CMTHOMAS, this ones for you

[land lover]

Clarence,

Thanks for your many tips on river cruises, wanted someone to get referral credit for our new customer booking...so I hope you don't mind, I am giving it to you...pays to have your last name on the board...we won't be going until June 2007. Hope you can use it, but if not thank for saving us.

[AliceS]

Lori,

 

When are you doing a river cruise? We met on the Coral Princess. We are going on the Amalegro in August, 2007.

[land lover]

Alice, to funny, I just posted to you on the "wrinkle" thread:) We must have been posting at the same time, because when mine came up yours was there.

 

This will be my 2nd river cruise, I will be going to Russia in June. I went with Viking to China this last August....

 

When I was looking for tips about Russia I saw your sig.

You have Ocean cruised soooooooooooooooooo much are you really jumping ship on to a boat? We'll this be your first??????????

[cmthomas]

Awwww, shucks, Lori <<<blush>>> you are so kind! I really learn a lot from these Boards and I have the feeling that a lot of people wind up with better trips as a result of what they read here. I know that I will consider many more river cruise providers than I have in the past as a result of the great and objective reviews that I have read here.

 

Since you have some time before your departure on the Russian River Cruise I do wish to encourage you to learn a little of the language before you go. This may be presumptuous as I don't know if you are already knowledgable in the language. If not, start with the alphabet so that you can look at the words and sound them out. For example, when you see the word "pectopah" it is NOT pronounced peck-toe-pah --- it is restaurant with the last "t" silent. Lots of other Russian words will be understandable if you can just sound them out. Sort of like "hooked on phonics!"

 

We will all be looking forward to sharing your experiences by way of a review when you return.

 

Regards, Clarence:)

[cmthomas]

Lori, here is a site that you might find helpful in learning the Russian alphabet:

 

http://static.unilang.org/resources/courses/learnrussian_en.php

 

Good luck!

 

Clarence:)

[land lover]

Clarence glad you got my message. No, I know nothing about the language, my husband does though....but we appreciate any tips.

 

According to GCT you will be getting a note in a few weeks stating that you will have 200. referral credit after our trip is completed, I think it lasts for a year.

 

I really had a difficult time deciding on this tour, but the hotel days sold me. I was very interested to see how their reservation department would be after so many comments made on these boards, I did a search so got more info than I truly wanted. What has your experience been with them? I read on some thread that you had gone with them twice.

[land lover]

We are posting at the same time:D

[cmthomas]

Yes, we have been with GTC twice. However, on both trips we took their air allowance and did our own arrangements allowing us to "go early" and "stay over." Not all of their trips provide an air allowance but it appears that they are adding more and more.

 

Our two trips with GTC (Vienna to Amsterdam on the Danube, Main and Rhine and Antwerp to Basel on the Rhine and Mosel) were fabulous! Not a single complaint with either the back office operation or the on board operation. I suspect that 95% or more of their passengers have the same result.

 

What sets companies apart is how they handle things within that last 5% and there it appears that GTC may have a problem. Of course, for all I know the rest of the companies could be the same but I doubt it because if so we would be hearing about it on this Board!

 

We have been on trips where things went wrong and the way that it was handled meant the difference between accepting the occurrence as "one of those things" that experienced travelers learn to live with and the "barn burning rage" that comes with being ignored or told lies. Most experienced travelers know well that "get me once - shame on you; get me twice shame on me!" is the best way to handle the situation. We vote with our wallet.

 

GTC's apparent indifference to the BBB's action against them is not a good sign. I don't like to have to pray that I don't fall into that 5% group. The river cruise industry provides us with lots of choice these days and GTC really needs to become more aware of their public relations.

 

So, I would say that you have a 95% chance of having a GREAT trip and those are good odds in anyone's favor.

 

Clarence:)

[land lover]

Clarence,

 

One thing about them that I Question is their "good buy plan"....it is as if they have a cash flow problem and the fact that if I pay in full with a credit card I am still not assured of no increases, but those that pay in cash are????????? Just not a good business practice to me. But, I will play the game to get the trip. When you traveled with them did they have the good buy plan and did you partake?

[cmthomas]

Yes, they did and yes, I did. Just practice holding your breath for the next year!

 

Of all the complaints that have been heard about GTC, financial problems is NOT one of them. I don't know if any of the independant companies that sell trip insurance will provide coverage for GCT for monetary default but it is certainly worth checking out. I think that I would use that as one yardstick with which to measure the risk factor.

 

The other yardstick is to keep watch for trip reports that indicate that they are cutting back on service or maintenance and I have seen none of that. Their "Good Buy" plan does give you a decent return on your money over that period. You just have to hope that it doesn't turn into a "good bye" plan:D!

 

Clarence:)

[AliceS]

Have a great time, Lori. Yes, this will be our first river cruise. We did a one day Rhine cruise while we were in Germany, but that doesn't count We are looking forward to this trip. We go in August.

[land lover]

Alice our old thread is still going strong, come and visit.

 

You'll love the river cruise.

[land lover]

Yes, they did and yes, I did. Just practice holding your breath for the next year!

 

Of all the complaints that have been heard about GTC, financial problems is NOT one of them. I don't know if any of the independant companies that sell trip insurance will provide coverage for GCT for monetary default but it is certainly worth checking out. I think that I would use that as one yardstick with which to measure the risk factor.

 

The other yardstick is to keep watch for trip reports that indicate that they are cutting back on service or maintenance and I have seen none of that. Their "Good Buy" plan does give you a decent return on your money over that period. You just have to hope that it doesn't turn into a "good bye" plan:D!

 

Clarence:)

 

Yes, several of the independant companies with "insure my trip" will cover them for default. I always get my own travel insurance,we get it primarily for cancellation because we still have 3 teens at home in sports and elderly parents. My MIL we have full responibility for presently she is in a rest home. She was living at home with a full time care giver until right before our China trip when she fell and broke her shoulder. Once we are on a trip, a situation would have to be pretty serious for us return...we never contact anyone while we are on vacation, out of sight out of mind...... we feel that is truly getting away.

 

The "good buy" interests me more because of no additional increases. I hate to get hit with another 200. here or there. The last few years have really been crazy. Since We are doing air with them and coming from SO. CAL. they could really nail us. So I will probably do the good buy just for that reason.

 

Thanks for your wise and useful input. I know in one post your wrote something about being in college fifty years ago...I wasn't born yet. But certainly enjoy the wisdom from the more experienced and "mature traveller"(per GCT).

 

Thanks again,

[cmthomas]

Yes, Lori, with the passage of years one hopes to acquire wisdom. I think that the adage that I admire the most is "Don't sweat the little things and they are ALL little things!" when it comes to problems while traveling (and maybe even in most of life).

 

Travel has been my principal hobby for about 35 years and it is amazing what it does for your perspective on many things. However, no matter how nice the trip it is ALWAYS good to get home and to appreciate how well we have it here compared to other parts of the world. I suppose that people who live in those other parts of the world say the same thing when they get home!

 

Clarence:)

[Carhut]

May I add my two cents to your postings? In regard to GCT's Good Buy Plan, I have used it the last couple of trips. I kind of hated to give them my money almost a year ahead of time, but it was a significant savings and as a friend pointed out, that the same money that I paid wouldn't have gained that much in interst than the amount I saved, if I had kept it in a savings account until the final payment was due. Hope that makes sense.

Also I don't buy insurance from the company I book with. I always get one from "Insure My Trip". Never had to use it, so can't vouch for how good that works, but have read time and again that it's better to do it that way.

Another point, regarding using credit card checks, as somebody pointed out, you could pay big time on those. Need to read the fine print. If there is 0% finance charge for a period and no transaction fees, then yes, they are a good deal. But you don't find these very often.

Another matter: I was talking to a travel counseler at GCT the other day and I brought up the matter of seeing complaints online about GCT. His reply was that they send over 160,000 people on trips every year and the complaints are less than 1%. But the BBB doesn't consider the percentage of complaints, but just go by the actual numbers.

[land lover]

Carole alias CARHUT, I love that name.

 

Thanks for the tips.