GCT Ancient Egypt and the Nile -YES or NO

[2travelers]

HI: We are considering taking the GCT Ancient Egypt and the Nile River Cruise in Feb-march '09. We have even convinced some other CC friends to join us. After doing some research, GCT offers everything we want, including the optional tours and the number of days we would like to be away. The clincher was the Feature story on this board. In any event, I have been having no end of trouble getting through to them by phone and decided to see if there were any other numbers I could reach them at. On the way to their website, I came across the Frommers Travel Talk board and started reading some really upsetting horror stories about GCT. This was not only on their River Cruises, but all other land and river tours they handle. Things from switching hotels at the last minute (bait and switch), raising the prices after the final payment was made, canceling the trip at the last minute due to poor response and not refunding money but rather offering a voucher for another trip (when, according to the poster they say full refund in case of cancellation)....and on and on. We have traveled extensively and have certainly had our share of problems - but we have also learned to keep a sense of humor and roll with the puches. I am really hyped about this trip and since many of the posts on Frommers were two and three years old - I would like some more recent thoughts and experiences. I am heading for South America in March - but as I said - I am really looking forward to this trip....any responses negative or positve would be appreciated. Thanks

Ronnie

[cherylakers]

Hi

 

There are 12 of us booked for the 1/26/08 Nile cruise with GCT. We have friends that have cruised 4 times with them and said they are nothing but experts at it. I have another post down the line asking about this trip and a fellow CC named Larry answered my questions, etc. He had nothing but praise for this trip. I have called them several times and got right through their toll free # on their web site. Call early in the morning. They are professional and were very helpful. They also always answer my emails. I asked how much laundry was on their ship and they answered.

 

Since we have not traveled with them before I am relying on friends that have and also this board for their opinions and all have been favorable.

 

Cheryl

[PhylHarv]

We have taken many trips with GCT and have had great experiences on each of them. We took this trip a few years ago and found that it was a wonderful experience. We have never had a problem getting through to them to talk to an agent so can't imagine what the problem is with your getting through to them. We have taken several river cruises with them in Europe as well as land tours that they offer and have never had any of the problems you mention--I guess we have been very lucky. We are looking forward to our next river cruise with them in November. I hope you decide to take this trip. When we did it, we also took the extension in Jordan and enjoyed that very much also.

[2travelers]

Thanks Cheryl and PhylHarv - I always depend on the CC people to come through for me. I really appreciate all the good tips and advice you give. I have tried calling GCT in the late aafternoon and keep getting the same overload message. This afternoon they advised of at least a twenty minute wait. I will try again early in the morning as you suggested. I am so glad that you both have good things to say, since I got my fellow CC traveler to come along. Did either one of you give them a $1000 deposit to be put on a list to be called when bookings open or did you just get the list of dates and call to book? That is what I would ordinarily do, but when I did call them a few weeks ago to get a brochure (my DH loves to read it during his lunch) they kept telling me how this trip gets booked quickly and that I really needed to send them $500pp to be put on a "wait list". I am not inclined to give $1000 for a trip that is well over a year from now. I think that I will wait until january or February of '08 and start checking their website to see if they have released the '09 dates. How far in advance did you book? Did you get the dates that you wanted? My husband is also interested in doing the Jordan extension, but that seems to be a really long time to take off from work...maybe I should buy a lottery ticket :)

Ronnie

[paul929207]

We have traveled three times with GCT/OAT. First was the Nile you are looking at March 2006. Then Peru & the Amazon rain forest this past April and finally Ultimate Africa in July. All were excellent. We did not have any of the problems you mentioned. If fact, for Peru, we got a check for $200 each when they reduced the price. We did not have to ask for the refund, it just showed up.

[lsbauer]

We did this trip in February of 2007 and thought it was excellent. It was our first tour with anyone and picked GT for basically for the same reasons you outlined in your original post. Everything was well organized and, when we did have some aircraft problems on the flight back from Abu Simbel, the GC people handled it very well. I never had a problem reaching them on the phone and they always seem helpful. Again, our fist tour so we have nothing to compare it to but we were very satisfied.

 

Egypt is amazing and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

Larry

[cherylakers]

Ronnie

 

We did not put our name on the wait list. They told me the 08 schedule would be out for booking around first of June 07. They already had my phone # because I inquired with them. They actually called me one evening and said that booking was open and it would be on their website within 2 or 3 days if I wanted to go ahead and book. I did and I was the first one to book this trip. We then formed our group and everyone was booked by late June. Since then prices have gone down twice, $200 each time per cabin. I didn't have to call them for the price reduction either. They automatically gave it to me and sent all of us new invoices so we can pay our final payment in October. There are still cabins available for our 1/26 cruise so I wouldn't worry too much about this one getting full. If I were you, I would call then around the beginning of May 08 and asked when 09 pricing will be out. We booked the Abu Simbel trip at the same time as that trip does sell out early. You have to book this trip in advance. We did not take the insurance up front because if you decided to cancel the trip the insurance money is non-refundable. The only problem with that is pre-existing conditions are not covered until you make that insurance payment. We are going to send in the money with our final payment.

 

I will post a review when we get back so look for it.

 

Take care

 

Cheryl

[2travelers]

Hi Cheryl: Thanks for giving me that information. My CC friend, who is more hyped than I am about this trip has called them twice already. She is in California, and reached them first thing this morning - which means it was about 5am her time! I expect to call them tomorrow, and maybe I will get lucky and they will call me when booking is about to open. We have both been told to start checking around Feb '8 - so I will call instead of going on-line and inquire again. We will book Abu Simbel at that time as well. I expect to get my own insurance because as you said, if anythng comes up it is not refundable. I am not sure if insuremytrip.com has any companies that will refund if there is a problem before the trip and we have to cancel, but I need to be covered for pre-existing conditions for my husband. I don't even know what GCT is charging for insurance, but I think that for the first time, I may just get my own and not go with the travel company. I can't wait to hear about your trip. I am hoping that is as fabulous as it sounds. Take notes!

Ronnie

[Louise22]

Yes, most insurance companies will insure you for a pre-existing condition but you must make sure you purchase the insurance within a certain number of days of making your initial deposit. A few will allow upon final payment but not many. Read each policy carefully. If you have any questions call the company and ask.

[2travelers]

Hi Louise: Yes, you are right. Seems that if you buy insurance from the tour company it has to be bought and paid for at the time of booking. With the private companies - from what I have read, you have 14 days from the day you booked to pay for the policy. I didn't realize that when I booked the South America trip, and by the time I did my homework, it was too late. My DH suggested I cancel the trip and rebook, but I am just hoping for the best! Iwill be smarted when we book the trip to Egypt......should have read these boards first ;)

Ronnie

[terpla]

I have taken 4 trips with Grand Circle and they changed our cruise ship once in Greece on the morning we were leaving to a ship that was ready to be docked ( need I say more) and this last trip changed our hotel a couple of weeks out to one without air conditioning albeit in a good location. I have found they stay @ 3star hotels just so you know. They also offer more optional trips than some of the other companies so do consider that when pricing also. These are not complaints but facts as they happened to us just so you are aware.

[2travelers]

I have taken 4 trips with Grand Circle and they changed our cruise ship once in Greece on the morning we were leaving to a ship that was ready to be docked ( need I say more) and this last trip changed our hotel a couple of weeks out to one without air conditioning albeit in a good location. I have found they stay @ 3star hotels just so you know. They also offer more optional trips than some of the other companies so do consider that when pricing also. These are not complaints but facts as they happened to us just so you are aware.

 

I agree that GCT has more optional trips than some. I have always thought of them as a "bare bones" company. However, it is perfect for us now because my husband had some major spine surgery and can't walk long distances without stopping to rest. While we have done a significant amount of travel on extensive land tours in the past, those days are gone for us. We need to go with the flow, and with GCT if we can't do an optional, we don't. It is a hard pill to swallow when you pay a great deal of money and then have to opt out of tours because you are physically unable to do them. This way, we wing it - if he is up to it -we go; if not - we stay on the ship. So, while a few years back this would not have been our choice; at this point in our lives it is perfect. Thanks for the update on the hotels....although many of the CC posters who did the Egypt trip were very pleased with the hotel. I guess it is the luck of the draw.

Ronnie

[Kayelache]

2Travelers. I can relate. I did two river cruises with GCT with my husband, then in a wheelchair. It worked out great. We did some of the optionals, and did not do the ones what were too strenuous. I was glad we had the option. I was able to push his wheelchair over Europe's cobblestones (bup bup bup bup bup) it must have been torture for him but he never complained. He passed away just two months after our last cruise. My husband always said that the time one spends traveling is not deducted from one's total, so he was going to keep traveling as long as possible. And we did!

As for ages, my husband was 92 on our last cruise, I'm sure the oldest on board. There were a few couples in their 40's. The majority were probably 50-60. Age didn't matter.

I've done ten trips with GCT and have never had a problem.

[2travelers]

2Travelers. I can relate. I did two river cruises with GCT with my husband, then in a wheelchair. It worked out great. We did some of the optionals, and did not do the ones what were too strenuous. I was glad we had the option. I was able to push his wheelchair over Europe's cobblestones (bup bup bup bup bup) it must have been torture for him but he never complained. He passed away just two months after our last cruise. My husband always said that the time one spends traveling is not deducted from one's total, so he was going to keep traveling as long as possible. And we did!

As for ages, my husband was 92 on our last cruise, I'm sure the oldest on board. There were a few couples in their 40's. The majority were probably 50-60. Age didn't matter.

I've done ten trips with GCT and have never had a problem.

 

Hi Kayelache: You sure sound like my kind of gal. I agree that age doesn't matter. We just got off the Russian River Cruise and were probably the youngest people on the ship. There was a couple in their 80's. He was so spry - he used to hop off the bus before I could and insist that I hand him my husband's walker. Like your husband, trying to negotiate the cobblestones in Rome or the broken walkways in Ephesus, Turkey using a walker did not come easy to him, but he is so glad to be alive that he just enjoyed every minute. One person saw our picture taken in front of the Hermitage Museum last month and mentioned that he looked like a little boy - that's what fun travel does for you! I must tell you that wherever we have traveled these past two years, the friends I have made on these boards and the folks we meet on the ships are the best. They help us at every turn. I am so anticipating the GCT to Egypt, that I am almost sorry we booked South American in between - but it sures gives us something to look forward to :D .

Ronnie