Disappointed

[cruiserjack]

We are one of the couples who are involved with the GCT scam. While we are grateful that they are giving us all our money back, they have spoiled a wonderful time with dear friends and the celebration of our 40th wedding anniversary. We have cruised many times but have never booked through a travel agent before and, needless to say, won't ever do it again. I am not surprised in this day and age though that corporate America just doesn't seem to care about its customers. Let our experience be a warning to everyone that this can happen. In our initial phone call to book this cruise through GCT, they never said anything about a possible price increase due to any reason. In previous experience when we booked a cruise and agreed on a price, that was the price and it was over and done with. When we got the invoices we never even turned them over to read the fine print. Of course by then it was too late. So buyer beware as they say.

[WesW]

Cruiserjack, we feel your pain and only wish you the best in future cruise plans...recommend you send a note to Conde Nast Ombudsman, so a larger public

will be made aware of this situation..

 

Letters should be sent to Ombudsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Times Square, New York, New York 10036, and should include documentation and any relevant photographs. Please note that we cannot respond to submissions sent via e-mail

 

r/wes

[ridolphi]

Sorry for all that you have been thru. I'm especially sorry that it has soured you on Travel Agents, as there are many of us out there, and many reputable ones, and its too bad that your experience with GCT, has undermined your trust, as I can understand -- but maybe someday you will find an Agent that you can trust and will renew your faith, if not well, again its understandable. Have you checked into booking directly with RSSC or are the prices much higher (didn't know what you paid, so couldn't compare with the prices on the website). Hope you are able to put together some other plans for your anniversery with your friends that will help to make up for your disappointment.:)

[sita]

I am truly sorry this happened to you. This might be an unpopular comment but as a frequent PG cruiser I was shocked at how low the PG fares were when originally posted on the GCT website... far lower than anything I could book thru my own RSSC agent, even after applying Society discounts and significant gold point credits. I assumed there had be be a catch and am not surprised it was an error.... I'm sorry it caught you and I do believe, in a gesture of goodwill, you should have sailed at your invoiced fare.

[RMS Olympic]

Find a good TA and stay with them building up a history. I have one that all my friends throughout the country use. When there are problems, she handles them and I never take the short end. I flew transpacific a year ago..the price that was quoted for business class seemed real low...I jumped on it after my TA called the airline to confirm the rate quoted. But right before the flight there was a notification that the rate was greater than paid....My TA saw to it that I paid what I paid and not a cent more......

I hope you can find a TA like I have....they are worth their weight in gold

[Leejnd4]

Cruiserjack, I too feel very bad this happened to you, and I do hope that you go on to find a wonderful vacation experience to replace this one.

 

One comment -- please note that GCT is not just a "travel agent", they are a large corporation who apparently can afford to lose customers through shady business practices. (Perhaps they really do make more from scamming extra money out of people than they lose from loss of business due to damaged reputation.) But there are many, many small agencies and independant agents who do not do business this way. If they did, I daresay they wouldn't be in business very long! They recognize that repeat business and word-of-mouth from happy customers are their life-blood, and they would no more scam a customer than they would shoot themselves in the foot.

 

There are a number of people in here who could give you references and great testimonials about their own agents. I know it's outside of CC policies to do that in here, but I'm sure you could exchange email addresses with some people in here to get some excellent references. There are also other message boards with no such rules against "naming names" of agents.

 

Feel free to email me at leejnd at adelphia dot net. I'm not an agent, but I do know of a couple who are extremely customer-oriented and highly regarded; I could also give you those other message board locations. To me, references from very satisfied clients of small or independant agents are the best assurance possible. :)

 

LeeAnne

[Dolebludger]

cruiserjack:

 

GCT is NOT a travel agency. Rather, it is a "packager" of vacations that often include both a land and sea componets. True travel agents offer a variety of travel options, with some more specialized than others. GCT, on the other hand, sells only their own vacation "packages." You can't call them up, for example, and book a certain cruise on Silversea. You can't book any Radisson cruise through them, except for certain cruises (packaged with air and land stays) on the Paul Gauguin, and that is only because GCT is part of the consortium that bought the Paul Gauguin, and leases the PG to Radisson for the time being. BTW, Radisson has never owned the PG, and has always leased it from another party.

 

on the other hand, GCT sells their packages only direct, and refuses to sell through TRUE travel agents. GCT has not ventured into the lux vacation category until now. For cruise componet, GCT usually contracts for space on a line like NCL, or a river cruiser that looks like a rest home. IMO, GCT is clearly out of its element in its involvment with the PG.

 

So your experience should not make you want to avoid TRUE travel agents for your next cruise. Quite the opposite. A TRUE travel agent will go to bat for you against a travel provider in a case such as yours, and will usually succeed.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Leejnd4]

Excellent point, Richard, and thanks for clarifying! :)

 

LeeAnne

[new_cruiser]

I agree Richard. Also a good travel agent would know which travel companies are unreliable making it less likely to get into the situation in the first place.

[cruiserjack]

We thank all of you for your sympathy and advice. Also for clarifying exactly what GCT is. A better 40th anniversary celebration will come along.

[JDMOR]

Everyone should be aware that everything that has been said here about GCT also applies to Vantage Delux Travel. It is an almost identical operation. In fact, both are based in Boston and the respective CEO's are actually brothers (Lewis).

[Dolebludger]

Also, Overseas Adverture Travel (OAT) is dircetly affiliated with GCT.

 

 

Thanks,

Richard:(