date. Just felt October was a good time. They tell us that they have 3 groups booked on the ship for the date in October and it is their experience that travelers not with a group often feel left out. Do agree with this. They SAY everything will stay the same... pre-trip, stateroom category, etc. We had booked our flights with them so that's their issue (although I'm a bit worried we may get stuck with the worse seats on the plane with only 4 weeks to go...)

 

We'll probably take the deal ....

Wish I could offer serious help but I don't know what I would do either....on the one hand, I can see what they're saying about the large groups....on the other hand who knows if you'll get the same cabin and flight schedule....it's a dilemma for sure. When do they want you to go? That could make a difference.

our documents said:

Gratuity of €17* per passenger, per day will be pre-charged to the guests’ credit card and can be adjusted at the end of the cruise or modified to cash gratuities. The Gratuities are shared among the whole crew, including the Cruise Director and Concierge.

That is something new....on all of my trips with Vantage the gratuities were one amount for the crew and a different amount for the tour director and concierge..and they were paid separately.

Wish I could offer serious help but I don't know what I would do either....on the one hand, I can see what they're saying about the large groups....on the other hand who knows if you'll get the same cabin and flight schedule....it's a dilemma for sure. When do they want you to go? That could make a difference.

It's only a 2 week change.. 2 weeks earlier. And our calendar is completely clear. Can't think that the weather will be that different. Our cabin had NOT been assigned yet and we've been "assured" it's the same category (nothing special anyway). They said they will help with airline seating if it's not to our liking. We'll see. I've always gotten a response from them with issues before so...

I'm always surprised when I hear people say they have trouble reaching customer service. I always get thru!!

It's only a 2 week change.. 2 weeks earlier. And our calendar is completely clear. Can't think that the weather will be that different. Our cabin had NOT been assigned yet and we've been "assured" it's the same category (nothing special anyway). They said they will help with airline seating if it's not to our liking. We'll see. I've always gotten a response from them with issues before so...

 

I'm always surprised when I hear people say they have trouble reaching customer service. I always get thru!!

You must have super powers!! :D

I'm thinking under the circumstances I would take the change....but seeing as you have super powers, I would ask for a cabin upgrade. Seriously.

Hi,

My wife and I have signed up for the Best of Burgundy, Beaujolais & Provence river cruise at the end of October. This is ourfirst Vantage cruise, after having taken several river cruises with Grand Circle (Rhine and Moselle, Great Rivers, Paris to Normandy and Russia).

We are wondering what to expect on a Vantage cruise that is different from what we experienced on Grand Circle, and are hoping that some of you who have taken voyages on each can share some differences. These might have to do with the ship itself, food, activities on board, service on board, amenities on board, entertainment on board, walking and other included tours, etc. Anything to help us set our expectations.

Some specific questions we have include:

Do we have a dedicated small group Program Manager for the entire trip as GCT does for groups of about 35 - 40?

Does the Program Manager go out of his/her way to be helpful as we experienced on GCT?

Are the tours and guides as knowledgeable, friendly and helpful as on GCT?

How do the tour and headsets used compare?

Does Vantage provide maps of all the towns/cities we visit?

Are the “informational” sessions about each port useful, or are they simply commercials for shopping, as is the case on ocean liners?

We may have more questions, but these suffice for now. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Car-Stan

PS: If you are on this cruise, we would love to hear from you!

We've just recently returned from 2 weeks on the River Voyager from Germany to Budapest. It was our first Vantage cruise so I can't tell you if our experience has any relevance to your cruise in France...but I'll give you our experience.

No, there is no small group manager...there was a cruise director and an assistant cruise director for the 174 passengers

Both were very helpful and almost always available.

Tours and guides were a mixed bag. At each stop, we had a local guide for our group. The group changed daily but was always about 40 people (a bus load). Those guides were good. The problem area for me was that as we sailed through some interesting areas, it seemed obvious that the cruise director was reading from a script....she didn't seem all that familiar with the area. Immediately after our cruise, she left to join a different ship on a different river...and a new cruise director appeared for the cruise after ours.

The headsets were excellent...no problems.

yes, they provided maps...and not the usual large cruise maps that show where the "best stores are"...they were just maps.

Informational sessions, held just before dinner were actually informational...not shopping guides.

We have been on some GCT and OAT trips...and one GCT cruise on the Nile. That was a very different experience...and a few years ago so comparisons aren't really fair. I will say that our experience with guides on GCT and OAT has been outstanding....some of the best guides we've had.

Each cruise/tour company has their pluses and minuses. We don't really like the hotels and "family visits" of GCT and OAT...and the food isn't great (too many hotel buffet meals in india). Vantage food was good but the large bus tours just didn't work for us on Vantage.

Overall, I'd say that Vantage and GCT are pretty much a toss up...but if I had to pick one, I'd pick GCT. Having said that, it won't be on a river cruise....it was fine on the Nile...great way to see egypt...but in Europe, I think we'll stick to private tours or just doing it ourselves.

At the risk of a very long post...one of our problems with the cruise we took isn't unique to Vantage...but the ships on the Rhine/Main/Danube often don't dock within walking distance of "town". You can't just wander off the ship to shop/eat/.... The bridges in some areas are low (viking Freya accident) so for a large part of the cruise, you can't sit on the top deck and watch the river pass by as you cruise. Our expectations just differed from the reality....but that's not Vantage's fault.

Your experience will likely be very different than ours...but I thought I'd give you at least one experience.

Car-Stan

We have been on six GCCL river trips including Rhine-Mosel and Great Rivers.We have been on three Vantage river trips including Burgundy in 2015. I will not repeat comments alresdy made by ghstudio. The overall experience was similar, but the Vantage River Discovery II was built in 2012 and has moveable twin beds which can be pushed together to make a double. Vantage includes wine only with dinner. Most docks were within walking distance of the towns, but there were several hour long bus rides to vineyards. There are only a few low bridges so the sundeck is generally open except when going through a small number of locks. That said , we got under a bridge in Lyon with less than an inch clearance (water was quite high; nobody got through for several days after us; 2 days later we were forbidden to sail because the river was running too fast - that is the only day of river sailing I have ever missed in 20 river trips including the Elbe). When we missed sailing, Vantage took us to an additional museum and provided some free drinks - I thought it a fair exchange for the necessary bus ride to get to the town where we did not dock.

Thom

Ghstudio and TravelerThom,

Thanks so much for your comments. We appreciate your taking the time to respond!

Car-Stan

We may be cruising with you. We leave the States 10/30, board the ship 10/31 and return 11/10. It will be our first Vantage River cruise after four River and one small ship with GCT, so I can't answer any of your questions.

How long ago did you book? We booked over a year ago, back when it was supposed to be a special culinary cruise. Unfortunately, they notified us several months ago that all the special activities were dropped.

We may be cruising with you. We leave the States 10/30, board the ship 10/31 and return 11/10. It will be our first Vantage River cruise after four River and one small ship with GCT, so I can't answer any of your questions.

How long ago did you book? We booked over a year ago, back when it was supposed to be a special culinary cruise. Unfortunately, they notified us several months ago that all the special activities were dropped.

Hi, CPT Trips!

Yes, we are sailing with you! In fact, we may also be flying with you, as we will be visiting with our daughter in Delaware and flying from and back to Philly.

We booked just a week or so ago. We had been looking for something for next spring. We were considering the GCT cruise south from Paris and I recalled seeing something in a Vantage catalog. Couldn't find any 2017 dates, so I called and they said this cruise was not going in 2017, they had a great deal on with free air, so we grabbed it.

By the way, we are flying to Lyon via Madrid, and home from Marseille via London Heathrow. How about you?

I had noticed in their 2016 catalog that this was scheduled as a special culinary cruise, and was going to ask what special things would be included. I guess you told me the answer to that one.

Yesterday was the first time I have been on this thread, and I read back about 6 or 7 pages, but other than that and the stuff Vantage sends out, I have little info about them. Anything you can add would be great for us.

We used to live in NJ - near Summit and just of I-78, about 15 miles from beautiful Newark Airport, before coming down to NC.

Car-Stan

Hi, CPT Trips!

 

Yes, we are sailing with you! In fact, we may also be flying with you, as we will be visiting with our daughter in Delaware and flying from and back to Philly.

 

We booked just a week or so ago. We had been looking for something for next spring. We were considering the GCT cruise south from Paris and I recalled seeing something in a Vantage catalog. Couldn't find any 2017 dates, so I called and they said this cruise was not going in 2017, they had a great deal on with free air, so we grabbed it.

 

By the way, we are flying to Lyon via Madrid, and home from Marseille via London Heathrow. How about you?

 

I had noticed in their 2016 catalog that this was scheduled as a special culinary cruise, and was going to ask what special things would be included. I guess you told me the answer to that one.

 

Yesterday was the first time I have been on this thread, and I read back about 6 or 7 pages, but other than that and the stuff Vantage sends out, I have little info about them. Anything you can add would be great for us.

 

We used to live in NJ - near Summit and just of I-78, about 15 miles from beautiful Newark Airport, before coming down to NC.

 

Car-Stan

Hi Car-Stan....I'm not on this trip with you guys, but I've taken 8 cruises with Vantage and I think you'll be pleased, cancelled specialty trip notwithstanding. I think that was something they did for a very short time and it probably wasn't all that successful, although I don't know why it wouldn't be. We've always been exceptionally pleased with Vantage trips...(although you will see me vent against their corporate staff :D) The cabins are very comfortable, the food is consistently good with quite a variety of choices and the guides they hire are all local and with only one exception, have been excellent. I haven't been on the new ships since we're discovered ocean cruising but they look lovely. I think you'll be very pleased with the quality of the product.

Thanks, Hydrokitty! It is nice to get a positive recommendation from someone who has used them as much as you have.

Can you think of anything we need to be alert for?

Car-Stan

Car-Stan

It's a short layover in Madrid. You guys speak enough Spanish to help us find the right gate to Lyon? :p

No, but I am sure we can do it together. I got some info on Madrid airport - directions or something. Need to find them.

Car-Stan

Madrid airport has everything in English, so no problems.

...We booked just a week or so ago. We had been looking for something for next spring. We were considering the GCT cruise south from Paris and I recalled seeing something in a Vantage catalog. Couldn't find any 2017 dates, so I called and they said this cruise was not going in 2017, they had a great deal on with free air, so we grabbed it...

On 2016 Vantage changed these to 7 night cruises. I have a Vantage flier from May 2016 advertising weekly cruises on both the Seine and Soane/Rhone from Mar through Dec 2017 (yes 2017) with specific dates & prices. NOW NOTHING???

On the River Discovery II on the Rhone they showed a video of placing the boat on a ship in Rotterdam and shipping it to Marseille at a cost of $1Million. On the Seine the River Venture had docking privileges in Honfleur, which I consider a premium location (they spent a year 2014-2015 getting that approval; MANY companies do not get into Honfleur).

While I no longer see any France on the Vantage website (not sure what that proves, since I find the site incredibly difficult), I am seeing Vantage advertising the Elbe with a photo looking remarkably like an old Viking boat (I did the Elbe in 2010 on the old Viking Clara Schuman). I'm wondering if Vantage is thinking that since all the other lines seem to be conducting bus tours from parked boats, why don't we do that:confused::mad:

Thom

I can't figure out what is going in with Vantage in France. In 2015 we did the 10 night Seine combo side-by-side with the Vantage 10 night Soane/Rhone. Quite satisfied.

 

On 2016 Vantage changed these to 7 night cruises. I have a Vantage flier from May 2016 advertising weekly cruises on both the Seine and Soane/Rhone from Mar through Dec 2017 (yes 2017) with specific dates & prices. NOW NOTHING???

 

On the River Discovery II on the Rhone they showed a video of placing the boat on a ship in Rotterdam and shipping it to Marseille at a cost of $1Million. On the Seine the River Venture had docking privileges in Honfleur, which I consider a premium location (they spent a year 2014-2015 getting that approval; MANY companies do not get into Honfleur).

 

While I no longer see any France on the Vantage website (not sure what that proves, since I find the site incredibly difficult), I am seeing Vantage advertising the Elbe with a photo looking remarkably like an old Viking boat (I did the Elbe in 2010 on the old Viking Clara Schuman). I'm wondering if Vantage is thinking that since all the other lines seem to be conducting bus tours from parked boats, why don't we do that:confused::mad:

 

Thom

Gosh, I hope not! We're planning on booking one of those while on our next trip.

Thanks, Hydrokitty! It is nice to get a positive recommendation from someone who has used them as much as you have.

 

Can you think of anything we need to be alert for?

 

Car-Stan

Nothing comes to mind, although I have to say some of the posts from people who booked after my last trip are a bit disconcerting. I would suggest checking your portfolio every few weeks or so just to check that nothing's changed. My last trip with them was Rhine-Moselle and it was marvelous but I have noticed that they seem to be changing their concentrations....I wonder if it's due to the terrorist attacks in France.