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What travelers are saying

"I have travelled with ROW numerous times, including four trips on the Rogue River. Every trip has been wonderful and every person associated with ROW has been nice, knowledgeable, professional and fun. The Rogue is a great river and the trip is an excellent one for two people or a large group—and I have done both. I’ve taken both of my kids, one time each, and have organized groups of colleagues twice; most recently in 2019 when 14 of us gathered. The guides at ROW are great and help to make the trip very enjoyable. The scenery, lodging and the wonderful outdoors including warm air and refreshing water, make for a wonderful escape from the everyday routine. The fact that this trip offers beds and indoor plumbing is a nice benefit and allows those who have an aversion to camping a chance to see the wilderness. I have recommended ROW and the Rogue trip more times than I can count and my group has already reserved our trip for 2021. What are you waiting for?"

What travelers are saying

"I am a 12 time traveler with Grand Circle and OAT. But maybe no more. They are impossible to reach by phone without waiting for hours. I even tired their emergency phone number and was on hold for hours. What if I had been stranded in a foreign country? They cancelled my Eastern Europe to Black Sea Cruise in Sept 2021 and cited "covid" or "civil unrest" issues. Baloney. They cancelled because they did not sell out the cruise and lied about it to me. I know because I went with Viking during the same month with no excuses like Grand Circle gave me. Add to that they promised me a $1,000 credit on my next trip- which was to Antarctica in December. The invoice they sent me showed the credit- and 1 month later a new invoice arrived with the credit removed. Why? Another lie? Something is really wrong here with the company now and I would suggest be very careful with bookings as they are not the same company I traveled with for the past 12 years."

What travelers are saying

"We particularly wanted to do this trip because of the abundance of wildlife we expected to encounter and selected this ship because they offered the kayaking experience. Overall, the weather was very good. Most people seemed like minded and were there for the adventurous experience. Accommodations Review They upgraded our cabin and we were very pleased with the amount of space and the amenities in the room. We appreciated the twin windows and being able to see humpbacks diving from our cabin. It was kept very clean and it was a treat to have our bed turned down with chocolates on the pillow each night. Meals Review We liked the variety and the quality of the food. There was always something new to try. The dining room staff was very professional and personable. Crew & Guides Review Solon was our Principal Trip Leader. He was incredibly professional and it seemed like he was constantly working to maximize the encounters with wildlife and scenery, taking advantage of all the weather opportunities and going to places that they don't often go. He worked very closely with the captain who was very accommodating and caring about us having a memorable voyage. Aymie and Andrew were our kayak guides. We went out to kayak 10 different times and were able to get to know both of them well. They worked hard to keep us safe and well informed. They made sure that we didn't miss out on any land excursions. We've had quite a few kayak guides over the years that we've paddled and we loved these two. Marla was the marine biologist aboard the ship. She was very enthusiastic and had a passion for marine mammals that was infectious. We loved listening to her presentations and looked forward to hearing her voice on the PA saying that there was another whale sighting. Colin, the geologist aboard the ship, was very knowledgeable and able to make difficult subjects understandable to the passengers. Itinerary Review The trip far, far, far, far, far, far exceeded our expectations. I had one "far" in the sentence when we left South Georgia Island after seeing 250,000 King Penguins at St. Andrews Point and added the second when we saw blue whales on two different days. The third "far" was added when we saw hundreds of whales for 6 hours along the iceberg, A68a. I added another "far" when we kayaked for over an hour with humpbacks all around and another "far" when minke whales were all around the kayaks the next day. The last "far" was added the day we didn't paddle since a leopard seal was all around the kayaks and then an orca came close. We had so many incredible experiences that we could never experience all of them in the same trip again. The guides told us that the close encounters that we had didn't happen very often and that we were very lucky that they all happened on our trip. The only thing that we didn't like was portions of the Drake Passage when it was a tad rough, but that experience gives us something to talk about. Transportation Review We made our transportation arrangements through another travel agency. Traveler Advice Make sure that you take sea sickness meds. Take advantage of every opportunity to see wildlife."

What travelers are saying

"The cruise was cancelled 2 weeks before departure. The replacement was a serious step down and appalling. The Croisi Boat (MV Beethoven) should be avoided at all possible cost. It is a rattling banging creaking heap. VJV just dump people when they arrive (they booked flights and transfers) with no refreshments, no protection from the cold and no information. They are just let to wait for the boat to allow them on, which was around 2 hours. To save money, they all dock alongside each other and this boat is the last. You need to cross two other boats to get ashore and the crossings are precarious and worrying for elderly or disabled passengers. It is impossible to sleep in cabins akin to prison cells with the torture of noise all night long"

What travelers are saying

"When I signed up for the Wonders of Costa Rica at a slower pace. The hotel listed in the itinerary for day 8&9 was a 4 star hotel on the beach called the Punta Leona. I'm not sure when but Road Scholar changed the Punta Leona hotel for the 3 star Villa Lapis Jungle hotel. I was shocked when we drove up to this dump. Others in the group wanted to leave and find another hotel. I had black bugs under that shower mat and the shower did not drain, Spiders on the wall and roaches coming out of the cracked in the bathroom. The bed was a thin mattress on a board and was hard as a rock. The food they put out was covered with a wrap but 15 minutes after the plastic wrap was removed it was covered with fruit flies. I passed on the open food bowls. The walls were real thin and the neighbors were real noisy until 11:30 pm. Others in the group complained about the late night noise, spiders and toilet seat being broken. I'm not sure where this place gets 3 stars. After I saw the roaches, I give it a 1 star. Road Scholar put us up in beautiful hotels and then they take us here. You can do better than this Road Scholar. The end the story, Road Scholar customer service called me about my concern and said they have never used the Punta Leona, (I sent her my itinerary that said PUNTA LEONA). She also said they haven't had any complaints about this Villa Lapis dump. After her call, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel with Road Scholar again. Enough said...."

What travelers are saying

"Hilariously bad support from outsourced call centers. They flat out bs you making up answers. They did not actually book all the hotels stated in the tour so there were some last minute changes that were very disruptive. The bus was missing luggage liners in the shelf above the seats so stuff was falling out while driving and I was hit by a heavy laptop bag."

What travelers are saying

"used Direct traveller or my business trip in Turkey. Excellent from the word go. The Istanbul hotel they recommended and the service provided for the taxi was spot on"

What travelers are saying

""I do not recommend Windstar Cruises, at least not onboard 'Windstar'. The only reason I could see to sail with them is for the evening event in Ephesus, which was unforgettable. Reaching them via telephone, pre-cruise took 45mins+. Questions regarding one of Windstar's Private Driver & Guide tours I inquired about were not responded to, nor was a phone call made to me to report back. Instead, after 11pm, on the 3rd night onboard, I received an unacceptable, vague reply. Fortunately, in the week prior to cruise, my travel agent did a wonderful job of contacting a local tour/guide operator, and I had a wonderful experience. I sailed on The Windstar in August 2022 for a Greek Isles cruise. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed in most aspects, except for the spa staff, who were wonderful, and cabin stewards, dining staff, and pool area bartenders/staff, who were excellent. While realizing it is a smaller 'sailing' ship, it needs a major upgrade/overhaul, or perhaps replacement with a new ship. Public areas, were substandard, pool had unsightly rusty colored sediment around the base of the waterline, whirlpool was neither heated, nor cooled, bed was uncomfortable, many times announcements by Captain could not be heard in cabin, nor were they repeated, in full, and slowly, a second time. Announcements meant for hallways or public areas only also were stated very quickly, and not repeated, slowly and with enunciation. I felt the destination briefings could have been interactive, with repeated times, and a fun, learning experience, with some ideas of what, and how, to experience the islands, other than the Windstar, or alternate booked excursions. Such as having information on car rentals, motorbike rentals, and perhaps a packet with information on all port calls, with maps, in the cabins, upon check-in, or a designated, sit-down office, wherein one could obtain information, comfortably, without interruptions. While I realize all lines are short-staffed the past couple of years, I felt it was grossly understaffed in the dissemination of information, reception, and destination briefing department, and that staff could have been available for a longer period of time for public Q & A's. I was actually distracted with number of times I heard 'Ladies & Gentlemen', during destination briefings, after almost every single sentence, that it interfered with information being given. While an understanding was reached after a couple days, and Reception improved, I was, one time, given an 'attitude' by reception staff, which won't easily be forgotten. My cabins portholes had exterior rust sediment build up which interfered with a nice view outside the portholes, and the smaller drain in the bathroom/head, outside the shower stall, had water coming up into/onto the toilet area and left the floorboards with that awful squeaky sound and also disallowed the use of fluffy area rug, instead needing 3 large towels to dry area after a shower. After this was reported to Manager, it was fixed, but by the night prior to end of cruise, it started happening again. I also feel the cruise rates, as compared to other lines, are overpriced. Perhaps Windstar's other, newer ships are different. One can only hope.""